Breaking into a fortress which was purposely sealed with elemental chains and barriers sure felt like fun.
Especially when I knew we were venturing deep into troublesome waters. The entire mountain felt unpleasant as we were rushing through, and the lack of Chakra meant that trying to summon either Kurama or Matatabi- or anyone really that relied on Chakra would be a stupid choice. With just my swordsman's skills, Muramasa's last masterwork and Musashi acting as my partner in the next fights, the stakes were going to be pretty high. And that was if one ignored the fact that the creepy priest took the sword with the Reibi and the various Genryus' essence.
I wasn't sure what he was planning to do, but I had the distinct feeling he was going to do something so stupid that we were going to fight a final boss-tier kind of threat. And I was somewhat right as we finally arrived to find the main ceremonial room in ruin, clearly decimated by what had been some poorly-planned tinkering. The source of it all was a certain mutated priest gurgling in his own blood as tendrils were stabbing into his body and draining him of lifeforce. I aimed my eyes to where these tentacles came from and grimly groaned as I noticed it was my sword.
The bastard had broken the seal and the Reibi was about to get out. I rushed forward, surprising the rest of the entourage with this move, but I saw immediately Musashi trying to catch up- yet, the chance for me to apply another seal and prevent the full release of the zero-tailed beast proved to be futile.
A massive explosion made of dark miasma shattered through the humongous room, striking everyone inside and forcing me to lose my footing. Or I thought it was just my footing since, as I was getting up, I noticed that the entire room was... now devoid of walls and the grayness of my surroundings had turned everything in a black-and-white world.
Everything, but not everyone as it was just me... and me.
I was confused by the sight of a copy version of me standing right in front of me, wearing what looked to be a heavily-armored version of my shinobi outfit. Quite the sight, but I was curious to see what brought this to happen. I mean, the whole 'Reibi taking a massive boost from various factors' could be a relevant reason, but there was something about this whole scenario that just didn't sit well with me. So, I stood up and stretched a bit.
"Okay... Well, what's this? Some sort of fight between the good and bad sides of me?" I asked lazily, getting up as I tried my best to appear disinterested on the fact that this... was my mindscape. But also not. It was a copy, a distorted version of it at the very best. "Because, if that's the case then I can assure you I can be really bad if I want right now."
"I am not, but you can also say that I am not just part of you. I am you, except less hesitant with some doubts you did fine to hide away," The copy replied calmly, chakra flowing around his arms and legs despite me still being unable to use it myself. "I am John Bukharin, same as you. But rather than hide away in the mask of despair that is Shimura Danzou and Sasaki Kojiro, I accept the fact that extreme actions are needed to ensure a positive change in this world."
"So... dictator me says what?"
"Please, don't be so... ridiculous. Me? A dictator? And with that tone of voice, as if the Kages are not that," The copy rebuked. "John, I am not here to fight you. I get it that your foe is the Reibi, but I am not here to be your enemy. I am that far cry of you that knows what the truth is. Blood alone can push the wheel of history forward, and the more you delude yourself to change the system from within, the more you delay the inevitable. You need to scrap the system and the major elements to it- only then you can work the world to be in a better shape."
"Or in a worse one, really," I replied dryly. "A radical change like one would just shake too many elements- it wouldn't be viable."
"While leaving the world in a situation where inequality and lack of representation by popular mandates is fair. John, the world doesn't get any better just because you create the best peace," The copy remarked strongly. "Hashirama brought the Age of Shinobi to a change when he created Konoha, Naruto brought an end to what bitter feeling remained from Madara's hatred- but what would peace really do? Would it cease the need of people to rely on Shinobi? To stop poverty? To end these idiotic power-hungry villains to come up here and there? The world needs a gendarme, and you are the one with that power."
The implication was unpleasant, but the truth couldn't be... ignored. I had these thoughts at times, nothing really standing strong in my mind, but it sure left a mark on it. At first, it was all about a case of self-preservation as 'if the world is good, then I am good to live a long life without much pain to bear', but recently that has changed so much. I 'grew up' on a more spiritual level- perhaps the years spent here in this world made me less upset about how ugly it was, how stupid some rules were and... I kind of can see why taking over and 'fix it right' felt so pleasant.
But, at the same time, this was bad for a very good reason and one I couldn't ignore.
"You..." I bowed my head. "You are foolish to think I am some sort of god-"
"Foolish or upsetting? Let me ask you this, are you really convinced that at this point Hashirama worries for our wellbeing? We are stronger than him and Madara- heck, soon we will be stronger than the two of them combined and he knows that, Mito herself fears us at times and you know this."
"Stop it," I replied flatly, almost hissing in frustration. "I am not really in the mood to chit-chat with an inflated balloon made by what-ifs and doubts. This conversation- I get it, the Reibi wants to delay me, but I am stabbing the bastard, one way or another."
"But you will do it without me," The figure stated, mustering a tanto from the sheath he held by the rear section of his belt. "The death of the Reibi will purge all dark emotions that you reject. Take me in, and we both will be whole to the core and ready to make this world a better place."
I reached for Monohoshizao and took a stance. "You will find me highly unwilling to take in unpleasant people that are as clingy as you are."
"I am you!" He accused but I smiled widely.
"I know what I said."
The battle started there, with 'Danzou' trying to outpace me with a quick burst of speed. Truth be told, that would have been deadly as he managed to easily get right behind me as I turned to try and catch up to him. Kunai in hand, he tried to stab me in the ass, but got rewarded with the tall katana catching the blade and giving me an opening to return damage as I shifted in his direction.
