Naruto: The Prince of Darkness
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Hey there readers glad you stopped by to give this Fic a chance. I'm hoping a few of you are return readers and enjoy this new story.
Yes I know that a few stories similar to this one have popped up before, I've even read most of them, but I wanted to try my hand at it.
So please enjoy and please review, the more reviews, the better I know I'm doing… or worse… either or, whatever, just talk to me people, I like input.
DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own Naruto… if I did so many bad thing would happen I'm sure, bad, evil, and yes slightly perverted thing would happen… but I don't own shit so…bummer. T_T sad charismas.
I also don't anything from wow… blizzard is stingy and won't share. XP
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Chapter One: Heir
Three days, three more days and Naruto would have seen his sister. He had promised that he would make it back in time. She would be graduating this year, he knew it; something in his gut told him that this year she would make it despite the teacher's treachery and hatred. He could just picture her in her orange jumpsuit and pants running around the village bouncing with joy over her achievement. She was brash, rudeand always up for a fight, but she was also energetic, honest, and stubborn to a fault.
He smirked at the thought. That's how he knew she would make it. Her stubborn nature wouldn't let her fail. Sure she may stumble and fall, but she would rise and keep on going. He wanted to be there for her when she got her headband, he regretted that he wouldn't. She would be so proud and smile that big giant grin of hers. Nothing in the world compared to that smile when she truly meant it; it had the power to make anyone believe.
In all honesty, Naruto wished he could see that smile right now. Then maybe he could believe… believe that he would make it home. Damn his luck.
He pulled his hand away from his left shoulder; the sight of his blood soaked hand didn't brighten his spirit much. He sat at the base of a large tree as the sky rain down upon the forest. So dark was the sky he knew it must be getting closer to night. Pressing his hand back to the wound he hissed in pain. Though it hurt he knew the bigger problem was the hole in his side; that and the fact that he was still being pursued.
Looking down the wound on his right side he was glad to see the bleeding had at least stopped thanks to the quick wrap job they had applied. Gritting his teeth he recalled the memories of how this all happened.
Flashback
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Naruto was standing with his back to a tree dressed in his black shinobi gear. Black shinobi boots, pants, fingerless gloves, and vest with grey long sleeve under armor underneath; his tool pouch strapped to his right thigh and a short Katana strapped to his back. (You know what his face and hair look like so I'm not going to explain those.) He waited patiently with a calm but tentative look on his face, his arms crossed when he finally heard them arrive.
"GOD DAMN YOU NARUTO-BAKA!" yelled Haniko as she skidded to a halt right before him. Bota and Ikki arrived shortly after.
Naruto plugged his ears as she started her rant. She was complaining that he had won their race… again. Every time they had a mission their sensei Ikki Takemura would have them race from the village gate to the 3 three mile mark outside the village. A test of 'improvement and growth' he would say. Naruto scoffed at the idea, all it did was show who was fastest. And as always the results were the same; Naruto in first, Haniko in second, yelling her lungs out, and Bota in last, not that he ever complained. Naruto wondered if it was just a game to Ikki.
Ikki Takemura, Jounin sensei to Team 6 for the past year. He wore the typical Jounin outfit, the vest was left unzipped. On his back he had a tanto and wrapped on his forearms were his signature needle chains. Thin chains made for speed with a sharp needle like dagger at the end; Ikki's fighting style relied on those chains for precise quick attacks. He was a well build man but what Jounin wasn't. He had long brown hair that was tied back into a ponytail that went down to the middle of his shoulder blades. He was young for a Jounin, compared to most. He had gotten lucky on a few of his early missions and then had done well in a few key assassinations. After that he had blundered few missions and as a punishment had been taken of the force for six months. After the six months had passed the Hokage wanted him to teach a genin team as both a test of his skills and of his character.
As for his skills, one could say he was specialized. He was a master of sneaking around silently, completely without notice. It was no wonder why he had been put into assassination squads. And the precision he had with those chains… can you say shit your pants scary? Naruto had seen it on many occasions where he hit a target no bigger than a fly many yards off dead on. Even with multiple targets… those chains were not meant to be taken lightly.
His character was another story though. He could be a great shinobi… in another village. Least that's what Naruto believed. In the leaf teamwork was the key, or at least that's what they wanted you to think. Naruto knew that it wasn't always the case but…
Anyhow, when it came to Ikki, the team thing was not his strong point. Sure he could work with a team as long as they were doing things his way. But working with him in any other manner… things got rough. And when things fell through, he was the first to blame others for the fault. Naruto felt that things worked better when Ikki just trained them and let them take care of the missions.
Naruto glanced at Haniko to see if she was still going at it…yep she still had her mouth going a mile a minute. He swore she could be worse than Naruko when she got into one of her moods.
"Such BULLSHIT! I know you cheated, you must have, you have boosters or something don't you, ADMIT IT!" she continued as she pointed her finger at him almost foaming at the mouth.
Naruto sighed. Damn his luck. "No, I don't have boosters. I'm just faster than you. Now get over it and let's move on, I want to get this mission done and get back home as soon as possible."
Ikki chuckled at the banter as Bota just watched the scene. Haniko stomped her foot one last time then headed off in the direction of their current mission, soon followed by the rest of her team.
Walking behind Haniko, Naruto could hear her mumbling about beating him the next time. He smiled as he watched her grumbling. Haniko Yoshizawa had short black hair that was always a mess, hazel eyes and a sharp tongue. She had a face that one would call cute if not for the fact that it always seemed to be stuck in a scowl. She wore her normal get-up… which wasn't much. She didn't wear shinobi shoes, but wraps. Then she had on red short shorts that just barely came down to her thighs. Then her standard gear pouch strapped to her left thigh. After that was her black sports bra under her mesh shirt; over that she wore a sleeveless black leather jacket that she left half-zipped. Then on her hands she had fighter's wrappings.
