Naruto: Tales of Ashihara

Naruto: Tales of Ashihara

The Shinden Saga – Arc 3: The Dragon Sage

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Chapter 139 – Sacrifice for Peace

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Inside of the Hyuga/Uzumaki's family home, standing face to face at the door are Naruto Uzumaki and Yamitsuki Otsutsuki. The celestial sovereign politely took off his shoes and mantle, and just suggested that the Hokage does the same. Confused by this scene, Naruto stands still and looks at his wife that he sees in the kitchen on his left.

Yamitsuki, silently waiting for the Hokage to do something, has his attention caught by the footsteps of someone coming from the backyard and joining them.

"I just heard someone slamming the doo-" Himawari says as she walks in, but stops when she notices the Otsutsuki and her dad looking at her. Quite frightened by the presence of the stranger whose presence she couldn't even feel, she stands still and waits for her father's intervention.

Yamitsuki quietly looks at the young girl, with his eyes closed to avoid trapping her in a deadly illusion. He can feel the heritage of her father in her, much more than in the Hokage's firstborn. It seems she has a natural gift that has yet to be discovered. Naruto, uncomfortable with this situation, speaks.

"Hima, go upstairs. We'll talk later."

Without a word, after just a tiny moment of hesitation, the young girl complies. She hurries upstairs as the dragon sage's gaze follows. His eyes however stop to look at the stairs she just climbed. He stays quiet for a moment, analyzing the steps, while Naruto waits for him to do something.

"Why the stairs, Hokage?" Yamitsuki suddenly asks.

"Huh?" Naruto replies, not sure if he has heard this odd question correctly.

"All the individuals who live in this house are trained ninjas, I believe. You are all capable of leaping heights greater than the second floor. So, my question is why did you have a progressive stepping structure installed if none of the occupiers of this home require it?"

"Man, What are you talking about?" Naruto exclaims as an answer.

"Why stairs if y'all can just bounce to ya room, ya know?" Yamitsuki asks in a much simpler vocabulary, hoping to be clearer, but also to mock the Hokage's confusion.

"No, I understood your question." Naruto interrupts him just as he finishes. "I mean… I could give an answer like, ya know, these stairs are meant to be accessible for anyone, but… Is that really what you want to talk about? Stairs?"

Yamitsuki lightly laughs at this last sentence, and moves on from this interrogation, considering it answered.

"I see. Of course, you have fellows who are more alike to outer worlds worshipers, as the ancestors call them. We could say the design of these stairs was considerate of you."

Naruto stays quiet for a second, and exchanges a gaze with Kurama in his body. They're both intrigued by this man's natural way of speaking. They also both feel like they've heard it somewhere before.

"Have we met before?" the Hokage asks.

However, before he can get an answer to this question, their futile discussion is interrupted. Yamitsuki hears a silent breathing behind him, with a sensation of heat. Following the gaze of the Hokage, he turns around and sees Hinata Hyuga holding a plate with 2 cups and a tea-pot.

"Welcome home, Naruto." she says with a shy smile. "Um… I made tea."

Naruto looks at Hinata, then at the vest of the celestial hanging by the door and his shoes laid underneath. He just now remembers what Yamitsuki came for. He told him that he could come here, so they can have a conversation. Then, so will it be.

"… Welcome in, Yamitsuki." he says awkwardly, but honestly. "Let's sit in the living room."

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As this meeting is happening, far away into another space, on the plains of Takama, Sasuke Uchiha is still, after several days, roaming these desolate lands with the dead soul of Ayaka Otsutsuki telling him stories of her kind. In front of them, dried seas and collapsed mountains, mostly results of Ayaka's Oyamatsumi, the ability of her Sharingan.

"If this beast, the Biju as you call it, is the true complete form of the Juubi, does it mean the Juubi could possibly have evolved further than the 3 forms I know, closer to this final state?" Sasuke asks as he sees the destroyed lands.

