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The Legendary Sage of Six Paths, Chapter 10;
Bold words to say out loud at this stage, but did I have the power at the time to back it up with? Did I have the stamina left to defeat him? This fight ahead of me was surely the most dangerous one yet as I came face to face with the guardian of the 5th Floor, of the Temple of the Dragon. Watching closely from the background, a faint hint of doubt was present on both Hamura and Bruce's faces. If I was them, I would have doubted myself too. Luckily, this floor allowed anything and everything to be used, and I had something that Hamura and Bruce lacked...
Leaping forward, I clapped my hands together as I started focusing my chakra. In what seemed like a turn of events, I somehow moved faster than usual as I reached up to the guardian before he managed to react. Reaching my right hand out towards him, I thrust it into his chest as I shouted out the word "Ignite!" The guardian looked baffled at me, checking his own body to see if he was still alright as he stumbled backwards. A faint grin formed on my face, the plan had worked... Or so I thought. Since everything was allowed at this floor, I had bet everything on the first move thinking that the one and only real Ninjutsu I knew, the Blazing Annihilation Atomic Incineration Blast, would do the trick. That was why I had asked Hamura and Bruce to take a step back anyways, to get them out of harm's way, just to be on the safe side. Just like what happened on the second floor earlier however, it somehow didn't go as I planned this time either. What a bummer... Here I was supposed to make a grand scene, an epic display of might in a dazzling fashion to impress both Hamura and Bruce, but yet again had I blown it and thereby making a fool of myself. What was I thinking? Nothing ever works in the first move, I couldn't possibly have hoped to end this fight this quickly? But why hadn't it worked? Instead of a great fire with the guardian's body turning to ashes however, it seemed like my technique somehow had flunked. "What on earth happened, why did it not work?" I thought to myself once more. Looking up at me, the guardian began laughing...
He said; 'I don't know what you tried to pull off there, but whatever it was it did not work! Now it's my turn!' Leaping off, he was right up to my face as his fist connected with my chin. I was blasted backwards with a powerful force as both Bruce and Hamura clutched their faces seeing this. Shaking my head back and forth in a rapid succession to regain my focus, I struggled to get back up again as I realized why the technique hadn't worked. He wasn't resistant to it, I simply hadn't been able to pull it off correctly. Not enough chakra? Maybe. Did I make the wrong hand-seals? Not entirely sure, but perhaps that wasn't the most far-fetched answer out there. Either way, all I knew was that I had to focus and store up my chakra and try again as it was quite possibly the only trick I had up my sleeves to beating this guy. Later on as fate would have it, Ninjutsu wasn't the only thing I had that Hamura and Bruce lacked for most parts, but more on that later. For now, I knew I had to rely on the one thing I had been neglecting for the bigger part of this challenge. I quickly drew the Master Sword from my back as I charged at him head on...
To counter this however, the guardian reached his hand out in the air and forming inside of its grasp from nothingness, a double bladed voulge appeared. We clashed heavily as we were both pushed back and forth exchanging blows as our weapons smashed together repeatedly. For some reason, it seemed like the guardian's speed and power had somehow depleted, but not enough to enable me to overpower him or defeat him that easily. Still, something seemed to be off, and I felt that even Hamura and Bruce could feel it as well. I just couldn't pinpoint what this feeling of uncertainty on his part was however, but no matter the reason, things were finally going my way again...
Landing what seemed to be a blow, the Master Sword cut straight through his left arm but to our surprise, it was as if his arm turned to smoke the second the blade connected with it. 'Wait a minute!' Jumping backwards to gain some space, I immediately recognized that very ability. 'That ability of his, to turn any part of the body into smoke at will to avoid damage, that is just the same as our grandparents could do!' Hamura almost jumped down from his seat on the handrail hearing this, but he kept his distance. 'Are you sure??' Bruce followed up. 'Positive.' I stated. The guardian then looked at me with a stern expression on his face, but he kept quiet. Something was indeed off, but what exactly? I once more charged ahead as I attempted to hit him with the sword, but this time, a splash of water followed by a moving pond met me. He then reassembled into his past form as if nothing had happened. 'Be careful Hagoromo, I think he possesses some kind of shape-shifting ability, but I can't know for certain.' Having his Byakugan still activated, Hamura was paying close attention to the battle taking place in front of him, reading our opponent to the best of his ability. Steering my attention back towards the guardian, I noticed that his form kept changing uncontrollably. First he turned completely to smoke as he moved around the room, then he transformed into a splashing fish, then a bewildered mouse, then a savagery cat, then a roaring bear, then a singing bird, and eventually, a fire-breathing dragon. Instead of utilizing this ability to his advantage however, it was as if he somehow was malfunctioning as he finally turned back into his original form, still with some parts of his body flickering back and forth between being solid, liquid and airborne. Reaching his hand out once more, several different weapons appeared in his hand one by one, but none of them took up permanent form. Looking back at me, he then finally spoke once more...
'Humph... Seems like you actually did some damage somehow but I can't figure out what you did...' Phew! I didn't know at the time either, but I couldn't let him know that. I had to use this to my advantage so I boastfully stated; 'You don't know, do you? That is what happens when you underestimate your foes.' Still with a grin present on my face, it was as if time jumped a second or two ahead of me as the guardian in front of me suddenly vanished completely. My grin disappeared in what was probably nothing more than a mere split-second. Feeling a presence behind me, I was just about to turn around with Hamura shouting out to me to watch my back. The sound of an impact was made as a bone-breaking noise reached out through the room, but I had no idea what that sound was made from or if I would live long enough to find out. Had he hit my open side before I managed to defend myself? Had I let my ego get the better of me and my perception for a brief moment? Panic-struck, I finally turned around as I saw the guardian flying through the room on his back with Bruce still lingering in the air behind me, between me and certain doom...
Last second save! 'Don't let your guard down...' Keeping his composure, it was as if Bruce tried to act cool, however, it did not take long before his fatigue caught up with him as he almost fell over the moment the guardian crashed to the ground. Quickly holstering my sword on my back, I went to his aid. 'Seems like I'm not fully recovered yet...' Having caught on to him before he too crashed to the ground, I didn't really know what to say to this as Hamura too came to the aid, leading him back towards the handrail once more. 'Nice timing Bruce, but you're in no condition to fight at the moment.' He casually warned. Bruce nodded at this as I turned my attention back towards the guardian who struggled to get up to his feet again behind me. 'Almost but not quite...' He mumbled. Gaining some space between us, the guardian then took a deep breath. Something was definitely on his mind now, but what? Circling around the room, neither one of us made the next move, just staring patiently at each other, analyzing the opponent to figure out the quickest and best way to ending this fight...
'Strange... I haven't been pushed this far in awhile... Then again, I suppose I did underestimate you a little.' Grabbing on to his left hand, squeezing it hard as if to regain control of himself, the guardian managed to calm himself down which enabled him to keep his body's constant transformation in check. Little by little, he finally regained full control of his body again, and witnessing this, I could only ponder further on what exactly happened back there, on what I had really done to him to make him lose control like that. Had I somehow managed to invent and do a whole new Ninjutsu in the middle of the battle, something else than what I had expected? That somehow disturbed this guardian's powers severely enough to temporarily give me the advantage? Was really luck and a leap of faith all I needed to overcome the seemingly impossible odds? The guardian then spoke once more; 'I can sense that each one of you have a strong side that is superior to the other. Not only to the other abilities you possess but in comparison to each one of you as well. I can feel that your core stamina exceeds the two others' stamina however, and that you are a better all-round fighter whether you realize this or not. Alas, I won't let you passed this floor, no matter what you try...' He looked at me as he said that, but how could he possibly make that evaluation? As he stopped talking, I suddenly noticed that Bruce had snuck passed the guardian and was heading for the staircase, attempting to make it to the next floor while I kept the guardian occupied. But why? Before I managed to shout out to him, the guardian suddenly moved at rapid speed as he stopped in between Bruce and the staircase, preventing him from going to the next floor...
'Why are you blocking my way, I thought it didn't matter if we went on to the next floor or not.' Bruce coldly stated. 'What are you thinking Bruce?! If you go up there alone-... Hamura say something!!' My attention immediately steered towards Hamura who had his arms crossed together, patiently abiding his time beside the staircase leading down to the past floor. Had the two of them planned out something without me noticing? Was this what Bruce had referred to earlier when he told me about coming up with a plan through telepathy? Hamura didn't even reply to my pledge as I turned my attention back towards Bruce and the guardian again, not really sure whether to engage him in battle once more or to wait and see what his response would be first. Things had suddenly and unexpectedly gone out of control...
