This is a Fan Fic made on a whim and a fancy. Let's get started!
/Screeches to a halt\
But first, my syntax and story notes.
Regular talking: "Hello"
Regular thinking: 'Hi'
Demon talking: "Greetings"
Demon thinking: 'Good Day'
Darkness speaking: 'Greetings, my puppet'
Darkness thinking: 'Good Night, mortal'
Jutsu/Natural Power/Demonic Title: Greetings no Jutsu
Darkness Power/Title: Dark Salute
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing of Naruto or The Darkness; I am but a puppet.
------------------------------------------The Foulest Return------------------------------------------
Uzumaki Naruto.
Age 20
Spiky blond hair, innocent blue eyes, five-foot-two, and the physique of an athletic adolescent.
Wearing a black and orange jacket with a red T-shirt underneath, black weighted pants, weighted black sneakers with red lines playing about the soles, and a Leaf nin headband sewed onto a bolt of white cloth.
No marks save whiskers plastered flat on his cheeks and a rather powerful hidden seal on his abdomen. His expression is one of long days gone by, no work to be done, and being a constantly ignored, despite obvious sex appeal: honest and sincere boredom.
Is currently being sleepy and annoyed. Why, when, and for what reason, one may ask. He is bored because there is nothing to do that's not expected or old. This current silent panic attack is happening at sunset, when all chuunin are sent to their assigned bunks. The reason being that the land of Fire was trounced by all opposing nations in a short and destructive fracas, deterring would-be employers and clients from knocking upon Konohagekure's gates, causing a shortage on A-C ranked missions, leading to unemployed nin and a depression of sorts, leading to shared apartment complexes for shinobi still in action, and leading up to Naruto's own private gloominess.
Now let's see how he's dealing!
Naruto
'I'm sooooooo bored. Bored. Bor-ed. Bread. Board. La bored. Boredness. Bord-ily bordliness. BOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIII—'
'Would you please stop?!'
Naruto pauses his internal moaning to observe Kyuubi in his mindscape. The Red Haired Bitch-Vixen, as Naruto dubbed her recently, is currently attempting to throw something-anything- at Naruto to get him to stop his monologue about the monotony of the days.
Usually, when Kyuubi gets into a fit, Naruto listens. This is because nowadays, he has trouble not having girls pull him around by his nuts, seeing as he's putting most of his energy into not being the horny bastard his hormones want him to be. See, most of the female acquaintances Naruto consorts with are pretty in their own ways, leading to various embarrassing and annoying jobs and favors.
Sakura with her eyes. Ino with her ass. Hinata with her Moe cuteness. Tsunade with her bust. Anko and Kurenai with their sensuality. Temari with her sexy outfits. Ten-Ten with her slutty syntax. And Kyuubi with all of these feminine attributes. This assortment of company makes Naruto's life a waking nightmare these days. And it's arduous and boring, all the worse.
'I do need to sleep, you know.'
'Keep your skirt on, I'm going on my errands early now. Go back to sleep, red-head, I've had my dose of PMS for today—not to be rude or cynical, of course. I just need some reprieve from the build-up of stress. You know, because you live in my head. Go to sleep, please.'
'/Sighs\ Alright sweetie. Just try not to concentrate on this stuff. It's paradoxical to try to escape from stress if you dog the subject to no end.'
'Alright. Bye'
Naruto heads off to get groceries for the girls and takes a shortcut through a back alley. He gets the groceries, and takes the same route back. In the same back alley, a dark hole opens up before him, and a tall figure steps out.
The figure seems to be oozing blood and shadows, with a strange device in his right hand. In a holster is another, different device, which seems to be the counterpart of the other. The man's whole countenance spoke of ageless might and gothic antiquity.
His slick, long hair is as black as midnight, skin as pale as the moon. His eyes radiate a yellow light, bespeaking a dark presence.
He wears a black leather trench coat, full of rips and holes at the bottom edges, a white button-up shirt, black jeans caked with blood and gore, and heavy leather combat boots covered with dried mud.
