NARUTO: MAOYŪ

The Wind Demon

Goddess of Wind

(Elsewhere)

Dashing across a rocky, mountainous area along the westerly border of the peninsula valley, just east of the Land of Earth, the familiar, white-haired form of Jiraiya of the Sannin was leaping from tor to tor on his way towards the Kotaro's current location. Able to spot the towering beam of light glowing in the distance just like every other nation sharing the stretch of land along this part of the earth's curvature, the Sage was using all the energy he could muster to reach that marker as fast as his legs could carry him.

Even with his build and age, the man was still incredibly swift. Such was the strength and speed of one of the three greatest shinobi of the previous generation.

Of course, even though the great Toad Hermit was bounding over the mountainous valley with the dexterity of a super-powered, super-charged rabbit, the man still couldn't help but complain to himself about his current situation.

"At times like this I really wish I had Minato's Hiraishin kunai to get me across the countryside faster. That kid has it so bloody easy sometimes," Jiraiya muttered, landing against a particularly low tor before springing up onto the next one. Hiking up its towering structure, he then spring boarded off of the top towards another, the wind whipping at his face as he made sure to telegraph each of his landings correctly. "Damn it. When this is all over, I'm going to ask him to teach me how to use that technique, because this is getting ridiculous."

For the last several hours he'd been on a non-stop cross-country marathon trying to get to what he knew was the spot that Fuma Kotaro had started her ritual with the Wishing Jewels. How normal was it to see a light bright enough to be seen from all four corners of the Elemental Nations that had nothing to do with the sun?

The artefact's reacting to each other being the most logical explanation, Jiraiya made it his top priority to get to the woman's location as quickly as he could. Since he'd failed to intercept her and the four members of her gang to stop them from acquiring the remaining pieces, the man felt personally responsible for this whole mess and was now out to redeem himself.

That moment of levity would apparently be quick to resolve, as just a few seconds after picking up speed, the Toad Sage suddenly spotted a shimmer in the air up ahead and, after drawing a set of shuriken, lobbed them forward. The half a dozen ninja stars curved through the air before bouncing off of what Jiraiya's immediate thought was an invisible wall. Stopping on top of a rocky tor a few yards away, he was then quickly able to confirm that it wasn't a wall at all.

The barrier that now stood before him was actually a large spider-web made out of translucent chakra threads, all of which were now crisscrossing the canyon in front of him and blocking off his route. Narrowing his eyes when he recognized the shimmering material and its intricate design, the Sannin then had his gaze snapped to his left. Upon which he quickly leapt out of the way to avoid the rush of wind that shot down at him from above.

It was a good thing he did, because the second he leapt off of the tor the man was able to watch with morbid interest as the tower of rock was suddenly sliced into multiple cubes, which then crumbled and cascaded into the ravine below. Landing a safe distance away in time to watch his previous platform fall away, a bead of sweat appeared on the Sage's forehead.

"I really don't like what happened to that outcrop," Jiraiya thought, before turning his attention towards the cliffs above him. It didn't take him long to spot the silhouette of a figure standing at the top of the imposing wall, a sight that did not fill the Sage with any sense of comfort. "Figured as much. When you pray for gold, you get jack shit."

"It's about time you showed up," the orange-haired male with the shuriken tattoos on his face known as San spoke, a smirk present on his face as he gazed down at his quarry. Fuma Shuriken open and dangling at his side, the S-Ranked thief and mercenary lifted his nose at the Sannin, even when Jiraiya extended his hands in a fighting stance. "I've been tracking you since you left Amegakure."

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow. "You were able to sense me from that far away?"

"I can sense anything from any distance, so long as I concentrate hard enough. It's one of my abilities," San replied, at the same time raising his free right hand and flexing his fingers in an unusual manner. The act of which caused the air in front of his hand to shimmer with strange, multiple-colored lights, like the sun itself was refracting off of something thin. "I'm pretty sure you can guess what my other one is."

"Yes," Jiraiya replied, eyes glancing warily towards the spider-web hanging in the air next to him, before then following it back up towards his opponent. When he saw the odd lights continue flickering around San's extended hand, he quickly realized that the shinobi was producing even more wires from his fingertips to fan them across the ravine, thereby surrounding them. A cocky smile then appeared on the hermit's lips. "Don't tell me you set this all up just for little old me?"

"You're one of Konoha's Three Legendary Sannin. It would be careless of me to not take special precautions… especially since you weren't using all of your abilities or power in our first fight. Not even close," the orange-haired warrior replied, at the same time thrusting his limb out to produce a wider net of web to another part of the canyon. As soon as the lengths of wires attached, San continued. "I know you're hiding a major bulk of your strength, so don't think I'm going to take it easy and let my guard down against you."

Edging his foot out as he adjusted his position, Jiraiya chuckled. "San Fuma of the Crimson Star gang, otherwise known as 'San the Wind Slicer'; a man marked as a rogue S-Rank nuke-nin in the bingo book, wanted for multiple cases of theft, kidnapping, breaking-and-entering, espionage, petty larceny, and murder across fifteen countries, with a seventy-five million ryo bounty on his head. His true capabilities are currently unknown." The white haired shinobi lifted his head. "I'm guessing that's because there hasn't been a single ninja alive to walk away from a battle against you."

"That's correct," San nodded with a prideful smile. "Unlike my comrades, I'm not sloppy. I don't like leaving witnesses."

"Then… that would make me the first, wouldn't it?" Jiraiya replied, his grin only widening when he saw the Fuma ninja's smile falter a little. "Because, from what I can tell, you're able to produce solid chakra directly from all of your tenketsu points in the form of ultra-thin, high-density threads that are capable of trapping and absorbing the energy from anyone that happens to get tangled in them. They're also super sharp and can cut through just about any material they're run through." The Sannin then shrugged as he kept count of the number of wires he could see currently crossing the air above him. "I must say… that's a pretty nasty ability you have."

"Consider it a family gift," San replied, while at the same time flexing his fingers and causing his muscles to pop. "The branches within the Fuma Clan have many members with various special abilities. My branch happens to be one of them."

"I should consider myself lucky then… to face off against someone as strong and dangerous as you," Jiraiya replied, before taking a deep breath and striking a flashy fighting pose. Extending his hands and widening his grin, while at the same time propping himself up on one foot, the white-haired master of infiltration and jutsu then gave a mighty bellow. "Prepare yourself then, San! For the Great Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku, a man who has defied the odds and shaken hands with death on multiple occasions, will be your opponent!"

At this, the enemy's expression darkened and grin widened murderously. "It is an honor I will happily be taking from you." The moment he said this, the member of the Crimson Star gang thrust his right hand upwards before, with a flash of white light, unleashed a rain of a dozen transparent threads down at the man.

