Naruto: Tales of Ashihara
Kakumei – Arc 4: Might Makes Right
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Chapter 86 – Giving up
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In the capital of the land of Earth, two days after the feudal temple was taken over by Kakumei, the Daimyo of Earth is sitting at a council table with the Tsuchikage and all the other Kage except the Raikage. Daisuke of the land of Iron is also there.
Gaara stares at Kurotsuchi's pregnant belly with a disturbed face.
"Tsuchikage, how come I wasn't even aware that you've been pregnant for 8 months?" he asks.
"She just doesn't speak of her personal life very much." Daisuke answers. "I noticed that about her."
"Sure. We didn't even know about you two until now either." Naruto adds.
"See! She's good at staying professional." Daisuke cheerfully answers.
"Guys, you're chatting as if we weren't here for a reason." Kurotsuchi interrupts.
"You're right, Lady Dear." the blue samurai exclaims, hurrying to lie his hands on his woman's. "Let's focus."
Gaara and Naruto stare oddly at the couple, surprised by the type of man she chose to end up with. Chojuro is less astounded by this, since he knew Kurotsuchi was the kind of woman to overdose on compliments and like obedient men.
"I can't believe this!" the Daimyo yells. "How can you all be so relaxed when we're in such an alarming situation? I wouldn't even allow a council in my precious city if it wasn't that important."
"We're waiting for someone to begin, Lord Daimyo." Kurotsuchi replies. "We're just breaking the ice in the meantime."
Just after she says these words, a black space rift appears behind the Hokage, and Sasuke Uchiha steps out from it. The Daimyo almost has a heart attack when he sees this.
"What did this man just do?" he yells again. "You can't just rift into my palace, nor my capital! What if the enemy does the same?"
"Who is this old man supposed to be?" Sasuke asks Naruto, noticing how his words anger this person.
"He's the Daimyo of this land." the Hokage explains. "One of Kakumei's targets… So you're here. The Mizukage informed us that you crossed arms with a Kakumei member when you saved Mizu no Kuni's Daimyo."
"Someone was there to save them? Why didn't you come to save my temple!" the Daimyo of Earth complains again.
"Kawaki, right hand of the leader. This one was already set as priority bounty in Iwa and Kumo." Sasuke says, ignoring the Daimyo's comments.
"Now also in Kiri." Chojuro quickly adds, to Naruto's surprise.
"I could speak with the leader through him." Sasuke explains. "I did not get an answer. But he received my call for dialogue."
"It is not an option!" the Daimyo yells once more. "No dialogue will forgive my son's murder! I don't even know if my grandson is still alive!"
"He is." Kurotsuchi reassures him. "My ninjas found only two survivors in the temple. Ryotsuchi, your grandson. And Kashin, your general's son."
"Kashin?" Sasuke asks. "Was that general named Kentai?"
"Yes, Why? How do you know?" Daisuke says.
"Not important." the wanderer replies, moving on to the main topic. "Anyway, I am just here to ask your approval for letting me handle the leader's case."
"You have mine." Gaara says. "My attempts at handling him my way failed already."
"You helped in my land with no need to be called." Chojuro says, gladly. "I leave this to you."
"Not like we can refuse anything to you." Kurotsuchi adds. "You have my approval."
"You have mine too." Daisuke completes. "I know you don't care."
"YOU DON'T HAVE MINE!" the Daimyo yells. "I will tolerate no peaceful ways against these rebels!"
"Naruto, tell this old man to shut up before I make sure he doesn't live to see Oshio come for his ass." Sasuke exclaims.
The Daimyo gulps down at this menace and sits back on his chair, completely quiet now. Naruto scratches the back of his head and lightly laughs to play it down. Sasuke, hearing no one speaking, opens another portal.
"This is all I needed to hear." he says, preparing to leave as quickly as he came.
"Wait!" Naruto exclaims to interrupt him. "I just remembered. I forgot to mention last time. But since you're looking for his origins, it may be valuable."
