Chapter 4: Empowered

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Death Note.

Italics Thoughts

Bold Italics Demonic Thoughts, primarily Kyuubi

"Regular Type´ Talking

Bold Script Demon talking, mainly Kyuubi.

(Arashi's POV)

He opened his eyes, blinking groggily at his surroundings. For some reason, he was lying prostrate in midair. He glanced around the area, and was surprised by what he saw. Apparently, he was in the middle of a great expanse of grey, stretching out in all directions. It was weird, but what was even weirder was the fact that he felt weightless. He flailed about with his arms and legs for a moment, and was rewarded with his body moving into a sort of chaotic spin.

In one of his revolutions, he suddenly noticed two others in a similar condition, minus the spinning, not ten yards away. They seemed asleep or unconscious, and he tried to check on them. But every movement he made only made his spinning wilder and more difficult to control. I got no clue what's going on, he thought to himself, but it's really annoying. Even though I'm weightless, the air is still here, which means that manipulating the flow of the air currents should work. Maybe if I can use a wind jutsu, I'll be able to maneuver. But how can I control the air…

He thought for a moment, then suddenly came up with an idea. I can use the Rasengan! Or, rather, the same principle. If I'm using my chakra to manipulate the air currents in a small space, why can't I do it on a larger scale? It'll be a lot weaker, but all I need is to get myself moving. Physics should handle the rest. He closed his eyes, concentrating, waiting for just the right moment, Because of his spin, it was difficult to time it correctly, and he didn't want to end up going the wrong way.

Suddenly, his eyes flashed open, and he spread out his arms to either side. Swiftly, he sent tendrils of his chakra into the surround atmosphere, spinning the air about him clockwise to reverse his counter-clockwise spin and hopefully negate his motion. And, sure enough, shortly afterwards he began to slow and eventually, thanks to some fine chakra control, spin to a stop facing the two he had seen before.

Now, all I've got to do is manipulate the air so that it spins behind me; that should propel me forward. Taking his left hand, he put it behind his back and formed an incomplete Rasengan, using the rotating winds to power and steer his movement. Soon, he was near them, and he held a hand in front of him and formed another incomplete Rasengan. Then, it was simply a matter of achieving equal power between the 2 Rasengans then letting them fade at the same rate.

Using every ounce of chakra control Ero-sensei had drilled into him, he managed to bring himself to a full stop a couple of feet away from the two unconscious forms. He took a moment to examine them. They were both somewhat tall, but there the similarities seemed to end. The one on the left had light brown hair, with aristocratic features and a semi-muscular build, whereas the one on the right had wild black hair, with huge bags under his eyes and a scrawny physique. They were both dressed in a white t-shirt and blue jeans,.

He formed a few hand seals before coming to a stop on Dog. "Ninjutsu: Awakening Touch." His hands began glowing with a green light, and he touched the tips of his index fingers to their forwards, forcibly bringing them back to consciousness. I hate to do it, since this ain't exactly the healthiest jutsu in the scroll, but I don't have time to just sit around and wait for 'em.

Within a few seconds, their eyes opened and in unison they blinked their eyes and glanced around sleepily. The black haired one seemed more alert, and he glanced around him for a moment before his eyes came to rest on Arashi. The brown haired one was too busy clutching his head in pain to do much else. The black haired one examined him closely before seeming to come to a decision.

"Where are we, and who are you?" Arashi was a little stunned at the accusing tone of voice the teenager had used. After all, it's not like HE did anything.

"Well, that's a nice tone of voice to take with the guy who wants to help ya. And, FYI, I don't have a clue where we are." He shook his head at the kid's apparent dissatisfaction with his statement. "So, anyways, my names Arashi. Kazama Arashi. And you are?"

"Ryuzaki. Just Ryuzaki, mind you. And my companion is Yagami Light. Now, are you sure that you don't know where we are?" Arashi shook his head.

"I don't have a clue. Sorry, gaki, but the last thing I remember is falling down that damn cliff." Ryuzaki's abnormally wide eyes narrowed for a bit in thought.

"Strange, the last thing I remember is falling, as well. Except from a building, not a cliff. Coincidence?" Arashi shrugged, not at all thinking about how they got there. Rather, his thoughts were entirely devoted to finding a way out. Well, almost entirely. There was one thing that was bugging him.

"What the hell is wrong with your buddy? He looks like he's sick or something." Ryuzaki frowned at this, and turned towards Light. However, before he could say anything, there was a great gray flash, and they had to turn their eyes away from it. When the glare died down, they heard a voice.

