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[ Location : In the Middle of Antarctica.
Studio : Blank Delirium
Time : 6 : 25 pm ]
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-connection available-
K : Bonjour, my dear readers! -smiles- I'm happy to introduce you all to another fiction written by my Creator!
This is one of the ideas that they wanted to write, among others, that was mentioned in the second chapter of the story US.
-sighs- I would like to say it was fun...but that would be a lie.
They are insufferable! -throws hands up in the air- I swear if this studio didn't belong to them, we would've been fired already.
The idea is amazing actually, I won't deny that. But they're just so lazy and has an attention span of a baby bird. Plus our ears constantly suffered from the regular rants that SN always says aloud whenever immersed in writing. (Imagine being stuck in a darkened room where various voices are constantly echoing in high volume.. and you get my plight.)
I'm not even going to mention the number of times we had to proofread the draft for correction.. (SN : -depressing clouds hovering above the head- No respect.. I swear. And I resent that!)
Anyways, our problems aside. I think someone was helping Shelton for this idea. Why do I think that you ask? One, they always wanted to do a combined project. Two, this all started the day they spent most of the day on their tab, without opening this site...so yes I have my suspicions.
-glances at the clock- Eh?! Why am I doing this alone still? Where the-?
Jarvis : -comes out of the puff of smoke- Yo!
K : Ack-! -turns to the intruder- Who the hell are you?!
Jarvis : -rolls eyes- Well if you can't see.. I'm Jarvis.
K : I see that. -frowns- I don't know you though. This is a private studio and you're not supposed to be here!
Jarvis : Err... I was told to come here? This is 'Blank Delirium' right?
Temari : Yup! -smiles brightly-
Both : -thinking- 'Where did you come from?!'
Temari : Didn't they tell you guys who your partner would be?
K : -huffs- Obviously not.
Temari : Aa...-nods- well don't worry! I'll introduce our guest here!
This here is the representative sent from the 'Tower of Lust'. -waves towards Jarvis- The studio owned by SN's friend who will be the co-author for the story!
And this -waves towards K- is one of their close friends and co-worker in this studio!
Both : -turns to her at the same time- You mean we're working with Segaku/SN?!
Temari : ...Yes. -sweatdrop-
-a black portal suddenly opens in the middle of the office-
Axel : -walks out of portal and looks around the office- Man... where the hell did I end up again? At least give me some warning or something..? -mumbles-
K : -sighs- Anyone knows him..?
Jarvis : Actually I do! -all eyes turn to him- You guys know about the game 'Kingdom Hearts'? Yeah.. he's one of the characters. -snickers- Segaku is crazy about them! (Rinsegaku : Not true!)
-after five minutes of introduction-
Axel : Oh? One of Naruto's fanfic...interesting. Don't mind my presence -waves hand dismissively- Continue. I'll just see where it goes.
Temari : What? But this isn't even your fandom! -crosses arms across her chest- And you need the author's, both of them, permission to stay here. This is supposed to be a private studio! -continues for next two minutes-
Axel : -rubs the back of his neck- Oh well...you guys have sea-salt ice cream?
Jarvis and K: -looks at each other before shrugging- Here! -pulls ice cream out of thin air-
Temari : You're not even listening! -glares-
Axel : -has attention on ice cream-
K : Um... w-wait Temari-san! We're supposed to do the A/N not fight! Right Jarvis?
Jarvis : Uh..yeah!
Temari : Hmph. Do your job then.
Jarvis : -clears throat- So.. where did you stop?
K : Oh! It was time for disclaimer. You're up in two!
Disclaimer -
Yo, this is Jarvis! -waves- I'm sure by now you have a good idea of who we are! But for your convenience I'll sat this again. I'm from Segaku's crew, and this story is a combined project between the two studios -the Tower of Lust and the Blank Delirium- whose owners are good friends. (And I think they're even thinking of merging them to form a new one!)
We're here because the actual authors are busy sorting out the details and all that stuff I don't really care about. The disclaimer is not going to be repeated mind you.
