Espadara Uchiha
Active member
The dust whirled around the battlefield from the latest clash of attacks, briefly hiding from view the grand amount of corpses scattered thoughtlessly around. Labored breaths were the only sound heard in this field of death, the only beings alive to see the after effects of war. Alas, none of them cared, each having once held a dream for peace, but now wishing for the death of the others.
The dust cleared, a young man stepping forward. He had a stoic look upon his face, giving him the effect of being several years older; had he smiled, he may have looked years younger. Grimy, matted blond hair was covering his head, falling down to his neck, looking as though the man had more important things to think about than its appearance. His eyes were peculiar; the irises were red, with three black tomoe marks within them, and they frequently looked to both sides of the man, looking for any attack to pierce through the cloud of dust.
His clothes were ripped and teared, though it appeared to be a black cloak with red clouds covering it. The man scoffed at the ripped clothing, tearing the last of it away and leaving him in a white inner robe. A scythe was held in his left hand, an imposing red three-bladed scythe with a cord on one end. His right hand was making movements, a mouth across his palm chewing a clay substance. Had the light been better, one could notice that the right arm -up to the shoulder- was noticeably different than his left in size and light shades of color.
More of the dust cleared, revealing yet another man, though this one was in massive contrast to the first. While the first looked mature through his lack of expression, the newcomer was looked absolutely sickly. His skin was gaunt and waxy, and his breaths were even more labored than the first. His red hair was pale, almost white, and covered his neck. His eyes were another strange sight, one being a deep purple with multiple rings, and the second eye being pale white, with multiple veins around the eye bulging in strain.
His clothes- or lack of them- revealed his body to be wrapped in a strange gray bodysuit, with multiple spirals wrapping around it, culminating in several gray roots behind the mans head. The mans breathing eventually calmed, and he looked at the blond man in contempt. "Naruto...Why do you continue to fight against me? I was not the one to lie to you...with all the Biju together, we can place the world in Infinite Tsukuyomi...it will be the only path to true peace!" The man yelled, but calmed quickly. "Listen to me. I used to believe spreading Pain was the only way to help everyone understand each other, but I see differently now. This way...this path I walk will save everyone. Join me! We can kill Obito, the fake Madara Uchiha, and use the Juubi to bring ultimate peace! Wasn't that what Itachi wanted?"
Silence rose as the answer, the stoic man known as Naruto sighing. He peered over at Nagato, a light breeze flowing through his hair, bringing with it the scent of death. "Itachi wanted peace...that much is true." He spoke quietly, evenly, bare traces of emotions leaking through his words. "But not like this. He would never condone forcing Humanity to be peaceful...he would never force upon them a World of Lies." He looked pensive at this point, seemingly lost in memories. "No...those who believe they know what is best for others often don't. Itachi's eyes let me see this..." He gestured to his eyes, which spun lazily.
"You were always misled...Nagato. Misled led by Obito...and now misled by yourself. Think, Nagato!" Naruto yelled, anger in his voice. "Would Yahiko approve of this? Or Konan?"
The two men stared at each other, silently judging the others words in their head. Both wanted Peace, in their own way; and both had been allies, a time back. Nagato closed his eyes, and spoke quietly, the sound still reaching across the war torn field. "I would not know how Konan would feel...she was supposed to always be by my side, after Yahiko sacrificed himself. I need Infinite Tsukuyomi, Naruto...to see them again. If Konan was here, she could've stopped me. But she isn't," Nagato raised his head, his eyes radiating power. "Because you killed her, Naruto."
Naruto winced, a pained expression coming over him. His response was halted as a presence appeared on the battlefield, a swirling vortex in mid-air. The vortex formed a man with spiky black hair and scars across the right side of his face, though standing out was a Sharingan. His left eye was purple with black rings, an exact copy of Nagato's. He was wearing torn black plants, his shirt having been completely ripped from his body. He looked between the two enemies, and spoke in a deep voice. "Hmph. I thought that by the time I killed Kakashi you two would have killed each other."
Naruto chuckled, swinging his scythe in a ready position. He tilted his head curiously at Obito, a smile flickering across his face. "Ah, you finally killed Hatake? Going to just leave him in Kamui, huh?" He asked mockingly, earning himself a glare from the Uchiha.
"Enough of this..." Nagato muttered, running forward with a black rod emerging from his hand, and jabbing it towards Obito. Obito's Sharingan changed to the Mangekyo, as his the rod went harmlessly through him. A scythe suddenly went through his neck, and Obtio was only spared due to having the foresight of making his entire body intangible.
Naruto's scythe impacted against Nagato's arm, the blades unable to fully cut through the strange, plant like material. Roots began growing from Nagato's arm, wrapping around the blades and heading towards Naruto. Naruto jumped back, letting the cord on the scythe extend as he brought his right arm forward, several white bats flying from the mouth on his palm. They impacted on the wood, causing a small explosion, and Naruto brought the cord- and the scythe- back towards him, clutching the handle of the scythe.
A brief burst of chakra alerted Naruto behind him, bringing his scythe up for Obito to slam his hand upon his face. Naruto felt his body beginning to swirl into the Kamui dimension, until a wooden spear shot itself into Obito's hand, forcing the Uchiha to stop the Kamui transfer. He jumped back, ripping the spear out just as dozens of wooden spikes emerge from it.
Nagato was in front of him now, throwing his hand towards Obito's chest. "Shinra Tensei!" A massive burst of energy shot Obito backwards in midair, though he used the motion to transport into the Kamui dimension.
Nagato 'tsked', before pulling his arm back to block yet another swing of Naruto's scythe. "You know...your performance in this fight is quite depressing."
Naruto kept his face neutral, sweat rolling down his face from the effort of keeping the scythe downward. He motioned his head to some of the bodies scattered around them. "Tell me. Did you notice how the number of bodies increased after our first clash?" Nagato's widened in realization as some of the corpses emitted smoke, forming dozens of Naruto clones.
The original twisted the scythe, catching Nagato's arm in between the three blades, before kicking his foot up and impacting it against Nagato's chin. The clones began surrounding him, kicking him higher and higher in the air. Naruto came down from above, swinging his scythe to impale the air-borne Nagato.
