The Red Flash Chapter 56 (Kaguya Clan) (Patreon)

Naruto

Naruto and Kimimaro stood facing off. The two stood still while the wind blew across the field. Kimimaro pulled the bones out of both of his arms to dual wield swords, "Let us begin."

A short quirk of Naruto's lips was all the indication to start that either needed as they moved as blurs across the battlefield. Naruto was dodging Kimimaro's double-handed strikes and attempting to counter with his fists.

Naruto ducked a dual slash at his head but ended up getting kicked back by Kimimaro. Naruto ducked down low and rushed at Kimimaro's legs, shooting for his knees with a takedown attempt, sweeps, and swiping at his legs and lower torso with his fists while simultaneously avoiding low stabbing attempts from Kimimaro.

Kimimaro was the best all-around close range fighter in pretty much all of Otogakure, and a good fighter can tell things about their opponent's style from watching them attack.

Kimimaro saw what Naruto gave up in poise and precise movements due to the influx of power he gained in terms of his bloodlust and ways to cause injury to his enemies. If Kimimaro didn't show up to his own power himself, then the attack would have begun to overwhelm him.

Kimimaro saw an opening and rushed to stab his chest, his bone pierced his chest but no blood, when he felt his senses go crazy, he tried to jump when a punched him square in the face sending him crashing into a nearby tree, Naruto pulled out his sword.

Kimimaro stood up again when he felt the bones around his face crack. His eyes widened at the sheer strength of the Uzumaki.

Orochimaru-sama warned him not to underestimate him, the bone user started slowly changing appearance, his Cursed Seal on his chest started spreading around his body, but before he could complete the redhead stood up in front of him, with a swing of his sword, thanks to his cursed mark, he docked just in time, the trees behind him were fell like matches.

Naruto swung at Kimimaro before the two vanished and began clashing once again. The sound of bone clashing with steel echoed around the area as they crossed blades with one another again. Naruto's attacks once again became a fluid match for Kimimaro's sleek movements as the two dealt an equal amount of grazing wounds to one another as they met in a stalemate in kenjutsu.

Kimimaro swung at his torso only for Naruto to grab it with his palm, pulling the bone and him towards him; Naruto added chakra to his fist, hitting him right in the chest again, sending him flying and crashing against a rock, the strength caused the rock to crumble like sand.

Naruto winced in pain. Looking at his right palm, he saw three holes around his palm and slashes around his fingers and wrist, his blood dripping from his hand to the ground.

Naruto's eyes went to his opponent, who was walking towards him with a vast bone spear on his right palm, the part around his cheek had grown bones with pointy ends, just how it was when he had tried to kick his chest.

The redhead narrowed his head; he needed to change the game, his teammates needed him, and he couldn't stay here and waste time with Kimimaro.

Naruto's hand started healing. He put his sword in front of him; with his left hand, he unlocked his weights, Kimimaro's cursed mark spread all over his body.

"Do you see?" Kimimaro dropped the swords in his hands as he began to transform again, "Orochimaru-sama and his ambition... That is why I fight for his goals and dream. I am his weapon, and I will allow myself to be broken if it will prevent someone like you from stopping him."

Kimimaro's skin turned brown, and six large bone spikes protruded from the sides of his back. A spiky tail emerged from his back, and upon seeing that, Naruto narrowed his eyes, leaking his KI at 50%.

"Is that what you accepted? You let yourself become a monster just to serve someone like Orochimaru" Naruto spoke his name with venom.

Kimimaro stood back up and looked at Naruto with a superior gaze, "This is Orochimaru-sama's gift to me. And with it, I will repay him for all he has done by defeating the ones that stand in the way of him and his grand plans."

Kimimaro pulled out his spinal column to form a flexible, spiky chain-staff, "This is the Tessenka no Mai: Tsuru (Dance of the Clemantis: Vine). You are quite skilled to push me this far, but you will not win. Orochimaru-sama has plans for Sasuke Uchiha; it is most unfortunate for you that you will not live to see them come to fruition."

"Well, to make that happen, you're going to have to come over here and fight me unless you think you can kill me by talking me to death."

Kimimaro snapped his new weapon in a test of sorts, "For the future of Otogakure and Orochimaru-sama, you will die today!"

Naruto set his sword in a ready stance and gazed out at Kimimaro coldly, "For someone that seems to have a fetish for saying that they're going to kill me, you sure do a lot of talking."

As they rushed at each other again, the redhead immediately noticed the added speed; he had to give it credit. Kimimaro was much stronger like this.

