Chapter Thirty-Three
Konoha Attack
"The intel Jiraiya-sama provided has been critical to our intelligence divisions. They are still going through a lot of the scrolls and books but just from what we have seen, the Akatsuki are planning more than just getting the Biju. We cannot say for sure what, but it does not bode well if their leader is this strong already."
Shikamaru stood in front of the Hokage as he provided the report, his eyes closed as he thought about what he had been told. Tsunade had her back to him anyway, just staring out the window, so he didn't need to make eye contact with her. She was uneasily silent, though, ever since Fukasaku returned with one of Pain's bodies and the immense amount of intelligence from Amegakure.
"What of the corpse?"
Shikamaru grimaced at the question. "The body that Jiraiya provided had been autopsied by Shizune and she found that the body had been put into some kind of stasis. She dated death to at least a decade ago even though it died not even a week ago. The black rods on its body also extend to the inside, piercing the heart, organs, and brain with the material."
"So they are used as a means to control it like a puppet."
"Much more advanced than that," Shikamaru denied. "It is similar to the Yamanaka mind arts with it being able to load the body's system with chakra to keep it moving."
"That means any of the bodies with the piercings are not the real one." Tsunade sighed and rested her head on her fist. "Did you find out anything else about the Akatsuki?"
"Not about them per se but more about some kind of plan called 'Moon Eye'. Nothing much was gathered from the reports about it but it has come up a few times."
Tsunade grunted and stood to her feet. "You are dismissed."
The boy left immediately after bowing, leaving the Senju woman to stare at her desk alone. She did not do so for long before opening a cabinet in her desk to pull out a half bottle of sake. Behind it were multiple empty bottles of varying brands.
I'll have to clean that out eventually.
Tsunade opened the bottle and poured herself a large cup of the liquor before stowing it away again. She took a few long draws before setting the cup down, already drinking half the cup in those few gulps. She will have to limit herself to the single cup as she needs to be sober enough to listen to the reports.
I miss you already, Jiraiya.
She didn't openly admit it but she was feeling more guilt and doubt now than ever before. She had made the decision that she wouldn't get close to anyone after the deaths of her lover and little brother. She kept Shizune around and saw her as a little sister but the bond never reached beyond a professional mentor-student relationship. It was strictly because she saw herself as cursed, especially with the damned gem necklace now back around her neck.
Then that gullible blonde came and shouted some sense into her. Naruto was full of confidence and certainty that it brought her back to Dan and Nawaki. She had been brought back to the teachings of her grandfather and great uncle, their idea of the Will of Fire. It restored her faith in the village, if only because the boy could hold his head high even after facing the distrust and malice of the rest of the village.
She actually never would have thought that he would have died before obtaining his goal of Hokage. She was confident he could have made it. Then that damned Uchiha decided to go to Orochimaru no matter the cost. Even at the cost of the life of Naruto, who had always called Sasuke a rival and a brother. And Naruto lost his life because his ninja way would not let him take the life of one he still considered a comrade.
To say she was devastated would be an understatement. She could not leave her office for the longest time, stuck in her chair with bottles of empty sake to keep her company, and she had become stuck in the reminder that this is what made her leave the village in the first place. The one person that made her come back, who she stayed for, had died months after bringing her back.
Was it a coincidence? Jiraiya seemed to think so. He had come to her a week after learning of his godson's death, entering into her office through the window as usual but he was silent. His eyes were heavy with bags and dried tears even that long after and he stared at the ceiling silently for what seemed like hours. He spoke only when he was ready, and his words were thick with emotion but he had only become more resolved.
"I can understand how you are feeling. Facing loss is… hard. You are not the only one who has had to face it but you are one of the few I have seen try to run from it instead of facing it. When we were genin, I had looked up to your strength and tenacity, seeing it as a goal I myself wanted to reach. Then we got older and we faced our own challenges in the Second Shinobi War. We faced our own paths."
She had listened but she did not look at him or move to show she was listening. She doesn't even think he cared. He was likely rambling at that point and she had found some solace in hearing his voice. It made her feel like she wasn't alone. And she wasn't.
"I've lost all of my students. I have come to think that maybe I am the problem, that I am the reason they were not ready to face their final challenge. That guilt eats at me for many years and I drown myself in booze and women to chase away the pain. When I found Naruto before the Chunin Exams, he reminded me so much of Minato and I knew then and there at least something of him had remained. I had a duty to teach Naruto everything I knew, and of his parents, when I was going to take him on a training trip."
