To Change a Demon's Nature
Chapter Three: Weaving the Web
No blood-stained canines, no scissor-hands, no eyes alight with fiery malice or menacing aura to alert his prey; Naruto was a picture of benign innocence. With the patience and control he had gruelingly cultivated throughout his short time of existence, he skillfully kept his roiling emotions from surfacing. In the attempt to make his victims unaware until it was time to begin the hunt, to begin the genocide of the human population and begin the world anew. All of this, his hidden agenda and personality, were well concealed as he swung his arms purposefully and marched into the classroom, appearing full of ambition and determination. It was the beginning of the greatest irony, his greatest joy. He was racked with trembles of mirthful delirium as the curtains opened and the prelude to his personal play began. It had long been decided that the youth would get to know these pathetic beings, whose only use is to be slaughtered by him, gain their trust and, as his loved one had done, betray them and making sure they felt the pain and anguish that had tormented him and deranged his mind.
Remembering where he was currently he shook himself free of the imps whispering devilish thoughts into his ears, in case his intent was sensed by others. Teeth glistened in their whitened appearance as their bearer grinned mischievously, surveying the unlucky lot. To most accustomed to the bustling village life and commerce that accompanied it, silence seemed to envelope the entirety of the minute room. To Naruto the noisy breathing of his peers, the squeaks of their chairs as they fought to obtain a better vantage point of this mysterious new arrival, the hushed whispering of the frantically gossiping girls, it all irked him so. Still, he smiled widely, making sure his eyes glimmered with something that looked like hope of making new friends. The clock on the eastern wall ticked rhythmically throughout the whole occurrence, though the world seemingly stood still, time stops for no being. After another moment or so of the students appraising the wraith-like child and Naruto rummaging through his databases of each juvenile and their lineage, Iruka audibly cleared his throat.
The brunette, trying to appear calm and centered though he was wary of the newcomer introduced him brightly to the class. "Now everyone, as you can see we have a new student today. He has been...ill, for a while but has now come to join us. You will all treat him kindly and make him feel welcomed. Naruto you may introduce yourself if you like." All eyes immediately refocused on the orange-clad figure. Said figure snickered internally as he caught his teacher's chestnut eyes darting to him every few moments, as if he was a ticking time-bomb. 'You're right to be on edge, my friend.' He broadened his stance and sucked in an immeasurable amount of air, filling up the entirety of his lungs and stomach, filling him to the point of bursting.
"Hello! My name is Naruto Uzumaki, remember it! As Iruka-sensei has said I have been sick for a bit but don't think that I'm weak. I'm going to be Hokage one day!" This confident statement voiced in a boisterous alto enveloped the class clashing against drums harshly, on account of its sheer magnitude. He then unleashed another devastating smile, similar to that of one of the most widely feared green-wearing beast of Konoha. His onlookers, stunned, didn't know what to think of their new addition. Initially he looked like the spirit of a murdered nobel, both frightening yet alluring. His iridescent skin made even the Uchiha look tan, lengthy golden hair swept into a low ponytail was that of a holy being. Eyes that could captivate and ensnare with a single glance and the mien of a dignified aristocrat. Paper thin marks sliding across his angular face, an effect of making him look ever more regal. Contrarily, his malnourished body swam in his new wardrobe making him seem even smaller than he already appeared. It made him appear sickly, as if he was infected with the black plague, and vastly more pale, to the extent that he seemed to be a corpse on the way to the morgue. His outburst revealing his shockingly rambunctious character along with his nauseous, toxic neon apparel left his peers in utter confusion as they began to battle with the contradictions of his image and personality.
"That's great, Naruto. Now you can go take that empty seat next to Sasuke in the back." Iruka stammered, scratching the crown of his cranium. 'Apparently my acting skills has sent his miniscule brain reeling.' Shifting his weight slightly, the runt of the classroom located the desk in question and bounced through the walkway until he seated himself with a resounding "thunk". Obsidian eyes instantly clashed against cerulean as they sent out unspoken words of warning along with undeniable curiosity. Ebony locks framed an ashen face accented by a strong jaw-line. Pale roseate lips were set in a subtle sneer as he noticed his curiosity of the moment staring him down. Fingers interlaced in a locking platform on which to support his head, twitched minutely out of irritation. The interaction created a new emotion in the blonde, one that he was unaccustomed to, one that made him smirk, daring the boy to act upon his desire to confront him.
'Look at this Kyuubi, this little snot thinks he can take me on!' The only reply he received was the unrelated response of 'Hmm, why does this child look familiar...' . Henceforth, they both began to rewind through their numberless volumes of statistics. As soon as the tense static between the two began it dissipated out of existence, Naruto's mind was directed to and occupied by an unexpected movement. Out of his astute peripheral the demon vessel noticed a hand rising hesitantly but didn't acknowledge it until his "sensei" exclaimed, "Yes Sakura."