Grinning, the white haired ninja slammed his hands together, which then blurred through a series of indiscernible seals. A split second later his white mane of hair grew and billowed out at an alarming rate, the strands hardening to that of steel before flying upwards to intercept the net of translucent chakra threads flying at him…

OOO

(Meanwhile)

(Many miles away)

At the base of the pillar of light glowing at the top of the mountain in the center of the valley, still seated in a meditative position, the white haired, pale-skinned form of Fuma Kotaro was locked in a perpetual chant over her makeshift altar. The three Hoju stones hovering above the Lotus Cradle continued to orbit around each other, pulsing brightly as the flower petals on the carrier grew at a painfully slow rate. Despite the relic being made entirely of solid, unmoving matter, the fluttering of the cradle's blossoming petals gave the impression that it was much more than that.

Her song of Sanskrit still leaving her lips verse by verse, the woman remained as she was, her body unmoving while her hands were still in the prayer position. The bright glow of the light being produced by the artefact didn't seem to bother her in the slightest, as her expression remained relaxed and her spirit at peace.

If she kept up this pace, the success of her ritual seemed well within her reach.

The little girl lying nearby, Amaya, was still sleeping peacefully on her side.

That was until the woman's eyes opened and, after glancing over her shoulder momentarily, closed them and went back to her incantation. From her seated position and endless song, the woman unfolded her legs and pressed her soles together. Using her toes, she formed three seals with her feet, the digits flexing at impossible angles before a second body- an exact duplicate of Fuma Kotaro- suddenly emerged from the woman's back and stood up, as if she stood up out of the position herself.

"Bunretsu no Jutsu." (Fission Technique)

Leaving the other duplicate of herself behind to continue the incantation uninterrupted, the clone of Kotaro breathed a heavy sigh before smirking in a confident manner.

"I was wondering how long it would take for you to finally appear. After my side trip to the moon to collect the final piece, I knew it was only a matter of time before you decided to step in." Scoffing a little at the hilarity of the whole situation, the woman in the purple kimono turned around and smiled at the figure that had arrived on the scene. Spotting the specter hovering above the ground just a few yards away from her, dressed in all white robes with black magatama sewn around the collar, worn over a body of pale white skin, grey hair, long goatee, horns protruding from his head, and three Rinnegan eyes framing his gruff, elderly face, Kotaro couldn't help but laugh at her good fortune. "Hagoromo Otsutsuki."

Expression reflecting no amusement whatsoever, the Sage of Six Paths, suspended over nine black orbs hovering in a perfect circle beneath him, with a single black Shakujo staff lying across his lap, the physical manifestation of the God of Shinobi then spoke to the woman in a serious voice. "Kotaro… you have to stop this. You cannot bring the parts of the Cintamani back together-"

"Yeah? And why not, floating man?" Kotaro asked, ambling towards the most important figure in shinobi history and beginning to waltz around him with a playful waddle in each step. "Are you going to stop me? Is that why you decided to come out of that comfortable little void of yours… to try and force me into giving it up?"

"No," Hagoromo replied, his brow creasing anxiously as he followed the woman with his gaze only as she walked a full circle around him. "I came here to try and reason with you… with words."

"Hmph. That's a shame," Kotaro murmured, swinging her arms back and forth while eyeing the entity that had descended from the netherworlds to face her. "For a second there I was hoping I'd get to do something a little more fun. But instead you just want to talk?" The woman then grunted and, turning her back on the man in white, began to walk away from him with her hand lifting in a 'peace out' gesture. "Not interested. Have a nice day."

"Kotaro. Please… be reasonable," Hagoromo spoke, rotating on his platform of gravity-defying spheres to face the woman walking away from him and swaying her hips. "The pieces of the Wishing Jewel were separated and scattered across the planet for a reason. It is an artefact that's not meant to be wielded by ordinary men."

"Well then, it's a good thing that I'm not ordinary… or a man," Kotaro replied, glancing over her shoulder to smirk at the shadow of the shinobi world's most prominent figure. "Trust me, gramps. I know exactly what I'm doing." Slipping her hands behind her back, the elegant yet scantily dressed woman proceeded to observe her duplicate carry on with the ritual, the stones hovering in the center of the bright light continuing to pulse and gleam brightly.

Floating in place for several moments and keeping all three of his Rinnegan glued to the woman, the great Sage took a deep breath and hovered forward across the plateau.

"That stone was used by the Gods of the old world to bring about progress, enlightenment, and change to the human race. It even helped to arrange the stars in the sky and lay down the physics that govern this earth." Hagoromo then raised a hand and extended towards Kotaro in a peaceful and eloquent manner. "If you complete this ritual and attempt to use that artefact to sate your desires… to tamper with the fabric of law and reality… there is no telling what kind of chaos will befall this planet."

Kotaro scoffed upon hearing this and replied without looking back at her guest. "Now you're just exaggerating."

Hagoromo however was not dissuaded and continued to press forward. "The Gods entrusted humans with the ability to plant, cultivate, and care for their own lives just as they would any other element of value. They wished for the people to be free and independent of their control, and thus used the Cintamani and the other heavenly tools to realize this vision." His eyes then narrowed even more seriously. "If you try to interfere with the gifts given to the whole of humankind, you will end up altering the foundations of the planet forever. Nothing will ever be sacred… and nothing will ever be the same again… not even the rite of death."

"Well… you know what they say about life. Everything dies in the end." Kotaro replied, her smile not fading for a second as she glanced across at the Great Sage. When she saw the floating God raise an eyebrow at her, the woman simply held out her hands and shrugged. "Except for you, apparently."

Feeling he wasn't getting anywhere with talking to her, Hagoromo inhaled deeply. "I implore you… don't do this." It was this request that brought a frown to Kotaro's face, who continued to glare at the man for several seconds before she turned to look back at her doppelganger.

As the ritual proceeded, the white-haired kunoichi began to speak again. "Do you know what the scariest thing is?" Receiving no answer, the woman spoke on the Sage's behalf. "To not know your place in this world. To not know why you're even here." She then looked up as her response led to further explanation. "Unlike you and your family, Hagoromo, I was born unlucky… impoverished and on the streets… stealing everything I could in order to survive. Ever since I lost my family in a bandit attack, the privilege and sanctity of a peaceful lifestyle was never an option for me… until my thieving ways eventually caught the attention of some old man who, out of the goodness of his heart, decided to take me in." She then raised her head a little as memories of her past life came back to her. "When he told me that I was 'destined for greatness', I knew right away that in order to get anything in this world, whether it be praise, wealth, fame, or comfort… you had to be ruthless, and take it for yourself. When I eventually left my adoptive family, the Fuma Clan, stealing and thievery soon became a way of life for me… and I quickly discovered that I was damn good at it."

Hagoromo remained silent, watching and listening as the woman recounted her history to him. All the while he kept an eye on the altar where the other Kotaro was continuing her ritual, her mind closed off from everything else going on around her. She obviously had to remain as she was, so as not to break the mantra that was the key to fulfilling her goal.

"No matter what I took… secrets, techniques, strength, knowledge… it was never enough for me. I was so driven by my compulsion for greater things that with every heist I completed and every job I pulled, there was always going to be another score waiting for me just around the corner. The challenges thrilled me and the feats excited me… made me feel more alive than ever… and gave me purpose. My instincts drove me to want more… and for that I marched on to fulfill that need." It was then the woman turned around and raised a finger, which she then waved at the Sage. "But despite all that I had gained… despite all my triumphs and successes, there was one thing that always eluded me… one question that always remained just out of my reach." She then clenched her fist and dropped it. "The one."