"I'm listening." Sasuke simply answers, eager to hear what more clues his friend can give him.
"When I met him, he told me about how he got to learn and grow so quickly." the Hokage explains. "What he said is that he resorted to something called the Rikudo realm. Some kind of personal illusion world, out of time, that you can manipulate and shape at your will. He said something like the gods make themselves in this place."
"The gods make themselves…" Sasuke repeats quietly, trying to understand what it means. "I think I know someone who might be able to tell me more about this."
"What?" Naruto says, as surprised as everyone else. "Who? I don't know of anyone who knows of that."
"Maybe you do. He doesn't have to be alive for me to ask him." Sasuke mysteriously says before disappearing in his space rift.
The Daimyo sighs with relief as soon as this man leaves. Kurotsuchi thoughtfully stares at where the rift was, and then addresses her boyfriend.
"According to Akatsuchi, the terrorist who left the temple at last confirmed that 'Uchiha' is the last name of his ruler… Do you think he's related to him?"
"I don't see how this could be." Daisuke answers. "Sasuke and Kobo were the last Uchiha before having their children. And Sasuke's first born is in Konoha."
Naruto doesn't comment on this. He keeps the secret, as he knows that revealing this would make it impossible for Sasuke to fix it up.
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At the same time, in the castle of Hikarigakure, in the throne room where Oshio sits, Mikitaka is complaining to the ruler about his last defeat in the land of Wind.
"Rokubi is not enough!" the mercenary complains. "We need more of the Biju! The land of Waterfalls has one of them, the 3rd strongest according to the number of tails, and it's not even one of the 5 great nations!"
"The Bijus are under Naruto Uzumaki's protection, no matter the land they live in." Oshio answers. "Go and try if you want to. But don't expect me to help if the Hokage gets involved again. He wouldn't be as nice as last time."
Mikitaka stays quiet, trying to think of a reply, but can't counter this point. Behind him, Fuyuko Yamanaka walks in. Feeling less comfortable having to complain in front of someone else, Mikitaka gives up and leaves grumpily. Fuyuko looks at him walking past him awkwardly, and forgets about it. He gets to Oshio's side, after having forgotten what he came to talk about.
"Why that monologue?" Oshio asks about what Fuyuko said before leaving for his last mission in the land of Earth.
"Oh, this? I don't know. I just felt confident." Fuyuko answers. "Seems like it made you worldwide famous."
Oshio doesn't respond. He just lightly nods, to show that he heard the answer, but stays thoughtful. Fuyuko notices his doubtful expression.
"Something is on your mind." he guesses. "Is it about what happened to Kawaki with your dad?"
Oshio, at first, doesn't answer. He still didn't tell anyone about his father's invitation. He thought he made his choice to decline, but can't stop thinking about the potential reasoning that Sasuke has put behind this proposal.
"Fuyuko… What if I suddenly decide to give up?" he questions. "What if I just surrender to Konoha?"
The Yamanaka doesn't fool around and understands how serious this odd question is. After a few seconds to think of it, he tries an answer.
"Hmmm…" he inhales. "It would certainly piss us all off at first. If you ever do this, the nations would do their best to quickly get rid of the rest of us. Akiko and I would be dealt with by Iwa. Kawaki would have half of the world on his ass."
Oshio looks down, wondering why he even asked.
"However…" Fuyuko adds, knowing that this question may have a reason. "With Naruto Uzumaki in command, we could actually get rehabilitated. Same goes for Kawaki and Minoka. Minoka hasn't done anything to the nations so far. Kawaki really did some shit, but the Hokage clearly had a reach on his mind. It feels like the only reason he's still with us is for you. I'm sure he'd find a peaceful place on the nation's side… Same obviously goes for you, if your father decides to play guardian angel."
Oshio stays quiet and makes a suspicious face. It feels like Fuyuko is aware of what he really wants to ask, but he can't be. He's just really discreetly, maybe involuntarily, making him see the bright possibilities.