'That's not the point.' The guardian began. 'Letting any of you passed this floor without defeating me is the same as having you pass after you've defeated me! What I said earlier was only a tease. You will only move to the next floor if I'm not here to prevent it!' Sending his fist flying, he was just about to hit Bruce head on, who was still a bit groggy due to being exhausted. Before I managed to react, Hamura was there to block his punch as I too then leaped ahead and combined my attacks with him, forcing the guardian to back off and thus enabling Bruce temporarily free access. 'Let's see if you can stop me then! This is all the distraction I need!' Not even hesitating, Bruce ran up the stairs. Had our sudden feeling of rivalry gotten the better of us or was this all part of some elaborate scheme? 'Be careful up there, I hope you know what you're doing!' I shouted out to him as he disappeared from view. "Was this such a good idea?" I thought to myself. Hamura nodded back at me as if telling me that he had a plan. Somehow though that plan had either been badly considered and executed, or there was really no plan at all as in the next minute, Bruce suddenly came flying down the stairs again, crashing hard to the ground at the end of it. I was shocked, even to the degree that I let my guard down...
Sending me flying across the room, the guardian quickly shifted his focus purely on Hamura who barely managed to hold him back, taking up some defensive rotation that caused a great wave which knocked the guardian backwards just long enough for Hamura to be able to see to Bruce. I quickly got back up on my feet as I went to intercept the guardian who relentlessly pressed on with his attack, throwing punches and kicks both left and right. Alternating between focusing on the guardian and turning my attention towards Hamura and Bruce, I couldn't help ask what the heck happened and what condition Bruce was in. 'How is he?! What the heck happened Hamura?!' I shouted out; panic had taken a hold of me. Sensing this, the guardian continued to press his attack, throwing out the words "told you so" in between the fists he sent flying towards me as he kept on with his nonstop attacks. 'How is he?!' I once more shouted. 'He's-... He's Fin-e!!' Hamura said with a trembling voice. 'No-... I'm not fine...' Bruce quickly corrected him. 'What do you mean?!' 'I can't go on!! My right arm-... argh... and leg are broken-... that hurts Hamura!!' My worries were confirmed, but I had never expected such dramatic turn of events, not with these two of all people. It was hard to see who was the most shocked of us at that point. "How could this happen?!" I didn't know whether to be angry or sad, but I didn't manage to state my opinion before Hamura, like Bruce before him, suddenly ran up the stairs. 'What are you doing, have you completely lost it?!?!' I shouted out after him but to no avail. I could neither follow him nor outclass the opponent in front of me. Time was running short and I knew it...
Suddenly Hamura's voice was heard inside of my head. The words "believe in me" and "I won't let them get away with this," were all I could grasp. Had Hamura thrown all his strategising out the window and what for? There was no reason for Bruce to take a chance like that and neither for Hamura to do the same mistake. I had to get the situation under control – I had to end this fight fast. Reaching for the Master Sword once more with my right hand, I leaped forward as I swung it towards the guardian, who in response formed a blade in his left hand and blocked it. Focusing merely on my sword however, the guardian failed to notice my left hand coming in from his right, and just as it made contact with him, I shouted out; "Blazing Annihilation Atomic Incineration Blast!!" Immediately jumping backwards to gain some space, the guardian once more went to check his own body for damage, and once again did he seem just fine! 'What is going on, why won't my technique work?!' In despair, I lashed out on my own abilities failing me in the time of need, but like they always say, the third time's the charm, right? Laughing out hysterically, the guardian was just about to continue his attack, but to his surprise, his entire body suddenly began to burn as he was rapidly turning to ashes, one piece at the time. 'How is this possible, what did you-...' He didn't even manage to finish his own sentence. Just like that, only a pile of ash remained on the floor. This was the first guardian that didn't turn to smoke. Why? Maybe I really killed this one, but who knows...
Quickly turning my attention towards Bruce, I almost fell over as I made my way over to him. I could finally feel the complete depletion of my chakra, having used yet another huge portion of it on that technique. This was bad, we still had two more floors to go and we were all more or less out of it having barely made it passed the 5th Floor. I was beyond exhausted as I gasped for air. Kneeling down beside Bruce, I quickly holstered the Master Sword on my back once more as I went to heal his wounds with the medical technique I had learned not long ago. However, instead of allowing me to actually heal him, Bruce just urged me to go on and help Hamura as fast as I could. 'Why did you go off on your own like that, Bruce?! I can't just let you-...' 'Just go Hagoromo! I won't go-...anywhere...' Despite his condition, Bruce couldn't help chuckling sarcastically as he said that. Giving him a nod, I scrambled to my feet as I forced myself up the staircase. For some reason, it felt like a never-ending one as I had to crawl up the last three steps. Just as I made it to the top and just as I steered my attention towards the middle of the room, a body suddenly flew straight into me, almost knocking me back down the very stairs I came from. As I finally regained my composure, I realized that it was Hamura who had been flung hard into me, and as I reached out to check on him, I quickly discovered that he was unconscious. Things had gone from bad to worse. Looking up, I finally met eyes with the guardian of the 6th Floor. Bruce was rendered immobile, Hamura was unconscious, and I-... Well, let's just say I was far from splendid, like Hamura previously had stated it. Taking a deep breath, I forced myself up to my feet again. This was it, we had certainly gone passed the Point of No Return ...
As I looked at the guardian, a powerful presence surged through me and down my spine. I hadn't felt anything like this since my encounter with Naruto himself. Was there any way I could beat this guy in my current condition? Even at full force, I would have doubted myself. The guardian was shrouded in mystery, formless, shapeless... I couldn't make out exactly what I saw. At first my voice cracked as I tried to speak, but then I calmed myself down as I asked with a firm voice; 'Is it okay if I remove my friend from the floor in order to give us more room to groove?' A sweat-drop ran down my chin, but I knew I had to give it all to beat this guy and therefore I had to get Hamura out of harm's way. There was no way I could evaluate the strength of this guardian, having knocked both Bruce and Hamura out in the matter of minutes. The beaming red eyes present in the shadows blinked at me, then what seemed to be a nod was sent my way. I carefully picked up Hamura without letting my sight off the guardian for even a second. I had managed to regain some of my breath now, but would it be enough to even tangle with this guy, this being? As I was still thinking about whether to try to carry Hamura down the stairs again or to find a place to put him, something unexpected happened...
If you remember, when we first arrived into this tower there were already three other guys that had arrived before us. In the events that followed, one of them was killed while falling off the middle-floor platform separating the first and the second floor, while another was knocked out unconscious. The third man on the other hand had simply gone down to the ground floor and remained there, until now... Having decided to attempt fate once more, he had climbed the different floors that Hamura, Bruce and I had already cleared as he suddenly came running up to Bruce at the end of the stairs down below. I didn't know what to say at first, I mean, the guy had a look on his face that I couldn't make out as baffled, pumped or scared. Regardless, he was here and he was just the thing I needed. Shouting downstairs for him to come up, he hurriedly made it up the stairs as he too made eye-contact with the guardian. It was as if he froze on the spot. This guardian was darkness itself. Gaining his attention, I asked him if he could carry Hamura downstairs to where Bruce was for me, and then watch over the two while I took on the guardian. Simply nodding back at me, I then handed Hamura over to him as I watched carefully as he made it down the stairs again while at the same time not letting the guardian out of sight. Once there, he suddenly asked Bruce if he could look out for him even in his miserable state, which Bruce surprisingly simply nodded back at. The man then came running up once more, seemingly pumped for battle...
'This guy is strong, isn't he?' He carefully asked. Who exactly was this guy and those he had come along with? I hadn't even asked for his name, and as I replied that we had to be the utmost careful, the guy suddenly figured out, somehow, that he would try his luck alone. What an idiot!! I only managed to reach out my hand for him as he leaped forward. 'My name is Kiba, be sure to remember it as I'm taking this guardian down!' In a bright flash, he was suddenly struck by some type of lightning and before I knew it, his entire body was gone, just like that. What the heck happened?? Taking a step back, I didn't know what to do. What would be the best way to approach this guardian? Our eyes met again as I tried to get a hold of myself and find my courage. I couldn't hesitate now, no matter how strong this guardian was. A dark and slightly indistinct voice was heard, so dark and so intimidating that I felt lost on the spot. The darkness of the room spread as the guardian continued to talk, forcing me to take another step back but as I did however, I quickly realized that I couldn't go any further. A barrier, similar to the one on the 4th Floor, suddenly appeared all around us and it was in that moment I knew... There were only two ways forward... Death... Or Glory...