"Its 3rd form is still pretty weak." Ayaka answers. "It would have been no match for me, even for you. But yes, a Juubi, with more time and resources, grows endlessly. Even without the intellect and mind of the Biju, its raw power could grow to surpass any living thing. From the heavens, I've seen my fellows of today cause the birth of a 4th, and even 5th form of the Juubi."

"Would a Jinchuriki of this form be considerably stronger than those I've met?" Sasuke asks, surprised to learn of the current existence of such monsters.

"Obviously. Yet I doubt a human body would handle it." she replies. "Also, the host would grow stronger, but he'd still be missing the soul and essence of the beast itself. So he'd never reach the level of my sister or the founders."

"… Do you know where this essence is today? I reckon it's been sealed, but when the queen mother died, what became of it? What form did it take?"

Before answering this question, Ayaka suddenly gets more serious. She looks at Sasuke straight into the eyes.

"This is a very interesting question." she declares. "No living soul knows about it, and neither does any dead soul know the truth. But as an observer, I saw enough to make my theory. And I believe you've actually encountered the beast's soul in person, Sasuke Uchiha."

This suggestion troubles Sasuke's mind. He met the soul of the greatest creature to ever exist without even knowing? What is she talking about? Before she can give an answer to this interrogation, just as Sasuke inhales to spell it, they're disturbed by a sudden intervention.

Sasuke sees Ayaka look aside with her Byakugan and rapidly leap far away. Following her gaze, he sees a gigantic red ethereal blade fall upon him. He bounces away and, using the compressed wings of Susanoo, flies out of range before landing on safe ground, shielded by his wings. Ayaka's soul is still here, simply standing aside and unable to intervene or even be targeted. The sword that just sliced the landscape before them, Sasuke recognizes it. It is the Totsuka, which quickly lets him guess who the intruder is.

Yomotsu Hirasaka

Just as he figures it out, he feels a weapon colliding with his wings. It is a black scythe emerging from an undetectable black gate. Familiar with this jutsu, Sasuke hurries to localize the user, and therefore the input gate. Kilometers away in the sky, he sees the blood red cloaked Susanoo of Tokubei Otsutsuki.

Ameno Tejikara

Using his left eye, he switches places with the input gate next to the Otsutsuki and lands directly next to him in his massive armor, disarming him in the process. There, he immediately tries to behead him with his Kusanagi.

Raikiri Katana

Expecting such a surprise counter attack, Tokubei quickly moves but not far enough to dodge the sword. To avoid damage, he uses his right eye to absorb the lightning first, and holds onto the blade. He then uses Tendo to push the last Uchiha away and disarm him as well. Sasuke flutters into the red pool of chakra before standing still, face to face with this enemy for the second time.

"A conducting tungsten blade, lightened with Doton…" Tokubei analyzes the sword. "You'll need better than that to face celestials."

"Tokubei Otsutsuki, what are you doing here?" he asks, a bit startled and unprepared for this meeting.

"Order of the order, Sasuke Uchiha." he answers. "Yet I may not be allowed to kill you here."

"Order of the Ryu Shinsen, you mean?" Sasuke says. "Why does he suddenly allow this? What changed his mind?"

"Oh, you could ask him by yourself if you manage to get out of here."

"What do you mean?"

"Your student, Hyuga Boruto, apparently messed up. As we speak, Yamitsuki-sama is heading to your home village, to settle this with Asura himself."

This revelation leaves Sasuke agape. What could Boruto have done to get the leader of the Otsutsuki himself involved? And if this being, the Dragon Sage that Ayaka describes as far above any living person and even herself, is in Konoha, it means Sarada, Sakura, Izuna and Naruto are in danger. He needs to get out of here.

Amaterasu

Using his left eye in combination with the natural energy it absorbed, Sasuke creates a condensed sun of black flames. Immediately after making it, he uses his Rinnegan again to switch it with his sword, held by Tokubei. This leaves the masked Otsutsuki to be struck and inhibited by the black flames.