'God what a tomboy' Naruto would always think.
Even though she annoyed him at times he always admired her spirit. She was a lot like Naruko in that sense. When they had a goal they wouldn't let anyone deter them from achieving it. And oh boy did she have a goal to prove. She wanted to become an elite shinobi, one that showed up every clan shinobi out there. Haniko had been a street rat in every sense of the word. She had grown up on the streets fighting tooth and nail to survive. Naruto never had asked her for the details because he got the impression she wasn't too fond of her past. Having had a rough childhood himself he didn't push the issue.
Like him Haniko was a shinobi made for frontline combat, however unlike him she didn't have the skill in Ninjutsu that he did. Sure she could use a few, but they needed work and she needed a bigger variety. But what she lacked in Ninjutsu she more than made up for in Tijutsu. Now in a race Naruto was definitely faster, but in a one on one fight it was a lot harder to see the difference. Haniko had reflexes that put most others to shame, that along with her natural speed, she was a talented close-combat shinobi. Naruto always had to keep on his toes when it came to their training spars. Though he always came out on top, there were a few times that he had won only by the skin of his teeth. And given the fact he had tied with Neji Hyuga for Rookie of the Year and had only improved since then, that was saying something. Hand to hand is just where her upbringing had allowed her to excel at.
Glancing over his shoulder he noticed Bota keeping a constant eye out for trouble. The ever alert Bota Hiraga; a civilian shinobi with great promise. He was shorter than your average guy but he never showed that it bothered him. Truthfully he barely showed any emotion at all. With smoky grey hair that fell all around, white eyes that could almost be mistaken for Hyuga eyes, and a childlike face that just screamed hug me… Bota was an odd combination. He wore your average black shinobi boots and pants but his coat was anything but average. Oversized was an understatement. The grey coat was so big that the bottom went down to just before Bota's knees, while the sleeves hung about a foot off his hands hiding them completely. Thought to be fair Bota had made the coat that way. Instead of a gear pouch that coat of his had everything a shinobi needed. Plus his enemies never knew what he was going to throw until it was too late.
Now if Haniko and Naruto were the perfect shinobi for frontline combat, Bota was your long range specialist. Weak in Taijutsu and Ninjutsu, Bota worked on his long range weapons skills at a very early stage in his life. From there his skill in the art of ranged weapons only increased. The records at the academy showed that only one person had ever had a score that beat Botas', a one Uchiha Itachi, and just barely. Bota tried again and again to beat that score, but as of yet had not.
Beside his long range specialty Bota also had a great handle on Genjutsu, far surpassing both Haniko and Naruto. Having mastered seeing and escaping, as well as learning a multitude of attack and suppression Genjutsu, Bota was no slouch.
Though he barely spoke and most of his conversations consisted of a single word, Naruto had gotten a few details of the boy over the last year. Bota wanted to surpass his father, an elite shinobi rumored to be part of ANBU. That was Bota's goal, ANBU. Beside that Naruto just knew that he could trust him, after all the missions they had been on together, one just got the feel for Bota.
They had been heading northwest for the past few hours when Bota stopped suddenly. Everyone looked to him for some kind of explanation.
"What's the holdup Bota? Gotta poop?" Haniko asked, while Ikki just sighed.
Naruto on the other had tensed as he realized it just as Bota said the word.
"Trap."
Then all hell broke loose. Seals surrounding the four of them spread out encircling them as ninja jumped out from hiding all over the place. Each of them readied their weapons but soon a feeling of exhaustion overtook the team. Haniko dropped to a knee breathing hard while Bota had to steady himself, both hands on his knees. Ikki and Naruto were a bit better off but not much. Naruto staggered a second before willing himself to stand straight even though he too felt like he was going to faint. Ikki hadn't staggered but the look on his face spoke volumes; he was feeling the effect just as much as his genin. Naruto took a quick look around at their captors. From the look of most of them they were thugs, no real uniform to speak of, just a rag tag team of no bodies. But a quick glance at the seal on the ground told Naruto there had to be at least one shinobi among them, one with a decent knowledge of seals. Scanning the trees and forest around them he couldn't place anyone… damn. Even with how weak he felt he tried to move closer to his teammates; if things went south… HA! Who was he kidding? Things already were south; none the less he felt the need to be closer to them for when the time came he would have to defend them. By the looks on their faces they weren't going to be much help.
Suddenly Naruto felt a spike of killing intent… it wasn't directed at him but it was strong. He looked ahead as a man walked out of the tree line behind a bunch of the thugs. He was deffinatly a shinobi, one from Iwa if by the look of his headband. He wore tradition shinobi gear; the only thing out of the ordinary was the many scrolls tied to his waist.
"Ikki Ikki Ikki you've been a bad monkey. All the trouble I've gone through for you and this is the best I can expect from you?" the Iwa shinobi mocked.
More shinobi started popping in after that, landing in the higher trees and surrounding the team.
'Damn! This is not looking good!' thought Naruto, his eyes dashing back and forth between the leading shinobi, the shinobi in the trees, the thugs, and Ikki. He was working on a plan to get his teammates out of this should Ikki fail in his duty… it had happened before so Naruto always took it upon himself to look out for the other two. He really had a bad feeling in the pit of his gut.
Ikki smirked at the Iwa shinboi "Luk Delun, been a long time since I've had to see your ugly mug. I thought you would have keeled over long ago."
Luk didn't like the attitude, his face scrunched up in disgust.
"Be grateful you're not dead already Ikki, I could easily get rid of you any time I want as long as you are in my seal."
Ikki glanced down at the seal acting unimpressed "Meh, I've seen better."
