Naruto: Tales of Ashihara
The Shinden Saga – Arc 4: The Otsutsuki War
.
Chapter 146 – New Queen of Iwa
.
For over a week now, Iwagakure has been under occupation of an invader claiming its governance. The Tsuchikage has been neutralized in the middle of the night and the next morning, all means for communication or activity connecting the village to the outside has been shut down. Yet, the population is still living the same everyday life. All they had to do was to pledge allegiance to their new queen, the goddess of beauty and temptation, Yasona Otsutsuki.
The civilians of Iwa didn't have much choice but to accept, but the ninja forces were not as compliant. While most of them, more than half actually, submitted to their conqueror, the most faithful organized a resistance seeking help from the outside. This resistance is led by the blue samurai Daisuke, husband of the Tsuchikage.
After finding his wife incapacitated, he carried her away, gathered the ninjas willing to follow him and set up a plan to contact the outside and get his son Hakutsuchi to safety. Just yesterday, a little elite team led by Ittan, a veteran jonin of the 4th great war, escaped the village and got in touch with Amaya, a friend of Daisuke who's also the daughter of Okisuke, the chief general of the samurai land of Iron.
Thanks to them, Hakutsuchi is now safe with her and the Shinobi Union should have finally been informed of Iwa's situation. However, this squad didn't return and the resistance hidden in Iwa is still unaware of their success.
.
At the moment, in an underground facility below the village's ninja academy, Daisuke is worryingly taking care of his unconscious wife. In the short battle she had with the goddess, her hair was damaged, messing up her look. To even its length, Daisuke is giving her a new cut. Once done, he's joined by the old Kitsuchi, his father-in-law, who analyzes his daughter's state. Her vital signs are all correct, meaning she's perfectly healthy. Even her brain's activity seems to show she's awake, yet she's totally inactive. As if her nervous system and everything it commands was turned off.
While they're silently trying to figure out what happened to her, they're bothered by sudden screams. Sagan, head of the sensory department of Iwa, barges in with tens of others ninjas.
"She found us!" he yells, causing everyone to panic. "Here she comes!"
Just as he says these words, they hear something crash through the soil and ceiling above. After a few quiet seconds, they see her, Yasona Otsutsuki, calmly walking in this large room by the same entrance as them. Seeing her for the first time, for most, all the ninjas lower their guard, troubled by her pressuring yet pleasing aura, and her unforeseen beauty and height. A few of them, refusing to succumb so stupidly, give out a war cry before defending their allies.
Doton – Ganban Kyu (Stone Plate Coffin)
By slamming their hands to the ground, they summon a thick stone confinement that emerges and closes around the invader. However, just two seconds after successfully closing the coffin, they see an opening being carved into it in front of them and opening like a door through which Yasona calmly steps out. Seeing her come closer, another ninja desperately tries to get in her way with a stone wall.
Doton – Doryuheki
Yet, just as the wall starts to grow, Yasona lies the tip of one foot on top of it and, just like that, interrupts it. Frustrated, the ninja puts as much effort as he can in it, but to no use. The goddess simply steps over it and, as she sets foot below, carelessly falls in another trap. Both her feet are stuck to the ground, bound by a viscous puddle, seemingly honey. It is Kaza Kamizuru, best kunoichi of the new generation, who set this up and now leaps forward to take advantage.
Doton – Kengan (Stone Fist)
With her fist coated in a rock glove, she tries to punch the 7 feet tall lady in the chest but, to her astonishment, is stopped by a single finger of her left hand. Busied by Kaza, Yasona however lets Akatsuchi get on her left.
Doton – Golem
The upper body of a stone statue appears next to her and manages to land a punch right in the goddess' face. Yasona, not even bruised or moved by this, looks with disgust at her shoes sticking to the ground.
"Oh, why did you do that?" she complains with an embarrassed voice. "You ruined my stiletto heels!" she adds before lifting her finger to lay it on top of Kaza's gauntlet and push her down into her own honey puddle.
With her now free left arm, she then grabs the golem's fist still held against her cheek and pulls on it to bring Akatsuchi, standing on the statue's shoulder, closer to her. Once in range, she slaps him with the back of her hand and sends him fluttering to the other side of this underground hall. Seeing that no other ninja dares to make a move, she steps out of her high heels and levitates until laying her naked feet on the ground before them.