"However again…" Fuyuko repeats, bringing in the cons. "Miki is a jinchuriki. The Biju inside of him will have to be freed, meaning he'll die. So there's no turning back for him. And Meinu, even outside of our activities, is a worldwide wanted woman. She'd never give up on her lifestyle… Was this question only hypothetical?"
Oshio doesn't answer this question. He lets his friend make up his own response for it. Fuyuko accepts this silence, and tries to reassure his friend by explaining his vision.
"I just want the Daimyo dead." he concludes. "Because that's what Akiko wants. And I'd follow her even down to hell if needed. Might makes Right is your thing. Kawaki also believes it to be fair. Akiko and I will be okay as long as we complete at least the first part of the plan… Of course, once this is all over, I'd still be by your side as a friend."
Oshio smiles, now even more in doubt than before. To him, the choice has become to either go on and become the world's enemy, or sacrifice Mikitaka and Killin' Kiss for the others' sake. He can imagine throwing Mikitaka away, but not Meinu. She is the one who gave him a reason to live after his father deceived him.
So, he stands in doubt, still not ready to give an answer, but now only having one thing left in the way of his decision.
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A few days later, around Konoha, in the 44th training ground, also known as the forest of Death, Boruto Hyuga is giving his all in a hand-to-hand combat with his master. He significantly improved his skills, be it in terms of speed, strength, Taijutsu mastery, precision, perception… His new power, surpassing any other Konoha-nin of the same age before, just doesn't make any difference against his master.
Sasuke, avoiding all his hits with ease just like against Kawaki, notices his student's odd inattention and rapidly gets him to the ground. Boruto, not surprised, quickly gets up on his feet and waits for his master to explain, as this kind of interruption generally means it's time to talk.
"Your mind isn't there with me." Sasuke says. "I can feel it in your moves. You're faster than that usually. Try me with a Chidori, to see."
Boruto doesn't answer and just executes his demand. He gathers Raiton chakra in his right palm and blitzes toward his sensei who calmly leaps aside. Boruto, having fully mastered this jutsu, brakes with his feet and tries again, capable of freely moving with his augmented speed. Sasuke evades his strikes 5 or 6 times before the student tries to hit his chin from downward, which he also dodges.
After jumping up with his movement, Boruto falls down on Sasuke, who disappears in an instant, and strikes the ground with his lightning blade, completely breaking the soil of this clearing, even lifting the surrounding giant trees off. After turning off his jutsu, Boruto rises, finds his sensei standing on the branch of one of the trees of who just now lands back on the ground, and answers his previous question.
"Nothing important." he says. "It's just that I declined Rebekka's invitation to go out in group, to be here instead."
Sasuke thinks for a moment. Boruto is, even if he didn't get an occasion to realize it, far stronger than when they first started. He'd definitely be a match for Takeshi Minamoto now. There are only two objectives left on their training goals list. To make it more diverse, he thinks of switching the last two parts.
"Well, you won't regret coming to train after all." the Uchiha says as he pulls out the same scroll of sealing as when they had their first session. "How about going a bit further?"
Boruto widely opens his white eyes, expressing his interest.
"Even if you may not have the needed speed to execute it already, you can start learning Hiraishin from now on."
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Meanwhile, in the streets of the village, Rebekka Tabiki is walking around with Inoue Yamanaka and Mirai Sarutobi. On their way they're joined by Misora Shojo, Megane Fuma and Shiba Inuzuka. Later, Namonaki and Metal Lee get with them too. This little group crosses paths with Izuna Uchiha, on his way to a training ground, where he intends to relieve his stress alone.
"Hey cutie!" Rebekka shouts out to get his attention.
He turns around and looks at the band. He just nods to greet them and gets ready to go on his way again.
"Wait!" Mirai alerts him. "A movie theater opened yesterday down the street and they're showing a screening of a popular film of the land of Lightning. We were all going there together. Don't you wanna join?"
"No thanks… I'm off to training." he answers.