This statement had the Sage of Six Paths visibly balk a little. "The one?"

"The one to end it all… the one to bring about an outstanding revelation… and the one to bring my relentless quest to a close… to cease my eternal yearning," Kotaro stated, reaching up and slapping a hand over her chest, where she then gripped her breast mournfully. "It's a question that I reached on my own after performing my eight-hundredth take. What could this 'one' possibly be? Would it be a man? A woman? A worldwide catastrophe? A tragedy brought on by the wrath of the Gods? Or would it be an error of my own making?" She then removed her hand from her ample chest and held it up towards the Sage, to which she extended. "For ages I have wondered what it could be… what fate awaited me just around the corner… until I discovered this." Reaching into her obi, she then pulled out something and tossed it towards Hagoromo.

The Sage of Six Paths caught it with his right and looked down at the object in his palm to inspect it. When he did, he saw he was looking at a gold coin that was not of Elemental Nation origin. It was without a doubt old, as evident by its chipped, degraded, and crumpled state, but the carvings and images on it were still clear as day. When Hagoromo took a closer look at one side, he saw the carving of a young man- someone he did not recognize- with spiky hair and three whiskers on each of his cheeks. He was wearing a scarf and an odd set of clothes, which didn't align to anything of oriental origin.

"There was a prophecy…" Kotaro informed, causing the Sage to look up at her again, "it was recorded in one of your lost scrolls, passed down through the Senju's records for the last several generations. They told of a 'mischievous boy with blue eyes, blonde hair and whiskers', who would unite both Gods and Demons, and bring about a great change to the world. This event was predicted to happen sometime in the near future." She then gestured to the relic the old man was holding. "The funny thing is… that coin you're holding predates your mother by two thousand years."

Hagoromo looked up at the young woman in surprise.

"And it's not the only one. Over the last twenty years I've come across dozens of relics from the old world that feature a similar figure with spiky blonde hair and whiskers. The Archaic, Macedonian, Babylonian periods of Europa and Central Gaul. The Middle and New Kingdoms of Saha. The Three Kingdoms and Song dynasties from Xia. And the Kofun, Kaguya, Byzantine and Dark Eras… this guy has been everywhere." The woman then strolled forward, watching as the Sage rolled the coin between his fingers before looking up at her. "I believe that the figure displayed on that coin is the same figure featured on all of those temple walls and artefacts that I discovered."

After staring at the woman for a moment, Hagoromo then looked down at the coin in his palm. "I remember this particular premonition. My friend Gamamaru informed me years ago that an individual fitting this exact same description would appear someday and bring about a great transformation to the world… one that has not been seen in the last two thousand years."

Kotaro then narrowed her eyes on the Sage, whom she could see was also bewildered by this information. "Your current form transcends time and space, doesn't it? Can you look back into the past to verify who this guy is?"

In response, the God of Shinobi shook his head. "No. Even with my abilities, this current form won't permit me to see that far. That timeline antecedes both my own and my mother's. I can't see into the future to ascertain the premonition either, due to the multiple divergences in the time stream." His response had Kotaro curse under her breath, but did not upset the man in the slightest, who held the coin out for her to retake. "You're sure this is the same person?"

Walking over to the specter, Kotaro sighed. "I'm not. That is why I want to use the Cintamani to find out whether it's true." The woman smirked as she stood before the hovering individual, who continued to face her with an unchanging expression. "That is what I desire most… verification… and whether or not my fate is tied to this man's in any way. The world is steadily heading for a revolution… and I plan to be a part of the wheel that turns it." Her brow furrowed dangerously as she reached forward and, seizing the coin being extended towards her, paused for the briefest of moments. "Do not take this from me, Hagoromo. Because if you do… I won't hesitate to fight a God. Even if he is a false one."

After staring back at the woman for a moment and feeling the intensity in her gaze, the elderly figure from ancient history then took a breath and nodded affirmatively. When Kotaro finally removed the coin from his palm, the old man returned his hand to his lap and watched the woman amble away. Observing the kunoichi check in on her other half and then on the unconscious Amaya, Hagoromo waited a moment before speaking again.

"Is that all you want to use the Wishing Jewel for?" Hagoromo asked, remaining as he was while eyeing the woman carefully.

A low chuckle left Kotaro's lips at that question. "There's nothing wrong with asking about where your path is going to take you." She then glanced back at the man behind her. "I mean, if you'd been given the chance, wouldn't you have taken it? Nothing really interesting or exciting has happened in the last several years anyway. If I'm able to find that one last, big score to end all scores, then that's good enough for me." When she turned around, she then revealed she was holding something else in her hand.

Hagoromo blinked a little in surprise when he recognized it as a truth-seeking ball and looked down at the ones orbiting beneath him to see the woman had swiped it while he'd been distracted.

"How did you-?"

Tossing the black object between her hands a couple of times in a teasing manner, before rolling it down her arm, across her shoulders and to her other hand like a basketball. "I'm called the greatest thief on this planet for a reason." She then spun the black ball on the tip of her finger, holding it there for a second before letting it drop into her palm. "There's nothing in this world that I can't take for myself."

Hearing her explanation then prompted Hagoromo to laugh a little, as he then looked at the kunoichi with a smile. "You truly are one of the most gifted women I've ever met. A true outlier."

Smiling at the specter and considering the orb she was holding for a moment, the woman then held her other hand over it and, after focusing her chakra into its mass, began to stretch it. With a quick swipe, the black ball was then transformed into the shape of a katana, which she then spun about and pointed towards the Sage. "Since I've got some time to kill… how about we have a little spar? I'm interested to see how the Goddess of Wind stacks up against the former God of Shinobi."

Noticing the excitement in Kotaro's gaze and feeling the intense pressure now being generated by the kunoichi, Hagoromo hesitated for a moment as his grip on the staff across his lap tightened. It was clear she was looking to blow off some steam and, with what he knew of her current power, the great Sage was certain she could do some serious damage.

However, before any blows of any kind could be thrown, the man in white then sensed something on the air and relinquished his grip on his staff. He then floated to the side, causing Kotaro to eye him suspiciously.

"Rather than focusing on me… I believe you might want to tend to your guests," Hagoromo informed, at the same time gesturing over the plateau.

Glancing in the direction the specter was directing her, Kotaro saw exactly what distracted the three-eyed shinobi. Across the valley and standing a safe distance away from the mountain where she and the Sage of Six Paths were positioned, she saw several armies of men and women, all arranged into their respective marching formations, lying in wait for her. Having been so caught up in her discussion with her ghostly visitor that the white-haired woman hadn't even noticed the masses of military force approaching, which gave her one heck of a sight of the armies from different nationalities all lined up side-by-side to confront her.

Using her senses to calculate the exact number of troops she could see, a smile graced the world renowned thief, which then led to her lowering the katana she'd shaped out of the Sage's Gudodama. "Hmph. It took them long enough." Transforming the sword back into the black ball, the woman then turned and marched towards the edge of the plateau. At the same time she casually tossed the black ball over her shoulder and back towards Hagoromo, where the orb quickly fell back into orbit with the others. "Sorry, gramps. Guess our little duel will have to wait."

