Naruto: Tales of Ashihara
Kakumei – Arc 4: Might Makes Right
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Chapter 84 – Is this war?
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It has been over 10 months since the Hokage's visit to Hikarigakure and his warning to the members of Kakumei. As they had planned, the group stayed away from troubles and quietly planned their next moves.
During this time, everyone did as he was asked by the ruler, including Meinu who spent the last 10 months taking regular unauthorized trips to Ketsugakure to see her friends over there without the agreement of Lady Toshima, who already made it clear by the past to Oshio that her clan won't work with Kakumei.
After 10 months, Killin' Kiss had managed to not only trap the 3 girls she first met there in the illusion activated by her mitsudomoe tattoo, but she also could deactivate the Genjutsu and still convince them to keep these feelings, be it love or admiration. These 3 girls include Kiseru Tomoe, the eldest daughter of Toshima.
Despite her cold behavior, she accepted to help Meinu with getting in the village secretly to take baths with her and others, "out of curiosity" she always said as an excuse. In reality, she just found in Killin' Kiss an image to follow in order to escape the village and clan that she speechlessly despises.
After many months, Meinu's influence ended up convincing one of the 3 kunoichi to run away from Ketsu and join her in Hikari. This girl is Seiki Tomoe whose desertion alerted the village's queen who unfortunately made the connection and found out about her own daughter's complicity with the mercenary.
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In the present, Toshima Tomoe has just caught Meinu Imai in Kiseru's private onsen and is chasing her from her territory. Killin' Kiss is being forcibly escorted to the village's exit, still wearing nothing but a towel. Following her is Lady Toshima nobly sitting on her horse, hiding her disappointment.
At the gate, Meinu is thrown away by two female guards. She trips and falls over in the field of red flowers. Toshima's mount takes a gallop forward before the Lady tosses a bag and a scroll to Meinu who's just getting up.
"Take your things and give this message to your sovereign, bounty huntress." the leader says. "I will allow no collaboration between my village and yours. Do not come back, or I won't be as merciful as this time."
After these few words, the horse turns around and leaves back to her territory's HQ. Behind her, Anastasia, her second born, is following while looking back, mistrustfully, at the bounty hunter lying in the dirt. She thinks of her elder sister, Kiseru, who will have to face the consequences for keeping this secret.
Above the gate, on a watch tower, Pai, the third of Meinu's 3 Tomoe friends, sees the scene, surprised and worried. As she stands up, Killin' Kiss tries to get a hold of herself and resist the urge to rectify this humiliation. After all, this was only part of her plan. There is no reason to be mad.
This is what Meinu says to herself. But another stream in her consciousness thinks differently. As these intrusive and vengeful thoughts speak in her, she unknowingly but swiftly raises her right arm. From under this arm's skin emerges a blade that her hand catches and promptly throws toward the closing gate.
Too slow, it hits the door, but unexpectedly, it pierces through the thick wall and goes forth to brush Toshima's leg and leave a cut in her horse's ear. Anastasia shockingly stares at the weapon flying by, afraid of how her mother might react.
Meinu's right hand, having missed its shot, now performs a single hand seal, ready to throw a jutsu, but goes down when she looks up and crosses Pai's gaze. The two girls stare at each other for a second, before Killin' Kiss lightly smiles and turns around. Pai looks behind at the thrown blade that landed a bit further in the ground. She thinks to herself that she'll hand this weapon back to its owner when she goes to join Seiki.
The leader of the clan stops her horse straight and looks at her daughter standing next to her, to think of a rational reaction that she'd approve of. Deciding to keep it calm and sober, she leaves it to her.
"Anastasia, hunt her away." she orders to her 18 years old daughter.
The princess lightly nods and turns around to face the closed gate. She bites the tip of her two thumbs and lies her open hands against the ground.
Kuchiyose no Jutsu
Meinu sees a cloud of mist behind the door and guesses, judging from Pai's reaction, that it is a jutsu directed against her. Just a second later, she sees two colossal wolves, both about the height of the wall, leap over it and land between the village and her.
"Charming." she says with a bored face, before completely changing her mood to a bright smile.
She stares at Pai and gently winks to her before disappearing in a black rift, made by Oshio to bring her back to Hikari, right as the two wolves try to strike her with their paws.
