The heavy rain petaled Naruto's head. He moved his right hand to his stomach and felt his wound. He judged that this was most defidently could have been serious wound. If not for having the tip of the claw slash though his hand, it probably would've slashed into one of his kidnies.
Naruto was facing the most dangerous enemy he's ever encountered, himself.
Naruto was hiding in one of Kohona's many mountain caves. His left hand had gone numb by now, and he was, for the first time in his entire life, scared. He'd been fighting himself for 2 weeks now, and the other Naruto has been getting stronger every day.
The last week he had wandered throughout all of Kohona looking for someone to help him. But the once full village was now completely empty. He searched for anyone who could have told him just what was going on. He was also looking for anyone who could tell him how exactly he was fighting himself. The Other Naruto was in was already in the 4-Tail stage of the Kyuubi's cloak, and he was more than ten times stronger than Naruto is. The other Naruto was not only stronger because he had the Kyuubi's power, but because Naruto couldn't summon the Kyuubi's power.
For the two weeks Naruto had been without the Kyuubi, the other Naruto was getting more and more powerful everytime Naruto actually needed the Kyuubi's power. This was rather mundate for Naruto, seeing as he had become accustomed with the Kyuubi's power.
Naruto's last memory was him training with Kakashi. Kakashi was teaching Naruto ways to improve his rasengan. But it was put on hold when a power storm system rolled in. That's when it happened Naruto says while retracing his steps to try and figure out just what was happening. He had been doing this for at least a week now, and still, no matter how many times he retraced his steps, it just wasn't making any sense to him.
When Naruto got into the village, everyone had disappeared. Kakashi and Naruto split up to look for any clues why this had happened. Naruto was looking in the Hokage Building, but couldn't find a single person. When he went out of the building, Kakashi wasn't there. Naruto decided to wait 10 more minutes but Kakashi didn't show.
Naruto decided he might as well go looking for Kakashi before the sun's down and the rain engulfs the entire area of Kohona with darkness.
As the storm became more bitter, Naruto started to get worried, and as time went on he even began to feel powerless. Then, it happened. He---it, showed up. Naruto was stricken with fear. This was new for Naruto, because he had seen the Kyuubi up close and didn't even quiver. But a sudden surge of fear struck him. The 'thing' just stood there, staring... waiting for Naruto to make his move. It quickly flung five kunais ahead, and Naruto barely had the time to dodge them.
Naruto's normal courage overtook his fear. He charged ahead while summoning five clones. He jumped in the air while a clone was helping shape a rasengan. It dodged it with absolute ease. Naruto planted his hands onto the ground and twisted his body just enough to kick it. He hit it dead on the lower neck, but he was shocked when it didn't phase it at all. It raised its arm and flung Naruto ten meters away. Naruto's clones tried attacking, but in a flash, even quicker than Naruto's eyes could catch it, all of the clones disappeared.
Naruto wouldn't let this sway him. He created fifteen more clones and flung three stars ahead. Not only did it dodged them, but ten of his fifteen clones were gone. Still, Naruto jumped at least five meters in the air and tried creating another rasengan. But, as his clone finished it, he felt a sharp blow to his stomach. He flew back at least twenty meters. Somehow, Naruto concluded, it was getting not only stronger, but faster as well.
Naruto figured he had no choices left. It was either rely on the Kyuubi's power, or go into Sage mode. He chose the less damaging choice.
He concentrated deeply and summoned his chakra. It was done. Naruto was in Sage mode and was ready to face it with his highest strength. He charged ahead with a while creating five clones. Three dash foward and the other two move to the sides. Naruto uses a smoke technique and disappears.
His clone on the left quickly jumps ten feet in the air. The three clones in the middle swifly charge into the center to exactly where the beast was standing. The one on the right is falling back and creating a Futon resengan and throws it foward. The one on the left makes his own resengan. It hits it in the other Naruto's shoulder. First excitement comes in the clone's face, but it quickly turns to shock as it's thrown thirty meters back and disappears. The Futon quickly flies foward and hits the thing in its ribs. It shows no signs of being phased at all.
