Welcome, and thank you for clicking on my story!
About the story and chapter: This story will be mainly centered around the jinchurikis, however, since I do like a lot of characters and their relationships with one another, and they are important elements of the manga/anime, I will represent many perspectives throughout the story. It is not really AU, but I will change a lot of things, despite sort of following the anime's timeline.
Additionally, I intend to make this story a little dark and twisted, hence the rating, so if you are looking for something fluffy, this is probably not going to be it. I am planning on capitalizing on the dark, murderous side of bijuus and how that might affect their "hosts". Therefore,
Warnings: It is rated M, and that will probably be very appropriate.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, just borrowing that wonderful story/universe to express my own twisted thoughts. I only own the original characters, I guess.
Song for the chapter: Evanescence - Bring me to life
I really hope you enjoy it, and please honor me with your thought in the form of a review! Since this is the first chapter, your opinion would mean the world for me to decide whether it is worthy enough to continue.
Chapter One: Hidden in the dark
I was blind. Completely and utterly blind. It was a blessing that I had been yearning for, the escape that I was trying to find as long as I can remember. In that moment, when I closed my eyes for the last time, when I said goodbye to the lights and colors of the world, I was free again. The blood, the hate, the rage was all gone. That instinct to kill and to cause pain was diminished, and I sank into a deep sleep. I was so tired. I gave in to the darkness.
The sun was already setting but Naruto and Sakura were still out training. After all, they hadn't seen each other for three years. Sakura could not believe how much stronger and more mature Naruto had become, although admittedly, he still had a long way to go before he could really be called a "man", let alone a Hokage. At the same time, she had always known that he was something special; it was hard to not notice the pure power that radiated from the boy. During their time apart, he got much taller, his shoulders became wide, his arms were strong, and his steps were alarmingly quiet. In three years, this loud and annoying little boy came very close to becoming a fine man. Sakura noted, quite surprised by her own thoughts, that she even found Naruto sort of handsome. It was hard to ignore it; the way the sun shined on his golden hair and suntanned soft skin, and how he moved with such power… He was so raw and true, it was beautiful.
"I heard you got a nasty punch, Sakura," he said to her with a naughty smile. That same smile he always had, the way to everyone's hearts. Naruto has always had that power, to brighten everyone's mood and make them feel special, like they really mattered. "Wanna hit me?"
"I'm not going to hit you, Naruto." Her voice was sharp but playful. Truthfully, she did kind of want to hit him. It was only natural, it was just who they were. But today was different, she couldn't explain why. Instead of the annoyance she usually felt because of the blonde's antics, the only thing in that moment was gratefulness. Despite all they had lost, they still had each other, and despite all this time apart, Naruto still came back to her. She knew that Naruto would never willingly leave Konoha and his friends, but fate is a cruel mistress. There was a time when she thought that Sasuke would never leave them, and oh how wrong she was. Now, there is not one day where the thought of losing another friend doesn't cross her mind.
"Come on, I'll be fine. I just want to see how strong you've gotten. You know I'll be fine, I heal fast." He nudged her further, already knowing that she would cave. Sakura has always been bright and kind, but she got quite the temper, and she never had to think long about using her fists before her words.
She laughed, then shook her head. Some things never just changed. Not that she wanted them to, no matter how many times Naruto had pissed her off beyond belief. They were comrades, friends, allies, who have been through a lot together, and learnt how to be there for each other no matter what. And now that Naruto finally returned, Sakura knew that the boy would never abandon her, which gave her more security than she would have liked to admit.
"Alright," she said finally, warily. "But if you get hurt, it's not on me."
"It's okay, aren't you a medi-ninja anyways?" Naruto winked and let out a careless laugh. Sakura missed the boy's laugh, she had almost forgotten how free and careless she felt just being around it. For years though, she hated his stupid grin and his loud laugh, she thought he was just immature and craving attention. Not until the chunin exam did she realize that all that was just for show to cover up all that pain he was carrying around with him. She shook her head, and flashed a big smile toward Naruto, who was clearly oblivious to her nostalgic thoughts. As always, he returned the gesture with his usual grin.