As they two clashed, Naruto added wind chakra to his sword, causing to cut the bone slightly much to Kimimaro's shock, they kept fighting, strikes after strikes, the bone user used his bone to wrap Naruto's right arm, sending him towards him with high speed.

Naruto's eyes widened as Kimimaro's left hand was engulfed in a colossal bone covering his whole left arm.

"Die" Kimimaro screamed, piercing Naruto's chest, but only for the real Naruto to show behind him.

Kimimaro was sent flying, but the bone user stopped himself and turned towards the redhead.

"Impossible, That was the real one. Did he change position? No, he must have moved extremely fast and created a clone, But When?

Before Kimimaro could think further, Naruto rushed at him with his sword; Kimimaro started dodging one after the other, not to his knowledge; Naruto's left hand kept touching the trees around, he kept dodging, as they returned to the ground.

Naruto swung again only for the bone user to use his big spear around his left arm to deflect the sword, Kimimaro moved fast, but to his surprise, the redhead smirked, suddenly several red chains were tightened around his left and right arm, he tried to break them, but in vain.

When?

His eyes widened to see several red seals drawn around the trees, and the chains were coming out of them.

"Did you think I was throwing you against trees for fun?" Naruto said as Kimimaro remembered the redhead touching the trees with his left hand on multiple occasions.

Naruto was in front of him. His right fist was engulfed in red chakra. Kimimaro immediately grew bones around his chest and face, but this time, the red chakra destroyed the bones and hit his chest, causing him to crack and break, sending him flying through multiple trees.

The trees fell from the strength, dirt and debris covered the ground.

Naruto could still feel his chakra, but before he could do anything, the bone user stood up and used a hand sign; Kimimaro started sinking in the ground like water.

His whole chest was destroyed, and blood spilt out of his mouth.

"Orochimaru-sama should have completed his mission by now", he whispered.

Naruto didn't stop to rest but immediately went after his teammates ignoring the pain in his right hand.

Hokage Office

Then Ibiki came in and told him about an accusation that was made by one of the chūnin hopefuls. Apparently, there was a leak within his office. A genin was able to gain information that he was not supposed to have. He checked the name Yakushi Kabuto and did find it suspicious that he had participated in seven exams and permanently forfeited after the second exam. Sure, he could have gotten the information after all those exams, but that couldn't be. He launched an investigation into the boy and hoped that he wasn't a spy.

He released a sigh and leaned back in his chair. He wondered what else could happen today. He heard a knock on his door and permitted them to enter. He cursed mentally as he saw his rival enter his office. He could only wonder what Danzō wanted now.

"Hello, old friend. What can I do for you today?" Hiruzen asked.

"I heard that Orochimaru might be within the village," Danzō said.

Geez, I wonder how You could have figured that out?

"Nothing is confirmed, but I have been informed of that boy participating in the exams," Hiruzen said.

"Are you sure that it is wise to allow him to continue? His objective includes our weapon, which is also in the exams." Danzō said.

"Naruto can handle himself. I also trust his team to watch his back as we did during the wars." Hiruzen said.

"You are not handling this seriously, Hiruzen. I also thought it was idiotic that we allow other villages into ours, but you are risking the life of our weapon and placing your trust in Kakashi." Danzō said.

"I have warned you before, Danzō. He is not a weapon, and you will never refer to him as such in my presence again. Also, I trust Kakashi much more than you do. He has raised this team to be one of my best. I dare say that they can even surpass my team without falling to the events that led to two of them leaving. I cannot touch Ikano because he is protected by the guidelines that make up the exams. Until they are over, I can do little." Hiruzen said.

"I still see that you are too soft, Hiruzen," Danzō said.

"And yet, I was chosen and not you. Do you wish to know why?" Hiruzen asked. He watched as Danzō's lone eye narrowed. He just turned and left the office without another word. He walked out of the tower and made his way to his home. Once home, he tapped his cane, and a shinobi appeared.

"Danzō-sama." The shinobi said and bowed.

"I want you to send a team into the Forest of Death and bring a boy named Ikano here. Capture his team as well, including the jōnin sensei." Danzō ordered. The shinobi bowed and vanished. If Hiruzen weren't going to do anything, then he would as it was to protect the great tree that is Konoha.

Suna Team

In a standoff, two teams, one from the Village Hidden in the sand and another from the Village Hidden in the Rain.

Both teams waited in a wooded clearing, waiting to make their move.

The rain ninja was cocky, sneering and taunting the sand genin. They were dressed more for a summer shower than a trek through a forest waiting to kill them. Each team member wore a slick blue and white jumpsuit, a sizeable domed hat, and several umbrellas strapped to their back.