Azure globes latched onto lily-pads as the cotton-headed youth began her query. She almost gasped as the intensity of the astounding spheres. A soft coral began to creep into her cheeks as she began to feel disconcerted about her newest classmate's staring. Had it not been for his unappealing outburst and distorted sense of fashion, she could see herself being attracted to the carrier of such glittering, entrancing eyes.
"I-I was just wondering what Naruto was sick with? He has missed three years of school and all." She fumbled through her question trying to replace the image of the noble's hypnotizing stare with that of the more socially acceptable Uchiha heir. A shadow of a smile split knowingly as he watched the soon-to-be kunoichi stumble, slightly flustered by his unusual but enticing physique. It was only a moment later when a malicious grin slipped across his face, his upper lip curled into a snarl, exposing a fang, but as quickly as it had appeared it vanished, as he contemplated her inquiry.
"Well you see, was your name Sakura?" After receiving a curt nod he continued making certain to use vocabulary suitable for a child his age who was not taught by an ageless demon. "Well Sakura-chan, I have a parasite living inside me. It cannot be removed as has been acting up for years, leaving some afraid that it may begin to run amok." A deliberate pause as this sprite of a child cast a glance at his instructor a look of mischief mixed with mild loathing. Then his eyes swept over the classroom for dramatic effect, making sure that all were captivated by his tale. "I was first brought to the Hokage's private hospital when I was very young to get specialized care since the staff at the general hospital were not able to find a way to treat my sickness. I was extremely lucky though, because a great medic was wondering through, looking for a little gambling money. I was taken under the legendary Sannin's, Tsunade's, care as she attempted to contain this evil illness. Unfortunately this particular parasite is a bit rowdy and foxy in nature and could not be tamed. So she had to find a way to confine and isolate it so it could no longer do any harm. Now though, I'm better than ever and ready to become Hokage!" Triumphant sapphire eyes met chocolate egging him to accuse the crafty juvenile of breaking the law, telling the new generation of the demon that ravaged the city eight years prior. Finding himself speechless at all the hidden meanings in the boy's intricate web he deftly nodded his head and prepared his lesson plan.
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Seating himself next to the austere looking raven he propped his elbow on the desk to support his own head as he gazed intently, searching. The object of his fixation fidgeted uncomfortably, he was not particularly fond of being scrutinized and evaluated. Nevertheless, he ignored his new table-mate trying to keep his face of stone intact. 'Why is it that you're so familiar?' The golden youth contemplated as he effortlessly slipped into his domain. Sifting through his memories he found those that seemed to relate to this particular youth and compiled them into one set of data. Inserting the disk into his mental screen he watched as the various scenes unfolded before him. A clan being slaughtered mercilessly by one's brother leaving one to be the soul survivor, being bitten by a sadistic, fanged libertine, growing into a formidable opponent that will inevitably accomplish his goal. That is, if Naruto allowed him to live that long.
"So this is him, huh? One of the last remaining Uchihas. He doesn't appear so remarkable." Eyes shifted to his companion seated leisurely next to him. "Didn't you know an Uchiha in your time?"
The Kyuubi contemplated the unexpected inquiry, remembering the fearsome night he encountered the man. The captive paced restlessly as his tailed whipped violently against the thick, iron bars that ensnared him, a low growl rumbling from his trachea in frustration. From inside the seal the fox could see the ebony sky sprinkled with balls of immaculate energy that illuminated the night-world. Could smell the bitter scent of fresh grass, wet from the afternoon's thunderstorm; could hear the crisp tearing as a young fawn ripped the bark off a long-dead sakura tree. Kyuubi could sense all that occurred around him but he could not feel it himself, he could not be where such simple feats transpired. He desperately longed for the open air, to be able to sleep under the numerous stars on a soft mattress of autumn leaves, to be free from his accursed prison. Rage filled his entirety as his indignation about being caged increased. To think that those wretched humans who started pointless wars, damaged the earth beyond repair, treated one another so cruelly and barbarically had trapped him, the mightiest of the tailed beasts, an extraordinary Goliath. It was laughable, pitiful and left a taste of bitter loathing in the beast's mouth. The russet being promised agonizingly slow deaths to all that inhabited this land and made him suffer such a humiliation. Revitalized, he thrashed and tore at the cage using all the powers the gods had bestowed upon him to try to release himself and seek vengeance.
