Naruto: Tales of Ashihara
Kakumei – Arc 4: Might Makes Right
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Chapter 101 – Divine Intervention
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Same day in the evening, in Konohagakure. After leaving the training ground, Boruto Hyuga directly went to his house, where he waited until dinner with his mother and sister, and left again. Feeling oddly unhappy at home, he went to the Hokage monument's cliff to lay alone, on top of his father's head.
Here, enjoying his loneliness, he thinks of what Izuna yelled at him earlier. These words make him feel surprisingly bad. Never had he thought of it. Until now he always simply behaved like a teenager because he's around that age, and like an action enthusiast because that's the only thing in which he finds the thrill to keep going.
To have been exposed on these points makes him wonder how true Izuna's claim actually is. Is he really nothing but a self-destructive killing machine? Is he out of touch with humanity? Is he really unable to feel and receive true love?
Lying there alone, trying to prove Izuna wrong to reassure his own self, he attempts to think of a girl he likes the same way Izuna likes Inoue. Just a few seconds are enough for him to realize that the only woman he cares about that much is his mother, and this is totally different. He goes through his memories of all the girls he knows, and asks himself if there isn't at least one that stands out.
There is Rebekka Tabiki, and most people think he sees her as a sister since she was partially raised by his father, but he sees it differently. He certainly finds her hot and somehow arousing, but maybe that's just because she's older. Plus there's no way she likes him back…
The journalist girl with whom he often talks in front of the academy, Kanojo Doroku. She somehow became the person he opens himself to the most emotionally, but he doesn't feel any kind of love for her. And she probably doesn't either. She likely chats with him this often because he's an interesting source for a journalist.
His thoughts lead him to girls of other nations, even some he barely knows, as he tries to find anyone he likes at least as much as Rebekka. Aoki, the Raikage's daughter? No. Misora Shojo? Neither. Nor does he feel anything for Mira Fuhatsu, Megane Fuma, Mirai Sarutobi, Takeshi's teammates, or anyone else. Bored and embarrassed by his train of thought, he slowly lets himself go to sleep, to silence his brain.
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As he gets to rest and finally finds peace of mind, he suddenly senses his loneliness being disturbed. Yet certain that he's asleep, it seems like a presence within his mind tries to reach his dream.
"Boruto Hyuga. Son of my brother's heir. And my descendant." the deep voice of an old man says. "I am finally able to reach your ear."
The young Jonin opens his eyes in his dream and is astonished by his first sight. Above him in the sky as he lies on a ground that feels oddly lighter than where he's asleep in reality, he sees planet Earth, as he'd see it from outer space. Startled, he rises and gets on his feet on what looks like an endless desert plain of gray sand.
There, he sees the man whose voice he heard earlier. An elderly person dressed in a white mantle that falls to his feet, and a brown toga wrapped around it. He looks inhuman, more similar to the people Boruto saw his father fight against in Konoha 7 years ago, be it in terms of skin color and attributes. He has light gray messy hair going down to his knees, no eyebrows, a pair of horns on his forehead and, most notably, shining bright blue eyes. So bright that they look like the sun if gazed upon with the Byakugan.
"Bro, who the hell are you?" Boruto exclaims, confused by this man's visit.
"I am known by many names." the wise man replies. "Sage God of the Moon, the Blue-eyed King, Guardian of the Juubi's seal. You may better know me as the brother of who you'd call the Rikudo-Sennin."
Boruto doesn't answer, and just blinks many times, to show his lack of understanding. The old man, resisting this annoyance, calmly makes himself clearer.
"I am Hamura Otsutsuki." he exclaims. "Son of the Rabbit Demon, and father of Niitabe Otsutsuki, the princess founder of the Hyuga clan."
"Oh? You're the guy who kidnapped my mom and got his ass beaten by my dad before I was born!" the young Hyuga yells, thinking he finally identified the stranger.
*Sigh… "No. This was Toneri Otsutsuki, another of my descendants." Hamura replies. "You, Boruto Hyuga, as the Hyuga prince, are also my descendants. And, in over a thousand years of history, you are in who my ancestry is most dominant."
