A/N: Bit late on the update, though it was more because I couldn't figure out how to write the scene with Naruto and the two Toguros . Other than that, thanks for the reviews for the last chapter, and review responses at the bottom.
"So we're supposed to go to some thugs mansion in the middle of nowhere and rescue this chick? What's so important about here anyways? Koenma led us to believe she was royalty or something," Yusuke asked, after watching the video of his latest case. It had arrived on the start of a good (in his opinion) day; he woke up late, got exercise going to school, but got intercepted by Hiei mid-way, who handed him a tape and muttered about him being a messenger-boy for Koenma, before disappearing as soon as he showed up. After arriving at school late, and getting an earful from Keiko and the vindictive teachers that were out for his blood, he drifted through the day, wanting it to end so he could use work as an excuse to not attend school for a few days (well, that's what he hoped anyways).
"My knowledge about her is as much as yours Yusuke, though it's not surprising since I was in seclusion for over 400 years. I too, would like to know what is important about this Yukina," Suzaku spoke up, voicing his question as well.
"Don't even think about looking at me, as I'm as clueless as you are about this mission," Naruto muttered. On instinct all three looked at Botan inquiringly, who backed up nervously holding her hands out in a peace offering.
"No-now boys, what makes you think I know something about her relatives? I'm just the assistant for the mission, I didn't assign it," she feebly defended herself.
"Funny Botan, considering I can easily smell your fear and your lie. Now, I don't know why you'd be afraid, as we have no intention of forcing it out via strong-arm tactics, but I could guess you're lying to protect yourself. Now tell us, please," Naruto pipped up.
Her hand in the proverbial cookie-jar, she took a deep breath, "Okay, but you have to promise not to tell anyone. Koenma will kill me when he finds out I told you," seeing everyone nod their head in acknowledgment, she continued, "Okay here goes. The reason why Hiei was given the tape to deliver was because Yukina is his biological sister. Koenma figured that if I showed up and gave Yusuke the tape, then you'd want to invite Hiei and Kurama to assist in her rescue, which most definitely is not a good thing, as I can't guarantee that Hiei could be held back to prevent him from going into the thugs mansion and killing everyone, human or Apparition." Everyone sans Naruto had a look of shock on their face, though it was obvious he was shocked as well. A tense silence followed the bombshell, making them wonder who'd break it.
"Well that, ladies and gentlemen, is the proverbial shit hitting the fan," Naruto was the one to break the silence, with an obvious piece of knowledge, but something needed to explain their situation. Getting up, he stretched and walked to the door of Genkai's shrine, "I don't know about you guys, but I'm not gonna let Hiei have all the fun, so I'm off to join him in killing many people no one will miss. Later!"
As he stepped out of the door, Botan tried to call him back, to no avail. A dejected look graced her non-human face, making her look depressed and worried at the same time, and was snapped out of it by Yusuke's laughing, "Oh come on Botan! It's not like he's gonna pull a dumb ass move and try to get in Hiei's way of rescuing his sister, he's just gonna make sure to get there before everyone else; the torturers included. Don't worry, he'll be back in one piece, I'll make sure it, for your sake," he cheered up Botan, feeling oddly protective of the Grim Reaper. It was something that made him question why he was really going to help the blonde. Did he want Naruto to come home alive so he didn't have a depressed Botan on his hands, or was he doing it for the mere prospect of kicking ass? It was something he'd have to think about at a later date.
"Tell me again, why every damn mission starts in the fucking WILDERNESS?!" Yusuke shouted, to no one in particular, not that anyone would pay attention to him otherwise.
"Maybe because they like their privacy? Thugs have feelings too you know, don't want any batty, old, neighbors dropping in out of the blue and discovering your super-secret torture-scheme, do you?" Naruto shot back sarcastically. Suzaku, seeing the humor in the comment, merely chuckled at Yusuke's expense.
Biting back a retort, Yusuke turned to the direction of the mansion they were headed to, an ominous affecting them. "You can come out now. No use hiding when we can smell you a mile away," the Spirit Detective commented loud enough for a demon to emerge from the foliage. It's body resembled that of an overgrown spider, with long fangs and drool added for intimidation tactics. Raising one eyebrow, Yusuke continued, "You know, I can understand why you were hiding, just a second ago. You saw us three and pissed your pants out of fear, though that's not surprising. We are rather intimidating, aren't we guys."
