For my Master's Love

Ch. 7

Speaking: normal

Thoughts, flashbacks, com-link, and notes: italicized

Jutsus, summons, demons: bold

Summons's and demon's thoughts: bold italicized

(): author speaking

…: Time change

~: Scene change

Summary: This is an alternate yaoi spin-off of my story "A Brother's Return." The story takes place after Tsunade's return. In this story; Naruto is an Anbu, Cairo is the Yamikage, and Konohamaru needs Cairo's help to win Naruto's heart before Sasuke can try to steal him away.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Sadly, that right belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

Tsunade stared at Naruto as if he had grown a second head. "Have you gone completely insane!? Why would you want to go to that death trap of a valley!? Do you have any idea what's hidden in that place?"

Naruto simply sat down in the chair opposite the Godaime and smirked. "Of course I know what's in there. I also happen to know how to get to it and how to get my hands on it."

Tsunade began pacing the room before returning to her seat. "Have you actually lost your mind? Wait, what am I saying? Of course, you've lost your mind! Give me one good reason as to why I should let you go and get yourself killed."

Naruto reached under the chair and tossed a manila folder onto Tsunade's desk. "I have a plan to get rid of Danzo. However, I need to get into that valley to initiate my plan."

The busty Hokage sighed before pulling out a bottle of sake. "You and that brother of yours are going to be the death of me. Who do you want as your team?"

Naruto had to think on this matter for a moment. After a few minutes of evaluating the possibilities, he quickly said, "I want Minato Namikaze, Kakashi Hatake, Anko Mitarashi, Neji Hyūga, Kushina Uzumaki, Konohamaru Sarutobi, Shikamaru Nara, ero-sennin, Tayuya Uzumaki, Shizune Kato, and you."

Tsunade instantly did a double take at the list of names. "Why on earth would you want me, a prisoner, and an academy student on this mission? Better yet, how am I even supposed to go on this mission when I'm stuck in this stupid office all day?"

Suddenly, a mirthful chuckle filled the air. Tsunade turned around to see Cairo leaning against the wall. "Even to this day, it still amazes me that only Sarutobi-jiji knew that your deputy Hokage could fill in for you while you went on a mission. I'm sure he'd be willing to fill in for you. Also, I'll be tagging along on this little mission as well."

Tsunade sighed as she filled in the mission parameters on the scroll. "This is a fucking suicide mission and you know it. Still, I'm curious as to what you expect to gain from this little venture. By the way, how do you even know where that place is? The only people ever known to know the location were…"

"…Kagura Uzumaki and a man whose name she carried to the grave," finished Naruto. "I'll give you the further details later. For now, I have a fiancé to see to."

Naruto was gone so fast that Cairo had thought Naruto used the Hiraishin for a moment. He took up the empty seat before saying, "Pop out the shot glasses and pass the sake. I need a drink like the Uchiha needs to die."

Tsunade pulled out a pair of shot glasses from her desk and smirked. "Finally, I get to deal with someone who encourages my bad habits. Just for that, you can have the first shot."

Sadly, before either shinobi could enjoy the burning sensation of the sake, Shizune came in with a large stack of papers. "This is the only stack you have to go through, Tsunade-sama. However, all of them are complaints from the Elders with demands for Naruto-kun's execution. I'd personally like to give Danzo-teme a chakra sword-styled enema."

Tsunade pulled a third shot glass from her desk before taking out a book of matches and burning the papers. "You honestly don't know how much joy that just gave me. Pull up a chair and have a shot, Shizune."

Normally, the brunette would harp on her boss for drinking on the job when she should be working. Instead, she grabbed a seat before saying, "I'll take anything to get those old farts off my mind. Hit me."

Namikaze estates…

As soon as Naruto entered his room, he was glomped by a frantic Konohamaru. Naruto spun him around in a hug before saying, "I'm so glad you're ok. You don't know how worried I was when I found out they got you. I swear to Kami-hime I'm gonna eviscerate that fucker and dump battery acid on his heart when I see him again."

Kono silenced him with a gentle kiss to the cheek. "You'll get your chance at him another day. For now, I'm just glad to be here with you. I knew that you would come for me, but how did you catch up to us so fast?"

