Koushin: Konoha’s Dragonborn[Completed]

Perched atop the menacing form of the Ten-Tails, Madara and Itachi looked down at the array of Shinobi gathered below. The presence of the Five Kage—Tsunade, A, Oonoki, Mei, and Rasa—signaled the desperation of the situation. Koushin stood beside Ino, his eyes unreadable, while Naruto and Hinata, Sai, Yuyu, Shin, Kakashi, Choji, Shikamaru, and Shino readied themselves for the confrontation.

Above them, the gargantuan form of Paarthurnax let out a thundering roar, reverberating against the eerie howl of the Ten-Tails. The dragon's majesty contrasted sharply with the monstrosity it opposed, creating a surreal tableau that captured the essence of their struggle.

Tsunade, her face etched with lines of concern, turned to Koushin. "How did it go?" she asked, her voice tinged with unease.

Koushin offered a cheeky grin, "Oh, you know, just another day in paradise. Madara here's not all he's cracked up to be. Good for parlor tricks, not so much for the main event."

A collective gasp of disbelief ran through the assembled Shinobi. Tsunade’s eyebrows nearly hit her hairline. Before Koushin's arrival, Madara had schooled the Five Kage like a master playing checkers with novices. Could it be that Koushin was on a different level altogether? The implications were both exhilarating and unnerving.

Madara's laugh sliced through the momentary silence. "Such arrogance from a young whelp. Don't mistake luck for skill."

"I don't need luck when I've got style," Koushin quipped back, flashing Madara a grin that managed to be both charming and insolent.

Itachi, standing next to Madara, caught Koushin’s eye and chuckled. "If you're done entertaining us, perhaps we should focus. The stakes are a bit higher than your sense of humor, wouldn’t you agree?"

"Ah, Itachi. Ever the brooding poet. I agree, humor might not save the day, but it certainly makes the apocalypse more fun, don’t you think?" Koushin responded, letting the gravity of his words seep in despite their lightness.

Naruto clenched his fists, his eyes meeting Hinata's. She gave him a reassuring nod. "Ready?" he asked.

"Always," Hinata replied, her lavender eyes steady.

Naruto turned back towards Madara and Itachi, his gaze intense. "This ends now. We won't let you get away with this."

Madara's voice reverberated through the air as he shouted, "Don't be impatient, youngster. Watch!" He pointed his fingers downward, signaling the Juubi to begin its assault.

The Ten-Tails, originally a celestial tree, had the ability to stretch its limbs in unpredictable, snaking arcs. One massive claw surged forward, hurtling through the air toward Koushin and the others. The sheer velocity of the limb indicated the raw power behind it, as it looked ready to reduce anything it touched to dust.

"Wanna do it?" Koushin's voice cut through the tension like a knife through butter, carrying a tone that was almost whimsically casual under the dire circumstances.

Naruto nodded, leaping forward with a fierce glint in his eyes. Within seconds, the air around him shimmered as the White Susanoo, a Sage manifestation of the Tengu Clan, enveloped his form. The Susanoo's ethereal hands raised in synchrony with Naruto's own, intercepting the Juubi's extended claw with an audible clash. Sparks of energy flew from the point of contact, as if the heavens themselves were splintering.

As the Ten-Tails' massive limb lunged toward the battleground, time itself seemed to slow. Naruto's White Susanoo shimmered to life, towering over the shinobi like an ethereal guardian. With a swift, decisive motion, the Susanoo's colossal sword met the claw in a screeching clash of energies that sent shockwaves across the field. The sword gleamed with a radiant aura, as if echoing Naruto's unwavering resolve.

Above them, on the head of Paarthurnax, Koushin looked intrigued. "Well, well, Naruto's got some new toys, huh?" With an effortless sweep, he scooped Ino by the waist and leapt onto the dragon's head. The sensation of flight and freedom filled the air as Paarthurnax let out another roar, one that mirrored the tension below yet carried a tone of resistance, challenging the very menace that the Ten-Tails represented.

Even from their elevated vantage point, they could feel the immense chakra emanating from the clashing behemoths. Ino tightened her grip on Koushin, her eyes narrowed. "Can we really stop this thing?"

Koushin grinned, "Just a big animal, don't worry?"

Back on the ground, Naruto's Susanoo swung its sword, its radiant blade generating a surge of purifying energy. As the energy collided with the Ten-Tails' limb, it recoiled as though seared by the purity, its malevolent energy faltering for a moment.

Madara's eyes narrowed. "So this is the White Susanoo."

Itachi added, "It seems we may have to adjust our strategy."

On the field below, Tsunade looked to her companions. "Oonoki, A, Mei, Rasa—each of you knows what to do."

Oonoki floated up, his eyes scanning the battlefield. Mei's lips tightened into a determined smile, while A clenched his fists. Rasa's eyes flickered, as he prepared his Gold Dust techniques.

Above them, Koushin leaned over Paarthurnax's scales, his eyes locking onto the Ten-Tails. "Hey, big ugly! Over here!" He waved his arms, as though directing traffic.

Naruto grinned. "Distracting the enemy, Koushin?"

Koushin winked. "I'm just getting its attention. You're the one who has to deliver the knockout punch."

As if on cue, Naruto's Susanoo lunged forward, its sword poised for a decisive strike. The blade met flesh, and for a moment, the world itself seemed to hold its breath. The purifying energy flowed through the sword into the Ten-Tails, eliciting an agonizing roar from the creature. Its form wavered, as if struggling against the very purity that sought to cleanse it.

At the same time, Paarthurnax and Koushin unleashed their Fire Breath Shout. "YOL TOOR SHUL!" Two sprays of fire merged into a massive conflagration that crashed into the Ten-Tails. Itachi, ever unflappable, activated his Susanoo, and the Shield of Yata Mirror flickered into existence, effortlessly reflecting the inferno back.

Koushin chuckled. "Ah, the Shield of Yata Mirror—Itachi's ultimate 'Talk to the Hand.'"

Itachi smirked. "Perhaps your dragon should've rehearsed his lines a bit more."

Koushin snorted. Itachi's Susanoo was already strong, and with Yata Mirror, it was practically invulnerable. He always thought Kishimoto killed Itachi because he was way too broken.