"No, he's not sick. At least, not in the way you're thinking of." A man with a blue coat and a straw hat began walking towards them, despite the lack of gravity. Arashi's suspicions kicked into high gear, especially when he saw that the man was armed and was holding his straw hat down over his face. That's no ordinary man. He's got the bearing of a warrior. Strange… I can't fell his chakra levels.

"And what do you know about it?" asked Arashi, putting his two new friends behind him protectively. "You saying you know something? Spit it out, then." The man stopped walking about 5 feet away and lifted his hat, raising a hand into the air.

"Nah, I didn't do anything. Y'know, it seems like I can't do anything right these days. First the portal is all messed up, and now I got two helpers where I only wanted one. Well, I guess it's too late to do anything about it. Still, it's kinda troubleso-" he was cut off by Light, who screamed out in agony. Ryuzaki stared at him in concern, and Arashi snarled at the newcomer.

"If you know what's going on, then spit it out. I didn't become a ninja to listen your monologue." The man removed his hat, revealing an unruly mop of silver hair. He scratched his head, plainly embarrassed.

"Ah, my bad. Ok, it's a long story," He said evasively. However, he soon spoke up again after seeing Arashi's expression. "Um, what I meant to say is, let me summarize it for ya. Ok, Arashi, can I call ya Arashi? Thanks. Anyways, your world is getting attacked by the Kyuubi, right? But there's something weird about it. Well, something caused the balance of your world to tip. Ain't sure what it was, but something happened. So I was gonna drag in L here, that's Ryuzaki, FYI, to help you out. Dunno what went wrong, but that damn portal messed up, and now we got two of 'em. Well, there ya have it!" He performed a little theatrical bow, and cupped his hand to his ear, sarcastically expecting an applause for his "narration".

(Ryuzaki's POV)

He watched the odd man's antics, but only half-heartedly. The main focus at the moment was to figure out what exactly his little speech meant. "Kyuubi"? "portal"? I can understand portal, but what the hell is "Kyuubi" supposed to mean? Well, even if you go by the literal meaning, Nine-Tails, it still doesn't make any sense. And he speaks of It as if it's alive. Is it a name for some kind of creature? I can't know without more data.

"That's all well and good," he cried, "But that didn't tell us anything about Light-kun's condition. Please explain yourself thoroughly and completely. Do not withhold any facts, please." The man gave him a strange look, and a peculiar expression flashed across his features, before he spoke up.

"Not withhold any facts? Why, that would make life so boring, don't you think? But, fear not. I shall tell you about your friends condition. You see, it shouldn't have been possible for him to go through the portal. However, I've had a chance to examine his mental processes and his thought structure, never you mind how, and I can see from here that his mind is built much like your's, little Ryuu-kun." Here Ryuzaki interrupted, in a fit of rage.

"I will thank you not to address me in such a fashion. I warn you, I am quite strong. After all, once is once, baka-ojisan." The stranger chuckled for a moment, raising his hand to his heart as if struck by a sword.

"Well played, oh mighty L-sama! Never again shall I attempt to match my mental blade to yours! However, amusing as this is, we have work to do." The stranger pulled out his katana and thrust it into the air in front of him. He released it and it remained motionless in midair. However, stranger still than that was the hole it seemed to create in the place they floated within. Where the sword pierced the air, at the very tip of it a rift had been opened, white and black flashes shooting periodically from the small hole.

The stranger put on his hat once more, and a frown of distaste marred his features. "Unfortunately, now comes the nasty bit of business. I must give you the power that will allow such mere mortals as you to defeat the mighty Kyuubi no Kitsune. However, before I can do that, I have to create suitable means of containing the power. Your bodies could not handle it as they are. Therefore, I will have to give you a chakra system. Now, this might sting a bit."

He raised his hands and clasped them together in a clenched fist. Suddenly, Ryuzaki's body exploded into white-hot agony. Every muscle, bone, and nerve cried out in pain, protesting this invasion. With what little strength he had left, he turned his head to look at Light. Strangely, Light seemed oddly at peace, as if the pain didn't bother him at all. What is he? How can he…the thought faded as yet another jolt of pain ripped it's way through his body. He could feel his body dying, organs and muscles being broken down. The pain behind his eyes was immense, and he thought they would burst into flames before the end. He knew that he would die.

But then, suddenly, he felt life enter him once more. He felt the cells that had been broken down before being rebuilt, the muscles knit together once more, the organs redesigned and better. He felt like he was stronger than ever, and he felt power running through his body. The pain began fading away, but before it was gone completely, a great explosion of pain tore through his eyes, causing him to scream for the first time. He could see nothing, at first, but then the pain abruptly vanished and became nothing but a dull ache.