Only now do Daisuke and Kitsuchi see what she is holding in her right hand. It is the body of Ittan, the captain of the squad they sent seeking help outside of the village. Seeing them notice, Yasona throws him forward to Sagan who catches him and immediately checks his vital signs.
"Tsk… he's… dead." he says to Daisuke behind him.
Hearing this, the blue samurai stands up, carrying his wife in his arms. If Ittan was found and killed, what happened to the other ninjas, and to his son whom he left to them, hoping to get him to safety? Fortunately, Yasona reassures him by explaining this.
"I'd rather keep my future servants alive, but this one and the rest of his squad were irritating." she tells them. "Seems like they got in touch with foreigners before I could find them."
Daisuke and Kitsuchi process this information, and sigh out of relief. She seems to insinuate that Ittan still completed his mission, and didn't die pointlessly. Hakutsuchi is safe in the land of Iron and it is only a matter of time before the other hidden villages come to their rescue. Yasona, gazing through the little crowd of rebels, notices Kurotsuchi in her husband's arms and slightly tilts her head.
"I see you got her a new hairstyle." she comments before getting to her point. "I guess you're all that's left of opposition within the village. Don't worry, I am only mischievous to those who don't admit my sovereignty. I won't do you any harm. Just accept your impulses and serve me as your queen."
After these words, they all feel a pleasing touch rush through their bodies, making them shiver. It feels to them like every sound, image and chakra has become blurry. The only things they perfectly see, hear, smell, feel and appreciate is Yasona's silhouette, her energy, the sound of her gentle breath and her fragrant smell. Then, she raises her hand and holds it still, expecting a kiss on its back, as a sign of submission.
Troubled by this odd caress, they take a while to calm down and process her invitation. Abachi and Genki, the twin students of Akatsuchi, are the closest to her but don't feel obliged to answer in everyone's name. They take a step back and turn around to stare at Daisuke. The samurai sees all eyes on him, looks at the goddess' mesmerizing body, then at his wife's quiet face that he deciphers through the blur.
He gently lays her aside, stands straight and pulls out his katana, the Yawarakai, from its scabbard. Holding it forward as a provocation, he spells his decision.
"Mysterious lady from the heavens, you may be the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, but there is nothing that a gentleman values more than his wife."
Sagan, Kitsuchi, Abachi, Genki, and all other ninjas present take this as orders and get in position, ready to fight. Yasona, disappointed by their unruly attitudes, yet admirative of Daisuke's faithful oath, ends this without the need of a battle.
"If you say so…" she says with a bored voice.
Ohoma Gatsuhi
She emits a wave of bright red chakra that fills the whole room and passes through everyone. The only one who has time to move is Daisuke who manages to slice through the energy with his all-cutting blade before it reaches him. Aside from him, all the other rebels, including Kaza and Akatsuchi who were already defeated, seem to lose their grip and collapse. Left alone, he gets in position to strike with a deadly samurai technique.
Yojinbo
After a quick dash forward, he tries to slash the invader but sees her moving way faster than he can to stop his mythic blade with just two of her long pointy red nails. With her other hand, she gently caresses his cheek and spreads the same curse in his body as the one she applied through her chakra wave.
As he's being consumed, Daisuke finally understands what happened to Kurotsuchi and the others. He feels his senses fade away one after another as his nerves go numb. He can't taste his own saliva, smell her natural perfume, or feel her touch. Not even sensing the ground under his feet, he trips and lets go of his sword's handle. He even lost speech and his ability to sense chakra. This is the power of Ohoma Gatsuhi. A curse that manipulates all senses of the targets. All that remains is his vision and hearing.
Paralyzed, he sees Yasona kneel next to Kurotsuchi and quietly stare at her face without a word. She then stands up and kneels to grab the samurai by the cheeks.
"Your blue armor is way classier than all these brown jackets." she comments about his outfit. "You also don't look like everyone else. You must be a foreigner. That you came to this land and are fighting for it with such pride, all for this woman, sounds romantic, doesn't it?…" she pauses, just to let him struggle with the fact he can't give a reply. "I'll leave you buried here together for now, and I'll get back to you when you're ready to pledge allegiance."