"Do you believe the nerve of these sand ninja Shibure?" The middle man, Midare, drawled, "challenging us head-on like this."

"Yeah, they're a bunch of fools," his shorter companion, Baiu, crowed.

The sand ninja said nothing, made no move other than to observe the rain ninja coldly.

One of them, Shigure, stepped forward. Two vertical scars ran along the right side of his face, bisecting his eyes and, at the same time, rendering it useless. His left eye glittered brightly, shining with enough cruelty for both. He had the look of a predator about him. Or someone who very much wanted to look like a predator. The remaining eye glared at each sand ninja in turn.

"Too bad, kids, you should've picked your opponents better. Now you're all going to die!"

Finally, Gaara of the Sand spoke. In a soft, rasping voice filled with rage and pain and venom.

"I've heard enough out of you. Let's make this quick. I don't want to waste my time."

Gaara was at least two feet shorter than the rain ninja, but something just wasn't right about the boy. A great overwhelming darkness seemed to flow off him in waves. He was dressed all in black, save for the white sash across his chest and the large gourd tied to his back. Wild, red hair framed his features. His eyes, lined with the dark rings of sleep deprivation, burned with hungry malice.

Kankuro winced.

"Hey Gaara." he cautiously began, "Wouldn't it make more sense to follow these punks and gather information first? I mean, if they have the same type of scroll as we do, then we're just fighting an unnecessary battle."

Shigure's face darkened. He didn't like these pucks treating him like he was nothing right to his face. They were blatantly disrespecting him and his squad. Slowly his hands reached for the seven umbrellas at his back.

Gaara didn't even turn around.

"I don't care. They looked at me the wrong way, and now they have to die," he said softly.

It was then that Shibure snapped.

"If you think you can kill us, then try it!" he snarled.

Shigure's hands found the umbrella handles at his back, tore them free with a vicious snap, and threw them high into the air.

All eyes turned to the sky.

They floated some twenty feet above the sand ninja's heads, poised like dandelion seeds. Then they stopped, held aloft by the power of Shigure's chakra. He manipulated his hands in the proper signs as massive chakra began to pour into the umbrellas.

The umbrellas began to spin, and hundreds of needles started to fill the sky.

"And now! Ninja art, Senbon Rainstorm!" He cried.

Every needle flew straight and true toward one target.

Gaara of the Sand.

They circled him from all sides. One move in any direction would fill him with hundreds of tiny points of death. Needles buzzed through the air like flies, awaiting the command of their maser and creating a rainstorm of death around Gaara that cut him off from his companions, who could only watch on. Shigure marvelled for a moment at how the boy's squad could watch on smugly while their leader was about to be torn apart.

"Up, down, left, right. There's no blind spot for this jutsu, and it's deadly accurate!"

Shigure waves his hand casually, causing a few needles to pierce the ground at Gaara's feet.

The boy never flinched; he almost looked hopeful.

A vein throbbed in the rain ninja's head. This had gone on for far too long. He waved his hands, and hundreds of needles came crashing back down to the earth with enough force to crack the ground beneath Gaara and kick up a large cloud of dust.

Gaara never moved. His fate was lost amongst the dust.

Shigure laughed, looking triumphant. He took an eager step forward to survey the damage and to collect the scroll needed to enter the tower.

The dust settled, and Shigure froze in mid-step.

Gaara of the Sand stood unharmed, not a single mark upon his skin. Every needle had embedded itself within the cocoon-like wall of sand. Tiny motes of sand silently flitted around, almost mockingly. A small space near the front remained open, revealing Gaara's eyes, glittering malevolently.

"Is that the best you can do?" he asked darkly.

Shigure was horrified, "It can't be, not one wound. That's impossible!"

He clapped his hands together, going for the sand ninja's exposed throat.

Without any signal from Gaara, the sand moves to intercept every needle. Not one touched him.

Gaara's expression darkened another notch.

"A senbon rainstorm huh? I have an idea. Let's make it rain blood instead.

The rain ninja froze. Never, in the history of his village, had the senbon failed to neutralize a target. For this boy to have avoided every needle, he just wasn't human. Shigure's teammates took a step back. He shot them a disgusted look even though he was just a terrified as they were.

"How!" he snarled.

Kankuro stepped forward.

"It's a defence that nothing can penetrate. Gaara carries that sand in the gourd on his back, and when he's attacked, he uses the power of his chakra to harden the sand so that it's stronger than steel. It's a jutsu that only Gaara can do. Somehow it happens reflexively, independent of his will. So any attacks against him are doomed to failure."