He opened his eyes cautiously, tears trickling down his face as his eyes wept out their pain. He finally forced his eyes open all the way and stared out into the empty grey expanse. His first thought was for his friend, and he swept his head around and looked closely at Light. Light seemed alright for the most part, but was holding his hands in front of them, staring at them closely.

(Light's POV)

The pain had stopped. He remembered vividly how it had felt, though. His mind had been ripped apart and sewn together again in the worst way imaginable. There had been slight pain in his body, as well, but that was nothing compared to the torment that his mind had undergone. He shuddered anew as he thought of the feeling of it, of the utter sense of loss he had suffered.

But, then the pain had passed. His mind was whole once more, and felt better than before. Far better, in fact, and the pain that had haunted him recently was no more. Just before the pain had left entirely, there was a sharp, searing pain in his hands, and ha had nearly screamed at the intense fire of it. Before long, however, the pain had faded, and he looked down at his hand, gazing in bewilderment at it. He saw the blood trickling down from the tips of his fingers, and he felt the throb of the pain still lingering. He brought them close to his face and gazed at them in awe.

There was something truly wondrous about this new feeling, though. His body felt revitalized. He had been quite strong before, and quick as well, but now there was something else. He realized that there were more changes than just in his body, his mind had changed as well. He thought much clearer now, and could observe and deduce with twice the efficiency that he could before. In fact, now that he looked upon his past actions as Kira, he was filled with disgust. Could I have truly thought that I was righteous? How could I have possibly done such atrocities?

He shook his head to clear it, then glanced over at his friend. Strange, did I just call Ryuzaki my friend? Heh, this is the first time I've actually considered him a friend. It feels… Good. I'm glad that I have a friend. He looked Ryuzaki up and down, checking for any injuries that might have happened. Suddenly, he noticed something very strange.

"Hey, Ryuzaki, what the hell happened to your eyes? You feeling alright?" Ryuzaki looked startled for a moment, before asking what he was talking about. Light replied "Um, they're not black anymore. They've turned into a shade of… yellow, I think. Almost a gold, but too bright. What happened?"

Ryuzaki was plainly surprised by his comment, and he looked desperately for a mirror to look in. Due to the lack of a mirror, he seemed upset, but got over it quickly. Light turned to the man who had done this and looked at him curiously. He remembered Ryuzaki arguing about something with him, but he couldn't think of a reason why. Guy seemed like a nice sort.

The man noticed his gaze and reached behind his back. Arashi tensed, as if expecting him to pull out a weapon, but the man simply withdrew two large fans. He snapped open the fans, and written in large Kanji was the word "Success!".

"Looks like it worked! Told you it would, and don't you feel better? Sorry about the pain, but that was unavoidable. But, now, we must move on. Even though I have given you chakra coils and rebuilt your bodies and minds, you still have no chakra. All you have gained is the ability to carry it. So, our next job is to get you both powered up. But, never fear, I have a plan!" He tossed his fans away and sat down in midair, pulling out a couple of large grey pills from a pocket of his cargo pants.

Arashi eyed him doubtfully. "I can sense the power in those pills, and I'm pretty sure that they could be deadly. Are their bodies able to handle the amount of chakra those pills contain? And where the hell did you get it?" The stranger looked a little embarrassed as he was asked the questions, and he answered a little too quickly.

"Well, of course their bodies can handle them! Probably…" Arashi looked like he was gonna beat the guy into a pulp, but he held up a hand to forestall him. "However, I have the utmost confidence in these boys, and I'm sure they will not only contain the power, but still have room for more. The best part of it is that their chakra coils will grow as their chakra supply does. To a certain extent, of course. And as to where I got the chakra pills from, that's gonna be my little secret." He grinned widely, and flashed the man a thumbs-up. That pissed Arashi off a little, but he didn't do anything about it.

The stranger winked knowingly at them and flicked the pills at Arashi. He caught them both in one hand, and gazed at them intently for a moment. Light noticed that Arashi's eyes had gone from a blue to a almost a violet shade. Huh. That's weird. Maybe that comes with the whole "ninja" thing. Arashi stared at the pills for a long moment. Then blinked and relaxed, his eyes fading back to their normal azure hue.