Despite this and several deep wounds, he exuded a prominence that dwarfed Tsunade's or Orochimaru's own. His face spoke of tragedy and sadness, of hatred and sadistic irony.
"What the—What happened to you? God, you need to get to the hospital ward!" /Drops groceries and proceeds towards the man\
"No need. I'll rest here. My time has come anyway." /Sits down, back to wall\
"Sir, you need help. I can't just leave you to die like this. You still have a chance. I can see that you still have a good amount of blood in your veins, which means the wounds are fresh. You still have a chance."
"I don't care. If you come near me with the sentiment you're carryin', I'll make you into hamburger meat with my guns. I am not gonna live to fight another day, only to have the people who tended to me get slaughtered and devoured by my curse. I plan to die without warning, so that the bugger sittin' in my head can finally bite it."
"'It' being?"
"The dust, you moron. /Winces\ You know: kick the bucket, shuffle off this mortal coil?"
"I'm afraid I don't know those euphemisms—"
"Take a dirt nap, maybe?"
"That one I'm familiar with."
"Well, now you know what I'm getting at. I'd like to live, but the thing inside me will probably pull me into his dreamscape again, and I'll have to be stuck fending off hordes of demons, whilst my comrades are quickly overtaken and eaten, until my body is repaired and he wants me to serve as his puppet again."
"Sounds like deep shit to me."
"If you knew half as much as you think, you'd do more than just remark. Hmm… Is this a different world than mine?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean is this a strange spot on my home world, or am I in a totally different dimension?"
"Still don't know what you're getting at."
"Alright, I'll test you. Ever heard of New York?"
"No."
"How about the United States?"
"Never heard of it."
"How about Christianity? Judaism?"
"Nope. What has this got to do with your current situation? All I know is that you are from a different world, you're dying, and you have some kind of evil beast inside you."
"/Half-mutters\ If only it were only a beast. /Regular voice\ You can potentially help me, only answer this question: Have you ever had any dark fantasies?"
Naruto spaces out and imagines the various hormone-induced daydreams that would be the heavy-duty equivalent of hentai or pornography.
"I mean do you think about bathing in your enemies gore? Or a random person's?"
/Pales and flinches back\ "No! That's just wrong!"
"Okay, you can help me. Place your back along my back" /Shifts around so back is showing\
"Okay." /Places back on stranger's own\
"Think of every want, desire, aspiration, and slightest fancy you think about and remember."
"Okay."
/Waits\ "Okay, now concentrate on your fears, traumas, bad dreams, terrible memories, and bad experience."
"Alright."
'Um, kit?'
'What?'
'I feel as if something's looking at me… like some sort of meal.'
'Okay… Why do you bring this up now?'
'Just thought like sharing that.'
'Now you're scaring me. Not that it's the first time.'
"Um, what are you doing, exactly?"
"Trying to get this monkey off my back."
"It isn't working, is it?"
"…It kind of is, but it doesn't want to just go."
"Why?"
"It seems that you have a different entry point."
"No, sorry, not gay."
"Spiritual entry point, smartass."
"Oh."
/Gets up\ "Tell me, what do others think of you?"
"They think I'm annoying, a pest, their bitch, their servant, their special friend. Then there are other others who think I'm a good guy, a hero, a leader, a wise child, a good fighter. After that are many others who think I'm weak, evil, a demon, a troublemaker, a vagrant, a thief. Why are these important?"
"Not really that significant but… wait… /Panics\ It's pulling out after all. Quick, when is your twenty-first birthday?"
"Tomorrow."
/Winces\ "You're not going to like this much."
"WHAT?!"
"Just keep all the people you like away from you on your birthday. You'll need time… to adjust."
"Uh, is this gonna hurt?"
"Not until your birthday."
"Crap."
"Don't worry the transfer is totally painless. In fact, it's doing it already. The black mist crawling up the front of your pants is the thing leaving me for you."
"Okay… So what now?"
"It's almost done."
/Waits\ "Now what?"
"Get my ass to the hospital."
"Alright. One one-way trip to the hospital ward."