It goes without saying that our creators do not own the anime/manga series called Naruto. That's why they are here, isn't it? Its a fanfiction site after all.
And trust me when I say this, you do not want SN to own it in any case.
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Original anime - Naruto
Copyright © Kishimoto Masashi
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Fanfiction - Shi no Tatchi
Copyright © Codename-SN and Rinsegaku
All rights reserved.
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Summary -
Death's touch. It is said that no one was ever spared from it. And its true. Until one Uzumaki Naruto and his eternal friend, Kurama, joined forces.
The Fourth Shinobi World War. It destroyed more than they had anticipated. They tried really but.. maybe their foe was just that strong. Or maybe luck didn't favour them. Who knew. What Naruto did know, however, was that if nothing was done, the world would be destroyed. Kurama offered a solution. He warned that it would be suicide. But at least they would have the last laugh, right? Naruto, did not expect THIS however. He swore he would get that stupid fox back for this!
Jarvis : -turns around- You got that recorded?
DCM (Delirium Crew Member) : Hai!
K : Well then, we're finished here!
Temari : I know! Let's go the new restaurant to celebrate the launch, its about dinner time anyway. -raises eyebrow at the group smiling-
Everyone (except Axel) : Yeah! -pumps fists in the air-
K : -bows towards the readers- That's all for the first A/N! Enjoy the story ~
-after ten minutes - lights off and door's closing-
Axel : -turns back at the last minute- You know, the disclaimer was really bothersome to do even once so...we're not doing it again.
Got it memorized?
Temari : You coming spiky-head?!
Axel : Yeah yeah... -raises hand in a wave turning back-
Prelude : Inmolation.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to my life again. Walk with me every curve, every bend, this promenade that seems to come to an end."
Juliet - Sonata Arctica.
It was a peaceful evening in Konohagakure no Sato. Different shades of reds, oranges and violets painted the sky in beautiful combinations of colors. The scant sun rays covered the land in the residual warmth from the day. A serene atmosphere that allowed even the shinobi to relax in a carefree manner.
One did not need to have a keen observational skill to know that both, civilians and shinobi alike, were grateful for the peace that has settled over the Elemental Nations. It was possibly the longest one they have ever seen.
And of course, Konohagakure had remained one of the strongest hidden villages and even flourished under the rule of the Rokudaime Hokage, also known as, the Orange Hokage.
It is nobody's guess who that was.
On that particular evening, in the Hokage's office where papers lay strewn across the desk, the previously mentioned Hokage was asleep, with his head buried in his arms.
As awareness slowly returned to him, he lifted his head from the desk with a loud groan. It seemed that he fell alseep halfway through his work. Again.
A tired sigh escaped his lips, as he tried to remove the cobwebs of sleep from his mind. Once he got home, his forever dear wife would surely chew his head off for spending more time on work, instead with their sons.
And it would surely not be first time..or last for the matter.
He could not blame her though. But whenever he thought about them, there was this feeling of...emptiness inside him. As if he was missing something. Yet he could never tell what. Had he not known better he would even dare say that his life with his family..as a Hokage, felt surreal. A long dream, or maybe some sort of...illusion?
In that moment, a strange presence pulled at the back of his mind. As if trying to tell- warn him... about something.
But his attention was diverted from his thoughts, as he noticed his office door opening. A familiar shade of pink hair on a heart shaped face poked from the space between the door and the wall.
"Have some spare time, Hokage-sama?"
A slight grin stretched across the tan face as he recognized the owner, even though he felt exasperated by her words.
"Come in Sakura, you know you're always welcome here. And how many times do I need to say for you to cut out that honorific crap?"
The pink haired medic chuckled as she fully entered the office, shaking her head in amusement.
"I don't really get it Naruto. Why go through all that trouble to become Hokage, if you don't like being called one?"
"I like the position. Not the title, Sakura. And Kami knows I've tried almost everything to make the people stop calling me 'Hokage-sama' or 'Rokudaime-sama'."