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At the same time, in the land of Wind, Mikitaka is leading an army through the desert, toward the location of the first of the tailed beasts. In fact, ninjas of Hikari recently discovered that they had been infiltrated by spies from Sunagakure, sent by the Kazekage to unveil mysteries about the village's leading group and potentially assassinate the leader. Acting in response, Oshio decided to take possession of Ichibi first and sent Mikitaka with an elite of ninjas to give a lesson to the Kazekage's men by the way.
The mercenary, jinchuriki of Saiken, is met with resistance from Gaara's best men as he arrives at the great tanuki's location. Shukaku quietly stares as he sees the ninjas of the village who once sequestered him come to his rescue.
In front of him, the ninjas of Hikari are being fought off by an army of puppets. Most of them are controlled by Kankuro, while the rest are to Shakiro Araya, Mariona Shirogane, and other members of her clan. Shakiro, student of Kankuro, has been promoted to Chunin through a new exam organized by Suna just a month ago.
Mikitaka stands behind his army who's being contained efficiently, and looks at the giant beast who sits behind the army of Suna. While he's being inattentive, Shinki and his teammate Mira Fuhatsu jump in action. Gaara's son is using his iron mantle as wings to fly above the battlefield and carries Mira to toss her, leaving her to land on all fours in front of the enemy commandant.
Taiton – Tatsumaki
The young blonde creates a tornado that grows bigger and wider, lifting Mikitaka off the ground and sending him fluttering with the rotating wind stream. This way, he is carried and propelled toward Shinki who firmly catches him in a hand formed with his iron sand. As he's being crushed by the black hand, Mikitaka sighs and thinks to himself "Time for me to get in action I guess".
Biju Modo
He unleashes the power of the Biju who sleeps inside of him, trapped in an illusion cast by Oshio's Mangekyo Sharingan. The red chakra envelops him and transforms him into a blood red six tailed humanoid creature that easily breaks out of the iron hand and plunges in the middle of the battlefield.
After his landing repulses everyone around, he swings his tails and crushes all the puppets in front of him, leaving all the puppet masters unarmed, except for Kankuro who still has a few marionettes close to him. Shinki, who was hovering in the sky, is pushed back by the wind caused by the tails swing, as well as Mira who's sent rolling in the desert. Mikitaka in his beast form stares at the last ready opponent in front of him and leaps forward while unveiling long chakra claws from both his hands.
Ryusa Bakuryu
A great wave of sand rises from the ground in front of Kankuro and carries the invader away with his army. Above, Shinki is stopped in his fall when he lands in the arms of his father, standing on a floating sand platform.
"Gaara!" Kankuro exclaims, surprised to see him here.
Shukaku looks up to see his former host come to his rescue. In the Kazekage's arms, Shinki stares at his dad, and then at the battlefield.
"Father, is this war?" he asks.
"It is not. Not yet. Not in Naruto's world."Gaara answers. "Kankuro! Send in your best weapon!"
The Kazekage's brother lightly nods and summons the puppet body of Sasori. Gaara then looks in his back to see the Biju.
"Shukaku, may you lend me a hand?"
Kankuro reveals the cutting windmill wings of Sasori and sends it flying off to the enemy. He fires the two flamethrowers hidden in the puppet's hands toward Mikitaka who covers himself with his arms. While he blocks his own sight, he notices the puppets spinning around him like a moth around a lamp. Before he can react, he finds himself strapped in the chakra strings of the puppet master who binds him tight.
But this hold is nothing to a Biju's power. Mikitaka slightly increases his height and breaks the strings, leaving Sasori to fall on the ground. He gets on all fours and prepares for a new attack, before realizing this all was just a diversion.
Sabaku Sotaiso Fuin
Mikitaka is trapped with his limbs in the sand as a giant pyramid forms around him. As soon as the sand build is complete, it is closed by the Juinjutsu of Shukaku. Shinki stares in admiration at his father and the Biju, like all the young ninjas who stand behind Kankuro.
This victory however doesn't go for long as the enemy breaks free from the prison by screaming from the top of his lungs and collapsing the pyramid right before it gets sealed. He jumps away and lands behind his army, having grown 5 times bigger than usual. He stares at the giant tanuki, and decides to go all out.