"Fire Style: Explosion Flame Bomb jutsu!"
Obito's voice and the sound of flames distracted Naruto from the finishing blow, giving Nagato time to clutch Naruto by the robes. Nagato pulled Naruto in front of the swirling flames, and muttered, "Shinra Tensei." Naruto was shot into the flames, and Nagato's arm began contracting upon itself.
The strange plant material stretched further up his arm, near the elbow, while his hand had formed some type of cannon. He landed on the ground, pointed his hand at the flames, and yelled. "Ashura Path: Distance!"
A blue burst of energy shot out of his hand, englufing the flames and Naruto within them. Obito turned intangible, allowing the sheer blast of chakra to pass through him. A corpse was next to fall, clad in the official uniform of an Iwa Shinobi. Obito narrowed his eyes at it, turning his head just in time to only earn a small gash on his arm from the triple blades scythe, which had been thrown.
Naruto was standing a distance apart from him, his skin slightly red from the heat of the flames. He brought the cord and scythe back to his palm, a slight frown at his failed attack. "It appears we're approaching a stalemate." He stated, looking at the rapidly healing wounds on the three of them. No matter how hard one of them would fight, the other two would constantly interfere. None of the combatants would ever yield on the fight, each having far too much on the line to quit now.
For Obito, it was the desire to destroy the world, and rebuild a perfect one from the ashes. This was his one chance to eliminate both of his opponents, the only two who knew the extent of his planning.
For Nagato, it was Revenge. Revenge both against the man who led him into darkness, and the former ally who destroyed his only light. He could kill them both now, and bring about a lasting peace that he and his friends had always searched for.
Naruto...he fought for the dreams of those who helped him get to this point. Those men who were called monsters believed in him, and together they had almost led a Revolution. Though they were now dead, their beliefs stayed with the blond youth.
Obito clapped his hands together suddenly, a massive influx of chakra rapidly appearing. He slammed his hands on the ground, and shouted. "Summoning: Juubi!"
A colossal beast appeared, looking strangely humanoid in appearance. Its skin was gray, ten gargantuan tails billowing behind it. A massive red eye, appearing as a mixture of Naruto and Nagato's eyes, was placed in the center of its face. Its mouth was open, displaying hundreds of sharp teeth, while it stared at Naruto and Nagato who were still in stunned disbelief on the ground.
Naruto stepped back almost unconsciously, the sheer pressure from the beast's power causing him pain. Nagato appeared to be fairing slightly better, though his breathing was once again labored and his skin looked even grimmer than before. The two looked at each other, their eyes making contact as they both nodded. Naruto swung his scythe down, flames racing down the blade, while Nagato allowed a black rod to emerge from his palm.
Obito stood atop the Juubi's head, a grey tube attaching his arm to the beast, granting him control. He grimaced as he felt his control slightly wavering under the beasts power, but he forced his discomfort under a confidant expression. "Fear the power of the Juubi...and drown in your despair."
Naruto and Nagato raced in unison, both going through handseals. Nagato finished his first, causing hundreds of trees to begin wrapping around the Juubi. The Juubi roared as it struggled against the massive roots, its tails striking massive blows against the ground.
With the Juubi preoccupied, Naruto jumped upon the tree branches until he was higher than the Juubi itself. Bringing the scythe over his head, his left hand finished its handseals as hundreds of Naruto clones appeared in midair, each holding a flaming scythe.
"Uchiha Style: Multiple Jashin Halo."
All of the clones brought their scythes down, shooting massive blades of fire at the Juubi and its controller. The heat from the flames was incredible, the air turning extremely dry as the vapor in the air was consumed. Obito frowned, already disappearing with Kamui.
The Juubi, now free of its controller, roared a massive shockwave that forced the flames to disperse. Its tails broke from their confinement, throwing hundreds of branches around the field, and it swung one tail through the astonished Naruto clones...
Just as they all exploded, the Juubi roaring in pain as its tail was burned to the extent that its thick hide was nearly destroyed. The original Naruto jumped back to Nagato's side as Obito also appeared from his Kamui. The Juubi continued to thrash around, forming colossal balls of black energy that it began firing off randomly, causing explosions hundreds of miles away.
"It's beginning to rampage..." Nagato stated, watching as yet another bomb was being formed. "If we don't weaken it, it'll destroy everything." Naruto nodded in agreement, tilting his head to Obito.
"This is what your plan is getting us, Obito. A world with no war...but no life, either." Naruto said, holding his right palm up as a swirling ball of energy formed, slowly being cloaked in clay. "The least you can do is help us defeat it. I'd imagine it would too hard for someone like you to take full control of it at the moment."
Obito glared, but turned his attention back to the rampaging beast. "Whatever..." He scoffed, forming a large wooden spear in his right arm.
The three saviors of the world looked at the massive beast, and Nagato rested his hand atop the glowing white orb in Naruto's palm, a black orb beginning to merge with it. "Let us combine our powers...for the sake of peace." The others nodded, and Naruto and Nagato launched their gray Rasengan.
"Gravity-ruling Rasengan of Supreme Art!"
The wooden spear in Obito's arm launched after it, pushing the orb even further towards the beast. The three ninja focused upon the creation with their eyes, and all declared;
"Ameterasu!"
"Shinra Tensei!"
"Explosion Flame Bomb!"
A swirl of flames wrapped around the spear, its speed rapidly increasing as gravity itself forced it further. Black flames wrapped around the Rasengan and Obito's flames, increasing their lethality. The attack launched through the sky, the amount of chakra suffocating, before it crashed in the Juubi's massive eye.
The Rasengan exploded, the Chibaku Tensei merged with it having the effect of forcing the sheer damage in one spot on the Juubi's eye. The spear lodged itself inside, while Ameterasu began spreading across the beast. The Juubi roared in agony, the grounds beginning to break as lava began to shoot up.
The Juubi began charging a gargantuan Bijudama, a storm coming from the heavens as though heralding the coming of the end. Naruto narrowed his eyes at the attack, taking a step backward. "It...it's going to attack us with that Bijudama..."