Naruto lifted Konohamaru's shirt before pushing a little of his chakra into the area over the boy's heart. Kono gasped as he saw the Hiraishin seal appear on him. "While I was training with mom and dad to enter the Anbu, dad trained me to use the Hiraishin. When you first returned to Konoha, I discreetly marked you so that I would be there if anything happened."

Kono smiled as he and Naruto stripped to their boxers. "Let's go to bed. Today has been more than I wanted to deal with."

Naruto nodded before saying, "By the way, I'm going on a mission in ten days and you're coming with me. This should be an interesting time for you."

Konohamaru rubbed Naruto's cheek and snuggled up to him. "As long as I can be with you, that'll be enough for me."

Ten days later…

As Naruto led the group outside of Konoha's walls and into a large clearing, Tsunade placed a hand on his shoulder. "Alright, we made it to the clearing. Now, how did you find out about the valley?"

Naruto chuckled as he pulled out a small black book. "The Valley of the Black Mist Fall's location is said to have been known by only two people. Those people are Kagura Uzumaki and a man she befriended named Richard Croft."

Kushina quickly moved forward to face her son. "Naruto-kun, what does my okaa-chan have to do with this? And who is Richard Croft?"

Suddenly, a torrent of wind began to fill the area. Everyone looked up to see a large metal machine slowly descending from the sky. Once it landed, a door opened to reveal Cairo and a woman with long brown hair and eyes. Cairo stepped out of the machine and said, "I'm sorry if I'm late. I had to go and pick up someone. Get out here, Orochimaru."

Everyone gasped as the Otokage emerged from the machine. Jiraiya formed a rasengan before saying, "What is this flying contraption and why is he here?"

Orochimaru gave a sinister chuckle before holding his hands up in surrender. "I made a deal with young Naruto-kun ten days ago that I would accompany him in exchange for my life. Also, Cairo-kun informed me that this incredible machine is called a helicopter. If I remember correctly, he named it the Valkyrie."

Naruto nodded before drawing Koritsu. "Orochi-teme is here because if anything attacks us, he can take the more fatal blows and shed his skin once the fighting is done. Still, I intend to remove his head if I believe he's so much as thinking about betraying us."

As much as it annoyed them, that answer would satisfy Tsunade and Jiraiya for the moment. The sage released his jutsu before turning to the brunette and going full-out perv mode. "Hello there, young lady. I don't think we've had the pleasure of meeting. My name is…urk!"

The Gama Sennin was cut off when Naruto gave him a chakra-powered kick to the balls. "This isn't the time for that, you old lecher!"

Tsunade ruffled his hair and said, "It's good to see that you aren't a pervert like him. Now, what were you saying earlier?"

Naruto pointed to Cairo's guest before clearing his throat. "Kagura and Richard knew that someone would go looking for the valley, so they took the two keys that opened the gates and separated them. Kagura obaa-chan left her key hidden away in a sword's hilt while Richard gave his key to his daughter. The woman you see before us is Richard's daughter, Laura Croft."

Cairo pointed to Kushina and said, "If you twist the hilt on Muramasa in a counterclockwise fashion, it will undo itself and reveal a jade stone."

While Kushina worked at loosening the hilt of her sword, Tayuya looked at Muramasa before grabbing Kushina's hand. "Where is the other sword? Where is Masamune?"

Kushina pulled back in shock. "How could you have possibly known that Muramasa had a brother blade?"

Naruto snapped his fingers and said, "Don't worry about that right now. Let's just get moving before we miss our window of opportunity."

Kushina had been shocked by her son's tone. However, she remembered that this was a mission and that Naruto was also an Anbu captain who couldn't afford to joke around.

As she boarded the large helicopter, she gave a curious glance at Tayuya. When the dust settled over this mission, her boys were going to be answering a lot of questions.

After everyone finished boarding the large helicopter, Cairo turned to Laura and gave her a nod. "Tell Amanda to get us out of here. We've only got two hours to get there and I'd like to open the gates before that thing shows up."