The blond made dramatic gestures to get his point across to his friend standing in front of him. His face morphing in a disgruntled expression as he said the next part.
"The council keeps telling me its 'tradition'. Bleh..!"
Her green orbs rolled at man's antics. And he was supposed to be an adult! The comfortable silence settled among them, which was soon broken after a while by the female of the two.
"Oh? Getting rusty in your age, hm?"
The pink haired woman could not help but tease the blond when he rolled his shoulders with a small grimace, but he just dismissed the attempt with a lazy wave of his hand.
"Nah..its just a dull ache. I'm sure from falling asleep on this desk, nothing serious."
"Meh, you and Sasuke are the same. Both softies outside a battlefield. Heck, he even passed out when he saw his daughter born for crying out loud!"
Both friends shared a laugh at the memory. It was probably one of the most embarrassing scenes that included Sasuke. Which, of course, Naruto just could not let him live it down.
The blond abruptly stopped and did a double take. There was an odd feeling he got when he remembered the mentioned memory. Something was just... off with it.
The strange pull, that was still present on the back of his mind, seemed stronger than before.
He then went over some of his other memories he had, and realized what exactly was wrong with them. Sure there were images of times he had spent with his friends and family but.. they did not really felt like memories. There were no emotions tied to them.
It was as if he was watching a movie, seeing everything from a third perspective. His own life to boot.
But it was not really his life, was it?
That realization struck him hard, like one Tsunade's punches when she was extremely pissed, making him stagger in his seat.
Sasuke was not a softie, was he?
The Uchiha was not even married to Sakura.. how could they have a daughter?
Heck! He, himself, was not married to anyone.. he did not have a family..
An avalanche of memories, his true memories this time, flooded his head. It all rushed at him with such an overwhelming force, that he felt dizzy. Until one memory summarized everything for him, along with the sinking feeling of dread growing in his gut.
War.
'We were..at war. Then how..-?'
The scenary around him wavered and blurred, before forcing itself right once again. The memories, which he could now identify as fakes, forced themselves again in head, but he fought against them.
"Naruto? Are you okay?"
The 'Sakura', in front of him, asked in a concerned tone. Reminding himself that she was not real, he focused on his current task. Which was to figure out what happened, and he felt as if that strange pull could be of help.
Without hesitating any longer, he concentrated on it with all his might. He could feel himself getting closer to..whatever it was. At first it felt like a familiar emotion.. then as it came into more focus he realized it was a voice..a deep, guttural sound...
"...ruto!... Nar.. ake up! ...enjutsu! ...dara!.."
His eyes widened, immediately recognizing the owner of the said voice and the implications of the few deformed words he had heard. Instantly, he flared his chakra and the vision faltered again, blurring and twisting, before correcting itself again. He could still see 'Sakura' in his peripheral vision, looking concerned as before.
Ignoring the force that resisted his escape, he focused on his chakra and releasing the genjutsu settled over him.
His chakra flared wildly, such that it was almost painful. This time the vision completely shattered like a glass, the blond now appearing as his original sixteen year old self in his preferred orange and black jumpsuit and no longer in the hokage robes. His body floating in air, in an endless white space alone. Or so he thought.
The nine-tailed fox, Kurama, appeared in front of him – out of breath and looking more tired than the boy had ever seen him. He noticed the fox was slightly skinny and his fur shades paler. The alarms in the teen's head went off immediately.
"Kurama! What happened to you?"
"Heh, about damn time you broke free of that illusion runt. I was starting to think we would not be able to say our goodbyes."
The teen was getting increasingly frustrated and alarmed with how his long time companion worded the sentence.
"What do you mean by that?!"
The boy only got a weak chuckle in response.
"Answer me, you damn furball!"
"That bastard got us, that's what! He knew how to provoke you and what nerves to strike...! And in the end we just walked right where he wanted us to be. The place he kept your friends was the center of that trap."
The low growl calmed considerably as he continued to speak.