Chuckling interrupted their thoughts, as Obito began smiling. "I warned you...both of you." His body began swirling, as he disappeared into Kamui. "May we meet in the next world..."
Nagato ignored Obito's absence, instead focusing power into his Rinnegan. Naruto's eyes morphed into the Mangekyo Sharingan, a red aura beginning to surround him just as the Bijudama hit.
The ground split apart from the sheer power being radiated, a whirlpool of gravity manipulation and pure chakra forcing to overcome the other. The attack suddenly aborted, and Nagato fell to the ground in exhaustion from the massive Shinra Tensei.
Naruto stood panting in his- that is to say, Itachi's- Susano'o. The Yata Mirror, said to be able to block any attack, was covered in marks and scratches. Naruto allowed the Susano'o to disperse, clutching his head in pain at the strain of the ultimate guardian.
The swirling representing Obito's Kamui occurred in the air above the Juubi, bringing their eyes to it in shock.
Obito stood coughing blood from atop the Juubi, Kakashi's corpse right next to him. A gaping wound was in Obito's chest, electricity still sparking around it.
It seemed that Kakashi wasn't as dead as Obito had hoped.
The Uchiha placed his hands together, the Juubi suddenly being compressed upon itself while Kakashi fell to the ground. The Juubi raced inside Obito's body, and Naruto withdrew his scythe once more. Nagato looked upon the scene in wonder, and inquired softly, "He's...merging with it?"
Naruto nodded. "He's becoming the Jinchuuriki...he's tired of the Juubi being unreliable. He'll use its power for himself..." He spoke with a trace of anger as the new Jinchuuriki floated down to meet them.
Obito's skin was now light gray, a headband with horns on his forehead. White robes covered his body now, a black staff in his right hand. His hair was now snow-white, and apparently grew slightly. He spoke, his voice carrying power in their own right. "This is the power of the Rikudo Sennin...it's best if you just give in now."
A look of defiance from Nagato and Naruto was his only response, and he sighed in fake regret. "A shame. We could have cleansed this world together. A world where the son of a coward wouldn't be victimized for the sin of being born. A world where children would never have to deal with the war of adults. A world where innocents wouldn't be sacrificed for the goals of others..." Obito trailed off, looking off into the sky. He soon found what he was going to say, and continued. "I too wanted the Infinite Tsukuyomi. But that is merely an illusion, carrying no more peace than our life here. Madara thought that was the best solution, but look at him. Hated by his clan, abandoned by the one person he called a friend...
"Cleansing the world of Evil is the only way to save it. I will become the ruler of the world, using the powers of the Juubi to squash all resistance. And I shall do this for all eternity, with this Zetsu body of mine." He finished, ignoring the shocked faces of Naruto and Nagato. "With the three of us together, it would've been so much easier. Just remember! When Akatsuki was active, when we destroyed Kumogakure! That was our power! Naruto! Who was the one who saved you, when you were nearly killed by Jinpachi? Who healed your body with Hashirama DNA? I did! I told you, that one day you would repay me. That day is today." Obito held out his hand to Naruto, the sight making him seem like some kind of forgiving God. "Join me. We will save this world...for Itachi..."
Naruto looked at the ground, his hair covering his eyes. He hesitantly placed a foot forward, than another. Nagato watched, stunned, as Naruto slowly reached Obito, extending his hand to take Obito's. Naruto began speaking as he clutched the arm, ignoring Obito's smirk of victory. "I do intend to repay you...for manipulating Itachi, and for killing my family..." Naruto rose his head, his eyes morphed in the familiar shape of the Mangekyo sharingan. "Burn! Amaterasu!"
Obito's chest was lit in the holy flames, even his new status as the Juubi Jinchuuriki failing to protect him. The flames were spreading, and Naruto jumped back clutching something in his right hand. Black orbs formed around Obito's staff, and began flying in and out of the flames, eventually quenching them. Obito glared at Naruto in hatred, though Nagato noticed something different.
Obito's Sharingan was missing.
Naruto held up the Sharingan in his fingers, allowing it to drop into the mouth on his palm. "You're already a god. I didn't want to deal with you dimension hopping at the same time." He casually explained, still in his emotionless voice. "This will help to even the odds."
Naruto jumped backwards, avoiding the black orbs that Obito shot at him, taking note of how they seemed to destroy the ground they touched. He landed near Nagato, who was no longer breathing heavily. "Nagato...can you hold off Obito for a few minutes?" He asked, standing perfectly still. Nagato looked questioningly at him, but nodded, stepping forward.
"I will help you in this fight..." Nagato stated, his black rods already forming from his palm while roots covered his head, leaving only his Rinnegan visible. "I will help you kill Obito...but then I shall take the Juubi for myself."
Naruto kept his expressionless face up, though he nodded in agreement. "I can accept those terms." Nagato raced off without another word, throwing the black rods at the newest Rikudo Sennin. Obito batted them aside easily, the black orbs going through a hole in his palm to form a spear, which he raced forward with to stab Nagato.
Nagato jumped to the side, the spear traveling just next to his side and ripping the plant armor off, revealing pale wounded skin beneath. Nagato slammed his hand forward, and yelled. "Shinra Tensei!" Obito was forced back by the attack, though it was noticeably less than before his transformation. Nagato brought his other harm forward, shooting dozens of wooden spikes and black rods.
The Jinchuuriki rose his hand, the black orbs rising like a wave to eradicate the weapons. He brought his hand down, the black orbs shooting towards Nagato to finish him off. Nagato focused power into the Rinnegan, and brought forth both of his hands. "Shinra Tensei!"
The orbs were being held back by the massive field, but Nagato began to pant as his attack was wearing down. While Guruguru increased his stamina, it couldn't make up for the fact he was now missing one of his Rinnegan. The Shinra Tensei fell, and the orbs continued their trajectory only to hit a flock of crows.
Obito widened his eyes as the birds were destroyed, turning his head to see Naruto seemingly flying behind him, his body being formed by crows. His eyes looked almost avian like, a piercing gaze that viewed Obito as prey. Black marks were situated around the eye, and Naruto's tear trough was now more defined.
