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The sound of stone cracking resounds around them as bits and pieces of the ground rains down from the last attack. Iruka huffs softly, eyes focused on Obito. His intangibility is really getting annoying, despite having a work around.
Even with all of them working together, they’ve not been able to do much more than harry him, keeping him moving and unable to really get on with his plan, but at the cost of losing time. They don’t know how much longer they have before Madara manages to break away from the Kage fighting him. Iruka is realistic about their odds. These two have spent decades building to this moment. It’s only a matter of time before they accomplish it unless they can take one of them down.
He’d felt the Edo Tensei release a few minutes ago and had also felt Madara remain, which means there’s a way for a soul to stay even if released. That can only mean Madara has a plan for something else.
“Iruka-nii, I’m really getting tired of this guy,” Naruto huffs out, wiping his brow.
“Without Kakashi’s eye, we can’t get him in his blind spot,” Kushina mutters.
“Sorry,” Kakashi says with a bit of a wince, exhaustion etched across his whole body. They’re all exhausted, despite their reserves. Iruka is beyond exhausted. It feels like he’s been fighting for years, has been fighting for years, to have a say in his life. Whether it’s the council, or maniacal madmen, everyone seems to have a say in what he should do and he’s so tired of it.
“Kurama, any ideas?” Iruka asks silently.
“The only one who can probably change his mind is the kid or Kakashi,” Kurama mutters, busy kneading more chakra. “Stuff them in a closet?” Kurama offers with a huff.
“We’re currently a little light on those,” Iruka mutters aloud and shakes his head when the others look at him.
“I think I can do maybe one more,” Kakashi huffs out.
“You’re killing yourself,” Iruka points out, able to sense just how weak Kakashi is. He’d start pulling from his own life force just to do another Kamui. “I’d very much prefer you to stay alive,” he adds.
They don’t get any more chance to discuss before Obito is back in their space and they’re forced to fight. They barely manage to avoid his attacks before he ends up right in Kakashi’s space. Before Iruka can react, the air swirls around Kakashi and he’s gone. “Bring back Kakashi-sensei!” Naruto screams out, rushing Obito who simply dodges his attack.
Kushina’s chains manage to snag him before Naruto takes a blade to the gut and yanks him back. “Naruto,” Iruka says evenly, barely keeping a rein on his own panic and fear. Kakashi is fine, he is, and Iruka won’t panic until he has too. “Focus,” he grits out. Naruto growls, but nods.
“I could try that seal again,” he offers, despite the horrible odds.
“He’d never let you close,” Mito points out.
“Kurama, any day now?” Iruka asks to the Kyuubi.
“I’m almost done, fool. Stop rushing me,” he growls, but even Iruka can hear his desperation.
The air begins to swirl as Iruka braces for another attack and blinks as Kakashi suddenly appears right in front of them, grabbing an outcropping of broken stone to keep from falling over. “So you managed to get out?” Obito asks conversationally.
“They are the same eyes,” Kakashi says with huff. “Why did you become like this? Was it because of Rin?” he asks.
Obito darts forward, knee slamming into Kakashi’s face. As he goes to lash out with large shuriken, Kushina’s chains dart in and he’s forced to retreat, going intangible to avoid the chains and Kushina uses that moment to pull Kakashi away.
“Trash should keep their mouth shut and die,” Obito snarls out angrily.
“You’re right, I am trash. I failed my promise and people died because of it. But you don’t have to be like this,” Kakashi points out.
Obito laughs manically. “We’re all trash. That is all shinobi will amount to. We’re certainly fine example of that, wouldn’t you say?” he asks.
Iruka feels a pull in his gut as Naruto pulls on Kurama’s chakra at the same time as he feels his own finally fill up and they both surge forward. “We are not trash!” Naruto screams, blocking the blow being sent towards Kakashi. “And I won’t let anyone die either,” he adds with heat.
There’s a sudden surge of chakra, the sound of electricity crackling and Kakashi darts forward as Obito aims for Naruto. A hand coated in lightning shatters his giant shuriken as he firms his stance and faces towards Obito. “Maybe you’re right…maybe you’re wrong, but the old you never thought like that and Naruto here carries on that will to do right by the world and hope for a better future. And so I’ll protect him with everything I have,” Kakashi huffs out.
“You’ll protect him,” Obito drawls. “How will you protect him if you’re not here?’ he demands, darting forward with an outstretched hand. Iruka and Naruto move in sync, Kushina and Mito right behind him, but they’re faster. His blade slices through the air where Obito had just been forcing him back as Naruto surges forward, head-butting him with enough force to send him flying back.