"The good news is that we managed to save them, for now. The bad news is, well...that man is more than halfway through the extraction process, hence my not so majestic appearance at the moment."
It was followed by a dry and low chuckle, but Naruto could not find any humor in it.
"No...no! It can't end like..this! We..we are finally a team.. finally friends..! You..you can't..!"
The blond haired teen's eyes brimmed with tears, but he did not let them fall, yet.
"I like this as much as you do, Naruto. But there's hardly anything we can do now...not in our current conditions. I know it's hard to accept bu- "
Before he could even finish his sentence the teen cut him off, objecting fiercely.
"NO! Don't you DARE say that! You're the goddamned Kyūbi no Kitsune! THINK OF SOMETHING!"
"Defiant, even at the death's door... You really are one of a kind Naruto. I'm starting to wonder if I should even be mad at your father for sealing me inside you."
"Of course you shouldn't! Otherwise you would never have met the awesome Uzumaki Naruto-sama!"
He said smiling, but the openly falling tears betrayed the purpose of the smile.
A pair of red orbs watched the blond silently before lowering his vulpine maw to bring his eyes on the same level as the teen's. More or less.
"You, Naruto, are the child of prophecy. " The fox began, his voice distant as if remembering something of far past.
"The one my father spoke about before he left us. The one boy who will remain untainted even in this vile world created by humans. The only one acknowledged by all bijūs, enough to allow him to call us by our real names."
The younger of the remained silent, knowing that the only one who called them by their name was the Rikudou Sennin, or their father, the one who had named them. No human even knew that they all had a name, before the blond that is.
"I... because of my ignorance, or maybe because I did not want to accept that fact, I didn't realize it until now. And that negligence on my part cost us more than could be fixed. I'm sure that things would have gone differently, and not the way they are now.."
"Kurama... it not your fault. We just..-"
A low growl was all warning needed for the blond to clamp his mouth shut, cutting the sentence off before it was fully voiced.
"Gaki, don't interrupt me. This is the only time in my whole centuries of existence that I am willing myself to speak like this, so if don't shut your trap I'll kick you out to deal with Madara alone."
After confirming that, yes, the teen would not open his mouth again he cleared his throat before continuing again.
"Look Naruto... I want to apologize for my earlier actions. The way I treated you before, you had enough on your plate as it was, manipulated you knowing that you couldn't control yourself under the influence of my chakra... Perhaps, I'm telling you this now because one way or another, we are done for. But.. I really mean it."
Naruto, in all his foolishness, could not really blame his reckless attitude for what he did next. Even as his hands reached up to stroke the fiery strands on his companion's muzzle. Even when his tears fell like a rushing waterfall.
He did not understand why he did that. Maybe it was all the emotions that rushed through him...or the warm, fuzzy feeling he got in his chest. Or perhaps because he felt just so...happy, elated even, that the one being who was fated, from the day he was born –Neji would surely call him a hypocrite if they met in afterlife– to be with him actually voiced that, yes, he cared.
It was surprising when Kurama did nothing to stop him.
They had really come a long way from when they met. Maybe he should just hug the fuzzball? Nah.. no need to push his luck, he had done that enough. So instead, he spoke.
"Don't worry, you grumpy old oversized plushie. Your apology is sincere, of course I'd forgive you! And to be honest... I kinda forgot most of the stuff you spoke about."
Kurama could not help but sweatdrop at the teen's antics, as he stared at the sheepish look the blond had at that moment. Even though he had spent majority of the child's life observing him, not that anyone needed to know, Naruto seemed to impress the fox every time, with his uncanny ability to break through a depressed or tense atmosphere like it is nothing but a child's play.
The proud Kyūbi no Kitsune, would never admit, not to anyone and especially not to the blond, but internally, he was glad that Naruto had that specific trait.
"Wait.. you said 'one way or another we are done for'."
The younger boy's lips set in a firm line as he gazed intently at the red orbs, his hands already by his side.
"You have a plan?"