The stranger stows his device in his empty holster and the dark portal closes and seeps into the cracks of the cement. Naruto hoists the man delicately, and shunshins to the ward lobby. The secretary is busy gossiping with a nurse
"… and she said—What, Naruto?" /Pales\
"Um, maam, this man is seriously injured and is currently bleeding on the waiting room carpet. Is there a good medic nin available?"
"Uh, there's Haruno Sakura--"
"--I should have specified: skilled and non-homicidal. How's that?"
"And I should have specified; Miss Haruno is the only medic nin available. There was a crackdown on drug addicts this afternoon and the majority of staff is taking care of the unconscious and wounded."
/Groans\ "Well, can you tell her that it's an anonymous person who dropped off this guy? The last person I dropped off that was handled by Sakura came back with seven aching vertebra and a bruised pelvis, as well as a concussion and four re-done stitches."
"Too late. She's here; right behind you."
/Slowly and smoothly turns, wearing a livid expression\ "Hi, Sakura"
"Homicidal am I?" /Cracks knuckles\
/Sighs\ "Will you just serve this patient here?"
"How about you go fuck yourself?"
"How about you get a psychiatrist?"
"How about you get a job?"
/Limps over to Sakura\ "How 'bout I stick my hand down your throat and pull a rabbit out your ass? I can do that before I die of blood loss."
/Pales and grimaces\ "Alright… /Looks a Naruto\ And you say I'm homicidal."
Sakura sets about stitching up the holes (no anesthetic) in the man's body, puts in an IV, and gets him a bed in the ward. She also posts her bill, which is exorbitantly high.
"What the- I can't pay this!!"
"Tough. The guy had strange holes in him that are made by who-knows-what which seemed to keep bleeding before I finally took a branding iron to them. Add to that the guy kept criticizing how I did every procedure. It's like he has already had experience in the field. Why didn't he do it himself?"
"Because he had nerve damage. He could barely hold the device he was holding."
"Oh. Speaking of that piece of junk; I threw it out with the other stuff."
/From across the hall\ "WHAT?!"
The man comes storming after Haruno Sakura, who flinches at the major killing intent pouring out of the stranger. He seems very on edge.
"You threw out my guns/Slowly increases in volume\ The ancient and powerful devices that I had on my person… The ones that are incredibly valuable and are truly unique… You THREW THEM OUT?!!!?"
/Quails and speaks in a veritable squeak of a voice\ "Yes."
"YOU CRAZY PIECE OF RAT FODDER!! YOU VILE PEST UPON MEN!!! YOU RETARDED BASTARD-IZED DEMON BITCH!!!! YOU FUCKING IDIOT!!!!!!!!"
/Quivers and faints\
/Shakes her back into consciousness, and speaks in a threatening voice\ Where. Did. You. Put. Them. Tell me now or I'll vent myself on your ass. Even a sadomasochistic bitch like you wouldn't like me when I vent."
"I put it in the trash bin. It should be on its way to the dumpster now." /Faints again\
"Ugh. A fucking revenge-based twit. She your girlfriend?"
"No."
"You her bitch?"
"Kinda." /Shuffles his feet\
"'Cause you don't wanna hurt her?" /Cocks eyebrow\
"Uh huh."
"Grab a pair of balls and don't put up with her bullshit. You don't have to get violent, but just don't be a total wuss. Even though she's a typical bull-dyke, even girls like her only really go after a man who's an alpha male. All that other crap is conscious decisions, not subconscious truthfulness."
"I feel faint."
"Sudden revelations do that."
"No, really, I feel like I'm gonna fall over."
/Sniffs air\ "Ah crap."
/Woozy\ "What?"
"Sopor gas. Knocks you out pretty sneaky-like. If you breathe shallow, the sopor gas kind of lingers in your lungs and diffuses into your system, causing neural activity to shut down for a short period. It's basically known as mustard gas's sexy cousin, for it also attacks the nerves. /Looks down\ Amateurs."
"What is it?"
