Equation activated. Formula: Elemental transmutation, existence as a circle.
Most demons never reached their full potential, they simply lacked the cognitive abilities and the imagination required to do so. In other words, they were stupid or, at the very least, ignorant. It is true that demons knew many things instinctively and therefore knew them better than most humans could ever dream to. However, their ability to understand is limited and mostly useless. They could learn things, remember them, but never actually apply that knowledge to anything. They lacked the ability to distance themselves from their bodies and instincts.
A gorgon is a humanoid demon with the power to turn organic tissue to stone. It is widely believed that eye contact is required, but that is a misunderstanding. In truth, gorgons have bad peripheral vision and simply can't aim without a direct visual connection. In gorgons, offensive instincts push them to turn tissue into stone and they happily follow through without bothering with the why or how. None of them ever used that ability in any other way.
When Kyuubi got a hold of the equation, he discovered that gorgons possessed the ability known as transmutation, the limited separation, combination and transformation of compatible elements. The gorgon's inability to comprehend their own power perfectly exemplified his reasons for abandoning his home world. His power combined with his mental acuity meant that they would likely never be able to challenge him, physically or otherwise. At least when he dealt with humans he'd be able to have stimulating conversations.
Kyuubi grinned sardonically as he continued his attempt at transfiguring the soot and smoke released by the burning wood into adequate garments. Unfortunately, his only personal experiences regarding human dress habits involved a boy who thought a bright orange jumpsuit was all-purpose clothing. He could always go naked, but he realized he wouldn't be taken very seriously if he did… by the men anyway. The females were more likely to fall all over themselves in an attempt to better gaze at his statuesque body.
In any case, he'd be forced to waste more time convincing the more idiotic and inept members of the council of his utter and absolute superiority. No, everything would go much more smoothly if he projected the correct image from the very beginning. In that case, he had three main choices.
He could go dressed casually, which would show his utter lack of respect for their authority and power, he could go dressed as a warrior and illustrate the greatness of the military power of his nation or he could go dressed as an aristocrat, which would confirm his superiority in a way they'd doubtlessly understand. Since he wasn't looking to belittle them and their accomplishments, he decided to choose a mix of his second and third choices.
Obviously, this meant a mix of Hyuuga Hiashi and Akatsuki. He immediately adorned his upper body in a loose long-sleeved silk tunic with a short-sleeved mesh undershirt and covered his legs with a matching ankle length silk trousers and open toed boots. The entire ensemble was black and decorated with the shiki fuujin spiral on the back, encased in a circle with nine tails extending over the entire outfit. Like the Akatsuki, the adornment was dark red with white trim.
Kyuubi nodded in satisfaction of his own work before he left the ruined section of the village and headed towards the meeting place. He was fifteen minutes late, but it was by design. If there's anything he learned from Naruto's lessons with Kakashi, it was that keeping someone waiting was a great way to unbalance them.
But then, he stopped. Query, what would impress (read: intimidate) a room full of shinobi… a magnificent appearance or a disembodied voice?
A little clairvoyance here, a little air manipulation there and he'd be all set… he'd need to be close, but undetectable by Hiashi's byakugan… a body length genjutsu should do the trick. Hiashi would have to lock on to his exact location in order to break it. He'd have to be careful, since an illusion of that size wouldn't mask the effects of his movement he would be forced to create separate genjutsu over doors in order to remain hidden.
The silence was… oppressive, at least from the perspective of the civilian members of the council. In their ignorance of the shinobi arts, they were unable to discern the meaning behind the subtle changes in posture and gestures of the three shinobi factions present at the round table. The remains of the civilian council sat fearfully, awaiting their prophesied doom. To their right sat their most staunch allies, Danzou and a squad of his more potent ANBU. The group proudly displayed their adherence to stoicism as their lack of motion of any kind hid any and all thought, even from themselves.
To their left sat the representatives of the greatest of the shinobi clans, selected by way of their strength. Aburame Shibi, Akimichi Choza, Hyuuga Hiashi, Inuzuka Tsume, Nara Shikaku, Sarutobi Asuma, Shiranui Genma and Yamanaka Inoichi. The clans as a whole considered their group neutral and most behaved as such, casually observing the others and gathering the information needed to choose a position. Notable exceptions were Hiashi and Choza who were determinedly ignoring the glares directed their way by the final division.