It was not as much of a question as a statement, the ancient fox noted absent-mindedly. Count on the blond Uzumaki to be observant at the oddest of times. Of course, he had a plan. He always had –most of the time anyway– but he was not sure if he could get the boy to cooperate...
He loved his long life at times like this, plus the fact he is a fox.
"Its not something I would even consider, if not for the dire circumstances, but I guess, this situation calls for it. So..yes, it is sort of like a last resort."
"I sense a but coming."
The oversized canine made a dramatic show of sighing before he replied.
"But, it is a double-edged sword. And in our current state its not like it will change the results, it will only allow us to choose a different way."
"Will it stop Madara?"
"Well.. technically speaking, it will do more than just 'stopping Madara' but..-"
"Count me in then."
That, made the fox pause. Sure it made things a lot easier, but to think that he would so readily agree without even knowing everything –not that he was going to tell everything, but still– just because it would stop that bastard was..just a little surprising.
It should not really have been, it was just like Naruto afterall. That, however, did not mean he could not question it.
"What? You mean you don't want to even hear the rest? Don't care about the fact that its basically a suicide technique?"
"You said it yourself, 'one way or another'. Its not like we'll survive anyway, we're merely choosing how."
The teen continued in slightly distant voice, lost in memories.
"Peace in Elemental Nations is at a hand's distance... and if it means I can finally fulfill my promise to Nagato. To Ero-sennin... to my friends, while stealing the last laugh of victory, out of our defeat no less. Of course I'm all up for it!"
The pair of red orbs blinked a few times before the stunned silence, that settled between them, was broken.
"Wow... that was.. Are you sure the genjutsu didn't mess with your brain? That was quite deep for you brat."
"Kurama..!"
The blond teen would deny vehemently, to anyone and everyone who asked, that he was whining at that moment. While an amused smirk stretched across the fox's lips – if it could be interpreted as one. Though it was not long, before a solemn expression crossed their features.
"As much as I don't want to admit it.. I'm going to miss you kid."
"Yeah, me too Kurama..."
It was not really fair in their opinion, but when has life ever been fair, but they did not have time to mop around being depressed. The atmosphere shifted to seriousness so fast, one would have missed the change if they blinked. There was work to be done. Just one last thing. And not much time on their hands. They needed to move, and fast.
"So, what do I need to do?"
"Just stall as long as you can and I'll gather as much chakra as I can in the meantime. And when I tell you, we'll have to release both of our chakra at the same time, got it?"
The bijū explained, before standing up to his 'full height' and stretching his fist in the boy's direction.
"Hai!"
Cerulean orbs burned with determination as the young teen nodded his head and gave his eternal companion one last fist bump, wide grins growing on their faces. With one last shared glance both of them vanished from the blinding whiteness that spanned across the space.
A pair of azure orbs snapped open with a start, as Uzumaki woke up in the land of living. Having lived as a jinchūriki, and taking in account the forced transformation, the teen could frankly say he had experienced some of the worst pain there is in the world.
The pain he felt coursing through his entire being at that moment, however, could not compare to anything he had felt before.
It was as if thousands of sharp needless were being dragged over his body, sucking all of his energy and rendering him helpless. Every fiber in his body screamed in agony as a burning ache spread through them like a wildfire. The worst part was.. it was excruciatingly slow. And it did nothing, but maximize the effects.
Having a bijū extracted was certainly, not a walk in the park.
Naruto did not know how long it was before his consciousness actually broke away from the agonizing haze. Nor did he know just how. But he suspected his tenant had a hand in that, who knew.
The first thing that registered in his mind was the bright chakra surrounding him, the dragon-snake creatures made of that very matter pinning him down. Meanwhile a steady flow of red chakra, what he guessed was Kurama's, was being pulled out from him into that horrendous statue. They were in the center of what appeared to be a wasteland.
Probably where the cave was before, the blond noted vaguely.
"Oh, you have awaken? Not something I expected... yet not something entirely unexpected either, given what you achieved with my pawn."
He knew that voice alright. How could he not? He could recognize that superior and smug tone, that seemed to be almost inborn with his voice, anywhere.