Closing my eyes, I tried calming myself down in order to focus what little strength I had left but I couldn't help shaking. As I opened them again, a bright light suddenly hit me as the guardian in front of me finally took form. This time, the light and gentle tone of his voice was more than clear enough to be understood. I was baffled. I couldn't pinpoint exactly what I saw in front of me but the guardian seemed half mechanical and half demon-like. He was two-faced with his right side being white in the resemblance of an angel, while the left side was dark in the resemblance of a devil. The guardian's first understandable words were; 'Welcome, final challenger. The 6th Floor is the Floor of the Gifted and only special powers are allowed here. Only one challenger at the time is allowed inside this barrier. Do you accept this final challenge?' Not even flinching. Was this really the final boss? That had to be it! The 7th Floor had to be where the prize was; it was obvious, was it not? Maybe Hamura had figured that out and planned out some scheme with Bruce to get to the top first, but why? No, that couldn't be it, but whatever it was, there was only one way forward, and that was through this final opponent. 'I accept.' I said. I had finally managed to calm my mind, I was ready for battle. In an instant, the guardian attacked. In what was an electrical wave of energy, violent lightning bolts flew out of the guardian's fingertips as I barely managed to dodge them, flying all over the place. Falling flat, I barely rolled out of the way as I forced myself to jump out of harm's way once more. Just as I was in the air however, it was as if I was suddenly pushed hard into the barrier, before I then was rapidly thrown towards the guardian standing in the middle of the room...
Once more, I barely managed to block as the guardian threw me to the ground. Rolling over, I tried to draw the Master Sword, but once more was it stuck. So that was his game huh, only "special powers..." I realized that the guardian neither went for close combat nor tried to utilize any weapons to attack me and at that moment I knew that the only way I would get passed this floor, was to rely on Ninjutsu once more. Like Genjutsu was the key to beating the 2nd Floor and Taijutsu was the key to beating the 4th Floor, Ninjutsu was the key to beating the 6th Floor. "Had I only had enough chakra to perform that technique again." I thought. I leaped ahead as I tried to deliver a punch, but as I connected with the guardian, it was as if he was protected by a force-field of sorts. The only way to break through it? Ninjutsu... I almost grew tired of repeating the fact to myself, but at least it kept me focused. I had to stall the battle just long enough for me to charge up enough chakra to perform that technique once more, but for how long would I need to charge it up and how would I be able to stall the guardian long enough for that to happen? That I simply didn't know...
Almost as if in a static voice, the guardian spoke once more; 'The Power of the Force is the key to defeating me. That is the only hint I will give you.' And he wasn't joking either as even more lightning bolts came flying my way but this time I wasn't able to dodge them all as one of them scratched my left arm, instantly leaving off a burnt mark behind. One direct hit and it was all over. Somehow I just had to stall this battle just a little longer... Just as it seemed like I was running out of ideas and options, one brilliant idea struck me. There was no time to lose. Clapping my hands together, I performed some hand-seals as I reached my right hand out for the Master Sword once more only this time, I shouted "Release!!" just as I did. The guardian stopped completely in his track as he watched me. The sword however was still stuck, but I refused to give in as I pulled harder and harder, trying to force it out of its scabbard with all my might. Watching my strange behavior, the guardian sent out even more lightning bolts as I ran across the room dodging them, and just as I was about to be hit by a lightning bolt coming in way too fast, I finally, somehow, managed to draw the Master Sword as I swung it towards the bolt reflecting it. Crashing into the roof, the last sparks of the bolt flickering above me gave me another idea, just as it went out, and with the guardian throwing even more bolts at me, things finally started to go my way again. Reflecting more and more bolts, one of them suddenly hit the guardian, but nothing happened. Then another, then another, then another. Each shot fired was reflected, but neither of the bolts could penetrate the armor of the guardian. In one last desperate attempt, I flung myself at the guardian as I tried to force my way through with the sword in hand. A bright light emerged just as the sword pierced into the guardian's shield. Just as I thought I was making a breakthrough however, I was suddenly flung backwards once more, landing hard on the ground as I lost the grip of the sword, watching as it pierced into the ground a little to the side of me. My energy was starting to run out again as I met eye-contact with the guardian yet again. His beaming red eyes looked at me. It was almost as if the guardian knew he was just about to win this battle...
Just as it seemed like I had to throw in the towel and call it a day, the moment I had been waiting for finally arrived. Having stored up chakra ever since the battle begun, I had finally gathered up enough to perform that specific move which at this point almost had become a trademark technique of mine. This would definitely be the last I had to give, after that, I could only hope I would remain conscious long enough to see if it worked. Little did I know that this was one of the last few times I would ever depend on it again. Like many times before, I quickly got up to my feet again as I leaped forward with all my remaining strength, maneuvering between lightning bolts as I did, and just as I reached the guardian, I shouted out; "Blazing Annihilation Atomic Incineration Blast!!!" Making impact, another bright light followed by an explosion sent me flying. Scrambling to my feet again, I quickly recollected the Master Sword as I paid close attention, waiting for the smoke to clear. My sight was blurry and I barely managed to stand upright. I had bet everything on that move, now both my energy and my chakra were empty. 'So-...beep-...close-...beep-...' I was shocked. The attack had landed but the result had not been yield. A mechanical voiced emerged through the darkness as the smoke finally cleared. In front of me the guardian rose to his feet once more. The attack wasn't completely useless on the other hand however, as the right arm of the guardian had withered in a pile of ash beside him. Would that make a difference? At this point I could only hope...
I didn't know what to say nor what to do. That was my final move, but somehow the guardian had managed to cancel out the technique. I fell to my knees in exhaustion, anticipating the final blow. Reaching out the fingertips of his left hand once more, sparks of lightning began to power up, just about ready to fire off at me. His eyes beamed more bright than ever before, and I knew that the fight was over. Like Bruce and Hamura, I had fallen at the hand of this guardian and there was no way to change that fact. He was just too strong and I was too exhausted. Even if we had cleared five floors, that was not enough. We had given everything but it still wasn't enough... Lamenting my own lack of strength, I closed my eyes anticipating it. I had no strength left to even move at this point and only a miracle could change my fate. What happened to the destiny Naruto told me of? Had I somehow stopped believing in myself or been too confidence that the future he had told me of would happen no matter what I did? Shots fired... I could almost feel the power of the bolt before it had reached me. I waited... But nothing... Nothing? I opened my eyes again as I realized that the bolt had crashed into a barrier in front of me, but how? Looking around, I realized that the impact of the earlier blast had somehow landed me on the outside of the barrier created by the guardian! Was it a miracle? Did a miracle happen after all?? If only... There was actually a perfectly explainable reason to what had happened and thinking about it I realized just what had gone down...
The moment my technique had hit the guardian, he was forced to center all his energy at reflecting the blast, and thus for a mere second, he had turned off the barrier we found ourselves in and thereby enabling me to fly outside where the barrier originally stood. Turning on the barrier immediately afterward as the smoke around him cleared, the guardian failed to realize that I was outside of it! I hadn't relied much on luck up until now, but somehow I had seemed to have luck on my side yet again. Finally being able to force myself up again, I knew that the moment the guardian shut the barrier off again, I would be done for. Barely managing to keep the Master Sword straight in front of me, my entire body was trembling. At that point, the one thing I had forgot would happen, happened. The Master Sword suddenly began to glow in front of me as a powerful feeling surged through me. Was the sword somehow restoring my strength? Was this what Naruto and Revan referred to by awakening the Master Sword's true ability? I had in fact relied on the sword for this fight and had I perhaps in doing so accidentally activated its powers? In either case, it felt like my powers were slowly returning to me, but there was not enough time and nor was there enough energy within the sword to recharge me for long. In the next second, the barrier deactivated as the guardian slowly began walking towards me, firing one bolt after the other as he did. I kept reflecting as many as I could, still struggling to keep myself together, and just as we were about two or so meters away from each other, I suddenly lost the grip of the sword as a lightning bolt struck through my left shoulder. Pain, followed by electricity that zapped the living hell out of me forced me backwards as I landed on my back, shaking uncontrollably on the ground. I couldn't move...