"Is this Senjutsu?" Tokubei asks himself as he feels it burn his coat and starts absorbing it. This leads him to realize how Sasuke must have gotten stronger since their last meeting. However, he'll have to wait next time to evaluate his actual progress. Taken by surprise, he left enough time for the Uchiha to run away using Chimatakami before he could intercept him.

"Hm… My mission was just to chase him away from here anyway." he complains to himself. "What happens next time depends on you, Yamitsuki-sama."

After these words, he uses Yomotsu Hirasaka to make a giant gate through which he passes his Susanoo's arm and picks up his Totsuka. Ayaka, still present as a summoned soul, sees the ethereal avatar collect his weapons and vanish. Before he leaves, she catches a glimpse of the user. A masked Rinnegan user.

"It's that man. The usurper." she says, seemingly upset about him, before shrugging and walking back to her clan's ruins. Now that her summoner left in a hurry, she's left to roam free in these plains as a ghost, waiting either for his return or someone else to end the spell.

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In the guest dining of the Hokage, Naruto sits on the ground on one side of a table where teacups are laying, face to face with Yamitsuki. He also left his vest, cloak and shoes at the entrance to appear more convivial. They didn't even start the conversation yet. The Hokage waits for the dragon sage to stop sipping from the tea he visibly enjoys and to speak.

"This is either about my son and Toneri, or about something Sasuke did." Naruto asks, sick of waiting. "Who are you here for?"

"I know that Boruto Hyuga is currently at the prison of Konoha with Toneri Otsutsuki." the dragon sage answers, putting down his drink. "And Sasuke Uchiha…" just as he says this, he looks aside and slightly raises a hand.

Chimatakami

Using the counter spell of this jutsu, he prevents the opening of a portal right before it appears.

"… He will apparently soon return. Both are in range, yet I will not go after them. I am only here to talk. I think it is worth our time, considering that there is much more you may want to ask."

Naruto, a bit distracted by the action taken, looks at where he could also sense a chakra accumulation. Kurama shares his thoughts about it.

"Must have been Sasuke. I guess this means he won't be able to crash this meeting. We'll have to talk with him later. For now, that guy's right. There's a lot we have to ask."

Naruto agrees with his Biju, but the main reason for the dragon sage's visit is still what intrigues him most.

"Could you at least tell me what Boruto or Sasuke did that caught your attention?" he asks.

"Do you know what a deicide is, Lord 7th?" Yamitsuki asks before explaining. "As the word suggests, it is the same as what you call homicide, but with a god as the victim. By god, I mean a fellow of my kind. You are certainly aware that your village is host to some individuals who have committed deicide."

"I see, but why now? I guess another of your fellows died recently, but if that's what brings you here, why didn't you come 10 years ago when Sasuke killed Momoshiki?"

Before answering this question, Yamitsuki leaves his empty cup of tea on the table, leans slightly forward, brings his finger tips together and lays his arms on the table. This lets Naruto notice that he left his own tea to cool down. Still listening, he takes his own cup to finish it, still warm enough. Yamitsuki breathes in and stares at Naruto right in the eyes, gladly noticing he's tough enough to resist his sight.

"In all due honesty, I care little about Momoshiki." he says. "May I even say that… I am glad you could kill him. It is a burden off the table for me, and I would enjoy keeping it this way."

"Not much of a surprise." Kurama comments. "Naruto, this could mean he's the one who helped us defeat him. Remember, Sasuke said that someone intervened at the end of the fight and prevented Momoshiki from countering your cursed Rasengan."

"You helped us defeat him, didn't you?" Naruto asks for his Biju.

"Clever question, Hokage. Or does it come from the nine-tailed fox in your body?"

"Either way, you're not denying it. So I guess we're right. You helped us. But it's not the only time it happened. According to my pupil, Izuna, you're also the one who gave him eyes 4 years ago to fight his brother. Since then, we found out Momoshiki is trying to use Oshio to resuscitate, so I assume this intervention was also against him… But you also ordered your fellows to spare Sasuke around the same time. And if you're really the same person who helped us on these three times, I'm sure it was also you who intervened when we were fighting Kaguya. Sasuke said someone must have paralyzed her right before I could cut her arm off."