Finally, positioned directly opposite to the council with several empty seats separating them from the others, the representatives of the division with the lowest amount of members sat morosely, glowering at all who dared meet their gaze. Of course, that wasn't wholly accurate. Tsunade's gaze was as calculating as any other's and Kakashi seemed entirely unconcerned by anything other than his literary material, but Anko was showering them with more than enough loathing to pick up their slack.
The room passed through time in a near static condition, with the only real change consisting of the civilians' level of palpable fear which was ever increasing. Just when the pressure was about to induce heart attacks in several of the doddering old fools, a whisper passed through the room, tightening muscles in anticipation and increasing heart rates wherever it went.
"I invite you to… something epic."
Tsunade and her chosen waited patiently, veritable islands of tranquility surrounded in discord. The ninja wasted no time and began using various genjutsu countermeasures as well as fruitlessly examining previously identified cover zones. The civilians fell into panic and began frantically attempting to keep an eye on the entire room simultaneously.
Equation activated. Formula: Synthetic luminance, Fata Morgana.
In the middle of the table, a transparent figure burst into being in a blaze of equally translucent flames. All movement ceased as a miniature, blazing, vaporous version of the nine-tailed fox lazily rested in the center of the round table. All eyes watched as it opened its great maw and spoke in a voice many were able to recognize.
"As you may have guessed, I am Kyuubi, last of the kitsune. And you are here, for one reason only.
"I grant you an opportunity for an alliance, and like all alliances, it requires and depends on an exchange of resources. Now, I'm sure you're all asking yourselves: What could someone like me possibly want from someone like you?
"The answer, of course, is nothing. There is nothing that you could possibly offer me, the nine-tailed demon fox. However, there is something that you could offer my previous… I guess the correct term would be incarnation."
"So… you admit that you and Uzumaki are one and the same?" asked Danzou, unable to resist a chance to discredit his predecessors. Considering the fact that Kyuubi spoke with Naruto's voice, he considered his hypothesis to be principally accurate.
His hopes were crushed when the demon shook his head. "No. Naruto was his own person, practically above my influence… I guess it would be more accurate if I were to say that I was his incarnation, but I won't since it sounds utterly ridiculous."
Kyuubi ignored the ensuing silence and turned to face Tsunade's faction. "Tsunade, before we continue, we must deal with the matter of their punishment."
"Punishment?" squeaked a particularly twitchy civilian.
"Yes, punishment. Danzou just reminded me that he and his allies are all guilty of high treason." answered Kyuubi.
No one bothered to contest his point. The intelligent had already connected the dots and the foolish were too spineless to dare draw attention on themselves.
"Death. Bloody, painful death." hissed Anko hatefully.
The beast stared at her for a long, meaningful second, before nodding in approval. In the next second, the situation changed and few were oriented enough to respond. One second, the group was facing a holographic miniature version of the nine-tailed fox and the next, the fox had disappeared and over half the guests were entirely encased in ice. Even as the clan advocates jumped from their seats and away from the table, Kakashi addressed Anko without bothering to tear his eyes from his favourite book. "Isn't this a little excessive?" asked the man hollowly, as though he was asking only for the sake of asking.
The copy-nin was insensible to her ire and ignored her furious stare. After a few seconds of silence, he turned his solitary eye from Jiraiya's perverse prose and matched her gaze with his own masterful blank look, but before he could repeat his question, the blond man unexpectedly standing behind the seething voluptuous woman revealed his speculation.
"I'm surprised you haven't figured it out, Kakashi… especially when you consider what you're currently reading. Think about it. Anko usually wears fishnet under her clothes. In fact, she was wearing some earlier today. However, right now she's wearing a nondescript loose black shirt and matching shorts. When you consider the sensuality Anko regularly emanates, it's not hard to believe her captors did something stupid like grope her. I doubt any pants came off, because they couldn't possibly be that stupid, but their hands probably wandered quite a bit."
Kakashi locked eyes with Anko once more. He saw her strangely subdued appearance and knew the depth of her rage. He looked away and fell silent.
