(/watch?vhVTry3848c0) Go to this link on youtube to find the perfect track for this chapter!)
A cold breeze swept through the air, and Shikamaru gulped, as he smelt the distinctive scent of blood carried from within it, as it blew Naruto's brown desert cloak up, and carried the odor of his body with it. He had only recently killed, something, or someone.He really hoped that it had been something rather than a person. If Naruto had killed someone in cold blood, than that meant there was no hope for his friend. "Naruto what have you done?"
The missing nin gave his friend a cold stare, as he stopped spinning his sword, allowing it to complete one more circle, before he twisted it to the right, and grabbed its hilt in his right hand, before slamming his blade deep into the ground, shaking the road before him, as he let go of the chakra pressure that was rendering the Nara motionless. " I do whatever is necessary for me to survive. You should know that by now. I take what I need to survive. I KILL to get food. And all who get in my way are my enemies. Me enemies don't last long against me. And it would seem that you are now my foe as well."
Shikamaru let out a sigh, but there was a small, albeit regretful smirk on his face, hiding the worry that was swelling beneath. "You always were troublesome." Again Naruto made no reaction as he watched his former comrade pull out a paper seal, and place his hands into a seal, and he only gave off that dry bitter, and now semi-psycho laugh. "I was born troublesome, and I'm gonna die troublesome."
His blue/black eyes narrowed as he saw the seal begin to glow a bright white. "It would seem that you are serious about capturing me." His words were cold and harsh, and for just a second, one crucial moment in time, the Nara hesitated, as he saw the immeasurable pain and sorrow in the eyes of his friend. "Naruto, why did you leave?"
That cost him, as Naruto took full advantage of the hesitation of is friend, for he had nothing to hold him back.
In a blur of black, his friend was gone from sight, and much like Zabuza's his voice echoed all about the road, as he determined where to strike from. "My soul was already dead there. It just took my body awhile to realize the same. I have no place there, and no DESIRE to return. And I will NOT return." Then his voice took on a more malevolent tone, and seconds later, his chakra pressure spiked tenfold, rooting the lazy Nara in place for the second time. "NEVER AGAIN!"
In front of his friend, Naruto now appeared, crouched down, the air rippling from his high speed, and time seemed to slow, as Shikamaru's eyes widened in horror, whilst he watched the masked nin drawing back his blade for a massive swing-
'I guess this is it.'
To smash the blunt end of it, right into the face of his comrade, with enough force to shatter a mountain, but he tempered his blow, controlling the damage, so that it was just enough, to knock the master strategist out. But it still hurt, and to Shikamaru, it felt like a paper bomb had just gone off in his head, as his ear rang from the massive hit, and he just enough time for one thought, as the blackness rushed in to claim him. 'He wasn't trying to kill me...
Then the jonin fell like a sack of potatoes, as his knees buckled, and he lost all feeling in his body. Time sped up now, and he fell like a rock in the water, hitting the dirt face-first, with a soft thud. Naruto watched the whole thing, his face still hidden behind his devilish mask. But in reality, he was concerned for the Nara, which he made evident, by kneeling down to place two fingers on the neck of the snoozing nin.
He felt a strong and steady pulse a second later. Shikamaru would live. He would have a ringing in his ears for a day or two, but he would live, and come away from this little encounter all the wiser for it. But it still saddened our missing nin, to hurt his comrades, when just a few days ago, he had been welcome among them, and all thoughts of leaving were far from his mind. "Forgive me."
He now rose to his feet, and strapped his blade to his back, a frown on his face as he pondered leaving Shikamaru here, or bringing him back-
"Partial expansion Jutsu! Arms!"
Naruto hissed in surprise, but he had no time to move, as he felt two pairs of giant hands grab him around his entire body, and hold him fast. He struggled valiantly agains the vice-like grip, but soon found it futile, as the hands squeezed him harder, constricting his airways, and making it difficult to breathe. "Damn it!" He hissed, as he felt the blackness begin to take him. "Lemme go!"
