Chapter 222 : You suffered a lot alone
Shukaku opened his mouth, about to gather another Tailed Beast Ball, the purple-black vortex deep in his throat mesmerizing and terrifying.
"Naraku!"
The first to reach Naraku were Inuzuka Tsume and Might Guy; they hadn't retreated far and sensed trouble the moment Susanoo disappeared.
Might Guy spread his arms, blocking in front, while Inuzuka Tsume tugged at Naraku's clothes, trying to pull him away, but her weakened body couldn't even lift a boy.
Even though she knew this action was futile.
But as long as it could increase Naraku's chance of survival, allowing him to die a little later than her in the Tailed Beast Ball's blast, she was willing to try anything.
The surviving Ninja were the same, forming several layers around Naraku, protecting him in the center.
If they were destined to die, then let them die before this boy.
"It's alright."
Naraku's soft murmur was drowned in the blood welling up in his throat, blurring into three or two simple syllables. Inuzuka Tsume didn't catch the meaning.
She lowered her head and saw Naraku lying quietly in her arms, his gaze following the sun, as if trying to feel the last warmth brought by the fading light.
—Was Kakashi, on another battlefield, also watching the same sunset?
This question was a bit absurd, yet Naraku inexplicably felt a connection existing between their souls.
—Perhaps there really is such a thing as telepathy between friends.
—Good thing I didn't let Kakashi see this sorry state, otherwise he would be sad again.
Naraku thought deeply, then heard Inuzuka Tsume ask what he was saying, so he repeated, "It's already alright."
The sun sank below the horizon, the red clouds faded, and night descended.
Inuzuka Tsume was somewhat confused, but the next second, her keen ears heard a faint roar like a mountain collapsing and a sea raging from behind her.
A Konoha Ninja wearing a forehead protector and a vest rushed up from behind, darting past the huddled crowd and charging towards the Sunagakure Ninja.
Then came one, two, three more… "We're here! Get to the rear quickly!"
"You all have held on until now, truly admirable!"
"Damned Sunagakure, go to hell!"
"Kill them all!"
Countless comrades arriving as reinforcements shouted to each other, transforming into a green tide that surged from both sides of the battered Ninja, sweeping over the hilltop in a mighty wave, crashing with fury and hatred into the steep slope occupied by Sunagakure, splashing forth a bloody storm.
Shukaku lowered his head, his massive maw aimed at the densest concentration of Konoha Ninja, the chaotic sphere expanding to its limit.
"No!" Inuzuka Tsume shrieked, trying to stop him: "Run! Sunagakure has a Tailed Beast—"
Whoosh—
A fiery red shadow suddenly leaped out from the boundary between dusk and night; before it even landed, a blue light flashed brightly in front of him, and a thick, long beam of light shot out rapidly, piercing through Shukaku's head.
The giant sand beast howled, falling backward, and the beam of light suddenly slashed upward, directly cutting into the Tailed Beast Ball that it hadn't yet managed to fire.
Boom!
The Tailed Beast Ball exploded with a roar, unleashing a violent gale that immediately sent sand and stones flying across the already ravaged battlefield, blowing people off balance and making them stumble.
When the storm subsided, Inuzuka Tsume lowered her arm, staring blankly at the opponent's vibrant red hair fluttering in the wind, wearing a neat Ninja outfit, so unfamiliar that it made her almost not recognize her.
"Kushina…?"
"Sorry, I'm late."
Kushina only glanced back briefly, then closed her eyes in pain, not daring to look at Naraku's bloodless face again.
In her perception, Naraku's Chakra response was so faint it was near exhaustion, barely able to maintain even the most basic circulation.
When the Chakra flow stopped, that was the moment of death.
He was the child Mikoto and Fugaku had cherished meticulously for over two years, the most important disciple and friend of Sakumo and Kakashi.
Already not destined for a long life due to illness, he was now as precarious as a candle in the wind.
The Nine-Tailed's indignant roar echoed in her mind again; she was in no mood for grand speeches and cursed back fiercely.
"Shut up! You stinking fox! So what if I use your Chakra? Not only will I use it, I'm going to use your Chakra to fight Ichibi! If you don't like it, tough luck!!"
The Nine-Tailed fox, which had been noisy just a moment ago, suddenly fell silent.
Still furious and full of fighting spirit, Kushina drew a massive amount of Chakra from the Nine-Tailed again; a Tailed Beast cloak surged over her body, and the red and blue energies mixed and condensed once more.
Shukaku recognized the Chakra aura of the Nine-Tailed on this unfamiliar red-haired woman and wanted to seize the opportunity to teach her a good lesson, but he was unexpectedly bombarded by an endless barrage of Tailed Beast Balls, sending him scurrying away with his head in his hands.
With Kushina's cover, the Konoha forces' counterattack was unstoppable, quickly driving the Sunagakure Ninja down the mountainside.
"Inuzuka Auntie…" Naraku, with half-closed eyes, softly called out, enduring the constant pain throughout his body, and slightly raised his right hand, pointing to his waist pouch, "In the hidden compartment… there's a talisman… maybe…"
Before he could finish, someone instantly appeared by Naraku's side, reaching into his waist pouch before Inuzuka Tsume, taking out a paper talisman covered in green incantations from the hidden compartment, and placing it on his chest, activating its effect with Chakra.
Sensing the incredibly familiar Chakra, Naraku slightly tilted his head, trying to see if the person was angry at his recklessness.
Those gentle black pupils probably held immense fury, right?
Unfortunately, impaired vision meant he could only see a blurry figure.
"Mi—"
Naraku had just opened his mouth to apologize when he was embraced in a warm hug; threads of warmth permeated his skin through his clothes, soaking into his bones.
"I'm sorry, Naraku…" Her usually dignified and gentle voice was filled with sobs, "I let you suffer so much alone…"
Water droplets fell softly onto his face, a little cool, yet also a little hot; Naraku was momentarily confused, unable to distinguish.
—So Mom wouldn't blame me after all… The talisman glowed with a faint cyan light, and nourishing, peaceful energy merged into his bones and blood, soothing his organs and limbs that were on the verge of collapse, repairing the meridian damage caused by Chakra overexertion, bit by bit.
Although the effect wasn't very significant, it at least managed to barely keep Naraku alive, preventing him from further weakening.
With the enhancement of Pseudo-Izanagi: Time Reversal Modification, this healing talisman, the only successful one from the laboratory, actually gave him a means to survive.