Lions Rage

Its hard for me to explain, how I've become the animal I am today. I guess I could start from my earliest memory. I remember panic, the caravan I was in had been attacked, I don't know who they were I can only really remember one symbol. It was on a head band, a leaf. That image has burned itself into my mind, and it doesn't go away. I don't know where it came from, or which village it belonged to, but I will find them. Then I remember a flash of light, a lot of commotion, and then I heard it, a great roar. The roar which would become my nursery rhyme, the sounds of claws ripping through flesh, my bed time stories. That lion spirit saved me before I could be killed. It raised me, it talked to me in my dreams, it trained me, and it did a damn good job. My spirit and body were some how changed by this beast for good. My eyes, were sharp, and made stalking and hunting my prey at night a breeze. My reflexes, cat like. At first it hurt when the bones of my fingers, would emerge sharp as knives, but then it was natural. The taste of raw meat, was bland and gruesome, but then it became my thirst and I hungered for it. The more I grew the more I changed from a mere human to something else. The flesh of a man, but the spirit of a Lion. I learned to hunt like the lion, to subdue my victims, with ferocity, like the great beast I choke my victims to their death, either with my sword whip, or with my bare hands and claws. Driven only by hunger, and to seek out the only clue to the attack on my family, a leaf symbol with a slash through it.

*sniff sniff

"Somethings close" i can sense it. One, no, two. I run silently through the brush and into the tree's. There it is, my prey, two rogue ninja. They don't know I'm here. Its hard not too growl in anticipation, but I don't want to give away my position. The claws from my fingers, push through the skin allowing me to climb up the tree effortlessly. I reach around behind my dark brown leather trench coat, made from skin of my targets, and grasp the handle of my blade whip. My vision focuses in on the two. Something has them startled, its not me. One of the ninja gets up to check it out, while the other one prepares to defend himself. Perfect. While the ninja isn't looking I jump to the ground behind his friend, and quickly wrap my blade whip around his neck dragging him back into the bush. You can't scream if you can't breathe. I tighten the whip around his neck and watch intently as the blades sink into his neck ridding him of any blood, he's dead in a couple seconds. The ninja comes back, but where is his friend.

"Hey! Where are you!"

"Don't you know whose territory your in, little ninja."

"Whose there, I'm warning you!"

I stalked my way behind him "Warning me of what?!" I roared in his ear. The man stumbled to the ground. I displayed my claws. "Whats a matter, no so tough any more." He unsheathes his sword, "Get back beast!" I whipped around his wrist pulling his hand off and back to me. He screamed in agony. The whip, tightened into a sword, I slowly made my way up to him. I raised the blade for the killing strike when they attacked. 12 ninja wearing white masks jumped around me all weilding flat blade, thousand times folded katana's. "Great!" I love a challenge. The ninja ran for me, but as good as they were, and they were good, they don't know how to fight someone like me. I dodged the first ninja's attack and sank my claws into his neck slamming him to the ground. Jumped into the air flipping backwards, I whipped another foot and flung him into the tree's.

Dropping to all four's I increase my speed by two, the ninja put up their guard. I saw this, ran up the side of a tree jumping behind and drop kicking them, with the pointed claw sticking off the front of my boots. The last ninja ran forward, he had no idea. I pulled down my lion fang mask, revealing my long large fangs, breathed in deeply, "FERAL ROAR" I screamed, as my voice changed to a loud, heart stopping roar, the ground shook as the man was blown backwards in fear. The ninja fell to his knee's asking for mercy, he wouldn't find it here. I picked the boy up by his shirt, claws ready to end his life, when I sensed someone else approaching, fast. My attention turned to a ninja wielding the leaf logo on his head band, a mask over his face and the same tattoo on his arm, but he wasn't one of them, he was too good. I wasn't fast enough.

The ninja struck me down with a lightning covered hand and sent me to the ground. Another ninja arrived and cast a net over me. One net is easy to escape, but not 10. A white eyed ninja approached, but was forced to retreat as my claws narrowly missed his throat. The ninja approached again with bulging eyes and struck me with three fingers causing me to collapse, i could hear them speaking around me.

"Find a medic for those anbu, and get that creature back to Konoha, i don't know what we are dealing with but its unlike anything I have ever seen before.

"Kakashi something is happening! His strength is returning and doubled!"

My energy is coming back to me, my sight narrowed and red, and focused on the silver haired ninja, my claws are fully extended, my strength doubled, I've lost control, my body is moving, on its own. My mask falls to my neck, my claws shred through the net, on all fours, their was nothing stopping me, I've gone full feral and i can only watch. I clawed my way out of the nets and filled my longs and let loose one of my favorite weapons in my arsenal. The blood lust roar. I roared like the lion, the air and ground around him shook him with ear shattering power. The force of the roar from my body sent him flying backwards. Kakashi tried jumping out of the way but my sword whip latched around his foot bringing him to the ground. I dug my claws into his back and swung him around into a tree letting go but whipping him back with my blade, i struck him in the chest. He flew backwards but landed on his feet holding his chest.