Following the woman towards the cliff edge and watching her stop, the elderly figure spoke. "What exactly are you going to do?"

Kotaro smirked. "Don't know. Go for a little stroll through the army of ten thousand shinobi waiting down there… stretch my legs." She then looked back at the specter behind her. "Maybe while I'm at it, I'll have a little fun." With a little wink, she took a step forward and swan-dived off of the edge, dropping straight down towards the bottom of the mountain.

After seeing the woman leave, the Sage of Six Paths then turned his attention to the doppelganger Kotaro sitting nearby, where he could see the white-haired woman still going through her incantation. Figuring nothing else was going to happen while he was up here, the specter turned towards the field so as to watch the event that was going to take place next.

Her fall transforming into a gentle float as an unknown wind kicked up beneath her, Kotaro floated down the last several feet before touching down gracefully on the soft grass. With her hands at her sides, the woman began to stroll across the valley and towards the armies, a cool breeze licking across the wilderness while the sun shone brightly overhead. As birds sung and danced overhead, the completely at ease kunoichi hummed to herself as she drew closer and closer to the lines of shinobi.

Once she was within speaking distance of them and she could see the entire line of troops stretching from one vanishing point to the other, the thief stopped and waited, her eyes gingerly surveying the force that'd been brought to bear upon her.

"Let's see…" Kotaro whispered, scratching her chin as she then went about counting the armies from left to right, all of whom were now standing defensively with their arms and weapons pointed directly at her. The moment she raised her finger to mark each regiment, she saw the entire front row of troops jerk backwards fearfully. "Three thousand from Kumogakure…" She then pointed to the next one, "two thousand five hundred from Kirigakure, one thousand five hundred from Konohagakure…" Her eyes narrowed as she moved further across the valley and scrutinized the formations. "Five hundred from Takigakure… sounds reasonable…" A moment of pause was given to the next group, "two thousand from Sunagakure. Pretty good." Her eyes then finally moved to the last formation, where she then nodded in acknowledgement, "And another one thousand from Iwagakure, including two hundred from the defense forces. Man… what happened to you guys?" A wide grin then formed over her lips before she spoke in a louder voice. "Trouble at home?"

The brown haired, skinny form of Gari, who was at the head of the regiment, narrowed his eyes before shouting back at her, "You should know, bitch! You destroyed half our defenses and injured thousands of our men when you raided our village's sacred monument!"

"Oh, that's old news," Fuma Kotaro chirped while waving a hand at the commander of the Iwa forces flippantly. "We were just having some rough playtime. That's all. I'm sure there're no hard feelings between us." Resting her hands on her hips, the white-haired woman then puffed her ample chest out and spoke. "So… what can I do for you and your armies this fine morning? Come on. Speak up!"

A tense silence fell over the field, as for several moments nobody knew what to say or how to respond. The woman was acting far too casual and calm for their liking, as her cocky smirk and attitude was starting to unnerve them a little. Eventually, after much inner debate in which the legions of shinobi spent a whole minute murmuring and muttering to each other, someone was brave enough to speak up.

And that just happened to be the leader of the Sunagakure forces, the sandy-brown haired Karura, who stepped forward with her fists clenched bravely. "Fuma Kotaro! For the crimes of theft, murder, espionage, and threatening to incite a third global conflict between the existing states: by the will of the daimyo and the people of Kaze no Kuni, and for the good of all other nations residing across the Elemental Nations, the 1st Army under Commander Sabaku no Karura Kazehana of Sunagakure are here to take you in!" She then slammed a foot into the ground, causing a blast of sand to ripple forward and across the valley, hitting the white-haired woman with a gust of strong wind. "Come quietly and we promise to give you a fair trial! But if not… we'll have no choice but to execute you here and now!"

Blinking a couple of times at hearing the courageous woman's yell and then seeing her army behind her buck up in response to her declaration, Kotaro then gave a snicker before suddenly reeling back with a bellow of laughter. Clutching her stomach as she leaned forward, the woman wheezed a couple of times before wiping away a tear. "Oh, Kami. This is great… this is absolutely fantastic!" She then looked up at the armies in front of her with a grin. "This turned out better than I expected! All the great nations of the world uniting together to come and stop me! ME! Of all people! I couldn't have asked for a greater turnout!"

Upon catching her breath and straightening up, Kotaro took a moment to run a hand through her long white locks and sigh. But after doing so, the kunoichi then peered up at the armies from under the shadow of her fringe, whereupon she then flashed them all an intense and incredibly murderous look. The sight of her yellow eyes glaring at them with such menace caused the people at the front of each formation to break out into nervous sweat, while at the same time take a cautionary step back.

"But… if ten thousand shinobi was all you were able to bring to the table… I'm afraid it's not going to be enough." When she saw the army closest to her brandish their weapons in response to her statement, the white haired woman swung her arm out and, producing a small cyclone of wind to encompass her body, leaned forward into a starter's stance. "I haven't had a proper fight in over a decade. Perhaps you lot can at least give me some kind of warm up." Her grin widened even more so as she took aim at the regiment of soldiers in front of her. "Though I'm not expecting much!"

With a blast of dust and a sonic boom, the woman launched herself from the ground and dashed towards the battalions of a thousand Takigakure and Konohagakure soldiers directly in front of her. Seeing her approach, the two allied armies quickly took defensive stances with their weapons drawn, at the same time the commander at the head of the hidden leaf armies, Choza Akimichi, clad in his clan's signature battle armor, spread his legs in a low stance and gritted his teeth.

"Get ready, men! Here she comes!"

As she sprinted across the grass, the smirking Kotaro drew her hand back and, taking aim at the hulking form of Choza, prepared to run him through.

But just as she was nearly upon her prey and the regiment of soldiers could see her closing in, a flash of light followed by a thunderclap suddenly echoed across the field, as what looked like a bolt of lightning suddenly cut across the valley from the right and collided with the charging Kotaro. The white haired woman was caught completely by surprise when what felt like a locomotive crashed into her face, knocking her off her feet and sending her flying across the field in the completely wrong direction.

Bouncing off of the floor like a ragdoll, the woman quickly corrected her flight path and forced herself into a controlled spin. Slamming into the ground several dozen yards later, Kotaro slammed her two hands and knee into the floor, where she then skidded to a grinding stop seconds later and looked up with a start. A trickle of blood then ran out of the corner of her mouth.

"What the heck?"

When her eyes locked onto the 'thing' that had crashed into her, she saw the large, clenched fist of the Third Raikage retract and the man himself, bathed in an aura of lightning chakra, rise up to full height and glare the woman down.

"I will no longer let you do as you please, Fuma Kotaro," A spoke, bolts of lightning shooting off of him to strike the ground. "Your spree of petty crimes and mischief ends now." When he said this, his armor of lightning intensified tenfold, veins appearing on his throbbing muscles while his hair spiked up even more from his increase in power.

