A Ninja's Final Stand (Final Book of A Ninja's Worth)

Chapter 4: Newly Found Power

                                    There's distress amongst everyone on this battlefield. We're all afraid of death, but we all have no choice. It's us who have to fight for what we cherish. It's us who are the ones willing to die for the ones we love the most. I look nervously at Naruto. He's calm and collected but I can see in his eyes. There's pain, an unspoken torture. This hopelessness feeling lingers around in my stomach until I'm about ready to throw up.

                                     Sasuke finally reaches us and joins in on the gawking. It's awful, it's nasty, it's a monster. The Juubi. I clench my fist into a tight ball. My knuckles are turning white. What if I lose both of them? I couldn't bear it.

                                     The Juubi is ready to make a move before we are. A menacing roar screeches through the air. The noise hurts my ear. I grip my head as the wind blows relentlessly upon us. I let out a slight scream that not even I can hear. My voice is just gone. Disappering into the air. 

                                      Once it's gone, I'm out of breath. I have to gasp for air for a few moments. Examining people, I notice Sasuke opening his mouth to speak. In heaving rasps he says, "Do you..know..how..to.. use your Susano'o?"

                                     I really don't. I've only used my mangekeyo once. Biting my lip, I shake my head shamefully. If only I had activated this type of Sharingan sooner. I could've been more useful. Sasuke's response is even more surprising. "I can't give an entire lesson right now. But the basics are, imagine a shield covering."  I close my eyes as he goes on. "It encases your whole body. Imagine the weapons it has. Now, charge your chakra to create that image."

                                     Taking a deep breath, I start to redirect my chakra flow outside of my body. I feel it forming. Its broad shoulders, a long katana similar to mine, its ribcage that rests right in front of me. Once my eyes flicker open, I'm almost blinded by a light green screen of something smoke-like. I can see ribs right in front of me. I turn to Sasuke, in absolute amazement, this jutsu is almost the height of the Juubi. His expression says he's impressed but I can't tell for sure. I can see a purple screen around him and I gasp in awe at his Susano'o. 

                                     It's much more advanced, but now's not the time to be all envious of my inability to form a detailed Susano'o. I breathe out and raise my right hand. A green arm raises a sword above its head. So I'm the controller for this jutsu. With another deep breath, I lower my hand and pull out my own katana, holding it with two hands in front of me. Just as suspected, the green figure copied. I smirk and look at Sasuke expectantly.

                                     When he nods for me to go, I rush forward and slash the large sword over one of the Juubi's tails. It cries out an awful scream and notices me. I'm lost in the swaying motions of nine other tails before I realize one is heading my way. I shut my eyes, expecting to be smacked, when I hear that familiar voice, "RASENGAN!!"

                                       Peeking, I can see Naruto standing in front of me. The tip of that tail is blown off by his blue ball. With a small breath out, he gives me an assuring smile. I smile back and nod, looking at Sasuke I mouth "You ready?"

                                        "Hell yeah." He mouths back. The chakra is flowing still as I raise my hands up and come down harshly on the Juubi's left flank while Sasuke covers me against any other tails. My sword barely scratches his shoulder. Guess it doesn't have the same effect. I must step up my game.

                                         Naruto is smacked aside and his body rolls across the dirt. "Naruto!" I shriek. Turning my attention to the Juubi, I surge forward, without thought, just pure rage is in my brain. I let out somewhat of a battle cry and ignite my Susano'o in black flame while struggling to inch closer to the Juubi. The green smoke is surprisingly easy to see through, I lunge closer and I slice the tip off of another one of his tails, the flickering movement made it difficult to cut the whole thing off. But this was the reason for my own damage. I shouldn't have underestimated it. Cut off its tails then what? It won't die. My sword is now jammed in the ground. I yank and yank but it's in there too deep. I got too angry, goddamn my emotions. 

                                         I can see a large black-ish purplish ball form just outside of what looks to be the Ten Tails' mouth. My eyes are filled with fear, I frantically pull and yank from this small crack in the ground. My Susano'o's bones are now encased with a layer of skin and then some type of armor. But even with all this it can't pull a damn sword from the earth.

                                         Naruto and Sasuke fail to see it in time. They both yell my name. Naruto first, then Sasuke they're both rushing as fast as they can towards me, but it's far too late. I didn't expect Naruto to come any closer, this blast will take him out too, but I can't touch him with my Susano'o like this. I have no choice.

                                       He's still running towards me when I see the Juubi start to release the large beaming ball. I drop my only protection against it, running out in the open, weaving through people and leaping over one injured soldier. I'll come back for him. I reach Naruto, grab his jacket roughly, and force all my strength into throwing him all the way back to where he was running from.

                                       My knees are wobbly and fatigue sets in. Stay standing. Stay standing. But I always seem to forget the fact that just a few hours ago I had given birth. "I can't.." I whisper to myself.

                                        My legs buckle underneath me and now I sit on my knees, my hands spread out on the ground, trying to regain my breath. I only manage to catch a glimpse of Naruto screaming for me when the Juubi's charging is through and he releases it in a large black beam, right on me.

                                         I'm flying through the air, skidding across the dirt, until finally my body slams on a tree. The air escapes my lungs and I fall, face-first into the ground. I can no longer see, it's all so blurry. I reach a hand in Naruto and Sasuke's direction, helplessly. 

                                      The darkness is overwhelming and so strong that eventually my hand drops and I give into the peaceful black.