"Ok, these things don't look dangerous, but they sure do pack a punch. These aren't like any soldier pills I've seen before. Here, Light, catch." Arashi tossed the pills to Light, who caught them. Wincing a bit as his still bleeding hands protested the ill usage, he handed one over to Ryuzaki, who looked much recovered from earlier. Taking a moment to look closely at his pill, he noticed that it wasn't really grey, like he thought it was. They were a strange mixture of white and black, and the two colors seemed to swirl around each other, constantly changing the shade of the pill.

He was entranced for a moment by the never-ending motion, but he blinked and looked over at Ryuzaki. Ryuzaki seemed to still be lost in amazement, and his newly tawny eyes were focused intently at the abnormally large pill. Light reached over and tapped his shoulder softly. Ryuzaki blinked and looked up at him, his eyebrow lifting in curiosity.

"Are you ok, Ryuzaki? You looked kinda out of it." Ryuzaki shook his head slowly, trying to find the words to explain it properly.

"No, I'm fine, Light-kun. It's just… I got the strangest feeling when I saw it. Meh, it's probably nothing. So, do we have to take these things?" the question was directed the hated stranger, who chuckled and nodded. Ryuzaki turned back to Light and grimaced slightly. Light laughed for a moment; he remembered how much Ryuzaki hated taking pills without tea. He watched Ryuzaki gulp it down, and then popped his own into his mouth and swallowed.

For a moment, nothing happened. He could feel the pill going down his throat, and then nothing. But, then, he felt the oddest sensation. Like something was swelling, growing bigger and bigger in his chest. It didn't feel bad, in fact it felt almost invigorating. But then, as the feeling continued, it began to pressure him. It was like he was a water balloon, and the balloon was being filled with too much water and was stretching. It grew worse and worse, the pressure constantly increasing, and the pain rising with it.

But then the pain began dying away, and the pressure eased. The feeling that had gathered in his chest had dispersed, spreading through his body. That revitalizing sensation was back, and was coursing through his body. It felt good. No, it felt better than good, it was amazing. He'd never felt anything like this before.

He lifted his hand and gazed at it, and was surprised to see that the constant bleeding had stopped. In fact, the mangled tips of his fingers were already mending themselves, and he could practically see the muscle and skin knitting themselves back together. Then, as he began looking at the rest of his hand, he noticed that his hand was glowing. No, not just his hand, his entire body was surrounded by a blue aura. He felt an itching on his left forearm and saw that an old scar had almost entirely disappeared.

He shot a glance over at Ryuzaki, and noticed that he was undergoing similar effects. "Hey, what the hell were in those pills? Did you dope us or something, Grey-san?" The stranger chuckled at Light's new nickname for him, and shrugged expansively before bowing theatrically at him and Ryuzaki. Arashi growled a little and turned towards Light, obviously annoyed by the man's antics.

"Since that weirdo can't seem to explain anything, let me tell ya what they were. I did an analysis Jutsu on 'em, and they seem to be full of some kinda weird chakra. My guess is that he wanted to fill up those new chakra coils he gave ya, is that right?" His last question was directed at the gray-haired stranger, and he nodded.

"Among other things, but you seem to have caught the gist of it! Bravo, Hokage-kun, well done! However, your poor audience still seems to be "in the dark", as it were. Perhaps you could try once more?" He pointed over at Light and Ryuzaki, who were looking clueless.

What the hell is "chakra"? And why does he keep calling that blond guy "Hokage"? Ryuzaki was thinking the same general thoughts, and voiced them out loud.

(Arashi's PoV)

"Hey, Arashi-san, what did you mean when you talked about Chakra? And why does that guy keep calling you Hokage?" his jaw dropped as he stared at Ryuzaki, who had asked the last question he had been expecting. What the hell? These guys don't know what chakra is? Damn, the last thing I need right now is to be stuck babysitting idiot kids. Arashi groaned alout, bemoaning his fate.

"How the hell can you not know what Chakra is? It's the basis of our entire society! And how the hell can you not know me? I'm the goddamn Hokage! What country do you guys come from?" Light and Ryuzaki exchanged glances. Light turned back towards him.

"Um, Japan." Arashi was taken aback for a moment as he searched through his memories. I don't remember any country called "Japan". Sounds like a stupid name for a country. At least "Fire Country" makes sense. Maybe it's in the west. His thoughts were interrupted by Light asking him another question. "Ano, what country are you from?"

"Fire Country, of course! How else could I be Hokage?" He watched Ryuzaki and Light exchange glances, before Ryuzaki shook his head and tapped his temple. Ok, that kid did NOT just call me crazy. I swear, I'm gonna shove that smartass head of his up his goddamn butt!

