Want to read ahead of schedule? Head over to Patreón @ for +20 chapters
[ https://www̧̧.patreón.com/azureawakening ]
The link is also in the synopsis
<<<>>>
Yagura stood still, a massive ball of chakra forming in front of his face. It wasn't a full Tailed Beast Bomb as Maki had initially thought. Yagura couldn't unleash that devastating technique without fully transforming into the Three-Tails, something he wanted to avoid. However, the attack he was preparing was far from weak.
Maki glanced at Suiren, who was leaning heavily on her, struggling to even stay upright.
'Grandma won't survive if that hits. I need to protect her,' Maki thought, gritting her teeth. She could have dodged the attack easily, but not with Suiren - carrying her would have slowed her down significantly. Defense wasn't her strong suit either, in fact, it was her weakest area, but she wasn't about to give up or abandon her grandmother.
'Samehada, prepare to take on that attack. If you need to, you can eat my chakra,' Maki mentally commanded. She wasn't sure if the sentient blade understood her, but she had to try. Straining her body to its limits, Maki's chakra coat thickened until it was almost tangible, the air around her distorting as her violent aura expanded, covering a few feet in every direction.
'She's strong,' Yagura thought, a faint smile tugging at his lips. He was enjoying the battle. The fight was exhilarating, his mind clearer than it had been in years. For shinobi who had transcended human limits and reached the S-rank, intense battles like this were a rare source of thrill and entertainment. Yagura was no exception.
The chakra ball launched toward Maki and Suiren, tearing through the ground and leaving nothing but ruins in its wake. Maki tightened her grip on Samehada, the blade now fully exposed, its scales shivering - whether from excitement or tension, she couldn't tell.
She charged forward, determined to intercept the attack far enough from Suiren to keep her safe.
'Don't… leave, please,' Suiren thought, unable to even speak. But it was too late to stop her. Afraid for Maki's safety a single tear rolled down her cheek, evaporating even before reaching the chin.
Samehada collided with the chakra ball, a chaotic mix of positive and negative energies. The impact was powerful, but not as devastating as Maki had anticipated. Samehada had already taken a massive bite out of the attack, significantly weakening it. Maki felt her body being torn apart and healed simultaneously. A technique she'd developed based on Tsunade's teachings provided her with boosted regeneration. And now after pushing her Predator's Pact to its limits, the increased regeneration allowed her to endure the damage.
'This is manageable,' Maki thought, surprised by her ability to withstand the attack. But it was not just because of her own strength, the flaw in Yagura's technique also played a role - it was an improvised version of the Tailed Beast Bomb, far from perfect. With a few more attempts, it could have been much stronger. Still, the force of the blast sent Maki skidding backward, her body bruised and covered in small cuts. But it was nothing she couldn't handle.
The moment she regained her balance, Maki flickered forward. It was her turn to attack now.
Even after taking Yagura's attack head-on, Maki's aura remained unshaken, and her demeanor was as fierce as ever. Yagura, now thinking more clearly, realized the gravity of the situation. The intense fight, the adrenaline, or maybe even Suijingan's power squeezing his hand dry had cleared the haze in his mind. He was no longer acting like a lunatic. His actions and decisions were reasonable.
While the memories Obito had altered wouldn't return, the confusion that had clouded his judgment was gone. Yagura could sense that something was off, his own decisions felt foreign, and he needed time to analyze everything. With Suiren incapacitated, he could retreat now and return later to deal with Takimura.
'I'll retreat for now and come back later. This girl is strong, but she's not strong enough to defeat me,' Yagura thought, deflecting Maki's attack with his tails and countering immediately. Maki, however, didn't flinch. She ducked under Yagura's punch and countered with a swift uppercut.
The force of the blow shook Yagura's head, his eyes losing focus for a moment. It wasn't just the physical impact, Maki's chakra-infused shockwave caused additional damage, disrupting his focus.
'If I weren't in this form, that attack would have been a problem,' Yagura realized, quickly recovering. He retaliated with a barrage of attacks, his three tails extending to force Maki to retreat.
