Title: Kyuubi the Fox and Uchiha the Raven

Chapter: 2

Autor: Me

Disclaimer: I don't own characters, manga, or anything that has something to do with Naruto. On the other hand, I own the story

Rating: T

Summary: AU. Kyuubi is on the run and now special unit member Raven is on his trail. "It's not your fight anymore. There's only one person I can hurt now and it's you. So either you run or kill me."

Terms:

PA – Point of Arrival, TA – Time of Arrival

Emergence – An act of exiting wormhole by a ship. Or the radiation print left by the ship exiting the wormhole. Federation and Empire ships will drag this easily noticeable radiation long distance/time unlike the most Kingdom of Heaven's units. Flicker – A short spike of wormhole radiation, ninety nine in one hundred flickers are actually a completely natural phenomenon.


Kyuubi the Fox and Uchiha the Raven

Waiting. Waiting was the worst. They reached PA at twenty four minutes to estimated TA and now all they could do was waiting. No ship could cloak its emergence.

Raven resigned himself to the back of a small cabin, polishing his sword with care even if the possibility for it to be of any use in upcoming battle was almost nonexistent. It calmed him, the same way as repeating mantras in his mind. Raven felt his lips almost curl into a faint smile as he dwelled on Uchiha mnemonic technique. Hardly anyone knew it had nothing to do with the actual release of power. The mantras were a tool of discipline designed to help follow patterns, nothing more. How much one relayed on them was a completely different matter.

Seconds trickled slowly and Raven found himself constructing scenarios. If he were to have his way there would be no acquisition, just elimination. Fox was not an enemy to be underestimated. His flight through the Federation left smoldering ruins and thousands of dead.

Uchiha wondered briefly on the subject of Kyuubi's motivation, something no-one was able of grasp. Why would one of the more powerful Zauberers suddenly change his allegiance and turn mass murderer? Every site on his way was a genocide. And Fox refused any communication… Why? There was too many unknown variables, which in turn screwed any simulation he run against himself.

Ritter glanced at the display. Six minutes to TA. He sheathed his sword and against rising nervousness started on his mantras yet again, this time adding controlled breaths.

Five minutes to TA.

"Four twenty seven, we have a flicker," his pilot said. "Four twenty six, flicker gone."

Raven came to look at the console, intrigued.

"Only a flicker?"

"In an out. Might be residue from the wormhole." Raven widened his awareness. Feeling of red hot power made him almost loose his footing.

"He is here, the flicker emergence. Visual at one, one, five, three, fourteen." There's something nagging him as the ships moved to intercept. Something was very not right and he couldn't place his finger on it. Kyuubi's ship was cloaked but it didn't explain a mere flicker as an emergence. Suddenly, realization hit him. "It's Heaven," he muttered.

"Oh fuck…" the pilot was fast on the uptake. "You heard it, Heaven unit, we're not going to get any weapon readings until it's too la…" Too late. Brilliant explosion of red and several lives were claimed. "Shit, shit, shit!" They were evading frantically now. Undeniably, Fox was a genius when it came to piloting. All were in the line of fire.

"Sit on his tail and match speed," Raven hissed. "He's got only a window out front with a ship of this class. Rest of you, fall back! That's an order!"

"You heard the boss, scram rookies," the pilot repeated his order. Three remaining ships started their maneuvers. Again, too late. Another explosion of red light and Fox added new numbers to his death toll. Raven sneered. He was not used to losing his people on regular basis. He was supposed to use his own judgment and right now his mind supplied only one: bastard was going to pay.

"Match the speed, one point up." Raven was decided on running Fox down and then, against not exactly clear orders, just killing him.

"Aye." The brunette noted to himself that he had to command the pilot on his cool and professionalism later, after all this. Probably suggest promotion, too.

And then everything went to hell. Somehow, Kyuubi outmaneuvered them and they became locked in a spiraling dance. Well aimed shot from Kyuubi's ship grazed their main engines and 'Restless Sun', gaining momentum from the hit, slammed into the Heaven unit.

Raven swore. They were falling uncontrollably – Kyuubi's vessel right before them – into a planet he did not notice being here. Kirn Prime. The Pilot was trying frantically to stabilize their flight upon entering outer parts of atmosphere.

oOoOo

Alone in the main auditorium of the Uchiha Clan Council, Raven felt anxious for the first time in his life. Facing against the Head of the clan - his mother - and the rest of the councilmen was completely in opposition to the coda he was brought up to believe. The brunette allowed his head to nod briefly in the acknowledgment of all gathered.

"Explain yourself, Uchiha Raven."

"I don't intend to accept the title of Zauberer. Instead I'm accepting military Ritter position."

He could see his mother bristle with hardly controlled anger.

"Uchiha Raven, you are nothing but a mere child, and as a such you need guidance of your betters!"

"Do you want to state that in spite of his age, blood of the main Uchiha bloodline and his own explicit will you intend to force him into Zauberer title he's not ready for?" Zauberin Lukrezia, dressed in furs and feathers, entered the auditorium and stood next to Raven, smirking dangerously. "Or do you forget he's of age and capable of making his own decisions?"

Mikoto almost snarled.

"Our internal politics are our own and you have no auth…"

"Wrong. Your internal politics are overlooked as long as they don't blatantly oppose the laws." Herrin Lukrezia smiled, her eyes turning gold. "When this little clan of yours becomes more trouble than what is gained from your existence, it will just… disappear."

Not one of the councilmen dared to speak.

"Follow me," she ordered not looking back, and Raven complied.

oOoOo

He awoke not knowing where he was. For a moment, between the waves of pain, he wondered why it was so dark. Then he opened his left eye – the other one was shut by the clotted blood.

Broken wrist, broken ribs, concussion. Various cuts. Raven grimaced making the inventory of his injuries. He had no doubt in attributing his survival to the personal shield. The pilot wasn't that lucky, half of his mutilated face at his feet.

Raven managed to get out of the broken cabin and supported his weight on his sword, looking around. The strange thunderous sound he associated with head wound became louder. The brunette managed to walk several meters before spotting the Fox's crashed ship. And something altogether different.

There was a cackle of fire, sound like thunder that could not stop. Before him stood a great beast composed of smoldering heat. It turned its maw towards Raven and sniffed the wind. The brunette stilled.

The creature was observing him and… inside the small inferno that made stones bleed was a lone man, red eyes gleaming and lips contorted into an insane smile. Kyuubi.

Raven let his sword fall. At the same moment the beast jumped at him, its fiery claws pining him to the ground. The beast opened her jaws and gave a high-pitched whine.

The brunette felt his body burn.