Kyuubi's arrival and subsequent speech had disrupted the advocates in the middle of their attempt at persuading Tsunade, but she hadn't allowed herself to be distracted. Since both time and air were in short supply for the two other factions, Tsunade asked Kyuubi to release them. The demon glanced in her direction before doing as asked. With a wave of his surprisingly soft hand, the ice evaporated and dissipated instantaneously.
The civilians had allowed their fear to run rampant and consequently expended their stock of oxygen. Without the ice's support, they limply fell to the floor unconscious. Those trained in war managed to keep their wits and resisted oblivion's call. The moment they were able to, they gasped, panted and breathed noisily while their bodies collapsed onto the table, their arms nearly incapable of holding their own weight.
"Listen close, because I'm only going to say this once," began the blonde, buxom chief of Fire country's Special Forces. She paid no mind to the general disorder of the other factions. She paid no mind to the clearly perceptible apprehension Kyuubi's physical appearance and actions provoked. She paid no mind to many things, because she remembered this wasn't about them. It hadn't been about them since her little exodus.
So she spoke… with poise whose roots didn't extend past her skin… and selfishly, because altruism was Naruto's job and he was gone forever.
Her first act involved the dissolution of the council on the grounds of martial law. The invasion four years previous hadn't been threatening enough for the application of that particular law, but the failed coup gave her more than enough grounds to invoke it. Insubordination among shinobi was explicitly forbidden. The Hokage was now the absolute authority in Konoha, effective immediately. The unconscious civilians were unavailable for comment, but their opinions no longer mattered in any way, shape or form and the other members of the council were also shinobi. Opposing the Hokage at that point was political suicide.
While martial law was activated, the Hokage gained majority vote in the legislature as well as veto power. Tsunade now had the final say in every decision for as long as the martial law card was in play. It meant that she would have to work harder than ever before, but she couldn't allow the village to continue heading in that particular direction. She understood now…
Shinobi like Uchiha Itachi and her own teammate Orochimaru weren't anomalies; they were symptoms of a disease. Luckily, a perfectly willing panacea was standing a few feet away.
They stood solemnly, aligned in a half circle, resembling monoliths, observing an execution.
They stood solemnly, aligned in a half circle, the light of the fire casting shadows over their faces.
They stood solemnly, aligned in a half circle, calm and apathy deployed to save sanity.
He stood seriously, as a half circle's center, basking in flame's glory, wordlessly weaving terms of retribution.
Strands of an infinite tapestry, whispers of the recent past floated through their minds. "Kyuubi, do as you will with Danzou. The rest can still be salvaged, but he simply isn't worth the effort anymore," said Tsunade, her condemnation cutting through a world of silence. When the time came, Danzou accompanied them willingly.
Kyuubi smiled curiously as he considered that last thought. Danzou was obviously expecting to become a martyr… Kyuubi's odd smirk remained on his face even as he turned to face the kneeling disfigured old man.
"Now, you're all here to see a show and really… who am I to disappoint? However, the beginning and the end have already been decided, but the journey is what really matters don't you think? Let's make sure it's exceptional, shall we? Danzou!" called Kyuubi suddenly before his voice dropped in volume as he whispered sincerely, "How will you die?"
The query sent shivers down the spectators' bodies. The situation was becoming highly reminiscent of Ibiki's torture sessions. Dread awoke in the pit of their stomachs and commenced spreading leisurely as they continued to observe the increasingly macabre spectacle.
"Truthfully, I was leaning towards a standard decapitation. It seems I have a bit of traditionalist in me," said the antediluvian before erupting in a bout of healthy sounding chuckles. The others remained silent. They didn't get the joke… though they wouldn't have laughed even if they had.
Even as Kyuubi's laughter unwound, he began stalking around the silent man. "But there's just something… something special;" he stilled, putting emphasis on the message, "about mutilation… something that appeals to everyone's sense of horror…" He abruptly resumed his gait and intensified his gestures, for his excitement would no longer be contained. This would be his first chance to relieve a little stress since his release.