Recognizing the figure standing before her instantly, a previously surprised Kotaro grinned widely and stood up. A cackle of delight then left her lips. "Hyahaha! The Third Raikage? The would-be strongest and most powerful Kage in Kumogakure's history?!" Spitting the blood from her mouth, the woman then raised a fist and shook it victoriously. "Finally! I managed to reel in a big one!"

Just before the kunoichi could assume any sort of stance in preparation for her fight, the Third Raikage took a big step forward, winded his right fist back and, with a roar of effort, slammed his fist into the ground. The wicked haymaker not only punctured the earth, it also generated a shockwave so violent and intense that it shattered the ground in front of him for over eight hundred meters.

The landscape was almost literally shaken to pieces as the floor caved in and crumbled towards Fuma Kotaro, who gave a startled yelped as she almost lost balance. A split second later, as the ripples of force sent tidal waves of randomly moving slabs of ground across the valley, the Third Raikage suddenly came charging forward in a blur of light. With a second clap of thunder, the immense leader of Kumo's ninja forces crashed into the infamous white-haired kunoichi with an elbow, hitting her clean in the side and knocking her skywards.

"Elbow!" He practically plowed through his opponent without stopping, the force of impact causing the ground to further quake.

All around the six armies the shinobi and kunoichi present all gawked in shock as they watched the Third Raikage send Fuma Kotaro flying. The woman practically shot skywards, spiraling out of control, while the valley beneath them split and cracked. Almost immediately after seeing their beloved Kage deliver such a wicked blow to their target, the entire Kumogakure force erupted into cheers, with the other villagers slowly following suit with scattered cries of triumph.

"There it is!"

"Raikage-sama's mountain-crushing Elbow!"

"He got her! He got The Wind Demon with a single hit!"

"Awesome!" Were among many of the outbursts and shouts made by the members of the Cloud army.

Watching from the front, another of the Jonin present turned to his colleagues and spoke in an excited tone. "Thanks to Raikage-sama's Lightning Style Armor, not only is his speed and reflexes exponentially increased, but also his durability. Combined with his overwhelming taijutsu prowess, he can effortlessly shut down his opponents with earth-shattering force. He is practically unstoppable." He then looked to his right where, standing tall amongst the rest of the men and women, his well-built form capped off by the village's signature body armor and blond mess of hair sitting comfortably on his head, was the Raikage's right-hand man Darui. "That was a quick fight, wasn't it?"

Expression unchanged as he watched the body of the airborne and supposedly defeated Fuma Kotaro begin to fall, the calm Darui scrunched his brow anxiously as he suddenly saw the woman throw herself into a controlled spin. "I wouldn't be so sure." In anticipation, the man held up his collapsible sword and snapped it open.

Seconds later the cheering and clapping amongst the Kumogakure contingent was effectively silenced when, dropping down to the ground and landing with a light thump on three limbs, the armies watched Kotaro rise back up into a standing position. Body hunched forward, they saw the white-haired woman sway a little before taking a big step forward.

A meanwhile, standing several yards away and watching the woman with a serious expression, narrowed his eyes warily. "Did I just graze her? No. I got her with a clean hit." Glancing down at his arm, the towering Raikage looked back at his opponent with a nervous bead of sweat visible on his brow. "But that body… it felt like I was striking a heavy slab of metal. Is she… even human?"

After a moment of swaying on the spot, the white-haired woman suddenly threw her head back and, with a gasp of delight, leered across at the Raikage. "WOOO! Good morning!" Shaking her head and straightening up to full height, the kunoichi flexed her arms. "That woke me up. What a tackle. If you'd actually gotten me with your Jigokuzuki (Hell Stab) instead of an elbow, I probably would've been in trouble. Too bad." She then grinned at the hulking mass of her lightning imbued foe. "You won't get another chance like that again."

The Kumogakure shinobi at the front watching the fight couldn't help but appear shocked.

"Uhh… she's still standing."

Darui nodded at the shinobi's question. "This is bad. She doesn't have a scratch on her." That fact alone was enough to make him and the rest of the shinobi forces at his back worry.

Watching the woman stretch her arms out, the Raikage continued his diagnosis of her condition. "She's definitely human… there's no doubt about that… but…" When he saw Kotaro turn to leer at him, A suddenly felt a cold chill run through his body when he found himself staring down the eyes of something incredibly sinister. "Why do I get the feeling… like I should get the hell out of here right now?" Though her form was small and lithe compared to his rippling mass, the Raikage was almost certain he was now staring down the form of giant demon, his body quivering with anxiousness despite its powered-up state. It was almost like he was facing off against Pandora's Box, where an unbridled force was just waiting beneath the crack of the lid, ready to burst free.

Amongst the Iwagakure ranks, standing at the head of the pack alongside a stone-faced Gari, was the elderly form of Roshi, the jinchuriki of the Four-Tails. Sporting a purple battle gi with fishnet armor underneath, his red hair tied into a bun and his bearded face framed by a brown headpiece, the old Jonin frowned deeply when he picked up an ominous presence in the air.

"Hey… do you feel that?" the old man asked quietly to himself, a bead of nervous sweat running down the side of his face.

When at first it seemed like no one was going to respond, a deep voice inside Roshi's head suddenly responded. "That woman is bad news, old man. Be careful…" The warning prompted the elder to nod.

Over on Sunagakure's side, Karura, who was heading the legion of soldiers in her ranks, glanced across at a tattooed young man with sandy brown hair, black rings around his eyes, and wearing a full-black uniform, standing firmly beside her. When she saw the nervous look on his face, she guessed right away that something was up, and quickly turned her attention back to the fight.

Cracking her neck by stretching her head to the side, Kotaro gave one last sigh before smirking at her opponent. "Seeing as how I'm a sportswoman… and I don't want this fight to be over too quickly, I'll only use taijutsu to fight against you. Does that sound fair?"

A grunted in response to her cocky remark. "Fine by me. But don't expect me to hold anything back. From here on out, I'm coming at you at full power."

His statement prompted Kotaro to wink playfully. "I'd be disappointed if you didn't."

Frowning, A gave a low growl before, with a flash of lightning, he launched himself at his opponent. Giving a loud yell, the Raikage unleashed a right haymaker on the woman, watching her smile through his bullet time vision as he struck her across the face and sent her flying. Kotaro practically soared across the open field and past the stunned eyes of the army, who watched the woman spin around, land against a distant boulder, before vanishing in a blur.

While everyone lost sight of her, the Third Raikage, who was standing in a punching position, suddenly snapped his head over his shoulder in alarm, before he was suddenly kicked in the back by Kotaro reappearing behind him. A yelp left the Kage's throat as he was sent crashing into the floor, his lightning armor momentarily dissipating from the surprise hit until it reignited. In a flash, the leader of Kumo threw himself forward into a recovery, tapped down and, with blinding speed, vanished as well.

Kotaro simply observed the field calmly, before her eyes followed the air to the space behind her where, seeing the Raikage reappear, kick her across the back of the head. With a yell of her own, the woman flew across the valley in another direction, with A quickly giving chase and catching up to her body. Passing it, the Raikage then positioned himself in her path and, cranking back his right hand, slammed a punch across her face. The blow caused a loud shockwave to ring out as a crater was blown into the floor beneath them.