Laura nodded and ran into the cockpit where a blonde woman was piloting the aircraft. "Amanda, we're ready to move out. Let's get this thing in the sky."

The blonde nodded as Laura took the copilot's chair. Within seconds, the helicopter's doors closed and the shinobi found themselves high in the air.

Konohamaru looked out of the window and watched the world fly by in awe. "So this is what flying feels like."

Naruto gently grabbed his hand and smiled. "Kono-chan, this is only a machine designed to carry us. I promise you that when we have the time, I'll take you for a real flight."

Across from them, Orochimaru let a devious chuckle pass his lips. "Now I can see why Sasuke-kun is so taken with you, Naruto-kun. The fires of your heart burn hotter than even the black flames of the Amaterasu."

Naruto rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Just make sure to keep your little pet on a leash because I won't let him live next time."

Orochimaru chuckled again before turning his attention to Kono. "So, you are Sarutobi-sensei's grandson that I've been hearing so much about. I can only imagine that Naruto-kun makes you feel special. After all, not many people can claim to be related to so many legendary figures."

Naruto briefly activated his Rinnegan as a warning. "Orochimaru, you had best watch that forked tongue of yours before I split it in half and shove it through two rusty acid-filled meat grinders."

All three of the Sannin cringed as Anko and Tayuya let out a round of laughter. "It looks like someone knows how to shut you up," said Anko with a smirk.

Tayuya nodded before stretching out in her seat. "I honestly can't believe this freak used to scare me. The kid's way more terrifying than this old yellow-eyed pedo."

The Otokage frowned before rolling his eyes. "Despite my using adolescent teens to retain my immortality, I have never in my life, nor will I ever, do that to any minor for any reason. Honestly, do I look Catholic to you people?"

(By the by, I would just like to go on record and say that this was not meant to offend anyone of the Catholic faith. I've just been watching too much youtube.)

About an hour into the trip, Amanda put the helicopter of autopilot and went back to join the group. "I've got good news and bad news for you. The good news is that we'll get there in time to open the gates."

Cairo frowned as he said, "What's the bad news, Amanda?"

Amanda gripped the onyx pendant around her throat before saying, "We have a bit of a demonic situation waiting for us."

Naruto turned his attention from his fiancé long enough to say, "How bad of a situation are we looking at?"

Suddenly, Laura shouted for Amanda to retake her seat. "Cairo, it's the Gobi no Ookami and I think it's searching for something."

Cairo entered the cockpit and saw a massive black wolf with five tails. He then turned back to the group and said, "Let me handle the wolf. He's not the violent sort so talking to him shouldn't be much of a problem. Cheshire, Tigress, and Byakko, let's move out!"

From the shadows of the helicopter, everyone watched as a man with white and black armor and a tiger mask appeared in front of Cairo. On his left, Cheshire appeared with her usual entrance. However, her green kimono was replaced with a set of green and black body armor that still had the red sash she was accustomed to wearing.

On Cairo's right, a woman with black hair and orange and black body armor appeared. Her mask only covered the upper half of her face and it had black markings on it as if to complete the tiger theme of the uniform.

With a simple nod, Cairo quickly said, "Byakko, go in from the left. Tigress, take the right side. Cheshire, you will stay next to me."

Before anyone could question the Yamikage, the group of four jumped from the helicopter and began sailing through the air at their target. Amanda, while still clutching her pendant, turned to Laura and pointed at the controls. "Land us as close as you can while I see about the others. I'll use the stone if things get ugly."

Laura nodded before deactivating the autopilot and moving them five minutes due west of the wolf's location. Within seconds of landing, the group rushed over to where Cairo had taken up his position.

Much to everyone's surprise, the Gobi was crouching down while staring Cairo in the eyes. "Tell me Yorubi, how have things been on the mortal plane as of late? It's been nearly two hundred years since I've been forced to leave my home for any reason."

Cairo chuckled as he spoke in a voice that was not his. "Gojirō, I can honestly say that I'm having a bit of fun in this lifetime. It's been interesting to watch the world from within this ningen. He actually even rules his own village and his people all love him."