Naruto's joy only lasted a few more seconds, because Sakura did not believe that punches should come with warnings. Had he known that in a few seconds he will not be able to stop Sakura's punch, the boy would have probably braced himself a little better for her attack. As a result, his body powerfully slammed into the rocks, and for a second, he could not feel his lower arm where the girl's hit landed. He was really hoping that he would only get a bruise, a broken arm would really set him back in his training, and he couldn't afford that.
Naruto slowly picked himself up, rubbing the painful area, trying to get the blood flowing there again. He did not expect such a big punch from such a small and fragile woman, but then again, Sakura was training with Tsunade. Naruto was just about to yell at her, when he realized that on the impact with the mountain, the fallen rocks revealed a small, hidden room. The boy had lived in Konoha for almost his entire life, yet he had never heard or seen this place before. It was almost insulting how not well-hidden the place was.
When Sakura stepped out from the woods to see where the boy landed, she only caught a glimpse of a flash of orange before it disappeared into the darkness. Suddenly, she noticed herself feeling rather uneasy, similar to the moments before a battle, which was silly since there was definitely no way any enemy could have come this close to the village without being noticed. She told herself that there was no reason to be alarmed, as she hurried after her blonde friend…wherever he was.
Naruto wanted to move, but it was like his body had betrayed him, and for some everlasting seconds he felt like he was going to suffocate. He had seen pain, blood, and torture before, but the power of such cruelty that he discovered in that small room completely shocked him. He was cold and sweaty at the same time, and felt something harsh in his throat. He wanted to cry for the view that pulled every inch of his body and mind into the darkness. Disgust, horror, and confusion took him over, and he felt absolutely lost for words.
"Naruto, are you here?" He heard Sakura's voice behind him but her words didn't register. He stood there, silent, waiting for the girl to catch up to him. He felt the girl walk up next to him, and it was only a quiet, trembling gasp that escaped from her when she looked at what laid before them. Naruto had no idea how long they were standing there in the dark, their mind racing but numb at the same time, refusing to form coherent thoughts. For what they saw, those minutes did not make a difference.
A body laid in front of them peacefully, completely harmless. On the harsh stone pedestal, a girl's small body rested, she could not have been older than them. Her limbs were handcuffed to the table, although if she was awake she could have easily pulled her thin wrists and ankles from the heavy metal rings. Sakura could tell that once those cuffs were tight on those diminished body parts. As she stepped closer to the body, she understood that the real purpose of the shackles was not only to keep the girl down but to suck chakra out of her. Examining the handcuffs, she immediately knew that they were bound with some very powerful seals.
Just how dangerous is this person? She looks so peaceful and harmless…I wonder what she did to deserve this. What kind of crimes must one commit to end up like this?
Sakura placed her hand on the girl's chest and a couple of moments later she sighed painfully.
"She is alive, but barely." She noted slowly but Naruto did not answer. "I'll go get the Hokage, she needs to see this."
Silence.
Sakura knew that she needed to give some time so he can process the discovery, although she did not understand why Naruto was acting so strange. Was his faith in Konoha so easily broken? No, that could not be it, he was not like that, his belief in the village was stronger than that.
"Naruto…" She started hesitantly, placing her hand on the boy's shoulder softy, but Naruto did not move. She continued, "I am certain the Hokage does not know about this. She would never allow this to happen."
Little did she know that what she saw was nothing compared to what was so visible to her blonde friend. She sighed again, then left the room. The boy had to process this on his own, and the girl needed immediate attention. Even after the girl left, Naruto did not move, and it seemed like he forgot everything else but the girl in front of him.