It couldn't end like this, not when I was on my second wind? As my thoughts scrambled before me, I suddenly noticed that my right hand was glowing as if powered up by chakra. As I watched the glowing light, a thought suddenly hit me, something in which Naruto had said to me right before he left. "Hadn't he left me with a gift of sort? That he said I would find out soon enough what was? Wasn't this the Temple of the Gifted?!" I didn't know if I was going mad due to the pain or if a brilliant idea had hit me. Regardless, I managed to force myself up one last time as a large spiraling force of chakra began swirling in my right hand. 'This is it!!' I shouted out as I leaped forward, aiming for the guardian. Before he managed to fire another bolt, my hand connected with him, and just as it did, the chakra glowing inside of my palm suddenly expanded into a huge ball of chakra. A vague voice was suddenly heard inside my head – A single word was spoken. And as it was, I repeated it out loud... Somehow, I now knew what this technique was called, somehow, I knew this was the technique Naruto had left me. Talk about fate! Putting all my might into the attack, I shouted; "Rasengan!!!!!!" In matters of seconds, the guardian was sent flying with such powerful force that he went straight through the wall of the tower and several meters out in the open air. In a ball of massive curling chakra, he exploded in thin air leaving only a fog of black smoke behind, with the rays of the sun breaking through it. Covering my eyes, the sun lit up the entire room as I looked outside. It was indeed a long way down. Limping over to the Master Sword, I holstered it on my back as I sat down taking a deep breath. The 6th Floor had been cleared... The final guardian had fallen...
Feeling like I could finally rest for awhile, I crawled over to the hole that had been created by the guardian being blasted through the wall as I sat down there and looked down below. Staring down, I realized that the gatekeeper was still sitting on that oddly shaped rock outside as he looked up at me. To my surprise, he suddenly began shouting out to me. I had to gather my thoughts in order to grasp his words, but I clearly understood that he had said the following; 'The Game is not yet over!! You must continue to the final floor!!' 'I can't!!' I shouted back down to him, with a great pain forming in my chest as I did. I was really out of energy this time. Would I even manage to crawl up the stairs to the final floor at this point? 'The Game must go on!! There's no way back! Either you die or you complete the game, remember??!' That guy didn't know when to quit, did he? At this point I only wanted to leave. I forced myself across the floor as I crawled towards the staircase leading down to the floor below as I supported myself on the handrail in order to not fall down the stairs, leaning my back up towards it. As I took a deep breath, I realized that both Bruce and Hamura were still down there, something in which I had somehow forgotten. Gathering himself to speak, Bruce ignored the pain asking if I had beaten the guardian that knocked him and Hamura out. Giving him a brief nod, Bruce looked at me with a faint smile. Neither one of us was in any condition to move anywhere, and both of us probably wanted to pass out on the spot. Resisting that urge however, Bruce yelled out to me that I had to go on, that I had to make it to the top now that I was this close. Even with a broken arm and a broken leg, he would still cheer me on. We hadn't come this far only to give up now. Too much time, effort and will had been dedicated to this challenge. Neither Bruce nor Hamura would ever forgive me if we quit now, especially when Bruce had given two of his limbs to get where we were. Not only that, but we were in no condition to force ourselves out of the tower now. The gatekeeper even claimed that to be impossible. 'But what if there's one final guardian up there?' I barely managed to mumble the words, but it was loud enough for Bruce to hear it. 'I can't do another battle, I just can't.' In any other story, the hero would somehow magically find a source of energy to bring victory home, but this was not like any other story and certainly I didn't view myself as any hero. This was it, as far as we could go...
'I'll watch over Hamura, just go for it Hagoromo. We're never getting out of here otherwise and I'm not sure how much longer I can endure this pain!!' He had to be in deep pain because now he was shouting the words at me. But he was right... It was up to me to make sure that Bruce and Hamura made it out of here alive. The only way that could happen was if I made it to the top. Somewhat reluctant, I finally agreed to his plea as I forced myself up. I limped across the floor for what seemed like several minutes before I finally reached the staircase leading up to the other floor on the other side of the room. I took a deep breath as I looked at the long stair ahead of me. I dreaded the thought of going up there. My luck had probably run out at this point so if there was another guardian up there, I wouldn't be able to defeat him yet alone survive, that much I knew. As I stood there thinking to myself however, the Master Sword on my back began to glow and out of it, a figure, a man, suddenly emerged. I was so taken back that I fell over, unable to get up a guard or anything like it. Who was this guy and how was it possible? I looked at the man as his shape took form. If I had believed that nothing could surprise me these days with everything I had witnessed, this sure did. Not only did a guy emerge from the Master Sword itself, it was none other than Revan himself! But what did he want, and how could he appear here of all places? I didn't manage to utter a single word...
Reaching his hand out, Revan helped me up to my feet. Just like last time, it was as if he was in some sort of holographic appearance, but he still managed to grab on to my hand. Reaching out for the staircase to support myself, I looked at him as I waited for him to speak. He was here for a reason and I was curious at finding out just what. I couldn't waste energy asking meaningless questions, so I thought I would let him do the talking. He then spoke; 'I'm certain you didn't think we would meet again, however, like Naruto and I talked about the last time, every past wielder of the Master Sword is somehow linked to it, even passed death. That is how I'm able to stand before you here once more.' I still didn't know what to say so I kept my mouth shut. He continued; 'Whatever is up there, you should not falter Hagoromo. I know you are tired, so I'll transfer some energy over to you but I can't stick around. If you ever need help, you'll know where to find me.' And just like that, he retracted into the sword again, and as he did, I suddenly felt completely vitalized. I didn't even manage to ask him how I would be able to contact him, but it surely had something to do with the Master Sword. As long as it was in my possession, I could always rely on the heroes of the past. Maybe this so called destiny that Naruto had laid out for me wasn't that unbelievable after all? I could only put my thoughts to the side. There was no point pondering any further on how Naruto had been able to make all this happen. What mattered the most now was that I went to the top of this tower, to the top of this pagoda, to see this challenge to an end. With what was probably a determined look on my face, I finally made my way to the top in a hurry...
Once there, I quickly realized that the final floor, like all the rest, was inhabited by someone, but I had to ask myself; "Was he a guardian too?" In front of me and in the middle of the room, sat a man, clothed in a dark robe covering his entire body and thus his identity. Much like the guardian at the 5th Floor, I couldn't make out anything about him at first. Tilting his head upwards, a vicious smirk formed on his face as he slowly removed his hood. Standing up to his feet, the man remained silent as of now, but I could easily sense from a mile away that this was a man with no good intentions. His evil presence outmatched any of the guardians I had faced so far, it even outmatched the sinister ambition of my grandfather, Kuroi. "Just who was this man?" As I asked myself this question, a familiar voice rang inside of my head. I immediately recognized Revan's voice but it was rather the one word, the one name he uttered that caught my attention. Both Naruto and the grandmaster had told me of the past wars of the land, of the heroes and the villains who came before, and this guy... Oh this guy, he was one of the most evil there was. The name that Revan mentioned, was...
Author's Note:
1: There you have it folks! Who saw that cliffhanger coming?? Well obviously I teased it a bit in my Recollection of the Past Series, even to the point that I almost confirmed that he would appear sooner or later, but avoiding telling you guys up straight that Demise himself would be the final boss at the end of the Tower and the Game of Death, oh boy has that been a hard thing for me to do. Believe me when I say I have wanted to tell most of you for the longest time, months even.
2: Personally I think these two fights, namely the guardian at the 5th and 6th floor had the most to offer of all the guardians so far. Not only in excitement but in fight-value as well, so to speak. Let me know if you agree on this or not.
3: I'll keep it short by saying that the next chapter should be the most interesting chapter I have written in ages. It's basically the pinnacle of this Timeline being that Demise sort of is the final villain that ties the past stories into this one. So even if you haven't read my past stories, I'll assure you that I have written it in a way to make it understandable with the background information provided in chapter 7 alone.
4: Now you guys may be thinking; "Give me that next chapter right now!" - Especially you Trea (xd), but the matter of fact is that I actually have to take a break now again with several school assignments and an exam coming up in two weeks. I have already written the introduction of chapter 11 so I might preview that at one point (you guys know where), but as far as the release goes, I don't think I'll be able to release it before we hit October (3-4 weeks probably). We'll see. You already know the name of it, but for possibly future referencing, it is the final part of this arc, and it is called; An Old Nemesis Returns. Not only is the cliffhanger of this chapter particularly cruel for those who read my Forgotten Tale: A Link Through Time, as well as having a general knowledge about my Timeline, but also because I have to take a small break which intensifies it. I am sorry, but I hope you will bare with me xD
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- How it all began, the Tale of The Sage of Six Paths Begins!
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- Massacre
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- The Master Sword & The Great Wizard
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- As Destiny had Foretold, the First Jutsu Emerges
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- Showdown
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- The Otsutsuki Clan
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- One's Destiny Bestowed, The Wizard's Final Lesson As The Samurai Clans Assembles
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- The Tower of Death Part 1; A Test of Power, Courage & Wisdom - The Game Begins!