The wall of sand began to dissolve, melting back into the ground and leaving no trace of its presence behind. Except for all the needles it had collected and deposited in the dirt around Gaara and a few tiny motes of sand in the air.

"Oh yeah? Well, we'll see!" Shigure charged across the clearing toward the sand ninja, pulling two kunai fighting knives from his belt.

Kankuro gave the rain ninja one last, almost pitying look.

"Face it. You guys can't hope to defeat Gaara."

Gaara grimaced, the closest expression he had to a smile. Slowly he clasped his hands together, making each sign precisely and pumping his chakra into the dirt beneath Shigure's feet.

"Sand coffin!" Gaara cried.

In mid-step, the ground reached out to devour him. From head to toe, he was covered in a cocoon of sand. Not like Gaara's, which was meant to protect, this cocoon was made to kill. Only a bare patch left his face visible, twisted by agony and fear, and even that was rapidly dwindling. In less than five seconds, the hunter became the hunted. Tiny motes of sand flew around his face, occasionally entering his eye.

One by one, the umbrellas fell from the sky.

Shigure's voice strained as the sand tightened its grip on him, "Wh-what is this? Let. Let me go!"

Gaara ignored him, "all I have to do is cover your big mouth, and you'll be dead," in response, the sands gathered around Shigure's nose and mouth but backed off after a moment, "but that would be too easy and too boring."

Gaara picked up one of the fallen umbrellas and unlocked it, holding it over his head as if it were about to rain.

Shigure tried, without luck, to blink away the sand from his eyes. Gaara raised his free hand, and the sands holding Shigure rose high into the air. The rain ninja struggled valiantly, but he couldn't break free. Gaara looked up at him one final time. He showed no emotion, save for a gnawing hunger tempered by malice.

Gaara clenched his fist.

"Sand burial!" he cried.

With one last, tormented scream Shigure left this world. It was crushed into oblivion by the relentless sand.

Blood rained from the sky, splattering the umbrella and the rain ninja's horrified comrades.

Gaara turned to them, "There wasn't any pain. I crushed him with more force than was necessary, so it was over quickly. The scream you heard was from fear."

He closed the dripping umbrella and surveyed the sodden landscape.

"The corpse's bitter crimson tears mingle with the endless sand and feed the chaos within me, making me stronger," he whispered.

Midare stepped forward, each step an effort to master his fear, to lay the scroll upon the ground.

"Just t-take the scroll. Go on, here."

Baiu spoke in a high pitched voice, "Yes! Take it! Please spare us!"

Gaara tossed the umbrella away and reached out to the remaining rain ninja.

Once more, the earth reached up to hungrily consume the rest of the squad. They screamed frantically as the sand engulfed them as it did their leader, their sanity shattering along with their bodies.

Blood rained from the skies.

Kankuro walked forward to retrieve the scroll.

"Hey, we got lucky," He smiled, " it's a heaven scroll."

"Just shut up," Gaara hissed, "it's not enough. It'll never be enough."

He walked toward the tower. Heaven helps anything that got in his way.

Suddenly all three of them heard Clapping.

They turned to see three genins standing there. The one guy in the front clapping as if it was a celebration or some kind.

At first, Kankuro wanted to call them in their stupidity to come out after that, but the one in the front sent all three the same vibes Gaara usually send.

"Excellent Gaara of The Sand," the Iwa shinobi said as his right eye slowly darkened and turned pitch black, no white areas much to the shock of Suna Shinobi.

"Now, how about we see who can go deeper into The Abyss."

Sasuke

When the man started attacking and drew Naruto away, Sasuke turned where the gust of wind came from and saw a woman. The woman was chuckling. Sasuke narrowed his eyes.

"What the hell do you want?"

"I know you have an Earth Scroll. Luckily for you, or me, I have a Heaven Scroll." The woman said with glee in her voice and face.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. Just from looking at this woman, he could tell that she was trouble. "So, you didn't answer my question. What the hell do you want?" Sasuke asked, clenching his teeth and feeling sweat rolling down his cheek.

"I want your Earth Scroll. Also, I've never fought an Uchiha before. I want to test myself against the might of the Sharingan."

"If it's a fight you want, you've found it." Sasuke scoffed and immediately activated his Sharingan.

"I know, and to raise the stakes..."

The woman then tilted her head back. She held the scroll above her open mouth. Sasuke thought, 'why do I feel like I won't like what will happen next.'

The woman pushed the scroll down her throat, swallowing it.

"Now, this is more than about some scroll. The only way out of here is if one of us dies."