The copy's eyes widened as I got close enough to cut into his left arm, but he managed to use Wind Armor to deflect the attack. I frowned at this, knowing that this individual had my own abilities and yet didn't seem to know how to counter what I could do at the moment. How come? Why was he unable to copy the same skills as Sasaki Kojiro?
And then... it clicked inside my head. The copy I was fighting wasn't my full self, but rather my doubt given personification, in this case my strongest mask, Shimura Danzou. And in that state he was just as strong as I would be if I fought as a Shinobi, but knew nothing of how my swordsmanship had changed in the last few weeks.
While normally that shouldn't make the difference, it was making such because my opponent thought this was going to be an easy fight and... this was a clue that this thought was erroneous at best. He made a few handsigns, projecting a few compressed wind bullets in my direction, but I shifted past them and slashed again, this time carrying fire energy within the blade. Once again, Wind Armor manifested but it couldn't do much as the reinforced blade pierced through and... cut one leg off.
From surprise to shock, this time the copy had been clued in on why he had to fight at his maximum power to win. Monohoshizao wasn't just for show and could actually cut through some basic defensive techniques with ease. But while that should make it clear he had to fight hard to win, I think he missed the point on not panicking for losing a limb and going all out.
Susanoo manifested in its full glory, but what I didn't expect it to do was to bring his hands forward and start to channel electric energy until it formed a sphere. I frowned, my mouth firmly shut as I tried to understand what the fuck the copy was doing and-
"FINAL FLASH!"
My jaw hit the floor as the powerful beam of blue light rushed forward and towards me.
"I CAN DO THAT?!" I exclaimed, shocked by what I was seeing and yet not gawking like a moron at it as I readied my sword.
The blast was coming fast and dodging was not an option. I have to cut through, and I knew that I could try something risky. The sword could channel all elements, but what happened if I channeled all of them at once? Theoretically it would explode on my face because a normal individual can't normally use all elements at once due to how affinity worked- but since the sword had a complete affinity for them all, what if this could... work?
I steeled my breath, calmed my heart, firmly held onto my blade and then allowed chakra to do all things needed to unleash Monohoshizao's full power. I felt heat manifesting from my hands and I glanced briefly to the sword to see that it was channeling a soft-looking light. But while it looked soft, I felt its power and it was perfect for the situation.
"I dub thee..." I hummed as I slashed forward. "Heaven Slash!"
It was similar to Dark Cutter, but rather than being broken by the powerful chakra attack, it proved that its draining effect met with a high power potential as it bisected the beam in half, splitting it in a way that two smaller attacks slammed on the ground near me while the cutter pierced the Susanoo and broke through the copy's body. A large gash that saw the figure fell in two pieces, lifelessly so as I felt my own mindscape crack under the lack of a medium keeping it controlled by the obscure force.
I manifested back in reality, and I found myself breaking out of a cocoon among three others circling what looked to be a struggling Reibi. It was trying to attain our power through the negative energy within our souls but- I quickly noticed that someone else had broken free and was trying to claw her way into the thick layer of white shadow protecting the Reibi's head.
"I-I need to- I can stop it- I- I need to break through!" Nashiro exclaimed angrily, but failing to do any damage on the barrier... however, I was mostly free.
The cocoon was trying to wrap against around me, but my hand with Monohoshizao was free and ready for another Heaven Slasher. Which is what I used to slam through the barrier and broke it. Nashiro's head snapped to see the source of the attack and saw me getting hooked back inside the dark container.
Before I could get pulled fully back into it, the cocoon cracked entirely as Nashiro pushed through and got to do what she had in mind. Whatever it was, it worked as the beast lost control of the cocoons and allowed us all to be freed. The Reibi roared in pain and... something else. It was primal, it was different but it was bad for it and good for us as the white shadows reformed back to it, pushing Nashiro back and then concretizing in a single humanoid form.
Female, white hair combed short with an intricate long braid that ended by her hips-height and yellow eyes. She was wearing a kimono and... it was a rather showing kimono as I could see a bit more of her cleavage than needed.
"It's not what we planned, but I guess it will do just... fine," The woman muttered, smiling regally before looking at Nashiro. "I guess we can now fix everything."
"Hai!" The girl exclaimed and a wave of white Chakra burned out any unpleasant feeling, shattering what was left of the Reibi's influence and mending the ritual chamber itself.
I looked around, shocked by the side, but saw a small issue in all of this. Mifune had rushed to Musashi's side, the girl still unconscious and on the ground. I walked up to check if everything was alright, but the girl was just comatose as the boy tried to shake her awake. I felt genuinely worried for a moment and used medical chakra to see what was wrong.
The look on my face was unrecognizable as I stared down to Musashi's face, leaning close to it as I knew what she needed and-
"GAH!" The girl exclaimed as she woke up in a hurry, clutching on her right cheek as it was burning red after I slapped it. "Wh-Why did you do that?"
"I don't know, what made you think that I would have kissed you like a sleeping beauty in need of a prince?"
"...Because you are my prince?"
I ignored the question, both because it felt stupid and because I saw Nashiro approach with the unknown powerful woman that just patched everything up.
"I am sorry to interrupt, but I believe it's time for some introductions and explanation," She said with a solemn tome. "My name is Shirone-no-Genryu, and I am the Light Genryu."
I frowned at that.
"And as of now, the holder of this sanctuary and temple."
...
"What do you mean holder of this... temple?"
She smiled foxily and I knew this was going to be a headache. Still, I trusted Nashiro that this wasn't going to be stupid.
Surprisingly enough, it was stupidly complicated.