From there, Kotaro then swung back at A with a punch of her own, before the duo began exchanging blows at blinding speed. Grunting with every hit as the pair traded punches and kicks in a blur, while simultaneously dodging their opponent's counters, the duo then threw an elbow at each other, their attacks colliding and sending both skidding away from each other from the sonic boom that went off between them. As the dust and debris billowed outwards from their point of exchange, the two opponent faced one another down, with a smirking Kotaro giving a chuckle of delight.

"I'm impressed. Behind all that raging muscle and ridiculous hair, there's actually a competent shinobi," Kotaro laughed, not at all concerned with the thousands of other shinobi watching them in the background.

Hearing the woman's comment drew a scoff from A, "And behind all that insufferable smarm is a dead one." Clenching his fists and tightening his muscles, the Raikage gave a loud grunt as his lightning aura intensified. The result was another bolt of lightning shooting out to strike the ground, which easily caused it to crack.

Inhaling deeply, Kotaro replied. "A-chan… you couldn't fathom the amount of dead shinobi behind me." Clenching her own fists and taking a stance, the white-haired woman then unleashed a blast of wind from her body, which enveloped her like a tornado and began sending a gale of wind across the terrain.

Ignoring the amount of chakra his opponent was now emanating, the pumped up Raikage leaned forward and dashed at the kunoichi in the form of a bolt of lightning. With a roar, he threw his hand towards her in a stabbing motion, his two fingers extending his cloak into a fine point with the capacity of cutting his opponent in two. However, the moment he unleashed his blow, Kotaro came diving at him and deflected his oncoming blow with a swift palm-strike. The force of his hit deflecting and sending a slicing wind across the terrain, which cut the top off of a distant plateau, A then threw his left fist forward in a punch.

Catching his blow with her palm and then his right punch when he came swinging back at her with it, both Kotaro and A then interlocked their fingers and locked themselves in a grappling match. Lightning and wind chakra then came blasting off of the pair in the form of a hurricane as they pushed against their opponent, the Raikage growling loudly as his muscles throbbed and attempted to force the smaller woman back. But despite his best efforts and much to the astonishment of those who were watching, the kunoichi didn't budge an inch.

She remained there, feet buried in the ground, pushing back against the man with equal force, and a serious, unflinching expression on her face.

Lightning shot off of A's body to crack and burn the ground, while blades of cutting wind blasted from Kotaro's back and sliced apart the landscape behind her. Debris and rubble flying about the gale-force winds like confetti, it was only a matter of time before one of the two ninja gave in.

"Go Raikage-sama!"

"You can win!"

"Don't let that woman beat you!"

As the Raikage shoved against Kotaro's grip in an effort to overpower her, the kunoichi, straining against the man's vice-like hold, drew back her head before throwing it forward. Her skull crashed against the man's face in a full-on head butt, crushing his nose and drawing a yelp of pain from the man as his grip was effectively relinquished from hers. "GAH!" The instant he was hit, Kotaro then slammed a teep into his chest and sent A flying across the battlefield, tearing a trench through the ground like a knife through water.

Stopping several yards later with a burst of chakra, A's chakra armor flared up, a split second before the man charged at Kotaro with a yell of rage. "RAAAAGH!" Kotaro had enough time for her expression to switch from smug to surprise, which was then shot down when the Raikage slammed his head into her face in retaliation. Knocking her back with the force of an artillery cannon, the leader of Cloud then proceeded to beat the ever-living crap out of his opponent, a barrage of lightning fast punches raining down upon Kotaro and bombarding her body like a veritable bag of sand.

After an unrelenting string of blows wrecked Kotaro's limber form from head to toe, A then drew back his left fist and drove it into her chest to conclude his assault, knocking her off her feet and propelling her at breakneck speeds across the valley. With a cry of terror, Kotaro soared through the air like a bullet before crashing back first into a distant mountain, which fractured and imploded under the force of her landing. The entire front side of the rocky outcrop collapsed on top of her body, burying her under a thousand tons of rubble.

The sight had everyone in the vicinity cringe and cheer, with the Kumogakure forces hollering the loudest in support of their beloved Kage. A meanwhile remained calm, though he was unable to hide the surprise that the woman was actually able to go toe-to-toe with him in a taijutsu battle.

Even Darui, Karura, Gari, Roshi, and the Third Mizukage of Kirigakure, Arato, expressed similar looks of concern.

When the cloud of dust settled moments later, the armies of observing shinobi as well as the still powered-up Raikage were able to see the extent of the damage done to the edifice. In most cases an enemy kunoichi would've easily been transformed into pace from a collapse like that and therefore the entire fight would've been over.

But then, just when everyone believed the fight to be done, the allied forces looked on in shock as one of the largest pieces of rubble the size of a house shifted, seconds before the entire thing rolled away and Fuma Kotaro emerged from the pile. Standing atop the crater, the woman revealed herself to be grungy, covered in dust, but nevertheless unharmed.

"Ooh… woo…" Kotaro exclaimed while hopping down from the pile of rubble and beginning to waltz across the field under the shocked gazes of her audience. "Look at you go, A-chan. My, aren't you a tough customer?"

The Raikage's face tightened angrily. "That snark isn't going to save you when I'm taking you apart, piece by piece." He then lowered his head when he saw the woman stop at the base of the remains of the mountain she'd crashed into. "If you haven't noticed already, I've literally got you against the wall. If you want my advice… I think it would be in your best interest to surrender. Right now."

The white haired kunoichi giggled and closed her eyes. "And don't think I don't appreciate the effort. By a wide margin, you're packing far more of a wallop than Onoki ever did. Your speed, chakra, and physical strength are without a doubt a cut above the rest of your grunts. I would even go so far as to say that you are indeed the strongest Kage to ever come out of Kumogakure." It was at that moment Kotaro opened her eyes and gave the steaming Raikage another smug leer. "However… while you are certainly better than most, you will never… ever… defeat me."

This certainly got A's attention. "Oh yeah? And why is that?"

Cocking her hip to the side, resting her fingers on her chin while at the same time cupping her propped elbow with the other, the deadly, femme fatale of a villain than proceeded to elaborate. "Your speed, strength and taijutsu are astonishing. Don't get me wrong. But your attacks are too linear, too direct… and far too predictable. You're continuously following the same pattern of movements over and over again… and your massive bulk doesn't allow for much flexibility or nimbleness. You've also got a ton of blind spots." Kotaro then grinned when she saw the Raikage recoil at her assessment. "You may be good at wrestling with Tailed Beasts… but you're nowhere near good enough to take me on. In layman's terms… you can't touch me."

Sparks of lightning shot off of A as he gnashed his teeth at the woman. "Then what do you call the last five minutes?!"

Kotaro's immediate response was to close her eyes and smile. "Pity." Her flippant answer drew a loud growl from the Raikage.

Noticing that their ally was getting riled up, an observing Arato stepped out of his formation of soldiers and called across the valley towards the leader of Kumogakure. "A! Ignore her! She's just playing you!"