"Too true Yusuke, if I was him I would've taken an early vacation out of fear," Suzaku pipped up. "I mean, just look at him, all eight of his legs are shaking simultaneously, it's a wonder he's still standing, truth be told."
"I'll have to agree with you on that one Suzaku, I can smell his piss from back here, though it could be because of the intensity of him pissing himself," Naruto chimed in. Reaching into his pouch strapped on his belt, he lazily threw a kunai at the demon, it's fear preventing it from dodging the blow, killing it instantly. "Well, now that they know were hear, lets go in, shall we?"
"I agree, lets go introduce ourselves to the new neighbors, it'd be rude not to," Yusuke agreed, grabbing Naruto's thrown kunai and tossing it back to the former-ninja, who put it back in his pouch. "So what's the plan? Are we gonna have one act as the scout and rescuer and the others to be crowd control, or are we just gonna bust in and play it by ear?"
"Koenma's tape didn't say there was powerful demons here, so we can rule out the possibility of running into someone we can't handle. I'd suggest we split up when we get in there, into a group of 2, and a single person. The person not in a group will track Yukina down and we'll rendezvous at the gates. Should you encounter Hiei, well, you're on your own for that one. I'm not saying he'd turn traitor, but if this was my sister trapped in here, I'd bust in with the big guns blazing, so treat him with caution until you know he won't attack you to rescue her himself," Naruto answered. Yusuke nodded while Suzaku looked in thought.
"What if Tarukane hired out some more powerful demons? I'm not saying I doubt our abilities and limited tactics when it comes to working as a team, but what if his money allowed him to get something stronger than what we've faced before? We could possibly walking into a trap blindly, and it could cost us," the Saint Beast spoke up.
"I hate to undermine your planning Naruto, since you're the best at it, of the people here, but he's got a point," Yusuke admitted.
Naruto was silent for a second, and he looked deep in thought. "Two demons. I can't pinpoint it, but they're way beyond your guy's rank and power, at the least. I could take them on, but I doubt I'd win since they're both of the same strength, though their both masking most of their energy quite well. It looks-" he was cut off mid-sentence by grabbing his head in pain, cursing quite loudly. "They know we're hear, and they've got a little betting pool going on, with us as the main subject. I was able to get their names before I lost contact though, and before they noticed I was there. They go by the names of the Toguro brothers, though I couldn't tell you who's older and who's younger. Whatever you do, avoid them at all costs, as I can't be sure of their intentions, but I got a sinking feeling it's not good."
Yusuke and Suzaku were shocked at the admission that Naruto himself might not win against the two, and he was known to shrug off Storm of Torment's like they were rain-drops. They walked in silence towards the mansion, neither having anything worth saying, since they would have to be careful about the mission, as neither liked the prospect of dying so early in their life; though it didn't bother Yusuke as it did the others, since he had already died once (though they all had a good laugh about it when he told them). Occasionally a demon would step forward to attempt to kill them, but they were killed without the trio breaking their causal pace. Ahead lay the gates blocking most of the entrances to the Tarukane's mansion, with obvious lumps in the ground indicating a minefield.
"How about knocking Suzaku? Maybe they'll be nice and open the door for us before we bust it down," Naruto commented, an arrogant smirk on his face. The other two relaxed and adopted similar grins; once Naruto got his head into any fight, it was hard to top him, as they had experienced. It was as though he was a puppet-master, capable of making anyone jump at his beck and call, and it made him deadly against opponents who underestimated him. Feeling the morale of the group jump a couple hundred points, Suzaku shot a small bolt of lightning at the ground, striking the metal spike sticking out of the ground, detonating it and causing a chain reaction, the other mines also detonating.
Once they felt they had knocked and wait a sufficient amount of time for them to open the door, they shrugged and walked calmly across the smoldering ground. Numerous demons scattered the ground between the wall and the mansion, but it didn't stop their ascent, they died when they got within 5 meters of the group, Naruto's demon working overtime by pumping demonic chakra out of Naruto's body, forming an aura that vaporized any and all demons that were too weak to resist it's pull.