However, Maki wasn't willing to back down just yet. With a swift swing of Samehada, she severed the chakra tails Yagura had extended toward her. The blade's hunger was still far from satisfied, its scales humming with energy as it consumed the raw chakra.
With the tails gone, Maki seized the opening, lunging at Yagura with Samehada aimed directly at him.
'This is a problem,' Yagura thought, realizing his chakra coat wouldn't be enough to stop the chakra-devouring blade. Blocking was out of the question, so he leaped to the side with surprising speed for his massive size.
But Maki had anticipated his move.
She followed him instantly, closing the distance even further. This time, she landed a powerful kick on Yagura, sending the Mizukage flying. However, Yagura wasn't so easily defeated. Mid-air, he shifted into a ball-like shape and as soon as he landed he charged back at Maki with incredible speed, slamming into her with full force. Maki skidded backward, using Samehada as a shield to absorb the impact.
'Alright, this much is enough,' Yagura thought, deciding it was time to retreat. The fight wasn't going his way, and he had already achieved his primary goal - destroying Takimura's strongest defense. Without transforming, he rolled away, vanishing from the battlefield in a flicker.
Maki was fast enough to chase him, but she hesitated.
'Grandma… I need to see her!' Suiren was dying and Maki knew she wouldn't last much longer. As much as she wanted to pursue Yagura, she wasn't confident she could defeat him, especially since he hadn't even transformed yet. At the very least, even if Yagura managed to heal his injured arm it would take a very long time, allowing Takimura to recover and prepare.
Maki flickered to where her grandmother lay, her heart sinking as she found Suiren on the ground. Her eyes were no longer glowing as Suijingan had exhausted its power and deactivated. Suiren's condition had improved slightly, but it was only a fleeting relief, a momentary easing of pain before the inevitable.
"Grandma…" Maki whispered, her voice trembling as she knelt beside her. She couldn't find the right words to comfort Suiren, but even her presence brought a sense of peace to her grandmother.
"Thank God you're alright, Maki," Suiren said, her voice weak, barely above a whisper. Yet, there was undeniable relief in her tone. "Did you kill him?"
"No, he escaped. Grandma, I'm sorry…" Maki apologized, though she wasn't even sure what she was apologizing for. She just felt a deep, overwhelming guilt for not being strong enough.
"Silly child, it's better this… way," Suiren gasped from pain squinting her eyes, words shaky and fragmented. "Did you really want me to die from old age? That would be pathetic." She tried to smile, but her body no longer obeyed her.
"Grandma, I love you," Maki said, her tears falling onto Suiren's forehead as she cradled her grandmother's head in her lap.
"I love you too, child," Suiren replied, her face no longer showing pain. Her body had gone numb and speaking was the only thing she could still do. "Please take care of your brother and the Takime clan. And… be happy, Maki. You deserve it more than anyone…" Suiren's voice trailed off as she drew her final breath.
Maki couldn't hold back any longer. She cried - loud, heart-wrenching sobs that echoed across the battlefield. The place that had been filled with chaos and energy just moments ago was now eerily still, with Maki's cries being the only sound that broke the silence.
Shin stood nearby, his heart heavy with grief. He wanted to offer comfort, but no words felt adequate. Instead, he remained still, a silent pillar of support for Maki as she mourned. Sometimes, silence spoke louder than words.
<<<>>>
"How long will it take to reach the first island?" A asked, a satisfied smile playing on his lips. His forces were already aboard the ships, heading toward the Land of Water. A had prepared extensively, stocking two entire ships with provisions in case establishing a supply line proved difficult. He wasn't leaving anything to chance.
"A couple of days, if there's no storm," answered one of the hired sailors, his tone cautious but confident.
'When did he start preparing for this?' B wondered, surprised. Initially, he had assumed A's decision to invade the Land of Water was impulsive, but the sight of the fully stocked ships and meticulously planned provisions changed his mind. A's foresight was far greater than he had realized.
