Otsutsuki (Book 2 of the Aftermath Series)

Part 3: Mourning

"Asa?" The Hokage explained as I flashed in his office, having teleported as soon as I could to the seals in his room. "Shut down the village. Hitoshi-sensei is the man who is after me and if he makes it in here...it wont be good." I panted out and he was on instant alert. "He's the Benefactor?" He asked and I shook my head. "No he's the one who knows my real name. Otsutsuki Koharu." He instantly summoned more ANBU. Sirens were wailing and the village was placed under lock down. Ninja of all ranks and ages were pouring into the streets trying to herd villagers into safety as the Hokage ordered for anyone who matched Hitoshi-senseis appearance or anyone out of the ordinary shinobi from other villages, citizens with weapons, etc. Jonin and ANBU entered the office in pairs to receive orders. 

"Asa?" I looked up to see the pair at the moment was Kurenai and Asuma. I felt my heart sink. "Be careful out there. He could kill us all if we underestimate him." I warned as they were briefed and given orders to search the Nara and old Uchiha clan grounds. The next person to enter was alone and I instantly knew who it was despite him having a new ANBU mask. He was at my side in a second holding me up as I continued to catch my breath. I was surprisingly not as tired as I should be but, even I would be winded after running top speed for two days straight. As the Hokage continued to give orders as he was moved out of his office and into a secure area. I gave him a firm nod as a goodbye and turned to Kakashi. I quickly told him the events since we last talked. He was as horrified and determined as I was. 

We spent the rest of the day and night searching the village from top to bottom, even searching the villagers in the shelters to make sure no one had gotten in until we were sure that he was not in the village. The next morning, the third day since my chat with the Benefactor transpired, Jiraiya appeared. He was almost killed by the jumpy ninja. He came with a grim warning. "He's only an hour behind me. Chief Toad and just passed him on our last jump." Kakashi and I nodded with confirmation and turned to our team. "Tenzo, Shota, Bird inform the Hokage. Fay, go with Master Jiraiya and inform the medics and other ANBU teams to expect an M.C.E." Jiraiya's grim face proved that my order was in no way an exaggeration of the severity of the situation. They scattered as I turned with Kakashi by my side. The Hokage had ordered me to be the one to engage the enemy. No body knew why except for Him, The Council, Jiraiya, Kakashi, and I. But orders are orders and though many looked doubtful of my leadership they listened and obeyed any order Kakashi or I gave. Kakashi was not included in the order of me being over the confrontation but everyone knows that we fight best together and never questioned us. 

Exactly 59 mins 27 seconds after Jiraiya arrived Hitoshi-sensei stood about 30 yards away looking at me and Kakashi standing side by side just inside the gate. "Hello, Asa I see you have grown up." He greeted cheerily and I snarled. "Hello to you, Hitoshi-sensei I see you have revealed yourself as a traitor." I hissed back in a much less happy tone. His face hardened and he made some lightening fast hand signs before using a jutsu I had never hear of before. "Demonic Summon: Hellhound Pact" And behind him an army of thousands of demonic chakra wolves formed." Their growling was loud enough to shake the very ground I stood on . Unlike the other Uchiha, Hitoshi was unable to activate his sharingan because he had been born without it. So instead he became the student of the Third Hokage and perfected the art of Demonic Style jutsu and Summoning. 

In the blink an eye they were upon us. The sounds of fighting of fighting filled the air. Kakashi was yelling orders along with Jiraiya behind me but I couldn't focus on them. I was being engaged by Hitoshi-sensei. He made some familiar hand signs and I appeared behind him with my blades drawn, both coming down at him from an angle but he was able to finish his jutsu and block me just in time. "Demonic Summon: Chakra Demon Sword" He stated as he blocked me with a long blade forged of black swirling Chakra. "I see you haven't changed much." I said as we were forced apart. I opened my 'other eye' as I caught myself from crashing to the ground. "I see it's already begun." He said and I narrowed my eyes. "What has?" I asked and he shook his head with a laugh as if I was a child who had unintentionally said something embarrassing in front of an adult." "The seal is breaking." 

I couldn't question him further as he sent jutsu after jutsu after me. I managed to dodge most of them but ended up with a nasty burn on my hip when I reacted just a little two slow. My chance to take the offensive showed up in the form of my boyfriend who had appeared before me. He tossed a kunai with my seal on it directly into the air. He then squatted down and allowed me to leap off his shoulder as he stood, using our combined inertia to jump even higher into the air. I heard Kakashi call out a lightining technique. I was prepared to shoot a water jutsu at my enemy when a sharp pain went through my body. It was instant. Like when you touch metal to an outlet only with more intensity. When I opened my eyes it had only been seconds since they closed. My brain felt fuzzy as if I suddenly became so exhausted I was on auto-pilot, that is until I cast a jutsu I had never heard of. "Yin Realease: Seal Casting Shield Justu" I called and transported to kunai Kakashi had thrown earlier that was now coming down directly above Hitoshi-sensei who was being held in place by an Earth jutsu on one side of him cast by Kakashi and a Shadow capture technique controlled by none other than Nara Shukaku. 

When I placed my chakra covered hand I felt exhaustion cripple me. At the same time a sort of barrier around Shukaku and I. I noticed out of the corner of my eye that his summons disappeared as soon as it formed. Almost as if they had been cut off from their source of Chakra. Chakra beast like Hellhounds can only stay intact as long as their summoners were providing a chakra base for them in this realm. They are unstoppable and vicious until then. The only way to defeat them was to kill their summoner until now that is. My chakra shield was preventing any of Hitoshi-sensei's chakra from exiting it. Sadly I am also in this shield and not protected like so, which I found out when Hitoshi-sensei landed a chakra powered kick to my mouth. This flung me back into the wall of the shield just behind me. I was shocked to find I simply bounced off of it and hit the ground below me hard. I coughed a small amount of blood before regaining my ability to stand. 

"Why does the seal breaking mean you have to kill me?" I asked, now sure of his intentions. "Don't you see!" He said frantically. "This amount of power is not meant to be controlled. You will either go mad and kill us all or kill yourself." He reasoned but I just shook my head. "You should know me better than that Hitoshi-sensei. Power has never mattered to me. The only reason I became so strong was because I was mourning you and Obito and Rin and Minato-sensei and Kushina and everyone else that fell that I cared about. In my mourning I swore that all of my power is only meant to be used to protect the ones I love and the peace in this world." I stated firmly. "You say that now but if that seal opens even a saint would not be able to turn down the ability to control the world." He taunted and suddenly a voice chimed in from the other side of my shield. The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen stood correcting his student. 

"The Otsutsuki clan are not the same as their ancestors. That was a myth that was proven wrong time and time again. They are not indestructible. Their own powers have been proven to be deadly to themselves as well. The Otsutsuki have been nearly extinct time and time again because of fearful people like yourself. I will stand with Otsutsuki Koharu as a comrade when the seal inside her weakens and falls apart. I will guide her on the path of peace as much as I can and I will protect her from all that threatens her because she is a leaf Shinobi and the protection of all leaf Shinobi is my responsibility." He said firmly and I felt my heart swell at his words. "As will I." Jiraiya said stepping towards his sensei's side. "As will we." Tenzo called stepping out into the open with the entire Anbu gathered behind him. "As will we. The Leaf Village." Said several other ninja all at the same time. "And I above all others." Kakashi said stepping out of the ranks of ANBU ninja with his ANBU mask on his hip to reveal his true I