"..Obi-..to was..not m-meant to end like that!"
His throat felt raw and dry, as if he had screamed himself hoarse. The blond would have turned his head, if not for his body being in a frozen state. As it was, he could only roll his eyes in the direction of the voice, barely catching the sight of the wild black mane.
"Y-you..you used him like a puppet... and twisted his desires for peace just to please your own selfish goals, bastard!"
"You hold a part of the power I seek, yet you could never grasp even a phantom of my reasons for doing this. Even if, in some aspects we are so much alike.. "
"Huh..? What do mean by that?!"
"There's so much you could learn... yet you understand so little."
The blond Uzumaki wished that he could scream, yell at him to just stop talking. To deny everything he was implying with those words, but needed to stall for time. Time was important. For both of them..
The burning of his muscles had lessened considerably. Enough that he could actually think. And he held no delusion that it was because of his furry friend. He would not put past Madara that he could, in his arrogance, let his guard down. Perhaps just to spite the blond, or even to entertain himself before finishing off his most prominent threat.
Well, that would he his downfall.
He did not let his inner thoughts portray on his face though, merely choosing to reply with a sentence.
"Try me, you'll find that I'm full of surprises."
"That I do not doubt, but your efforts are for naught. One who knows nothing, can only understand as much."
The tan youth grit his teeth in frustration. This was going nowhere and he could feel that the elder Uchiha was losing his interest.
'How much longer, Kurama!?"
'Just a bit more Naruto, this is not easy for me either.'
He could barely suppress the anxious sigh that was about to escape his lips. All this nervousness was making him angsty for sure.
"So you got me. What are you going to do with rest of turned Shinobi Alliance now?"
"Well now that I will finally become the Jūbi's jinchūriki, the strongest there is, they won't be more than a little nuisance. But.. even flies can become an annoyance, don't you think?"
The blond teen did not know what it was that set him off. The casual tone he used as if speaking about the day's weather, when he was essentially telling him that his friends were going to die. By that blasted Uchiha's own hands no less. Or perhaps it was the careless, almost detached, way he regarded a life.
Maybe it was both or maybe it was just because he threatened the people he swore to protect, in his face. Perhaps it was a mix of all.
Whatever the reason, it ignited such raw fury from him that it was staggering, even for the youth. He rarely felt a negative emotion so strong, but he guessed it was valid given the situation.
No one threatened his comrades and got away with it! Not a soul!
"Don't you dare touch my friends!"
He screamed venomously, cursing his inability to actually carry out any of his threats in his current state. A pair of intense blue eyes were glaring, or at least trying to, in Madara's direction, hoping to convey their murderous intent just with their heated gaze.
The raven-haired Uchiha just seemed, for all the world, as aloof as he had ever been. But if one looked closely enough, they would have found a spark of amusement in those crimson orbs.
Meanwhile, unnoticed by all, the flow of chakra between the blond and the statue was slowly starting to reverse as the half-humanoid fox entity meddled with the static link. It was a painstaking process just as it was tiring. Kurama was not sure if he could complete the task before the un-dead Uchiha noticed something was amiss. They could only hope he did not anytime soon.
It was during this train of thought that the fox sensed Naruto's anger spike.
He would have reprimanded the teen if something else had not caught his attention then. His chakra, which had been extracted before, was being rapidly drawn towards his vessel. It seemed that it still reacted to the blond's emotions. An interesting discovery indeed. At least he could stop worrying about the chakra amount now.
'Ready to go, gaki?'
'Yeah... Its been a pleasure, Kurama.'
'Give him hell!'
Not many would believe it, but the gigantic red-orange furred fox did have emotions.
At that moment he felt guilty, leaving the kid by himself and all.. But knowing the blond's resilience and capability to overcome any adversity he would surely learn to cope, and he hoped that the parting 'gift' he was leaving behind would help. This was their chance after all... a chance to right some of the world's greatest wrongs.