“Touch him again and I’ll stomp that smug look off your face,” Naruto growls out.
With the others taking point for a moment, Iruka eyes Kakashi. He’s exhausted. That last Kamui took its toll out on him. He looks to the side and sees the Hachibi is still recovering from previous attacks, Gai resting on top of him. They’re not going to be any help at the moment and Obito won’t stop coming after Kakashi.
“Let me have control,” Kurama says in his mind and Iruka looks inward for a second.
“What do you have planned?” Iruka demands.
“You’ll see, little fool,” he huffs with a smirk and Iruka sighs, but nods, letting the Kyuubi take over.
“Oi, Hatake, your hand,” Kurama growls out and Kakashi looks up at him before reaching out right as Obito manages to break through the others. Gripping it tight, Kurama grabs him and flings Kakashi right at Obito. Iruka almost steps back in before he notices the sudden surge of chakra from his hand into Kakashi. The air whirls around Kakashi and then he’s gone again.
Getting what he just did, Iruka lashes out with the Kyuubi’s chakra, clawed hand aiming for middle mass and like he expected, Obito goes intangible to avoid the attack. There’s a second where nothing happens and then Obito reacts to a blow none of them can see.
“You topped him up with your chakra and then had Obito send him back to the other side,” Iruka huffs out with amusement.
“I’ll show you later how to do it,” Kurama growls out loud before he steps back and lets Iruka take control again. Obito reacts to a few more blows and then the air whirls again to deposit Kakashi back in front of them looking a lot less exhausted.
“That’s all well and good, but we aren’t focusing on the right thing at the moment,” Mito points out suddenly and they look over to see where the demonic statue has been this whole time, shrouded in darkness. Iruka can see cracks starting to form on its side. “We need to destroy it before whatever is in there emerges,” she points out.
“Naruto, you, Kushina and B, take out the statue. We can keep Obito here entertained,” Iruka calls out.
“Yeah,” Naruto shouts with a grin, rushing away with Kushina towards B and the Hachibi.
Obito goes to follow and they attack, forcing him to dodge rather than go intangible now that Kakashi is able to move more freely between the dimensions. “Leaving so soon?” Iruka asks with a glare.
Obito frowns for a moment, taking in everything before a smirk washes over his face. “I’m only getting started,” he says as Iruka feels the surge of chakra from Naruto and the Hachibi forming bijuudama. Iruka looks to where they’re at, seeing the attacks unleash and aim true right at it.
He can feel the miasmic aura of the statue from here and as it hits, there’s a flash of light. He closes his eyes, feeling out as that aura suddenly just disappears in the blast. For a second, he thinks they’ve beaten them…and then a horrible screaming howl makes the air vibrate around them and Iruka opens his eyes to see something horrendous emerge from the smoke and dust kicked up by the attack.
“Is that the Juubi?” Iruka asks aloud, staring in shock. It seems they were too late.
~*~
When the Juubi misses, it’s Bijuudama firing wide, Iruka’s not sure what to make of it before he finally senses what is not background chakra, but is in fact…a whole legion of shinobi. The next few seconds are filled with shinobi from all the villages arriving to surround them.
“What took so long?” Kushina demands with a grin.
“Sorry, it took a few minutes to get over here. Not all of us can travel as fast as you,” Shikamaru drawls as he and the rest of Naruto’s year mates arrive, including Sakura and Sasuke.
“Is anyone hurt?” Sakura asks quickly.
“Gai probably needs some help,” Iruka murmurs, motioning towards where the taijutsu expert is still struggling to stand. Sakura nods and rushes over to start healing him up.
“I take it that was you?” he asks Ino as she stands with her team.
“With Hinata and Neji’s help. They broke out in two seconds though,” she huffs in annoyance.
“Hey, you managed to completely change the trajectory of their attack. Don’t knock the win,” Kiba growls out.
More are still pouring in as the rest of the Shinobi Alliance arrives. Maybe they’ll stand a chance after all. He looks back over to see Sakura has finished with Gai and is handling Kakashi, healing some injuries on him.
“What of Madara?” Iruka asks quietly of Shikamaru.
“He’s still fighting the other Kage, but it wasn’t going too well. Only Hashirama seems to be able to keep up with that beast. And being Edo Tensei…,” he trails off.
“There’s no way to stop him unless we seal him and sealing him is next to impossible right now,” Iruka supplies and he nods.