The pain in Naruto's chest was sharp and it was throbbing ruthlessly. What for Sakura was a defenseless girl laying on a harsh stone bed was so much more to him. Naruto saw the evil dark blue chakra aura around the girl and the shape that formed from it. A strange pair of yellow and blue eyes stared back at him and he knew exactly who they belonged to. For the girl was exactly like him, a jinchuuriki. It was no news to him that jinchuurikis were looked down upon, feared, and mistreated, but this… this was way beyond everything. This girl was used as a power source and was denied all human rights, not only her freedom.
"What do you want, Kyuubi-boy?" He heard the demonic voice that sounded like it was in his head. Maybe he should have been weirded out by another demon speaking to him, but for some reason it did not feel unnatural to him. It was just how it worked, and he understood that.
"You are the Nibi, aren't you? I don't know why I even know that… What are you doing to her?" Naruto's voice was calm, but the demon heard the true rage behind it. During his long lifetime, the Nibi had seen it all when it came to the jinchuurikis. It was not new to see Naruto's anger and his immediate connection to the girl. Although most human emotions were foreign to demons, they themselves had a sense of belonging that affected their hosts.
"I am not doing anything to her. Soon, she will be gone. And when she dies, I will be free." Naruto felt his nails dig into his palm as he clenched his fist. "I suppose you don't have anyone else ready to seal me in on such a short notice."
"Who did this?" He asked demandingly but the demon stayed silent. There was no need for words, the boy knew. He knew that his beloved Konoha betrayed him. They betrayed his morals. The Nibi did not even answer, he only laughed at the boy's pained expression. Humans were so simple, so uninteresting.
Naruto's face was a pure picture of confusion. Who could have possibly done this? And why? Did the Hokage really know nothing about this, as Sakura said? Naruto wanted to believe that with all his heart, but there was just too much proof against it, literally laying in front of his eyes.
Ignoring the Nibi's gaze, he slowly stepped closer to the body to inspect it. The girl's long, black hair was in strict contrast with her pale skin, which made the boy wonder how long the girl was locked in the darkness. Her face was calm, her nose sharp and her lips full, but what Naruto wanted to see most was her eyes. They say the eyes were mirrors to the soul, and he needed to see what was hidden in her soul, because she was like him, cursed.
Then his eyes wandered to the girl's thin body and he felt so much anger, as he realized just how weak and skeleton-like the girl was. He knew she'd been here for a long time, she had to, for such degree of malnourishment to occur. She only wore a long black dress and as he touched it, he felt a layer of dust that had already collected on the soft fabric. Naruto was enraged further and further every second he spent in that cave, his head was spinning from all the unanswered questions, and he already felt so emotionally drained.
One thought was clear as day though: he needed to save her, for she was the only person in the village who could have understood him. Who was like him. True that there was Gaara, but neither was he close geographically, nor was he the kind of person that he could talk to. Naruto considered Gaara a friend, someone he would always support and stand with in a fight, but the redhead boy was just too reserved and distant for the kind of friendship Naruto was yearning for.
"What do you think you are doing, Kyuubi-boy?" The Nibi snapped at him, but he ignored the demon. He had absolutely no interest in continuing the conversation with him…it.
He latched his hands on the shackles and with a single pull he released them from the stone wall. Then he freed a girl's feet as well. Slowly, he reached under her like she was made of glass to lift her in the air, she was nearly weightless. Naruto's heart painfully throbbed again, as he imagined the recovery that was in front of the girl. It was not going to be easy, that was for sure. When he stepped out of the dark cave it took him a few seconds to realize that he had a small welcome crew waiting for him: thirty shinobi that surrounded him in arms. His grasp tightened around the girl's body and immediately took a battle stance without a second thought, despite the possibility of fighting his own comrades.