Choosing to go by his instincts and wanting to end this fight quickly, the Third Raikage lunged forward and went on the offensive. Charging across the field, he swung out at the smirking kunoichi with a thrust of his signature Hell Stab. But just before his lightning spear could even get within a hair's breadth of the woman, Kotaro simply slipped to the side and spun around the man, causing the Raikage to overshoot and crash into the pile of rubble behind them instead.

His impact punching a crater into the floor and blowing away the rubble like a blast of wind against a mound of dust, A spun around and charged at the kunoichi again. The moment he was in reach, he began lashing out at the woman with a series of lightning fast haymakers and kicks, only to watch Kotaro calmly dance and weave around his attacks effortlessly. All the while the woman hummed every time his attacks missed, showing complete control of the situation as she skipped backwards across the valley at a comfortable pace.

Upon watching Kotaro mockingly jump over the Raikage's lightning straight and kick off of his extended forearm to cartwheel through the air, a previously confident Arato gave the scene a deadpanned look before shouting to the Raikage again. "Correction… she's been playing you!" Directly behind the Mizukage, all the soldiers arranged into their squads fell comically to the floor.

After a full minute of ducking and dodging the Third Raikage's blows with her hands behind her back, Kotaro then sprang away to avoid another one of the man's infamous finger jabs. Landing safely several yards away, she then watched A turn to look across at her furiously; agitated veins pulsing on his forehead and his aura sparking violently.

"Damn you, woman!" the man roared, unable to comprehend what was going on as the woman gently tapped the toes of her bare foot against the floor. "You've just been toying with me this whole time?!"

Despite the man's obvious anger, Kotaro remained a hundred percent calm. "Of course. I did say that I was just going to be using taijutsu against you… and when I make a promise I always do my best to keep it." She then held her hands out and smirked at the man. "I'm the kind of person who takes what she wants and does what she pleases. So becoming the world's most powerful kunoichi wasn't that difficult a task." A shrug then followed her brash statement. "Right now I've only been fighting with five percent capacity. Want to see what I can do with eight?"

Growling, A charged up his aura and blasted forward, cranking back his right fist and thrusting it forward with blinding speed. He was upon Kotaro in less than two milliseconds, whom he could see was still grinning up at him.

"Don't fuck with me!" the Raikage bellowed as his fist shot forward to crash into the woman's face and turn it into a puddle.

However, just when it seemed like his knuckles were about to make contact, a flash of light suddenly blinded the ninja, an instant before a deafening thunderclap filled his ears as the Cloud leader's head was knocked backwards by a sharp blow to the face. As a cloud of blood filled the air above him, the armies of shinobi watching from a distance could only gawk in shock when they saw the Third Raikage was struck in the nose by a palm thrust from his opponent- who'd managed to dodge his attack at the last moment and deliver a counter.

As A reeled backwards from the blow, in bullet time, Fuma Kotaro swung her arms about before settling into a low, comfortable stance. With her hands and fingers mimicking the forward arms of an insect, a murderous look came upon her face as she glared her stunned opponent down.

"Oops… looks like I used Kuro Kamakiri Ken," (Black Mantis Fist) Kotaro chirped, before suddenly stepping up to the Kage and delivering a barrage of blindingly fast mantis jabs, finger and palm strikes. The blows flew in seemingly from all directions, hitting the Kage's vital points around the chest and torso, as well as the joints of his limbs. Each hit was accompanied by a loud 'bang' as the leader of Kumogakure was knocked across the valley by the woman's repeating string of deadly blows. "This isn't taijutsu. More like an extinct form of kung fu I 'acquired' from a burned down monastery. Tell me how it feels."

The Raikage could only grunt and yelp in pain as the entire front of his body was subjected to the woman's bombardment of attacks. Moments later, after traveling several hundred yards across the open field, Kotaro finished her combination with a piercing palm strike to the man's face, which drove him headfirst into a mountain wall. A loud shockwave rang out as the entire side of the edifice was split down the center, rubble cascading to the valley as it was shaken up by the force of the woman's attacks.

In response, the Kumogakure forces waiting in the wings cried out in horror.

"Raikage-sama!"

"A-sama got hit!"

"Is he okay?!"

Removing her palm from A's face, Kotaro then skipped away to watch the Raikage collapse to his knees. His face pulverized and his body covered in bruises, blood trickled down from the commander's hairline, nose and mouth, as he took a moment to spit up blood before looking at the woman standing over him. Even as debris continued to crumble on top of him, the Raikage wasn't deterred.

"She… really did hide her true power," A thought in shock, one eye closed from the blood trickling down his face.

Kotaro cackled excitedly as she leered down at her opponent. "Kyahaha! A Kage on his knees in front of me!"

"H-How?" the Raikage wheezed, clenching his fists tightly as he quickly assessed the damage done to his body. Being so shaken up, it was incredibly difficult for him to get any concrete results. "With my lightning style armor and iron-hard skin… you shouldn't be able to harm me…"

The white-haired kunoichi grinned and pointed down at him. "Your power and strength is top class… but power is easy. That attack I just used on you was nothing but pure technique, designed to strike all your vital points." Kotaro then lowered her hand and lifted her head high. "All the muscle and bulk in the world can't stop targeted hits to the organs. Now you've lost."

Frowning, A then slammed his hands into the floor and struggled to stand. "Don't be ridiculous. I was just a little surprised."

"Heh. Really?" Kotaro asked, a menacing grin spreading across her lips as she stepped to the side and began to rotate around. "Then I'll surprise you some more. Sit there and watch… as the Goddess of Wind annihilates and massacres your entire army." She then turned her back on the Raikage and began marching towards the regiments of soldiers watching in the background.

Eyes widening in alarm, A scrambled forward with his hand extended. "WAIT! DON'T TOUCH THEM!"

"Ranton: Reiza Sakasu!" (Storm Release: Laser Circus)

Just as Kotaro was about to her abandon her fight with the Kage, the woman raised a hand and batted away several beams of blue, electrical energy that suddenly came shooting at her from her flank at lightning speed. After watching the ones that missed her streak past, distracting her, the white haired kunoichi took on a foul look as a shadow suddenly fell over her, as the Raikage's bodyguard Darui came flying at her with his sword drawn back.

A furious look framed the blonde-haired Jonin's face as he silently dove down at the woman with a downward swing of his sword. From the army's point of view, it looked as though the man was going to make a clean hit.

But just when the blade was about to carve through Kotaro's body, the kunoichi suddenly leaned back at the last second, grabbed Darui's ankle and yanked it back, causing him to fall forward. Before the Jonin could even give a startled yelp, the woman ended up grabbing the back of his head and slammed him face-first into the floor, punching a face-shaped hole into the ground and splitting the earth with his impact. As his cleaver flew out of his grip, Kotaro pulled the man's head back and repeatedly and mercilessly began slamming it into the floor like a jackhammer.

Eventually, after driving the Jonin's face into the floor an excessive amount of times, Kotaro stopped, and pulled the hapless man's head out of the floor. Looking up at the armies watching in horror from the sidelines, she then showed them the unconscious Darui's face, which was not only mangled but also bleeding heavily, had a sunken eyeball and a couple of missing teeth.