"There is just something incredibly repulsive about that kind of death… if I were to slit your throat and watch as you bled to death, no one here would bat an eyelid. But if I were to section your body into bite-sized pieces, boil you in a pot and eat you with a side of rice, that's would be another matter entirely," Kyuubi didn't fail to notice how some of the others twitched at the mere thought. He hid a wicked grin and spun to face a still motionless Danzou.
"But that's not what we're going to do. You already know don't you? Yes, you must have an idea by now. I could form claws and rip you into a barely recognizable bag of leaking flesh, I could artificially make every pain receptor in your body simultaneously convey a painful message… and I could keep you conscious long enough for your mind to break. But that's not what we're going to do." Kyuubi made sure to sound nearly disappointed.
Equation activated.
"No…" whispered the creature as he knelt in front of Danzou and stared deep into his frosty eyes.
"Death certificate… death by fire."
Formula: Blaze overlord, Bomber Syndrome.
Bomber syndrome was Kyuubi's only exclusive equation and was also the only one he personally named. Pyrokinesis in its ultimate expression. Supremacy over fire. A formula forged from the inner flames of over a thousand kitsune and other fire creatures. While it was true that he currently possessed other element controlling equations, none could truly come close to this one. Fire was by far and away the most temperamental and disorderly of the elements and could never truly be harnessed. Every other element could be imposed upon by boundaries but no one had ever managed to contain flame. Until he came along that is.
Kyuubi raised his right hand and the flames that had inexplicably ceased to consume the village flew off the dilapidated buildings and into his hand. The surrounding shinobi watched transfixed as Kyuubi effortlessly contained 3 blocks worth of flames into a sphere barely an inch across. Their experience in such matters told them that such a feat was impossible, but their eyes did not lie. Kyuubi spent a minute simply observing the miniature sun, before he crushed it in his fist and consequently coated the area in darkness.
Immediately after, a new source of light revealed itself, and with it came atrocious screams.
Danzou's body was on fire… or so they thought, but as the sharper eyed shinobi looked closer, they realised an unfeasible fact.
Danzou's skin was on fire… the flames weren't consuming his flesh… just his skin and clothes. Wherever the flames went, they left behind leaking fat and bleeding muscle.
"Would you like to know why this is so excruciating? It's quite simple really, if you think about it," Kyuubi told the fascinated shinobi from his position next to the writhing and shrieking man. "You see, normal fire destroys pain receptors so they can't truly describe the agonizing pain you're going through when you suffer third degree burns. As you can imagine, this is not the case here."
The shinobi watched as pale skin vanished wherever the flames went, their composure lost at the sight of sheer torment. They cringed as Danzou's wails reached a fevered pitch when the blaze reached his member and testicles. And when it passed over his face…
The stink released by the torture was faint and obscure. It was the first time any of them had ever experienced the smell of burning skin without it being accompanied by the overpowering odour of burning flesh. They would never forget.
The second the flame finished its task, Kyuubi spoke. "Danzou, listen very carefully. I'm going to show you something and once you're done seeing all of it, you're going to have to choose." Kyuubi's declaration complete, he took hold of the bloody, disfigured head and locked eyes with it.
What most spectators would never find out was that in the instant that passed, Danzou's consciousness sojourned in Kyuubi's reality marble and gained understanding. He acquired a firsthand perspective of Naruto's life, his thoughts, feelings and dreams. He now knew Naruto's love for Konoha and could no longer remain detached… because those feelings strongly echoed his own.
"Do you understand now?" Kyuubi asked as he gently set the old man's head down. "Why I'm doing this? I've got that running through my veins now. That is now part of my soul!"
There was silence as Danzou searched his heart and Kyuubi tracked the old man's silent tears as they ran down his exposed flesh. The ninja said nothing, busy as they were trying to get a grasp on the situation. Out of the whole lot, only Anko and Kakashi had an inkling of what truly happened and even they were blind to the truth.
"Choose Danzou. Will you join me?" The question shocked them all, but not as much as the response.
"…yes." Danzou said to the best of his weary, hoarse throat's capacity.
Kyuubi smiled happily. Kakashi couldn't help but notice the resemblance… Not only between Kyuubi and Naruto… but between the both of them and his sensei.
"Then be reborn."