Obito threw his hand into Naruto's body, only for the blond to split into hundreds of crows. The crows flew around Obito, almost clouding out the night sky. A brief flash of chakra was his only warning as Naruto came from above with a white Rasengan in his hand, which he slammed straight through the black orbs and into Obito's back.
Obito was knocked aside, feeling a wound on his back close due to his accelerated healing. Naruto kept his stoic face up, placing his right hand in a single seal. "Katsu!" He declared, Obito's eyes widening as his newly healed back exploded from the inside.
Nagato emerged from the ground at this point, and clutched Obito within his arms. "Preta Path." He said, his body glowing as Obito began becoming exhausted. Nagato's hair began turning white, his skin becoming light gray as black orbs began forming behind him as well.
A massive glowing sword cut in between them, the source of which was Naruto summoning Susano'o. He looked at Nagato and Obito, both of whom now possessed the power of the Biju. "I see that you're after the beasts, Nagato."
Nagato shrugged, a staff forming in his hand. "I mentioned this earlier, Naruto. I only managed to gain a bit of their chakra, but it's enough for now. I'll kill you, than take the rest of the Juubi from Obito." He attacked Naruto now, a few black orbs rising with him. Naruto deflected the attacks with his fists, producing shockwaves that launched the black orbs away from making contact with him.
"ENOUGH!"
The shout interrupted their fight, and they both turned to see Obito rush towards them with a massive black double helix blade. Nagato rose his arm to blast it back with Shinra Tensei, only for the blade to slice right through him.
Naruto watched as Nagato's corpse hit the ground, raising his scythe to block another swing of the blade. The sword cut through easily, snapping the top blade. Naruto jumped back as Obito continued advancing.
"Susano'o!"
"Blade of Nunoboku!"
The red Susano'o clashed its Totsuka Blade against Obito's sword, Naruto shocked to see the blade not disappearing into the Susuano'i blade. The Totsuka Blade was supposed to be able to seal away anything it pierced into a world of eternal drunkeness.
Obito smirked at the surprise he saw on Naruto's face. "This was your Trump Card? Pathetic...The Totsuka Blade can only deal that which it can pierce. The sword of Nunoboku, on the other hand..." Obito pressed the blade farther against Totsuka, which began forming cracks. "This sword uses the users willpower! It's said that the Sage of Six Paths used this sword to shape the world!" The sword of Nunoboku sliced through Totsuka Blade, and Naruto stumbled back as his Susano'o dispersed. The breaking of the spiritual weapon was too much for his body to handle. It has felt as though his body were ripped and frayed, and that his soul matched it.
Naruto looked around the battlefield as Obito continued walking, realizing that this was the end. A small smile graced his lips. He knew that he would fail his friends, but at least he would no longer have to fight in a war with no victor...
Naruto prepared to raise his head to meet his death with dignity, only to catch sight of something that caught his interest. That is to say, the lack of something.
Nagato and Kakashi's corpses were missing.
The blond smirked, slowly rising to face Obito one last time. His rested himself on his broken scythe, Obito's Sharingan still clutched in his right palm, and looked at Obito with his Sage Mode still activated. "You won't win...Obito..."
Obito scoffed, and gestured widly around him. "Are you a fool, Naruto? Look around you! The Shinobi Alliance is dead, Nagato is dead, Akatsuki is dead. You have no one!" Obito rose Nunoboku in the air and swung it down. Naruto focused chakra to his eyes, his right palm beginning to crush Obito's eye.
"You have a bad habit of leaving people alive! Ameterasu!" The black flames impacted against Obito's sword arm, slowing the blade for Naruto to jump back. A swirling impacted around his burnt arm, taking it and the sword of Nunoboku away. Obito roared in anger and shocked, spinning around to see who had interfered.
Nagato was standing, missing his right arm and his Rinnegan, along with the changes brought by the Juubi's chakra. A Sharingan was placed in his left eye, and Naruto could see Kakashi's corpse nearby missing the Sharingan that made him so famous.
Nagato coughed blood, but he smiled in spite of it. He extended his thumb to point at himself, a proud expression adorning his face. "You won't be using that blade anymore, Obito."
Only now did Nagato notice the absence of Obito's black orbs, his Byakugan activating as he looked beneath him. "Ah..." He stated, as the orbs shot from underneath the ground to eradicate his entire body.
Obito looked absolutely delighted at his former ally's death, and the smile upon his face told as much. Turning to face Naruto again, he began to speak. "Time for you, I gu-" He was cut off as he noticed the hand currently piercing his heart, lightning covering the offending limb.
Naruto had his right arm inside Obito's heart, clutching it with a lightning coated palm. "Die...Obito Uchiha." The mouth on his palm clenched down, crushing Obito's Sharingan inside, as Naruto ripped out Obito's heart along with the chakra of the Shinju.
"I...will be the Juubi Jinchuuriki. And I shall bring peace my own way."
Naruto could feel the powerful chakra be sealed within him, and he closed his eyes as he let Obito's body fall to the ground.
A disturbance began to occur in his arm, and Naruto's eyes widened as he witnessed his entire body beginning to be sucked into a vortex, the starting point being his right arm.
"What...is hap-"
Naruto was sucked into the vortex, caused by the power of the Shinju and the Kamui warp of Obito's destroyed eye. His mind went blank; images racing by in hundreds of flashes, his body contorting upon itself as he ripped through the boundaries separating the dimensions.
He awoke in a bed with a great pain in his head, barely managing to groan. He noticed a figure dart out of the room and the sight of silver hair. He rose to a sitting position, but almost fell as the results of his earlier exhaustion came upon him. He let his head rest back upon the soft pillow, trying to figure out where he was based on the sights around him.
The room was fancy, but seemed far different than Naruto had ever seen. Devices were gathered around the room that were remarkably foreign to the Akatsuki member, and he clutched his head trying to remember how he had traveled here. All he remembered was Obito's eye somehow activating, after he consumed the Juubi...
The sound of the door opening broke him from his thoughts, and he saw a beautiful woman with silver hair enter the room. She looked relieved at Naruto's recovery, and began speaking. "Ah...you're finally awake."