The Ryu Shinsen doesn't verbally answer these theories. He simply smiles lightly, suggesting his agreement with Naruto's point.

"I knew it." the Hokage exclaims. "I get that Kaguya would have been a pain in your ass too, but why save Sasuke? Also, somehow, Kurama and I feel like we've met you even before all that. So why are you helping us, if it's not just to defeat our common enemies? What are your intentions?"

"These are two different interrogations, Hokage. Though to answer both, Momoshiki and Kaguya are not my enemies. I assume I am theirs. The power of Kaguya, as Momoshiki proved, could be coveted by those who seek to surpass the authority of the Shinden. Sasuke Uchiha and yourself come in handy as guardians of this power. About what happens to this world and its inhabitants, I could not care less."

"He's lying. Or at least he's not saying all the truth." Kurama says to Naruto. "If the only problem was us, the Biju, then he could just get rid of us and fix the issue."

"If we, on Earth, are only useful to protect what's on Earth, you'd just destroy the planet and it would fix the problem, wouldn't it? There has to be more." Naruto asks, reformulating Kurama's thoughts.

"You should be aware that destroying the planet, and causing the death of the Biju in the process, would not erase them forever. Their chakra would reunite and return." Yamitsuki answers. "But you are right, Hokage. There is something that I expect from this world, something personal. A prophecy I want to see fulfilled. Whether it does or not depends on you. You seem glad to not be considered an enemy by myself, and I recognize I am also flattered by your friendliness, even though you seem hesitant. However, it may be time to discuss what truly matters, and my demand may painfully turn the table here."

Naruto squints and stays aware, having a bad feeling about that last sentence.

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In the middle of Konoha, Sasuke sets foot on a roof. After his attempt to get directly by Naruto's side failed, he assumed the dragon sage was already there. He transported himself near the village instead and is now seeking clues about what's on the go. To get information, he joins familiar faces he notices in the distance.

Arriving abruptly, he startles Kakashi, Izuna, Takeshi and Inoue who were on their way to the prison of the village. He joins their side and goes with them.

"Uh? Sasuke?" Kakashi exclaims. "It's been a while, but you're right on time."

"I know." he answers, to quickly get over the surprise. "What is Naruto doing?"

"He's with the dragon sage of the Otsutsuki clan." Izuna answers.

"I know but what are they doing? Are they just talking?"

"Yes. It seemed like it's really all he wanted to do." Inoue says.

"… Kakashi, I see you've fought him. What are his abilities?" the Uchiha asks, mistrustfully.

"There's a lot. The least I can say is that he's using something similar either to Kamui or to Limbo clones." Kakashi explains. "We can see him but we can't sense or touch him at all. He seems to be intangible even while making contact with someone."

"So he's like a Limbo clone." Sasuke rapidly concludes. "Rikudo chakra may work. And either way, he must have a short time limit." Sasuke thinks aloud of a way around that jutsu.

"Sir Sasuke, do you plan to fight him?" Takeshi asks worriedly.

"Dad, this guy's different." Izuna warns him. "He alone knows more jutsu than everyone I've ever seen combined, including Hokage-sensei and you."

"… Where's Boruto?" Sasuke asks, not sure if he'll have to fight for now.

"Right here." Inoue says right when they see him in the distance as he is the one they were going to join.

Boruto is on his way out of the prison with Toneri. They were told about the current situation and were expecting more details. Sasuke lands before them first and immediately asks his questions without leaving them time to be surprised.

"Boruto, what did you do?" he says.

"What did I do? What do you mean?" Boruto replies confusingly, surprised to suddenly see his sensei here.

"The dragon sage may be after you. I need to know. Did you encounter members of his clan?"

"We did." Toneri answers. "A few days ago. This is why we're here."