The expression the kunoichi had on was a deadpanned mask of murderous intent. "See this?" she asked the thousands of shinobi watching from nearby. "Now it's your turn." She then unceremoniously released Darui's skull, allowing the man to flop to the ground uselessly.

A flash of blinding light then occurred directly behind Kotaro, as the Raikage, his lightning armor flaring up to full power, leapt off the floor and lunged at her with thrust of his finger. "KOTAROOOOOOO!" The energy blade at the end of his digit extended, threatening to cut through her with a single hit as he swung it at the back of her head at full speed.

Kotaro however, her face remaining blank, slipped her left to the right to dodge his blow, before swinging her left arm over her shoulder and slamming her knuckles into A's face in a clean back-fist. Her perfect counter cracked against the Raikage's face, caving in his face and knocking him out. Lightning aura dissipating, the Third toppled backwards and crashed to the floor with a dull thud, thus marking an end to his fight with Kotaro.

A foul grin then crossed Kotaro's lips. "I'm a genius… so I'm on to your fighting style. I'm done with you, Third Raikage." Cracking her neck, the woman then left A and Darui where she'd dropped them and began heading towards the Kumogakure and Kirigakure armies. The moment she started to move and locked her bloodthirsty gaze on her next targets, she saw the hundreds of shinobi in her line of sight take a terrified step back. "It's time to get this massacre start-" Before she could finish her sentence, the woman jerked to the side sharply, avoiding a powerful stream of water that rocketed across the field from seemingly out of nowhere.

When her eyes snapped towards the Hidden Mist army, she saw that the Mizukage, Arato, had his hand in the air and was suspending a massive sphere of water several times his size above him. The moment Kotaro's eyes landed on the village's leader, she saw him focus his glare on her and rotate his hand. "Suiton: Suiryuben!" (Water Release: Water Dragon Whip) From the body of water, over a dozen sharp streams of water were launched, shooting towards Kotaro at high speed.

Crouching down, Kotaro leapt into the air, dodging the initial barrage with a few graceful turns and flips. That was until one of the water whips changed directions and sliced through the kunoichi's left arm, taking it off at the bicep. Not even flinching from the debilitating blow, the white haired woman dropped out of the air and touched down on the grass. The moment she skidded to a stop, the woman saw her arm hit the ground next to her, drawing an annoyed glance from the owner.

Arato smirked when he saw he'd successfully scored a hit. "Not so confident now, are you? As the leader of the Hidden Mist, it is my duty to step in and stop you." As more water began to gather inside the sphere from the air, the leader of the forces from the Land of Water smirked. "Your rampage across the continent ends now."

At first the shinobi forces thought they were safe, with many of them smiling and cheering at seeing the leader of Kirigakure seemingly wound the villain. However, just as everyone thought the tide of the battle was turning, Kotaro, smirking broadly, reached down, picked up her right arm, and slammed it back into the stump where it'd been cut from. The shinobi armies then watched with morbid surprise as the kunoichi twisted her once severed limb into place and flexed it. Upon which Kotaro removed her other hand from the cut and revealed her arm was healed and back in place.

"You were saying?" the kunoichi chirped.

Choza Akimichi, who'd watched the entire scene, gulped nervously. "That's not good."

Reacting in alarm, Arato quickly wrenched his hand out of the ball of water he'd formed above him, and quickly made a hand seal. "Witch!" He was then about to fly through the next seal to perform a technique, only to suddenly stop when a spurt of blood passed his gaze. Just like that he could no longer see Kotaro standing in his line of fire and looked over his shoulder to see the white haired woman standing nearby, holding a completely new, severed arm.

It only took a few seconds for him to realize that it was in fact his arm that she was holding, which the Mizukage confirmed when he looked down to his right side and saw a stump hanging in front of him.

"Hmm… that was a neat little jutsu," Kotaro chuckled, at the same time playing with the fingers of her newly acquired limb in front of the stunned armies of shinobi. "Good speed and cutting power. But what are you going to do now without an arm?"

Sweat broke out on the shocked Arato's face when he realized the woman, using speed he wasn't able to track, had been able to slice his limb off. Backing up in horror as the orb of floating water he was controlling splashed uselessly to the ground, the Kage then brought his one remaining arm about and reached for a weapon. That was about as far as he got before his entire world went black, as Kotaro's leg firmly planted itself into his neck.

An earsplitting crack filled the desert as the legendary kunoichi blinked her way toward Arato and slammed a kick into the side of his head. The result was her blow sending her opponent into a literal spin, causing him to flip twice through the air before slamming into the floor hard and heavy. The Mizukage was unconscious before he completed his first spin, as evident by how limp his form became in its descent.

Spinning about gracefully, causing a cloud of dust to kick up around her, the kimono-wearing Kotaro then turned her attention to the legions of stunned shinobi around her and grinned.

"Alright boys and girls… let's get wild!"

Karura, having seen and witnessed enough, decided to take action. "ALL MEN! BATTLE STATIONS! FLANK THAT WOMAN AND TAKE HER DOWN!" Her war cry was heard all across the field, prompting had all shinobi and kunoichi within the Sunagakure ranks to immediately take up arms. Swords, lances and kunai flashed into view, with the brown haired young male with ringed eyes also setting himself into a fighting stance as his cousin reached for the battle fan hanging from her back. "DO NOT GIVE HER A CHANCE TO BREATHE!"

Apparently all the other armies in that valley took this as their turn to act as well. All at once, a massive roar rang up as over a thousand men drew weapons and prepared to fight. They weren't the only ones to act either, as from within the Iwagakure masses an enormous cloud of sand and dust blasted into the sky, before parting violently to reveal the hulking, towering form of the Yonbi (Four-Tails) burst onto the scene.

With his tails whipping furiously behind him and fur billowing against the wind, the enormous ape with tusks and blazing yellow eyes gave a terrifying growl, and sprang forward- joining its forces in a full charge.

Fuma Kotaro however, upon seeing the armies around her respond and the biju make an appearance, was undeterred.

In fact the woman's grin only seemed to widen even more as an animalistic look of raw, overwhelming excitement filled her face- her eyes widening manically as she crouched low and extended her arms in a fearsome, predatory stance.

Soon the entire world felt the frightening power of the Goddess of Wind slamming down on it, as the moment the armies charged at her, an explosion equivalent to a small nuke suddenly erupted, sending earth and sand spewing into the sky. The shockwave that followed spread for miles around, shaking the canyons and mountains, and parting the clouds.

As screams of people being thrown off their feet by the blast echoed across the valley with the earthquake, up on top of the tor where the pillar of light continued to shine brightly, the ghostly form of Hagoromo remained- floating in place with his legs folded and his Rinnegan eyes taking in the sight of Kotaro's impressive rampage.

While he watched, Amaya, being woken by the tremors of Kotaro's attack, sat up and looked around. After taking note of the pillar of light near her and the white-haired woman in front of it, she then turned to the landscape lying out before her. When she saw the mushroom cloud hanging in the air over the edge of the cliff, the child's eyes blinked with amazement.

"Wow…"

TO BE CONTINUED…