Kicking in the door, they noticed there was demons wandering the halls, and those who were, quickly fled in fear. "Well it seems that our guests aren't around. Shall we make ourselves at home then?" Yusuke asked rhetorically.
Looking around, Naruto took note of the general layout of the entrance and it's subsequent hallways. "Yukina is in the eastern wing of the mansion. The Toguro brothers are in the northern wing. It goes without saying that we stay as far away from them as possible. Even if I let my demon take control over my body, there is still a good chance of me losing since it damages my body while it's in effect," Naruto commented, jumping onto the second floor of the mansion and breaking out in a sprint in the direction of the tower. The other's followed at a slower pace, intending to take care of the stragglers that had a death wish, until they noticed a large pile of demons that were laying in a pool of blood, all victims of a sword-wound, indicating that Hiei had been through that hallway very recently, the blood still fresh and moist.
Naruto came into their view shortly, slightly out of breath and looking slightly pale. "We're leaving right now. The Toguro's are headed this way, but Hiei got Yukina out of after I told him what was happening. He said he'd place her somewhere safe and assist us if we needed it," he breathed out, not bothering for a response as he ran past them and back down the hallway they came from. Fearful, Yusuke and Suzaku followed Naruto, all three in a dead sprint wanting to get away from the mansion as soon and fast as possible.
It was five minutes later when the mission went to hell in a hand-basket; just before getting to the still-smoking minefield, the trio felt an intense aura of demon energy emanate from behind them and dreadfully looked over their shoulders to see the Toguro Brothers, walking through the doors of the mansion with a casual pace, one of the brothers perched upon the other's shoulder, clinging to him like a doll. A maniacal laugh shook them from their fear-induced paralysis, causing them to take off at a desperate dash towards the minefield. Unperturbed, their path was blocked by the larger Toguro, who batted them away with a simple backhand.
"Now now, it wouldn't be nice to leave your guests house without announcing it, would it?" he questioned, his voice deeper than Genbu, and more gravely.
Deciding their own voices wouldn't work, they instead rushed him and attempted to attack him, but were stopped by another backhand, though with more force, which knocked them five meters away from him. Unaffected, they rose to their feet and tried it again, this time avoiding his attacks as much as possible, their attacks not very little effective against his much-larger body. Minutes passed with their stamina draining fast from the failed attacks, but they wouldn't give up without a fight. After growing bored, the Toguro decided to end it by increasing his aura and blowing them away with just it, much to the chagrin of the trio.
"What is this guy? It's like nothing we try affects him!" Yusuke muttered harshly, rather obviously too.
"I don't know. He seems unaffected by any of our physical attacks, so how about our other techniques?" Suzaku suggested.
Instead of answering, they had to dodge a crack in the ground that opened beneath them, the crack continuing towards the mansion where a section of it sank. Toguro stood at the beginning of the crack, indicating he had opened it by merely punching the ground.
"If you're going to try those techniques, then I am going to use my own," he informed them.
Instead of answering, Suzaku and Yusuke launched their own signature attacks at him; The Storm of Torment and the Spirit Gun, respectively. Instead of dodging the demon (or whatever he was) just stood there, taking the attacks head on without bothering to even block. Victorious looks graced Yusuke and Suzaku's face, thinking their attacks had done him in, but Naruto knew better. It was like he was toying with them...
"Don't be surprised; he is." the Nibi input, interrupting his thoughts.
'But...why? Why would he toy with us when he could kill us without trying?' Naruto questioned her.
"I'm not a mind-reader, so you'll just have to ask him," she responded sarcastically.
'Right. That'll go over like a lead balloon,' he muttered.
In the time it took for that ten second conversation, Yusuke and Suzaku had been surprised and overcome by the Toguro, who looked as menacing as ever.
"If this is her apprentice, then she must be slipping in her old age. To let such a weak human become her apprentice, the choices must have been very poor," he muttered, probably towards Yusuke in order to get him riled up. As the taller being reach to pull Yusuke to his feet, his hand's movement was stopped by Naruto, who had a firm grip on the beings arm, preventing him from moving it.
"I'll be your opponent big boy," the blonde informed him calmly, not letting go of the other beings arm.
"And what makes you think I want to fight you?" he questioned him.