“Then we need to contain the Juubi before he manages to get over here,” Iruka huffs, glancing around at the gathered shinobi. Before he can try to come up with any kind of plan, a voice creeps into his head, and judging by the widening of eyes and shifting bodies, he’s not alone as Shikaku’s voice echoes around them laying out a fully fleshed out plan to contain the beast using every resource at their disposal.
“Well then, sounds like my kind of plan,” Kushina crows out with a vicious grin. Mummers go around and people begin to move as the Juubi starts to ready for its next attack.
~*~
The ground shudders as the Juubi breaks free of its restraints. Iruka can only stare up in horror at its new form. It isn’t natural, this shape is not natural. Its scream echoes around them and he winces at it beats on his already hurting ears and head.
He can just barely make out Obito on top of the creature’s newly transformed head and as he watches, the Juubi lurches forward, another bijuudama forming quickly in front of it. “It’s attacking again,” someone yells out nearby as others move to intercept the attack before it fires off and strikes off course. It fires again quickly after the first and still misses.
“He doesn’t have control of it yet,” Mito observes from behind him as it fires again and the blow goes way off into the distance. “And yet, it is still decimating people,” she murmurs with a frown.
It rears back with another howl, another attack forming and as it releases, Iruka frown as he watches it actually aim…away from them. He looks the way the attack went and as he realizes where it’s heading, he hears Shikaku’s voice again in his head confirming the truth.
They lay out one last desperate plan that will have to work and then the connection is severed for good. “What?” Naruto whispers, understanding what just happened.
“Focus,” Mito snaps out, starling everyone around them from their shock. “Do not let their deaths be in vain. They knew the risks in fighting this battle, like we all do. They gave their all and they gave us a plan to stop this foe for good. Let us honor their sacrifice by ensuring their efforts weren’t wasted.”
Iruka can see Shikamaru, Ino and Chōji bracing each other, pushing aside their grief for later. Others starts to surge forward and Iruka nods to Naruto, both planning to do what they can while they gather more chakra.
Before they can attack the Juubi moves quickly, limbs spilling from its body to tower over everyone. As he watches, spines grow in the palms of the gigantic hands and he blanches in understanding of what’s coming. “Kurama, I need chakra now!” he yells internally at the Kyuubi, hands already flying through the seals. He feels a surge of chakra, not nearly enough to make this work, but it will have to do and slams his hands down on the ground, a barrier dome expanding from him outward.
He can’t cover everyone, but he can cover a chunk as others follow his example, shielding those they can from the attack. They’re not quick enough to cover everyone and Iruka feels their lives snuffed out as the spines rain down.
Naruto darts away from him, clones darting off wielding Rasenshuriken, throwing them at the spines to take out as many out as he can. The rain is relentless though. Iruka wants to follow him, but if he moves, the barrier falls and so many others will die.
He watches as Naruto leaves the barrier, trying to save as many as he can. Watches as more spines come his way, aiming for the blonde. “Naruto!” Iruka cries out, trying to get him to come back under cover.
A blur rushes by and he watches as Sasuke cuts away the incoming spines, blade wreathed in lightning. Iruka breathes a sigh of relief as the rain stops and he is finally able to release the barrier. His knees nearly buckle as the exhaustion hits and he barely stays standing.
“What happened to not letting me kill anyone?” Obito calls out in the ensuing silence. “From here, it looks like I killed quite a few, possibly even some friends…people precious to you, Naruto. Tell me again how you wouldn’t let me kill anyone else. Try saying that now as they grow cold around you,” Obito yells out.
“This is what happens when you mistake dreams for reality. Everything you believe in is proven wrong, your hopes and ideals die. Reality is hell,” Obito says calmly. “Your parents died because of you, your friends will soon follow and even your other half will die for you. Anyone who you consider precious will die until the only one left is you…until the only thing you feel is loneliness,” Obito continues.
“And?” Iruka shouts back in the silence. He’s not looking at Obito though as he speaks, eyes on Naruto who is looking back at him, pale and grief-stricken by Obito’s words. “You think we don’t already know loneliness? We know what reality really is. It’s because we know what it really is like that we fight so hard against it. Even if we can’t make it better for us, we can make it better for those who will come after us. That is something worth fighting for, something worth dying for. We’re fighting this war so the next generation doesn’t have to,” Iruka states calmly and watches Naruto smile.