My body ached and my skin was on fire. Even though the darkness was over and I could feel the fresh air on my skin again, I could not move and my mind could not rest. I wanted to kill, I so desperately wanted to rip someone's heart out. I wasted to taste their blood and stare into their foggy eyes as they breath their last breath. My body didn't move even though I felt the hatred crawl into every corner of my being. I screamed for blood but no one could hear it, my body betrayed me.
As the Hokage emerged from the woods with Sakura on her side, Naruto let out an angry growl. They have not seen him this angry in a long time, and this time he even had the right to be. If he could kill with his eyes they would all be dead in a second.
"Naruto, please come with us," said the Hokage but the blonde shinobi did not move. "Naruto, please, we need to heal her."
"Heal her?" His laugh was cold and rude. "You locked her like an animal to drain her chakra. What kind of person does that? Who do you think you are?" His voice echoed as he yelled at the woman uncontrollably. The ninjas around them tensed, preparing to disarm Naruto in any second on the Hokage's command.
"I did not know about her," said the Fifth calmly. She could tell that Naruto did not believe her, and she did not blame him for it. "I know what you think, Naruto. That I am the Hokage and that I should know about such a thing under my ruling. Unfortunately, there are a lot of things that I do not know, deeper layers of the village that even I don't completely control, but I can promise that I will figure out who did this to her. My jounins are already investigating where the chakra was going."
Naruto did not trust Tsunade in that moment, even though he deep down knew that the woman spoke the truth. Without even knowing her, he really doubted that the new Hokage would ever do such a thing, but he was still so angry, and he was not ready to let go of that anger just yet. Because that person in the cave could have been … The thought shook his body painfully.
Tsunade slowly approached the boy and waited, since she did not want to rush the boy, although she knew that the girl needed immediate care. Just looking at her, the Hokage knew that she was extremely dehydrated and had a hard time even breathing. Yet, she knew that there was no point in rushing Naruto, it would just worsen the situation. Finally, Naruto looked in her eyes, but instead of anger, it was only sadness sitting in those ocean blue eyes.
"She is like me," Naruto said quietly and the woman nodded. When the boy released the girl from the cuffs, she felt the evil chakra like it was right next to her. The Hokage knew exactly who was behind it: the same person who is behind all of the dark dealings of Konoha. This time, however, the Foundation went too far. They did not only harbor another jinchuuriki in the town without her, or anyone's knowledge, who knows what they were using her chakra for. Jinchuurikis had been mistreated for as long as they had been around, but this was just too cruel. The girl was still a human, a mere child. She deserved better.
Tsunade let out a deep sigh when Naruto finally started walking. This was only the beginning of many obstacles and challenges in their way, she knew it. Not only did she have to deal with taming another demon, but what she was really scared of was the politics that would surround her existence in Konoha. What might the other nations do if they figured out that Konoha now had two bijuus?
The Nibi's host was immediately transported into one of Konoha's most secure interrogation rooms. It was a large room underground with the most powerful seals Naruto and Sakura had ever seen. They understood that the girl was an incredible threat due to the instability of her demon seal that could be broken any second. Naruto didn't know why, but he could feel how little was left of the girl inside of that body and how overpowering the Nibi's power was. They wanted to stay there for her examination, but Tsunade ordered them to leave, to much of their frustration. The blonde shinobi was restless, he wanted to know what was going on inside the examination room. He wanted to know how she was, and he wanted to talk to her so bad. There were too many unanswered questions, and he hated being in the dark.
"She will be fine," said Sakura reassuringly, even though even she did not believe her own words. "What did you mean when you said that she was like you, Naruto?"
"You didn't feel it?" He asked and the girl could tell that he was truly surprised. She shook her head. "She is a jinchuuriki, like me. I…I saw it."
Sakura let out a deep sigh as she looked at Naruto's face ridden with sadness. It made sense now why he was acting so strange in the cave and all that anger towards the Hokage. She had a bad feeling about this, despite knowing that this was just how Naruto was. He always felt compelled to save everyone, no matter how impossible it was. But this girl was a jinchuriki, just like him, and she saw his yearning for her, his desire to be understood. Sakura suddenly felt extremely uneasy, and despite knowing how valuable another demon was to Konoha, she wanted the gone. As soon as possible.