His silence made her turn to him and she found tears rolling down his cheeks but he didn't turn from his gaze at the ceiling.
"He died before I could tell him. I couldn't tell him everything I wanted to, especially of how proud I was of how he was progressing. I wonder if he knew."
After that moment, they had shared in their pain and she had found herself appreciating the man her former teammate had become. This talk had shown to her that he was stronger than she gave him credit for; not just in his skills as a shinobi but his mental fortitude had surprised her at that second. They had made the agreement that they will continue on for Naruto and everything they did will be in his memory.
And if they had the chance to get that Uchiha brat back to the village to face his crimes… no one would care what condition he would officially come back in. Now it was just up to her to complete it.
Booboobooboom!
Tsunade jumped at multiple explosions landing near her, sending multiple decorations and picture frames to the floor. She turned around to look outside and found at least nine smoke clouds around the village from her view alone, four of which were near her. Her stomach dropped and her eyes widened at the realization that they had been attacked, and she knew who.
They're here. It's the Akatsuki.
A ninja appeared in her office and knelt down. "Barrier Division reporting, Lady Hokage. The sensors found one intruder entering through our air space but we have reports of multiple attackers."
Pain. Tsunade grimaced as she realized who exactly came.
An Anbu appeared next to the Barrier Division ninja and bowed his cloaked head. "Analysis Corps reporting. Enemy strength is estimated to be at least three battalions in size."
Tsunade nodded her head and was going to give an order before the Anbu continued.
"I just got an update; the intruders are wearing black cloaks with red clouds."
"It's the Akatsuki," Tsunade told them before barking out. "I want news given to as many of our forces as possible! Be on the look out for six intruders, each with black piercings and orange hair! They all have the Rinnegan, the dojutsu of myth, and each of them are Kage-level in strength! Secure the civilians' evacuation and contain the threats! Do not fight alone or under five in number! Report to Shikamaru and the Intelligence Division for the abilities and notable differences of each intruder! Go!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
Iruka landed near the fallen Chunin and looked the man over before quickly throwing him over his shoulder. The building near him exploded again before collapsing sideways towards him and the injured shinobi. He jumped away before they could get pinned under the rubble and landed in a more stable open location.
"Stay with me," Iruka felt the pulse of the ninja and sighed in relief when he felt a heartbeat. "Alright, let's get you to-"
He stopped when someone landed near him and he looked up to see an unknown robed man standing there. His eyes widened when he saw the red cloud. Akatsuki.
"Such pointless resistance," He drawled apathetically. "Why must you fight back against a god when you know it is futile?"
Iruka grit his teeth as he shook under the immense weight of the ringed gaze. So this is the Rinnegan of legend? It's nothing like I've ever faced before!
"Just stay still."
Deva raised his arm with a black rod in his hand and poised it to strike the man in his chest. Just as he was about to pierce his vest, his rod was grabbed easily and halted his attack.
"K-Kakashi!"
The jonin had his headband raised showing his Sharingan, staring at the invader with a narrowed gaze. "So, you are the one that killed Jiraiya-sama. Get out of here with that injured man, Iruka. I'll handle this from here."
"Right." Iruke grabbed the ninja and disappeared in the direction of the hospital.
"So you are the Kakashi of the Sharingan I hear so much about," Deva let go of the chakra receiver and stepped back a few feet. "Quite disappointing."
"Is that so?" Kakashi tossed the rod to the side. "I guess the same could be said for me. I expected an actual god, but here I just have a puppet with strings."
He dropped to a squat just as Deva produced another black rod from his robe and thrusted it to pierce the man's chest. He quickly went through hand seals before slamming his hands on the ground.
"Earth Style: Rock Wall."
The earth erupted, making both men stagger slightly from the violent construction of a three-faced wall with growling dog faces. It was easily twenty feet high and five feet thick, an impressive construct for most shinobi.
"Lightning Cutter."
Kakashi formed lightning chakra into his hand, creating a variant of his Chidori that is easier to maintain and not as loud as the signature chirping of the other technique. He thrusted it with his body upwards and into the chest of the Deva but his vision blurred for a second. In a moment, all he could see were the two Rinnegan eyes and that gave the Akatsuki enough time to move out of the way of the technique.
