Chapter 30: Sidestory 05: Hiruzen & Danzo / Guy vs Roshi
Standing under a tree in a training ground, Hiruzen looked around with remembrance in his eyes. "Do you remember when we were taught our first Jutsu by sensei?"
His shadows riled up forming Danzo whose own lips were twitched upwards eyes looking around. "Yes. I remember you accidentally eating your own mud." Hiruzen chortled.
"As I remember you accidentally cutting your pants off!" Danzo snorted at that.
Danzo's cane landed on the ground as he took a step away from Hiruzen, "I remember all the teams that have trained in this ground Hiruzen, yet there's one team I'm sad to say I'll never see train here." Hiruzen somberly nods.
"I too wish I could have seen young Naruko train here on a genin squad." Danzo shook his head.
"No. I mean I regret that I couldn't see Kagami's grandson train a Genin Squad Here. Young Naruko... never needed training here." Hiruzen contemplated that for a while before nodding his head.
"Indeed. Sometimes you don't need to teach what is already there, much like Itachi, and unlike her father and mother." Danzo's eyes closed as he leaned against a tree, muscles rippling underneath his heavy black clothes.
"To think like a Hokage is an act that should have to be trained. To be willing to sacrifice everything for your Shinobi, and yet be willing to let them sacrifice everything for you. Itachi did not have that last part. You do not have that last part." Hiruzen's own eyes closed accepting the fault. He was no Tobirama-sensei and was no Minato in that aspect.
"She is our best answer." Hiruzen sighed at that predictable comment from Danzo.
"She is too young." A snort echoed out in the area and the sound of a cane tapping closer to him, he opened his eyes to find Danzo standing in front of him.
"Yes. She is for now, but she is also the only answer. We both know Tsunade and Jiraiya should never be Hokage. They are rash fools not fit to be leaders. They were never in the running for Yondaime, nor was Orochimaru." Danzo's cane grinded into the ground at that last one, cratering it slightly as he vented his emotions in a place he trusted to be safe, "Kakashi would be an at-war time emergency answer or a post-war time temporary replacement. Yuna prefers to be left faceless, and her ability to inspire people is... lacking, to say the least." Hiruzen nodded before his lips twitched,
"Guy?" Danzo full-on chuckled at that.
"I have no doubt that our Taijutsu would be stronger than ever Hiruzen. But you know the answer. As for other options... Shikaku is too weak. Choza is not meant for leadership on that scale. Hisashi is too weak. Asuma is too weak and is a fool, the same with Tenzo. None of our current ANBU or ROOT captains besides Bird have any reputation outside of the mask." Hiruzen smiled slightly at that last part, only to frown at the comment about his son. Opening his mouth he'd say,
"Try getting Bird to run against Naruko and we might get a blade in our backs." Danzo snorted.
"Maybe yours, but I'm as spry as ever." A glint appeared in Hiruzen's eyes as his hands twitched.
"Oh? Are Hashirama-sama's cells making you arrogant Danzo?" Chakra began to bubble up around them causing the leaves to float and the trees to shake. Shadows began to lurch and waver around Danzo as the ground rumbled around Hiruzen. They both moved their hands before,
"Sirs! Emergency Report!"
They both snorted and dropped their chakra turning around to face the ANBU, as if they weren't about to beat each other up like they were 18 again.
The ANBU arrived on scene. "Sirs! Black Lightning Darui and Crackling Storm Samui are on the border!"
Hiruzen and Danzo looked at each other before Danzo nodded. "I'll go deal with the two upstarts. You'll keep my clone topped up on chakra?" Hiruzen nodded back in response.
Shadows swirled around Danzo as he slowly walked to the North East. Step by step he slowly disappeared from view.
-Gai vs Roshi-
Gai's green jumpsuit gleamed in the light as he stood across from the man in Red Armor. "They sent... who even are you?"
"Me?" His teeth glinted in the sun as his muscles bulged, he faced the sun body-wide. "I am the Blue Beast of Konoha! Her mightiest Taijustu Master, and you..." Gai's face turned serious, staring Roshi in the eyes. "You are trying to invade an allied Nation. Leave or die." The change was sudden, and Roshi reeled back slightly before he chuckled.
"You know who I am?" Gai's arms and feet shifted.
"I never forget a worthy face Roshi of the Lava Style! Now are you leaving, or shall we engage in a battle for our YOUTH?!?" Roshi snorted.
"I don't understand what that monkey was thinking sending a regular Taijutsu Specialist to face m-" Spit and Blood flew out of his mouth as a fist landed on his stomach sending him careening through dozens of trees.
"It appears you have accepted the Duel of our Youths! Prepare yourself, for my Youth is ETERNAL! Gate of Limit... OPEN!!!!" A very faint green aura surrounded him as his skin slightly darkened.
"Now.... Prepare yourself Roshi!" Standing up and wiping the blood from his mouth, Roshi let out a chuckle.
"Alright then Blue Beast. Let's see." Lava began to slowly cover his form. Then, he rushed forward.
The two clashed, burns beginning to appear on Might Gai's arms, but lava being shredded off of Roshi. Punches were matched with punches. Kicks were matched with kicks.