His host screamed and wailed in distress as she tried to keep the seal from breaking while enduring one of the most painful tasks one could undertake. The task of childbirth. The red-furred demon knew that it was underhanded of him to be inflicting upon this woman excruciating physical pain while bombarding and poisoning her mind at such a trying time, especially when she had been nothing but amiable and accommodating to the demon but this would be his one and only chance to escape. A new resolve filled the ancient as he summoned all of his power sending a portion of it rapidly coursing down each tail. He began to sweat with the effort as each tail transmuted the energy to one another, creating a tangible sphere of coursing red chakra in the center. Panting he sent more and more chakra, bringing his reserves down to half until the bubble of energy was nearly a third his size. It was at that moment when Uchiha Madara appeared, causing chaos in the outer world as he abducted the newborn and lead the Fourth away from Kushina leaving her virtually defenseless to an attack.
Grinning triumphantly the Kyuubi sent the ball spiraling towards the seal and ripped his way out of the cage, forcing himself out of his shrieking host who despite all her attempt and will-power could no longer contain the being. As he cracked his spine and loosed up his limbs, for the first time in over two decades, he let out an elated howl. Such a tremendous sound it was that it could be heard all the way in Sunagakure. It rattled the earth, bringing about landslides in the mountainous areas; waves stirred crashing vehemently against the cliffs until they surpassed their heights, drowning towns in their icy chill; trees collapsed under the magnitude of his roar and the power he released. This moment of exuberance, though, was short-lived as he felt a tremendous power seeping into his being, taking control from the inside. His vision went red as he felt such potent enmity that he could not even describe it he located the source to be a wickedly grinning man with haunting red eyes. It was then that the divine Nine-Tail lost all control over his being and began a destructive rampage that would forever be remembered.
Releasing himself from the unwelcome reverie he replied, "Yes, he went by the name of Uchiha Madara, a frightening powerful man for a mere mortal. At one time I almost succumbed to his strength completely. This boy, his essence is so similar that I almost mistook him for my old foe. He is assuredly a direct descendant of the man. In the future take caution, there may be more occurring here than has been foretold." The younger of the two disregarded the other's words and yawned, he hated it when his mentor lectured him. "Don't worry Kyuubi, I have nothing to fear. I will smudge out his life before he can become a threat." was his nonchalant reply. With that he and his inhabitant began rummaging for information about all the other children who comprised the class.
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Sasuke, unnerved by the blonde's staring turned fiercely to tell him off when he noticed the glazed eyes of the other. Surprise engrossed the heir as he blinked at this unforeseen development. Deviating his head in the direction the boy was gazing he noticed nothing particularly interesting about the off-white wall; no scratches to trace, no stones to count, no spots with which to connect dots. Thus his only conclusion that the smaller of the two was sleeping, rather skillfully, with his eyes open. Shrugging as the young Uchiha had lost interest, he went back to half concentrating on what his sensei was explaining and occupying the other half with thoughts of his brother gasping for air underneath his firm grasp, feebly attempting a jutsu to no avail. Glancing, yet again, at the new arrival he thought stoically, 'What a way to make a first impression.'
Unbeknown to both prepubescents someone else in the room was thinking along similar lines. Iruka glared at his new student, it was his first day of school, it was his first half-hour of school and yet he was already gone off to his own personal wonderland. The chuunin was accustomed to receiving those looks from his students but he was not fond of them on the student's first day! Picking up the chalkboard eraser he clenched it in his hands, making dust fly through the air like contaminating spores. Tossing it lightly up and catching it a couple times, while he flawlessly continued his rehearsed lesson about the history of the kunai, he tried to calm himself. He set the projectile down forcibly, bottling up his annoyance and prompting himself to take the high road but it was taken back up immediately as he saw one blonde head droop downward and a light snore ensue. Without a second's hesitation he launched the six by two inch rectangle shouting irritably, "You could at least pretend to be awake!"
From his internal realm an intent jinchuuriki searched for reports and documents concerning the Hyuuga and the Juinjutsu they used to control the branch families. The sheer abundance of information about the perennial family was astounding. He could find everything concerning the Hyuugas, from their ancient history of creation, their standing in Konoha, their fighting style, each member's profile but he could not uncover any tidbit of information, any negligible scrap of data on how to break this similar burden. Unleashing a frustrated sigh he walked to what he considered his guardian angel, "No luck. I told you as much before you started racking through everything, sending everything into disarray. I would have recalled something like that, after you, yourself, were branded."
Defeated the youth plunged into the welcoming embrace of a plump and relaxing burgundy coach, pouting a bit while scuffing his sandals on the damp floor absent-mindedly. Though his mental state and experiences had hardened him throughout these eight years of life the Kyuubi had no trouble ascertaining that this boy was still nothing more than a mere child.