After these words, she takes away his hearing and lets him see her levitate away, to get her feet back in her high heels that she gets out of the honey having lost substance due to its user's defeat. Only now does Yasona complete the effect of Ohoma Gatsuhi on Daisuke by finally taking his sight as she leaves.
.
Meanwhile, in Konohagakure, a clone of the 7th Hokage, summoned by the original to his office, is with Ino Yamanaka, ensuring communication between him and the Raikage, who asked for his help in a terribly destructive plan. Samui, the Raikage's assistant, is explaining the situation of Iwa.
"It appears that this takeover occurred more than a week ago. We found out about it only thanks to a message from the land of Iron. A few ninjas of Iwa managed to get the Tsuchikage's son out of the land and get in touch with contacts of her husband. According to them, the invader is called Yasona Otsutsuki. We don't know anything else and are unable to get in contact with them."
"… This sure is sudden…" Naruto says, annoyed by this turn of events. "So it's clear that something has to be done to help Iwa. But if the problem is there, why do you intend to take down the moon?"
"It's simple, Hokage,…" Darui explains. "We obviously have to strike the enemy and chase them from Iwa, but it would be dull if we didn't first make sure that another such invader won't show up as soon as we're done with this one. Before eliminating Yasona Otsutsuki, we need to get rid of the rest of the clan or at least get them out of scope."
"We have the means to destroy the moon." Samui adds to complete the Raikage's plan. "We have a weapon developed at the time of the supposed end of the world for this. All it needs is enough chakra to fuel a strike. The forces of Kumo are enough to power a cannon blast that could destroy the moon, but it may not be enough in this case. There are individuals among the Otsutsuki clan who could easily cancel or absorb such an attack if it's only made of our chakra. As far as we know, Lord Hokage, you are the only person who could load this weapon all by yourself, and with an energy that no one will be able to counter."
Before sharing his thoughts about this plan, Naruto wonders if Sakura, Izuna or Sasuke could do this as well, since they also have God Sage chakra. But he quickly forgets about it. Even if they could, he wouldn't give them this task. Besides, his own chakra is still superior in nature to theirs since it surpasses even Shinsen chakra according to Yamitsuki. More importantly, what bothers him is the actual chances of success of this plan.
"You know I've fought against members of this clan a handful of times now and… I don't think it would work." he shares his thoughts. "I'm not really for the idea of decimating them all without keeping the gate open for dialogue later. And even though we're talking of blowing up the whole moon, the most powerful of them could very likely survive that."
"This isn't a problem." Y, the Raikage's advisor, joins the telepathic conversation. "As long as we can force them to leave the solar system, we'd have repelled their threat long enough to make a move on Iwa safely. This outcome would even be more pleasant to you, Lord Hokage, I assume, since you'd rather not erase the celestial race so quickly."
Naruto looks at Ino and Shikamaru who are with him in the room but don't say a word. Feeling surpassed by the stake and a bit shaken by the aura of Naruto that they feel fatigued yet empowered by his training, they let him handle the situation. Shikamaru, to help, only asks one question.
"Do you have any approach for Iwa's case after that?"
"Of course, this should cause no trouble." Y answers. "No data seem to indicate that Yasona Otsutsuki could be as dangerous as others like Naobi or Momoshiki. Lord Hokage, you or Sasuke Uchiha alone could free Iwa."
Naruto, still silent, asks for his Biju's advice.
"What do you think, Kurama?"
"Well…" the fox says. "It seems right, but getting the clan away temporarily doesn't eliminate the Dragon Sage or Sasuke's rival… Still, if you can make it work for you, we should give it a try."
The jinchuriki takes some more time to think, staying quiet. His long silence disturbs the Raikage's side.
"Hokage, we're sorry to solicit you in such a way, but we can't let Iwa under occupation." Darui says, wondering if he's being heard. "Are you still with us, Hokage?"
"Fine, I'll help, but I have a condition and an issue." Naruto suddenly decides. "My condition is that we only destroy the moon to chase the Otsutsuki clan, and make sure to give them a chance to flee."
"This won't be a problem." Shikamaru and Y speak at the same time, having both ideas to satisfy Naruto's demand.