"You saw her bijuu? How?" She asked surprised, but now it was Naruto's turn to shake his head.
"I saw its chakra manifestation. Those eyes…" But he could not finish his sentence because the door opened and Tsunade beckoned to them to come inside. Naruto shot up from the ground, and practically ran inside. The girl was laying in a bed, with machines hooked up to her body and new chains tying to the bed. He wanted to call the Hokage out on it, but he knew it was a moot point. Besides him, everyone thought she was dangerous. Maybe they weren't that wrong.
When he walked closer, he could see that the girl was awake, and Naruto finally could see her eyes. They were empty, white fog covering over her eyes, yet she still somehow knew where they were in the room. It took Naruto a few seconds to realize that the girl was blind, despite her looking straight at him.
"Did she say anything?" Asked Sakura but the Hokage shook her head.
"She hadn't even moved until you came in."
Naruto stared at the girl for a minute then slowly approached her bed. He knew that she couldn't move… or could she? She slowly sat up on the bed, her movements slow. Only a few seconds later did he realize the thin layer or chakra surrounding her body, helping her move.
"Kyuubi," said the girl quietly, and beckoned him to sit down next to her. Naruto signaled to the ninjas in the room to stay down as he understood that the girl would only interact with her own kind.
"Who are you?" asked Naruto, but he didn't sit down on the bed. He knew that he could break all her bones with one single hit, which was a surprisingly reassuring feeling. Despite the lingering threat in the air, he did not want to hurt her. The other jinchuriki could only move because the beast's chakra compelled her to, and Naruto had a feeling that even with that, she would not be hard to overpower in her state.
"You know exactly who I am. You can call me Nibi, boy. Don't worry about the girl, though. She's nearly dead now." She answered and a gloating smile appeared on her lips.
"You're lying!" Naruto exclaimed, but the demon just laughed at him. Naruto looked to Tsunade imploringly and his fists clenched as the woman's face became riddled with sadness.
"When is comes to hosting bijuus, control highly depends on one's physical and mental state. Unfortunately, this host has neither the physical or the mental strength to support the Nibi anymore. Her seal has almost completely broken." She explained calmly, hoping to prompt Naruto to remain calm as well.
"How do we fix her?" He asked, which made both Sakura and the Hokage sigh deeply.
"Naruto, mental and physical strength cannot be created or learned in such a short time, you know that." Sakura explained, as she walked up to the boy. "I am sorry."
"That's it? What about her seal?" Naruto was unrelenting, as always. There was absolutely no way that he was just going to accept defeat without even trying. There had to be a way, he was certain of it. The one thing he learned while traveling with Jiraya was that there was always an alternative, a loophole. Every jutsu had a weakness that could be explored by the right person, and this one could not be any different.
"Give up, boy. These seals are of extreme complexity to hold us inside our hosts, who were chosen to be weapons for their villages. Even if you find where she came from, there might only be one person who is familiar with this seal. Or was. I was not sealed in her yesterday." The Nibi explained gloatingly, the all-knowing smirk never fading from the girl's lips.
"You were there, so just tell us where it happened!" Naruto pleaded with the demon, which only made the Nibi laugh.
"Oh, and why would I do that?" He asked cunningly, never taking his eyes off the boy. There was something about this boy that fascinated him, besides the fact that he could not sense the Kyuubi much.
"What do you have to lose?" Sakura chimed in. "If she dies, we just seal you away until we find another host for you. You probably know how hard it is to find a suitable host, so who knows how long you'd be sealed away from the world. I suppose you want her dead because she has gotten weak, and thus she is no use to you anymore. She can't fight, kill, or even see anymore. If we can help her, you get the host that you are used to, the one you already know."