Kyuubi lifted his hand, clenched it and when he opened it, a miniature sun rested between his fingers. He steadily moved away from Danzou's body until he was near the audience and then casually threw the compact inferno onto Danzou's body.
Nearly everyone in the village was witness to the sight and sound of a pillar of fire bursting through the night sky, appearing and fading as if lightning. Many kilometres away, Gaara frowned grimly and motioned for his team to pick up the pace.
When the pyrotechnics were gone, a figure could be seen kneeling in the shadows where Danzou's body previously laid. The figure had black hair like Danzou's, even resembled him to a degree, but that's where similarities ended. This man was whole, with intact arms, legs and eyes. He had no scars and looked far younger than a man over 60 had any right looking. He was wearing an outfit similar to the one Kyuubi was wearing, except that it lacked the nine-tails in the design.
The man stood up and walked unsteadily until he could kneel in front of Kyuubi. With eyes facing the ground, he spoke respectively, "My Lord."
Kyuubi's smile turned into a mischievous grin, "It's time to go, vassal Danzou." Kyuubi was pointedly ignoring the other's questions, verbal or not, at this point.
Danzou shook his head furiously. "Please don't… don't call me that, my Lord. It is not my real name."
Though Kyuubi was surprised, he didn't show it. "Oh? Then what is your real name then?"
"Once, long ago… I was called Hattori Hanzou," the newly titled man said wistfully.
"Well then, vassal Hanzou… let's go. We've got a lot of work to do," he turned to the others, "As you can plainly see, Danzou is gone from this world. He has atoned and now, in his place, stands Hattori Hanzou… so I trust you're all satisfied." Without bothering to wait for a response, Kyuubi nodded to his vassal and began leisurely walking towards the village wall, his servant shadowing him.
After Kakashi and Anko left, the remaining spectators of the unusual execution could only watch the spot where the duo left the village, shaken as they were by the events and no longer having anyone to report to.
In a dark, dank cave hidden in Fire Country, Kabuto smiled as the wraith was forcefully ripped from his soul, causing unimaginable and irreparable damage.
His master… no longer… the beast wouldn't wake for a while yet… as a precaution. An abrupt awakening would send shifts throughout the surrounding area and Kyuubi was close enough to feel it. Attracting his attention at this point guaranteed defeat… but that didn't really matter to the medic.
His purpose was complete. Now… he could finally rest.
The sun was spreading warmth and sunshine in liberal amounts as it shared the blue sky with alabaster clouds of all shapes and sizes. The tender breeze caressed his blond locks lovingly as though they were old lovers reunited by haphazard days and sung a melody composed with leaf instruments. The smell of foliage, the life of the tree whose branches so affectionately welcomed him, filled him with joie de vivre. There was stillness in the air, motionlessness that should've been boring but instead inspired calm. He was doing nothing… and for the first time that was exactly what he wanted to do.
It was a halcyon day.
"So, are you going to tell me why the military head of Wind Country is violating Sanctuary borders, in doing so risking an international incident? Or are you going to sit there and stare at me all day?" Kyuubi said languidly, keeping his eyes closed in an effort to ignore the other's presence.
No response. Kyuubi opened his eyelids for the sole purpose of rolling his eyes, unable to stomach his annoyance.
Seriously. He was the Kazekage… shouldn't he have learned manners? How many rules was he breaking? Ignoring a dignitary, staring at a dignitary, being all-around creepy… When would Gaara stop staring at him? He'd been at it for over an hour! Anyone else would've been thrown out long ago, but Gaara just happened to have a VIP pass. Jeez, couldn't Naruto have gotten better friends?
"You're boring. Say something, anything! You're ruining the atmosphere," muttered Kyuubi petulantly.
Suddenly, the redhead stood and turned away. The kage pronounced a soft, "You will do," before heading in Konoha's direction to join with his team.
The situation was obviously well under control.
Kyuubi watched him go, decidedly unimpressed.
That's why you came here? So you could spend an hour watching me, speak three words and leave? …stop acting cool you creepy bastard.
Grimacing slightly as he jumped from his perch and lamented the loss of a perfectly lazy morning, he resolved to get back to work. Earlier he'd transfigured parts of the forest into a solid perimeter defence in the form of a massive circular stone wall. 60 meters tall and 30 meters thick, it was the biggest wall of its kind in the country. Konoha's wall was both taller and larger, but was built in wood.