"Good. But the issue is… I can come in person to help you with this since it's only a limited effort for me, but I can't commit to any involvement in Iwa's rescue for now…" Naruto says before explaining. "Going against a celestial is always exhausting. To do so would require that I totally interrupt my training for a prolonged period and I can't do that. Yamitsuki will still be there and I need to be ready and operational when he strikes. And for Sasuke, a certain Tokubei is still after him and could also take advantage of his involvement against Yasona."
"I see…" Darui answers, speaking for everyone. None of them really knows if any amount of training will be enough to face the Ryu Shinsen, so the best they can do is make sure that Naruto gets as much time as he can. Y stays positive, glad that he at least accepts to participate in their plan.
"Thank you for your consideration, Lord Hokage." she says to end the conversation. "We will get back to you quickly to set a time and place. And don't worry, we have other options to explore to help Iwa."
Samui and the Raikage also give their compliments before Ino ends the mind connection. Shikamaru looks at Naruto, unsure of what to say, and elects to leave him alone, as this clone will likely disappear soon so he can fully focus on his training. The advisor makes a sign to Ino and they leave together. The Hokage stands there, thinking about it with the nine-tailed fox.
"This sounds like the right thing to do." Kurama says. "If Sasuke hurries to eliminate his enemy while we do that, he may even be able to save Iwa on his own… If not, the Shinobi Union can handle this, with Izuna and Sakura's help… Now about the moon, it's true that Toneri would be upset if we destroy it, but Boruto's Tenseigan should be able to restore it when needed, just like he did back then."
Naruto looks at the fox and lightly smiles, reassured by these thoughts. However, he doesn't know how tiring this could be for Boruto who is also hard at training currently. Now that he thinks of training, he comes to figure out what he needs to achieve next on his side. Even with the Gudodama mastered, he still needs to find something to ascend to this enemy's raw power. Matching Yamitsuki's Ryujin Kata seems out of reach, but just something to surpass his base state would already be spectacular.
The clone is dispelled, leaving Shikamaru, Moegi and the honorable council to handle Konoha while he gets back to his intense training.
.
On the same lake where they've been training since they arrived, Boruto and Toneri keep going. While they're focused on it, Hanabi Hyuga comes to observe in the distance. Finding it curious that Boruto still hadn't visited the clan's dojo since his return, she came to see what kept him busy. Right now, he is manipulating his Gudodama in a purple gaseous state.
Hanabi is joined by Himawari who just lets herself be noticed and follows her aunt's gaze. Seeing her brother do a quite specific exercise, she looks at her master and waits to hear her thoughts.
"Whatever he's doing is striving too far away from my teaching." Hanabi complains.
"Well… Didn't Boruto get over this a long time ago?" Himawari asks. "He was already on a different basis with mister Sasuke."
"I don't think so…" Hanabi replies. "Sasuke doesn't know me, and I don't know him, but our lessons to Boruto followed the same track. Because we both know what kind of fighter Boruto is, and how our teaching can make him better. Toneri lacks this… He's only trying to make Boruto blindly learn everything about those orbs and his eyes, when he should be figuring out how to make them fit his style."
"Do you know how you could fix that?" her niece asks, making her wonder about it. Now that she thinks of it, Sasuke Uchiha is better informed about the current skills and level of Boruto. This gives her an idea that could greatly help their common student.
.
At the moment, the Uchiha master is also in Konoha, on another training ground with his daughter Sarada. He is calmly letting her display her Taijutsu skills as he dodges all her best moves. Getting tired of hand-to-hand combat, she leaps away and quickly performs a series of hand signs.
Katon – Gokakyu
She expels a huge fireball that falls down on her father, who stops it by simply absorbing it. As he does so, Sasuke smiles, appreciating the size and looks of this performance. Once done, he sees Sarada landing and catching her breath. Seeing him slowly come to her, she asks a question.
"When will I get my Sharingan?"
"Don't worry too much about that. You'll unlock it when you truly need it." Sasuke answers. "I couldn't use it either at your age. And from what I've seen, you're clearly on par with me back then, if not better."
Cheered up by this remark, she stands straight again and curiously lets him land his hand on her shoulder. Then, she feels chakra being infused into her. The same amount she consumed with her last jutsu. Sasuke absorbed it to let her have it back. This unsettles her and troubles her mind. She feels like… he's going easy. Himawari described him as a cruel yet terribly efficient master for Boruto, but she doesn't recognize him as such.
Suddenly full of doubts, she falls on her butt and timidly looks down.