"Instead of the classic vent trick, which works, they are laying the canisters on the floors around the various doorways, so escapers from the fumes are nabbed on the way out. /Squints\ Hey, do you know any emo drag queens?"
"Uh, not really. Why?"
"'Cause some creepy girly man, thinking he's all stealthy and shit, is checking out my ass at five o' clock."
"Wha?"
"My southeast side."
"Huh?"
/Dead pan inflection\ "The gay retard is behind me on my right."
"That's impolite."
"So's trying to sneak up on me when I know you're there. What kind of shit-for-brains do you take me for/Still facing away from the drag queen\ Black, greasy hair, paper-white skin, plastic-looking lips, cherry-red eyes, weird black cloak with non-stealthy red design at the bottom, short black pants, crappy mesh shirt, crappy knife bag, and a lovely pair of shit-covered sandals. Only guy with that crappy kind of fashion sense; it must be Uchiha Itachi, flaming gay and girly pest of jinkuuriki and bijuu. Oh, and closeted straight guy who has fetishes for banging blond girls' asses. How close am I?"
/Pales\ "Except for the closeted part."
"Sure you are. Why don't you be a dear and fetch my guns before I deck the halls with boughs of intestines?" /Sniffs\
Itachi flinches, and then disappears in a puff of smoke. Naruto looks at the man with renewed wonder. How could he not only detect an S-ranked nin, but also went down the list of various physical and psychological descriptions- without even turning around?
"Okay, to clarify, when in the alley, I went through your mind and learned the various important assets and affiliations in your life. There was a cute girl in a cage in your mindscape. Why is that/Spaces out shortly, as if recalling something\ Oh that's why. Now that I know you, I'll tell you stuff about myself.
I am Jackie Estacado. Hitman, gunslinger, dead man walking. My sordid histories speak for themselves, and my sparkling personality is easily known. I like to be in the shadows, though I am fond of the light as well. My dislikes are too many and too complicated; although one you are allowed to know is the Darkness's nasty habit of control-freakiness. My greatest desire is to live life and keep you yourself from screwing of yours, seeing as you helped me."
"Um, a few minor questions.'
"Yes?"
"What are guns?"
/Deadpans\ "You have to ask the easiest question available, don't ya?
Guns are weapons, like daggers, swords, and bow and arrow sets. However, guns are not necessarily intended to strike, but to send a metal dart called a bullet to pierce something, which is like a bow and arrow set. The differences are many in between. Guns come in different speeds, calibers, and firing actions.
Most guns have a bullet size, called caliber, which is measured by its diameter, also known as the size of the hole it will make in someone when it hits. Standard guns have calibers between 0.05 and 1, though some have come larger and smaller.
The firing action is the way that the bullet is launched. These actions range from bolt action to automatic. Bolt action shots are usually go a lot faster and forcefully than others, for the barrels of the guns are longer and have tighter inside grooves, causing the bullet to pick up speed before it is fully released. Automatic action shots are continual and rapid, causing lots of hits in little time. Unfortunately, this action usually has less kick in the shots, so it typically isn't used in assault-type conditions where there is heavy armor. That's the basics of action shots.
Speeds were aforementioned but are extremely important. The speed at which the gun delivers the bullet determines the amount of time before a likely reload. If you can get your ammo ready in a timely fashion, though most can't or won't, you can keep yourself from dying when in a tight firefight. If you can't intimately predict your gun's imminent ammunition depletion, consider your body replete of its daily dose of iron; meaning that if you don't keep a clip handy, you're Swiss cheese, or a human colander. Either/or.
My guns have different firing actions, calibers, and speeds. Neither of them shoot regular ammo, for their bullets are made of concentrated darkness. My right gun is automatic, .09 caliber, and fast speed. My left gun is revolving, 3 caliber, and slow speed. When used in concert, they are deadly. When not, they are less useful. They also control the Darkness, whom you'll meet later.
That answers your question on guns. Any other questions?"
"Yeah, uh, how can I get my own? They seem like an interesting area to learn about to break away from the melancholy of drudgery called my present social life."