Naruto was slowly inching his way closer to standing in front of both Haniko and Bota when Luk took notice of him and threw a kunai that landed right in Naruto's path. Naruto's eye twitched 'so much for that.'
"Well what do we have here? A little genin, and look he seems to be resisting the seal a lot better than the other two." Luk's eyes narrowed on Naruto and for a moment he just watched the boy, then his eyes widened "It can't be!" he looked to Ikki. Naruto got that feeling in his gut again… the look he gave Ikki was not one of a rival enemy…
"You did it? You actually did it!" Luk said in an almost merry tone. "After you took so long…"
"It's not easy, their security is top notch, plus there was no guarantee he was even real." Ikki replied, and at that reply Naruto's blood ran cold.
Haniko looked up weakly at Ikki "Sensei? Whats going on?" he just looked down at her and sighed.
"Don't call him sensei Haniko, he isn't worthy of that title." Naruto said his face down so that his bangs hid his eyes. She looked confused at his words, and then looked back to Ikki.
"Wh…"
"Don't you get it?" Haniko just shook her head; whether she didn't understand or she didn't want to understand, Naruto wasn't sure. Naruto clenched his fists hard as the reality of the situation swirled in his mind.
"Tr-Traitor." Bota said from beside Naruto.
Naruto nodded as Haniko's eyes widened and watered "Yes… Ikki Takemura is a traitor to the Leaf. No, that's not entirely true; he was never loyal to the Leaf to begin with so he couldn't really be considered a traitor. It is more accurate to call him a spy or a deep cover mole. He infiltrated the Leaf and bided his time, waiting patiently for the moment when he could act. Eventually he got what he came for and used this mission as a way to get back to Iwa. Question is…what information or object has he stolen?" Naruto looked up at Ikki with hate in his eyes as the question left his lips.
Ikki chuckled and a sickening smirk appeared "That's one reason I always hated you Naruto-kun, you always had reasonable deductive skills. It made it hard to do anything when you were around; and as to your question… the 'Object'" he quoted the word "that I took. Well its standing right in front of me."
Ikki raised his finger and pointed straight at Naruto "It's you young Uzumaki."
Naruto's eyes narrowed as he connected the dots and made a confirmation he had long suspected.
"This is about my father isn't it?"
The shock on Ikki's face was priceless even if they were in a life or death situation "You knew? It was my understanding that it had been kept from you and your sister?"
It was Naruto's turn to smirk "As you said senseiI'm pretty good at deducing things, and seriously, any one with half a brain and a look at my birth date should be able to guess."
Bota lifted his head to look at Naruto "Explanation."
Naruto sighed "I suspected it a few years back when we started the academy. Do you guys know anyone famous with blond hair from our village besides the Yamanakas?" Naruto directed his question to his two teammates.
Haniko struggled to stand on shaky legs "This is hardly the time for a history lesson Baka!"
"But it's relevant to the situation." Naruto said calmly; at the same time he moved his right hand lower to where only Bota could get a clear look. Bota's eye brow rose slightly.
Haniko thought for a moment but no one really came to mind. Then again she was never one for remembering things like that… fighting styles or jutsu okay, but hairstyle come on.
"Hokage." Bota said.
"Hok-" that's when Haniko's eyes widened. At first an image of the old man had popped up in her head but as she looked at Naruto another image blasted through her memories. A large photo, the one that hung in the Hokage's office, she had walked by it multiple times after mission reports. It was of a handsome man with blond hair and piercing blue eyes; just like Naruto's. It was of the Fourth Hokage, Hero of the Leaf.
"Your… you're the… no way."
Naruto smiled "Looks that way, I'm the son of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze. If it wasn't for these guys, I wouldn't mind the clarification." He said pointing his thumb over his shoulder at all their enemies.
"Alright that's enough of the chatter; I want to get this over with." Luk yelled out. He threw a paper tag that landed on Ikki's chest. A white glow enveloped him for a moment before his breathing seemed to steady and the look of discomfort on his face vanished.
"Took you long enough." He said pulling out a kunai and stepping closer to Naruto.
Luk just spit to the ground "Bite me."
Ikki stood right next to Naruto and put a hand on his shoulder "Well kiddos can't say it hasn't been fun but… no I can say that, it really sucked having to babysit you shits." He started twirling the kunai on his finger "Now Naruto your coming with us, but I have to make sure you don't struggle on our way back to the Stone." And with those words he plunged the into Naruto's side.
"NARUTO!" Haniko screamed "You bastard!"
Bota looked like he wanted to scream to but kept silent, carefully watching his friend.
Naruto gasped as the kunai cut through his flesh and dug its way deeper, not a fatal wound but one that would slow him down. However…it also gave him just what he needed.
"NOW BOTA!" Naruto yelled.
Suddenly Bota dropped four balls to the ground from his sleeve, they exploded and the whole area became covered in purple smoke.
Ikki backed up quickly "CAREFUL! Its poison!" he yelled to the others as he covered his mouth.
Luk was steaming mad "Don't let them escape, keep your eyes open, don't lose that brat!"
The shinobi in the trees moved in to enclose the genin while the thugs just moved to avoid the poison smoke. Luk shouted at them to keep a tight formation. Soon the smoke cleared and to reveal… nothing.
The genin had escaped.
X…about a mile away…X
Naruto ran, he ran with all his might, and given he was still going about his normal speed even though he had a bleeding hole in his side, he was a bit surprised he was doing as well as he was.
Over his left shoulder he had Bota, facing the back so that he could warn him if he missed any incoming threats. Under his right arm he had Haniko, who for the first time every was silent… thank kami for little blessings. Even though he was making a good time he knew it wasn't enough. He was already losing his adrenalin spike from when he got stabbed. Soon the wound would really be affecting his ability to run quickly through the trees; carrying his two teammates no less.