Gojirō laughed before resettling his gaze on Cairo. "They've let a young pup like this run an entire village!? Either the boy is powerful enough to protect himself or people have gotten too complacent."

Yorubi shook his head while looking at his friend's large green eye. "Do not doubt my host, Gojirō. He has a strength that not many ningen possess. But, his people love him for his heart and not his strength. The boy does well as a leader despite his adolescent age."

The gigantic wolf laughed again as he sat on his hind legs. "It seems as though this ningen has more than earned your trust if you speak so highly of him. Well, it's been a pleasure speaking with you but I must be off."

Yorubi held up a hand and said, "Hold on there, fuzz butt. Why did you even come back to the human realm in the first place?"

Gojirō zeroed his sights down on Byakko. "I felt that old lion's chakra and decided to see if it was him. Aren't you going to say hello to your senpai, Raishi?"

Byakko chuckled before saying, "Gojirō, you haven't changed a bit since the separation. You're still the same moron I used to run with. Go home before your family begins to miss you."

With a final chuckle, Gojirō vanished in a flash of fire. Raishi laughed before saying, "Yorubi, do you think we'll see him again?"

Yorubi nodded as the rest of the group approached. "I know we will. Now, let's let our hosts have their bodies back before too many unneeded questions pop up."

As their demonic influences receded, Cairo turned to the group and said, "We've got ten minutes to get into position. Laura, take your stone and set it into its place. Okaa-chan, hand me the stone you found so I can set it into place."

While Laura set off to do her task, Amanda quickly realized something. "Cairo-san, Laura left her bag on the helicopter and I'm not fast enough to get it for her."

Cairo simply activated his headset before saying, "Valkyrie, initiate code D15D77."

Within a few seconds of Cairo's command, the Valkyrie's voice command system activated the engine and navigated it to the Yamikage's location. Cairo flew up to the craft and grabbed Laura's bag and a stone sword that was pulsing with red energy.

Meanwhile, Kushina's curiosity about Tayuya's earlier statement had finally pushed her to the point of needing an answer. Without so much as a second thought, the Jonin pushed past Naruto and stood directly in front of Tayuya.

The former Oto kunoichi sighed in knowing anticipation. "I'll tell you what you want to know, but the truth might be painful to hear. It all starts with the attack on Uzushiogakure. Daisuke and Kagura both survived the onslaught and went to Konoha in search of their daughter. Sadly, they were informed that their only daughter had been killed. Filled with remorse, the couple decided to move to Kusagakure."

Kushina was completely stunned. "Wait. Are you saying that my parents are actually alive?"

Tayuya frowned and shook her head. "They were alive. Five years before the Kyūbi incident, Kagura and Daisuke were gifted with another child. The family of three lived happily for twelve years…before Daisuke and Kagura were killed."

The girl took a pause to gain her bearings before continuing. "The man who originally told them that their daughter was dead had discovered that they were still alive and decided to tie up a loose end. His assassins slipped into the house and poisoned them just before being killed."

Kushina bowed her head in sadness as any hopes of seeing her parents again slipped away from her. "Tell me," she started, "how do you know all of this?"

Tayuya pulled out her flute and turned it to reveal an inscription with her name on it. "This was given to me on my twelfth birthday, three nights before a man in a blank mask killed my mother and father. My mother's last words to me were 'Stay away from Konoha. Do not let them destroy you the way they did your sister. Live for you, for us, and for Kushina.'"

As the elder Uzumaki wrapped her head around Tayuya's words, Orochimaru sneered in contempt. "It seems as though another soul has been shattered by Danzo Shimura. After all, it is because of him that I have become what I am today."

Tsunade looked at her former teammate and saw the smallest sliver of pain and regret in his eyes. It was then that she decided that she would do everything to support Naruto's mission.

The Sannin was pulled from her thoughts by a violent shaking. She quickly turned around to see the ground splitting apart to reveal a staircase that led below ground.

Cairo smirked before giving a sharp whistle. "Before we go in, I want to warn you that there are some things in here that you wouldn't imagine to be possible. Plus, the deeper in we go, the more dangerous it will get."