"You'll be getting guns soon enough. You'll have to wait a few hours before you get them, though. In the mean time, I'll try to squeeze in some training time before that. Please note that guns are made to kill, not to use as toys."
"They said the same thing about knives, but we use them to cut food."
"Technically, knives made to kill are daggers and knives made for other things are just knives."
"Crappy point taken."
"I guess I know now why your social life is suffering. You are cynical when faced with an inescapable problem, but you try your best to be kind, loving, and gentle. This leads to you being a grudging manservant who has extensive hormones to compound this crap."
/Winces\ "That hurt."
"But it's true. I believe the euphemism is that these girlfriends of yours have you by the balls. You should learn to be a dominant yet kind male who acquiesces but does not serve. This sounds strange coming from a big city guy, but trust me, this is an important part of your life."
"Alright, that's- /Meaning of implications dawns upon him\ Hey! They aren't my girlfriends! I agree with the rest of it but—"
"No mere friend asks you to do the things they ask you to do. Just because they hide it doesn't mean it isn't there."
"Wait…Hold up…How can they want me? I'm loud, I complain a lot. Tsunade has depression issues and she's way older than me! So are Kurenai and Anko! And Ino has a boyfriend!"
"Shit happens. You have charisma. So sue yourself—oh, wait, you can't, otherwise you'd be a schizo."
"Fuck."
"You admitted your mistakes, which means there is some progress in the right direction…where the hell is that drag queen with my guns?"
A sudden boom answers the question, followed by a woop of agony. They race to the source of the sound to see Mizuki and Itachi fighting over the guns.
/Mizuki\"Give me the device! I found it first!"
/Itachi (obviously)\"Give me that thing! If I don't some psychotic bastard is going to gut me!!"
"This is my key to power! You can't stop me!"
"I'm an S-rank missing nin, not that drunken whore that you slap around every night. I'll rip you apart!"
"I have the bigger thunder stick! You'll be a smear on the pavement! Then I'll collect your bounty—if there are enough recognizable parts."
/Jackie\ /Sweatdrops\/Incredulous tone\ "Thunder stick? Man you're lame. Before I take your arm and beat you with it.
"Never!"
/Pinches brow and sighs\ "Look, give me the gun before I use your head as a football and your dick as an inkwell." /Eyes flash yellow\
"No/Pulls trigger, but nothing comes out\ What the—"
"Only one of or in the shadows can wield it indefinitely. Fork over the gun before the words rearranged and outside describe your organs."
/Pales and limply hands over the gun\/Pisses himself\
"There's a good boy. Now go home and have mommy clean you up."
/Scampers away with difficulty\
"Okay, pussy boy, your turn."
/Hands the gun over\
"My advice for you is to get a life and a new wardrobe. Akatsuki went downhill a long time ago." /Smiles warmly\
Itachi walks away, straining against the impulse to cry or curse. Jackie looks on with pity before turning to Naruto.
"So, let's get started on your training!"
"HURA—"/Stops short and continues cheering, on the inside\
Naruto leads Jackie over to the training grounds, heads over to area 37, and waits for Anko and Asuma to leave. As soon as the two jounin are gone, they approach the clearing.
"That was randy."
"Let's stay on task. What I show you shall not be divulged to others, understand?"
/Enthused\ "Right!"
"Seeing as I'm about nine years wiser, I'll fill you in- with no interruptions from the peanut gallery. That means keeping your yapper closed until I say when."
"Now my techniques were good before my twenty-first, and they got better as the post-Apocalyptic Imbalance set in on my world and I had to fend off various police task forces.
My efforts became known after Equilibrium was achieved. I got medals. Then I proceeded to round up various outlaws and prison-breakers across the States. Things got messy when Off-Worlders came and started "sight seeing". My business got fucked up, ending in a bloody shoot-'em-up against assorted "heroes".
That's how I wound up here. This story of mine is one that easily tells observant people that you never learn enough in life.
The life I lead makes money for two sects of people: the gunslingers and the gravediggers. Reasons why are very well known.