“It’s why our friends are fighting alongside us. They see that dream as well and choose to fight with us. They fight and die to ensure that there will be a future, just like others have done before us,” Iruka says, looking to Mito and Kushina. “We wouldn’t be here…you wouldn’t be here, if not for their sacrifices,” Iruka finishes, turning hard eyes on Obito. “Don’t forget you owe your own life to their sacrifices,” he reminds him.
Obito growls in frustration. “These speeches are pitiful attempts to buy time. I will end you now,” he yells out as the Juubi turns to face them.
“It’s aiming this way,” he hears yelled and braces to do…something when he sees someone come flying in and laughs as B makes a dramatic entrance, the Hachibi exploding out of him to form its own Bijuudama. The two collide, B forcing the Juubi’s attack back into it and blocking off its mouth, creating a gigantic explosion.
He frowns as the Hachibi goes flying back from the explosion and lands further away, injured, but it seems to be enough time as he feels chakra bloom in his chest at the same time as he feels that all too familiar tug from Naruto calling on his own half.
With a surge of chakra, he feels the chakra mantle settle over him. With it flows Kurama’s words, explaining just how to transfer chakra to others. “Like puzzle pieces,” Iruka thinks back and feels Kurama nod. He shares a glance with Naruto and they take off as Naruto summons clones, hands brushing arms, shoulder, legs, any piece they can touch, chakra sparking under their glancing touches. Where they go, more mantles cover the shinobi around them.
He can feel the threads connecting them to the other shinobi. It’s a wed of chakra, shining brightly in his mind’s eye, all connected together because even though they are two separate people, they bare two halves of the same whole. There is no difference in Kurama’s chakra. It simply is his chakra.
It takes seconds at the speed they travel to get everyone under their protection. They land near the others who have been fending off attacks as he and Naruto worked. “We need to separate the two of them,” Iruka huffs out. “Shikamaru, I leave that plan up to you,” he adds.
“On it…Ino,” Shikamaru murmurs and Ino nods, hands already forming the signs to send his words out to everyone.
~*~
Iruka stares at where Kakashi and Obito just were even as the world rages around him. He can hear the scream of wind and feel the static from so much lightning brought to bear on them by the Juubi’s will, but he can’t focus on it.
People scramble to survive the upsurge in torrential weather, the Juubi howling along with the wind as it slowly changes again, back into the form it had before. “Iruka-nii,” Naruto yells out and Iruka looks to see him rushing towards him.
The teen stumbles and Iruka instinctively reaches out to catch him, seeing the exhaustion etched on his face, no doubt mirrored on his. The threads of chakra are nearly nonexistent, gossamer and frail. He doesn’t have enough chakra to keep the shrouds going and neither does Naruto, though they can at least keep the connection intact…for now.
“What do we do? Without the Kyuubi’s chakra, we’re done for?” someone asks as the Juubi prepares to attack, sights set on the two of them.
“We didn’t need Kurama’s chakra to win,” Sakura suddenly speaks up. “We are the Shinobi Alliance. We can’t hesitate now after everything they’ve done for us,” she shouts and yells echo her.
The Juubi rears back, the Bijuudama growing bigger and bigger and the Alliance surges forward, preparing to stop the attack any way they can. It unleashes and Iruka wants to stop it, but he’s tapped even as Kurama frantically kneads more chakra.
And despite their efforts, the attack keeps coming their way, too great to stop completely. They all brace for the attack before it suddenly winks out of existence. A few seconds later, and an explosion goes off in the distance as Iruka glances behind him at the newly arrived figure of the Yondaime. “Sorry I’m late,” he says with a grin at his wife and son.
“What took you so long?” Kushina snaps with her own fierce grin.
“You wouldn’t believe the traffic,” Minato huffs out as more kage begin to arrive. “Unfortunately, I brought my work with me,” he adds, glancing back where they can see Hashirama battling Madara.
~*~
Iruka dodges a slash from nasty looking claws before slicing through the creature the Juubi created. As it falls, cut in two, he glances around in his brief moment of space before the next one comes at him. He can see the others taking out the creatures. He spies Kushina with multiple creatures speared on her chains, Mito striking out with gentle touches that have seals blooming and the monsters exploding a second later. Naruto’s year mates are handling themselves as well.
He can also see the next wave of creatures approaching that are far larger than any that have been fought yet. Iruka darts forward towards where he can see Naruto fighting with Sakura and Sasuke. “This isn’t working,” he huffs out. “Right now, it’s a battle of attrition and the Juubi doesn’t seem to be slowing down creating these things,” he points out.
“If we get close, we could attack the Juubi directly and stop the flow,” Sasuke points out.