"Hey, what the hell do you think you're doing? Dammit, what Shinobi village are you from? I want to know where to send your death certificates." He leaned towards them menacingly, cracking his knuckles. Light and Ryuzaki exchanged another look, this time in curiosity and amazement.

"What the hell do you mean, Shinobi village? I live in Tokyo, and there aren't any more shinobi. Well, not real ones, any. There's a few that like to pretend they're ninja's, but-" He was interrupted by a furious roar from Arashi, who seemed even angrier than before. Fortunately, the strange chose that moment to step forward in between them, holding a hand out towards both of them palm outward.

"Ok, ok, calm down. I know you're all wondering just what's going on, but, y'know, I don't have to explain. I mean, since you won't remember any of this anyways…" He snapped his fingers and jumped backwards, away from the others. He landed on top of the handle of his katana, which was still buried in that hole in space. He clapped his hands together sharply, and drew them apart slowly. As his hands drew farther and farther away from each other, the hole that his katana had cut grew wider and wider, until it was a jagged opening in space, roughly 15 feet tall and 8 feet wide.

He jumped off his katana and grasped the hilt, hefting the blade and resting it against his shoulder. He turned to face the shocked group, and laughed at their expressions. "Well, enjoy yourselves, my little helpers. Maybe we will meet again. Now, before you go…" He grasped his katana in both hands and swept it across the air in front of him. It left a trail of white and black energy swirling in the air behind it, which swept forward. In a heartbeat, it had swept through the bodies of the other three, who all stiffened and stood rigid, eyes unblinking.

He sheathed his katana once more and stepped forward, coming to a stop in front of Ryuzaki. Waving his hand in front of Ryuzaki's face a few times, he assured himself that they were indeed unconscious. He reached slowly into his left sleeve, and drew out an ivory throwing dagger. Taking this, he slashed it across Ryuzaki's eyes. However, the blade seemed to pass through his flesh, instead of tearing it apart. It left a white line across his eyes which faded after a moment. Then, reaching into his right coat sleeve, he drew out a jet black dagger, of the same make and build of the other.

Turning to Light, he threw the dagger sharply at his left hand. The dagger flashed darkly through the air, embedding itself into the center of Light's palm, quivering slightly. He walked over and withdrew it quickly, gazing at the palm. In the center of Light's hand, there was a jaggedly cut oval, dark as a moonless night. He examined it closely, turning the palm this way and that, before dropping it and stepping back, content with his handiwork. Then, he maneuvered them roughly towards the portal he had created, manipulating them with chakra strings as if they were puppets. He aligned them all side by side facing the portal, before cutting his threads and moving behind them. He set his left hand on Light's head and his right on Ryuzaki's head.

"If only you knew the kind of stuff I'm sentencing you to. I hope that one day, you'll both be able to forgive me. Well, use the abilities I've given you well, and don't fail me. Everything hangs in the balance. Take care of Arashi, he's going to be the most important ally you'll ever have. And remember, sometimes your greatest foe is also your best hope. Well, take care, you two." Sighing a little, he unceremoniously shoved them into the rift in space. As they disappeared, he turned to Arashi.

"Don't be so arrogant, ok? And don't take the loss of your wife too hard. Remember what you have left, and protect it. Cling to it with everything you have, and it'll be ok." He moved behind him and kicked Arashi's ass hard, sending him flying through the rift.

He turned around and waved his hand tiredly at the portal, closing it. Man, that was kinda fun, but a little depressing. Those two are getting into a world of trouble, and I'm making them do it. Still, I hope that everything turns out alright. It was supposed to be only L that was summoned, after all. I hope this won't have any unpleasant side effects… He stretched a little, then reached into his coat and pulled out his bottle of sake. Popping the cork out, he took a sip and sighed in contentment, licking his lips clean of any lingering liquid.

"Well, gotta get back to the post. I definitely don't want to miss what happens next. Things will get interesting from here on out…"

AN: So, now we see the characters start to develop. Things will definitely get more interesting in the next chapter, and I hope that you all read and enjoy. Please review, and if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask.

Gaereth

Preview of Chapter 5:

The Kyuubi howled its pain, and closed its great crimson eyes in agony. Suddenly, a monstrous voice rang through their minds, ripping any coherent thoughts into shred. STOP, HUMANS! THE ENEMY IS THE… The voice was cut off by a guttural growl from the throat of the great beast. The crimson aura that had surrounded it had been constantly shifting its shade back and forth, and this time the color stayed its dull red color, the color of dried blood. It roared out in exquisite pain, and it eyes snapped open once more. However, something was happening to its eyes. They were great crimson orbs before, with slitted pupils and murderous intent.