He raises his head toward the sky and gathers Yin and Yang chakra in front of his mouth. Gaara looks at the projectile being loaded up in panic and hurries to the ground. Shukaku also recognizes the jutsu and leans forward to prepare.
"Everyone in position! Get ready to stop this projectile!" Gaara yells to the Suna-nins as he reaches the ground.
He leaves his son to stand next to him and, together with Shukaku, they hold their hands against the ground. At the same time all the oldest ninjas, veterans from the 4th war, prepare to use the jutsu they've learned on the battlefield years ago. Using these basic earth barriers, the Kazekage and Shukaku's sand, and Shinki's iron sand, they prepare a defense.
Sabakuha / Doton – Renga
Dozens of earth walls appear between the ninjas of Suna and the enemy, together with several thick, wide and dense sand barriers. These several protections stand in the way of Mikitaka's projectile and should be enough to stop it, had it been fired toward them. However, the enemy unexpectedly gets around it.
Bijudama / Chimatakami
He fires the giant Biju bomb right as Oshio uses the white receiver he installed as a piercing in Mikitaka's cheek where his mitsudomoe tattoo lies, to spread his chakra and use his space-time jutsu to open a gate. The bomb is swallowed by the rift and transported away from the walls that stand before it. Gaara, not hearing the sound of the bomb hitting any defense, uses the Third Eye jutsu to see that it has vanished. While searching around, he finds the output gate opening and letting the orb out at the worst possible place.
The Kazekage turns around and sees the output of Chimatakami appear above Shukaku to let the Bijudama fall on them, with no way to retaliate.
"Watch out!" he yells, out of ideas.
Kankuro, Shinki, Shakiro, Mariona, Mira and everybody else look up to see the Bijudama fall above the clueless Biju and stand still in shock, taken by surprise by Oshio's unexpected involvement. Shukaku just now raises his eyes and sees the flashing red light of the orb about to blast.
Rasengan
Suddenly, the giant exploding bomb is pushed far up away and explodes in the high atmosphere, resulting in a powerful red flash, followed by a great shock wave, and ending in a clear blue cloudless sky. The Bijudama was just stopped and deviated by a quickly made chakra orb, created in the palm of the hand of Naruto Uzumaki. More precisely, in the hand of the clone that the Hokage just summoned to appear by Shukaku's side.
"Naruto!" Gaara exclaims in surprise, relieved to see his best friend save the day outta nowhere.
The Hokage lands on top of Shukaku's head while the army of Suna cheers and claps in joy. He stares right at the enemy commandant who turns off his transformation and returns to his original form. Mikitaka looks at Naruto Uzumaki who stands still between Ichibi's ears, and gulps down.
"Sir Oshio, bring us back." he says, not willing to stay here any second longer.
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The next day, Oshio Uchiha is roaming through the hallways of his castle where every agent he meets greets him properly. He goes to a yard in the middle of this temple and, all the way to the end of there, takes a hidden underground path. After several minutes walking, he reaches another yard, more precisely a forest glade this time. In this place, he finds the entrance to a little cave that he takes to finally get to his destination: an iron door at the end of once another corridor.
From a visor on this reinforced gate, Minoka takes a look at who just arrived and unlocks for him. A bit bored by this excessive process, Oshio doesn't wait and simply pushes the door open with a small repulsion.
"We're in our own HQ, in our village, in our land." he complains calmly as he steps in the facility. "Why is this lab hidden like it's in the middle of Konoha?"
"Can't blame it! It's just a habit I got from Suto-sensei." the scientist answers. "He always had his labs underground in forests after long corridors."
"… Yet it didn't save them from all being destroyed." Oshio remarks. "You doing the same is just annoying. I, at least, could have used Chimatakami to get here, but you really have to walk to this place every time."
"That… is right!" she replies. "That's why I only leave my lab when it's really necessary."
Oshio doesn't get deeper in this conversation and goes looking for what he came for. Minoka, well aware that he had a visit planned here today, runs after him and tries to make sure he sees the good side of this place.