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- The Tower of Death Part 2; Fist of LegendThe Legendary Sage of Six Paths, Chapter 10;
The Tower of Death Part 3;
The Point of No Return:
'My time to shine...'
The Point of No Return:
'My time to shine...'
Bold words to say out loud at this stage, but did I have the power at the time to back it up with? Did I have the stamina left to defeat him? This fight ahead of me was surely the most dangerous one yet as I came face to face with the guardian of the 5th Floor, of the Temple of the Dragon. Watching closely from the background, a faint hint of doubt was present on both Hamura and Bruce's faces. If I was them, I would have doubted myself too. Luckily, this floor allowed anything and everything to be used, and I had something that Hamura and Bruce lacked...
Leaping forward, I clapped my hands together as I started focusing my chakra. In what seemed like a turn of events, I somehow moved faster than usual as I reached up to the guardian before he managed to react. Reaching my right hand out towards him, I thrust it into his chest as I shouted out the word "Ignite!" The guardian looked baffled at me, checking his own body to see if he was still alright as he stumbled backwards. A faint grin formed on my face, the plan had worked... Or so I thought. Since everything was allowed at this floor, I had bet everything on the first move thinking that the one and only real Ninjutsu I knew, the Blazing Annihilation Atomic Incineration Blast, would do the trick. That was why I had asked Hamura and Bruce to take a step back anyways, to get them out of harm's way, just to be on the safe side. Just like what happened on the second floor earlier however, it somehow didn't go as I planned this time either. What a bummer... Here I was supposed to make a grand scene, an epic display of might in a dazzling fashion to impress both Hamura and Bruce, but yet again had I blown it and thereby making a fool of myself. What was I thinking? Nothing ever works in the first move, I couldn't possibly have hoped to end this fight this quickly? But why hadn't it worked? Instead of a great fire with the guardian's body turning to ashes however, it seemed like my technique somehow had flunked. "What on earth happened, why did it not work?" I thought to myself once more. Looking up at me, the guardian began laughing...
He said; 'I don't know what you tried to pull off there, but whatever it was it did not work! Now it's my turn!' Leaping off, he was right up to my face as his fist connected with my chin. I was blasted backwards with a powerful force as both Bruce and Hamura clutched their faces seeing this. Shaking my head back and forth in a rapid succession to regain my focus, I struggled to get back up again as I realized why the technique hadn't worked. He wasn't resistant to it, I simply hadn't been able to pull it off correctly. Not enough chakra? Maybe. Did I make the wrong hand-seals? Not entirely sure, but perhaps that wasn't the most far-fetched answer out there. Either way, all I knew was that I had to focus and store up my chakra and try again as it was quite possibly the only trick I had up my sleeves to beating this guy. Later on as fate would have it, Ninjutsu wasn't the only thing I had that Hamura and Bruce lacked for most parts, but more on that later. For now, I knew I had to rely on the one thing I had been neglecting for the bigger part of this challenge. I quickly drew the Master Sword from my back as I charged at him head on...
To counter this however, the guardian reached his hand out in the air and forming inside of its grasp from nothingness, a double bladed voulge appeared. We clashed heavily as we were both pushed back and forth exchanging blows as our weapons smashed together repeatedly. For some reason, it seemed like the guardian's speed and power had somehow depleted, but not enough to enable me to overpower him or defeat him that easily. Still, something seemed to be off, and I felt that even Hamura and Bruce could feel it as well. I just couldn't pinpoint what this feeling of uncertainty on his part was however, but no matter the reason, things were finally going my way again...
Landing what seemed to be a blow, the Master Sword cut straight through his left arm but to our surprise, it was as if his arm turned to smoke the second the blade connected with it. 'Wait a minute!' Jumping backwards to gain some space, I immediately recognized that very ability. 'That ability of his, to turn any part of the body into smoke at will to avoid damage, that is just the same as our grandparents could do!' Hamura almost jumped down from his seat on the handrail hearing this, but he kept his distance. 'Are you sure??' Bruce followed up. 'Positive.' I stated. The guardian then looked at me with a stern expression on his face, but he kept quiet. Something was indeed off, but what exactly? I once more charged ahead as I attempted to hit him with the sword, but this time, a splash of water followed by a moving pond met me. He then reassembled into his past form as if nothing had happened. 'Be careful Hagoromo, I think he possesses some kind of shape-shifting ability, but I can't know for certain.' Having his Byakugan still activated, Hamura was paying close attention to the battle taking place in front of him, reading our opponent to the best of his ability. Steering my attention back towards the guardian, I noticed that his form kept changing uncontrollably. First he turned completely to smoke as he moved around the room, then he transformed into a splashing fish, then a bewildered mouse, then a savagery cat, then a roaring bear, then a singing bird, and eventually, a fire-breathing dragon. Instead of utilizing this ability to his advantage however, it was as if he somehow was malfunctioning as he finally turned back into his original form, still with some parts of his body flickering back and forth between being solid, liquid and airborne. Reaching his hand out once more, several different weapons appeared in his hand one by one, but none of them took up permanent form. Looking back at me, he then finally spoke once more...
'Humph... Seems like you actually did some damage somehow but I can't figure out what you did...' Phew! I didn't know at the time either, but I couldn't let him know that. I had to use this to my advantage so I boastfully stated; 'You don't know, do you? That is what happens when you underestimate your foes.' Still with a grin present on my face, it was as if time jumped a second or two ahead of me as the guardian in front of me suddenly vanished completely. My grin disappeared in what was probably nothing more than a mere split-second. Feeling a presence behind me, I was just about to turn around with Hamura shouting out to me to watch my back. The sound of an impact was made as a bone-breaking noise reached out through the room, but I had no idea what that sound was made from or if I would live long enough to find out. Had he hit my open side before I managed to defend myself? Had I let my ego get the better of me and my perception for a brief moment? Panic-struck, I finally turned around as I saw the guardian flying through the room on his back with Bruce still lingering in the air behind me, between me and certain doom...
Last second save! 'Don't let your guard down...' Keeping his composure, it was as if Bruce tried to act cool, however, it did not take long before his fatigue caught up with him as he almost fell over the moment the guardian crashed to the ground. Quickly holstering my sword on my back, I went to his aid. 'Seems like I'm not fully recovered yet...' Having caught on to him before he too crashed to the ground, I didn't really know what to say to this as Hamura too came to the aid, leading him back towards the handrail once more. 'Nice timing Bruce, but you're in no condition to fight at the moment.' He casually warned. Bruce nodded at this as I turned my attention back towards the guardian who struggled to get up to his feet again behind me. 'Almost but not quite...' He mumbled. Gaining some space between us, the guardian then took a deep breath. Something was definitely on his mind now, but what? Circling around the room, neither one of us made the next move, just staring patiently at each other, analyzing the opponent to figure out the quickest and best way to ending this fight...
'Strange... I haven't been pushed this far in awhile... Then again, I suppose I did underestimate you a little.' Grabbing on to his left hand, squeezing it hard as if to regain control of himself, the guardian managed to calm himself down which enabled him to keep his body's constant transformation in check. Little by little, he finally regained full control of his body again, and witnessing this, I could only ponder further on what exactly happened back there, on what I had really done to him to make him lose control like that. Had I somehow managed to invent and do a whole new Ninjutsu in the middle of the battle, something else than what I had expected? That somehow disturbed this guardian's powers severely enough to temporarily give me the advantage? Was really luck and a leap of faith all I needed to overcome the seemingly impossible odds? The guardian then spoke once more; 'I can sense that each one of you have a strong side that is superior to the other. Not only to the other abilities you possess but in comparison to each one of you as well. I can feel that your core stamina exceeds the two others' stamina however, and that you are a better all-round fighter whether you realize this or not. Alas, I won't let you passed this floor, no matter what you try...' He looked at me as he said that, but how could he possibly make that evaluation? As he stopped talking, I suddenly noticed that Bruce had snuck passed the guardian and was heading for the staircase, attempting to make it to the next floor while I kept the guardian occupied. But why? Before I managed to shout out to him, the guardian suddenly moved at rapid speed as he stopped in between Bruce and the staircase, preventing him from going to the next floor...
'Why are you blocking my way, I thought it didn't matter if we went on to the next floor or not.' Bruce coldly stated. 'What are you thinking Bruce?! If you go up there alone-... Hamura say something!!' My attention immediately steered towards Hamura who had his arms crossed together, patiently abiding his time beside the staircase leading down to the past floor. Had the two of them planned out something without me noticing? Was this what Bruce had referred to earlier when he told me about coming up with a plan through telepathy? Hamura didn't even reply to my pledge as I turned my attention back towards Bruce and the guardian again, not really sure whether to engage him in battle once more or to wait and see what his response would be first. Things had suddenly and unexpectedly gone out of control...