"Come on! Izunaaaa!" Misora says while she steps forward and wraps her arms around the boy's shoulders. "You're just the empty seat next to me I need to fill!"
"Training again?" Metal answers to Izuna. "Don't you think you're doing too much? You already do all my sessions with me, plus what you do with Lady 5th."
Izuna doesn't respond. He just makes a bored face while Misora keeps insisting, huddled against him. He notices Inoue making a deranged face because of her friend's behavior.
"Can't help it." Rebekka says. "Boy is probably training for huge stuff, like Boruto who wants to beat up a Kakumei member."
Inoue now makes a lightly surprised face, knowing that this topic may bug Izuna, who frantically looks at her, alerted by these last two words.
"About that, one of their members gave a provocative speech after an attack." Namonaki mentions, ready to get political. "Turns out the leader of the group is really an Uchiha."
To these words, Izuna prefers not to answer. He instead thinks of the said speech and what it may mean for the future, trying to ignore Misora's constant tactility. He does his best not to get involved in the discussion, regardless of what they're saying.
"That's scary! This means he must be very strong!" Megane says, behaving like she's afraid. "Even if he's just our age, he must have Sharingans even better than yours."
"Yeah, yeah! Like we're off to a 2nd 4th war." Rebekka kids.
"But how is it possible?" Metal says. "He can't be an Uchiha! Uchiha are from Konoha, except for Teru. But they're not from another continent."
"Judging by his dumb face, he may somehow be related to Izuna's dad." Namonaki carelessly adds.
This last remark makes it too much for Izuna. Willing to stay silent about this conversation, he can't contain his anger while he's also bothered by Misora's swinging.
"Stop that!" he yells at her as he pushes her away with his shoulder. "Stop sticking around! I don't like you! I never did and never will! You're just embarrassing me by playing around like that!"
Misora lets herself be pushed away and makes a frightened face, taken off guard by this violent reaction. Rebekka and all the others stop their chat and all stare at Izuna, startled by his sudden but justified anger. The Uchiha now stares at Namonaki.
"And you, shut up! Shut the hell up about stuff you don't know and can't understand!" he yells before breathing in and out.
He makes a short pause and just now notices everyone's reaction. He looks at Inoue in the back of this little crowd, who stares back at him with her eyes full of sorrow rather than fright. Izuna looks away and hurries to leave, finding his lonely training even more relevant now.
Disappointed, heart-broken and wry, Misora doesn't say a word. She tries to hold back her honest reaction and just walks away quietly.
"Wut? You're not coming anymore?" Rebekka remarks, already forgetting about Izuna's scene.
Misora now starts running to get away more quickly. Out of care, Megane hurries to follow her, also leaving the group. Shiba, last member of their squad, stays there, not having said a single word the whole time. Rebekka, kind of disappointed, blames it on who started the discussion.
"Damn, Namonaki, can't you stop being so damn racist?" she exclaims.
"Why me, bitch?" he answers, used to these arguments with her. "I'm not the one who just freaked out on Misora!"
"Calm down, you two!" Mirai yells for everyone to keep it cool.
"Yeah Shut up Rebekka!" Namonaki says. "Not going anywhere with your fat ass today." he adds before also leaving.
"Fat ass isn't even an insult!" Rebekka shouts to him as he goes. "Guys like that stuff when they're not gay like you!"
"This isn't an insult either." Mirai quietly says. "Come on, Rebekka. Aren't you 18, like me? Why are you arguing with him?"
Rebekka sighs, and makes an awkward face, deranged that everyone decides to leave.
"I don't feel that much like going anymore actually." Inoue says, discouraged by Izuna's behavior.
"Yeah of course! We give up then! Everybody go home." Rebekka yells, angrily before quickly calming down.
"You're right, Inoue." Mirai whispers to the Yamanaka before she leaves. "Someone should keep looking after Izuna. He doesn't seem okay."
