Chapter 24: 24. 3 Fields and Preparation for Akatsuki Annihilation
The sky above was heavy with dark clouds as Ryusei and the team sprinted through the dense forest, their feet barely making a sound as they moved with practiced precision. The wind rushed past them, carrying with it the distant echoes of battle and the rustling of leaves, but the focus in their eyes remained unbroken. They had left the Cloud Village camp behind, knowing they couldn't afford to waste time on those unwilling to listen. The stakes were too high.
"We've got to make up for lost ground," Ryusei said, his voice steady despite the urgency in their pace. "Anon, lead us toward the ridge where the enemy forces are gathering. We'll hit each battlefield hard, wither their numbers for a day, and then strike with everything we've got in two days. This has to be precise."
Anon nodded, his eyes scanning the horizon as he navigated through the undergrowth. "We'll move fast. There are two major battlefields between here and the main Akatsuki camp. We hit them both, disrupt their forces, and by the time they realize what's happening, we'll be at their doorstep."
Naruto grinned, keeping pace alongside Ryusei. "Sounds like a plan! We'll knock 'em down one by one and give 'em no time to regroup."
Sasuke, running just behind them, activated his Sharingan, scanning ahead for any signs of enemy forces. "We need to be careful. The Akatsuki will sense something's wrong if we hit them too hard on the first day. We need to strike quick, then retreat before they can mount a proper defense."
Sakura kept her focus, chakra already building in her fists. "We'll strike and heal fast. If we move as a unit, we can keep up the pressure without giving them time to recover."
The ground beneath them blurred as they ran, the terrain shifting from dense forest to rocky hills. Ryusei's mind raced alongside them, formulating the specifics of their strategy. They had to thin the Akatsuki's numbers gradually—cripple their reanimated forces and disrupt the summoners—but leave the bulk of the attack for the final strike two days from now.
"The first battlefield is up ahead," Anon called out, pointing to the ridge that loomed in the distance. "The Akatsuki forces are spread thin here, but they've been pulling reinforcements from this direction. If we take them by surprise, we can cut off their supply line."
Ryusei glanced at his team, their faces set with determination. "We'll hit them hard here. Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura—you know the plan. We strike fast, break their formation, and disappear before they can counter."
The ridge came into view, and with it, the faint outlines of enemy forces moving below. Reanimated shinobi patrolled the area, their dull, lifeless eyes scanning for threats as the Akatsuki summoners stood behind them, their focus entirely on maintaining control over the Edo Tensei.
Naruto cracked his knuckles, grinning. "Time to make some noise."
They slowed their pace as they reached the edge of the battlefield, blending into the shadows of the trees as they assessed the enemy positions. The Akatsuki forces were more numerous than they had anticipated, but the element of surprise was still on their side.
Ryusei knelt, scanning the area. "We'll go in waves. Naruto, you take the center with your clones and Rasengan to draw attention. Sasuke, flank from the left and disrupt the summoners—if you can take them out, the reanimated forces will fall apart. Sakura, back us up with healing and chakra strikes. Anon and I will provide support and take down any heavy hitters."
Anon nodded, already focusing on the Void energy he'd been cultivating. "We hit them, break them, and retreat before they can organize."
Without another word, they moved. Naruto shot forward first, a blur of motion as his chakra flared. He summoned a wave of shadow clones, each one charging with a Rasengan in hand, and launched into the middle of the enemy forces. The reanimated shinobi reacted slowly, their movements sluggish as Naruto's clones tore through their ranks with devastating precision.
"Let's go!" Naruto shouted, his voice ringing out as he sent a clone hurtling into a group of enemies, sending them flying in all directions.
Sasuke followed, his Sharingan blazing as he moved with surgical precision. He cut through the reanimated shinobi with his Chidori, the crackling energy of his lightning slicing through the air as he made his way toward the summoners in the back. Each strike was precise, severing the chakra threads that controlled the reanimation jutsu. As soon as the summoners faltered, the Edo Tensei shinobi collapsed, their bodies disintegrating as the jutsu failed.
Sakura was close behind, her chakra-enhanced fists striking with devastating force. Each punch sent waves of energy through the ground, destabilizing the enemy's formations and scattering their forces. As Naruto and Sasuke pressed the attack, Sakura darted in and out of the fight, healing any wounds and reinforcing their strikes with chakra.
