The Newest Member (A Naruto-Akatsuki Fanfic)

Chapter 38: The Charred Leaf

The Gedo Statue loomed over the puny Shinobi below, expressionless and dormant, it stood awaiting orders. Naruto felt his Rinnegan throb with power as he played puppet master over this being, as if he were Sasori on a good day. When he had felt the battle reach its intense climax, he knew the time had come to put Nagato's journal to good use. His eyes were fierce and wild the eyes of the Kyuubi. Due to the intense drain of power it took summoning the Gedo from miles away, Naruto was powered on his Kyuubi chakra. Pushing him to the edge of transformation, but he held it in check, the last thing he wanted was a giant Nine Tails piggy backing on the Gedo Statue. Hinata sat beside him, her hand clasped in his as they looked down on the village they had once knew. Hinata tried and failed not to gaze at her Clan complex in the district. The familiar hallways an courtyards of her youth, from the mediocre housing of the branch family to the ornate decor of the main household, where her mother died long ago. Where her sister, Hanabi, no doubt waited as the new family head. Hinata felt deep guilt, she had forced her younger sister into politics and left her alone with no sister or father.

She bit her thumb and wondered 'Perhaps things can still be mended with her ... She just needs to surrender and spare her clan from destruction'

She looked at the crowd below her, among the ranks of scared Shinobi she saw the familiar faces of family, teachers, comrades and old friends whom she used to smile with and fight for, now she only saw looks of disgust or despair. Their looks make her want to scream, how dare they judge her, they were the ones clamoring over power and stabbing each other to be the best village. They were the people who allowed Neji's murder to slip by without punishment, they were the ones who let the Anbu run wild in their village and kill whom they pleased, they were the ones who threw Naruto out under false charges from some Uchiha bastard. Hinata would forgive them if they laid their weapons aside and bowed to the Uzumaki clan, if they continued to resist, she would like nothing more than to silence their hatred with her own.

Naruto smirked, It was true, Sasuke had become more powerful since their last fight, the eyes of his former comrade, Itachi. Naruto also noticed that Obito had both of his eyes back, meaning somewhere in the city, Kakashi was either dead or half blind. He liked the new challenge, fighting two Susanoo's with his new toy would prove most entertaining, what pleased him even more was the fact he could be across the city, miles away from the two Uchiha, and still be fighting them through his control of the Gedo Statue. Or he could release his control, let it attack and slaughter anything with of its own will, the options were endless, true power was in his grasp, and he would freely unleash it on the poor souls below.

Naruto snickered "The Akatsuki has three Uchiha's and two Susanoo's. The Uzumaki army has the Kyuubi, Rinnegan and the fabled Gedo statue. What do the joint Sand and Leaf villages have ? A piss poor army and grizzled old Jounin ?"

Kankuro screamed, spittle flying from his mouth "WE HAVE THE ONE TAIL, OUR KAZEKAGE !"

Naruto doubled over laughing, tears in his eyes "Hahaha how tragic ya know! Because last time I checked, the One Tail was sealed up inside of this thing. And last time I checked, only clans like the Uzumaki and maybe the Senju are capable of surviving a tailed beast extraction ... Sooooo doesn't that make him ... oh what's the word ... DEAD ?!"

Temari let out mournful cry, Shikamaru held her close as she wept.

Tsunade's face was tense, her eyes fixed on his "The leaf village has the Will of Fire, we will never give up. You used to believe in that, you believed in the village and you were determined on fulfilling your dream of becoming the Hokage ... you have gone and thrown it all away now, haven't you ?"