"Boruto, did you kill one of them?" Sasuke asks worriedly, knowing that the answer to this question will determine his possible fate, judging from what he's been told by Ayaka Otsutsuki.

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In the Hyuga/Uzumaki home, Yamitsuki finally gets to the main point of this visit. Before going into further explanation, he just asked Naruto to explain how important his son is to him and in what circumstances he'd give him up.

"Don't you have children, Yamitsuki?" Naruto answers with a serious question, to which, much surprisingly, he just gets a cold gaze as a reply before the dragon sage changes the course of the conversation.

"Listen carefully, Hokage. In our clan, committing deicide comes with consequences, for we cannot afford to let a fellow be separated from the living so easily. Consequences for anyone who kills one of us, is the Tenshin, the celestial judges. They are an instance of our hierarchy who chase such criminals and fix their wrongs. They resuscitate the victim by sacrificing their murderer. The Tenshin are who fugitives like Katashiki, whom you met before, were hiding from. Their law is absolute, and so is the price they make you pay for killing a celestial."

Naruto stays quiet and thinks with Kurama about what Yamitsuki's demand could be, judging from this. It seems like these Tenshin, whoever they may be, will sooner or later come after Sasuke. But why did he ask about his relation to his son? Yamitsuki doesn't let Naruto wonder about it too long.

"On Earth, there are 2,... Or may I say at least 2 ninjas who committed deicide." the dragon sage says.

"… What? 2?" Naruto repeats, confused.

"For those I am certain about… Sasuke Uchiha killed Momoshiki Otsutsuki 11 years ago. Then, 7 years later, he also killed Urashiki Otsutsuki. But now, last week, Watsuki Otsutsuki, a member of my clan, inhabitant of my civilization, was murdered by none other than your son, Boruto Hyuga, making him a target for the Tenshin as well."

Naruto and Kurama stay silent, not knowing how to react. Both Toneri and Boruto omitted to mention this. Yet, it does not sound any more threatening than all they've faced until now. It only means they have to prepare to face the Tenshin. What is the implication of the dragon sage in this?

"So, regarding these facts, here is my demand." Yamitsuki finally comes to it. "Knowing the Tenshin, especially a certain individual among them, they will not complete their mission without also going after your power and destroying this planet. What I propose is that you deliver Sasuke Uchiha, your son, and potentially another suspect, to us, the Shinden. We will bring them to the Tenshin for their missions to be fulfilled, and will avoid their visit to Earth. In other words, you are offered to give up your son and best friend to avoid the destruction of your world."

"You could have used a more appealing phrasing…" Naruto says, troubled by this proposition.

"To what end? I do not mean to fool you, Lord 7th. I want your honest and true reaction to the situation as it is."

"In that case, thanks for the warning and the proposition, but I'll have to decline. I'd rather wait for these Tenshin to show up and prepare to settle this conflict with them."

"Hm… It seems you have misunderstood." Yamitsuki leans back and sits straight. "It is not an offer you can refuse. For if I cannot deliver the targets myself, I will have to bring the Tenshin here. Unlike Momoshiki and Urashiki, Watsuki is a fellow member of my society. I cannot allow him to be left in the afterlife. To your expense, you would find out that the Tenshin are surely less welcoming and courteous than I am. My offer is about avoiding your own death and the destruction of your world, not saving the targets. To put it simply, it is Sasuke and Boruto, or your world. You can only answer now."

Naruto abruptly stands up, clearly angry about this turn of event. He steps away from the table with disgust on his face.

"So let me get this straight. It's either everyone dies killed by the Tenshin, or my son and best friend are sacrificed just for Momoshiki to return? He'd obviously try to destroy Earth again. So it's death or death."

"Actually, no. Momoshiki has killed his father Kinshiki, which also makes him a target for the Tenshin. As soon as revived, if by them, he would be punished for his actions, and therefore would not approach Earth again."