'That's not the point.' The guardian began. 'Letting any of you passed this floor without defeating me is the same as having you pass after you've defeated me! What I said earlier was only a tease. You will only move to the next floor if I'm not here to prevent it!' Sending his fist flying, he was just about to hit Bruce head on, who was still a bit groggy due to being exhausted. Before I managed to react, Hamura was there to block his punch as I too then leaped ahead and combined my attacks with him, forcing the guardian to back off and thus enabling Bruce temporarily free access. 'Let's see if you can stop me then! This is all the distraction I need!' Not even hesitating, Bruce ran up the stairs. Had our sudden feeling of rivalry gotten the better of us or was this all part of some elaborate scheme? 'Be careful up there, I hope you know what you're doing!' I shouted out to him as he disappeared from view. "Was this such a good idea?" I thought to myself. Hamura nodded back at me as if telling me that he had a plan. Somehow though that plan had either been badly considered and executed, or there was really no plan at all as in the next minute, Bruce suddenly came flying down the stairs again, crashing hard to the ground at the end of it. I was shocked, even to the degree that I let my guard down...
Sending me flying across the room, the guardian quickly shifted his focus purely on Hamura who barely managed to hold him back, taking up some defensive rotation that caused a great wave which knocked the guardian backwards just long enough for Hamura to be able to see to Bruce. I quickly got back up on my feet as I went to intercept the guardian who relentlessly pressed on with his attack, throwing punches and kicks both left and right. Alternating between focusing on the guardian and turning my attention towards Hamura and Bruce, I couldn't help ask what the heck happened and what condition Bruce was in. 'How is he?! What the heck happened Hamura?!' I shouted out; panic had taken a hold of me. Sensing this, the guardian continued to press his attack, throwing out the words "told you so" in between the fists he sent flying towards me as he kept on with his nonstop attacks. 'How is he?!' I once more shouted. 'He's-... He's Fin-e!!' Hamura said with a trembling voice. 'No-... I'm not fine...' Bruce quickly corrected him. 'What do you mean?!' 'I can't go on!! My right arm-... argh... and leg are broken-... that hurts Hamura!!' My worries were confirmed, but I had never expected such dramatic turn of events, not with these two of all people. It was hard to see who was the most shocked of us at that point. "How could this happen?!" I didn't know whether to be angry or sad, but I didn't manage to state my opinion before Hamura, like Bruce before him, suddenly ran up the stairs. 'What are you doing, have you completely lost it?!?!' I shouted out after him but to no avail. I could neither follow him nor outclass the opponent in front of me. Time was running short and I knew it...
Suddenly Hamura's voice was heard inside of my head. The words "believe in me" and "I won't let them get away with this," were all I could grasp. Had Hamura thrown all his strategising out the window and what for? There was no reason for Bruce to take a chance like that and neither for Hamura to do the same mistake. I had to get the situation under control – I had to end this fight fast. Reaching for the Master Sword once more with my right hand, I leaped forward as I swung it towards the guardian, who in response formed a blade in his left hand and blocked it. Focusing merely on my sword however, the guardian failed to notice my left hand coming in from his right, and just as it made contact with him, I shouted out; "Blazing Annihilation Atomic Incineration Blast!!" Immediately jumping backwards to gain some space, the guardian once more went to check his own body for damage, and once again did he seem just fine! 'What is going on, why won't my technique work?!' In despair, I lashed out on my own abilities failing me in the time of need, but like they always say, the third time's the charm, right? Laughing out hysterically, the guardian was just about to continue his attack, but to his surprise, his entire body suddenly began to burn as he was rapidly turning to ashes, one piece at the time. 'How is this possible, what did you-...' He didn't even manage to finish his own sentence. Just like that, only a pile of ash remained on the floor. This was the first guardian that didn't turn to smoke. Why? Maybe I really killed this one, but who knows...
Quickly turning my attention towards Bruce, I almost fell over as I made my way over to him. I could finally feel the complete depletion of my chakra, having used yet another huge portion of it on that technique. This was bad, we still had two more floors to go and we were all more or less out of it having barely made it passed the 5th Floor. I was beyond exhausted as I gasped for air. Kneeling down beside Bruce, I quickly holstered the Master Sword on my back once more as I went to heal his wounds with the medical technique I had learned not long ago. However, instead of allowing me to actually heal him, Bruce just urged me to go on and help Hamura as fast as I could. 'Why did you go off on your own like that, Bruce?! I can't just let you-...' 'Just go Hagoromo! I won't go-...anywhere...' Despite his condition, Bruce couldn't help chuckling sarcastically as he said that. Giving him a nod, I scrambled to my feet as I forced myself up the staircase. For some reason, it felt like a never-ending one as I had to crawl up the last three steps. Just as I made it to the top and just as I steered my attention towards the middle of the room, a body suddenly flew straight into me, almost knocking me back down the very stairs I came from. As I finally regained my composure, I realized that it was Hamura who had been flung hard into me, and as I reached out to check on him, I quickly discovered that he was unconscious. Things had gone from bad to worse. Looking up, I finally met eyes with the guardian of the 6th Floor. Bruce was rendered immobile, Hamura was unconscious, and I-... Well, let's just say I was far from splendid, like Hamura previously had stated it. Taking a deep breath, I forced myself up to my feet again. This was it, we had certainly gone passed the Point of No Return ...
As I looked at the guardian, a powerful presence surged through me and down my spine. I hadn't felt anything like this since my encounter with Naruto himself. Was there any way I could beat this guy in my current condition? Even at full force, I would have doubted myself. The guardian was shrouded in mystery, formless, shapeless... I couldn't make out exactly what I saw. At first my voice cracked as I tried to speak, but then I calmed myself down as I asked with a firm voice; 'Is it okay if I remove my friend from the floor in order to give us more room to groove?' A sweat-drop ran down my chin, but I knew I had to give it all to beat this guy and therefore I had to get Hamura out of harm's way. There was no way I could evaluate the strength of this guardian, having knocked both Bruce and Hamura out in the matter of minutes. The beaming red eyes present in the shadows blinked at me, then what seemed to be a nod was sent my way. I carefully picked up Hamura without letting my sight off the guardian for even a second. I had managed to regain some of my breath now, but would it be enough to even tangle with this guy, this being? As I was still thinking about whether to try to carry Hamura down the stairs again or to find a place to put him, something unexpected happened...
If you remember, when we first arrived into this tower there were already three other guys that had arrived before us. In the events that followed, one of them was killed while falling off the middle-floor platform separating the first and the second floor, while another was knocked out unconscious. The third man on the other hand had simply gone down to the ground floor and remained there, until now... Having decided to attempt fate once more, he had climbed the different floors that Hamura, Bruce and I had already cleared as he suddenly came running up to Bruce at the end of the stairs down below. I didn't know what to say at first, I mean, the guy had a look on his face that I couldn't make out as baffled, pumped or scared. Regardless, he was here and he was just the thing I needed. Shouting downstairs for him to come up, he hurriedly made it up the stairs as he too made eye-contact with the guardian. It was as if he froze on the spot. This guardian was darkness itself. Gaining his attention, I asked him if he could carry Hamura downstairs to where Bruce was for me, and then watch over the two while I took on the guardian. Simply nodding back at me, I then handed Hamura over to him as I watched carefully as he made it down the stairs again while at the same time not letting the guardian out of sight. Once there, he suddenly asked Bruce if he could look out for him even in his miserable state, which Bruce surprisingly simply nodded back at. The man then came running up once more, seemingly pumped for battle...
'This guy is strong, isn't he?' He carefully asked. Who exactly was this guy and those he had come along with? I hadn't even asked for his name, and as I replied that we had to be the utmost careful, the guy suddenly figured out, somehow, that he would try his luck alone. What an idiot!! I only managed to reach out my hand for him as he leaped forward. 'My name is Kiba, be sure to remember it as I'm taking this guardian down!' In a bright flash, he was suddenly struck by some type of lightning and before I knew it, his entire body was gone, just like that. What the heck happened?? Taking a step back, I didn't know what to do. What would be the best way to approach this guardian? Our eyes met again as I tried to get a hold of myself and find my courage. I couldn't hesitate now, no matter how strong this guardian was. A dark and slightly indistinct voice was heard, so dark and so intimidating that I felt lost on the spot. The darkness of the room spread as the guardian continued to talk, forcing me to take another step back but as I did however, I quickly realized that I couldn't go any further. A barrier, similar to the one on the 4th Floor, suddenly appeared all around us and it was in that moment I knew... There were only two ways forward... Death... Or Glory...