Boruto gets at ease, accepting to listen to his ancestor that he finally understands, thinking that such a visit certainly has a good motive. Hamura, glad to finally be heard, goes on.
"The strength you have since birth. The connection we share. In this bond lies your true self. Your true power. A unique power that no other will master but you. You may have come to the realization of its existence already. But you still lack the motivation to reach it. You have to let go of your present self, and accept your reincarnation to embrace who you truly are."
"What is this power you're talking about?" Boruto asks. "Is it the purple energy?"
"It is the might of a thousand Byakugan. The power to create life and to heal the world." Hamura solemnly explains. "But you have to hurry to find it, Boruto, for it is the weapon that you need to oppose the will of the gods from outer space. The people of my mother, Kaguya Otsutsuki."
Boruto makes a shocked face, feeling a bit too small for the importance suggested by this speech.
"You mean, those like Momoshiki Otsutsuki?" he asks. "I can't fight these people. They're not my business. It's my dad and my sensei who defeated him… Or do you mean… Kakumei?"
"The children of this organization, Oshio Uchiha and Kawaki, are pawns in the machination of celestial beings." Hamura explains. "In my time, I tried to forbid this kind's interaction with Hagoromo's world, but failed. Now they're here, lured toward you by the might of your father, Naruto Uzumaki, and your sensei, Sasuke Uchiha. In the absence of these two, someone needs to ensure their safe return and prevent any obscure power to replace them. This is up to you and your friends."
"But I'm not strong enough!" Boruto argues. "I've lost to Kawaki. I can't beat him. Isn't there anyone else who can do this? What about you?"
"I belong to the afterlife, Boruto. I cannot save this world in the present." the ancestor calmly answers. "Only time will tell us whoever might help you. Yet you're mistaken about yourself. You are far more than strong enough for this challenge. The power that lies within your soul only needs to be released. You were on the verge of reaching it recently, but your opponent overtook your emotions. You need not to fear your end. No matter who beats you now, you will return mighty enough to turn the tables."
"But what's this power?" Boruto asks, confused and panicked by the heaviness of this revelation. "How do I reincarnate? What even are these thousand Byakugan?"
"You will find out by yourself." the old man replies. "Do not hold it back on the next occasion, and you will see through the same eyes as I do."
Not powerful enough to maintain his presence forever among the living minds, Hamura's image starts to slowly fade away from Boruto's mind. Sensing his descendant's confusion, he speaks final words before disappearing.
"Brace yourself, young man, for the safety of your father and sensei, the heirs of the Rikudo-sennin, depends on you. You need to stop Oshio Uchiha and Kawaki, and free Kurama, the nine-tailed fox, from his prison." Boruto hears as the old man vanishes. He is left speechless, alone again.
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At the same time, at the harbor of Hikarigakure, Kawaki is with Oshio, Mikitaka and the army gathered to accompany Kakumei in its last and ultimate crusade. While Oshio counts the troops, the chief general quietly looks at the night sky, toward the moon that he finds quite particular today.
"The moon seems oddly purple tonight." he remarks, which gets Oshio's attention.
The Uchiha looks at his friend contemplating the night sky, and waits for him to explain this comment. Kawaki looks down to see the Uzumaki clan's mark on his chest, left there as a jutsu formula by Boruto Hyuga.
"I feel like no god will be on our side for the coming battles." he says.
"Gods were never on our side." the leader of Kakumei answers before gazing toward the ocean, that he will cross with his army to bring his dominance to the continent.
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Later, long later, it has been over two months since Izuna Uchiha woke up in the hospital. Two months of not a single calm day. As Kakumei made progress across the continent, the Shinobi Union tried to stop Oshio's army many times, but to no success. Being the mightiest of his kind, the former sovereign of Shin no Kuni found no worthy resistance as he made his way from nation to nation.
First, Kakumei went to the land of Water where they returned to the capital and eliminated all the Daimyo's guards and descendants. The Feudal Lord himself had died of old age days before the invasion, but Kakumei's attack made sure that no succession would be taken. At least not immediately. Only one survivor is left in the family, being the late Daimyo's great grandson, aged only 14. Mikitaka and Oshio also sought to capture the Sanbi in this land. However, this beast had preventively fled these seas after Naruto Uzumaki's disappearance.