“You’d need to be able to get through them though,” Iruka points out the hulking forms quickly closing the gap between them.
Naruto just grins, sharing a glance with his team before he looks at Iruka. “We can handle that,” he says and Iruka nods, stepping back as all three bite their thumb and run through a familiar string of hand seals.
The resulting smoke momentarily obscures their vision before it clears from a convenient wing flap. He spies a familiar toad, grown even bigger than the last time they saw him. He spies Katsuyu, whom he recalls seeing before during the attack on Konoha. Sasuke’s though…he wonders when Itachi let the boy sign onto his contract with the crows.
He’s not seen the boss crow before, but Itachi has described him to him. The gigantic corvid flaps its wings again, an echoing caw reverberating through the air. All three are on top of their summons. “Go you three, you know what to do,” Iruka shouts, pointing towards the Juubi.
He wants to follow, but he needs to remain here helping hold back the hoard long enough to let them succeed. Nodding, the three move. Gamakichi bounds forward while the Boss Crow jumps into the air in a flurry of feather. Katsuyu dissolves into a multitude of herself, spreading across the battle ground to administer healing to those who need it.
Iruka ends up near Kushina and Mito, the three surrounded by gigantic monsters when he feels Naruto and Sasuke’s combined attacks hit the Juubi. He glances that way to see a huge blaze of black flames starting to consume part of the Juubi.
For a moment, the Juubi’s creatures freeze, distracted by the Juubi’s pain under the flames of Amaterasu. In that moment, he feels the familiar whirling of chakra and looks towards the Juubi in time to see Obito fall out of his dimension to land heavily on the Juubi.
~*~
Iruka stares up at where Obito is standing on an outcropping of stone, body slowly settling into its new form. The creatures are gone, absorbed when Obito absorbed the Juubi. He can feel it from here, how the power, now contained and focused, is even greater than before.
He can see the others on Gamakichi and starts making his way there before the kage suddenly move, Tobirama and Hashirama moving in sync, aiming for Obito. Wooden restraints pin him only a second before Obito simply breaks through.
He reaches out, tearing down the barrier that before contained the Juubi’s attacks. Tobirama and Hashirama keep going even as Obito tears through their Edo Tensei forms like wet paper. But it seems to have been enough, the two managing to restrain it.
Just as he arrives by Naruto, Sasuke and Minato, explosions echo across the battlefield, a never ending stream of seal tags that completely obscure Obito as they detonate. Even as the explosions end and the smoke starts to dissipate, Iruka can tell it didn’t work.
Hashirama goes to rush Obito, but Madara intervenes, blocking him and forcing him back into their earlier battle. More attacks still fly at Obito and the strange black fluid around his hands expands, blocking the attacks like it’s nothing.
He jumps away, aiming towards where the four of them are on Gamakichi only to suddenly lose control of his form and fall to land heavily on the ground. “Is he having trouble controlling his form?” Sasuke asks.
“It’s a lot of power to suddenly have, so most likely,” Minato admits. “I’m going to make an opening,” Minato declares, pulling out his Hiraishin kunai from his pouch. He darts forward in a flash of yellow, aiming for a closer marker before attacking.
Iruka feels something shift in the air, both he and Naruto reacting to it at the same time. “Gamakichi, jump!” Naruto yells out and the toad reacts, jumping up and back as Obito explodes from the ground, having tunneled under it to get to them.
Gamakichi isn’t quite fast enough, the force of Obito’s arrival throwing the toad back. The three of them are flung off, the two teens thrown away from Iruka. Obito aims for them, a black rod aiming straight for Naruto. Dark chakra erupts around Sasuke as he pulls out Susanoo and blocks the attack with an arm even as he manages to grab Naruto with the other and they land near Obito.
Iruka sees it from too far away, still falling as Obito attack the two, hands lashing out to grab both boys by the head, aiming to kill. “No,” he croaks out, unable to stop it before there’s a flash of red orange light and a familiar dark head of hair appears behind the two teens, grabbing them and all three disappear in a similar flash of light.
“What?” Iruka asks as familiar chakra wraps around him before he finally lands hard and he looks around to see another Susanoo standing tall on the battlefield, Itachi at its heart.
“Sorry we took so long,” Itachi apologizes, glancing at Iruka.
“I’m just glad you’re here,” Iruka says as Itachi lowers him to the ground where Shisui has appeared with Sasuke and Naruto.
“You started without us,” Shisui huffs out in fake annoyance.
“Not by choice,” Iruka assures him as Minato touches down in a flash of yellow.