"Severe Leaf Hurricane!"
"Magma Crush!"
A titanic roundhouse landed on Roshi's chest as a lava-covered fist slammed into Gai's Arm, and they were both sent flying back. Coughing heavily Roshi would slowly get up, and so would Gai cradling his arm for a moment. "What a fight for our YOUTH! Shall we step it up?"
Roshi would stare at him with a heavy look. "It seems like the Leaf has produced another monster. Very well then." Dark red heavy chakra began to cover his skin, as four bubbling dark-red tails grew behind him, and he dropped to the ground.
"GATE OF VIEW, OPEN!" The Green aura surged as Gai's skin turned Red. Then they clashed once more. Miniature Tailed Beast, versus Taijutsu Master. The forest was decimated as tails cleaved through it, or kicks sheared them off of their roots. Fireballs produced from Gai's punches had long ago set the grass and leaves on fire, and the terrain was slowly turning into pure magma.
As the battle waged on, at some point RoshiYonbi would open his mouth and begin to gather blue and red chakra in front of him forming a ball, before swallowing it ballooning up his body. In response, Gai pulled back both of his arms, closed his eyes, and centered himself.
A beam of pure destruction escaped from the miniature Yonbi, and Gai's eyes snapped open, and his arms moved forward hundreds of times rapidly within the span of a second. "MORNING PEACOCK!" Hundreds upon hundreds of pressurized bursts of air turned into fire as the barraged the Bijuudama turned into a Beam. Seconds clashes, before finally both attacks ended, leaving Gai panting slightly. "The power of a Bijuu is clearly filled with YOUTH! Very well then, it seems like we'll have to go all out! Come at me... YONBI!"
RoshiYonbi growled, staring at him before with a guttural voice said, "Very well then. BLUE BEAST!" He began to grow. Ten feet. Twenty. Fifty. A hundred. More. Fur grew across his skin as titanic incisors grew across his face.
Standing in front of Gai was the True Form of the Great Yonbi itself. The Sage Equaling the Heavens. "I shall respond then, for my youth." He did not shout it this time, but instead, it was a somber thing. Crossing his arms against his head, he reached deep inside. "I'm sorry friend. But this is war. I wish I didn't have to do this." He gave a sunny, yet somber smile his hair and eyes glinting off the sun. "GATE OF WONDER, OPEN!" A titanic blue aura Gai as his pupils completely disappeared. Then, they moved.
One would expect a few things. Of course, the Jinchuriki using the full might of his Bijuu's power would win. Or perhaps, because they both powered up - they would tie. But no. The instant the fight started, The Yonbi's tail was grabbed, and was proceeded to be thrown through a mountain. The following fight was not equal. It was not fair. It was a complete and utter one-sided smackdown, as the full power of the Greatest Taijutsu Master to Ever Live was seen.
"This is it Roshi! Yonbi!" Forming a seal, a titanic near-Bijuu-sized White Tiger head began to surround Gai. "Hirudora!" He rushed forward, slamming into the Yonbi.
A moment later the Yonbi disappeared, and in a crater, Roshi could be seen, armor destroyed, and a titanic crater in his chest, blood covering his entire body. Gai took a step forward, reeling back to throw another punch to end it before - "GAGH!" He crumbled to his knees with the blue aura disappearing. "Just one...more...." He crumbled face-first into the dirt.
A moment passed in silence before,
"RAKIRI!
"Earth Style: Earth Spear, Earth Style: Earthen Fist!"
Two people clashed in the middle of the downed figures, a large bubbly figure in a Jonin vest and an Iwa Headband, and a smaller figure still garbed in a Jonin vest, with shockingly white hair.
Sharingan met beady black eyes as the two clashed.
They both jumped back at the same time. They both formed handseals at the same time staring directly at each other.
"Fire Style: Great Fire Ball!"
"Water Style: Water Formation Wall!"
A fireball spewed out of Kakashi Hatake of the Sharingan's mouth as water roared from up from the ground as Akatsuchi the Wall called for it, beating back the Fire. They lunged forward again, perfectly evenly matched, before with identical kicks, they both went flying, forming handseals mid-air.
"Wind Style: Air Bullet!"
"Lightning Style: Thunderbolt!"
A bullet of air flew out of Kakashi's mouth, which was matched by Akatsuchi pulling back both of his hands before pulling them together, a beam of lightning clashing with it. A moment later they both landed on the ground staring at each other.
A moment passed where they didn't move, before Kakashi's Sharingan twitched, and the titanic teen known as Akatsuchi gently smiled. "Draw?" The voice of such a titanic person was surprisingly young. Kakashi nodded.
"Draw. Maah, your Genjutsu and Ninjutsu are far stronger than expected. Akatsuchi." Leaning down to pick up Gai, he'd slung him around his shoulders, whispering his sorries.
Akatsuchi picked up Roshi in a princess hold chuckling in a jovial manner. "Your Chakra Control and Reserves are above-noted amounts as well Kakashi Hatake. Until next time." He turned around and began lumbering off, unconcerned about any potential sneak attacks.
Turning around, Kakashi began to walk back himself, both combatants ignoring their respective ANBU beginning to disengage from their own clashes.