"We can always investigate the archives in the Hyuuga complex, kit." A suggestion was made that accomplished its goal of minutely enliven the blonde but he quickly reverted to a despondent demeanor. "I'm just afraid that time will pass me by and I'll miss my chance." Needing no clarification as to what he was referring, the humanoid fox merely ran his slim fingers through the silken, wheat tresses. "I know you are set on killing him, Naruto, but it may not be what Kami has planned."
Aggravated by where this conversation was heading, he stiffened his body, sinking further into himself, "Kyuubi, you know that killing him is what kept me going. I was so close to committing suicide multiple times. I could have drawn gashes far deeper than you could heal, I could have bitten off my tongue, I could have exhausted both our reserves of chakra and died from fatigue and dehydration, but I didn't. Do you know why? It is all because of my desire to bath in his blood, feel his flesh and tissues give way under my lethal strike, to see his eyes cloud over fear lacing his features. This is the reason why I have survived up until now and there is no way that I will let something as trivial as Kami stop me!" He sneered, the ambiance of his mindset darkening to match his aura.
Suddenly the juvenile was on the floor shaking, gasping he tried to regain composure, his muscles quivering uncontrollably like a leaf desperately attempting to stay anchored in the midst of a hurricane. All the rage and pain seemed to be building up, putting him under atmospheres of pressure, trying to crush him into nonexistence. Forcing him to succumb under their polluting emanations. Tears leaked from his eyes but everything, all the emotions that threatened to throttle him, all the turmoil that ravaged through his system vanished as a soothing cold hands caressed his cheek while bringing his limp form back onto the couch. "Naruto, sometimes things aren't meant to be." At this the eight-year-old wept bitterly, clinging to his friend's crimson kimono, for what seemed like hours until he had relieved himself of a sea of grievances. Straightening himself he rubbed his eyes and gave his comforter a look of sincere gratitude. "You're welcome," the deep baritone rumbled as he placed a reassuring kiss on the crest of the youth's head. "You need to return, I sense an object coming your way at a notable velocity." Chuckling lightly Naruto nodded and transported himself to the tangible world.
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Sensing the projectile and identifying it as "non-threatening" the blonde remained motionless as it continued to advance, soaring fluidly over his peers heads. Children began to snicker as their mirthful eyes traced the eraser and located it's intended target. Said target's head bobbed upward slightly, awakening from his stupor and cerulean orbs groggily opened as the foam brick made impact in the direct center of the juvenile's countenance. A surprised yelp escaped from his throat as startled spheres widened in shock. White powder coated the youth's visage, distorted in outrage and bewilderment. A cloud of chalky smoke surrounded the youth as he wailed "Iruka-sensei, what was that for?" Pretending to cough because of the ashy pollutants he hid his smirk, as some children laughed, some sent sneers and glares while others stared on indifferently at his antics.
"Now, Naruto. You know completely well what that was for." The brunette stated as he sent a look of irritation and slight confusion. 'Hmm, already starting to question my awareness and intelligence, Iruka? You should know better than that.' The youth internally reprimanded. 'Where's the fun if everyone falls for my little facade hook-line-and-sinker?' Sighing at the lack of challenge the blonde drawled out an appropriate "But Iruka, history is just so...just so borriiinggg." Seeing the chuunin twitch with irritation the actor "eeped" and ducked behind his desk before he was hit by the mate of the last eraser. Guffawing and mocking his teacher's "horrible aim" he barely noticed the textbook the professor was reading from come hurtling at him until it was too late. There was a muffled crunch, only heard to Naruto. 'For this injustice I shall bathe in your blood slowly. I shall rip your skin from your flesh while you are still alive and feed them to the wild dogs.' He hissed as he took the loud atmosphere of the children's howling and taunts to quickly snap his broken nose in place and send a steady flow of chakra to the area before any blood could fall.
After the animated class had settled down, and a certain man at his breaking point, he sighed and pointed to the text-book. "Now Naruto, as punishment for sleeping in my class and disrupting it you will have to write a three page paper concerning the development of the shurikin throughout the ages." More chuckles ensued as he groaned, earning a pointed glare from his seat mate along with a gruff "Idiot." Snickering at their misperception of him he seeped back into his inner thoughts, disregarding what his new "sensei" was babbling about, especially since he had learned all the historical events up to date by accessing Kyuubi's memories. Seemingly asleep yet again, the children giggled but easily dismissed his presence. It was from that moment that he was established as the classroom jester, a persona he took on as effortlessly as breathing.
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A/N: Yeah, another year has gone by and this is the chapter I've come up with. First interaction with the class and the beginning of developing relationships. Thanks to those who have stuck with me. Haha. I promise (well sort of promise) that the next chapter will be more exciting. Yes I know this chapter is extremely short but bare with me. And please tell me if this is just turning into a really bad fic because then I'll realize and stop. Signing off!
-Infinity of Silence