Kushina cleared her throat to gain her son's attention. "How far in are we going and what are we looking for?"

Laura pulled a book of matches from her pocket and a flashlight from her bag. "We're going through every single room and anything you find is free game. However, I recommend that you not actually touch anything just yet and that you watch your step. There are still some active traps in there."

As the group made their way into the depth of the mysterious ruins, they stopped in what appeared to be the antechamber. Laura lit a single match and dropped it into a basin of what looked like black water. That liquid soon proved to be oil as it instantly caught fire and travelled along a path to illuminate the entire room.

Cairo readied Ryūketsu before approaching a large set of double doors. When the doors were opened, everyone saw what looked to be a naked male slowly approaching them. With a well-placed kunai to the head from Neji, the man fell over and became still.

Shizune turned to Neji with a frown. "Neji-san, why did you kill that man? He might've needed help."

Neji shook his head and pointed at the corpse. "Shizune-san, this is not the first set of ruins that I have visited while in the company of Cairo-sama. What you thought to be a man was nothing more than a zombie."

Cairo flew over to the body and turned it with his foot. Only one glance proved that the Hyūga had been correct. He then pulled a chain on the wall that allowed the flames from the burning oil to spread even further along the systems and illuminate more of the ruins. "He's right, Shizune. That man was dead long before our arrival."

Tsunade groaned at this new revelation. "That's just fuckin' terrific. Are you going to tell us that there are walking skeletons in here as well?"

Cairo smirked as a creaking sound was heard. "Like I said, the further in we go, the worse it gets. Be lucky that the first floor is only full of zombies and skeletons. There are four floors total and it's only gonna get worse from here."

After entering the next room, Tsunade quickly discovered that Cairo had actually been serious about the skeletons. Three skeletons had risen from the ground and tried to attack the group. Sadly for them, Tsunade wasn't considered to be the strongest kunoichi alive for nothing. By the time she was finished, all three skeletons were left in pieces.

Soon enough, the group found themselves descending a staircase when Cairo said, "I hope nobody in this little group has arachnophobia. If you do, you might want to wait out here."

When Cairo opened the door, everyone could see that the entire hallway leading to the main room was covered in webbing. Cairo turned to Jiraiya and said, "Spider webs, no matter how fresh or old, tend to be rather weak to fire."

The Gama Sannin pulled out a bottle of oil before pouring it into his mouth and spewing out a torrent of fire. As the flames consumed the webs, everyone could see jewels, gold, books, chests, and even old weapons littering the floor and walls.

Cairo pointed to the main room where the fire hadn't destroyed the webbing that coated the higher levels of the wall and ceiling. "Get ready for a fight because I already know that the spider in there is pissed off."

Sure enough, everyone could hear a loud clicking noise followed by a scuttling sound. Neji used his Byakugan to view into the room and reeled back in surprise. "It's on the ceiling and it's twice as big as a fully grown horse. Also, I'm seeing four smaller spiders that are larger than fully grown dogs."

Cairo cursed at this development. "Tsunade baa-chan, we're gonna need you, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru to handle the large one. We can deal with the others once we get them on the ground."

Neji continued to scan the room when he noticed something out of place. "Cairo-sama, there is a tripwire that should cause the spiders to fall down to the floor. If we could set up a trap, it might be possible to use the momentum of their fall against them."

The Yamikage nodded and placed his hands on the ground. "Shōton: Suishō hakaba."

The entire room shook as blue crystals formed from the ground. Once the room floor was completely covered, Neji cut through the tripwire and watched as the spiders fell to their demise. Sadly for the group, the spider thought to be the largest was not alone, for a larger spider slowly emerged from the ceiling to avenge its children.

Cairo turned to Tsunade and sighed. "Yeah, this is the part where you use that godly strength of yours to kill that thing. Seriously, that thing needs to die."

Tsunade gave no objections as she charged forward with the intent of cracking the arachnid's head open. Orochimaru quickly regurgitated the Kusanagi before looking at Jiraiya. "As much as I don't like either of you, I'd rather not watch Tsunade die from a giant spider attack of all things."

Jiraiya smirked before pulling out another bottle of toad oil. "I hope you still remember the old formations."