A grinned as he could easily read B's thoughts. The confusion on B's face betrayed his mind.
"I started preparing as soon as we returned from the negotiations," A explained, his grin widening. "The moment Mangetsu and Maki started fighting, this was inevitable. Why else would the Kages from Konoha and Kumo stand there and watch? We liked the idea of war. Well, at the very least, I did." He laughed heartily, his voice carrying across the deck. For A, this was the war he had been waiting for.
"Any news from the battlefield?" B asked. Unlike A, B disliked the idea of invading the Land of Water. He preferred a simpler life, but as the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, peace was never an option for him.
"No, there's none," A replied, his expression turning serious for a moment. "I hope Takimura can hold out long enough for us to take at least a few islands." His mind was already racing, planning their next moves and anticipating their opponents' countermeasures.
'I'd have loved it if Dodai came with us, but he'd just get in the way,' A thought, his gaze shifting to the horizon. To him, the vast expanse of the sea felt like the beginning of his new kingdom. A was simply enjoying the moment.
<<<>>>
"What is there to even discuss? We must attack Kumo!" Tsume Inuzuka roared, her voice echoing through the council chamber. However, her straightforward suggestion found no support among the other members of the Konoha council.
"And what do we stand to gain if we do?" Danzo asked, tilting his head slightly. His tone carried a hint of mockery, though it was veiled enough to avoid provoking the impulsive head of the Inuzuka clan.
"Not letting our enemy get stronger?" Tsume shot back as if the answer was obvious.
Danzo had heard enough and was about to dismantle her argument, but Jiraiya intervened before the tension could escalate further.
"There are two options here, and both carry risks and benefits," Jiraiya began, leaning back in his chair as he prepared to explain his perspective. "First, let's say we attack Kumo. What could happen?" He paused, letting the question hang in the air before continuing.
"If we attack Kumo, they'll claim we acted unprovoked, painting us as the aggressors giving other villages a cause to attack us. On top of that, we'd be facing a formidable enemy with two Jinchuriki - one a perfect Jinchuriki and the other nearly perfect. Meanwhile, our own Jinchuriki is still a kid who cares more about ramen than training."
Jiraiya chuckled as he imagined Naruto eating ramen, but when he noticed the lack of amusement from the council, he cleared his throat awkwardly.
"Anyway, we'd end up sacrificing countless capable shinobi. Yes, Kumo would also suffer losses, but unlike them, we're surrounded by other major villages. Who knows how Onoki will react? And Rasa is an even bigger threat. Suna has been complaining that our alliance is more of a burden than a benefit. We already knew that, but the fact that they've become bold or desperate enough to voice it openly is a problem in itself."
Jiraiya took a moment before moving on to the second option. "Now, if we attack the Land of Water, the situation changes. Since it's a move made by two great villages, both Suna and Iwa will think twice before acting. They'll suspect that Konoha and Kumo might be coordinating the attack on Kiri. While the likelihood of that is low, they won't risk it. Iwa cherishes every elite shinobi they have, especially since their new generation isn't particularly strong. And outside their deserts, Suna is barely strong enough to be called a great village."
Jiraiya scanned the room, looking to see if anyone wanted to chime in. When no one spoke, he continued.
"The only disadvantages of attacking the Land of Water, as I see it, are the terrain, the difficulty of supplying an invading army, and the potential damage to any future relationship with Takimura. The biggest challenges, of course, are the supply lines and the terrain. Kumo has clearly been preparing for this for months, but we haven't."
Jiraiya finished his speech, his gaze settling on Tsume, who looked both embarrassed and frustrated. "So, what do you suggest we do then?" she asked, her voice quieter now.
----------------------------------
If you can, please support me on P@treon
pat reon.com/azureawakening
(no space)
You can read up to 20 chapters ahead on P@treon!
The link is also in the synopsis
----------------------------------
When weekly Power Stone number reaches 200 I'll upload a Bonus Chapter! Currently 44/200