This brings me to my point. This is a skill made to ensure death, not peace. The only peace comes from all people like us dying out. That means chaos. Meaning "peace" is either a totally bullshit sentiment or an impossible ideal. I've believed the latter for a long time.
Either way, guns aren't tools so much as friends, for they'll protect you if you take care of them. They aren't other people's friends, though, no matter how you use them. The only "good" gun is a broken one and that's usually bad for you, so don't take any pacifist crap from any nay-sayers.
Note that what I mean by that isn't 'blow their heads off'. That there is the worst way to go; wasting ammo by putting a bullet in anything that gives you trouble. The rule of the gunslinger is to 'Waste nothing and spend less'. This means all assets. Keep from making huge efforts when you could simply do it with less trouble is one way to look at this. The other way to look at this phrase is taking anything, including lives, can be considered a waste if it goes against your morals and your judgment as well as others' and giving without thought or argument is sheer folly in most circumstances. I regard the latter in this case too.
In all modesty, believe in yourself. Your abilities are never limited, no matter the design of form and intentions. Don't think you are God or some other high being and you will be indestructible.
What I have said you should take to heart, so's you don't get yer ass kicked and you don't cause damage to present society.
Now for the lesson. We'll be starting small with paintball guns so you don't kill something. Then we'll progress to targets, then real guns, then finally advanced gun fighting techniques.
First things first, more advice. Guns aren't swords, for they don't work like that. You use the trigger to move the bullet to your target. Bullets are naturally fast, so don't try dodging them until you know enough about firing the damn things. For now, we learn about basic shooting and taking cover…"
This goes on for another hour, with Jackie explaining various ideas in basic gun tactics and why they are essential. Naruto, having no sense and less patience, near forgot a few of the steps. Luckily, the stuff that wasn't memorized is pounded back into him during field training.
"Now for drills."
"Drills?!"
"Yes, dammit, drills. You need rigid form in order to at least keep the recoiling gun from attacking your face or blowing off your comrade's foot. One time in my distant memories, I remember some jackass got hopped up while standing off against hitmen while standing shotgun in a fast-moving car. Dumbass tripped and ended up with his brains decorating the back of a slow-moving truck.
Situations like that are the reasons why gunslingers are feared: because most people are such dumbasses, they are their own worst enemy times two with a gun in their hands. Drills and hard exercises prevent that sort of thing. Mind you that it doesn't make one invincible. Always keep somewhat flexible.
/Goes into a double-hand stance with a Desert Eagle handgun\ Now put your arms like this with your paintball gun. Try not to be too sloppy."
/Imitates stance\
"No, no. Tuck in that elbow and put that foot of yours back a few inches. A stealthy adversary can hamstring you that way."
/Acquiesces\
"Better, better. That's a good imitation, but your shoulder's sticking out. You want to keep your muscles a little relaxed, so you can aim and shoot properly and fluidly. You need to be a tinch loose, even when in a heavy firefight. The last thing you want is Meta-Carpal or Carpal-Tunnel Syndrome in the heat of battle.
Be sure to keep active, too. Every ounce of your being has to be in keeping your body free of bullets and wounds. You can't put a bullet in your opponent's head if you have one already in yours.
Now you're lapsing again. Elbow in, shoulders down, foot back…
/Elbow in, shoulders down, foot back\
"There ya go. /Pats Naruto on the back\ Moving on to rifles. They can be the worst thing to encounter untrained, for these things are bolt action, and they'll make you dead pretty quick."
And the drills go on for a bit, until Naruto has the hang of several different gun models. Then they move on to what every nerd over the age of ten dreams about: shooting two guns at once.
"Alright. The stances are tricky here seeing as this is a graceful art form more than anything, which can be good for your rep, but bad for your health if you aren't fully trained in this area. Two guns mean three times the concentration, not twice.
Here's why: most people are not ambidextrous, leading to inaccuracy in one arm. To solve this problem: practice, practice, practice. Then BAM! You have it! As I said before, flexibility is a good investment. /Thinks\
Let's start with just flintlock pistols for now. I don't want more than two new holes on my person.
Alright take your simple double gun 'hold fire' stance."