He had made sure to remove every tree within 30 meters of the wall, to make sure invaders couldn't simply jump over it. Of course, the wall may have been impressive, but he hadn't actually built anything inside of it yet.
…What should he build? He wasn't an architect… not by any stretch of the imagination. He had a feeling that if he did this without help, he'd end up with statues of himself everywhere …not that it wouldn't be a good idea; it was just that potential citizens might not like being subjected to so much awesome at any one time.
Kyuubi was seriously starting to regret sending Hanzou away on vacation while he worked on the construction of his sovereign country… where did he go anyway?
Hanzou needed absolute concentration. A single mistake could mean the end of everything. After a few more incredibly tense seconds, he struck and the time-sensitive mission was successfully completed. He had just saved himself (and by association, his master) from total embarrassment.
He had removed her bra in under a second. The bet was won and the prize his to claim.
"Come here, you big sexy ninja…"
Hanzou smirked naughtily as he wore the bra on his head. The youthful didn't know how good they had it.
No matter. He probably wasn't doing anything fun anyway.
…Enough of this. It was time to recruit helpers. Willing or otherwise.
Quick and concise, "No."
Of course, Kyuubi was shocked and appalled. "What! I thought I accurately conveyed the importance of this task! You can't possibly deny…"
Again, quick and concise. "I just did."
"You were obviously suffering from a bout of temporary insanity. You simply must help me," Kyuubi demanded. There was no way he'd come all this way only to leave empty handed.
Tsunade finally bothered to look up from the coup's damage reports to ask him impatiently, "And why, pray tell, would I take time off my already busy schedule just so I can help you design your fortress?"
Kyuubi had never wanted to lie more than he did at that exact moment. Unfortunately, he would have to settle with something he pulled out of his ass. "Because as an allied nation, you need to come on a diplomatic mission at least once a year. Gaara's already come to visit, so it won't look good if you wait too long. Procrastination does not a good Hokage make."
Tsunade looked at him for a moment, mild surprise colouring her face. "For something that you just pulled out of your ass, that reason made a surprising amount of sense."
The blond man grinned widely, gleefully… "So you'll…"
"No." …prematurely. Tsunade proceeded to ignore her companion and concentrated on her work. Kyuubi watched her thoughtfully from his seat for many moments, making her increasingly uncomfortable. It got to the point where she was about to ask him to leave when he spoke.
"How about a trade?" the ancient questioned seriously, as he switched gears and tactics.
The disguised woman looked at him curiously for a second before setting her work aside and focusing entirely on him. She was experienced enough in both politics and psychology to recognize the change in mood immediately. Of course, the fact that Kyuubi wasn't even making an attempt at protecting his thoughts made her work infinitely easier. "…What do you have in mind?" she asked cautiously.
"If you come help me, I'll give you something you've always dreamed of having." For a second, her heart skipped a beat… before reality crushed it into submission.
Kyuubi's offer made her skeptical at best and incredulous otherwise. "Really? And what would that be?"
Kyuubi ignored her question and turned to a fruit basket someone (possibly Shizune) had thoughtfully left on a nearby table. "…Could I have an apple?" he asked.
Seeing no reason to refuse and interested by his possible reasons, she gave him the go-ahead. Kyuubi unhurriedly rose from his seat and walked over to the basket, where he proceeded to pick out a red apple no different from any other. As he moved to regain his seat, he seemed unusually focused on it. She took a second look and found that her gaze was immensely drawn to its perfect ruby red skin.
By the time he set is down on her desk, it was the most perfect object she had ever laid eyes on. It was all she could do to resist the urge to grab it.
"…Wha… What did you just do?" Tsunade asked breathlessly. The sheer effort required to resist its call was now making her sweat.
"Tsunade, do you want the apple?"
She'd never seen such perfection, such beauty. What could she do to be able to possess it?
"Tsunade."
But why give anything? All she had to do was extend her arm and it would be hers.
"Tsunade, look at me. Look at me!" The voice, Kyuubi's, reeked of authority and demanded obedience.