He sighed 'Damn my luck.'
Haniko glanced up at Naruto. His face was pale and he was sweating. He eyes moved to the wound that she was closely pressed to. He was still bleeding. She knew it would be, but a small part of her had hoped that it hadn't really happened. When he had gotten stabbed a part of her mind had switched off.
It was the first time she had seen Naruto seriously hurt. Scratches and bruises sure, but a full blown stab… he had never let that happen before.
"Stop."
Naruto continued on, not hearing her or ignoring her she didn't know.
"I said stop!" she struggled a bit to get his attention.
Naruto hadn't been ignoring her. He had been so focused on running and ignoring the pain in his side that everything else seemed to fade into the background. But when she started struggling he lost that focus and the pain seemed to explode. His vision had white spots cloud his sight for a moment and he missed a branch. They fell the forest floor, but just before they hit Naruto twisted sending both his teammates to the side so they didn't hit the ground quite as hard. Unfortunately for him, that meant he got the wind knocked out of him and one hell of a head bang for his troubles.
Bota and Haniko landed a few feet away, as soon as they hit ground they flipped up and ran to Naruto's side.
"Foolish." Bota said as he knelt down and help Naruto up into a sitting position, leaning him up against a tree.
Naruto just grinned "Ya-ya."
"Don't give us that. What were you thinking? You're going to make yourself worse off by pulling stunts like that." scolded Haniko as she pulled out bandages from her pack. Bota took Naruto's vest of him and set him up straight so Haniko could start wrapping. As soon as he moved him Naruto hissed from the pain shooting up his side. Haniko pulled out a can of disinfectant and sprayed it on the wound. Ignoring Naruto's groans of pain she continued on to wrap the bandages around him tightly; once finished Bota slipped Naruto's vest back onto him.
"That should hold you for now." Haniko slumped to the ground, mentally exhausted. This last hour had taken its toll on her mental state. To think her comrade was the son of one of the most famous people in her village, hell the world even. Then to fall into a trap, learn your sensei is a lying jack-hole ground up with a dash of jerk sauce… ya her day was a bit out there. Then Naruto broke her out of her thoughts.
"We need to get moving. They won't be far behind." He tried to stand but as soon as he did Bota put a hand to his shoulder and pushed him back down.
"Rest"
"We don't have time for that! We haven't gotten that far away, and from the look of it they had a few capable shinobi. We have to get moving now." Naruto argued and again tried to get up.
This time it Haniko pushed him back down "Shut up baka. Bota's right you need a moment to rest. You've been carrying us this whole time on top of that wound."
Naruto shook his head "The longer we wait the sooner they find us. Now let's get going, we need to get back to the village. We have to report this infiltration."
Again he tried to get up and a tick mark appeared on Haniko's forehead… just before he smacked Naruto upside the head.
"OW!" he complained as he rubbed the newly forming bump "Hey! Injured here."
"No shit Sherlock, kinda the point we've been trying to make."
Naruto sighed "Look I get it, I know I could use a few minutes but we just don't have the time, we have to get out of here. If we let them catch up its all over, I'm already in bad shape and sorry to say it but I don't think you guys are ready for that many shinobi, not without a little help anyways."
"Diversion."
Haniko and Naruto looked to Bota with a look of confusion. Naruto understood a second later.
"No. that's foolhardy, you wouldn't last long."
Haniko looked back and forth between the two as they glared at each other "Umm… guys?"
When Bota wouldn't back down Naruto just sighed "Bota this is foolish."
"Best odds."
"…I'm not so sure." Naruto turned to Haniko "Bota wants to split into two; you two stay as a decoy and lead the shinobi on another path, while I head back to the village for reinforcements. I don't agree, I say we just head out now, we could still make it, but it would be close… I want you to make the choice, it doesn't sit well with me but I'm in no condition to argue.
Haniko contemplated, but in the end she knew she was no master strategist… Naruto and Bota were the thinkers; she was a girl of action. Even though she understood Naruto's line of thought, she also knew that he was the target. If they all when together there was still a high chance he would get captured. On the other hand if they went with Bota's plan… they could be killed. She laughed a bit at herself.
"We'll go with Bota's plan." She received a glare from Naruto and a nod from Bota. "Don't give me that look baka. Bota is right that it's the best course of action that gets us out of this mess. Even in this state you're faster than either of us; you can get to the village and get help a lot quicker than we could. I'm sure we can hold them off long enough, we're no pushovers" she said with a grin.
Naruto just looked at his two teammates. Bota was calm and collected, like always; Haniko was grinning and pumping herself up for the action. Naruto just shook his head "Damn fools."
He earned another smack on the back of the head curtsey of Haniko "Don't be calling us fools!"
They all gave a light chuckle, even Bota. Haniko help Naruto to stand. The three stood there just looking at each other… maybe for the last time.
Naruto reach out his hand and made a fist. Haniko and Bota did the same, the three of them fist bumping in a triangle.
"Make sure you don't overdo it tomboy." Naruto smirked.
Haniko puffed up her cheeks "Don't call me that!" then she smiled "Make sure you get there, wouldn't want the prince of our village dying out here huh."
Naruto just grimaced "Don't even start calling me that."
"Meet again." was all that Bota said.
They all nodded to each other then jumped off into the trees. Naruto heading south for the village while Bota and Haniko made their way back towards the enemy. Naruto prayed that it would all work out.
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End Flashback
It had been hours since his team had split-up and as far as Naruto knew his prayers had not been answered. Almost as soon as he had split from Bota and Haniko it had started raining, it had yet to let up. The rain had made the journey that much harder. Barely able to see, drenched to the bone, and it was near impossible to tell if he still had pursuers. As always, damn his luck.