"… Still gotta be a no for me. There's no way I deliberately give my son away, and I won't go back on these words. You can't even guarantee that these Tenshin wouldn't still come after Earth later if one of them seeks my power."

Yamitsuki feels the wrath in the voice of the Hokage who can barely hold the transformation jutsu meant to hide his sage state. He can even hear the echo of the Kyubi's voice in Naruto's tone. As a response, he stands up and slowly gets closer to the Hokage, ready to make himself clearer.

"For sure, I cannot guarantee it. But about what happens to this world after today, I could not care less. There will not be a simpler way to say it. What is certain is that once I leave Earth, I will summon the Tenshin. What depends on you is just what I will present to them. If you accept, I will give them Sasuke Uchiha and Boruto Hyuga. If you refuse, I will order them to accomplish their mission on this soil… with. no. delay. Only two paths."

"Well, in that case, we'll have to make a third path for ourselves." Naruto declares, just as someone appears into the room.

Ameno Tejikara

Sasuke Uchiha instantly transports himself in the back of the dragon sage and swings his blade, covered in Raiton and Enton, in an attempt to behead him. He takes advantage of the difference in size between Naruto and Yamitsuki to target only the tallest. Yet, the element of surprise isn't enough to bypass the Ryu Shinsen's ability. His blade phases through the target like a ghost.

Slightly startled by this sudden attack, Yamitsuki raises an arm and promptly catches the Uchiha by the face. Naruto, seeing his best friend at threat, makes a Rasengan in his hand in a glimpse and tries to strike in the enemy's abdomen. Sasuke looks down to see it happen, hoping to see it land. Naruto has reached a state where all his jutsu are necessarily Rikudo Senjutsu, and therefore Rikudo chakra. If the dragon sage is alike to a Limbo clone, this attack should work.

However, Yamitsuki doesn't wait for it to land and let his opponents find out.

Kandakoro

Each of them suddenly gets absorbed by a different wormhole sucking them in and sending them to another dimension.

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On the other side, Sasuke and Naruto set foot on a strange world similar to Earth in feel but without any sign of animal or human civilization. Alone in the middle of a plain, their jutsu, respectively the sword dash and the Rasengan don't land anywhere, so they dispel them. A few meters away, Yamitsuki released himself in the same dimension. They are now standing face to face with him, in a field perfect for a battle.

"Sasuke Uchiha, it is the first time we meet I believe." the dragon sage says. "Least I can say is I am not surprised by this greeting."

"Sasuke, he said it's either you and Boruto die, or the world gets destroyed." Naruto exclaims in panic to quickly explain the situation.

"Did he, huh?" Sasuke says, still in position for a fight. "And how would that happen?"

"He said as soon as he leaves, he'll summon those who'll kill you." Naruto quickly answers again.

"In that case, let's make sure he never gets to leave."

"This is not a light statement." Yamitsuki says as he makes his boots and vest appear on him, now that he's outside again. "I assume this is a death threat."

"Naruto… If we're going for it, follow my lead." Sasuke confidently says before moving his hair to show his two eyes unleashed.

Naruto and Kurama, seeing Yamitsuki with his mantle back and Sasuke ready for a fight, synchronize themselves.

Biju Chakra Mode

Yamitsuki sees the Hokage activate his Biju cloak fused with his Rikudo Sage Mode, which summons his Gudodama. To their eyes, he pretends to be disappointed and sighs, but in his mind, he gets ready to finally see them in action from the opponent's perspective.

"You had a choice to accept a few sacrifices, or start a war later. Yet you decided to engage in battle before the conflict even begins." he tells them. "I must recognize it has to be an honor. Few are those who had the chance to see you in action as a duo."

"And none are those who lived to tell the tale." Sasuke replies. "I've heard a lot about you, Yamitsuki Otsutsuki. They say you're the most powerful being alive. The one above all others. It means if we can beat you, no one else will be a menace to us. We'll kill you right here right now, and then we'll take on that war you talk about."

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End of Chapter 139 – Next Chapter: Moshirikara & Okuninushi