Closing my eyes, I tried calming myself down in order to focus what little strength I had left but I couldn't help shaking. As I opened them again, a bright light suddenly hit me as the guardian in front of me finally took form. This time, the light and gentle tone of his voice was more than clear enough to be understood. I was baffled. I couldn't pinpoint exactly what I saw in front of me but the guardian seemed half mechanical and half demon-like. He was two-faced with his right side being white in the resemblance of an angel, while the left side was dark in the resemblance of a devil. The guardian's first understandable words were; 'Welcome, final challenger. The 6th Floor is the Floor of the Gifted and only special powers are allowed here. Only one challenger at the time is allowed inside this barrier. Do you accept this final challenge?' Not even flinching. Was this really the final boss? That had to be it! The 7th Floor had to be where the prize was; it was obvious, was it not? Maybe Hamura had figured that out and planned out some scheme with Bruce to get to the top first, but why? No, that couldn't be it, but whatever it was, there was only one way forward, and that was through this final opponent. 'I accept.' I said. I had finally managed to calm my mind, I was ready for battle. In an instant, the guardian attacked. In what was an electrical wave of energy, violent lightning bolts flew out of the guardian's fingertips as I barely managed to dodge them, flying all over the place. Falling flat, I barely rolled out of the way as I forced myself to jump out of harm's way once more. Just as I was in the air however, it was as if I was suddenly pushed hard into the barrier, before I then was rapidly thrown towards the guardian standing in the middle of the room...
Once more, I barely managed to block as the guardian threw me to the ground. Rolling over, I tried to draw the Master Sword, but once more was it stuck. So that was his game huh, only "special powers..." I realized that the guardian neither went for close combat nor tried to utilize any weapons to attack me and at that moment I knew that the only way I would get passed this floor, was to rely on Ninjutsu once more. Like Genjutsu was the key to beating the 2nd Floor and Taijutsu was the key to beating the 4th Floor, Ninjutsu was the key to beating the 6th Floor. "Had I only had enough chakra to perform that technique again." I thought. I leaped ahead as I tried to deliver a punch, but as I connected with the guardian, it was as if he was protected by a force-field of sorts. The only way to break through it? Ninjutsu... I almost grew tired of repeating the fact to myself, but at least it kept me focused. I had to stall the battle just long enough for me to charge up enough chakra to perform that technique once more, but for how long would I need to charge it up and how would I be able to stall the guardian long enough for that to happen? That I simply didn't know...
Almost as if in a static voice, the guardian spoke once more; 'The Power of the Force is the key to defeating me. That is the only hint I will give you.' And he wasn't joking either as even more lightning bolts came flying my way but this time I wasn't able to dodge them all as one of them scratched my left arm, instantly leaving off a burnt mark behind. One direct hit and it was all over. Somehow I just had to stall this battle just a little longer... Just as it seemed like I was running out of ideas and options, one brilliant idea struck me. There was no time to lose. Clapping my hands together, I performed some hand-seals as I reached my right hand out for the Master Sword once more only this time, I shouted "Release!!" just as I did. The guardian stopped completely in his track as he watched me. The sword however was still stuck, but I refused to give in as I pulled harder and harder, trying to force it out of its scabbard with all my might. Watching my strange behavior, the guardian sent out even more lightning bolts as I ran across the room dodging them, and just as I was about to be hit by a lightning bolt coming in way too fast, I finally, somehow, managed to draw the Master Sword as I swung it towards the bolt reflecting it. Crashing into the roof, the last sparks of the bolt flickering above me gave me another idea, just as it went out, and with the guardian throwing even more bolts at me, things finally started to go my way again. Reflecting more and more bolts, one of them suddenly hit the guardian, but nothing happened. Then another, then another, then another. Each shot fired was reflected, but neither of the bolts could penetrate the armor of the guardian. In one last desperate attempt, I flung myself at the guardian as I tried to force my way through with the sword in hand. A bright light emerged just as the sword pierced into the guardian's shield. Just as I thought I was making a breakthrough however, I was suddenly flung backwards once more, landing hard on the ground as I lost the grip of the sword, watching as it pierced into the ground a little to the side of me. My energy was starting to run out again as I met eye-contact with the guardian yet again. His beaming red eyes looked at me. It was almost as if the guardian knew he was just about to win this battle...
Just as it seemed like I had to throw in the towel and call it a day, the moment I had been waiting for finally arrived. Having stored up chakra ever since the battle begun, I had finally gathered up enough to perform that specific move which at this point almost had become a trademark technique of mine. This would definitely be the last I had to give, after that, I could only hope I would remain conscious long enough to see if it worked. Little did I know that this was one of the last few times I would ever depend on it again. Like many times before, I quickly got up to my feet again as I leaped forward with all my remaining strength, maneuvering between lightning bolts as I did, and just as I reached the guardian, I shouted out; "Blazing Annihilation Atomic Incineration Blast!!!" Making impact, another bright light followed by an explosion sent me flying. Scrambling to my feet again, I quickly recollected the Master Sword as I paid close attention, waiting for the smoke to clear. My sight was blurry and I barely managed to stand upright. I had bet everything on that move, now both my energy and my chakra were empty. 'So-...beep-...close-...beep-...' I was shocked. The attack had landed but the result had not been yield. A mechanical voiced emerged through the darkness as the smoke finally cleared. In front of me the guardian rose to his feet once more. The attack wasn't completely useless on the other hand however, as the right arm of the guardian had withered in a pile of ash beside him. Would that make a difference? At this point I could only hope...
I didn't know what to say nor what to do. That was my final move, but somehow the guardian had managed to cancel out the technique. I fell to my knees in exhaustion, anticipating the final blow. Reaching out the fingertips of his left hand once more, sparks of lightning began to power up, just about ready to fire off at me. His eyes beamed more bright than ever before, and I knew that the fight was over. Like Bruce and Hamura, I had fallen at the hand of this guardian and there was no way to change that fact. He was just too strong and I was too exhausted. Even if we had cleared five floors, that was not enough. We had given everything but it still wasn't enough... Lamenting my own lack of strength, I closed my eyes anticipating it. I had no strength left to even move at this point and only a miracle could change my fate. What happened to the destiny Naruto told me of? Had I somehow stopped believing in myself or been too confidence that the future he had told me of would happen no matter what I did? Shots fired... I could almost feel the power of the bolt before it had reached me. I waited... But nothing... Nothing? I opened my eyes again as I realized that the bolt had crashed into a barrier in front of me, but how? Looking around, I realized that the impact of the earlier blast had somehow landed me on the outside of the barrier created by the guardian! Was it a miracle? Did a miracle happen after all?? If only... There was actually a perfectly explainable reason to what had happened and thinking about it I realized just what had gone down...
The moment my technique had hit the guardian, he was forced to center all his energy at reflecting the blast, and thus for a mere second, he had turned off the barrier we found ourselves in and thereby enabling me to fly outside where the barrier originally stood. Turning on the barrier immediately afterward as the smoke around him cleared, the guardian failed to realize that I was outside of it! I hadn't relied much on luck up until now, but somehow I had seemed to have luck on my side yet again. Finally being able to force myself up again, I knew that the moment the guardian shut the barrier off again, I would be done for. Barely managing to keep the Master Sword straight in front of me, my entire body was trembling. At that point, the one thing I had forgot would happen, happened. The Master Sword suddenly began to glow in front of me as a powerful feeling surged through me. Was the sword somehow restoring my strength? Was this what Naruto and Revan referred to by awakening the Master Sword's true ability? I had in fact relied on the sword for this fight and had I perhaps in doing so accidentally activated its powers? In either case, it felt like my powers were slowly returning to me, but there was not enough time and nor was there enough energy within the sword to recharge me for long. In the next second, the barrier deactivated as the guardian slowly began walking towards me, firing one bolt after the other as he did. I kept reflecting as many as I could, still struggling to keep myself together, and just as we were about two or so meters away from each other, I suddenly lost the grip of the sword as a lightning bolt struck through my left shoulder. Pain, followed by electricity that zapped the living hell out of me forced me backwards as I landed on my back, shaking uncontrollably on the ground. I couldn't move...
