Saruto | The Celestial War (Part 2)

Chapter 26: The One-Tail Jinchuriki

As I panted my heart out, I felt the chakra of the one-tail muster inside of me. Sweat dripped down my forehead. As I tap into the chakra pool, I hear Shukaku's complaints in my head. Gritting my teeth, I try to use my remaining energy to activate my tailed-beast cloak. As my struggles became apparent, the cloak weakened and dissipated with every attempt I gave it.

Suddenly, hearing the wind shift from my blind spot, I give up on the cloak and activate my Byakugan and turn to block the projecting kunai with my Gale Force Palm. Facing the palm out, my wind chakra deflects the projectile. Focusing my attention on the direction the kunai came from, it is too late before I realize that a kunai came from my Byalugan's blind spot. As the kunai grazes my upper arm, I wince in pain. Dropping to one knee, I grab my arm and watch as the blood drips through my fingers. As I winced through my teeth, I heard a figure emerging from the shadows of the trees and in the open area of grass that I knelt in.

"Now why was I able to hit you?" My father, the Seventh Hokage, spoke as he walked over to where I knelt.

Getting up to my feet, I revealed my wound to examine it then look at him annoyed with myself.

"I released my one-tail cloak and you attacked me from my blind spot," I responded out of defeat.

He smiled before looking at the wound, "You are getting better at holding the cloak, but you gave up and relied on the Byakugan. Unlike the one-tail's cloak, the Byakugan has a blind spot which leaves you vulnerable."

I sighed as I looked towards the grass, the wind flowing through it picking up the seeds and pappus from the dandelions.

"I feel like it's getting harder and harder to manifest the one-tail cloak. I haven't even mastered that. How can ichibi-mode ever manifest?" I spoke defeated by my performance, the guilt of uselessness to myself engulfing me.

From the corner of my eye as my indigo hair slid across my face, I could see my father frown. Seeing this disappointed me as I was already hard on myself. Turning away, I hung my head low and wrapped my arms around my shoulders, hugging myself. I closed my eyes, I thought about how I can be more reliable to my village. I was the hokage's daughter and I felt useless. Completely useless.

Suddenly, my soft and comforting hand placed itself on my shoulder, looking up to meet my father's gaze, all I could see was a smile. Confused, I would have thought that he would be disappointed in me but all I could see was how proud he was.

"Himawari Uzumaki, you are part of the lineage of many Uzumaki jinchuuriki before you," he praised, "you are a member of the Hyuga clan and wield the Byakugan. As my student you are toad sage like me and my master before me. The One-Tail chose you to be its jinchuuriki which has never been done before in shinobi history. You have the potential to be one of the strongest shinobi to ever walk this world."

Looking up into his blue eyes, I felt the warmth of his confidence and love in me. Lifting myself to him, I smiled softly before tapping into Shukaku's chakra. Clenching my eyes closed I felt the soul of the tailed beast and imagined it shielding every cell in my body. From beneath my eyelashes, I see the haze of an orange light. Opening my eyes, I could see Shikaku's cloak engulf me completely and then a stinging feeling coming from my arm. Looking down to it, I see my wound heal itself with ease. On command, I released the cloak and looked at my father who smirked. My eyes lit up as I realized what I had accomplished.

"You are finished, Kaushiki," I declare as I stand above Shukaku, giving a confident smirk.

As Kaushiki stares back at me with a glare. I watched as he twisted his foot in the dirt looking up at me. I waited in silence for his next move. Suddenly seeing him summoning a celestial zetsu puppet to attack me, I step down from Shukaku with devastating speed and strength activating my Sennin-Ichibi Byakugan and in an instant I destroy the puppet with my Gentle Step Twin Lion Fist with crushing force. Revealing my mastery of senjutsu, I sense the chakra signatures of everyone on the battlefield.

Having defeated the celestial zetsu puppet in a single blow, I look to see Kaushiki's look of malice. He then summons three more special grade celestial zetsu puppets. Seeing a monstrous one throwing itself at me, with ease I throw it in the air and take out the other two. I then cross my fingers to summon three giant toads that leap into the air to fight Kaushiki's new summons.

I then whip my head towards revealing my yellow sennin eye shadow. Confronted with his white chakra blades, my eyes widen as I remember Boruto. Flashes of his death plague my mind. My sadness then turned into a calm rage as I stared at him down. I then collected the wind chakra of the air and initiated my Sage Art: Big Ball Rasengan, sending a barrage in his direction. I watched him leapt back and around the crater trying to avoid the chaotic pattern of my Rasengans. As he moves his way closer to me, I prepare as he forms a white chakra bomb from his palm, aiming it in the air above him.

Widening my eyes, I scream, "Shukuku!"

Acknowledging me, he forms a tailed beast ball and shoots it towards the white chakra bomb, engulfing and dissipating it into space with a white and dark purple explosion that parts the clouds above us.

Using Frog Kata to knock out the zetsu puppets that separate me from him, I simultaneously use the natural energy around me to connect the blow on Kaushiki despite him dodging my fist. Revealing my perfect Sage Ichibi Mode, my cloak lights up in a yellow haze stretching across my skin like a fire. My hair then turns into this golden fire, flowing behind me like something out of history. I mirrored the confidence of my father all those years ago, embodying his Will of Fire. I then hold up my hand to form the Twin Lion Rasenshuriken. Facing off, I revert my aim away from him thrusting it at the remain zetsu puppets arounds, eradicating them.

"Kaushiki!" I declare, "It's just me and you now!"