I apologize for the lack of updating...My grandfather had just passed away and my family is trying to keep it together. I would like to say first and foremost not to expect a lot of updates soon, because this month is going to be hectic for us. I thank you beforehand for your condolences and your reviews. Now, let us continue with the story.
Rider's Solitude
Family Reunion
Naruto and Sasuke sat next to each other across from Mikoto at the family table of the head Uchiha household while Kurofu rested on the Uchiha grounds, exploring while the humans talked. The woman smiled at the two boys, each looking like their respective fathers (and mother in Naruto's case), and the boys fidgeted in their seats. Mikoto had finished explaining to them again how Naruto was partially her son. Although it was highly unknown, Uchiha Fugaku was one of Namikaze Minato's closest friends during his reign as Yondaime, and that was why he agreed to allow Mikoto to assist her friend in their issue. When the villagers tried to exact vengeance on the blonde for the deaths of the many at the hands of the Kyuubi, Fugaku and several other Uchiha Police Force members stepped in, a few ANBU among them, before anything serious could happen. Naruto was shocked, as was Sasuke, when Mikoto finished telling them about that incident.
"...Fugaku-oji did that for me?" the blue eyed blonde asked quietly. Mikoto smiled and nodded.
"Hai," she replied, "Fugaku-kun may not have shown it after that, but he cared for you greatly Naruto-kun. Minato-kun was as much his friend as he was mine, and the fact you are my sochi in a way only increased his concern for you. Many times, in secret, he tried to adopt you into the clan, only to be interrupted by the civilians or the advisors. I'm sorry we couldn't be there for you, Naruto-kun"
Naruto smiled and looked down at his hands while Sasuke shook his head in disbelief before sneaking a glance at the Rider.
So the dobe is my aniki, eh? Sasuke thought with a smile, and he's got some new power or something...maybe, just maybe, he will become Hokage...He is an Uchiha after all.
Naruto snapped his head up as a question came to his mind and he looked at Mikoto, "Mikoto-kaasan...will I develop the Sharingan?"
Mikoto thought about his question for a moment before answering, "I don't know, Naruto-kun. Maybe..."
"I hope I don't," Naruto admitted, the two Uchiha looking at him with surprise, "Don't get me wrong, under other circumstances I would give an arm or a leg for a kekkei genkai as strong as yours, but...with this...this curse...I think it would be bad."
Sasuke sat back in his chair and mused over that statement, "Are you talking about Kyuubi or your Deal?"
The blonde looked at his older brother, something he found incredibly amusing, and replied in a deadpanned tone, "Both."
A week had gone by since the revelation revealed to the two Uchiha, Naruto had decided to keep his name to respect his mother, father and the Sandaime, but he had moved from his apartment into the Uchiha Clan District at the request of both Sasuke and Mikoto.
The first team training session had gone incredibly well, especially after Kakashi was pulled aside by Mikoto and had the situation explained to him. The Deal was left up to Naruto to explain, of course, but everything else (save for the brutal killing of Kisame as that fell under the whole Deal thing) was explained to the jonin.
Sakura was aware of the changes in Naruto's physique and appearance, his helm-like hetai-ite being the most noticeable change, and asked him about it. Naruto politely declined any specific answer, to which the pink haired girl slammed her fist into his head as a reply, or she tried to.
"Hold still baka!" Sakura shrieked, infuriated at the blonde for his dismissal. Her second punch was dodged swiftly as well by her target, only causing her to become even more upset. Sasuke stood on the sidelines, idly cleaning his father's wakizashi as he watched. He had taken the weapon from its case to begin training in his family's swordsmanship, seeing as he now had a teacher in the Uchiha style.
Naruto quickly maneuvered out of her way and wrapped his chain around her wrist, pulling it back behind her and wrapping his free arm around her neck. When the girl yelped in pain from the pressure on her shoulder before she started gasping for air, Naruto's eyes widened and he released her, dropping her on the ground as the chain slacked. He took a few steps back.
Mikoto and Kakashi looked over when they heard Sakura's yelp. While Kakashi was astounded by Naruto's newfound skills, Mikoto's eyes on the blonde were those of concern, similar to how the boy's older brother looked at him. Naruto took another step back and looked down at his hands as a flash came across his vision.
"NARUTO!" a demonic voice, different from his tenant's voice, shouted. A vision of a completely flame covered entity entered his mind, the eyes glowing a bright blue. Its form looked like his own and it raised its hand out to him before the vision vanished and he fell to the ground, his hands holding his head as he groaned in pain. Flames flickered alive around him, enclosing the blonde in their heat.