Naruto looked dazed, and spoke gruffly, his throat dry. "Who are you? Where am I?"
The woman smiled. "I'm Nora Estheim. And you're in Palumpolum."
The dust cleared, a young man stepping forward. He had a stoic look upon his face, giving him the effect of being several years older; had he smiled, he may have looked years younger. Grimy, matted blond hair was covering his head, falling down to his neck, looking as though the man had more important things to think about than its appearance. His eyes were peculiar; the irises were red, with three black tomoe marks within them, and they frequently looked to both sides of the man, looking for any attack to pierce through the cloud of dust.
His clothes were ripped and teared, though it appeared to be a black cloak with red clouds covering it. The man scoffed at the ripped clothing, tearing the last of it away and leaving him in a white inner robe. A scythe was held in his left hand, an imposing red three-bladed scythe with a cord on one end. His right hand was making movements, a mouth across his palm chewing a clay substance. Had the light been better, one could notice that the right arm -up to the shoulder- was noticeably different than his left in size and light shades of color.
More of the dust cleared, revealing yet another man, though this one was in massive contrast to the first. While the first looked mature through his lack of expression, the newcomer was looked absolutely sickly. His skin was gaunt and waxy, and his breaths were even more labored than the first. His red hair was pale, almost white, and covered his neck. His eyes were another strange sight, one being a deep purple with multiple rings, and the second eye being pale white, with multiple veins around the eye bulging in strain.
His clothes- or lack of them- revealed his body to be wrapped in a strange gray bodysuit, with multiple spirals wrapping around it, culminating in several gray roots behind the mans head. The mans breathing eventually calmed, and he looked at the blond man in contempt. "Naruto...Why do you continue to fight against me? I was not the one to lie to you...with all the Biju together, we can place the world in Infinite Tsukuyomi...it will be the only path to true peace!" The man yelled, but calmed quickly. "Listen to me. I used to believe spreading Pain was the only way to help everyone understand each other, but I see differently now. This way...this path I walk will save everyone. Join me! We can kill Obito, the fake Madara Uchiha, and use the Juubi to bring ultimate peace! Wasn't that what Itachi wanted?"
Silence rose as the answer, the stoic man known as Naruto sighing. He peered over at Nagato, a light breeze flowing through his hair, bringing with it the scent of death. "Itachi wanted peace...that much is true." He spoke quietly, evenly, bare traces of emotions leaking through his words. "But not like this. He would never condone forcing Humanity to be peaceful...he would never force upon them a World of Lies." He looked pensive at this point, seemingly lost in memories. "No...those who believe they know what is best for others often don't. Itachi's eyes let me see this..." He gestured to his eyes, which spun lazily.
"You were always misled...Nagato. Misled led by Obito...and now misled by yourself. Think, Nagato!" Naruto yelled, anger in his voice. "Would Yahiko approve of this? Or Konan?"
The two men stared at each other, silently judging the others words in their head. Both wanted Peace, in their own way; and both had been allies, a time back. Nagato closed his eyes, and spoke quietly, the sound still reaching across the war torn field. "I would not know how Konan would feel...she was supposed to always be by my side, after Yahiko sacrificed himself. I need Infinite Tsukuyomi, Naruto...to see them again. If Konan was here, she could've stopped me. But she isn't," Nagato raised his head, his eyes radiating power. "Because you killed her, Naruto."
Naruto winced, a pained expression coming over him. His response was halted as a presence appeared on the battlefield, a swirling vortex in mid-air. The vortex formed a man with spiky black hair and scars across the right side of his face, though standing out was a Sharingan. His left eye was purple with black rings, an exact copy of Nagato's. He was wearing torn black plants, his shirt having been completely ripped from his body. He looked between the two enemies, and spoke in a deep voice. "Hmph. I thought that by the time I killed Kakashi you two would have killed each other."
Naruto chuckled, swinging his scythe in a ready position. He tilted his head curiously at Obito, a smile flickering across his face. "Ah, you finally killed Hatake? Going to just leave him in Kamui, huh?" He asked mockingly, earning himself a glare from the Uchiha.
"Enough of this..." Nagato muttered, running forward with a black rod emerging from his hand, and jabbing it towards Obito. Obito's Sharingan changed to the Mangekyo, as his the rod went harmlessly through him. A scythe suddenly went through his neck, and Obtio was only spared due to having the foresight of making his entire body intangible.
Naruto's scythe impacted against Nagato's arm, the blades unable to fully cut through the strange, plant like material. Roots began growing from Nagato's arm, wrapping around the blades and heading towards Naruto. Naruto jumped back, letting the cord on the scythe extend as he brought his right arm forward, several white bats flying from the mouth on his palm. They impacted on the wood, causing a small explosion, and Naruto brought the cord- and the scythe- back towards him, clutching the handle of the scythe.
A brief burst of chakra alerted Naruto behind him, bringing his scythe up for Obito to slam his hand upon his face. Naruto felt his body beginning to swirl into the Kamui dimension, until a wooden spear shot itself into Obito's hand, forcing the Uchiha to stop the Kamui transfer. He jumped back, ripping the spear out just as dozens of wooden spikes emerge from it.
Nagato was in front of him now, throwing his hand towards Obito's chest. "Shinra Tensei!" A massive burst of energy shot Obito backwards in midair, though he used the motion to transport into the Kamui dimension.
Nagato 'tsked', before pulling his arm back to block yet another swing of Naruto's scythe. "You know...your performance in this fight is quite depressing."
Naruto kept his face neutral, sweat rolling down his face from the effort of keeping the scythe downward. He motioned his head to some of the bodies scattered around them. "Tell me. Did you notice how the number of bodies increased after our first clash?" Nagato's widened in realization as some of the corpses emitted smoke, forming dozens of Naruto clones.
The original twisted the scythe, catching Nagato's arm in between the three blades, before kicking his foot up and impacting it against Nagato's chin. The clones began surrounding him, kicking him higher and higher in the air. Naruto came down from above, swinging his scythe to impale the air-borne Nagato.
"Fire Style: Explosion Flame Bomb jutsu!"