A deep voice boomed into his mind, dripping with disdain, but their was worry in his voice, as he spoke to his host. "Looks like you're in a bit of a bind kit. You'll die at this rate, if you don't use some of my power."
Despite the fact that he was about to black out, Naruto manages a grin, as some blood begins to leak out of his mouth He has long since accepted the fact that the Kyuubi would be with him until his death, and now the two had formed an uneasy alliance. The fox would give Naruto some of his power, in exchange for his vessel allowing him to get some 'fresh air', meaning, that he would be permitted to take over his host, so long as he did not do anything... destructive. 'Well what are you waiting for? GIVE IT TO ME!'
The deep laugh of the Kyuubi echoed into his mind. "Now that's what I like to hear!"
Naruto began to laugh, as he felt the rush of power, and allowed his mind to slip into it as he drowned himself in the glorious rush of adrenaline, and let his conciosuness sink under...
--
Choji frowned as he saw a red aura begin to leak out from between his tightly clenched fingers, singing them slightly, as his friend began to snicker, then laugh. "What the-
Then, the singing sensation, went from nothing, to all out burning, and the Akimichi was forced to let go, as he felt liek his hands would be burned off. "YOW!" He yelped, as he yanked back his hands, and fell to one knee, revealing the skin to be slightly scorched, with burn marks about them. He waved the burning palms up and down, hissing in pain as the air cooled the singed skin. 'His chakra would've eaten right through my hands if I hadn't let go!'
Then a deep voice boomed out at him, and the mere sound of it sent shivers down the spin of the muscualr nin."Hello Choji." Now he heard the dark and ominous laughter, and he slowly looked up from where he crouched, and he paled as he saw the masked eyes of Naruto blazing down at him. But no longer where they blue.
They were yellow, and had a tint of red in them. Three tails of red chakra had bubbled out behind the Uzumaki, and he loomed over his new foe with malice in his eyes, and hate in his soul. "So, you thought you could squeeze the life out of me-
He added emphasis, as he snapped his knee up, and rammed it into the face of the Chunin, breaking his nose, and causing him to shout in pain, as blood began to leak out, along with a horrible snapping sound, which had been heard the moment his knee hit. "DID YOU?!"
He blurred away as he saw the incoming hit from Choji, whose left hand passed through nothing but air, where the missing nin had been mere moments before. The Akimichi blinked, as he thought the obvious.
Where did he go?
He soon got his answer, as he felt an elbow ram itself into the back of his head, sending fiery pain flaring through his head. "Looking for me?" Cackled the demonic nin, as he watched his former friend eat dirt, then groan in pain as his nose was broken further. "Get up you maggot!" He hissed, but Choji made no move to rise, as he felt to weak to even move.
"STAND UP AND FIGHT!" Screamed Naruto, but only a feeble attempt was made, as Choji pushed off the ground as hard as he could, but to no avail. He just couldn't move properly, after just two Kyuubi powered hits.
Angered, the masked nin began to reach down for Choji again, to continue his attack, but a voice stopped him, and he looked over his shoulder. "Naruto! That's enough! Your fight is with me now!"
He saw Ino standing several feet behind him, her hands in a familiar seal. Her blue eyes were narrowed, and her mouth was set in a grim line. "You're coming back to the village. Whether you want to or not!" Her statement didn't scare him, but the seal she had, THAT did. His eyes widened as she opened her mouth, to invoke the words that would start her jutsu. "Oh crap-
"Ninja Art: Mind Destruction Jutsu!"
Naruto already knew Ino was there, and he found her presence, not a threat, but the moment she entered his mind, he went from calm, to downright pissed. 'GET OUT!' Was his deep mental roar as he felt her in his head, and the only picture the Yamanak got, was that of a HUGE red fox, that bared its fangs at her, and hungrily snapped its jaws. "Stupid wench." It hissed, as it sent a wall of red chakra towards her, and drowned her out, forcing her away and back into her body. "BEGONE!"