Anon moved through the chaos, his Void-infused strikes disrupting the enemy's chakra flow, while Ryusei stood at the front, directing their movements and keeping a keen eye on the battlefield. His Dragon Sage Mode flared, and he sent a burst of energy into the ground, creating a shockwave that sent the enemy forces reeling.
The Akatsuki forces were disoriented, their numbers dropping as Ryusei's team executed their plan with precision. For every reanimated shinobi that fell, the summoners grew weaker, their control slipping as they struggled to keep the jutsu active.
Within minutes, the enemy forces had been cut down significantly, their formation broken. Ryusei raised his hand, signaling for a retreat. "Fall back! We've done enough here. Time to move to the next position."
Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura nodded, retreating as the remaining enemies scrambled to recover. Anon stayed close to Ryusei, his eyes scanning the battlefield one last time before they disappeared into the trees.
As they regrouped a few miles away, Ryusei took a deep breath, feeling the adrenaline still coursing through him. "That was a good start. We hit them hard enough to make an impact, but we'll need to do the same tomorrow."
Anon nodded, his expression unreadable. "The Akatsuki will send reinforcements, but they won't expect us to hit another field so soon."
Sasuke crossed his arms, his voice low but determined. "We'll wear them down, day by day. By the time we strike in two days, they'll be too disorganized to mount a proper defense."
Sakura nodded. "And we'll be ready to finish it."
Ryusei looked at each of them, feeling the weight of their plan but also the strength they had built together. "Tomorrow, we hit the second battlefield. We'll keep this pace—strike hard, disappear, and prepare for the final blow in two days."
As they rested for the night, Ryusei's mind remained sharp. The Akatsuki's forces were dangerous, but with their plan, they had the advantage. Now, it was a matter of execution—breaking the enemy piece by piece, until nothing remained to stop them.
Ryusei and Naruto darted through the trees under the cover of night, the moonlight barely piercing through the thick canopy above. Their footsteps were silent, their senses on high alert as they made their way toward the second battlefield. The air was heavy with the tension of the battles raging around them, and they knew that the next twenty-four hours would be critical in crippling the Akatsuki's forces.
After splitting from Anon, Sasuke, and Sakura, Ryusei and Naruto had moved quickly, determined to strike at another enemy position before dawn. Their mission was clear: disrupt as many of the Akatsuki's reanimated forces as possible, spread confusion, and reduce their numbers in preparation for the main assault in two days.
"Feels like old times, huh?" Naruto grinned, his voice low but filled with excitement as he glanced over at Ryusei. "Just you and me, kicking some serious butt. I gotta say, though, I miss the ramen breaks."
Ryusei chuckled, shaking his head. "No time for ramen this time, Naruto. We've got a lot of ground to cover before dawn. The enemy won't see us coming."
As they approached the next battlefield, they could hear the unmistakable sound of clashing blades and jutsu being unleashed in the distance. Ryusei signaled for Naruto to follow him as they slowed their pace and crouched down behind the cover of a large rock formation, surveying the scene below.
The field was littered with reanimated shinobi, their faces blank and their movements unnaturally precise. The summoners stood behind them, their focus entirely on maintaining control over the jutsu. But it wasn't just the faceless reanimated shinobi that caught Ryusei's attention—among them, he could sense the presence of powerful individuals, high-level jonin from the past, revived and ready for battle.
"Looks like we've got some old legends in this one," Ryusei muttered, narrowing his eyes as he recognized a few of the reanimated shinobi. "This won't be easy."
Naruto cracked his knuckles, his grin growing wider. "Perfect. I was starting to get bored with these small fries."
Ryusei glanced at Naruto, his expression serious. "These are high-level jonin. We'll have to be careful. They won't go down easily, even if they're reanimated."
Naruto nodded, his grin fading as he shifted into a more serious mindset. "Got it. Let's go, Ryusei."
Without another word, the two of them leaped from their cover and charged into the battlefield. The first wave of reanimated shinobi turned to face them, their eyes dull but their reactions swift. Ryusei moved with precision, his Dragon Sage Mode flaring to life as he ducked under a blade and delivered a swift palm strike to his opponent's chest, sending a pulse of energy that disrupted the chakra threads controlling the reanimation jutsu. The reanimated shinobi staggered, collapsing to the ground as the jutsu was severed.
