#supermoms

Sakura sighs. “There’s always a big one, isn’t there?”

The veins in Hinata’s eyes pulse, and her pupils flick back and forth quickly.

“There’s more than one seal on this one!”

Which makes sense, considering its size.

“How many?” Konohamaru asks through gritted teeth as another foot stomps down, forcing giant craters into the floor beneath its clawed toes. Drools drips from the creatures maw, splashing over them.

“Eight!”

“Eight—like the Eight Gates?” Sakura cries, thinking fast. Everyone knows the location of those, if only from study.

“Exactly!”

The giant, shambling creature reaches down, trying to grasp hold of them in its mottled blood red hand. The shinobi scatter in different directions, but it almost grabs hold of Hinata. The curse-seal seems to make it faster than something of its size should be.

It swings for Sakura next, and she meets the blow with a snarl, punching its grasping hand away. It does not seem bothered by the blow, and once again goes for Hinata.

It specifically seems to be targeting the women, perhaps knowing that they are the key to its destruction. The constant flailing makes the ground shake and granite fall from above them, and in the distance, Konohamaru can hear something collapse together.

It might be durable, but it’s hindered by this place. If it keeps moving around like this, it will bring the place down!

Which might not hurt it, but it could cause cave-ins elsewhere, and hurt his students and their parents. If only there was—

An idea occurs to him.

“Mrs Boss! Did Boruto ever tell you how his class passed their Academy final?”

Hinata and Sakura’s eyes flick toward each other in a look of dawning comprehension.

“We need to confuse it first, so it doesn’t know who to get to,” Hinata says.

Sakura nods. “Alright, Konohamaru—we’ll follow your lead on this one!”

“Right! Kage Bunshin!”

Four clones of him appear—the maximum he can sustain while also having them use any long-term A-rank techniques—and at the same the two women form hand signs for Henge.

Seven Konohamarus scatter as the curse-seal creature brings down its hand, raking across the stone ground. They spread out in a circle around the beast, and it tosses its head in frustration trying to decide who to go after first.

Using its momentary pause, the seven figures form their next bevvy of hand signs, and call out, “Isshi Tojin!”

A swirling seal formula radiates from all seven points, reaching to the edges of the circular room. Within the string light formation, the creature freezes, unable to move beyond it.

“Hinata!” the Konohamaru copy across the room suddenly says. “I have an idea, if you’re game! But it could get messy!”

“Everything is already messy,” the Konohamaru-copy to its right says.

“Konohamaru! Can you keep the circle together on your own for a few seconds?”

“As long as it’s only a few seconds,” Konohamaru and his clones chorus.

“Alright then!” the clone that is Sakura says. “And…now!”

The copy beside her breaks in to a run, the sealing circle around it vanishing as it darts forward. Konohamaru grunts, feeling as if a heavy weight has been added to an already difficult burden, but holds tight.

Sakura maintains her own part of the seal until the last possible second, before letting go—Konohamaru snarls in effort as the weight doubles—and grabbing hold of the clone. At her touch, the transformation is undone the women revert to their normal forms. Sakura crouches, grabbing Hinata’s around the left bicep and right thigh, and then propels her toward the giant.

In midair, twin lions flare to life as Hinata barrels to the creatures middle. As Hinata pierces through its abdomen, Sakura takes her position once more in the sealing circle.

Konohamaru shudders, still struggling under the weight of the jutsu, but then Sakura is focussing her chakra, taking much of the burden off of him.

The beast’s back arches, and they can see frenzied, jagged movements beneath its leather skin—Hinata using her Jūho Sōshiken from inside. Within seconds, blue flames burst from its abdomen and Hinata lands on the ground in a rain of black blood and viscera.

“I got three,” she says grimly, spitting out blood.

Konohamaru and Sakura allow the Isshi Tojin to break, and Sakura darts forward as the beast falls, knees folding beneath it and screaming in agony. Leaping through the air, she yells—“SHANNARO!”—and slams two fists directly into its head, sending shards of bone into its eyes and brain.

That’s two more, Konohamaru counts, leaping up onto the creature’s chest and snarling, “Doton: Doryuso!”

Giant spikes of earth punch through the earth beneath them, puncturing it just above the abdomen and through the ribs.  

“Did I get them all?” he demands, even as the creature continues to stir beneath them.

“No, there’s one left!” Hinata calls from the ground. “You just missed the heart by inches!”

But Sakura is already charging forward, sliding into a crouch and kicking outward with her right leg. One of the spikes is shattered all the way through and begins to topple. She has it in her hands then, balancing the enormous slab of condensed mud, and brings it down hard on the left side of the giant’s chest.

The beast gives one last screech and twitch, and then goes still.

The three of them wait, panting, for yet another wave of enemies to come at them, but it is utterly silent in the echoing chamber now.

Konohamaru lets out a breath and leans on his knees. “Oh, man, what a relief…I don’t think I could do anymore!”

Hinata and Sakura glance at each other, and smile.

“I must look a real mess,” Hinata says, anxiously pushing a blood-slicked lock of hair behind her ear. “I hope I don’t make Boruto and Naruto worry, thinking I’m hurt.”

“You look fine,” Sakura grins. “I’ve seen much worse. And they know you better than to think that could hurt you.”

“Hm.” Hinata nods. “Alright, let’s go.”

They start toward the rickety staircase, and something occurs to Konohamaru.

“Hey—hey, wait! I have a name for that combo you guys used: The Boss Lady Stream!”

“Not now, Konohamaru…”

つづく

Hope you enjoyed it! Also, this is the last Interlude before the end of the story. Gasp! I know! Who knew this story was ever going to end?! But as of right now, I’ve got five chapters and an epilogue outlined. Of course, when I predict how many chapter I always tend to be a little off, and I really like the idea of having the fic be 40 chapters in total (including prologue, interludes and epilogues), but we’ll see…

If you enjoy my writing, I encourage you to check out my patreon, where I am publishing my original fiction! Every little bit helps!