Chakra engulfed the teen's body, the softly glowing matter caressing his skin as it wrapped around him quickly, layer after layer. To Naruto, however, it felt as if someone was pouring hot molten lava down his veins. So bright, scorching hot, that he could not stop the scream that was ripped from his throat.
If he was aware of his surroundings, he would have seen Madara's eyes widen in shock. Pity, that he was not.
The chakra covered back arched in pain as the huge amount of chakra, the teen supposed included both halves of the bijū he contained, started to fuse with his own. He was still floating in mid-air, enveloped in a bright 'cocoon' of chakra which was steadily growing in size. And whatever was happening, was extremely painful for the blond inside the said cocoon.
What was it today? 'Torture Naruto Day' or something?
The ancient Uchiha stood stock-still, surprise freezing his every fibre, not sure what to make of the situation. Because common sense just could not describe what he was seeing. It seemed as if that brat was drawing whatever chakra absorbed from the bijū back into himself. It should not be even possible. It was... it was crazy! How exactly did he do it?!
He was broken out if his stupor when an inhuman cry pierced the air. It was a low wailing noise, yet at the same time a high pitch roar filled with rage. The giant statue was screaming, yelling, and one could have almost missed a note of pain in it, as the tendrils of Kyūbi's chakra were forcefully ripped from it. A human heart could not help but stutter at the sound.
Madara cursed, eyes still wide. His pride was, once again, causing him to lose what he already had in his grasp. His hands blurred, flying through one hand seal to another expertly. This time though, he had Hashirama's Mokuton on his side. And it was still the Kyūbi's chakra no matter what the blond was doing with it. Mokuton could tame the nine-tails, this would not even mean a set back for him. He would not lose this time around..!
"Mokuton : Jukai Kotan!"
Hundreds of trees sprouted from the barren ground, heading straight to the glowing cocoon, where the oblivious and still screaming blond was. They spiraled and bended in ways which should be impossible for the wood to do so, surrounding the growing bubble of chakra.
But much to the Uchiha's bigger shock, when the trunks made contact with the cocoon, it seemed as if they had made impact with a solid wall which refused to budge under the pressure. In fact it was actually pushing back the unnaturally grown trees.
Not much later, several hundreds of trees joined the earlier group hoping to gain the upper hand. But alas, they were delusional! They soon crackled, breaking under the force generated in the clash.
The ravenette was seething.
He could not understand what was happening. What the hell was the brat doing?! How was he doing anything in the first place?! There was no possibility of this in his plans! It was not supposed to happen!
Were only some of the thoughts that raced through his mind. He poured more chakra in his jutsu, commanding more trees to take down the nuisance. He would not be bested by a last, desperate move made by an already defeated foe. No one would ruin his plan. Not when he was so close to the victory!
Inside the bubble, the blond teen was unaware of the happenings around him. No thanks to the excruciating pain that racked his frame, while the only thing he could do to distract himself was repeat a sentence again and again, like a mantra, in his head. He clung to that one thought of –everything will be over soon. everything will be over soon..– with all his might to lessen the agonizing experience, albeit only slightly.
Unknown to the blond, once all of the Kyūbi's chakra was removed from the statue, his body underwent a slight transformation to prepare itself to house the insanely large amount of chakra surrounding him.
His chakra coils enlarged and became sturdy enough to hold the slightly toned down version of the Kyūbi's malevolent chakra, mixed with the teen's own. His body was breaking and repairing itself, so that it would be strong enough to use the chakra, now his. The bones broke and mended itself even stronger, his muscles ripping and forming more lean but strong ones. Their endurance level would be even better now.
Outwardly, his frame was more lithe, yet one could not deny the strength it held. The most noticeable changes, however, were his hair and face.
His once bright and spiky blond hair was now deep crimson with orange tips. It also grew slightly now reaching to his shoulders, and the bangs framing his face reached till his chin. There was a single blond streak among the otherwise crimson threads in his left bang. They still retained there spiky nature, but toned down as they grew longer.