"What's bothering you?" Sasuke asks, noticing her confusion.
"… It's just…" she tries to put her thoughts into words. "It's been over two years since I last saw you. You act like nothing has changed, but I'm almost a genin now. I'm not just the little girl you remember anymore."
"I… am sorry." he apologizes before taking time to think properly. "I had a very important mission to complete, but I'll do my best to be forgiven."
Not getting any answer, he now analyzes her emotions first, and then her face, shape, vocabulary, and realizes what bothers her. She's not upset about his long absence. It is about how he treats her.
"I see…" he says to break the silence. "You're right. You're almost as old as I was in my worst years… As old as Izuna and Oshio when they needed me the most. Back then, I failed both of them. I couldn't be present. But I won't make the same mistake with you."
Sarada still doesn't answer or look at him. She just stands up on her own when she sees her mother arrive in the distance. Sasuke, following her gaze, looks in his back and sees Sakura joining them with lunch boxes. She shakes the meals to show them off and brightly smiles. The Uchiha gets lost in her green eyes and gets deep in wonder.
He's had children for 20 years, yet he never really felt the joys of fatherhood before. This kind of precious moment is what it is all about. To get time with his daughter, especially at that age, and to see his wife be so pleased and supportive of it, truly feels good. Despite the imminent threat they have to face, Sasuke never really felt so much at peace. This makes him wonder if he deserves this kind of happiness.
These last cruel thoughts are silenced when he feels Sakura grabbing his hand under his cloak.
"Why are you always wearing that cape?" she asks with a gentle mocking tone. "It makes you look like you're always ready to disappear."
Before he can answer or even greet his wife, Sarada gets in a fight stance oddly reminding of Sasuke's younger self and brings the focus back on her.
"Sorry mom, but we're not done yet." she says, ready to get back to it. "Come on, Dad, don't go easy on me this time."
When he turns around again to face her, she sees her father with a clueless and innocent face for the first time, making him seem more humane than usual. Kind of disturbed by this, she makes a serious face and stands still to provoke him. Sasuke prepares to decline her demand and rather accept Sakura's lunch box, but sees this rare moment of peace be suddenly interrupted by a voice speaking in his mind.
"Sasuke, do you hear me? Get your ass to Kiri right now! It's urgent!" he hears the voice of Tsubai Minamoto.
This call washes the innocence off his face. He sadly looks at Sakura, to let her figure out what he has to do, and steps forward to his daughter. Still in position, she stands ready to counter his every move. She listens to his steps and pays close attention to his arm, prepared to block it. Yet, Sasuke shows her just a glimpse of what it would be like if he stopped holding back.
Before she can even notice his arm moving, she suddenly feels a light poke on her face. Her father just pressed two fingers against her forehead in a familiar manner.
"Sorry, Sarada." he says, with a compassionate yet serious tone. "Maybe next time."
.
A few minutes earlier, in Kirigakure, Tsubai Minamoto was with his son Takeshi and his daughter Yoshinari, at his family home. Just like they did for the last 2 years, they didn't speak much, and certainly didn't mention Tokiwa. The last thing they had in common was the deceiving feeling of emptiness that came after successfully avenging her but not healing their grief in any way.
Sojobo is still gaining influence in Takeshi's soul, and his presence seems oddly more consistent when he is near his father, which worries the ninja in black. He does remember him noticing gray hair on Tsubai and calling it a bad sign, but nothing new about this since then. He finds it suspicious, especially since his father doesn't seem to have aged at all since then.
At the same time, Sakitsuki is staying at Takeshi's apartment where she lived with him for the last 2 years. In her boredom, she is trying on some clothes and outfits that used to belong to Tokiwa and that Saori, Takeshi's aunt, gifted to her. These are mostly black and dark blue dresses, which surely changes from her usual white celestial attire. Yet, she admires herself wearing these. As Tokiwa once told her, it contrasts with her pure white skin and mixes well with her black hair.
Timidly modeling alone in front of a mirror, allowing herself to be childish now that she's alone in here, she suddenly senses a quite unique chakra nearby, inside the village. Using her Byakugan, she uses a fragment of her Sanmeigan's golden sight and immediately finds who it is. Rihetsuki Otsutsuki, the retired elder of her clan and the father of Tojiki. He is here with his daughter, most likely to visit her.