It was an undeniable sign of her state of mind that she actually listened. "Do you trust me?"
"I don't know…" She truly didn't.
Kyuubi smiled at her. "That's good enough. Believe me when I say that this apple will do nothing that will hurt you. Do you believe that?"
"Yes." She probably shouldn't, but she did anyway.
"Great. Let's discuss the terms of the trade. I will give you this apple in exchange for your help designing Sanctuary. You don't have to help me build it in any way. All you have to do is give me some advice. If you accept, you may take the apple."
In a blur of motion, the fruit was in her grasp and her pearly-white teeth were lodged deep within its form, greedily taking its mass into her. Its creator watched amused as she consumed the rosy fruit in record time. Even as she scraped its last bits off the fruit, she felt the change occur. Her body was undergoing metamorphosis.
The painless heat moved from her stomach to the rest of her form, from the tips of her toes to the strands of hair resting against her cheek. She blossomed under the heat of transformation and the force of Kyuubi's stare.
When the heat had passed, she knew what it had done to her. Knowledge sprung from an unfamiliar source and caused her to drop her illusion. She was not surprised when her skin shone beautifully with a healthy color it hadn't shown in years. The pallor and wrinkles that had plagued her previously had completely disappeared.
"That was my gift," Kyuubi revealed as she caught her breath and tested her skin's smoothness. "As long as the idea, the concept known as Tsunade exists, she will be beautiful."
"How did you do it?" she asked, wonder colouring her voice. After she did, she passed her hands over her throat tenderly. Even her voice had changed… she suddenly recalled that Orochimaru had once said that her singing voice reminded him of something he had accidentally stabbed with a kunai. She had beaten him into the ground and never sung again.
Kyuubi held up another apple for her to see, this one just as ordinary as the last. "This is an apple. As an idea that exists in reality, it has its own characteristics, like all ideas that have a shape, that are tangible. Color, shape, taste, durability, etcetera. Depending on the idea, it is possible to alter those characteristics. You guys do a primitive and temporary version of this when you reinforce weapons with chakra.
"I altered the material idea known as apple when I was holding it in my hand. It went from apple, to beautiful apple. Not only that, but I made the concept of beauty perpetual and that is what's really important.. Normally, in this world, beauty does not last forever. It is fragile; one mar is enough to destroy it. I changed that. Once a parameter gains enough energy, the instant they pass a certain threshold, they become everlasting. For example, bloodline limits are perpetual abilities. The byakugan states this: 'For as long as there is a Hyuuga, he will have the byakugan'. Your grandfather had a bloodline, but it held a different statement. It probably said, 'For as long as this man exists, he will be a tree hugger,'" said Kyuubi before snorting derisively.
He quickly shook his head and continued. "Had you not eaten it, that apple would've remained beautiful for as long as it was an apple, in other words, for as long as it existed. Because you absorbed the idea known as beautiful apple, you became beautiful Tsunade. Simple, no?"
There was silence as the kage contemplated the possibilities. "Why couldn't I look away from it? Can you do this with other things?"
Kyuubi smirked teasingly. "Obviously, it's because you're a vain person. You can no more resist beauty than Jiraiya can resist beautiful women," Kyuubi gave her glare no notice and continued uninterrupted. "Of course. There are limits to it, but few that can't be circumvented in some way. For example, if it isn't connected to me, I can't directly alter anything with a soul. That's why I had to alter the apple instead of modifying you directly. Another limit is that certain items can't handle certain enchantments. If I were to enchant an apple with ice, it would become pretty much useless. And so on, and so on…"
Again, there was silence. This time, Tsunade couldn't help but notice that her companion was staring at her a little too intently to be normal.
Eventually, she had to ask. "What is it?"
"You should know this," Kyuubi's tone was marked by surprised realization, as if he had missed an important fact and was only now discovering it.
"Know what?"
Kyuubi frowned thoughtfully as he began staring at her desk and searching his memories. "What I just told you… you humans came up with the method in the first place."
"What?"
The man nodded absentmindedly and clarified. "Yeah, this skill was created when you humans started enchanting weapons and armor with spiritual purity. It's what turned the tide of the war. Nothing like a holy arrow in the ass to ruin a day."