After the land of Water, the army went back south of the continent and reached the land of Wind where they captured Ichibi, not as heavily guarded as last time, and destroyed the capital that had already been invaded by Meinu to eliminate all traces of the feudal family.
They then took a turn around the land of Fire that they wanted to avoid at first and went to the land of Lightning. There, they only made a quick passage to capture the Nibi and annihilate the feudal temple, killing the Daimyo's potential inheritors as well as decimating his army. Oshio left the nation, considering that he'll destroy the capital when he comes back to kill the Raikage.
On the way between the great ninja nations, Kakumei also stopped in smaller countries of the continent to eliminate all the Daimyos. Therefore, the capitals and feudal families of the lands of Grass and Waves have been destroyed. Right now, Kakumei's army is in the land of Hot Water's capital, meaning that this territory's feudal lord doesn't have long to live either.
In opposition to Kakumei's many successes obviously came countless failed attempts from the Shinobi Union to take down Oshio and to free the Biju from Mikitaka's body. The army's movements were too unpredictable for any nation to prepare collaborative counter attacks. The conflict has reached a point where all the Kage can do is wait and hope to not be the next targets.
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In Konoha, everyone's everyday life had to go forward, unaffected by Kakumei's crusade that didn't reach their land yet. This last month, Boruto went regularly to talk with Kanojo Doroku at the academy, but didn't speak a single word to Izuna. They met occasionally, but never said a word to each. The young Uchiha, all along this month, had sudden and confusing visions, similar to the hospital he saw at Tsunade's grave. These flashes showed him various settings from different nations of the continent that he couldn't identify or interpret.
Currently, Izuna is at another exercise ground with Mirai Sarutobi with whom, to follow his mother's advice, he is training to improve his fist. Mirai is showing him her Futon – Senpuken, a spiral of wind concentrated in her punch, inspired from the 7th Hokage's Rasengan. Knowing Izuna's unique fire loaded fist, Enken, Sakura suggested that he learn to spiral the chakra the same way to add to this punch the devastating effect of a Katon – Goen Rasengan. Today, November 14th, is the day before Izuna's birthday, but he seems to have forgotten it himself.
Meanwhile, at Ichiraku Ramen, while Izuna is busy, his two teammates are having a routine meal at this restaurant that they used to come to with their sensei. Inoue, having finished her meal before Boruto, refuses to leave him alone, thinking it might be rude. Since neither Izuna or Naruto are here, Boruto only sits quietly and hurries to get done so he can escape this awkward moment. Noticing this, Inoue saves him from this feeling and takes advantage of this time to ask a question.
"How is Hokage-sensei?" she says, curious to know if the long wait affects his state of mind in any way.
"Still the same. No reason for it to change." Boruto replies. "He's just sleeping and waiting for us to do a damn thing."
"Is Izuna still unaware?" Inoue now asks, deciding to turn this into a conversation.
"We still can't tell him." the Jonin replies. "He started to tell about random visions he has, and the council suspects it might be Oshio's sight that reaches him somehow, confirming that they're really connected. So keeping the secret was smart after all."
"He's not gonna like it when he finds out…" Inoue quietly says, knowing Izuna's contempt for lies and secrets.
"Who's not gonna like what?" suddenly exclaims Rebekka who jumps in the restaurant and the conversation, followed by Metal Lee and Megane Fuma.
Boruto and Inoue look at her and don't answer. They stop talking about this topic, since they're the only two of their generation allowed to know the truth. Fortunately for them, Rebekka quickly forgets her question and greets Boruto instead, with a punch on his shoulder.
"Hey! Piss Head!" she exclaims, standing before him. She raises both hands and raises a certain amount of fingers that she hides with her body to show only to Boruto's blind eye. "How many fingers do I have?" she asks, to mess with him.
"Ten. At least I hope so." Boruto quickly replies, mirroring her mocking smile.
