Naruto: The Tale of an Otsutsuki

"Naruto! Are you okay?" Kakashi and Sakura ran up to Naruto, their faces filled with concern.

Seeing Sakura immediately raising her hands to heal him, Naruto grinned and reassured her, "I'm fine! Kurama's chakra is just depleted. We need to wait a bit for it to recover."

"Sakura, really, I'm not hurt. Go help the others who need you more."

Confirming that Naruto was uninjured, Sakura hesitated before lowering her hands. "Seeing the Nine Tails vanish like that gave us a scare…"

"Haha, it's nothing!" Naruto flexed his arms with a confident grin, looking toward the distant Ten Tails. "Even without Kurama, I'll find a way to stop that thing."

"Naruto…" Kakashi placed a firm hand on Naruto's shoulder. "You've done enough. Take this time to rest. We'll handle things from here. You can't carry the entire fight on your back."

"Kakashi-sensei's right," Sakura added, punching her fist into her palm for emphasis.

"No!" Naruto immediately refused, determination blazing in his eyes. "This isn't the time for me to rest. I have to keep going and stop that guy."

With difficulty, Naruto pushed himself back onto his feet. Around them, coalition ninjas surged forward, racing toward the Ten Tails.

"That monster shouldn't be able to fire another attack so soon…"

"This is our chance to get close!"

"Let's hope we can do this!"

The ninjas encouraged one another as they rushed ahead under the orders of the Five Kage.

On top of the Ten Tails, Obito—linked to its will—sneered as the ninja coalition approached. With the Ten Tails' incredible sensory abilities, their movements and conversations fed directly into his mind.

"Idiots. Do you really think you stand a chance?" Obito muttered, his face dark beneath the mask. With a thought, he commanded the Ten Tails once more.

"Destroy them all."

Shua!

The Ten Tails responded instantly, its massive mouth pulling tight as it gathered chakra into an ominous, glowing sphere.

"No way… That posture—could it be?!"

Some sharp-eyed coalition ninjas recognized the stance immediately. It was the same terrifying attack as before. Their faces went pale with dread.

"They're going to fire another one?!"

Weapons clattered to the ground as despair spread through the ranks. Some ninjas froze in place, hopelessness gripping their hearts.

Zzzzziiiii!

The Ten Tails' laser cannon, blindingly bright and searing, shot forth like a harbinger of destruction.

"It's over…"

"Don't give up!"

Swish!

A black shadow suddenly dropped in front of the coalition forces. Kakashi landed firmly, his gaze steely as he reached up and lifted his forehead protector, revealing the scarlet glow of his Mangekyo Sharingan.

"Kamui!"

"Is he crazy?!" Kirito, who was standing nearby with TenTen, felt his heart drop as he saw Kakashi preparing his signature move.

With incredible focus, Kakashi activated Kamui. Space twisted and warped in front of him, forming a swirling vortex that sucked in the Ten Tails' devastating laser cannon.

Fwoosh! Fwoosh! Fwoosh!

The energy that could have obliterated the coalition was swallowed whole into Kakashi's Kamui dimension.

Seeing Kakashi's actions, Obito's lips curled into a dark sneer. "How long can you hold out, Kakashi? Even I can't sustain Kamui against this level of power for long. You're only human."

Obito's thoughts were not misplaced. Kakashi's left eye throbbed painfully, and his vision blurred from the sheer strain. The temptation to close his eye for just a moment gnawed at him, but he gritted his teeth and pushed on, his resolve unshaken.

"Kakashi-sensei!"

Sakura landed behind him, her face pale with worry. Without hesitation, she unleashed the Strength of a Hundred Seal, placing her glowing hands on his back.

Shua!

White markings surged along her body, passing chakra into Kakashi in steady waves.

"Thank you, Sakura…" Kakashi muttered, the renewed energy giving him strength.

With her support, Kakashi forced himself to sustain Kamui, drawing in the entirety of the Ten Tails' attack.

Just as it seemed that Kakashi's limit was near, a brilliant laser beam suddenly shot out from the side of the Ten Tails' massive body.

Boom!

The surprise attack struck the Ten Tails square in the face, sending it reeling backward with a deafening explosion. Its enormous bulk toppled like a mountain, crashing into the earth with a rumble that shook the battlefield.

"W-What was that?!" Naruto gasped, shielding his face from the shockwave.

Kakashi, finally free of the strain, collapsed onto one knee. He would have been thrown back entirely if Sakura hadn't caught him by the wrist.

Around them, the coalition forces were thrown into temporary chaos, blown off their feet by the shockwave.

"Who launched that attack?" Naruto squinted toward the smoking distance, his voice filled with confusion. "Did someone else show up?"

"New support? A helper?" Killer Bee stood up shakily, trying to process what had happened. "Whoever it is, ya fool, they just saved our skins, yeah!"

As the dust began to settle, Shikaku's voice rang out in the minds of the coalition forces.

"Everyone, now is our chance! The Ten Tails has been momentarily incapacitated. Use this opportunity to close in on it!"

"Yes, sir!"

Rallying together, the Ninja Alliance stood tall and prepared to charge toward the downed Ten Tails.

(End of this chapter)