Obito's voice and the sound of flames distracted Naruto from the finishing blow, giving Nagato time to clutch Naruto by the robes. Nagato pulled Naruto in front of the swirling flames, and muttered, "Shinra Tensei." Naruto was shot into the flames, and Nagato's arm began contracting upon itself.
The strange plant material stretched further up his arm, near the elbow, while his hand had formed some type of cannon. He landed on the ground, pointed his hand at the flames, and yelled. "Ashura Path: Distance!"
A blue burst of energy shot out of his hand, englufing the flames and Naruto within them. Obito turned intangible, allowing the sheer blast of chakra to pass through him. A corpse was next to fall, clad in the official uniform of an Iwa Shinobi. Obito narrowed his eyes at it, turning his head just in time to only earn a small gash on his arm from the triple blades scythe, which had been thrown.
Naruto was standing a distance apart from him, his skin slightly red from the heat of the flames. He brought the cord and scythe back to his palm, a slight frown at his failed attack. "It appears we're approaching a stalemate." He stated, looking at the rapidly healing wounds on the three of them. No matter how hard one of them would fight, the other two would constantly interfere. None of the combatants would ever yield on the fight, each having far too much on the line to quit now.
For Obito, it was the desire to destroy the world, and rebuild a perfect one from the ashes. This was his one chance to eliminate both of his opponents, the only two who knew the extent of his planning.
For Nagato, it was Revenge. Revenge both against the man who led him into darkness, and the former ally who destroyed his only light. He could kill them both now, and bring about a lasting peace that he and his friends had always searched for.
Naruto...he fought for the dreams of those who helped him get to this point. Those men who were called monsters believed in him, and together they had almost led a Revolution. Though they were now dead, their beliefs stayed with the blond youth.
Obito clapped his hands together suddenly, a massive influx of chakra rapidly appearing. He slammed his hands on the ground, and shouted. "Summoning: Juubi!"
A colossal beast appeared, looking strangely humanoid in appearance. Its skin was gray, ten gargantuan tails billowing behind it. A massive red eye, appearing as a mixture of Naruto and Nagato's eyes, was placed in the center of its face. Its mouth was open, displaying hundreds of sharp teeth, while it stared at Naruto and Nagato who were still in stunned disbelief on the ground.
Naruto stepped back almost unconsciously, the sheer pressure from the beast's power causing him pain. Nagato appeared to be fairing slightly better, though his breathing was once again labored and his skin looked even grimmer than before. The two looked at each other, their eyes making contact as they both nodded. Naruto swung his scythe down, flames racing down the blade, while Nagato allowed a black rod to emerge from his palm.
Obito stood atop the Juubi's head, a grey tube attaching his arm to the beast, granting him control. He grimaced as he felt his control slightly wavering under the beasts power, but he forced his discomfort under a confidant expression. "Fear the power of the Juubi...and drown in your despair."
Naruto and Nagato raced in unison, both going through handseals. Nagato finished his first, causing hundreds of trees to begin wrapping around the Juubi. The Juubi roared as it struggled against the massive roots, its tails striking massive blows against the ground.
With the Juubi preoccupied, Naruto jumped upon the tree branches until he was higher than the Juubi itself. Bringing the scythe over his head, his left hand finished its handseals as hundreds of Naruto clones appeared in midair, each holding a flaming scythe.
"Uchiha Style: Multiple Jashin Halo."
All of the clones brought their scythes down, shooting massive blades of fire at the Juubi and its controller. The heat from the flames was incredible, the air turning extremely dry as the vapor in the air was consumed. Obito frowned, already disappearing with Kamui.
The Juubi, now free of its controller, roared a massive shockwave that forced the flames to disperse. Its tails broke from their confinement, throwing hundreds of branches around the field, and it swung one tail through the astonished Naruto clones...
Just as they all exploded, the Juubi roaring in pain as its tail was burned to the extent that its thick hide was nearly destroyed. The original Naruto jumped back to Nagato's side as Obito also appeared from his Kamui. The Juubi continued to thrash around, forming colossal balls of black energy that it began firing off randomly, causing explosions hundreds of miles away.
"It's beginning to rampage..." Nagato stated, watching as yet another bomb was being formed. "If we don't weaken it, it'll destroy everything." Naruto nodded in agreement, tilting his head to Obito.
"This is what your plan is getting us, Obito. A world with no war...but no life, either." Naruto said, holding his right palm up as a swirling ball of energy formed, slowly being cloaked in clay. "The least you can do is help us defeat it. I'd imagine it would too hard for someone like you to take full control of it at the moment."
Obito glared, but turned his attention back to the rampaging beast. "Whatever..." He scoffed, forming a large wooden spear in his right arm.
The three saviors of the world looked at the massive beast, and Nagato rested his hand atop the glowing white orb in Naruto's palm, a black orb beginning to merge with it. "Let us combine our powers...for the sake of peace." The others nodded, and Naruto and Nagato launched their gray Rasengan.
"Gravity-ruling Rasengan of Supreme Art!"
The wooden spear in Obito's arm launched after it, pushing the orb even further towards the beast. The three ninja focused upon the creation with their eyes, and all declared;
"Ameterasu!"
"Shinra Tensei!"
"Explosion Flame Bomb!"
A swirl of flames wrapped around the spear, its speed rapidly increasing as gravity itself forced it further. Black flames wrapped around the Rasengan and Obito's flames, increasing their lethality. The attack launched through the sky, the amount of chakra suffocating, before it crashed in the Juubi's massive eye.
The Rasengan exploded, the Chibaku Tensei merged with it having the effect of forcing the sheer damage in one spot on the Juubi's eye. The spear lodged itself inside, while Ameterasu began spreading across the beast. The Juubi roared in agony, the grounds beginning to break as lava began to shoot up.
The Juubi began charging a gargantuan Bijudama, a storm coming from the heavens as though heralding the coming of the end. Naruto narrowed his eyes at the attack, taking a step backward. "It...it's going to attack us with that Bijudama..."
Chuckling interrupted their thoughts, as Obito began smiling. "I warned you...both of you." His body began swirling, as he disappeared into Kamui. "May we meet in the next world..."