"Naruto!" Sasuke exclaimed in concern before he too was greeted with a vision crossed with pain from his neck. His was different, however, as a man wearing the Uchiha fan on the front of his blue samurai armor while his short black hair, styled similar to Sasuke's only with a ponytail, stood in front of him. Sasuke looked around, seeing time had frozen. His mother was in the middle of rushing to Naruto's side while Kakashi had taken a step back in shock. Sakura was holding her throat, staring at the blonde with wide eyes and scooting away from him.
"Sasuke," a voice said from behind him, making the heir to the Uchiha clan turn to face him. Sasuke gasped as he was face to face with a splitting image of himself, only about ten years older. The young heir swallowed as the doppelgänger smiled down at him.
"Who are you?" Sasuke asked as his eyes narrowed in suspicion. The duplicate chuckled and smiled at him again.
"Now I see what Madara wants from you," the man said with a smile. The name made Sasuke freeze in his place while the duplicate continued, "I am Uchiha Izuna. I am here to tell you, Sasuke, three tasks bestowed upon you by the almighty Kami-sama herself and I have little time, so do not interrupt me. First; the curse mark on your neck must be eliminated, for if it isn't, your mind will be corrupted. I do not know what to do about it, but I was informed that your brother's power would have a part to play. Second; Beware the Oto. They are strong, stronger than you or your brother unless you complete the first task. And finally, whatever happens, no matter what you think would be the proper thing to do, do NOT allow your brother to be alone in a battle."
"Why should I care if Itachi is alo-Oh...you mean the dobe," Sasuke said as realization crossed his face. Izuna nodded, his face deadly serious. His hand extended and he pressed his palm against his head.
"I will grant you one thing though, one gift against Kami-sama's brother's servants," Izuna said as his hand glowed, "The advancement of the Sharingan, the Holy Eternal Sharingan."
Sasuke's eyes changed to their Sharingan state, three tomoes in each eye before they were reformed into the shape of a biohazard symbol. The background of his eyes flashed to black while his pupil and the tomoes along with them were bright red. He groaned and held his head as the image of Izuna faded away and time resumed.
"Naruto-kun!" Mikoto cried, kneeling as close as she could be at the blonde's side as he held his head and whimpered in pain as the flames danced around him. Sasuke groaned as his Sharingan canceled and his curse mark flared. He walked over to his downed brother while clutching at his neck, something that wasn't lost on his sensei. When Sasuke appeared at Naruto's other side, the flames exploded and Naruto rose with a roar as his Rider form took effect. Sasuke stepped back and swore as his curse mark flared again. Mikoto shielded her eyes as Naruto's flames turned a dark red and his skull changed into a more demonic form, revealing the true Spirit of Vengeance. Time slowed again for the two, as a black light emitted from the Rider.
"Hmm," he mused as he examined his even sharper canines and glanced over at Sasuke, his ruby red eyes glowing brightly, "So that is what he is up to...come here, Uchiha-san. I must cure you."
Sasuke narrowed his eyes as he clutched onto his neck, "You are not Naruto."
'Naruto' chuckled, "Indeed, I am not the vessel. I am Zarathos, the strength of the Rider. You bare the mark of Blackheart; a mark symbolizing insanity or death. I will cure you by adding some of my essence to battle the Blackheart within you. The results may affect your appearance, but I do not know the extent."
As Sasuke took all this information in, he looked around and arched a brow, "Did you really have to freeze time?"
"No," Zarathos said, snapping his fingers and unfreezing time. Kakashi, who was in the middle of leaping into action, landed ungracefully, but rebalanced himself and pulled a kunai out, preparing to rush the demon.
"I'm sorry, Naruto!" Kakashi shouted, preparing to stop the jinchuriki. Zarathos scowled and raised one hand in preparation to retaliate, only for Mikoto to leap in between the two.
"Kaka-baka, stop it!" Mikoto shouted in a scolding manner. The jonin instantly froze, his form tensing, while Zarathos rolled his neck and relaxed. The entity of Vengeance knew who the woman was because of his link with his vessel.
"Mikoto-sempai," Kakashi started, only to be interrupted when Zarathos suddenly slapped his other hand on Sasuke's neck, the Uchiha's cry getting everyone's attention. A black flame enclosed the heir, making everyone aside from the entity cry out in worry.
"Oh get over it, Uchiha-san," Zarathos scoffed, everyone looking at the demonic skull as though he was crazy, "What you are going through is nothing compared to what my vessel has gone through...speaking of which: Goka Bunshin (Hellfire clone)"
With a snap of his fingers, a duplicate version of Zarathos Rider appeared while the original reverted back to the original form of Naruto Rider. Naruto groaned and held his head before jumping in alarm at the sight of the Zarathos Rider.
"What the fuck is that?" Naruto rider asked, pointing at the entity with a skeletal finger before realizing he was in his Rider form, "What the fuck am I doing as the Rider?"