Because of the rain and his sole focus on running as fast as he could he had missed the initial attack. Three shinobi ambushed him and one got a lucky first hit on his shoulder. Naruto had been pissed at his lack of awareness. After a quick skirmish and a few paper bombs later Naruto had managed to escape, but they were still on his trail. Try as he might he had to stop, if but for a moment. He found a tree outside of his general direction. Sliding down the base of the tree he sat down and waited.
'Things couldn't get much worse.' Naruto thought as he glanced around making sure to keep an eye out. He didn't need another surprise attack. His thoughts went to that of his team. Were they okay, had they made it away or were they capture…or worse? He had faith in them, they had made a difference in the pursuit on him, that was evident with the hour and a half that it took them to catch up to him. But what did that say about their current state? His mind was swirling with the thoughts of his teammate's situation when he heard a faint noise off in the forest.
Instantly going still and holding his breath Naruto peeked around the tree; at first he didn't see anything but as the seconds ticked on by, two figures emerged from the shadows.
'Damn my luck!'
It was two of the enemy shinobi that had ambushed him earlier. They were walking in his direction but didn't seem to know he was there. They chatted back and forth but Naruto could quite make out what they were saying. Focusing on listening Naruto tried to make out what they were saying. Something about their job, the chase, the captured genin…
That last one caught Naruto's attention rather quickly.
'So, Haniko and Bota had been captured again… damn. Should I try to get them…' Naruto shook his head 'No… the distance and time, not to mention my injuries, there's no way I could get them out of there.'
Gritting his teeth Naruto moved slowly to get up and head out. He needed to get help if he wanted to save his team. He turned to jump back into the trees…
And came face to face with the third shinboi.
'DAMN! How could I forget about the third one!' Naruto yelled at himself as he barely dodged a grab from the shinobi. Ducking under his grab he leapt up into the trees to get away.
"Get back here brat!" yelled the shinobi. He had a strange green Mohawk so that's what Naruto named him. He had been the one to injury his shoulder earlier too. Naruto was downright livid with himself, he was getting sloppy today. A whizzing sound caught Naruto's attention.
Quickly glancing back he saw three incoming shuriken. Doing a front flip spin he threw three of his own to intercept, they did. Just before he landed he spotted the three shinobi gaining quickly on him. Pushing chakra to his legs he attempted to quicken his pace. He burst off the branch leaving cracks where he previously stood.
Ducking and jumping through the branches Naruto hoped he was gaining a lead. Looking over his shoulder he spotted two of the shinobi, they were falling behind a bit but what caught Naruto's attention was that Mohawk was gone again.
"Where the-"
Suddenly he felt the pain of getting clobbered over the head and was sent straight down to the forest floor. Just before he hit bottom he got enough sense of himself back that he flipped to land in a crouch. Pulling a kunai out quickly he readied for the next attack. It came from behind as the two shinobi charged at him, both intending to grab him. While one went high the other went low. Naruto jumped to dodge the low then grabbed onto the shoulders of the top attacker and flipped over him. But just as he was about to land Mohawk moved in; Naruto dodged the punch but was off balance and fell to the ground. One of the others moved to tackle him but Naruto rolled out of the way; as he rolled Naruto pulled out a handful of shuriken, when he stopped and got into a crouch he threw them at the two closest attackers. Mohawk dodged but the other guy didn't and unlucky for him Naruto was a good shot. Catching the shuriken in the neck tend to put a damper on your day… or the rest of your life, whichever way you want to look at it.
"Tch, fucking moron!" Mohawk yelled as his comrade fell. He made a motion as the other guy moved around behind Naruto.
Naruto was breathing hard gasping for air. His wounds were slowing him down greatly, these guys were barely genin; except for Mohawk… he might be close to chunin. But here Naruto was struggling and he knew his strength would give out soon.
"You've been one hell of a pain in the ass kid. This was supposed to be a simple snatch and run mission." Mohawk complained.
"Wouldn't want to make it too easy for you, where's the fun in that?" Naruto said trying to put up brave front; truthfully he was about out of juice. That seal had done a real number on his chakra, not to mention the wounds. Things were getting desperate.
"Cheeky brat." Sighed Mohawk. He nodded to his partner behind Naruto.
Naruto felt him approaching going in for a knockout punch but just as he was about to hit Naruto shifted ever so slightly and brought up his last kunai into the man's stomach, but as soon as he had stabbed him Mohawk had taken the opening and grabbed Naruto's head in a death clenching grip and slammed him to the ground. Naruto's vison became clouded and blurry from the impact, Mohawk flipped him over and pulled Naruto's left arm around his back to hold him to the ground.
Naruto screamed from the pain in his shoulder from it being wrenched behind him, then gritted his teeth to bare the pain.
Mohawk chuckled "Finally got you. They were right when they said you might not be an easy target to get hold of. But it's over kid, good run." Mohawk reached into his pouch and pulled out a rag. Instantly Naruto could smell the strong odor of chloroform.
'Shit, if he get that on me it's all over!' Naruto struggled to move but he was held down firmly and struggling only increased the pain from his shoulder. 'DAMN! No I refuse to go down like this, I have to get to the village, I have to save my friends! THIS CAN BE HAPPENING!'
Then come to me.
Time seemed to freeze as a chilling voice, almost a whisper spoke in Naruto's head. His body tensed as he heard this voice that seemed to come out of nowhere. But it… pulled at him. He felt the need, no the desire to follow it. It gave him a newfound strength, a goal that if he stretched out his hands he could grasp it.