“I have questions,” Minato says with a glance at the two Uchiha, “but he’s attacking again,” he points out and they all brace, Itachi sending out Susanoo’s shield to try and block the attack. As it gets close, Minato throws a seal kunai and the attack vanish only to explode in the air further away. Obito attacks again and this time, it’s closer to home, the attack missing them, but striking him.
“He hit himself?” Shisui asks in confusion.
“The Juubi is a tremendous amount of power for one person to control, let alone master. No doubt, Obito is barely holding onto any semblance of himself right now,” Minato points out. Pulling out another kunai, he disappears in a flash to the kunai that’s near Obito, rushing him in a sudden burst of speed to try and take him down before he gains control of the Juubi.
There’s a flash of light and a burst of smoke just before Minato gets in range and as it clears, Obito is revealed…only seemingly in control, a new dark shakujo in his hand. Minato doesn’t hesitate, lashing out to meet Obito and their weapons clang before the kunai breaks against the staff, Obito lashing out to severe Minato’s arm before he jumps back to them in another flash of light.
“Dad!” Naruto shouts as he reappears next to them.
“He got me, but I’m okay,” Minato reassures them before Obito’s words float over to them and Iruka looks to see the Bijuudama attached to Minato.
Before any of them can react, Tobirama appears in front of them, hand grabbing the Bijuudama and disappearing in his own white flash of light. Where Obito is standing, the area explodes from the Bijuudama going off. Tobirama reappears in another flash.
“Don’t worry, I just used a clone,” he reassures them with a faint frown. “The last time I touched him, I laid a marker on him,” he explains. He takes in the two new additions to their group, frowning at Itachi and Shisui. “Who taught the Uchiha to use the Hiraishin?” he asks seriously, though with no malice in his voice.
“Ah…that would be me,” Iruka admits with a sheepish look, guessing why Tobirama is asking the question considering the Hiraishin was created to defeat the Sharingan. “I also finished your seal to help limit the damage the Sharingan does to the clan,” he adds softly. For a brief second, he swears he sees surprise and a little relief on his face before its schooled back to its usual look of indifference.
“Good to know,” he says simply.
~*~
Iruka ignores Minato talking with Obito, trying to reason with him. Instead, he shares a look with Naruto, seeing a similar understanding in his eyes. Closing his eyes, he falls still, breath flowing in a familiar pattern as he starts to draw in the natural chakra saturating the battlefield, drawn by so much conflict, unleashed attacks and the Juubi itself.
He feels a hand on his shoulder and looks up to see Shisui standing next to him, a knowing look in his eyes. Grinning sharply, Iruka pulls out his wakizashi, feeding the natural chakra into the blade. It doesn’t change much, but he can feel the building vibration in the metal as the chakra conducting metal reacts to the natural chakra, a low whine starting to build.
“For someone who’s never been Hokage, you certainly have a lot of opinions about the job,” Iruka speaks up.
“Especially since you couldn’t make it yourself,” Naruto adds with a growl in his voice, Tobirama right behind Naruto. There’s no outward sign, but all four move, jumping in an instant across the battlefield to attack. Iruka goes low, knocking the staff from Obito’s hand, his blade holding up against the staff as Naruto goes from behind and slams the man with a natural chakra infused Rasengan.
They jump back just as quickly, Naruto crowing at landing a hit. “I knew that would work,” he cheers.
“That won’t work a second time,” Sasuke speaks up, staring at where Obito is getting up, healed and recovered from the hit already.
“What is he doing?” Shisui asks as Obito kneels, pressing his hands to the ground.
“Nothing good,” Itachi speaks up as the ground explodes outward, something growing suddenly from the earth in front of Obito, rapidly reaching skyward at an alarming rate. Four giant flowers, similar to the Juubi’s form before bloom in a cloud of pollen before dark orbs start to form in front of them, growing quickly.
“Damn,” Tobirama curses. “We need to get everyone out of here,” he calls out even as Obito moves and rods shoot from him to land at various points. A moment later, a new barrier appears around them, enclosing them all inside where the Bijuudama are already reaching the size of detonation.
“We can’t redirect the attacks,” Minato says slowly.
“Iruka-nii,” Naruto says, holding out his fist and Iruka guesses what he wants, pressing his own and the teen’s idea sparks in his mind, seeing the gossamer threads that are still connected between the two of them and everyone trapped in the barrier.
“What do you say, Kurama?” Iruka asks internally, looking up at Kurama in their shared space.
“Connect me to Shisui and Minato,” Kurama orders with a grin.
