A Growing Affection

Chapter 95: The Legacy of Death

"You think some ghostly genjutsu is gonna stop me?" Naruto shouted  angrily, and then placed his hands together and shouted, "Release!"

The solidifying figures did not vanish, and Sasuke's stolen face split in a grin.

"This  is no mere mental projection," Orochimaru continued to use his own  voice, "This kinjutsu has existed since before the modern ninja age. The  Sage of the Six Paths updated it to the its current form, but then  sealed it away for some reason."

"The Five Souls Underworld  Connection touches your soul, and then draws back from the afterlife the  five strongest ninja you killed," the renegade Sannin explained, "Once  here, they are given solid forms, and cannot be destroyed while you  still live. Of course, I don't want you dead; so once they have  inflicted enough damage, I will send them back with the counter jutsu."

"I  must admit, I am anxious to see who appears," Orochimaru smirked more  broadly, "We can find out if you really were able to kill Madara  Uchiha."

The first soul, the second in from Naruto's left, began  to coalesce. The mist, so deep a blue that it was nearly black,  lightened in some areas and darkened in most. It appeared solid, yet  transparent at the same time, and its colors were washed out.

The  soul was tall, with stringy brown hair trailing just past his shoulders.  His beady blue eyes, placed close to his wide nose, locked on the  blonde Tokujo with a look of intense hatred. His densely muscled body  was covered by heavy, black armor.

"Doto," Naruto growled.

"Naruto  Uzumaki," the deceased usurper matched the teen's angry tone. He  tensed, but did not move as the spirit in the middle began to take  shape.

The second specter was even taller than the first, with a  short crop of black hair sticking out from under the Hidden Mist  headband tied over his forehead. He had deep brown eyes, but his nose  and mouth were covered by white strips of linen. He wore a sleeveless  back shirt, grey trousers, and had fingerless grey gloves that extended  almost to his elbows. Even if Uzumaki had not recognized him on sight,  he would have known him by the Kubikiri Hōchō, a phantom reflection of  the slab of steel sharpened into a sword, hung across the spirit's back.  It did not remain there for long, the ghost drew the weapon, and angled  it towards Naruto

"Zabuza," Naruto mumbled, surprised. But as he remembered the Broken Sword, he could have guessed who the next soul would be.

Forming  on the other side of Zabuza, Haku looked the same as he had in life. He  had soft brown eyes, and long hair, nearly black in color. His facial  features were more fitting of a girl than a young man and he barely  reached mid chest on his partner. He still wore the falsified Mist  Hunter uniform, and as when he fought Naruto and Sasuke, wore a Mist  headband instead of the white and red mask. Though both Doto and Zabuza  looked partially drained of their color, the effect was more pronounced  on the pale young man, and Naruto thought he looked more translucent  than the other two. Haku lifted his hand, and the water vapor in the air  collected and froze into nine perfect ice kunai, which continued to  float in the air before him.

The last two figures did not wait  until they were fully formed to spring forwards. Naruto tensed to  receive their attacks, but they stopped just before him, and turned to  face the other phantoms.

The woman finished appearing first. She  had long cyan hair, and clear, bright green eyes. Her shozoku was pure  white, with short sleeves and an even shorter dress, showing off her  strong, toned limbs, while hiding the noteworthy curves of her breasts  and hips. She wore a pair of spandex shorts underneath; she wasn't  afraid to show a little leg, but did not want to flash her underwear  every time she executed a high kick. Naruto was quite familiar with the  uniform, the last of the physical versions hung under a garment bag in  his closet.