"As you can see, I've separated this facility into several labs, all serving a different purpose." she explains. "Here on your left, I experiment on organic matter resurrection for transplanting dead limbs and flesh to amputated people. Next to it, it's about nerve connections, there it's on cloning but it's really not going forward. Most of these things, Master Suto had already accomplished in the past, but I have very little documentation about his work since Orochimaru stole most of it… Whatever, the interesting part is there at the end of the lab."
"What is here?" Oshio asks, interrupting her after stopping in front of the glass door to what appears to be a patient room.
There, two beds separated by a veil. In the front one, not hidden to their eyes, is a sitting blonde woman who looks up when she notices them.
"Oh her?" Minoka exclaims. "She's Seiki Tomoe. The girl who escaped from Ketsu to join us. She agreed to let me take a look at her body."
"Why do you want to do that?" Oshio asks, suspecting Minoka's perverted side to be the reason.
"It's not what you think! Yes, she may look excessively mature and over-sized for a 17 year-old, but she was like that before I met her, I swear!" Minoka argues, before noticing that Oshio doesn't seem to care and just wants an actual reply. "Hmhm… As a member from the Tomoe clan, she has the same chakra and life force as her fellow girls. It's really just out of curiosity that I'd like to see what makes her different."
"Is the Tomoe clan any special compared to others?" Oshio asks, unaware of such a fact until now.
"Of course! They have toughness and strength that rivals the Senju, and a life force that compares to the Uzumaki. They call it the good fortune of Naobi. So they believe it's some kind of divine blessing."
Oshio opens the door and walks in, intrigued by something else in the room. Seiki, after taking a look at the mysterious yet glorious young man who comes to her, shivers and tries to find words to greet him, as it is the first time they meet, and one of the few first times she sees a man.
"Um… You must be Lord Oshio, is that right?" she says frantically. "It's an honor. I'm Seiki Tomoe. I came here to follow Lady Meinu, you know her, right? She talks about you a lot."
Oshio walks past her and doesn't answer. He goes deeper in the room, catches the curtain that hides the second bed, and unveils it. Behind, a naked man with discolored skin lies unconscious.
"What is this?" Oshio says, seeing the sorry state of this person, worried that Minoka did something unpleasant without his agreement.
"He is a… test subject?" the lab girl replies hesitatingly. "I promise he asked for it. He was willing to participate. But I kind of failed my attempt on him."
"What did you do? Where did you find him?"
"He's a ninja from here. We met in a bar up in the village and he agreed to come with me."
"You mean you persuaded him?"
"Not fair to say it like that! He just wanted to feel special or something and accepted pretty fast… So I attempted to make his skin blade proof and make him insensitive to pain, like Master Suto did to himself but better. However, in his current state, he's indeed so tough that nothing could damage his skin, but instead of just ignoring pain, his nerves ignore everything. I didn't remove them. They just emit signals with intensities close to zero. And I can't fix it up anymore."
Oshio sorrily looks at the young man who seems to be asleep. Since none of the noise they made woke him up, his other senses may also have been affected. Judging by the thickness of his body, Minoka must have used some muscle enlargement operation on him as well. But about his nerves and touch, Oshio doubts even his White Receivers could fix this.
"Get him out of here." he orders. "Let him go free and don't touch him again. It's not his agreement you should have asked. It's mine."
"U-Understood. I got that lesson already. I'm sorry. I may have been too confident about him…" Minoka answers.
Seiki, a bit confused, stares around at the Uchiha, the scientist and the gray-skinned test subject. She opens her mouth, ready to say something to break this silence.
"Um, Lord Oshio… Is Meinu here?" she asks.
"She is. Go and join her. Get out of here for now." Oshio says as he turns around and goes back to Minoka's side. "Now tell me. Should I take this guy's case as you having failed to develop any upgrade process?"
"Surely not! Follow me. We're heading to the end of the hall." Minoka answers before running away from the room.
Oshio looks back at Seiki and the sleeping man, and exits. The blonde girl stands up, packs her things, and thinks of this odd character again. His manners, his eyes, his image.
The Uchiha sovereign joins Minoka in a last room where she proudly shows him a flask filled with a blue liquid. Seeing his unimpressed face, she explains.