"It's not so much as thinking you want to fight me, but more of you having no choice but to fight me. Unless you want to be killed that is," Naruto replied, indicating to a being behind his back, where Hiei stood, his sword pointed at him. Breaking his arm from Naruto's grip, he scoffed at the statement but backed away, where Naruto handed the other two to the black-haired demon, "Get them out of here and somewhere safe, where they can recover. I'll be along shortly... If I win that is."
"Hn, just don't get yourself killed, that is my duty," the three-eyed demon spat at him, but did as Naruto ordered, and fled the scene quickly.
Rolling his left shoulder, he slide into a defensive position, a purple aura flaring up around him, "I'm not taking any chances on your strength. I'm not going to hold back on you either, so unless you wish to die, I suggest you take me serious," briskly the Jinchuuriki told the other being, who seemed unfazed at the turn of events.
"Why should I take you seriously? The only trick you can do is summon spirits of the dead, so-" he was cut off by Naruto landing a strong kick across his face, breaking his sunglasses and tossing him twenty feet away. Without bothering to see him stand, Naruto launched himself at him again, this time slashing his chest with needle-point claws forming an odd tribalesque scar on the taller mans chest. A sudden change in the mans aura caused Naruto to jump back in safety, wondering if he was going to be taken seriously for once in his short life. "It seems I should take our fight more seriously then, stranger. If I was any normal human that kick would have killed me instantly, taking my head off cleanly. If I was any normal demon, the slashes would have done me in. As it is, these wounds will be hard to heal. So be honored that I fight you with 40 of my power, as-" yet again he was cut off mid-sentence by Naruto gutting him with his claws, coughing up blood in the process.
"Keh, you're pathetic. Talking when you have the chance to kill me, it's rather sad," the Nibi's container commented morbidly, a hint of mock-sadness lacing his words. Turning away, Naruto walked a moderate pace in the direction Hiei and the others had fled, but was stopped upon getting impaled by large spikes. Doubling over in pain, he attempted to look over his shoulder, and caught a glimpse of the other Toguro brother.
"My, it seems my hand slipped, how clumsy of me," came the sadistic yet smooth voice of the shorter Toguro, who seemed rather relaxed with his hand stretched over 20 feet. As though he were trying to work out the stiffness in them, the longer digits contracted around Naruto's inner organs, making the blonde cough up blood violently. Ignorant to the events surrounding him (or so it seemed) the taller Toguro stood tall, the previously fresh wounds healing quickly, leaving no scars, and turned to talk to his brother about something in a hushed voice.
'Got any plans for getting us out of this mess, or shall I ask for a quicker, less-painful death?' Naruto asked sarcastically.
"There is one, however the reprecussions might be something you might not like," she retorted calmly, as though she were used to life-and-death situations.
'What kind of "repercussions" are we talking about? Cause I don't wanna be like a little kid on a sugar high, god knows what the others would think if they found out I was faking my lack of energy,' he shot back. To be truthful, Naruto rather liked lazing around Genkai's shrine when he got the chance, though when he was given the task of training someone, he would come up with an elaborate (and effective) method of training that used the least amount of energy for him as possible; while forcing the other person to use up as much energy as possible. When cornered about it, he merely lied through his teeth, telling them the drawbacks of having a demon stored in his body meant having a lower stamina than other people, though it was obviously false.
"They're physical changes. To be more specific, you'd gain a slightly feline make-over: longer and sharper nails, cat-like eyes (with night-vision as and added bonus), better sense of smell, balance, and everything else a cat has sans the fur and tail."
'And what exactly, is required for this plan to work? Cause I'm not giving you control of my body.'
"Idiot. If I wanted control over your body I'd just take control of it. But I'm talking about removing the 'seal' that's keeping me in here. It'll cause a temporary fusion between our spirits, however, you'll take the form of my original body, not a hybrid of the two. You will have a window of two minutes to deal with these pests before my spirit is forcefully expelled from your body, and after that, I'll end up drifting into the after life." She chastised him softly. Shock filled Naruto at the admittance from the demon.