"This one did come from an especially compatible bloodline, that is true. It is a pity that it was her own will to give her body to me. It was her choice to end her life, not like this, but nonetheless, she has no intentions to continue being my host, or to live." For the first time, the Nibi's voice lacked all sarcasm and condescension, rather he sounded bitter. Sakura wondered if the demon felt any loyalty to the girl, and what she had to go through to throw her life away like this.
"We can give her a new purpose to life for," Naruto claimed passionately. "It sounds like she had a rough past, partially because of her captivity here. We have to make it right! It cannot end like this!"
"You are a fool, boy." The Nibi shook his head. "But…there is something about you that tells me to keep an eye on you, which I cannot do sealed away. I don't know who sealed me into her, but I know where. Now, how is your relationship with Sunagakure?"
"She was sealed by the Sand?" The Hokage asked dubiously. "There is no record of this."
"This is good news!" Naruto exclaimed happily. "I'm sure Gaara will help!"
"Naruto, you had been away for a long time." Sakura said with a deep sigh. "Suna is our ally, but Gaara is a strong kage. He won't help without asking for something in return."
The new Kazekage was young and inexperienced, but despite all of that, an extremely powerful ruler. He didn't have a knack for politics, nor did he need it, he always got what he wanted. Either by intimidation or through smart planning, he would always come out on the winning side. On top of that, Gaara was also a jinchuuriki, and judging by Naruto's immediate interest in the girl, Sakura was sure that the Kazekage would be just the same. For different reasons, but just as interested.
"We have no choice." Tsunade noted with frustration in her voice. She suspected what the other kage might want in return, and she did not like that a bit. As much she dreaded it, she needed to call a meeting with the elders and her most trusted advisors. It was imperative that they act swiftly and carefully in this matter. "Let's go. We must prepare."
Without a word, they left the room, leaving the girl to the care of a team of dedicated medi-nins. Once they were outside, Tsunade sent for Shizune and Kakashi, and rushed to prepare for negotiations with Sunagakure.
Naruto let out a deep sigh as he leaned onto the wall outside of the examination room, and slowly slid down to the floor. Sakura quietly joined him, and for a couple minutes they were both silent. Naruto's mind was racing, looking for explanations for this entire situation and beyond, because he had absolutely no idea how to save the girl. How to stop the demon when it had almost completely taken over not only her mind, but her body as well. Yet, as much as he wanted to free her from the bijuu, he was enraged with her for choosing to submit to her demon. He needed an explanation to why someone would give her life up to become a mindless killing machine.
"We are going to figure this out, right?" Naruto asked suddenly, but the girl did not look at him. She was not sure he wanted to figure it out anymore, at all. She was already uneasy about this whole situation, and now with Gaara getting involved in this, it cannot end well.
"There is nothing left of her. It is just the Nibi," she said quietly, but Naruto did not let it go.
"There has to be a way. I will convince Gaara if I have to, one way or another. I cannot stand the thought of anyone suffering because of Konoha. Is it so wrong to want to make it right, damnit?" He burst out angrily, his hands forming fists by his side. "I don't care what Gaara wants, or that he is the Kazekage now. I will write this wrong."
"That sounds great, Naruto," another voice suddenly sounded around the corner. "But you forget one thing."
"Shikamaru, hey." The blond greeted him with unusually low levels of excitement. "Just one thing? I'm doing better than usual then, huh?"
"For now." Shikamaru offered with a small smile. "You forget about the girl. You have no idea what she was going to be like when she comes back. I suspect she is not going to be particularly grateful."
I had to laugh when I read the letter from the Hokage. It was one of those victorious laughs that I let myself feel after I kill a worthy opponent. This time, it was just as victorious, but for a different reason. I have been looking for the Nibi for so long, and they just serve it to me on a silver platter. Oh, it is my lucky day.
Gaara's victorious laugh filled the room completely.