"And I thought you were innocent," Zarathos chuckled with a shake of his head before gesturing to the dying black flames, "The curse mark is keeping you in your Rider form. The Uchiha is alive, just so everyone knows. If you ever need anything Vessel, just ask for the Vengeance."
The clone dispersed with a burst of flames, the smell of brimstone lofting in the air. Naruto was very confused as he looked at the black flames to see his older brother rise from it. Everyone, the Rider included, gasped at his new features.
Coming from his head were two small horns and his skin had turned into a dulled bluish-grey. His hair was the same color as before, but now was longer. His irises and pupils were a bright red while the rest of the eye was white. The heir to the Uchiha clan panted slightly, taking in slight gulps of air before looking at everyone.
"What?" Sasuke asked, his voice slightly deeper. The boy noticed his voice changed and looked at his brother, wondering why he was in his Rider form. They both looked at each other and were about to ask each other something when a team of Root ANBU suddenly leapt down and pointed their blades at the Rider's throat. Sasuke's eyes widened, as did Mikoto's, when Naruto went rigid.
"Uzumaki Naruto," the Root captain, a man wearing a Tora mask with an odd mark on the forehead and wearing a custom-made leather jacket, the sleeves cut off at the elbow and small spikes along the shoulders and traps, started, "The acting heads of Konoha have deemed you guilty of the murders of various villagers and shinobi, how do you plead?"
The skeleton seemed to grin at that and his eyes flashed red. The Rider reached for his chain, all Root ANBU tensing as well as the others watching. Sasuke slowly crouched to grab his wakizashi that was at his side. Kakashi, sensing a major battle he wanted no part of was about to go down, pulled Sakura up to her feet and grabbed Mikoto (she was technically not supposed to be exerting herself still), pulling the both of them out of the immediate area.
"You're judging me?" Naruto asked, his hands clenching around the chain. The Root all tensed in their spots and one looked over to see a demonic looking Uchiha Sasuke settling into the Uchiha Hanibera Fenikkusu stance. The Uchiha's eyes were narrowed and his Holy Eternal Sharingan was active as he held the wakizashi strongly in both hands above his head and both legs were bent at the knees. Naruto laughed softly, the Root ANBU all looking at the Rider wearily as he continued, "I am not the ones being trialed, Root-san."
Kakashi and Mikoto both narrowed their eyes at the confirmation of the supposedly ended ANBU branch members before them, the Jonin giving Sakura subtle hand signals to tell her to stay put as he moved to back his two students up. Mikoto activated her Sharingan and cast a genjutsu over herself and Sakura to reassure their safety.
"You are all...guilty," Naruto snarled, pulling his chain off his chest and whipping it out, causing it to wrap around the neck of one of the Root. The Root operative gasped as the chain seemed to come alive and tightened around his neck even more. With a slight jerk, the neck of the Root operative snapped. And with that snap, the other Root leapt into action, as did the Rider and Sasuke.
"DIE!" Sasuke shouted, his eyes narrowing as he leapt at a Root ANBU and slashed at him. He sliced the Root in half and entered a duel with another Root ANBU using only their blades. The demonic Uchiha snarled and attacked again, leaping back before clenching his fist, surprised when it became covered in electricity.
"The Chidori?" Sasuke muttered in confusion. This confusion was exactly what the Root adversary needed to attack the dumbfounded demon-ish heir, only to be stopped when a Raikiri, courtesy of Kakashi, pierced his heart.
"Don't attack my students!" Kakashi said darkly as the Root ANBU died gasping for air. Sasuke looked thankfully at his sensei, who eye smiled back at him before looking over at Naruto as he finished snapping the neck of another Root ANBU. Naruto Rider looked at the last Root ANBU, the one wearing the jacket, and his eyes narrowed as a smile seemed to form on his face.
"Nice jacket," he commented before he suddenly slammed his fist into the man's stomach, making him gasp in shock while Naruto backhanded him hard enough to snap his neck. Standing over the body, Naruto then stripped the man of his jacket and pulled it on. He zipped it up, chuckling the whole time, "A very nice jacket..."
"Looking sharp, Dobe," Sasuke chuckled out as he stabbed his blade into the lung of a slowly dying man, taking pleasure in the man's raspy yowl. Sasuke then looked over himself and asked, "So, any idea what I should do now?"
"May I make a suggestion?" a voice said from the treetops behind them. Down leapt the Sanin Jiraiya, the Rider staring/glaring at him.
"So the pervert makes his appearance," Naruto commented, flicking his wrist and making his chain wrap around his torso and crossed his arms, "What do you want, Ero-sennin?"
Jiraiya frowned and crossed his arms, "So...you actually made the deal. This complicates things."
That's all for this one. Sorry about the shortness, but I got things to do...for the funeral. Peace...