'You're kidding, right? You can't be that helpless that you, the great controller of spirits, can't manipulate your own into staying around, can you?' They had been attached at the hip (somewhat literally) since he had discovered her when he was 5 years old. '
Flashback- 9 years ago
It was just another day in the life of Uzumaki Naruto, walking home after another boring day at the Academy. Today had been a mere bore for the boy, since he had known everything the teacher had taught, thanks to his Anko-nee-chan, who took it as her "civic duty to take you under my wing and have you show up every little shit at the Academy!", or something like that (she had been slightly drunk when she made that admission, not to mention she was very much nude, but that was normal around their household). In truth, he was wondering if he was allowed to graduate and start his work as a Genin at any time, or if he had to wait until he was twelve for it to happen. He didn't want to wait 7 long years, since he doubted he would be able to hold back his homicidal urges the next time he was supposed to preform Henge (which he excelled at, out of the three jutsu's they taught at the Academy).
Due to his inner turmoil, he failed to note the twin shadows that were tailing him, as he wove through the less-traveled parts of the residential area, nor did he notice when they cast a simple, yet effective Genjutsu on him; forcing him to live and face the darkest part of him, whether it be hidden in his subconscious, or consciousness. He did notice, however, when he bumped into a wall, which he was pretty sure didn't pop up between that morning and the time he got out of school. Also, he noticed the small piece of paper that seemed to be seal the a door to the surrounding wall, with the Kanji for "Seal" displayed proudly on it.
"So the maggot decides to pay me a visit, how...typical of a human; to come begging for help when they need it the most. But yet, they would turn their backs on you in a second if someone else were to come looking for help of their own," a dark voice laughed morbidly, the tone oddly female, albeit with a slightly cool air surrounding it.
"Who the hell are you?" Naruto questioned the being, never one for beating around the bush.
"Me? Why I'm the Nekomata no Nibi, you're prisoner and executioner," sadistically she growled out the comment, attempting to force open the door but failing horribly, "Damn this seal and damn the maggot that sealed me in here!" raging she tried to open the door, but again fell short.
A depressed sigh slid through Naruto's lips as he approached the door and calmly removed the slip of paper that caused the Nibi such problems. "I do not appreciate those who force others into cages they want nothing to do with. Do what you wish with your life, but do not confine yourself to this cell, as I do not wish to be responsible for creating a being that keeps themselves chained to the shackles of the past," he muttered, much to the surprise of the cat-demon. Intending to walk away, he was halted by the female.
"Why? Why did you unseal me without even knowing me? I could have killed you, for all you knew," the Nibi asked him.
"My only family member is incapable of expressing true love, simply because she's shackled to the past by her rage and hatred for her former master. He took her under his wing and trained her when no one else would, and when he was through with her, he threw her away like trash and fled, even after she wanted to go with him, consequences be damned. It is not a bad thing however, as I wouldn't change anything about her, since I doubt I would be as well-prepared for the trials of a shinobi if she were any less of a person, which I'm grateful for," the young boy replied maturely. "As I said, do as you wish with your life, whether it be take over my body and get your revenge, or pass silently into the afterlife, it doesn't matter to me."
The Nekomata was silent, thinking over what had just happened. She hated the maggot who had sealed her here, but not the person she had been sealed in; since he obviously had no choice in the operation with him being hours old and whatnot, but why exactly did he unseal her with only three minutes of conversation in their file? There had to be some sort of ulterior motive, it just didn't make sense for a human to unseal her so selflessly as he just did. "Why did you give me a second chance in life?"
"Everyone makes bad decisions in their life. It's what makes us mortal, and separates us from the gods. However, making a bad decision is a strong point, and not a weakness, as we can learn from mistakes and bad decisions, whereas gods and other similar beings can't. Do what you will with your second chance, it doesn't matter to me," Naruto said, walking away again. This time the Nekomata no Nibi didn't stop him.
"Naruto, I've been living on borrowed time since you unsealed me, you know this because the old man told you shortly after our meeting," she explained to him, trying to get him to see that it was her time to die and move on. "If there was any other option, trust me, I would take it, but there is no other way. The wounds you suffered from the small one are too vital to try something with a lower chance of success. At least this way you will defeat them, and be able to carry a part of me within you, the knowledge that my legacy and gifts to you will assist you and any of your descendants, no matter how many generations pass and how thin the blood becomes."
'But...why? Why do you want to do this?'