Naruto's mind calmed, focused, sharpened. Time seemed to move again and the rag came closer and closer to his mouth. Taking a breath Naruto waited till the rag was just about to cover his mouth, then he jerked his whole body and bit down onto Mohawk's hand as hard has he could, the iron taste of blood crossed his tongue. With all the willpower and strength he had Naruto shoved to break free sending his captor rolling to the ground. Without wasting a second he ran into the forest. He didn't bother looking which way he was going. He just followed the pull.
The pull of something that he knew nothing about, but it called to him. He wanted to find it; he wanted it to save him. Branches and twigs scratched and slapped Naruto as he ran like a wild boar. The rain continued to fall and make his path difficult with mud and grime; he would slip and fall but instantly get back up and make his way. His wounds no longer mattered, nothing mattered, the voice, the chill, the pull. It was all that mattered. He continued until he came to a cliff face that was too high to jump and definitely too steep to climb. But Naruto went to climb it anyway however once he touched the stone wall he stopped…
And a kunai imbedded itself right next to his hand. Naruto slowly looked over his shoulder to see that Mohawk had caught up, but this time he too was out of breath.
"Damn boy, you sure can run when you want to. That how you always stay safe huh, run away while you team takes care of everything." He mocked.
Naruto showed no emotion, even if the comment had struck a note. Fleeing while the other two had defended him didn't sit well with him but it didn't matter right now. Escaping, that and finding that voice, those were the only things on his mind right now. Naruto looked back at cliff, he peered up but… the pull wasn't calling him that was, it was calling him down.
'A cave?' wondered Naruto.
The feeling of being pulled on increased. Naruto smirked, and then he turned to Mohawk while reaching into his pouch for the last of his tools. Mohawk caught the smirk.
"Enough games boy." He said as he heard the faint sound of something sizzling. "Wha-" his eyes widened as he saw a slight flicker of light behind Naruto at the base of the cliff where it meet with the ground. Then-
KABOOM!
The paper bomb exploded causing Mohawk to bring his arms up to shield his face, while Naruto fell into the hole the bomb had created, revealing a tunnel on the other side of the cliff wall.
Naruto knock unconscious fell into the darkness that seemed to never end.
X… A little while later …X
Drip. Drip. Drip.
That was the only sound that Naruto heard as he slowly came to. His eyes struggled to open, but as they did it made little difference. It was black, pitch black and he couldn't see a thing. He was lying face down on what felt like stone… wet stone.
'Cave floor check. Body feeling…sore, check. Still alive… we'll check later.' Naruto thought as he moved to push himself up. As soon as he got to crouching on all four he buckled back down as pain shot throughout his left leg.
"SON OF A –" he yelled as he gripped his shin. Naruto could feel his body trembling so to calm his nerves he took a few deep breaths. For calming him down it help, a little, but as for the pain that wasn't going away. Reaching down and feeling his leg he determined there at least wasn't any bone sticking out or punctures, but it probably was broken.
Tired of groping around in the dark, Naruto reached into his pack and pulled out a lighter. Flicking it open and striking the flint, Naruto looked around for anything to burn.
"Well, for once I have a spot of luck." He said as nearby was some sticks and twigs, most likely they had fallen in with him when he fell down into this cave. Crawling over to any wood he could find he gathered it all together. Then he took his under armor sleeve and ripped it off; using the cloth he wrapped all the sticks together and fashioned a torch then lit the top.
"Not my best work but it will have to do." He said as he took in his surroundings. What he found wasn't all that surprising; a cavern though to be fair it was rather large, you could easily fit the Hokage's tower in it. Looking up he couldn't see any light so the hole he fell from must be extremely high up… or the cave tunneled off… a bit more likely. Looking down to his leg he was glad to see that it was in one piece; pulling back his pant leg he was not surprised to find it black and blue.
"Must have hit it on the way down."
Taking a branch that was about as long as his leg; then tearing off his other sleeve, Naruto made a makeshift splint and set his leg. His scream echoed throughout the cavern.
Breathing hard and sweating Naruto glanced around 'Better get moving. Mohawk probably is already on his way, and I'm sure that my screaming has given him a nice direction. Damn my luck.'
After a few attempts Naruto was able to stand, as soon as he did though a chill ran up his spine. That's when a whisper so cold and quiet that one would have thought it was the wind, spoke.
Come.
Naruto's body tensed, but from fear or desire… he wasn't sure. It was that same voice, that sound that had called to him up on the surface. It seemed just a little bit clearer down here though.
The fire of his torch flickered as a chilling breeze blew through the cavern. Looking in the direction that the wind blew Naruto saw a path way that lead to an opening in the cave's wall.
Moving slowly and with a terrible limp, Naruto made his way to the open. The floor was treacherous and littered with sharp rocks; Naruto was surprised that he had landed with only a broken leg and not a severed limb instead.
Coming to the opening he leaned up against the wall looking down into the tunnel that the opening had revealed. Naruto couldn't see an end and it seemed to just go further down. Looking back to the cavern he knew there was no way to get back up, not in his condition.
Then he felt the pull. Like icy fingers grabbing at his body pulling him into deep frozen waters in the darkest deaths of the ocean.
Turning his head back to the tunnel he stared into the darkness. He wasn't afraid…oh no, cautious, but not afraid. Taking a deep breath he started down the tunnel, one hand holding up his torch while the other on the tunnel wall to help support his broken body.
Moving slowly but with determination in his eyes, Naruto continued downward. Whatever this was that called to him, he had to see it. It had called to him in the moment he had felt all was lost. It had given him something to push him on. His friends were captured, he was wounded; too far from the village for it to make any difference he had felt done for, but the call had come from nowhere and something in it made him push on.