The pale eyed ninja jumped behind me, but my body lurched into the air kicking him in the face, i landed ontop of his body with my hand around his throat. Once again I roared in his face. I could see it in his eyes, to him I had lost my human shape, to him I was a lion. My claws ripped into his body tearing skin, but i was struck from the side. Something had happened, i looked down to my arm and saw a seal had been attached to my arm. I slowly regained control, but my body was acting odd, sluggish, like i was drained. My eyes blurred and i fell on my face.

I thought i was dead, but i could hear people talking around me. The ground was cold and hard. I have been captured. I opened my eyes to see the the figure of a woman, and the ninja Kakashi staring at my body, they took my clothes and left me only in some ragged pants.

"Where did he come from."

"I don't know, but when he saw the leaf emblem on my head band he went beserk, but he bears no insignia, and his clothes looked as if they were homemade."

"What was he wearing."

Kakashi pointed to a table, A long brown leather jacket, no sleeves, probably so he can show off those claw shaped tattoos on his arms, some dark leather pants, and a pair of spiked toe boots, oh and this mask, he said as he held up my roaring lion half mask.

I rubbed my neck and rolled over. The woman walked towards my cage, and flicked the lights on blinding me. I covered my eyes.

"Do you understand me?" she asked

I slowly nodded, as i looked around the room cautiously.

"Who are you."

"Raion"

"Your name is Raion? As in Lion?" she asked

"Where are you from"

I didn't answer

"ANSWER ME"

Angered I took in deep breath, and roared causing her to fall backwards on to her side.

"What was that," she said as Kakashi helped her up. "Some sort of intimidation Genjutsu he has. The pure sound of it echoes the walls and ground around you, but it also pushes you physically like a ninjutsu. It's unlike anything I've seen before. What do you want to do?" "Keep him here until I figure this out."

Kakashi stayed back as the woman left. I could still smell her. She wreaked of Sake.

"So why don't we get to know each other."

"Your wasting your time," i growled at him

"Your a mystery to me, Raion. Your clothes, your fighting styles, everything point to no discernible origins. What village are you from."

"You fool," i laughed, "I have no village, no creed, I live in the wilderness my village is my territory, my hunting grounds. I attack those that enter, or if I need to hunt."

"So tell me if you have no allegiance to anything or anyone what made you attack my emblem upon seeing my head band."

"I attacked you because you struck first, it was only after that I saw that emblem, the same emblem that left me alone in the wilderness. A ninja wearing that same emblem attacked the caravan I was in when I was a boy, and killed everyone and left me to die in the wilderness."

"How did you know that if you were a small child."

"It was burned in my vision, and my mentor told me, he watched the whole thing happen in his woods."

"Mentor, i thought you were alone?"

"Physically, yes, but the Lion Shisa, raised me as one of his own cubs, he spoke to me in my dreams, and taught me to survive in the wild, how to hunt, and how to kill."

"Shisa? The demon warding lion spirit? That explains a lot. Feel free to stay in that cell as long as you want." The lights when out

In the night, they came for me, I could hear them. I crept to the darkest corner of the cell and pressed my self to the ground as low as I could. The first one was easy, they tried to be quiet, and i doubt anyone else could have heard them, but for me, it was a piece of cake. He got closer, when he was within striking range I lept on to his back wrapping my claws into his neck, spinning around throwing him into the other ninja. I jumped onto the other ninja once again digging my claws into his neck. I roared in his face, I could see the fear in his eyes, and it would be the last thing he remembered before I tore him apart piece by piece. I ran to my belongings quickly getting dressed before anyone else could show up, I grabbed my blade whip and tucked it blade side down into my belt resembling a tail, and I sprinted into the night.

Thats when I saw him. The ninja from my nightmares standing atop a house staring intently at me, the crossed out leaf mark on his headband the black cloak with red clouds. I chased after him using my whip and agility to climb on to the house. When i reached the top he was gone, but his scent remained. I jumped to the ground following the trail left by him. I found my path to be blocked by giant doors, and two guards. They unsheathed their swords and run forward. The pressure of my roar, flung them backwards through the giant gate, and I ran into the wilderness tracking the smell.

I don't know who he is, all i know is that I must find him, and I must kill him, I am compelled to.

I ran and ran through the night, as i ran for endless miles, the trail is going cold. Whoever this is I'm chasing, they know I'm coming. Never the less, i will find them, if I have to chase them for the rest of my life. No time to stop, or to rest, for fear of losing the trail. I am becoming ever aware of something following me as if my position as the hunter has shifted to the hunted.

He is getting closer, the once frail smell on the small breeze has become quite the aroma. I've been running for three days no rest, no food. I spring up the side of a tree jumping from branch to branch to try and gain some time, but there he was standing on the branch, grabbing me by the collar of my jacket dragging me to the ground and plummeting me into the ground. The air has been forced out of my lungs. I'm in trouble, my desperation to find the mysterious ninja left my mind tired and my lack of food, has left me weaker than usual. I look up as my eyes try to focus. DAMNIT, Kakashi has tracked me with the help of some dogs. Four small dogs surrounded me as well as one hooded ninja with a larger dog. "You think you can just kill four ninja from the leaf and escape just like that," Kakashi said as he took a kunai from his pouch.