It couldn't end like this, not when I was on my second wind? As my thoughts scrambled before me, I suddenly noticed that my right hand was glowing as if powered up by chakra. As I watched the glowing light, a thought suddenly hit me, something in which Naruto had said to me right before he left. "Hadn't he left me with a gift of sort? That he said I would find out soon enough what was? Wasn't this the Temple of the Gifted?!" I didn't know if I was going mad due to the pain or if a brilliant idea had hit me. Regardless, I managed to force myself up one last time as a large spiraling force of chakra began swirling in my right hand. 'This is it!!' I shouted out as I leaped forward, aiming for the guardian. Before he managed to fire another bolt, my hand connected with him, and just as it did, the chakra glowing inside of my palm suddenly expanded into a huge ball of chakra. A vague voice was suddenly heard inside my head – A single word was spoken. And as it was, I repeated it out loud... Somehow, I now knew what this technique was called, somehow, I knew this was the technique Naruto had left me. Talk about fate! Putting all my might into the attack, I shouted; "Rasengan!!!!!!" In matters of seconds, the guardian was sent flying with such powerful force that he went straight through the wall of the tower and several meters out in the open air. In a ball of massive curling chakra, he exploded in thin air leaving only a fog of black smoke behind, with the rays of the sun breaking through it. Covering my eyes, the sun lit up the entire room as I looked outside. It was indeed a long way down. Limping over to the Master Sword, I holstered it on my back as I sat down taking a deep breath. The 6th Floor had been cleared... The final guardian had fallen...
Feeling like I could finally rest for awhile, I crawled over to the hole that had been created by the guardian being blasted through the wall as I sat down there and looked down below. Staring down, I realized that the gatekeeper was still sitting on that oddly shaped rock outside as he looked up at me. To my surprise, he suddenly began shouting out to me. I had to gather my thoughts in order to grasp his words, but I clearly understood that he had said the following; 'The Game is not yet over!! You must continue to the final floor!!' 'I can't!!' I shouted back down to him, with a great pain forming in my chest as I did. I was really out of energy this time. Would I even manage to crawl up the stairs to the final floor at this point? 'The Game must go on!! There's no way back! Either you die or you complete the game, remember??!' That guy didn't know when to quit, did he? At this point I only wanted to leave. I forced myself across the floor as I crawled towards the staircase leading down to the floor below as I supported myself on the handrail in order to not fall down the stairs, leaning my back up towards it. As I took a deep breath, I realized that both Bruce and Hamura were still down there, something in which I had somehow forgotten. Gathering himself to speak, Bruce ignored the pain asking if I had beaten the guardian that knocked him and Hamura out. Giving him a brief nod, Bruce looked at me with a faint smile. Neither one of us was in any condition to move anywhere, and both of us probably wanted to pass out on the spot. Resisting that urge however, Bruce yelled out to me that I had to go on, that I had to make it to the top now that I was this close. Even with a broken arm and a broken leg, he would still cheer me on. We hadn't come this far only to give up now. Too much time, effort and will had been dedicated to this challenge. Neither Bruce nor Hamura would ever forgive me if we quit now, especially when Bruce had given two of his limbs to get where we were. Not only that, but we were in no condition to force ourselves out of the tower now. The gatekeeper even claimed that to be impossible. 'But what if there's one final guardian up there?' I barely managed to mumble the words, but it was loud enough for Bruce to hear it. 'I can't do another battle, I just can't.' In any other story, the hero would somehow magically find a source of energy to bring victory home, but this was not like any other story and certainly I didn't view myself as any hero. This was it, as far as we could go...
'I'll watch over Hamura, just go for it Hagoromo. We're never getting out of here otherwise and I'm not sure how much longer I can endure this pain!!' He had to be in deep pain because now he was shouting the words at me. But he was right... It was up to me to make sure that Bruce and Hamura made it out of here alive. The only way that could happen was if I made it to the top. Somewhat reluctant, I finally agreed to his plea as I forced myself up. I limped across the floor for what seemed like several minutes before I finally reached the staircase leading up to the other floor on the other side of the room. I took a deep breath as I looked at the long stair ahead of me. I dreaded the thought of going up there. My luck had probably run out at this point so if there was another guardian up there, I wouldn't be able to defeat him yet alone survive, that much I knew. As I stood there thinking to myself however, the Master Sword on my back began to glow and out of it, a figure, a man, suddenly emerged. I was so taken back that I fell over, unable to get up a guard or anything like it. Who was this guy and how was it possible? I looked at the man as his shape took form. If I had believed that nothing could surprise me these days with everything I had witnessed, this sure did. Not only did a guy emerge from the Master Sword itself, it was none other than Revan himself! But what did he want, and how could he appear here of all places? I didn't manage to utter a single word...
Reaching his hand out, Revan helped me up to my feet. Just like last time, it was as if he was in some sort of holographic appearance, but he still managed to grab on to my hand. Reaching out for the staircase to support myself, I looked at him as I waited for him to speak. He was here for a reason and I was curious at finding out just what. I couldn't waste energy asking meaningless questions, so I thought I would let him do the talking. He then spoke; 'I'm certain you didn't think we would meet again, however, like Naruto and I talked about the last time, every past wielder of the Master Sword is somehow linked to it, even passed death. That is how I'm able to stand before you here once more.' I still didn't know what to say so I kept my mouth shut. He continued; 'Whatever is up there, you should not falter Hagoromo. I know you are tired, so I'll transfer some energy over to you but I can't stick around. If you ever need help, you'll know where to find me.' And just like that, he retracted into the sword again, and as he did, I suddenly felt completely vitalized. I didn't even manage to ask him how I would be able to contact him, but it surely had something to do with the Master Sword. As long as it was in my possession, I could always rely on the heroes of the past. Maybe this so called destiny that Naruto had laid out for me wasn't that unbelievable after all? I could only put my thoughts to the side. There was no point pondering any further on how Naruto had been able to make all this happen. What mattered the most now was that I went to the top of this tower, to the top of this pagoda, to see this challenge to an end. With what was probably a determined look on my face, I finally made my way to the top in a hurry...
Once there, I quickly realized that the final floor, like all the rest, was inhabited by someone, but I had to ask myself; "Was he a guardian too?" In front of me and in the middle of the room, sat a man, clothed in a dark robe covering his entire body and thus his identity. Much like the guardian at the 5th Floor, I couldn't make out anything about him at first. Tilting his head upwards, a vicious smirk formed on his face as he slowly removed his hood. Standing up to his feet, the man remained silent as of now, but I could easily sense from a mile away that this was a man with no good intentions. His evil presence outmatched any of the guardians I had faced so far, it even outmatched the sinister ambition of my grandfather, Kuroi. "Just who was this man?" As I asked myself this question, a familiar voice rang inside of my head. I immediately recognized Revan's voice but it was rather the one word, the one name he uttered that caught my attention. Both Naruto and the grandmaster had told me of the past wars of the land, of the heroes and the villains who came before, and this guy... Oh this guy, he was one of the most evil there was. The name that Revan mentioned, was...
Demise
...
End of Chapter 10~
Author's Note:
1: There you have it folks! Who saw that cliffhanger coming?? Well obviously I teased it a bit in my Recollection of the Past Series, even to the point that I almost confirmed that he would appear sooner or later, but avoiding telling you guys up straight that Demise himself would be the final boss at the end of the Tower and the Game of Death, oh boy has that been a hard thing for me to do. Believe me when I say I have wanted to tell most of you for the longest time, months even.
2: Personally I think these two fights, namely the guardian at the 5th and 6th floor had the most to offer of all the guardians so far. Not only in excitement but in fight-value as well, so to speak. Let me know if you agree on this or not.
3: I'll keep it short by saying that the next chapter should be the most interesting chapter I have written in ages. It's basically the pinnacle of this Timeline being that Demise sort of is the final villain that ties the past stories into this one. So even if you haven't read my past stories, I'll assure you that I have written it in a way to make it understandable with the background information provided in chapter 7 alone.
4: Now you guys may be thinking; "Give me that next chapter right now!" - Especially you Trea (xd), but the matter of fact is that I actually have to take a break now again with several school assignments and an exam coming up in two weeks. I have already written the introduction of chapter 11 so I might preview that at one point (you guys know where), but as far as the release goes, I don't think I'll be able to release it before we hit October (3-4 weeks probably). We'll see. You already know the name of it, but for possibly future referencing, it is the final part of this arc, and it is called; An Old Nemesis Returns. Not only is the cliffhanger of this chapter particularly cruel for those who read my Forgotten Tale: A Link Through Time, as well as having a general knowledge about my Timeline, but also because I have to take a small break which intensifies it. I am sorry, but I hope you will bare with me xD
Anyways, Comment, Rate, Subscribe (xd), and as always people, have an awesome day!
Catch you guys whenever I can I guess ;D
Catch you guys whenever I can I guess ;D
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