Naruto moved with equal ferocity, summoning a wave of shadow clones that rushed into the fray, each one launching Rasengans into the enemy ranks. The battlefield exploded with chakra as Naruto's clones tore through the reanimated shinobi, their attacks focused on breaking the summoners' control.
But as they pushed deeper into the enemy ranks, the air around them grew heavy with a different kind of chakra—stronger, more refined. Ryusei glanced up just in time to see a figure step forward from the shadows, his face familiar and his presence commanding.
"That's…" Ryusei's eyes widened as he recognized the figure. It was none other than Juro Natsume, a legendary jonin from the Hidden Mist Village, known for his mastery of water and wind jutsu. He had been one of the most feared shinobi of his time, his skills surpassing even the elite of his village.
Juro's dull, reanimated eyes locked onto Ryusei, and without hesitation, he formed a series of hand seals. "Water Style: Dragon Flood Jutsu!"
A massive torrent of water surged forward from Juro's hands, taking the shape of a dragon that roared toward Ryusei. The sheer force of the water was enough to flatten everything in its path.
Ryusei reacted quickly, summoning a wave of Void energy that wrapped around his body like a shield. The water dragon collided with the Void barrier, the two forces clashing violently before the jutsu dissolved into nothingness.
"You've still got it, even in death," Ryusei muttered, narrowing his eyes as he leaped forward to meet Juro head-on. His Dragon Sage Mode flared again, and he summoned a swirling orb of energy in his hand—the Void-enhanced Rasengan. With a single thrust, he launched the Rasengan toward Juro, aiming to disrupt the chakra that controlled his reanimated body.
Juro dodged with a speed that belied his reanimated state, weaving through the attacks with fluid movements. "Even in death, I won't go down easily," he said, his voice mechanical but filled with the confidence of a seasoned warrior.
Meanwhile, Naruto found himself facing a different challenge. Standing before him was Kaito Haruno, a former jonin of the Hidden Leaf Village and a master of earth and lightning jutsu. His connection to Sakura's clan made the encounter even more personal.
"Looks like we've got family ties, huh?" Naruto said, his grin returning as he summoned another wave of shadow clones. "But sorry, Kaito, you're going back to rest."
Kaito's reanimated face didn't react, but his hands moved swiftly, forming a series of seals. "Earth Style: Stone Pillar Prison!"
Massive pillars of stone erupted from the ground, trapping Naruto and his clones inside a cage of rock. But before Kaito could move in for the attack, the cage exploded outward as Naruto's clones smashed through the stone with their Rasengans.
"That won't stop me!" Naruto yelled, charging forward with his clones at his side. They surrounded Kaito, each one attacking from a different angle, forcing the reanimated jonin to react.
Kaito countered with lightning speed, literally. "Lightning Style: Thunder God Strike!" Bolts of lightning crackled around him, lashing out at the clones and destroying them in bursts of smoke. But Naruto himself was quick, dodging the strikes with ease as he closed the distance.
Ryusei, meanwhile, was still locked in a fierce exchange with Juro. Water dragons clashed against Ryusei's Void-infused attacks, each strike sending shockwaves through the battlefield. But Ryusei was patient, waiting for the moment when Juro's movements would become predictable. When the opening came, Ryusei surged forward, his Dragon Sage Mode amplifying his speed. He slammed a Void-infused Rasengan into Juro's chest, severing the chakra control that kept him animated.
Juro's body collapsed, dissolving into dust as the reanimation jutsu failed.
Naruto, too, found his moment to strike. As Kaito unleashed another wave of lightning, Naruto's Rasengan cut through the attack and slammed into Kaito's torso, disrupting the chakra that kept him alive. Kaito staggered, his body flickering before falling apart, returning to the earth.
Breathing heavily, Ryusei and Naruto regrouped, scanning the battlefield. The reanimated shinobi were collapsing one by one, the enemy forces in disarray as their numbers thinned.
"We did it," Naruto said, wiping the sweat from his brow. "One field down."
Ryusei nodded, his eyes scanning the horizon. "We keep moving. More fields await. Tomorrow, we hit the next one. After that, we regroup for the final assault."
Together, they vanished into the night, their minds set on the battlefields yet to come.