I quickly sniff the air, the trail is going cold, if I am going to continue I'm going to have to finish this fast and continue. "Subdue him," Kakashi said as the hooded ninja took out some rope. When he approached, i kicked violently into his leg pushing the spiked toe of my boot deep into his leg breaking his leg. Seeing this his large dog lunged at me, but i rolled backwards kicking off the ground and rapping my whip around his neck and hanging him off a tree banch. "He's disarmed get him!"

"Whispering Fang." I said as I put one hand in front of me and the other off to the side, exposing my claws. Two dogs jumped at me wielding kunai in their mouths. I moved fluidly out of the way and sank my claws into the underbelly of one them while grabbing on to the neck of the other, whipping it to the ground.

Kakashi jumped forward striking quickly, he is an amazing fighter, truly. His speed was almost over whelming. He threw a fist forward, which i blocked with my knee before kicking off of him with my hip. Something caught my attention from out of the tree's a yellow haired ninja jumped forward multiplying himself by 5, but my animal instincts can sense the real identity. First one, down with a straight claw to the chest, spinning around raising the toe of my boot into another, dropping low and sinking my hands into the stomach of two, and flipping forward over the final one grabbing him by the neck and holding him in front of me. This is how I will regain my strength. I slide down my mask revealing my large canines, top and bottom. I turn the ninja around plant my fangs all the way around his neck, suffocating him and breaking his neck, as my teeth pulled in his chakra.

Kakashi, shocked, lurched forward to save him, but was too late. I jumped into the air, strength returned. I sniffed the air. The trail gone. My blood boiled in my veins. The claws in my hands extended to nearly five inches. My canines bursting out from behind my lips. Kakashi stood over Naruto's lifeless body as a pink haired ninja slowly started healing him. He looked in my direction.

"NO ONE STANDS BETWEEN ME AND MY PREY." I roared at him.

"And no one kills my friends and pupils and lives to tell about it."

"Then you will satisfy me!"

The ninja sprints towards me gathering electricity on his fist. My nostrils flared as the air in front of me vanishes to fill my lungs, the chakra from my torso is forced in my lungs as a roar bellows from my mouth. The sound waves raged against Kakashi who is struggling to move forward with his lightning blade out front blocking my roar. The electricity dissipated from his hand and flung him backwards into the ground. I sank to all fours sprinting towards him and tackled him. We exchanged blows as we rolled through the tree's violently. He is the strongest ninja I have ever faced. We landed fists on each other flinging us apart, landing on the ground sprinting parallel with each other. He threw several kunai and shuriken my way. I jumped over them grabbing the handle of the kunai flinging it back at him. but he wasn't there he reappeared in front of me kicking me in the stomach sending my flying backwards, as i flew through the air I landed on the branch where I had previously hung the giant dog, which had been freed by his master. I took the whip blade in my hand and lept to the ground. Kakashi flung himself out of the bushes at me. Flipping backwards, I whipped the blade around his leg, and whipped him into the ground. The blades of my whip, sank deeper and deeper into his leg as he tried to get away. I turned and whipped him into a tree letting him loose of the whip, which slung backwards to strike him again. He pulled a kunai blocking the bladed whip.

Sensing more ninja on their way, I quickly filled my lungs and roared, launching him and pinning him into a tree. I cut it short and jumped into the trees sprinting in the direction the trail I had been following. Kakashi slid down the tree and sat leaned up against the tree as ninja surrounded all of them with aid.

I was long gone into the night. The trail was cold, and my energy sapped from my battle with Kakashi. I decided to stop and rest for the night knowing I would need the energy should they decide to continue after me. I climbed found my way to a hillside cave and crawled into it after making sure it was clear. I laid down with my back against the cave wall staring into the entrance until my vision blurred and i fell asleep.

Raion, my son

Shisa, It has been so long, and I have lost the trail of the ninja in black.

The lion spirit roared at me, and i bowed showing my submission. He stepped forward, "Rise my son, you have grown into a powerful lion, but do not let despair challenge your resolve, lions are fierce and do not give in, under any circumstance. Breathe in your rage, feel it filling your body, and release your anger and rage onto your enemies as you vanquish your foes with extreme cruelty. Coat your claws in blood, and taste it on your fangs. You have come a long way my cub, and you still have a long journey. I AM WATCHING.

I lurched awake and saw the daylight. I came out of the cave, smelling the air. I roared into the air several times, using it as a radar to sense any thing within five miles.

I climb a large tree to see if I could find where I was. This is the farthest away from my territory in the woods I have eve been in 10 years. I look to the north and see a large desert surrounded by mountain ranges, my eyes focus in on a set of footprints by themselves, slowly disappearing into the sand. I quickly drop to the ground sprinting on all fours, with my claws adding traction. I made it to the edge of the jungle and to the rolling hills of sand. I reach down to the ground and find a piece of wrist wrappings. I picked it up and smelled it. "It's him."