They pull apart and Iruka turns to Shisui as Naruto turns to Minato, holding out their fists, the two doing so as well. Chakra sparks around the two, Kurama finally kneading enough chakra, and as it envelops them, it envelopes everyone else they’re connected to.
~*~
Iruka pants where he landed barely standing after the tree drained so much chakra from him. Itachi is beside him, helping him stay standing as the others slowly group around them. He can see Naruto leaned against Hiruzen; the kage having grabbed him after Tobirama managed to free him from the Juubi’s reaching roots.
Overhead, nearly framed by the slowly rising full moon, Iruka stares up at the towering stalk of the Juubi’s form. A bulb rests at the very top and he assumes that when it blooms, nothing good will happen. Around them, he can see others fallen, too slow to avoid the roots and the syphoning they did on their chakra.
His ears are ringing, barely able to hear Obito’s condescending words about giving up and their inevitable fate. He steps away from Itachi towards Naruto, seeing the grief on his face, the anger and frustration at what’s happening.
There’s a blaze of chakra from two sides and Iruka looks up to see two Susanoo lunge at one of the huge roots, easily cutting through it. “You and Madara give Uchiha a bad name,” Shisui speaks up. “We’re just getting started.”
A third Susanoo suddenly appears next, Sasuke striding to stand by his family. “Are you even an Uchiha?” he asks snidely.
Iruka huffs faintly, looking at Naruto and sees him also looking back. They’ve been through so much, pain, grief, suffering, rejection, but they still kept walking forward because they had each other. Now, they have so much more…all the more reason to not give up.
There’s a spark between them and chakra explodes from both, enveloping them as they rise from the ground, Kurama taking on his full form around them. “We’ll stop you…if it’s the last thing we do,” Iruka speaks up.
“We’re done letting you walk all over us,” Naruto adds.
“Itachi,” Iruka says simply and his friend turns to look at him, eyes blazing red as he nods, easily falling into step with Iruka as Sasuke follows Naruto.
“Heh, think I can Hiraishin with Susanoo?” Shisui asks with a grin.
“Don’t overdo it,” Itachi warns.
“Back at you, cousin. I’ve still got both my eyes,” Shisui shoots back. “I’ll help out with these roots. Don’t die,” he orders before he and his Susanoo disappear in flash of light.
Iruka takes a deep breath, bracing for their first move and looks down as Minato steps between him and Itachi, Tobirama doing so with Naruto and Sasuke. Nodding, there’s a flash of light and they’re gone from that spot.
~*~
Iruka starts as Kakashi suddenly appear from nowhere in a spiral of air, pinning the prone Obito down while raising a kunai to land a finishing blow. He watches Kakashi go to strike and part of him wants the man to, to end the threat once and for all. Part of him though, the part that saw into Obito’s heart while they pulled the bijuu from him…can’t allow Kakashi to take out the person he once called and still considers a friend, even despite everything that just happened.
Before he can react, Minato appears next to Kakashi, grabbing his hand to stop him. Relief sweeps through him as he listens to Minato, some of the tension escaping his frame as he stares down at his once friend.
“We’ve got this handled,” Minato speaks up, looking back towards them. “You and the alliance, go help Hashirama and Mito seal Madara away once and for all,” he orders.
Iruka wants to stay with Kakashi, but needs must, so he takes one last look at him before he turns to follow Naruto and the others back to where they can still hear Madara and Hashirama fighting. He can hear Kushina’s curses from here.
He watches as Naruto sends out his Rasenshuriken, the attack pointing the way for the alliance to see where Hashirama has managed to finally pin Madara, Mito beside him, readying to seal him away once and for all. Naruto rushes ahead.
Iruka though, he can’t help, but hold back, something telling him to hold for just a second longer. He’s fallen behind the others when he feels the sudden rise in chakra behind him, a familiar jutsu that he’s witnessed before.
For a moment, he feels relief that Kakashi managed to get through to Obito, enough for him to willingly use that jutsu to bring everyone back. A burst of bitter triumph from below, followed by wave of satisfaction from across the battlefield has Iruka jerking around.
He takes a step back towards the place he just left, but it’s too late and the jutsu unleashes. Turning back towards where Madara is at, he can barely see the man as he shatters the restraints holding him, forcing Hashirama and Mito back.
Glancing back once, Iruka growls and rushes ahead, needing to be with Naruto. Something in his gut says he needs to be there now. That this development will only get worse before it gets better.