/Tries the stance\
"Hmm… There's a major difference between single and double 'hold fire' stances. The single's butt faces forward. The double's butts face out sideways. Try again."
/Tries again\
"Good, you're actually getting the hang of this. Now for the standard firing stance."
This and other stances, with different guns, take about forty minutes more of the night to learn. The current time is 9:32 PM. Naruto has learned the basics, and now asks to be dismissed, for Ino will kill him if he misses his own birthday celebration. Jackie asks to come along, seeing as he has no home yet and he wants to establish relationships among the various denizens of the city.
Naruto shunshins home, with Jackie close behind. They make it to the apartment, which is of decent size, and proceed in.
/Ino\ "Naruto, hi. Glad you made it!"
"Hey Ino. Mind if my friend joins us?"
"Sure. Just make sure that you guys don't track dirt in. I just fixed the place up and I'd like this place to be clean for an extended period for once."
Naruto nods at this. Ino has the reputation for having a place that looks like some kind of magpie nest or crack den. Thankfully, Hinata's persistent visits led to her some good habits rubbing off on Ms. Yamanaka. Some. As they enter, they discover various clumps of clothes in corners of the room, as well as a mountainous pile of dust to the side. As their hostess tends to the last few messes, Jackie makes his observations.
"This place looks nice. Some real coin went into the painting job, and the furniture ain't too shabby. Too bad the laundry disrupts the effect as a whole. Still, the apartment ain't too shabby."
Ino comes back with drinks, all alcoholic, ranging from sweet sake to black rum. She then produces a vast array of glasses, all meant for a specific purpose. They talk, they laugh, they discuss various typical social matters and not-so-typical other matters. It is a grand old time, despite there being only three participants.
When the clock turns to 11:45, Ino is decently drunk and starting to get a 'little' frisky, Jackie is looking a little nervous, and Naruto is feeling oddly sad, even though he is having a good time. He turns to Estacado, feeling worse by the minute.
"Jackie?"
"Hmm/Pales\ Oh, shit. I know that look. You need to get to your apartment -- fast. /Gets panicky\
Uh, miss Yamanaka?"
/Drunkenly\"Yehz? Whad izz et?"
"Seeing as we've spent plenty of time together, and that you're quite drunk, may Naruto leave? I think the black rum got to him. I'll just get him back to his apartment and I'll come back to keep you company /Looks around\ and help clean up /Sweatdrops\."
/Drunkenly\"Shoooouurrr. Dooooo whet yeeeeh-oooooo maahhhhst."
Naruto and Jackie make it out sharpish, rush over Naruto's nearby domicile, and nearly kick down the door trying to get in. Poor Uzumaki. He looks like he's nearly about to puke his guts out.
"Sit down in that chair facing the window. Moonlight makes the transformation easier, trust me."
"WHAT?! TRANSFORMATION?!"
/Nonchalantly\ "You wanted to save my sorry ass, now here's the consequence: possibly the vilest being in all of reality is permanently housed within your being. This thing makes demons from Hell look like toddlers burning ants with a magnifying glass.
Seriously, this being is the only Kekkei Genkai, or Generational Bond, that is quite literally sentient. The only upsides being that it will guard you far better and far more intimately that any other being, save your family members, and that it will give you new powers and unnatural resilience.
That said, the real downers to this situation are the being inhabiting you is pure evil and manipulative as hell. Plus his voice will scare the living crap out of you the first few times, be unnerving for quite a few years, then after that, his rasping voice inflection is just really freaky.
He is respectable in His own rights, when He's not a total blood-lusting fuck. /Looks at the clock\ Oh, uh, good luck to you/Backs away toward the front door and opens it\ and, uh, you'll know when it's beginning because it's really dramatic. /Gets out and behind the door\ The transformation is complete when you hear His cant. /Slowly closes the door\ And don't come out for a few days, for a bloody slaughter is needed to stabilize your Dark Form. Bye!" /Shuts the door and locks it from the outside\
Naruto stares at the clock and sighs pathetically as he awaits his imminent transformation. He feels the room's atmosphere grow colder and more disheartening as the second hand ticks by.