The air around him continued to grow colder and colder until he could see his own breath. The fire from his torch flickered in the breeze and fought to stay alight. His wet cloths sucked any warmth he had in his body out causing him to shake like a leaf in a storm. But he continued. Even as his hand took abuse from the frigid cold of the stone, as snow blew into his path and he started walking in inches of bitter cold slush. He continued on. Even as small icicles and frost began to cling to his cloths and body, the pull guided him deeper, and Naruto was all but willing to follow.
A bitter bone chilling gust of wind blew into the tunnel causing Naruto to drop to the ground and brace himself. The wind bit at his shoulders and arms, feeling like thousands of tiny needles piercing his skin.
The wind died down, but to Naruto's discomfort…so too had his light. Now nothing more than a stick with small burning embers it gave off hardly any light and even less warmth.
"D.d..dam.n …" Naruto began to say but then thought better of it. Better off conserving whatever little energy he had left. No use wasting it on a few words of complaint. Struggling up he slumped up against the wall hissing from the cold that radiated off it. Using the wall to guide him he forced his feet to move onward. His cloths stuck to the wall if he waited too long so he constantly moved on, refusing to give up, even if his entire body was yelling at him.
This was how he continued down the tunnel for what seemed like an eternity. His eyes continually fought with him to close, but through sheer force of will he kept them open. That's when he noticed he could see a faint light up ahead. It gave off a light blue glow that lit up the tunnel well enough for Naruto to see. With newfound strength Naruto hurried on.
When he came to the end of the tunnel, his breath froze in his throat, whether it was from the utter cold that he felt or the shock at the sight he saw… he couldn't say.
The tunnel had brought him to another cavern, but unlike the first this one you could see clearly in, and it was enormous; easily twenty times bigger than the last. It was filled with ice that gave of a bright blue glow that literally shined. But the incredible thing was there was a structure in the center of the cavern. It looked like some dark pyramid with a gigantic skull on the center and large spikes sticking out on multiple sides.
Enter.
The voice called out in Naruto's mind beckoning him to enter the strange fortress. Looking around he tried to find a way down to the structure. Alas there was only one path… and it looked like a path of death. A little ways below him over a cliff of ice he saw a trail littered with bodies.
Steeling his resolve he made his way down to the trail. As he approached he saw it was hundreds more than he had thought piled on top of one another. Most of the bodies were no more than skeletons wielding all manner of weapons; spears, swords, maces, war hammers, shields… you name it and it was there. Stepping on and around the many corpses of bone and frozen flesh he continued up the path that made its way to the structure of death. Naruto figured it could be little else, with the cold that penetrated his body and the golden brick road made of bones, blood, and metal. Finally reaching the building Naruto looked for an entrance but as far as he could tell there was none.
No sooner than the though had crossed his mind that a door slid open not five feet from him.
'…ok that's not creepy at all.' Naruto thought. He stared at the entrance before shrugging his shoulders and made his way inside. The inside reminded him of a castle… a dark castle. The edges of the hallway had sickening green ooze flowing down a pipe, while everything else seemed to be frozen solid. The pull of the cold presence only grew stronger the further he went. Monstrous creatures the likes of which he had never heard of littered the inner halls. They we froze in place looking like they were in combat when suddenly frozen in place. Bones of their victims scattered about the floor made Naruto wonder if this had been some kind of battlefield.
Suddenly Naruto's heart skipped a beat. The air stilled and everything seemed to go colder. Naruto was at the entrance to a large circular room. He assumed it was the center of the pyramid. There was ice everywhere and in the center of the room a massive column of ice stretched from the floor to the ceiling. The glow from the pillar was brighter than the rest of the ice, but unlike the rest of the ice its glow was… surrounded but a dark aura. Limping closer Naruto felt the pull as if someone were gripping his throat and dragging him forward. As he moved closer and closer he saw an object sticking out of the ice. It was the hilt of a sword. It was made of a dark metal and had a skull of some form of demon on it while the horns from the demon curled around the handle guard. The blade was sunk deep into the ice but Naruto could see the many runes that decorated the massive blade. The blade gave of an eerie glow similar to the ice that hung all around the room, however Naruto had the feeling that the darkness and the ice both originated from this threating weapon.
Naruto reached out to grasp the handle but stopped just short. The pull was stronger than ever but something held him back. A feeling in the back of his mind… of his soul, told him not take up the blade, that if he did… he would forever change.
"Ah… so Frostmourne has finally chosen it next master." A hollow dark voice echoed throughout the room.
Naruto spun around expecting to find someone there but there was no one. He crouched down low reading himself for an attack.
A shiver ran down Naruto's back as a small blue orb of light flew around and came to rest a few feet in front of Naruto. Naruto scrambled back smashing his back into the pillar of ice. The glowing orb followed.
"Relax Prince; I will bring no harm to you." The voice echoed as the orb stopped it pursuit.
Naruto looked at the orb in confusion "Is that you? Are you the one that's been calling me?"
The orb shimmered before floating up and down in place "It was not I that called out to you young Prince. It was Frostmourne."
Naruto glance up at the sword then back at the orb, a look of disbelief plastered on his face.
"The sword called to me?"
"Indeed."
Silence lingered in the chamber as Naruto just stared at the orb. If it had eyes Naruto was sure it would be staring right back at him.
"Right… and what are you?" asked Naruto.
"What I am is a soul, one who is loyal to my king." The soul moved closer to Naruto causing him to stiffen "A king that you one day shall be."
Naruto was shocked at the statement. Him? A king? "What are you talking about?"
For a moment the soul just floated there seeming to ponder the question. Slowly it moved up to the hilt of the sword and began to orbit the blade.