As the two rushed forward, Jiraiya grabbed Tsunade and pulled her back before the spider could attack with one of its legs. "Hime, we're going to do this like the old days. I'll engage first to draw its fire while Orochimaru attacks at its weak points. That way…"

"…I can go in for the kill," Tsunade finished. "The only problem is that I can't find a weak spot on that thing's exoskeleton."

Neji tried to analyze the spider's chakra network to see if he might be able to assist. As soon as he reactivated his Byakugan, he noticed that he was also able to see hollow points in the exoskeleton that looked fragile. "Hokage-sama, aim for the top of the head! Hit it directly above the eyes and you should be able to kill it!"

Tsunade cracked her knuckles and took a step back. "You heard the man. Let's take this thing out!"

Jiraiya and Orochimaru took the lead by rushing at the spider and splitting off in two directions. Jiraiya slid under the arachnid and started knocking its legs out of place. As soon as one of the legs completely lost its balance, Orochimaru took out the joints with the Kusanagi.

The duo repeated the process until the spider only had three working legs left. In its anger, the spider decided that nothing would keep it from avenging its children and jumped across the room with the group in its sights. Just before the creature reached the group, Tsunade jumped over the spider's head and shouted, "Tsutenkyaku!"

Everyone watched as Tsunade's leg completely destroyed the spider's head before driving the body into the ground. Cairo slowly stepped into the area before saying, "I have to admit that I didn't count on the larger spider being up there. Still, I'm not leaving until I get what I came for."

Kakashi, who had been silent during the entire trip, put his book away and pulled out a kunai. "Cairo-sama, what exactly do you wish to gain from this place? You and Naruto never told us what we would be looking for."

Naruto moved to the next door before slapping an exploding note onto a kunai. "Sensei, take a good look around this room. Anyone could make a good profit by selling the lot of these jewels and what not. However, what I seek is not for me and what Cairo seeks is a mystery to even me."

Just as Naruto prepared to open the door, Neji stopped him. "Naruto-taichō, don't open that door just yet. I believe we can avoid most of the chambers and go directly to the last floor. Behind the wall to your left is a lever that reveals a passage. However, I believe we can make our own opening."

Tsunade, taking the hint, charged her fist with chakra and destroyed the wall that hid the passage. "Neji-san, this kind of a passage is usually meant as an exit," Kushina said. "Using it as an entrance shouldn't be too hard for us."

Cairo took the lead again before saying, "Everyone, this is where things get tricky. The final chamber is always the one that holds the most danger so be on your guard at all times."

Final room…

As soon as the group entered the room, Cairo paled in fear. He saw an old throne in the middle of the room that was currently occupied by a zombie wearing a ragged ceremonial robe. "Damn, I didn't think it would be that bad."

"What's got you so worried," asked Anko. "It's just another one of those zombies."

Cairo gulped as the zombie picked itself up from the chair and grabbed a golden staff. The staff was well crafted and had a dragon's head on the end with the mouth being open. "I wish that were the case, Anko-nee. However, that is not a normal zombie. It's a fucking lich."

Just as the words left Cairo's mouth, the lich hovered into the air and held out the staff at the group. Everyone was forced to dodge as torrents of fire spewed from the mouth of the staff and threatened to burn everyone to a crisp. From behind a stone pillar, Anko gave a sheepish grin. "Okay, so I obviously don't know jack shit about raiding tombs. Does shit like this happen often?"

Neji tossed a kunai with an exploding tag to stagger the lich before saying, "It's not always a lich. Sometimes, it's something even worse."

From within the smoke of the explosion, the lich picked up its staff and fired off another torrent of flames at the group. Cairo responded to the attack by firing off a blast of wind that pushed the flames back. "People, this isn't like the other zombies! A lich is protected by magical enchantments that make them even stronger and a lot harder to kill!"

Kushina tossed a few of her own exploding tags and said, "How do you kill that thing if it's so heavily guarded?"

Neji's eyes almost instantly noticed a wavering area in the magical aura that protected the lich. "I can see a weak point in its defenses! Attack it from the back where the magic is weakest! If someone can distract it, someone else should be able to finish it off!"