'Kyuubi, I feel like I'm gonna die…'
'Well, this is the surfacing of a Dark One, a powerful and ancient being. Hell, this guy's older than me and several times /Yawn\ stronger. I'll need to nap, 'cause when a Dark One comes onto the mortal plane, it isn't pretty. I saw the coming of the Overfiend and C'thulu the Appendaged, and this guy tops them out hands down and buried. Get ready; it's 11:59…'
'Thanks for the votive of confidence… Aw, I feel like sheeeeee-at.'
And then it struck twelve.
Naruto feels like his eyes are boiling in the sockets, his skin feels like its on fire, and his stomach churns like a sea during a maelstrom. Then his orifices start excreting a foul green substance, so pungent he can't breathe right, so foul tasting and thick that he gags upon its fumes.
'Let it out… Just let it out… Your true birthright is at hand…'
That seems fine-- but how? And what is it that he's supposed to 'let out'?
'Your rage… Your malice… Your pain…In short, the Darkness in your heart…'
And he did.
The liquid gushed with greater intensity for several moments, slows down to a trickle, and then stops. What the hell was that?
'Call it a purge. You are my new puppet. Thy purpose is to serve me, now…
Host…Servant…Puppet...Demon of a new Age…My pawn and only disciple…'
An insatiable hunger arises within Naruto. Death means nothing now. Hell is but a cage to be broken. The world shall know true power.
'And it shall…'
A bang and a shout, a mob of hate-filled sheep rush in. Naruto smiles. About time. He's known this attack is premeditated by those still consumed with the old and rotting ways of thought and action… Why, this was what used to be what filled him with terror at night; the ever present danger of a knife in his chest by the very people he lived around…
Now, however, heh-heh, it's a good whetting stone for his newly forged raw power. Better yet, now that his form is different, he cannot be pinned by investigators…To the impending slaughter.
"Your time is up, demon! We have grown tired of your foul and twisting ways, desiring to hide in some hole and then come out to infect our village with your perversions! It ends now!!!"
A cold and hellish laugh pervades the area, no distinct direction to its source, and a chilling and unnatural music pervades the place. As the last man enters, the door shuts silently behind them, and they set their eyes upon a lone figure, with pitch black hair and deathly skin, gazing with a quiet intensity upon them. Of course, this is Naruto, but, somehow, he is more threatening in his standing still than all the times he fought assailants while in a Tailed State.
Unperturbed, the irascible and zealous villagers charged him, and quickly, the first few fell. Naruto, bloodthirsty, rebounded of a nearby wall and started hurling kunai. More went down.
"Get the lights! He's picking us off! We don't need another tragedy upon the village!"
And the lights are broken with rocks.
With that, their fate is sealed.
The music becomes louder, and shadows twist and turn. The moon seems to grow in brightness, and yellow eyes are seen within a patch of darkness. More glowing eyes join and fear thickens in the air. Darting claws and slithering tentacles are glimpsed from various areas within the room.
And as quickly as the lights were outed, all hell breaks loose. The victims scream as their bodies are rended and torn, and others cower and attempt to flee the madness. Some jump out the windows, others hide in corners, and still others try to get out the front door. The latter two; their fate is no surprise. Those terrified enough to try the windows either fell to their deaths or crippled themselves by landing on roofs far below. None escaped unscathed. All knew the Darkness's Coming.
Surprisingly, none but the ill fated attackers shall know of the evil that has come to Konohagekure. Though, nothing is for certain…
'I am the Devil, the Devil I am
And I wait for the coming of an innocent man
Be he young or be he old
Be his pockets full of gold
Be he happy or rich or wise
Be the ocean be as blue as his eyes
I'll wait for his coming at the midnight hour
I'll pickle his soul and turn it sour
For once his innocent heart I see
That innocent man belongs to me…'
Darkness has arrived.
To be Continued…
That is it. I shant ruin the moment, so my comments shall not be listed forthwith.
Don't despair; I'll update this frequently.