Nagato ignored Obito's absence, instead focusing power into his Rinnegan. Naruto's eyes morphed into the Mangekyo Sharingan, a red aura beginning to surround him just as the Bijudama hit.
The ground split apart from the sheer power being radiated, a whirlpool of gravity manipulation and pure chakra forcing to overcome the other. The attack suddenly aborted, and Nagato fell to the ground in exhaustion from the massive Shinra Tensei.
Naruto stood panting in his- that is to say, Itachi's- Susano'o. The Yata Mirror, said to be able to block any attack, was covered in marks and scratches. Naruto allowed the Susano'o to disperse, clutching his head in pain at the strain of the ultimate guardian.
The swirling representing Obito's Kamui occurred in the air above the Juubi, bringing their eyes to it in shock.
Obito stood coughing blood from atop the Juubi, Kakashi's corpse right next to him. A gaping wound was in Obito's chest, electricity still sparking around it.
It seemed that Kakashi wasn't as dead as Obito had hoped.
The Uchiha placed his hands together, the Juubi suddenly being compressed upon itself while Kakashi fell to the ground. The Juubi raced inside Obito's body, and Naruto withdrew his scythe once more. Nagato looked upon the scene in wonder, and inquired softly, "He's...merging with it?"
Naruto nodded. "He's becoming the Jinchuuriki...he's tired of the Juubi being unreliable. He'll use its power for himself..." He spoke with a trace of anger as the new Jinchuuriki floated down to meet them.
Obito's skin was now light gray, a headband with horns on his forehead. White robes covered his body now, a black staff in his right hand. His hair was now snow-white, and apparently grew slightly. He spoke, his voice carrying power in their own right. "This is the power of the Rikudo Sennin...it's best if you just give in now."
A look of defiance from Nagato and Naruto was his only response, and he sighed in fake regret. "A shame. We could have cleansed this world together. A world where the son of a coward wouldn't be victimized for the sin of being born. A world where children would never have to deal with the war of adults. A world where innocents wouldn't be sacrificed for the goals of others..." Obito trailed off, looking off into the sky. He soon found what he was going to say, and continued. "I too wanted the Infinite Tsukuyomi. But that is merely an illusion, carrying no more peace than our life here. Madara thought that was the best solution, but look at him. Hated by his clan, abandoned by the one person he called a friend...
"Cleansing the world of Evil is the only way to save it. I will become the ruler of the world, using the powers of the Juubi to squash all resistance. And I shall do this for all eternity, with this Zetsu body of mine." He finished, ignoring the shocked faces of Naruto and Nagato. "With the three of us together, it would've been so much easier. Just remember! When Akatsuki was active, when we destroyed Kumogakure! That was our power! Naruto! Who was the one who saved you, when you were nearly killed by Jinpachi? Who healed your body with Hashirama DNA? I did! I told you, that one day you would repay me. That day is today." Obito held out his hand to Naruto, the sight making him seem like some kind of forgiving God. "Join me. We will save this world...for Itachi..."
Naruto looked at the ground, his hair covering his eyes. He hesitantly placed a foot forward, than another. Nagato watched, stunned, as Naruto slowly reached Obito, extending his hand to take Obito's. Naruto began speaking as he clutched the arm, ignoring Obito's smirk of victory. "I do intend to repay you...for manipulating Itachi, and for killing my family..." Naruto rose his head, his eyes morphed in the familiar shape of the Mangekyo sharingan. "Burn! Amaterasu!"
Obito's chest was lit in the holy flames, even his new status as the Juubi Jinchuuriki failing to protect him. The flames were spreading, and Naruto jumped back clutching something in his right hand. Black orbs formed around Obito's staff, and began flying in and out of the flames, eventually quenching them. Obito glared at Naruto in hatred, though Nagato noticed something different.
Obito's Sharingan was missing.
Naruto held up the Sharingan in his fingers, allowing it to drop into the mouth on his palm. "You're already a god. I didn't want to deal with you dimension hopping at the same time." He casually explained, still in his emotionless voice. "This will help to even the odds."
Naruto jumped backwards, avoiding the black orbs that Obito shot at him, taking note of how they seemed to destroy the ground they touched. He landed near Nagato, who was no longer breathing heavily. "Nagato...can you hold off Obito for a few minutes?" He asked, standing perfectly still. Nagato looked questioningly at him, but nodded, stepping forward.
"I will help you in this fight..." Nagato stated, his black rods already forming from his palm while roots covered his head, leaving only his Rinnegan visible. "I will help you kill Obito...but then I shall take the Juubi for myself."
Naruto kept his expressionless face up, though he nodded in agreement. "I can accept those terms." Nagato raced off without another word, throwing the black rods at the newest Rikudo Sennin. Obito batted them aside easily, the black orbs going through a hole in his palm to form a spear, which he raced forward with to stab Nagato.
Nagato jumped to the side, the spear traveling just next to his side and ripping the plant armor off, revealing pale wounded skin beneath. Nagato slammed his hand forward, and yelled. "Shinra Tensei!" Obito was forced back by the attack, though it was noticeably less than before his transformation. Nagato brought his other harm forward, shooting dozens of wooden spikes and black rods.
The Jinchuuriki rose his hand, the black orbs rising like a wave to eradicate the weapons. He brought his hand down, the black orbs shooting towards Nagato to finish him off. Nagato focused power into the Rinnegan, and brought forth both of his hands. "Shinra Tensei!"
The orbs were being held back by the massive field, but Nagato began to pant as his attack was wearing down. While Guruguru increased his stamina, it couldn't make up for the fact he was now missing one of his Rinnegan. The Shinra Tensei fell, and the orbs continued their trajectory only to hit a flock of crows.
Obito widened his eyes as the birds were destroyed, turning his head to see Naruto seemingly flying behind him, his body being formed by crows. His eyes looked almost avian like, a piercing gaze that viewed Obito as prey. Black marks were situated around the eye, and Naruto's tear trough was now more defined.
Obito threw his hand into Naruto's body, only for the blond to split into hundreds of crows. The crows flew around Obito, almost clouding out the night sky. A brief flash of chakra was his only warning as Naruto came from above with a white Rasengan in his hand, which he slammed straight through the black orbs and into Obito's back.
