Saruto | The Celestial War (Part 2)

Chapter 17: The Second Wave

"Lord Hokage," Shinki spoke as he met at the bottom of the rocky boulder that I stood on, "What is our next move?"

Looking at him and then glancing at Sasuke and Saruto that looked onto me with a smile, I felt empowered to finish this war.

"We are going to finish this," I spoke in confidence, passing him and joining up with Commanders Yurui, Sekki, and Kagura.

Suddenly, an ear-splitting wail rained through the desert and the entirety of the shinobi gripped their ears. As my eyes searched for the origin of the sound, I looked up to the perimeter of the crater to see Otsutsuki Zetsu puppets emerging from the ground. At the north, west, east, and south sides of the crater perched an Otsutsuki general. They were all unique and had waves of immeasurable power radiating off them.

"Saruto!" I yelled, turning to him, "Establish communication with headquarters!"

Nodding, he immediately enacted head signals and clapped his hands together. A pulse of energy radiated through the air in a whip of energy.

"Shikamaru! Do you read me?" I spoke in my thoughts.

There was a long silence.

"I read you Naruto," Shikamaru spoke back with urgency.

Smiling, I felt Ino's Mind Body Transmission connect us all into a link.

"Saruto broke the fire wall that Kaushiki had in this area," I gritted my teeth, "What does intelligence say about the number of enemy troops?"

"Understood! It-" suddenly, his voice grew weary, "It shows millions of Otsutsuki Zetsu Puppets surrounding you."

"Figures," I cursed under my breath.

"Try to get in contact with the Third Division," I spoke back with urgency.

"Gotcha, I'll get on that," Shikamaru said before breaking the Mind Body Transmission jutsu.

Turning to Sasuke, I saw a skeptical look to which I returned with an annoyed gaze.

"I don't sense Kaushiki!" Saruto spoke out.

Narrowing my eyes at one of the generals on the southern perimeter, "He'll crawl out of whatever hole he is to get his prize."

Saruto's eyes then widened as he turned to face the southern perimeter.

Suddenly, Shinki and the other commanders turned to their divisions and raised their hands. In an instant the single for an attack and they ran into their respective divisions to join the fight. In the charge we saw as the inhuman Otsutsuki Zetsu Puppets crawl down the walls of the crater on command of their generals.

Watching the clash of Otsutsuki Zetsu Puppets and shinobi, the sound of battle rang through the desert.

Seeing Saruto start to run off, Sasuke was quick to grab his arm. Shooting back a glare, Sasuke was persistent on his stance.

"But I have to help!" Saruto argued.

Sasuke shook his head and then pointed in the sky above the western perimeter.

"No," he sighed, "he is."

Following his finger, we saw Kaushiki emerge from a Time-Space portal. He was back on the frontlines. Our true target.

Suddenly, I felt a wave of negative emotions come off Saruto in waves. He was ready to kill him.

"Have a plan," I added, trying to bring Saruto back to reality.

As his fist that was held by Sasuke clench, causing himself to pierce his skin, blood dripped onto the ground.

"I have a plan," he said in rage, "I'm going to kill him!"

Exchanging a worried glance with Sasuke, we knew that this wasn't the way. We knew that if we let him go, he would cross a line that he would not be able to come back from.

"Remember what he wants from you," I said with truth, "Don't give that to him. If you do, then it's all over. For all of us."

Seeing the grip that Sasuke had on him, I saw their strength was battling against one another. Suddenly, he stopped fighting and ripped his hand away from Sasuke and then stormed off to be by himself. As I began to move to console him, Sasuke was quick to stop him.

"Let him be," he spoke with reason.

Turning to Sasuke I was surprised to see him staring at his hand. My eyes widened to see a glowing golden chakra radiating beneath his skin and then dissipating into the air. Sasuke then played with the remaining chakra in his fingertips and then watched it fly through the air and enter back into Saruto's body where he stood with his head held low.

"What was-?" I said before Sasuke was quick to respond.

"Not sure," he spoke as he clenched his fist, "But feeling his chakra. It was.."

I then looked onto Sasuke with urgency as he continued to stare at his fist before looking at Saruto.

"Malicious."