His comment only served to confuse her and she was starting to become concerned. When was the last time they had used armor in a conflict? "…What war?"
Kyuubi's thrilling blue eyes flew to meet Tsunade's honey orbs. He couldn't believe what she had just said. It couldn't have been so long that they had forgotten… could it? "…Either there's a hole in my memories or something's very wrong," the ancient whispered harshly.
He wasn't answering her question and the answer's importance seemed all too crucial. "Wait! Tell me, what war?" Tsunade questioned relentlessly.
Kyuubi rose abruptly and wouldn't meet her gaze. "…Maybe another time… another trade. For now, let's just go build a citadel." As he turned to go, she noticed his expression.
It was surprisingly disturbed.
"Hey! Wait!"
Kyuubi nearly tore the door off its hinges as he stormed out and almost bowled over a ninja that had been standing nearby in his urge to leave the room. His long strides were quickly taking him away from the Godaime's incessant queries. He just didn't have the time for her questions now and he couldn't think when she was around. Already he had a new task that he would have his vassal complete as soon as he came back from his vacation. Hanzou would have a far easier time searching the libraries than he would and…
He slowed to a stop when he realized who it was he had nearly knocked down. Haruno Sakura, Naruto's team-mate. She was still standing by the door, watching his back as he got further and further away…
Just like the old days.
"…Naruto?" She asked him meekly, hopeful despite herself. She did not take his denial well.
Even though he had things to do, he could not leave without at least making an attempt at comforting her. "You have my condolences, Haruno-san," he said gently and respectfully.
She nodded shortly and avoided his gaze as though the sight of him brought her great pain. There was silence for a second as he recalled the object he still held in one of his inner pockets. Since there was no way the man would willingly see him, he might as well use the uncomfortable situation to its fullest. "Could you do me a favour, Haruno Sakura?" The blond man walked closer to her and brought the item out before she could refuse.
"When you next see Umino Iruka-san, give him this. It is not mine to keep," said Kyuubi as he took her hand and placed Naruto's worn forehead protector in it. He watched as she traced the furrows etched in the steel before turning to face the girl's mentor, who had been watching the scene.
"Tsunade, let's go." She accompanied him wordlessly.
"So he's really gone? Completely gone…" She sounded on the verge of tears… but her words made him freeze.
Oh no… Why did she have to word it like that?
Her sadness practically forced him to say something and he could not allow himself to lie. "Well, no… not completely."
He turned and saw the light brought forth in her eyes… but she was getting the wrong idea. "No. Don't get your hopes up. Naruto's soul is gone and he's not coming back. The only things that remain are his thoughts, feelings and memories. Nothing more." His words didn't dissuade her in any way… and when he thought about it, he wasn't really surprised.
Shit. I did not word that well. Why the hell is this so difficult?
"So you mean, he's in you?"
Kyuubi could only grimace as he answered. "In a way… I guess… but you shouldn't think of me as…"
Enough. He was only making things worse at this point. It was time for a tactical retreat.
"Tsunade, meet me at our destination."
He was gone before Sakura could think to stop him.
It was done… the foundation anyway. Tsunade managed to convince him that constructing buildings that weren't needed yet wouldn't be a good idea. So for now, the citadel was really only two buildings: Kyuubi tower in the center and the clock tower in the north. Naturally, the clock tower wasn't exactly a conventional one, since he had no idea how those things were supposed to work. Kyuubi tower was just that, a tower with his fox form wrapped around it. At the very top was his gaping maw, releasing literal torrents of water into the secondary moat. The water from the moat cut Sanctuary in 4 as it moved to the primary moat outside the wall, and from there it cut a path through Fire Country until it joined with a main river.
Now, it was after noon, the foundation was complete, Tsunade had gone home and he had nothing to do.
It was time to find some citizens.
Kyuubi? Too powerful? What makes you say that? No. Seriously. You don't even know who the enemy is.
Anyway, Belial Aensland is in fact, the one from Darkstalkers. Draw your own conclusions.
For those who don't like the level of detail when I go into techniques, be happy because there aren't that many left.
Everyone! Thanks a bunch for the reviews. You're all great!