Sword of God -- A Naruto Fanfiction

| 50 | The Bridge

Word spread like wildfire of the titanic icy obelisk that had ended up stranded in the desert, and with that information sprang the rumours.

Rumours, that detailed the appearance of the Kami no Ken.

Historians had paled in face of this revelation, their books aligning with the tale inscribed unto what had been dubbed 'Tsukuyomi's Pillar', for every time the sun's rays hit the icy pillar, the area around it would become basked in a harsh, unforgiving blanket of shadow, whereas in the moon's silver beams, it would illuminate the desert in a soft, ethereal glow.

For merchants and travellers, Tsukuyomi's Pillar was their saving grace, as it's shielding gaze heralded them through the endless shifting sand dunes, providing for them an oasis of cold in the blazing heat of Amaterasu's rays, and a place of shelter, free of desert predators that would be held accountable for thousands of deaths.

Back within Naruto's renovated adobe, he moved a small marble pillar to a place on the Elemental Nations map situated on top of a table.

Kicking his feet up on his table, he stared intently at its surface, sharpening his katana which hummed with harsh golden light, illuminating his ruminating figure.

He moved a piece, mimicking the appearance of a platoon of soldiers in red, from the Hidden Leaf Village to a bridge.

Navy blue banners were hung behind him in the gargantuan room, so tall that it could seat giants. Emblazoned on them was a sigil, that of the Uzumaki swirl in a stunning Argentum, which seemed to glow in the dark.

To the side was a stand, upon which a set of armour was held.

Floating spheres of energy provided a dim light, and the only sound that could be heard was the sound of a whetstone grinding against the blade.

"Orochimaru's legacy..." he mused, moving another few pieces before shaking his head, reverting them to its original position. "Your knowledge of the Five Great Village's forbidden jutsu is formidable, yet you only serve to delay me..."

He moved several pieces in quick succession. "Check."

Just Outside of Tenchi Bridge

"Alright, I'm going in," Yamato announced, already in the appearance of Sasori. "Is it clear?"

Kakashi had been injured in a retrieval mission; a neural injury caused by over-exposure to lightning chakra had rendered him comatose.

Hence, an ANBU Black-Ops operative had been pulled out of service.

The Team referred to him as Yamato-taichou, or, Captain Yamato in a sign of partial respect.

"Wait," Sasuke's cold tone punctured the rustling of the leaves. Sakura and Yamato turned to him. "Where's Naruto?"

"He's gone ahead," replied Yamato, without missing a beat. His voice was laced with concern.

~~~

Naruto's escape could never have been easier. It had taken him the better bit of a minute to escape.

It had all been too easy, how he had thwarted the progress of the team from Konoha AND started the appetizer for what would be the beginning of the end.

A bout of delirious laughter was lost in the wind. He would show them. He would show them all, where his allegiance lay.

As he sprinted through the dense forest, a hitai-ate made from black cloth and steel fell to the grassy floor, and was met with the muffled sound of metal hitting nature.

Naruto tied a new hitai-ate to his head, but it wasn't of the Konoha symbol.

Etched into the dark metal was a coherent swirl that glowed a malignant red.