"Ha! You've got answers now!" Rebekka says and laughs while petting the Hyuga's yellow hair. She lays a hand on the table to rest a bit and suddenly gets sad. "Why did you come here? This place doesn't feel the same without him…"
They all look down, letting their mood be ruined by this reminder. Boruto, not as devastated as Rebekka, since he knows the truth, raises his hand to lay it on hers in support, but backs down and gives up. Collectively they decide to move on and not start any conversation from this remark. Inoue, seeing Megane behind Rebekka, notices something quite unusual.
"Where is Misora?" Inoue asks, since she isn't there.
"Um… She didn't feel like leaving home." Megane answers, which surprises Inoue. Usually, Misora would always be the one to gather friends to hang out with. It's since that time when Izuna yelled at her that she stopped doing this often. She seems to have taken Izuna's words as a call back to reality.
At the table, Inoue sees Metal, Megane and Rebekka gathered around Boruto, who's condition prevents him from properly hiding his gaze's focus that is totally on Rebekka's body, under her open vest, covered only with a black sleeveless and legless bodysuit and very large boots going up to her thighs. He carefully looks at the 19 year old's hips while she stretches, which doesn't go unnoticed.
"You're totally checking me out, Bro." she says, with a smile.
"Uh? What the hell, Sis? I'm not doing that!" Boruto promptly yells, not even making an effort to stop.
"Bruh you're not even looking away!" Rebekka replies. "But don't worry! I'm not blaming you. Just, don't use your Byakugan, please."
Boruto makes an awkward face, ashamed by what Rebekka suggests. He closes his eyes and looks away while Metal and Megane laugh at the scene. He laughs as well, used to this kind of joke. Inoue, seeing that Boruto is no longer alone at the table and still not done with his meal, decides to leave. She goes to pay for what they both had and goes to her home.
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While she walks alone through the streets of the village, she looks up to see the face of the 7 Hokage on the mountain. After sadly staring at her sensei's face, she looks down doubtfully and is surprised by who she finds roaming around in the evening.
It is Izuna, done with training for the day. Mirai had to leave him early for a family meeting, so he's left with no guide to navigate through the village. Seeing him right as he comes to miss a wall to lean on, she runs to catch him and helps him up.
"Oh… Thank you, Inoue." Izuna says, once again recognizing her from just the presence he feels.
"Take it easy. Where were you going?" she asks, while holding his hand.
"… I don't know. I was just leaving training." the Uchiha answers. He was really just roaming around to see how capable he became. He did improve, but to find his way through the streets is still very complicated.
"Want me to bring you somewhere you can sit down to?" Inoue suggests, to which Izuna just quietly nods in response.
A few minutes later, after she gently guided him all the way to the river, not far from the academy, Inoue sits down with Izuna on a bench. The same bench where they were 3 months ago when Fuyuko and Akiko Yamanaka interrupted their discussion and kidnapped them. Izuna, having come to this bench countless times since he first met Oshio, simply to think, recognizes it and remembers the last time he was sitting there.
"Um… Inoue?" he asks, being reminded of a specific person. "I never asked but what happened to Seiki Tomoe? The girl we brought to the village after our mission in Ryuka?"
"Ah! Her?" Inoue answers, with an annoyed voice. "She's in jail. It turned out she really was a traitor, but didn't know it herself. They manipulated her will and made her believe she was on our side. It's with her that Kakumei could get in and…"
"I know about that." Izuna replies before she has to finish her sentence. "Oshio told me all about this plan. I just wanted to know what became of her, because I just noticed I never asked. I had totally forgotten her."
"…" Inoue first doesn't speak. She waits a moment to change the topic. "Did he often come to talk with you? Oshio, I mean."
"… Yes." Izuna says. "Almost every day. It felt like he just desperately needed someone to talk to."
"Really?… So he told you things he couldn't have told anyone else… "
"He must have thought I was the one who could best understand him."
"Did you speak to him as well?"
"No. I didn't have anything to say. Somehow, he already knew me perfectly."
"… It's pretty much the same with my brother." Inoue comments, not knowing how Izuna could react to this but still trying to relate. "I guess it's just a sibling thing. Aren't you the same with Sarada?"
"… Not really. It's really just with Oshio." Izuna answers, staying perfectly calm, just glad he has someone to talk to. "But you probably could understand Sarada as well as you understand Inojin. You just get along well with children."