"This sword Frostmourne… it is the runeblade of the Lich King, Lord of the Scourge, and Jailer of the Damned. But it isn't just a blade, oh no, it is a part of the king himself. For the King of the dead to be whole he needs three things… one is a being of unmoving resolve and strong character. Second is Frostmourne here, a key to the power of the King, and finally the Helm of Domination which completes the Kings powers and connects him to that of his servants." The orb moved down close to the huddled shinobi "And you young Prince have been chosen to be the next King."
"Why me?" was the first question that came to Naruto's mind.
"It is unknown how the king is chosen, only that when they are, Frostmourne calls to them, it is the first step in becoming the king." The soul answered.
Naruto contemplated the answers he had received. From what he heard it was dark, very dark stuff… but on the other hand, it was power. Lots of power.
"What happens if I ignore this call?"
Naruto shivered. If the soul had a face, he had the feeling it was giving off a devilish smirk, almost saying to tempt fate little one.
"I don't know; the call has never been ignored before."
Naruto stood and looked over the blade once more. It was alluring, he couldn't deny it, but it also had an aura that spoke volumes. The blade was evil no question about it. But then again many of the things shinobi had to do were considered evil. Who was he to judge?
"What about the last King?" Naruto asked never once taking his eyes of the sword.
"My last liege was slain in battle, by the combined forces of his entire world. Enemies alike stood together because of their fear for my master. But with their combine forces, even they almost fell to the power of the Lich King; if not for the Holy weapon that shattered Frostmourne my lord would have been victorious."
Naurto tuned to the soul "Frostmourne was shattered? And what do you mean of his world?"
"Yes. But the sword is a part of the Lich King, as I have said. However, even after his defeat, there must always be a Jailor of the Damned, so too must there always be a Frostmourne. After it's shattering the sword came here to your world and reformed itself, taking myself and this fortress along with it so that it could prepare."
"You mean…" Naruto started.
The soul circled Naruto "Yes. It is as you suspect. We do not originate from this world. There are countless worlds out there. When it was destroyed Frostmourne sought out a world where the next, a stronger Lich King could grow from. It chose this one, and then it chose you."
Naruto brought a hand to his head. It was so much to learn and take in, most of it unbelievable in the first place. But he could not deny that he felt the call. Then another question came to mind.
"You said there must always be a Lich King?" the soul just floated there, waiting for the real question "Then who is the current King?"
"Ahh… a good question indeed. The current King is but a place holder for you my Prince. The one that now sits on the Frozen Throne is not a chosen king but one placed there by our enemies. He is of proper resolve but not character, he has the Helm but not the sword, and so, without all three parts one cannot be considered a true Lich King. Frostmourne is what choses the king and places them on their path; it did not choose this man. But for now, he holds the throne and keeps your servants in place, rebuilding the land for the day the true king returns. You will be that king… my Prince."
"So I will be taken away from here once I take up this sword?" Naruto asked in an almost angered tone taking a few steps closer to the floating soul.
"Ease my liege. No you will not be whisked away; even for all its power Frostmourne cannot cross worlds but upon its destruction in the hopes of finding a new King. For another matter if you were to go to the Frozen Throne now, you would be destroyed before you entered the Citadel. Frostmourne gathers its power from souls; when it was destroyed all the souls that were inside it escaped and its power was greatly reduced. You will need to gain that power back, here in this world. And you will need an army. The forces that surround the Throne will not easily let you pass. That will take quite some time. You have much growing if you plan to succeed your predecessor."
Naruto figured he knew the answer but he had to ask "And to gather these souls, I'd have to…"
"Cut down your enemies with Frostmourne." was the immediate reply.
Naruto looked back to the blade. It held such force that an entire world had nearly brought to its knees. If he had this power he could defend his village, keep his sister safe. Once she was able to take care of herself, and he was strong enough, he wouldn't mind going to this other world. Nothing beside his sister and teammate really held him here. Without turning Naruto asked the soul "And what of you? What is your purpose here? Who are you?"
"My name is Kel'thuzad my lord. I was a servant and general of the late king, and have been in the service of the Lich King for many, many years. Even though I was a powerful lich, an undead mage of endless magics, I too was defeated in the war. When my body died my King took my soul and connected it to Frostmourne, that way there was always one soul that stayed with it at all times, mine. When it shattered and came to this world I too was dragged alone. My power also brought along my fortress Naxxramas, a powerful tool for a growing Lich King. As to my purpose… to guide the next Lich King and serve him in his journey back to the frozen throne."
The two were silent after that. Naruto weighed his options, Kel'thuzad watched patiently. After several long minutes Naruto chuckled.
"What the hell. If the power of the dead gets me out of this mess and grants me the power I need, who am I to deny the call of king?" He took a step closer to the ice pillar "I will take this sword, I will grow stonger." Another step "I will defend my own and slaughter my enemies." Another step. "I will gather an army the likes none have ever seen and grow in power; then lead my forces to this Frozen Throne." He stood right in front of the sword.
Take the blade.
He took hold of Frostmourne's hilt.
Pull it free.
Naruto put one foot to the ice ready to pull the blade out.
"I will retake the Frozen Throne, and then I… I will become-"
Seize your destiny.
"The Lich King!" and with one mighty tug pulled Frostmourne from the ice.
Energy surged from the pillar and filled the chamber. It circled above then slowly surrounded the blade, blue twisted with black and white; it gathered and enveloped the boy and blade alike.
All that could be heard was the screams of Naruto as the power changed his entire being.
/
Hey guys hope you enjoyed the chapter. The next one should be up soon because I cut this one in half, never like reading chapters that were forever long so I felt like I needed to make this first part 2 pieces.
Please review I love to hear what you guys have to say, good, bad or indifferent. At least let me know if it has your attention enough to keep writing it. As much as I like writing for myself its fun to see what you guys have to say.
Peace out all my lovelies.
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