The three clones stop at least seven meters from it. "I-i-imposs-sible..."
The beast gives off an evil smile and it's eyes glow red. It now has the Fox's Cloak with two tails. It flies foward and instantly the four clones disappear. It stands still, as if waiting for something. Suddenly Naruto busts out of the ground with a regular resengan in hand and strikes the beast right in the chin. Naruto jumps back and looks at it. It gives Naruto a crack of a smile and flings its palm foward creating an intense air wave. Sending Naruto back a few meters and burning through his vest.
Naruto's focus is quickly breaking and his courage fading. " W-wh-what are... you? " He asks, but gets no answer. " WHAT ARE YOU?!?! " Naruto says screaming with fear. His fear is added ten-fold when he realises his chakra is gone. His Sage-mode has faded. He quickly runs away into the forest.
"Yes..." Naruto says as the rain petals his head and he looks at his hand, which should have healed by now because of the Kyuubi's powers. But since the rain has been here, he hasn't been able to use any of the Kyuubi's powers. That means his chakra is decreased, the healing power of the Kyuubi is gone, and the Kyuubi's cloak is gone, also. " That's how it happened... "
The mist outside of Tsunade's office surrounded everything beyond 15 feet. It was hard to even see the rest of the town. Sakura walking down the walkway of Tsunade's office, could hear the sounds of the rain pounding on the roof.
Sakura walks into the room and looks at Tsunade. The room is dark and enlightened by candles only. Naruto in the bed with a red mark across his forehead. She walks over to him, puts her hand on his forehead, and looks at Tsunade, who has a dark and grim look on her face.
" What... is causing this? " Sakura asks while her voice cracks.
" I don't know for sure, but we think it has to do with this storm. "
" What do you mean, Tsunade? "
" We don't know for sure... but this could be one of the oldest techniques in this region. It's called Chakra-system separation. And that's pretty much as accurate as it gets. "
" What do you mean? What does it do? Is it like a Genjutsu?"
" Yes, but, it's ten times the power of any Genjustu the Leaf Village has ever known. " Tsunade looks over at Sakura and shares the same look of shock and fear. "E-even bypassing Susuke's Sharigan abilities? " Sakura asks
" Yes. It's the most powerful Genjutsu technique ever created. It was passed down from Kage to Kage. And for good reasons. " Tsunade says while walking over to Naruto's bedside and looking at him for a second. " Something like this... it takes a Kage to even master it... whoever has their hands on it... it's going to be imperative that they're defeated before more people can be 'infected'. " Tsunade says while extra emphasis on 'infected'.
" Why... exactly... is it so... powerful? "
" It ensnares the mind of the victim and puts their own chakra system against them. And it puts them in a subconscious battle with themselves... or worse. In this case, since Naruto has one of the strongest chakra systems in this village, it must have automatically targeted him. Even if it wasn't because of the Kyuubi, Naruto's chakra levels almost by-pass even a Hokage's. " Silence fills the room for the moment. " Does that mean... that the Kyuubi's chakra system is actually fighting Naruto's chakra? "
" Yes. And for Naruto... it's going to be one hell of a hard fight... " Tsunade says while looking at Sakura.
" Wait, then why does Naruto have such a strong fever? "
" Well, simply put, the Kyuubi's powers are still working with Naruto's body. But in Naruto's subconscious, he's battling himself. Or, more blantly said... he's battling the Kyuubi. And in that battle he must be wounded and the Kyuubi's powers are not working. "
" So... Naruto's pretty much on his own against the Kyuubi itself... "
" Yes. And worst of all, is that as long as he keeps his lust and need for the Kyuubi's power... his charka slowly gets weaker... and the Kyuubi gets stronger. " Sakura walks away from Naruto's side and looks out the window into the cold and bitter storm fighting with the buildings of Kohona. " There's... nothing we can actually... do, is there?... "
" I'm afraid not. Naruto is in the toughest battles of his entire life... and it's up to him to win.
The wind blows into the room and touches the candles flames. They go out.
(End Of Chapter One)