"Because, you have become something important to me, despite how corny that may sound, coming from a voice in your head. You've turned into something of a brother to me, albeit a brother I have no control over. And, it's my time to move on as it is, I've been on this planet for too long and am long overdue for some R&R, and I can't get that with you moping about how I'm gone and you'll never be the same again."
'Hey! I will not mope about you being gone, you damned cat. Actually, I might be rather glad you'll be gone, since I might have some peace and quiet, and not have to deal with your bitching and moaning about how lazy I am.'
A mutual silence passed between the two as they readied for the final action they would take as a "team", "Naruto, just make me a promise when you get tired of sitting on your ass and kicking ass."
'What is it? It better not be naming my first child after you, so you can come back and haunt me on your death day,' he muttered darkly.
"No, but strangely it's related to a similar subject. I know it's not my place, since I'll be dead in about 2 minutes, but I think you should settle down with a nice girl," she suggested innocently. Naruto's left eyebrow twitched rather unhealthily at the suggestion.
'I'm 14 god-damned years old for fucks sake!' he snapped at her harshly.
The Nekomata's own spiritual eyebrow twitched at his comment, "I wasn't suggesting you do it now, dumb ass. I was talking about when you get older and tired of this 'hero' bullshit you seem fond of, but tell others you don't like doing."
Naruto blinked owlishly, his mouth forming an O, 'Oh,' he answered meekly, suddenly feeling small. 'So I just remove the seal and become you for two minutes? What if they're still alive after those 2 minutes?'
"If they're still alive after those two minutes, then you won't need to worry about not seeing me for a long time," she commented morbidly.
'Right, so I gotta off them in two minutes so I don't have to put up with your eternal bitching. Well, there's no time like the present, as they always say,' he muttered removing the remaining seal that kept the Nekomata no Nibi bound to Naruto for almost ten years.
The first physical change was of Naruto changing into a five-foot tall cat, which then grew a second tail, and then grew to about 60 feet tall, and 30 feet wide. His claws grew from three-inches to three-feet, and his teeth from two-inch long incisors, to two-feet long ones. Naruto's fur started off thin, similar to that of a cats, but grew shaggy and reminiscent of a bears fur, capable of stopping any blade that attempted to pierce it's hide. Overall the visage of a sickly-purple colored 60 foot tall cat was rather impressive, and fear-inducing, though neither Toguro's felt either emotion.
"Pathetic. To change into your full-demon form when you've lost, it's truly sad. I can't guarantee a painful death this way," the taller one admitted with a hint of remorse of what he was about to do. As he took one step, Naruto decided not to waste any time, and rushed into action, calling upon the spirits of the surrounding area, of the creatures killed over thousands of years. They materialized swiftly, dressed in Samurai garb of years past, some missing a limb or two, a few missing their more vital appendages, but all willing to kill for the master of spirits, if only to move on into the afterlife. Without a word spoken they rushed the two Toguros, their ghost-like swords piercing flesh, surprising both brothers who were incapable of lashing out at the ghosts, their arms, hands, and legs passing through their bodies with no physical indication they damaged them. It took thirty seconds for them to dispose of the demons, to which Naruto dismissed them and let them pass into the afterlife to be reunited with relatives and lovers, after which Naruto left in the direction of Hiei and the others, but passing out half-way when the Nibi's spirit was forcefully kicked out of his body, leaving him to sleep in his more-human body while the Nekomata wished him good luck in his future adventures.
A/N: Another chapter done, yay. For those wondering about the plot, it's gonna start, just a few chapters down the road. Until then, you (and I) gotta deal with the quasi-fillers that serve no purpose except setting the ground work for the real plot and getting the characters evened out, in which I mean setting up their future personalities for later.
Liankitty: Yeah, I kinda like a lazy Naruto as well. Not a whole lot of it in this chapter, but you'll see a pretty lazy Naruto for the Dark Tournament, whenever that starts.
RevanLah: Kyuubi is alive and well, however whether that's in the body of another person, or in his own body, that'll be for you to speculate until I get to him. P
That's about it for the review responses, but if you got other questions, feel free to head over to A Demons Desire (link in my profile), we're a somewhat small community that mostly focuses on talking about anime, fanfiction (though mostly Naruto fanfiction), and everything else in between.
Until the next chapter folks! (Which will be in a few days, I predict)
