Of Shinobi and Soulmates
Opening A/N: This chapter is merely a prologue to a hopefully much longer story. This story is an experiment where I will attempt to make almost every chapter a songfic, at least in part. I couldn't manage to make this chapter one though. Anyway, read on, and I hope you enjoy this story!
Bold is any voice containing a presence that overwhelms all others nearby
For this chapter only, centered italics are narration
Deep in a bloodied valley, a lone blond man stands amidst a pile of fifty fallen comrades, or what's left of their bodies, anyway. His proud, majestic figure was as stained with crimson as the scorched battlefield that surrounds him. Towering over his form, the immense stature of the feared Kyuubi no Kitsune, the scourge of mankind, blocks all sunlight from the great Hokage's view.
"My men...none of them deserved an end such as this. You will PAY Kyuubi!"
"I will pay? Surely you must jest! What could a single human such as you hope to accomplish? Ten entire battalions of your so-called Elite have failed already! My Youki alone will prevent you from ever touching me."
"Now Kyuubi, you make too many assumptions. Who ever said I would be the one to touch you?"
"What nonsense do you speak now, Mortal?"
"I am not so foolish as to think a human could touch you. You are a powerful being, as vile as you may be."
"Then why did you send your men to their death? And just how do you presume to defeat me, if it shall not be you? I see no others here."
"My soldiers knew their fate, and went to it willingly. They were simply to buy time."
"Time? For what? Your grand plan to defeat me?!"
"QUIET FOUL BEAST!! As I was saying, if a human cannot harm you, then I shall simply have to call upon a God."
"My patience runs thin Yondaime-sama, and I tire of your lies! The ability to summon the Greater Ones was lost eons ago, and was never in mortal hands even then!"
" If you have so much certainty in that fact, then stay your claws demon, and I shall prove you wrong."
"No, I would much rather eat you now."
But, as the Kyuubi's dark maw began to lower towards Minato, a murmur from the man gave him pause.
"Then you leave me no choice. I am sorry old friends, but you have one more task to complete."
The compassionate Hokage then proceeded to contort his hands with ever-increasing speed, whispering all the while, as Kyuubi simply watched. Then, with a piercing shout of
"ASHIKASE NO SHUKUEN!" the corpses littering the area dissolved to dust, reforming into chain shapes that then wrapped around Kyuubi and solidified, binding him in place.
"Though their lives are no more, my ninja can still allow me the time I need."
"That look in your eyes...you truly have discovered the lost rites, haven't you? Before you perform them, tell me, which of my many misdeeds has angered you to this level?"
"Two weeks ago, you destroyed a small village by the oceanside, do you remember?"
"Ah yes, Uzu no Kuni, the land of Whirlpool. I was planning on shape shifting to human form, murdering a human or two as a 'foreign ninja', and making leave with their bodies. However, I could not carry out my intentions, as someone sensed my Youki, and the village was ready for me, demon or no."
"Do you remember any of the individuals who defended the village? Particularly a stunning woman with flame-red hair?"
"In fact I do. She was the one who claimed to have sensed me coming, as well as the one who lasted longest..."
XX Flashback Scene XX
"Why Kunoichi-San, I am impressed! The last of your village burned down hours ago, yet still you fight! You even managed to cut off my tail-tip! So, in light of these accomplishments, I will give you my respect, and allow you to leave now, if you so wish."
"Hah, respect! You have destroyed my place of birth, and killed all of my family, yet you expect me to simply leave upon your permission I may do so?! I shall fight to the bitter end, and make sure to take another piece of you with me!"
XX Flashback Over XX
"She did manage to take another chunk of my tail, over half of it in fact, but I won in the end. However, I am not completely heartless, and could not leave such a stalwart and dedicated warrior unremembered. So, in the former site of her village, I used my mastery over nature to create a statue with praise for both her and the brave villagers who faced me engraved on the base. Why are you so interested in that woman?"
"She was my wife. Nay, not merely my wife, my soulmate, and we had only been married a short three months when you destroyed her country."
"I cannot ask for forgiveness, since it would be neither sincerely given nor received, but I can tell you to be proud of her last day, and that I truly respected her deeds and refusal to surrender."
"From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for allowing me to know my wife's final moments, and for creating that memorial. But now Kyuubi, it is finally time for you to face judgment."
With that ultimatum, Minato enters a stance within which his very appearance takes on an ominous feel, and proceeds to take three deep breaths in preparation for an arcane ritual not seen since long before Kyuubi reached a place of power.
"Totus - Validus Nex Deus! Ego dedi vos meus animus pro is creatura proprius exsilium exterra!
As his voice reached its crescendo, the sky darkened to pitch, the wind picked up to a near unbearable level, and what had been a low, rumbling hum at the beginning of the chant became a banshee shriek the most tolerant of men would go crazy at the sound of. Yet, the instant the incantation was complete, absolute silence reigned. After an apparent eternity, a silhouette far more intimidating than the Kyuubi could ever hope to be materialized out of nothingness...
"Shi-Shi-Shi-Shinigami—sama?!
Translations ( these will be cumulative, and include all words from previous chapters)
Japanese
Kyuubi: Nine-tailed
No: Of, a connector word of sorts
Kitsune: Fox, usually of Magical, Divine or Demonic origin
Hokage: Fire-shadow; the leader of Konohagakure, the village hidden in the leaves.
Ashikase no Shukuen: Shackles of karma
Youki: Demonic energy
Kunoichi-San: Female ninja, -san shows there is no close relationship, equivalent of mr./mrs.
Shinigami-Sama: The god of death, -sama denotes extreme respect
Latin
Totus - Validus Nex Deus! Ego dedi vos meus animus pro is creatura proprius exsilium ex terra!: All-Powerful Death God! I offer you my eternal soul in return for this creature's permanent banishment from earth!
Closing A/N: so, you like that? Hate it? Just think it is okay, or kinda interesting? However you feel, tell me. (yes, even if you must flame!) If you have advice, that is even better, but if not, oh well. If you could, comment on what you think of the "every chapter a songfic" idea as well!
Till next chapter...
-the connoisseur of all things FanFiction,
AnimeAwesome