'This lady is sick. What the hell did she do that for?" Sasuke couldn't help but feel afraid; his body started shaking like a leaf; Sakura by his side didn't look much better.

"Are you scared of death, Sasuke? I doubt that in your life, you've even experienced death. Let me show you!" The monster said maniacally, her tongue coming out, long enough to reach her neck.

For a split second, the monster's eyes turned dark-yellow, Sasuke and Sakura felt completely frozen as two Kunai flew and pierced their heads, both Sakura and Sasuke fell to the ground dead, blood spilt all over them.

"Aaaaaaahhhh", Sakura screamed in terror after what she saw, her eyes crying tears, as her hands grabbed her own head, as if trying to cover her ears, the colour on her face disappeared.

Sasuke wasn't in a much better situation, feeling trapped, feeling terror, his heart beating on his throat, his face turned pale, his breathing quickened.

What was that?

Before he could think of anything, the monster pulled out two Kunai and held them in her right hand.

"Let's see how special you are."

The Kunai flew towards them. Sasuke saw the vision happening all over again. With little strength left, he stabbed his leg, grabbing Sakura quickly and jumping away.

Sasuke ran as fast as possible, his legs running on themselves, his eyes desperately trying to find a way out, but the trees were everywhere, trapping him inside; his eyes found a place high in a tree.

Jumping there, he put Sakura, who was still shaking in the branch.

"Sa-Sa-Sa-..." Sakura tried to talk when they both heard the sound of something moving; Sasuke turned in time to see a giant Snake coming towards them, his eyes yellow, Sasuke could only see the monster.

"DISAPPEAR" Sasuke cried out in terror, throwing several shurikens at the open mouth of the snake, he cried out in pain, but Sasuke felt his body stiffen, his blood turned to ice, his eyes widened, feeling like his skin was splitting apart.

At the top of the snake's head, the skin cracked, the monster slowly rising up from the snake, her tongue out smirking evilly at them.

Sakura could only watch in horror, her arms hugging her legs.

Do you want your friends to die for you?

Sakura's head suddenly raised, the voice of her sensei in her head.

"I-I-I..." Sakura tried to say, but no words were coming out.

One day you will fall and when that day comes, either you will die or a friend of yours...

"no"

Sakura put her hands around the tree, helping her to stand up slowly. Her eyes saw the monster looking at Sasuke. Her hands were shaking, slowly reaching for the Kunai in her pouch.

"No"

Sasuke saw the monster smirking, he jumped towards him, the Uchiha desperately tried to move, his whole body frozen in fear, he closed his eyes waiting for everything to end...

Sasuke felt nothing but the sound of a fist hitting someone.

Opening his eyes, he saw Sakura standing in front of him, her Kunai falling, the monster's fist in her throat.

"Sa-Sakura"

The monster grabbed her throat and, with his right hand, punched her in the face. Her body flew away, hitting a rock and rolling around the ground, finally stopping.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHH" Sakura screamed in agony, her right leg broken, the position of her leg was opposite, her left leg had bones piercing her skin and coming out, blood coming out of her mouth, ears and nose, her nose broken.

Sasuke didn't have time to think as another snake rushed towards Sakura with an open mouth.

Moving his sword with a fast swing, the snake's head was sliced in half, his head fell to the ground. Naruto's eyes focused on the new Enemy. The redhead didn't need an introduction to know the rogue Sannin in front of him, his grin from ear to ear, his pale skin and snake-like eyes.

Looking at the Uzumaki in front of him, Orochimaru licked his lips with his long tongue, his eyes filled with glee, his eyes looking at his new prey in front of him.

His eyes glanced at The little Uchiha behind the Uzumaki, still breathing heavily, his hand on his chest, still desperately trying to catch his breath.

"Sasuke, take Sakura and LEAVE", Naruto ordered, not taking his eyes off The Snake. It took a few seconds for Sasuke to register Naruto's words. If it were any other situation, Sasuke would insist on fighting, but the KI of this Enemy was enough to make him see his own death and wasn't even a genjutsu!

Last time Sasuke remembered being so scared, feeling like in a cage, no way out, was when Itachi had activated his Mangekyo and made him see his family being killed by him.

Turning his head, Sasuke grabbed Sakura, who was unconscious, carrying her; he jumped away, leaving Naruto behind, who raised his right hand and unlocked his Shoulder Seal.

"My godmother told me you were a snake, but I Never thought that she meant literally", Naruto stated, his body engulfed in blue chakra.

Orochimaru's eyes widened and filled with even more malice and glee. "Let's see if your clan is as strong as remembered".