"This is the meth of the future." she jokes. "It doesn't actually affect your mind or health. It is meant to be injected in the chakra circulation pathways and makes it faster. It also lets the chakra leak out to the skin and flesh of the patient. So, as a result, it boosts the body, upgrades his Ninjutsu capabilities and improves growth, but makes it more complicated to manipulate chakra. It is the simplest, yet most efficient way to boost an organism. To make it short, it's Master Suto's failed tengu host solution, but made relevant. Believe it or not, but chakra swimming instead of circulating is what the Biju have."
"I know that." Oshio answers to interrupt her again. "It is interesting, I admit. But why did you call it the meth of the future?"
"Because this is what we're gonna make out of it!" she happily sings. "This product has a higher concentration and effect than Suto's version. It takes only one dose to boost you for life. Its benefits will be really attractive to bounty hunters and smuggling organizations from around the world. Meinu and Miki have contacts in this field and could plan commercial relations for us. By selling this product to other enemies of the Shinobi Union, we'll distract them, and make money to produce more of this drug, therefore sell more, etc…"
"How are you sure that it works?" Oshio, trying to stay objective.
"I tested it on myself." she says while pointing at her. "I'm here and fine, and I feel way stronger than before."
Oshio looks at her with his Mangekyo Sharingan and uses Futsunushi, his unique ability that allows him to read all the powers and skills of anyone he stares at. He indeed notices the change in Minoka. She is capable of faster Ninjutsu preparation, will more difficultly fall unconscious, and has chakra flowing through her flesh and skin, making it more complicated to predict her moves even with a Byakugan. This flow also slightly upgrades her durability and strength.
It is impressive, but the physical capacities and senses it gives to the patient are still far from his or Kawaki's. Its effect is also lacking compared to what his White Receivers can provide. This gets him to think about this lab as a whole. The only reason it exists is because Oshio holds himself back in his abilities' use to not render Minoka's science completely useless. Still, to her, he stays positive.
"It works well." he says. "Have you thought about injections to ninjas?"
"I did. Kawaki's squad will be the first to receive it." she responds. "Then, Mikitaka also asked for it. I'll also inject Meinu and her friends with it. But I need more time to produce more, so for now it'll only be the squad on priority."
"Kawaki's squad? The team with the Onikuma girl?" Oshio asks. "It's a shame they couldn't be ready earlier. They could have helped in his current mission with Fuyuko."
Oshio leans against a table and takes a moment to sense through the White Receivers he sealed in Kawaki and Fuyuko. These two are proceeding to the plan that the Yamanaka twins elaborated these last months. Fuyuko is currently in the capital of the land of Water, possessing the body of the Water Daimyo's son. He blended in with the feudal family and is looking at a battle taking place in the capital from a balcony.
Down in the streets, Kawaki came all alone to invade the village and is fighting off the elite guards of the Daimyo, killing them one after another, making his way to the castle even though his part is only a distraction for Fuyuko to be left alone with the Daimyo's family.
"Their mission is going as expected." Oshio says. "Mikitaka's attempt to capture Ichibi was stopped by the Hokage, but I doubt that he'll get involved here. After all, we are only attacking a Daimyo, and not a Biju."
Minoka leaves the blue flask aside and comes to stand by Oshio's side, listening to his words about Kawaki's situation.
Suddenly, Oshio trembles and almost falls over, which worries Minoka. Really close to Kawaki, he senses a chakra that he didn't expect. In the center of the capital, Kawaki impales 4 ninjas at once with a blade made from his hand's skin, and throws them away. He then dodges the strikes of another kunoichi and kicks her legs to get her on the ground. Lying there defenseless, she can't do anything about the rebel's arm coming to pierce her chest.
Fortunately, she promptly vanishes from Kawaki's sight who hits the ground instead. Kawaki looks around and sees a black gate of Chimatakami in front of him.
"Why did you open this, Oshio?" he asks.
"It's not me, you fool!" the dark pink Uchiha yells.
Kawaki makes a surprised face as the black gate closes, having already been used as an output, and looks in his back. There, he sees Sasuke Uchiha gently lying the Kunoichi he just saved on the ground and turning around to face him.
"I'm here to speak with your leader." the wandering ninja says. "I know he can hear me."