Inoue sadly nods before slowly walking away. Leaving only Rebekka to be calmed down by Mirai while Metal and Shiba just awkwardly stand there. Inoue thinks of Izuna, and of how he feels about people around him now. What he just told to Misora, she quietly dreamed of doing so herself for years, but would never have actually done it. To see the shy and respectful guy she fell in love with do it is… disappointing.
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Later that night, in Hikarigakure, at a public hot tube, Meinu Imai is chilling with her 3 friends from Ketsugakure: Seiki, Pai and the princess Kiseru. With them is Akiko, but also Mikitaka since the bath is mixed. Meinu is occupied, discussing with someone on an upgraded version of the tool that allows mercenaries to receive updates on bounties and jobs. This version allows her to exchange untraceable messages with another person using the same tool.
In the bath, Seiki, the tanned blonde and blue eyed Tomoe girl, stares at Akiko, intrigued. She analyzes her body who, despite being that of a man, is oddly thin and curved since she's purposefully looking more feminine.
Pai Tomoe is more curious about what her gender identity means for her preferences, and decides to ask everyone about it.
"I remember Lady Meinu once asked us if we were into guys or girls." she says. "I guess you, Mister Mikitaka, like ladies, but what about you, Akiko?"
"Meinu asked you three?" Akiko replies, not answering the question. "Did she even answer that question herself?"
"I consider that I don't need to make a choice, Akiko." Killin' Kiss comments, still busied by her remote conversation. "Everyone loves me anyway."
"… So we have all teams in one bath then." Akiko jokes before pointing at Seiki, Miki, Pai, herself, Kiseru and finally Meinu in this order. "I love boys, I love girls, I love both, I love none, I hate both, and both love me."
"I hate both?" Kiseru quietly comments on Akiko's guess about her, and silently questions herself about the truth behind this assumption.
"So you say you love none?" Pai adds. "What does it mean?"
"I guess I'm just not really into relationships." the Yamanaka explains, which intrigues Seiki even more. She was already captivated by the hybrid looks of this person.
"Akiko… Why don't you ask Minoka to make you even more girly?" Seiki asks. "I mean… It looks like that's your goal, isn't it? I'm sure she could find a way to make you literally a woman."
"It's not about what I am biologically." Akiko answers. "I'm fine with my body as is."
"You're just pretending to be a woman." rudely remarks Kiseru, unpleasing Akiko.
"There! Someone finally said it!" Mikitaka exclaims. "I thought I was the only sane person around here."
Akiko contains her anger and tries to stay cool while in the bath. She just quickly thinks of a classic answer she'd give in any mood.
"And you're just pretending to be a man as well." she says. "It's just that for you it's the opposite. It's not biology that failed you, but you who failed biology."
"Shut up, bitch!" Mikitaka answers, angrily standing up. "You wanna fight?"
"You don't recognize her as a woman, but you still call her a bitch?" Seiki remarks, still intrigued.
"Not to shame anyone, but it looks like Akiko was partly right…" Pai quietly comments about Mikitaka's now emerged body.
"Actually yes!" Akiko answers Mikitaka's provocation. "I really want a fucking fight to shut up your dumb Twenty One Pilots singer face!"
"Girls! Can you keep it down for a minute? I'm trying to think." Meinu complains, still with her tool in hand, wondering about the discussion she's having on it.
All the girls keep it down as asked, and Mikitaka as well. Akiko waits for the mercenary guy's answer, until long enough to mock him about not giving it.
"Why's that?" she yells. "That puppy ass really does shut the fuck up when Bitch-sensei asks for it!"
"Akiko, can you stop yelling around and contact Oshio for me?" Meinu asks, having taken an initiative she needs to inform him about.
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On the balcony of the throne room, Oshio Uchiha is leaning on the border, looking down at some kind of wild but peaceful night party that is taking place in the streets of his village, in the court in front of the castle. He watches the villagers enjoy their time while staying in his doubts.
These last days, he spent them thinking deeper about his father's offer. He took the initiative to write a word on a note that now only needs to be left on the kitchen table of the Uchiha household in Konoha. This paper, he's holding it in his hand while wondering what he should do with it. Deep alone in his mind, he gets startled when Akiko's voice speaks to him, calling for his attention.