What? What happened?
"Hm, you are more skilled than the others but it is still futile. You are not comparable to me."
Kakashi's eyes widened when, suddenly, he was launched back from an explosive concussive force that destroyed the ground and the large rock wall around the Deva. It was like being hit with a full force Wind Style: Great Breakthrough at point blank range.
I-insane! His power is ridiculous!
He pushed off the rubble he landed in and stared down Deva who had yet to move from his spot. What he wouldn't give to have his students with him. He had lucked out with them, even if they had not been the best with teamwork, as they knew how to feed off of each other's ambitions. Sasuke and Naruto especially pushed each other to the extreme, even putting aside their differences when it was called for - he had seen as much in their fight against Zabuza Momochi as fresh genin.
Three years of training and he was sure that they could handle one or two of these Akatsuki members.
His sixth sense tingled and he dodged to the side in time to avoid a crushing landing from a big Akatsuki guy. Shit, that's another one.
He was put off by this one but he had no time to analyze his appearance before they pulled on their hand and produced rockets from their wrist. Asura launched the explosives on and around the jonin, obliterating everything.
"Missed me."
Kakashi swung around another Lightning Cutter but he was surprised that Asura dodged the attack without looking. But he wasn't…
He looked up to see the other looking right at him. Of course, the smoke didn't obscure his vision.
He jumped back just as Asura dashed towards Deva, positioning itself protectively. Kakashi breathed heavily as he felt the effects of two Lightning Cutters cutting into his chakra significantly. He wasn't down and out just yet, he had a good four more times with the technique before he was in trouble.
"This village really is a nuisance." Deva drawled as his eyes scanned over the destroyed city. "You just won't lie down and die."
Kakashi scoffed at the man's words. "I don't know what kind of villages you've faced, but Konoha is different from all of them. We don't face a strong challenge and give up, especially with our comrades around us. We fight until the last breath in our lungs. We fight with the Will of Fire in our soul!"
"The Will of Fire…" Deva turned back to Kakashi with a narrowed gaze. "I will make sure to burn this village and its forests to ash."
He raised his hand fluidly. "Universal Pull."
Kakashi's eyes widened as he was lifted from his feet and dragged in the direction of the Asura. The man had disrobed and revealed a highly modified body with six arms and a fluid, serrated blade tail. The blade tail was aimed for his chest, intending to pierce his body with the uncontrollable pull he was in. Shit!
Boom!
"They have already started fighting." Karin pushed up her glasses as she spoke. "I sense a multitude of injured shinobi and civilians. The six Paths I can feel are still in good shape."
"Multiple smoke clouds, there must be heavy damage to the village," Suigetsu added as he squinted his eyes. "The village doesn't seem to be able to put up much of a fight. Here I thought that Konoha raised the strongest ninja of the major villages."
"They are facing the Rinnegan, Suigetsu, of course they can't fight back as easily," Karin lectured the white-haired swordsman. "The Rinnegan is likely superior to the Byakugan and Sharingan, it is the eyes of the Sage after all."
"Focus," Sasuke said without taking his eyes from the smoke. "Karin and Jugo, you will be getting all locations of the Paths as well as providing support to the Konoha forces protecting civilians. Suigetsu, you and I are facing the Paths ourselves."
"Sweet," Suigetsu grinned and held the handle of Kubikirihocho in anticipation.
"I told you the powers and appearance of each Path, make sure you be careful, Sasuke-kun," Karin warned the Uchiha seriously. "This isn't like facing Orochimaru."
"Do not think that I don't know that, Karin," Sasuke glanced at her as they neared the village. "Go."
Karin and Jugo disappeared as they left to carry out their objectives, leaving Suigetsu and Sasuke to continue forward.
"You know, we won't get a warm welcome when we arrive," Suigetsu said now that the other two left. "They may even be hostile."
"They're too occupied with the disaster to turn on us immediately," Sasuke replied as he landed on the wall surrounding Konoha.
The village is devastated with pockets of the village being nothing but piles of rubble and the building still standing were extremely damaged. The smoke is coming from smoldering wreckages but he noted that none of them were strictly military. Civilian buildings had also been targeted and he doubted everyone had made it out with their lives.
This is what Orochimaru tried to do during the Chunin Exams.
He never understood the reasoning for such widespread destruction; why take the lives of the innocent who serve no combat role? What other reason could there be other than the desire to take the lives of others? What did it accomplish?