"You're his father?" Kawaki says, a bit shaken by this entrance, but not afraid. He analyzes the man standing before him. He feels… far less intimidating than Naruto Uzumaki. His chakra is less impressive, and he looks thinner. Kawaki doesn't get the same soothing feeling as from Naruto, and therefore takes it easy.
In his mind, something tells him to run away at all costs, but he ignores it, not even understanding the source of this strange thought. He takes a step forward to Sasuke, still ready to continue his mission.
"Oshio, this guy isn't really like the 7th Hokage." he says in his mind. "Tell me about his skills."
In Minoka's lab, Oshio stays silent for a moment, using his eye power to do as Kawaki asked, out of curiosity. Next to him, Minoka grabs his shoulder firmly, stressed by the look on his face.
"What's happening to Kawaki?" she asks worriedly.
Oshio doesn't answer.
"I'm listening." he hears Kawaki ask again. He takes a deep breath in, and to answer Minoka's question by the way, speaks out loud to give a reply to Kawaki.
"Except for Futsunushi and the White Receivers, his eyes can do everything I can, but far better. His left eye can also use Ameno Tejikara, a space time ability allowing him to control and switch the positions of objects and people around himself at will and instantly. It is the fastest Space-time jutsu I know of. Both his eyes can summon the black flames of Amaterasu. With his right eye, he can create and shape these flames by combining the fire of Katon and the black chakra of Inton into what he calls Enton. He can cast an illusion called Tsukuyomi, which would severely scar your mind and disrupt your perception of time. His version of Susanoo is far more powerful than mine, since it has a complete body that he can condense and enlarge. Apart from his eyes, he is unmatched in both Raiton and Katon, and perfectly knows and uses all elements. About his physical capabilities, he has unrivaled Taijutsu and Kenjutsu skills, and has speed that rivals, and may even surpass Naruto Uzumaki."
"… Is that all?" Kawaki ironically says, knowing that Oshio was as concise as possible.
"No. There is something else." the sovereign adds. "His chakra is way larger than yours, meaning he will have no problem absorbing any of your jutsu, be it Senjutsu or not."
"Good grief. Let's see how far it actually goes." Kawaki says, stepping forward carelessly to engage his opponent.
"What is he doing?" Minoka exclaims, having understood what situation Kawaki is in, but Oshio doesn't answer, and just looks at the scene.
Shojo
Kawaki fully unleashes the seal in his left hand, and activates the Byakugan gifted by this same power. He leaps forward and goes all out on Sasuke, who calmly evades all his attacks, with his arm still under his cape. With attacks of larger scale each time, Kawaki desperately tries to land a hit, but to no end.
Sasuke now even starts to shrink the distance between them after each avoided strike, making Kawaki feel anxious and trapped, like circled by only one man. Losing it, he reveals his best power.
Kosengan
He fires an extremely powerful red bright chakra beam from his left eye in short range. This attack, which could have pierced through the Daimyo's temple if landed, is simply swallowed in an instant by Sasuke's Gakido. Still in offensive, Kawaki now turns his arm into a massive multi blade weapon and dashes it through the air with enough strength to slice the feudal castle again.
Raikiri Nagashi
This time, Sasuke counters by cutting off all the blades with a sharp lightning stream around his body, still hidden in his cape. He keeps it cool while dodging all of his opponent's attacks, and analyzes his skills. After a closer look, he notices that the red mark on this boy's left arm isn't a tattoo, but very dense and short bright red hair, which explains the name (Shojo is a red hairy monkey like yokai). Having seen enough of his student's nemesis, Sasuke pulls his hand out of his cloak, gathers his Raikiri in his palm and dashes through Kawaki, leaving a slit through his chest and belly.
Then, they both turn around and Sasuke sees the severe wound on Kawaki close up as his skin cells move to stitch back together. It seems like his ability to create weapons from his flesh is actually a specific use of a better power allowing him to manipulate his organic matter. Judging from how his chakra seems gathered in his left arm, Sasuke assumes that this ability relies on his seal.
Now having figured out how to put this opponent down, he pulls out his Kusanagi from his scabbard under his cape. Frustrated that the wanderer barely used any of the abilities Oshio listed, Kawaki lets his anger out again.