--
'GET OUT!' Was all she heard, then a waved of red chakra...
Ino's eyes opened, and she let out a shriek, of both pain and fear, as the first sight she received was that of Naruto running circles around Choji, who was holding his bleeding nose with one hand, and wildly lashing out with the other, in a futile attempt to hit the speedy Jinchuuriki, who was laughing like a madman, as he made no effort to attack, for with his speed, he did not need to.
Shaking her head and clearing the cobwebs, the Yamanaka immediately ran to the side of Shikamaru, who was still out cold, and showed no signs of waking anytime soon. 'This is bad. We're totally outclassed here.l
Choji looked to the left and then the right, as a streak of blackish brown whirled past his vision, then another and another, and so on and so forth, faster and faster, until it was if at least ten Naruto's were running circles about him. (Its just like when Ichigo was running around Byakuya)
"What's wrong? Can't hit what you can't see?"
All of the look alikes spoke at once, and then as Ino cradled her boyfriend in her lap, she looked on in horror, as one of the dark shapes detached itself from the circle, and a second later, a red claw of chakra slammed Choji off his feet, and into the air, then several more, pushing him higher and higher, until finally, he the attacking claws halted, as he reached a stop-point in the air...
He blearily opened his eyes, and what he saw was not pretty. Naruto was above him now, his figure outlined against the light of the full moon, and he had his left leg raised up high. "Oh man...
Then time seemed to slow once more, as Naruto slowly brought his leg down, and then just before it hit, the balance was restored, and he delivered a nasty heel drop,to Choji one of his signature moves, that sent his opponent rocketing down to the earth. "Uzumaki Barrage!"
The Akimichi fell like a ton of bricks, faster than a streaking comet and slammed right into the hard and unforgiving earth, kicking up a large cloud of dust, that covered him from view, disturbing he peace of the night again. Seconds later, Naruto descended into the dust, and another loud thud was heard, followed by an agonizing howl from Choji.
Ino was shivering now, as she heard the sounds of a fight in the dust, and by the way she heard Choji crying out, and the laughter from Naruto, the Akimichi was losing. Badly. Naruto was winning He was showing no mercy now, and it was as if they were facing an entirely different person. 'Why won't he stop...
Tears began to drip from her eyes, as she heard a loud crack, followed by an agonizing scream for Choji, who staggered out of the dust for just a second, holding his limp right arm. The look on his face was one of pure terror, and for a second, his eyes met Ino's. "Help...
He muttered just that word, before a claw of red chakra lashed out, and pulled him back into the cloud of dirt and debris, to continue his beating. Every time he screamed, Ino felt like she was going to die. And still he yelled louder, and louder, louder still...
'Stop...Stop...Stop!'
It soon became to much, and drawing in air to her lungs, she screamed.
"STOP IT NARUTO!" She shrieked, at the top of her lungs, her anguished cyr piercing the night, and silencing his laughter. "If you still have ANY feelings left for me, then STOP it!"
As if on cue, a battered and bloody Choji was thrown out of the dust at that exact moment, and the near death Akimichi skidded to a halt, right in front of her, still breathing but just barely. The dust finally cleared now, and it revealed Naruto, who had a hand on his mask, and in one swift motion, removed it, revealing the chiseled features of his face. "Go."
He said that one word. "Because of YOU, I will spare them. Now go before I change my mind."
His voice was full of pain as he spoke, and he slipped his mask back on, his now blue eyes boring into hers, as the power of the Kyuubi faded. "You have ten seconds."
Picking up her two teammates, one over each shoulder, she rose to her feet, and tried to say something, ANYTHING. "Naruto-
He shook his head, as he shrugged back on his brown cloak. "I will not come back with you. Never again. Never"
And then in a swirl of red, he was gone from sight, leaving Ino to suffer the long walk back to the leaf. She had some explaining to do...