Sasuke could have been just like this if he chose to let his hatred continue to consume him. But his path changed when he reflected on his fight with Naruto. He chose to change for the better, to fight for those who could not themselves. Even his motives for hunting down his brother had changed.
"Wow, talk about destruction," Suigetsu whistled as he put a hand over his eyes to scan the village. "Konoha isn't as disorganized as I would have expected."
Sasuke huffed as a smile grew on his lips. "Jiraiya actually got useful intel on the enemy to the village. Nothing less should be expected from the best spymaster in the world."
"His death was worth every pound of flesh, I guess," Suigetsu complimented with respect.
He wasn't one to give compliments, quite the opposite actually. He always ridiculed and taunted his teammates and his enemies. So for him to be complimenting another meant something in his mind.
Sasuke scanned the surroundings as he waited for Karin to give him his first target.
"I feel two Paths one-hundred yards to the south-southeast of your position. They are facing a single individual."
Sasuke disappeared without hesitance, leaving Suigetsu behind to catch up to him. He knew there weren't many who could fight one let alone two S-rank shinobi alone, one a handful being from Konoha respectively, and one of those is a very precious person. His former jonin sensei to be exact.
His tunnel vision with the acute clarity of the Sharingan caught the sight of Kakashi being dragged in the direction of the Asura Path; he was able to identify that one easily because it is the only Path that can mechanize its body, according to Karin. Behind Asura seems to be the Deva Path, mostly identifiable by the shorter hair.
Vision is focused on Kakashi, they won't see me coming. Perfect.
Sasuke channeled lightning chakra to his feet, speeding up his agility and reactionary muscles, while leaving a trail of darkened footprints. He launched himself into the air like a bullet and twirls forward while extending his foot out. He had just reached the unsuspecting Asura when he brought his foot down over his head, delivering an enhanced axe kick to the Path.
Boom!
The result was an explosive force the equivalent of a low-grade explosive tag, sending dirt and rubble flying from the impact. Sasuke, however, could see the destroyed mechanical body with his foot still broken into the metal spine. He dug his foot as much as possible, severing the entire vertebrae, before using his blade to slice off the head.
Asura did not move after losing his head, having a brief moment where he could move his arms to brace for an attack.
As for the Deva, he was silently surprised to see the newcomer arrive to destroy one of his Paths. He was mostly shocked that he had not felt the young adult's presence and instead could only feel his chakra now that he was in front of him. That was not possible under normal circumstances, his sensory abilities tied to the Rinnegan being the pinnacle of mortal feats.
Then he got a good look at the boy's appearance and he knew exactly who it was. "Sasuke Uchiha."
Sasuke turned to the Deva Path with his Mangekyo active. The ocular evolution of the Sharingan had been a secret of his for the better part of two years now. It came when he had to face the nightmares of him murdering his brother, with the various dreams bringing different ways to horrify and guilt him. Because of its impressive power, giving him two powerful abilities, he made sure to keep the achievement to himself.
Short spiky orange hair, average build. He must be the Pain that can control the attractive and repulsive energies.
"You must be Pain, the leader of Akatsuki," Sasuke said as he faced the man. "Or, at least one of them. Which is the real you, I wonder?"
"Hm," Pain hummed under his breath. "I never expected you to come to this village's aid."
"My reasons are my own."
Sasuke stomped his foot back into the corpse, having noticed the slightest twitch and build-up of chakra. He knew Pain was buying time to get his other Path to move in an effort to attack him.
Pain made no reaction to his Path being beaten back down mercilessly.
Kakashi just watched from his position on the rubble he had been initially blasted into. His Lightning variant Shadow Clone was nearby now that they were out of the pull of the Pain and was sharing in his surprise. He had thought he was seeing things, or just being delusional, but he wasn't. This was really his former student here.
What is he doing here? Did he mean to save me?
He did want to believe it, remembering what Sasuke did to Naruto three years ago. No, there had to be a different reason the Uchiha was back. He wouldn't go out of his way to come back and help them.
The more he thought, he realized that his former student had to be here to find out about Itachi. The elder Uchiha was part of Akatsuki and was still alive somewhere in the elemental nations. Sasuke had to be here for information on his older brother.
We still have a duty to capture him. He will be tired after the fight with Pain, that will be the only chance.