Kosengan
He shoots another chakra beam from his left eye, aiming for Sasuke who doesn't absorb it this time. This powerful beam completely erases the houses in the way before fading off, letting Kawaki see that his opponent disappeared. With his Byakugan, he searches around and finds a black cape in the corner of his eye. He quickly turns around to strike Sasuke behind him, but is too slow.
With a simple sword dash, the Uchiha cuts off the left arm of Kawaki and leaves it to fall to the ground. The cursed young man sees his limb fall and feels his Shojo mark fade off. In panic, unable to use his main power anymore, he tries to catch his severed arm with his other hand. However, inattentive and too close to his adversary, he gets his back down and is nailed to the ground by the Uchiha's sword passing through his chest that he can't heal.
Tsukuyomi
To make sure he won't be able to resist anymore, Sasuke traps him in an illusion that even his Byakugan and Sage chakra can't break in this state. Oshio, still spectating, gasps and shakes, afraid of what might happen to his best friend now, from the hand of his father. He hurries to spread his chakra through the White Receiver in Kawaki's right shoulder to heal him and free him from the illusion.
"Kawaki answer to me!" he exclaims, before suddenly stopping, startled.
Sasuke crouched down and, using Yoton, merged his hand within Kawaki's right shoulder to hold on the white rod. Oshio clenches his teeth and feels cold sweat run down his back, while Minoka endlessly screams at him, deadly worried about Kawaki's state. If he keeps transmitting his chakra, it will only allow the other Rinnegan user to absorb it, hear his voice and sense his exact location.
He stays silent and frozen for a few seconds, helpless, before Sasuke decides to speak, as he said he came for.
"What are you? How do you exist?" he asks, with a mistrustful voice, knowing that his son listens, but to no answer. "There's no use in silence. I know your position anyway." he adds, still to no answer. "I know Momoshiki made you. I know you know how. And I need you to tell me."
After these words, Sasuke hears a complaining groan in his mind, coming from the white rod. He closes his eyes, and tries to feel the souls on the other end of this communication line. His son is in anguish and in anger. He certainly knows the answers to his questions, but to see his father return after all these years only to get this, outrages him.
Sasuke makes an embarrassed face, and reminds himself of his inability to act properly as a father. He thinks of what Sakura told him months ago, about the correct behavior to have. He sighs, calms down, and tries again.
"Listen, Oshio… I've been down the same path as you in the past, and I know there is no right outcome to it. I'm sure going down this road isn't your own choice." he says. "I… I will help you make your own way. Come to me, and we'll start over, together."
At this proposition, Oshio stays frozen. He gulps down and keeps a shocked face, not blinking a single time in a minute. After a long silence, Sasuke says a few last words.
"… I'll wait. Tell me when you'll be ready to answer."
Chimatakami
Too much confused by his dad's friendly, conscious, self-aware and guilty behavior, Oshio spontaneously opens a black rift around Kawaki that engulfs him and his cut off arm. Sasuke takes his sword back, and leaves Kawaki to disappear. He stands up and looks at the portal that closes, without attempting to jump in. Doing so would betray the intentions he just expressed. He decided to trust Sakura and Naruto's way to handle things this time, and will wait for the expected results.
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On the balcony of the Daimyo's temple, Fuyuko was trembling in the old prince's body during the whole fight. Now, glad that Kawaki could be taken away, he calms down and thinks he should abandon the mission as well. Attempting to attack the Daimyo would likely cause troubles with the wanderer. And this old filthy man is so old he could die of old age any time anyway. An assassination wouldn't be that much relevant.
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In Minoka's lab, the scientist girl exclaims and throws herself down on Kawaki, who's still trapped in Tsukuyomi, missing his left arm, and pierced through the right lung. She checks on his state and realizes how critical it is. Oshio isn't that carried away. He knows his father doesn't intend to kill Kawaki, and made his death easily avoidable. He's more preoccupied by Sasuke's words than actions.
"Oshio, heal him! Hurry!" Minoka yells.
The young Uchiha falls to his knees, hands to the ground, and looks down, haunted by his father's proposition. 5 years ago, he would have accepted immediately. 1 year ago, he would have refused with no hesitation. But now, he doesn't know what he wants, but is afraid it may be too late to say yes.
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End of Chapter 84 – Next Chapter: He could have been me