"Oh, you think?" Inoue happily says. "You think I'd be a great mother?"
"Uh… Inoue, you're still only 16. It's too soon to wonder about such things."
"Mh?… You're right, sorry…" she says, calming down. "So, you actually got to know your brother more while you were captive… What did you learn?"
"… That Kakumei are actually a bunch of friends with the same trauma, all on the same boat." Izuna frankly says, after taking a deep breath in. "About Oshio personally,… His role of leader in his land is more to him than just a facade. It was nothing about power to him. He just honestly cared about the people. Being sovereign to him was really just ensuring peace and security for his villagers, and not earning their respect."
"Well… In this, you have a lot in common." the Yamanaka answers, which startles Izuna, not sure to understand. "Becoming Hokage to you also isn't about proving yourself. It is about going forward in peace, between and within villages. You always tried to keep it a secret but it's pretty obvious."
"Oh… Yeah… This dream." Izuna slowly answers, remembering once again his broken nindo. "It doesn't matter anymore. I gave up on that."
"What?" Inoue exclaims as she jumps off her seat, startling Izuna again. "You can't give up on it! You're not from the intel division so you may not know about it, but what you just said about Oshio makes perfect sense. From our reports, the people of Hikari actually praise him, not less than we praise the 7th Hokage! If your brother could become such a pure leader, in such a chaotic village, then you have to show that you can do the same. You'll be a Hokage just as good as Oshio, or as Naruto-sensei. If you want, I'll even be your advisor. I'd love it. How about you?"
Izuna doesn't answer. He just sits agape and holds back his answer. Not wanting to break her enthusiasm, he doesn't tell about what he did in Hikari that made him lose his faith. Instead, he raises his hand and blindly tries to reach for her. On the first try, he catches her hand that he warmly holds to bring her to sit by his side again. Then, he finds a different excuse to change the topic.
"All this dream, my resolve, my passion…" Izuna explains. "It all first was admiration for Hokage-sensei. Without him, it loses its purpose… I… I really wanted to be his successor, you know."
Inoue stays quiet and sadly looks down, reminded of the lie that they have to maintain. Aware that Izuna would certainly hold a grudge against all those who maintained this, and that it will only get worse with time, she wants to break and confess the truth, but has to hold back.
"There are things I really want to tell you, Izuna… But I can't. I'm sorry." she says.
The blind boy doesn't see what she means nor why she apologizes. Actually he understands something else. Still holding her hand, he feels the urge to confess, but holds back as well, hoping that he will have a better time to tell this.
"I too, have things that I'd like to say to you…" he answers. "But I'd prefer to say it properly, looking at you, seeing your face."
Inoue holds tightly on Izuna's hand to show her concern, saddened by this fantasy. Then, not a single more word is spoken. They just sit quietly, hands held together, and let their heads fall on each other's shoulders. Inoue falls first, so Izuna lies against hers. They stay like this, eyes closed, appreciating a quiet time until late night, when Inoue realizes how long it's been and stands up to go home.
Just like she helped him to get there, she accompanies him home and leaves him to his mother before going on her own. Sakura finds Izuna oddly calm and appeased, and smiles, glad to see the effect that Inoue has on him.
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Later that night, Izuna, goes to bed peacefully and lets himself fall asleep, while holding firmly on the white receiver he had in his pocket the whole day and that he's kept close all during the last 2 months.
Deep in his sleep, he enjoys the calm of his imagination, which is the only moment where he can simulate having vision again. This time however, what he sees seems more real than any other time. It is nothing but a black plain that slowly comes to light and shows the rooftop of the Hokage's mansion, which is simply the most important place to him.
There, in the calm of his dream, he expects to meet with his sensei, his father or Lady Tsunade. So many people that reality can't bring back to him, he thinks. But instead, it is a complete stranger's figure that comes to him, appearing in the sky of Konoha, slowly floating to the roof, is a tall man dressed in a white mantle.
Izuna steps forward to take a better look. In the dark of night, he only sees white spiky hair, red shining eyes on a bearded face, and three pairs of golden horns. From this mystical form, he hears a voice coming.