His deep azure eyes, turned light violet as liquefied garnet bled into them, mixing and swirling in those blues whose depth could match the ocean. The pupils in his eyes turned more like a fox's, slit, in appearance.
The six lines on his cheeks also deepened, stretching comfortably across the cheekbones and a firm jaw, giving a more striking reference to whiskers than before. His canine teeth becoming slightly longer and sharper, one barely poking out his closed lips, since he passed out because of pain some time ago.
As the process was completed, the cocoon of chakra.. imploded, for the lack of better word. It stretched, then rushed inside the blond's body catching Madara off guard. Again. Before engulfing the now red-head in a blinding light. The Uchiha tried to shield his eyes with a hand, but then everything around them was swallowed by the said light.
Uchiha Madara, the resurrected owner of the legendary Rinnegan and almost Jūbi no Jinchūriki, could do nothing as his body vanished along with everything else, when Naruto disappeared with a flash of golden light.
What the blond teen expected to see once he opened his eyes once more were the people he once knew and were no longer alive. Perhaps his parents, Jiraiya or 'Ero-sennin' as he calls him, Neji.. or maybe Nagato, Itachi... heck, even the past Hokages! But certainly.. not this.
The atmosphere was serene around him, and it seemed as if wind was dancing happily. Singing a sweet lullaby long forgotten, something he never had the chance to listen to before. It was peaceful. But... there was white. Everywhere. And then there was Kurama..
"Kurama..? What are you doing with me in afterlife? I thought that once I released the seal you wouldn't be bound to me.."
"And your assumption is right Naruto. But this is more of my own doing than your father's seal work."
Of course, he lost the red-head there. And the most intelligent answer he could muster up was..
"Huh?"
"You are not dead, kit."
"But I thought you said it was a suicide technique!"
"I did say that. But didn't you know kitsunes are the masters of deception? You shouldn't take everything at face value you know."
That blasted nine-tailed fox! Goddamn the bastard.. Not that he would admit to being fooled so easily.
"So...we're not dead, huh? Then what did you do exactly and what will we do now?"
"I said you are not dead, Naruto. Me on the other hand... "
As if on cue the giant fox's body became slightly translucent, giving it an ethereal aspect.
"What...what do you mean by that? And what's happening to you?!"
Wide, purple-slitted orbs gazed at his partner in distress, tears gathering at the edges.
"I know you're not that stupid, runt. You do understand what I mean, but I'll help you out anyway."
One could clearly hear the dry note in his voice.
"I'm dying, you're not."
"I know what you mean, you stupid furball! Don't say it so casually... Kurama please.. not you.. "
"I told you this was my doing Naruto. I'm doing this to help you. Heh, isn't this ironic? But at least you would have a second chance at this."
"B-but. I didn't ask for a second chance! Not if this is the cost! If you leave me too..I'll..I'll be alone again!"
"Sorry, kid. But this is no longer your call.. and I'm sure you won't be alone in the place I'm sending you."
"Kurama, no...please stop this! I don't care about the place you're sending me to. I want my friend along with me, and if we have to wither away together then so be it."
"That loyalty... never lose that trait of yours Naruto. You'll understand in due time, but first forget all this for a while. For this to work as I intend it to... goodbye Uzumaki Naruto."
After his piece finally said, the fox clapped his hands together, vanishing with naught but a whisper of wind.
"Kurama!"
A blinding light flashed, once again, forcing the youth to close his eyes against the harsh illumination.
His conscious slipped into the comforting darkness, as his lithe frame started shrinking into his clothes. Before he too, vanished from that infinite blankness of space to wherever Kurama had decided to send him. His mind muddled with several unanswered question, before his grasp of his thoughts loosened, and with that there was nothing left but a soft whisper of promise of a better future.
EDIT : I didn't know that a young fox is not called 'kit' until recently. I assumed that since almost all of fanfic writers used the term, it would be right. But no... its actually called a 'cub'! A freaking cub!
Thank goodness for a dictionary.
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《TBC》
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-connection terminated-