"I hear you." he answers after a moment.
"Okay so, coming from Meinu…" Akiko tells. "Someone from the village of Ryuka in the land of Fire just contacted the great nations, telling them that he could provide intel about you. It's some guy who supposedly knows who you really are."
Oshio thinks of who this person might be, and rapidly finds the answer thanks to the indicated village.
"And? Are you going to ask if we should do something to prevent it?" Oshio suggests.
"Thing is, Meinu already did something." Akiko responds. "She just personally established a contract in our name with who she calls a very well known friend of hers. Mission is for this mercenary to kill the intel giver and prevent the spread of information. She now wants your opinion about if it's the right thing to do."
"… Tell her to cancel the contract for now." Oshio says, out of pity and compassion for the said person. "I don't think keeping this information is valuable."
After he gives his answer, he stops paying attention to Akiko's voice and eases his mind, enjoying the music that plays down in the village. Eyes closed, trying not to think of any of his problems and dilemmas, he enjoys a moment of peace, telling himself that he'll eventually find a solution for this mess. One that will minimize the body count.
In this wild festival, Fuyuko is with Kawaki and his squad of 22 elite ninjas of Hikari, dancing and partying with the other citizens. Minoka, having left her lab for once, stays by Kawaki's side and lets him coach her into participating in a social event.
All gathered in a round, they laugh together while Minako, the youngest of the squad, is trying to teach Imi, second youngest, brown haired mute boy, how to properly bang his head. Oshio gazes at them and smiles, seeing Minako get angry at her friend for not having long enough hair to shake them around.
Suddenly, the music stops. Every villager looks up to the sky in the same direction, but it's not toward the balcony. Oshio, unsettled by this unfortunate stop in the festivity looks at the confused, curious or even frightened faces of his fellow villagers. In his mind, Akiko, who's still in the bath with Meinu and her friends, questions him about this sudden break in ambiance, having noticed it even from where he is.
He now hears the voice of Fuyuko, whom he sees performing a hand sign to communicate with him while looking up like all the others.
"Oshio… I couldn't explain this shit… But it sure looks like a problem." he says about what is in the sky.
The leader of the village and land finally follows the gaze of his villagers and sees the thing, the person that caught everyone's attention.
Levitating above the village is a man. A man dressed as a noble sea hunter, all in white and gray. He has completely white skin, light gray hair, white tired looking eyes, a pointy chin, round eyebrows, and, most notably, a pair of horns looking like a broken ring emerging from above his ears and almost coming together over his forehead.
This man is Urashiki Otsutsuki, former partner in wanders and disciple of Momoshiki Otsutsuki. Coming to the place that served as his elder's hideout by the past, 6 years too late, he slowly gets nearer to the ground, unbothered by the attention gathered on him. Oshio stares at him silently and waits to understand the situation.
"You, the red eyed brat whose destiny was taken away and made his own by Momoshiki-senpai." the celestial says, to address the sovereign of the land. "I am here to talk."
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At the same time, on the desolate battlefield of the 4th great Ninja war, Sasuke Uchiha stands alone in the night, preparing to perform a jutsu that he's only seen the Rikudo-sennin use once. He widely opens his left eye while closing the right and raises his hand to perform the same hand sign as for the sacrificial jutsu of his Rinnegan.
Gedo
Using the 7th path's power, just like Hagoromo Otsutsuki brought back the souls of the past Kage to work together at the end of the war, Sasuke summons the soul of a dead person from the Pure land to ask for his advice. The said soul takes shape in front of him as a spectral chakra form.
"Are you… Sasuke?" the man says. "Did you call me back to the living from the afterlife?"
"It is only temporary." Sasuke answers to the ghost of the Uchiha. "I need your knowledge on something you should be familiar with, Madara."
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End of Chapter 86 – Next Chapter: Oshio vs Urashiki