"Izuna Uchiha." it says. "You are connected by more than blood and fate to the brother who was stolen from you by the consumer of worlds. You were the one he needed to ascend, and so shall you be the one to cause his fall. His rise has caused unbound pain to my esteem of your kind. May you be able to heal it, with just a light push forward."
Izuna stays completely silent. This figure that he can barely see, that he can't sense at all, but that he can perfectly hear, he understands well what it says. The one it calls his brother stolen by Momoshiki Otsutsuki has to be Oshio. His ascension is his awakening of the Eien no Mangekyo Sharingan and his rise is his triumph over the Hokage and Sasuke Uchiha.
"I will give you a temporary part of my power, that is what I copied from your own." the man adds. "It will manifest itself as the sight that was taken from you. It is the only tool I will give to you in order to free Naruto Uzumaki from his sleep, unveil the lie you were told, and allow his return. Make wise and proper use of it. It shall not be wasted."
Izuna makes a confused face and gets in position as the stranger comes closer and closer. What does he mean by giving a part of his own power? And why is he speaking of the Hokage's sleep and return? Why is he not speaking of his death? What lie is he talking about? All these questions, Izuna won't get an answer to from this interlocutor. First, because he still doesn't dare to speak. Secondly, because this figure now flashes through space to come directly to Izuna's nose.
There, before Izuna can start a single move, the man lays his fingers on the young Uchiha's forehead and lets a strange source go through his body. Izuna falls back and trembles uncontrollably. He suddenly finds himself awake from this experience and sees another unconventional scene.
He sees the village of Konoha again, from far above in the sky. Between him and the village is what looks like a black chakra cover. It seems to be another of the episodic visions he has since he came back from Hikari. But this time, it lasts longer. Long enough for him to see more than the simple picture of an unknown place. Next to him, in this vision, he hears a voice he may have heard before saying a few surprising words.
"Why did they not add Sakura Uchiha's face to the monument?" the person says. "What does it mean?"
Suddenly, Izuna's sight is moved aside by a head movement he doesn't control. His eyes move to the right where he sees Kawaki, the chief general of Kakumei. Another movement brings his view back to the Hokage's stone faces where there are indeed still only the same 7 faces that Izuna has seen most of his life.
"It doesn't matter" Izuna now hears a familiar voice say. "This place only has a few days left to exist anyway… Let us go to the capital first."
After these few words he sees the giant wings of a Perfect Susanoo flap in the air, carrying his sight away from the village. And so, Izuna understands exactly what he is seeing. This vision, and all those before, were, as the village suspected, the sight of Oshio at this very moment. Just now Izuna saw Oshio in this land, above this village, on his way to the capital. If this vision was really what Oshio was seeing right now, then it means that these are his current intentions.
Coming to this realization, Izuna abruptly wakes up, to reality this time, and sits up in shock. He looks down to see the white receiver he firmly holds in his hand. He thinks of the two visions he had. The stranger who told him about his fate and a lie he was told, and Oshio above the village. To confirm his doubts, he frantically turns around to look out the window and see the Hokage monument, that he couldn't see in two months, and checks if what he heard Kawaki say is true. Is there really still no 8th face?
Through the window, he indeed sees the exact same monument as he saw a minute ago through his brother's eyes, lit by the daylight now. Seven faces, but why? After just a few seconds, it occurs to Izuna that these two experiences perfectly complete themselves and were both perfectly real. What the stranger said is true. It could be that the 7th Hokage never died, and that's why he spoke of his sleep and return. The village didn't carve a new face because they intended to bring Naruto Uzumaki back, and this truth was hidden from him.
As he starts to get angry while looking at the monument, and throws the white rod piece through the window. As he looks at it falling away, Izuna only now notices a major detail that makes his observation possible. He looks at the monument again, looks at the white receiver that lands on a roof in the distance, and remarks that… He can indeed see them. He can see. He has eyes to see. And this, to him, also makes perfect sense. These eyes are the manifestation of his own power, gifted by the stranger of his dream.
These eyes just unveiled the lie he was told. They are the tools he was given to stop the rise of his brother, Oshio Uchiha, and allow the return of his sensei, Naruto Uzumaki.
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End of Chapter 101 – Next Chapter: Absolute Spirit I