Naruto nodded before biting his thumb. "I think I can provide you with an opening, but you'll have to trust me. By the way, try not to freak out. Ninpō: Kuchiyōse no jutsu!"

There was a blast of smoke, followed by the sound of someone yawning. "Man, it's been a while since you've called me out. I can only wonder what kind of a mess you've gotten into this time. I hope I get a decent dance partner this time."

Everyone watched as a male with spiky red hair and a long ponytail emerged from the smoke. Kushina gasped as she realized exactly who the figure was. "Naruto, when and how did you find him!?"

The male looked as Kushina and smiled. "Kushina-chan, it's so good to see you again. Time has truly been kind to you. And I see you found your little sister as well. How have you been Tayuya-chan?"

Tayuya grabbed Naruto by the collar and shouted, "You've got a lot of nerve pulling a stunt like this! If you weren't my nephew, I'd probably…"

Much to Tayuya's shock, the man gently placed his hand over hers and lowered Naruto to the floor. "Do not be angry with him, child. He is doing what he must for his family."

Tayuya let go of Naruto's collar as tears began to flow from her eyes. "But father…"

Daisuke Uzumaki embraced the girl in a strong hug and allowed her to vent out her pent-up frustrations. "I understand how you feel, Tayuya. However, you must know that I am acting of my own free will."

As amethyst eyes met with the eyes of the Sage, Tayuya slowly nodded and moved away from her father. "I trust you, tou-san."

Daisuke smiled before pulling an O-katana from the sheath on his back. "Naruto, I'll draw their fire while you take them down."

Naruto nodded and turned to the group. "I'll have him distract them and force their attention to turn away from us. Once that's done, hit those things with all you've got."

Daisuke wasted no time in rushing up the walls before coming down with a vertical slash. Much to everyone's surprise, the lich he struck was instantly split apart. "Or…he can just do that," Naruto said with a stunned look.

Kushina gently closed Naruto's mouth and smirked. "Don't look so surprised, sochi. My tou-san was not made Uzukage for his looks. He is a master swordsman who taught me everything I know. Plus, he tends to jump the shark…a lot."

While Daisuke was dealing with the second lich Cairo had Tigress and Cheshire take on the third. The Yoru Squad commander ducked under a stream of fire before stabbing the lich in the arm. This gave Tigress the opportunity to deliver a vicious drop kick that knocked it out of the sky.

As for Daisuke, Kushina wasn't bluffing about his skills as a Kage. The man managed to cut through the lich's magical defense and deliver a number of shallow cuts to the zombie's body. He then placed his palm over the lich's face before saying, "Shinra tensei."

The force of the attack was enough to completely obliterate the lich's head and send its body flying across the room. Daisuke was about to move to assist with the final lich when everyone felt a dark energy flood the room. From behind the pillars, Cairo snapped his fingers to summon Cheshire and Tigress back to his side. "This is what we've been waiting for. Within that field of malevolent magic lies the true secret that rests within this tomb."

He then readied Ryūketsu and moved from behind the pillar. "However, we must face the final guardian in this tomb."

Before Cairo could tell them of what was to come, an unearthly roar pierced the air. Everyone watched as nine pairs of red eyes glared at them from within a veil of black mist. However, a wall began to open and the mist flew out of it.

Cairo kept his blade at the ready as he began to move forward. "People, ordinary weapons won't work on what we're about to fight. You'll need something made of silver, magic, or chakra-conducting metal. This battle is going to be on par with fighting a tailed beast."

Naruto moved to his brother's side as the group advanced through the opening in the wall. "Cairo-nii, what are we about to face?"

As everyone moved into the antechamber, they were halted by a deafening roar and those same red eyes. Only now, they saw that the eyes belonged to a gigantic nine-headed draconic beast that seemed to be made of a living shadow. Cairo didn't move his eyes away from the beast as he said, "This is the guardian of the tomb: the Kurokiri Hydra."

After seeing the true guardian of the tombs at this close of a range, Kakashi managed to sum up everyone's thoughts with two simple words. "Oh…fuck."