Afraid by the idea of being found in such clothes by a fellow celestial, she hurries to get back into her usual decorated white robe and waits, ready to welcome him. Since he won't be surprised that she could see him coming, she immediately goes to wait on top of the building. There, Tojiki comes first, hurrying to greet the one who educated her.
"Saki!" she exclaims as she falls into her arms to happily hug her.
"It's been a while, Tojiki." Sakitsuki answers with a friendly voice before letting her go and looking at Rihetsuki who sets foot on the roof just now.
"Is that where you live?" Tojiki asks enthusiastically.
"It is where my partner lives." she calmly answers, before addressing the girl's father more seriously. "It's uncommon for you to come meet me voluntarily, sir Rihetsuki."
"Call me Rihei." he answers. "As you know, in the current situation, it would be selfish of me to keep ignoring my origins."
Tojiki, seeing that the adults are talking, goes flying around and explores the surroundings. Sakitsuki, curious about what Rihetsuki has planned, waits for him to explain.
"What the Shinobi Union and the Shinden seem to be headed to reminds me of what happened 1200 years ago on the moon, and it would be ideal that the outcome also turns out similar." he tells her. "We celestial beings arrived on the moon, and met its guardian, Hamura Otsutsuki. One of us, on his own command, engaged in a terrible battle against this man. Hamura triumphed over this enemy after the most difficult battle of his life, and the hostilities were settled by the intervention of Yamitsuki who offered peace to the people of the moon while letting them remember how it came to this."
"… I assume you expect me to find parallels with what is set to happen nowadays." Sakitsuki guesses, not knowing much of this tale. "The guardians of Earth must be Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha."
"You can simplify and limit to the case of the 7th Hokage." Rihei interrupts and clarifies.
"… In that case, he is in Hamura's place." Saki continues. "Yet this time, Yamitsuki isn't the one who settles the conflict, but the enemy. And so you wish for the Hokage to defeat Yamitsuki?"
"I know it sounds unlikely, and might as well be considered impossible." he replies. "But let's consider that the outcome of this battle is not much of a matter. What matters is that in the end, someone brings peace and Earth is left to exist without being robbed of the truth."
"… Do you expect to be the one settling the conflict?" she asks. "Or are you asking me to do it?"
"I couldn't be this arrogant, nor this responsible." Rihetsuki answers. "I will keep the same role as back then. I will profit from the resulting peace and stay settled on the spared world. I don't want you to have this role either, but I believe you are the only person who could convince the one who could really conclude this."
"… You mean… Naobi-sama?" the golden eyed goddess figures out, surprisingly.
"Of course, Naobi-sama." he confirms. "She was present at the time of Hamura's battle, and I believe Yamitsuki wouldn't have stepped in without her. Now that he is the one starting hostilities, she is the only one who could possibly end them. And you, Sakitsuki, are the only one she'll accept to listen to."
"You definitely haven't seen these two in a long time." the voice of a stranger interrupts them.
Yomotsu Hirasaka
All of a sudden a black space gate opens and a masked hooded man steps out from it. Sakitsuki immediately recognizes him and hurries to bow in panic.
"To expect Naobi-sama to do anything going against Yamitsuki-sama's will, you certainly don't know them as is today." the man repeats.
Rihetsuki takes a closer look at this person, whom he doesn't seem to recognize. Not even his voice is familiar. Yet, Sakitsuki's behavior indicates that he must be one of the Shinden, which is odd as he thought he knew all of them.
"Excuse me, I have never met you before." he confusingly says.
"Neither did I." the masked man simply replies.
"Rihetsuki!" Sakitsuki exclaims worriedly. "This is Tokubei-sama, god of paths, winter and longevity."
"Tokubei?" Rihei asks. "I do know someone named Tokubei, god of winter only. And he doesn't look like that."
Jigokudo
To shut the elder up, Tokubei abruptly grabs Rihetsuki by the neck and makes his Rinnegan clearly apparent. Sakitsuki trembles but has to stand still, unable to misbehave in front of a Shinden again.
"Jigokudo. You certainly know of this ability." he says to his paralyzed victim. "Would you lie or refuse to answer my questions, your kalpa will be reduced until dismantlement, and death."
.
End of Chapter 146 – Next Chapter: Susanoo Battle