Obito was knocked aside, feeling a wound on his back close due to his accelerated healing. Naruto kept his stoic face up, placing his right hand in a single seal. "Katsu!" He declared, Obito's eyes widening as his newly healed back exploded from the inside.
Nagato emerged from the ground at this point, and clutched Obito within his arms. "Preta Path." He said, his body glowing as Obito began becoming exhausted. Nagato's hair began turning white, his skin becoming light gray as black orbs began forming behind him as well.
A massive glowing sword cut in between them, the source of which was Naruto summoning Susano'o. He looked at Nagato and Obito, both of whom now possessed the power of the Biju. "I see that you're after the beasts, Nagato."
Nagato shrugged, a staff forming in his hand. "I mentioned this earlier, Naruto. I only managed to gain a bit of their chakra, but it's enough for now. I'll kill you, than take the rest of the Juubi from Obito." He attacked Naruto now, a few black orbs rising with him. Naruto deflected the attacks with his fists, producing shockwaves that launched the black orbs away from making contact with him.
"ENOUGH!"
The shout interrupted their fight, and they both turned to see Obito rush towards them with a massive black double helix blade. Nagato rose his arm to blast it back with Shinra Tensei, only for the blade to slice right through him.
Naruto watched as Nagato's corpse hit the ground, raising his scythe to block another swing of the blade. The sword cut through easily, snapping the top blade. Naruto jumped back as Obito continued advancing.
"Susano'o!"
"Blade of Nunoboku!"
The red Susano'o clashed its Totsuka Blade against Obito's sword, Naruto shocked to see the blade not disappearing into the Susuano'i blade. The Totsuka Blade was supposed to be able to seal away anything it pierced into a world of eternal drunkeness.
Obito smirked at the surprise he saw on Naruto's face. "This was your Trump Card? Pathetic...The Totsuka Blade can only deal that which it can pierce. The sword of Nunoboku, on the other hand..." Obito pressed the blade farther against Totsuka, which began forming cracks. "This sword uses the users willpower! It's said that the Sage of Six Paths used this sword to shape the world!" The sword of Nunoboku sliced through Totsuka Blade, and Naruto stumbled back as his Susano'o dispersed. The breaking of the spiritual weapon was too much for his body to handle. It has felt as though his body were ripped and frayed, and that his soul matched it.
Naruto looked around the battlefield as Obito continued walking, realizing that this was the end. A small smile graced his lips. He knew that he would fail his friends, but at least he would no longer have to fight in a war with no victor...
Naruto prepared to raise his head to meet his death with dignity, only to catch sight of something that caught his interest. That is to say, the lack of something.
Nagato and Kakashi's corpses were missing.
The blond smirked, slowly rising to face Obito one last time. His rested himself on his broken scythe, Obito's Sharingan still clutched in his right palm, and looked at Obito with his Sage Mode still activated. "You won't win...Obito..."
Obito scoffed, and gestured widly around him. "Are you a fool, Naruto? Look around you! The Shinobi Alliance is dead, Nagato is dead, Akatsuki is dead. You have no one!" Obito rose Nunoboku in the air and swung it down. Naruto focused chakra to his eyes, his right palm beginning to crush Obito's eye.
"You have a bad habit of leaving people alive! Ameterasu!" The black flames impacted against Obito's sword arm, slowing the blade for Naruto to jump back. A swirling impacted around his burnt arm, taking it and the sword of Nunoboku away. Obito roared in anger and shocked, spinning around to see who had interfered.
Nagato was standing, missing his right arm and his Rinnegan, along with the changes brought by the Juubi's chakra. A Sharingan was placed in his left eye, and Naruto could see Kakashi's corpse nearby missing the Sharingan that made him so famous.
Nagato coughed blood, but he smiled in spite of it. He extended his thumb to point at himself, a proud expression adorning his face. "You won't be using that blade anymore, Obito."
Only now did Nagato notice the absence of Obito's black orbs, his Byakugan activating as he looked beneath him. "Ah..." He stated, as the orbs shot from underneath the ground to eradicate his entire body.
Obito looked absolutely delighted at his former ally's death, and the smile upon his face told as much. Turning to face Naruto again, he began to speak. "Time for you, I gu-" He was cut off as he noticed the hand currently piercing his heart, lightning covering the offending limb.
Naruto had his right arm inside Obito's heart, clutching it with a lightning coated palm. "Die...Obito Uchiha." The mouth on his palm clenched down, crushing Obito's Sharingan inside, as Naruto ripped out Obito's heart along with the chakra of the Shinju.
"I...will be the Juubi Jinchuuriki. And I shall bring peace my own way."
Naruto could feel the powerful chakra be sealed within him, and he closed his eyes as he let Obito's body fall to the ground.
A disturbance began to occur in his arm, and Naruto's eyes widened as he witnessed his entire body beginning to be sucked into a vortex, the starting point being his right arm.
"What...is hap-"
Naruto was sucked into the vortex, caused by the power of the Shinju and the Kamui warp of Obito's destroyed eye. His mind went blank; images racing by in hundreds of flashes, his body contorting upon itself as he ripped through the boundaries separating the dimensions.
He awoke in a bed with a great pain in his head, barely managing to groan. He noticed a figure dart out of the room and the sight of silver hair. He rose to a sitting position, but almost fell as the results of his earlier exhaustion came upon him. He let his head rest back upon the soft pillow, trying to figure out where he was based on the sights around him.
The room was fancy, but seemed far different than Naruto had ever seen. Devices were gathered around the room that were remarkably foreign to the Akatsuki member, and he clutched his head trying to remember how he had traveled here. All he remembered was Obito's eye somehow activating, after he consumed the Juubi...
The sound of the door opening broke him from his thoughts, and he saw a beautiful woman with silver hair enter the room. She looked relieved at Naruto's recovery, and began speaking. "Ah...you're finally awake."
Naruto looked dazed, and spoke gruffly, his throat dry. "Who are you? Where am I?"
The woman smiled. "I'm Nora Estheim. And you're in Palumpolum."