~*~
The world goes silent for a drawn out moment as Madara resummons the Demonic Statue. Iruka’s heart plummets, already guessing what is coming next. It took everything in them to take down Obito and now Madara is redoing the plan, and far stronger than Obito ever was.
Iruka swallows as the realization comes over him what he must do now. Reaching into his pouch, he pulls out a small vial. It contains special blend of herbs and oils mixed with a drop of his own blood and the Kyuubi’s chakra.
Naruto is beside him, both swathed in Kurama’s chakra, staring in shock at the Demonic Statue. “Naruto,” Iruka murmurs, voice barely heard in the chaos, but his other half hears him, turning to look at him. “I’ve one more trick up my sleeve,” he tells him, showing the small vial.
Naruto grins, expecting something amazing, like always. It’s probably the greatest thing he’s made and it has one purpose…to protect his other half. That’s all he’s ever cared about…keeping Naruto safe. Is it a healthy mindset, no, but it’s what has kept him going all these years and it’s the last thing he has to offer in this impossible fight.
Popping the vial, he ignores the fight going on as he spills the mixture over his hand, rubbing it in. “Ready?” Iruka asks and Naruto nods.
His hands fly through seals at an incredible rate, trying to race time, to beat the ticking clock that is slowly counting down. The chakra builds on his hands, the heat nearly unbearable, but he pushes through it. He must do this.
The last sign is complete and he holds out his hands, glowing white with how much concentrated chakra is centered on them. “I’m proud of you, Naruto,” Iruka whispers and presses his right hand over the teen’s heart, the left going over his navel…over the seal placed there.
The seal that blooms across Naruto’s body glows white, swirling across him in intricate, detailed lines. It has one purpose and only one purpose and Iruka ensured no one could break this seal…except Naruto himself.
It finishes just in time, Madara now somehow now having a Rinnegan, attacking with enough force to knock them and all the Bijuu down with one look. He looks back with a grin, even as the Statue’s mouth opens and chains lash out from it.
One wraps around him and Kurama, but as the other reaches for Naruto, the teen disappears in a flash of light from sight. “What have you been meddling with?” Madara asks in annoyance.
“I made sure you could never take his half,” Iruka spits out, anger bubbling up at finally facing the one who is the cause of all of this. “You’ll never win.”
“All you’ve done is delay me,” Madara says with a smirk and the chains pull tight.
Kurama snarls in his head. “Kurama,” Iruka whispers even as he digs in his feet, straining against the chain.
“Don’t you fucking dare, fool,” Kurama snarls out.
“Kurama,” Iruka says again and looks inward. He can see the mountains already starting to fracture in their shared space, Kurama being pulled out of him inch by inch. “Please.”
“No, this is not the time, fool,” Kurama hisses.
“We knew this was coming,” Iruka points out. “You watched me create that seal, knew what I was preparing for. I’m the spare,” Iruka reminds him.
“I don’t fucking care,” Kurama growls. “That’s no excuse to just give up.”
“I’m not giving up,” Iruka says. “I just know when I’m beat.” The silence is strained and the fractures grow longer. “Will you do me a favor…please,” he asks.
“No,” Kurama snarls.
“Tell Naruto I love him, will you, and I’m sorry I couldn’t see him become Hokage. The others as well, that I love them and I’m sorry,” he adds with a crooked smile.
“Don’t you dare!” Kurama howls.
“Hey Kurama,” Iruka says, staring at Kurama as the fractures grow even more, starting to overlay Kurama’s image. “Thank you for being my friend. It’s been an honor,” Iruka finishes as Kurama snarls in despair.
He looks outward just in time to watch Kurama be ripped from him. The force sends him flying backwards through the air. It hurts like nothing he’s ever felt, and yet he quickly goes numb, body suddenly cold without Kurama’s chakra to warm him.
His vision tunnels, darkness already starting to creep along the edges. He can see the ground fast approaching, but can’t move even to save himself some pain. He resigns himself to landing hard before there’s a flash of yellow and an arm grabs him, the warmth startling now that he’s so cold.
A familiar lurch and then he feels earth beneath his body. “Iruka!” he hears a voice call out and he looks up to see Minato staring down at him with wide eyes. A burst of red is greeted by Kushina appearing, her hair startling in its vibrancy.
He tries to say something…anything, but he can’t talk, isn’t sure how he’s still breathing. “Shh,” she whispers, eyes filled with grief. “You can rest now, Iruka,” she tells him, running a hand over his hair.
The darkness closes in further and he swears he hears Naruto calling him before it all fades to nothing.