A/N: Afternoon everyone. While at this point, I would say the usual stuff, but I think you all get the picture and really want to read the chapter over listening to me ramble :P. But, before you go, I do want to address the turn-out for Ch.5. While we barely broke even in review count, we fell a little behind in other regards, which was a slight disappointment; however, I think we can only go up from here. So if you are reading and like the story, show your enjoyment by following, favoriting or giving us a review to express how much you like it or your possible concerns, we'd love to hear from you.
With that being said, enjoy the show : ).
-Crenshinibon
Inherent Demons - Book One - Arc Two
Chapter 6
Sealed Secrets
His silent defiance… his refusal to surrender had prompted the hand that now rested over his left pectoral, veins along its dorsal surface bulging. A single slip of blood fell down, spattering the taut wrist in a scarlet dabble, falling from the open mouth, hanging below the dead expression.
"Then join her in the afterlife." The martyr's hardened gaze and voice scathed Naruto's fading cognizance. He retracted his hand from the still chest, allowing the boy to fall to his knees into a slumped sitting posture. Satisfied, Neji turned on the balls of his feet and walked away from the unmoving form, relaxing his eyes as he looked over to the proctor's surprised expression. "It's over, call it."
…
'Out of everyone, I want to fight you the most, Naruto...'
...
'Sasuke...'
…
'I will not give up, because that's my nindō, my ninja way!...'
…
'Hinata...'
…
'Tomorrow, when you fight Neji, I want you to kick his ass, for me...'
…
'Tenten...'
…
'I can't give up... everyone's counting on me... but, what else can I do?...'
'You know that there is a solution to your problem…'
Naruto's eyes popped open at the unexpected response, for him to find his gaze set upon a massive barred gate encompassed by thick, solid stone walls; a sealing tag was placed neatly over its center in what seemed to be a pitiful attempt to keep its occupant imprisoned. Despite having been in this position once before, he couldn't help but keep his blue orbs focused on the massive red oculi peering back at him from the darkness of the prison. A low rumble rolled through the empty corridors that made up Naruto's mind, which he soon realized was emanating from the trapped Kyūbi.
"Fox, I need your chakra," Naruto said, picking himself up from his sitting posture and walking slowly towards the prison.
The large red eyes followed the boy's progress, seeming to look past Naruto, past the flesh and bone and through to his very core, and what he found brought a small measure of amusement. "I see the pain and hatred in your soul that you try to hide. You wish to kill the feminine boy," the fox said, his deep, grating voice echoing off the walls as the blond stopped just outside. While the Kyūbi couldn't directly perceive the events occurring in the outside world, through various stimuli—namely strong negative emotions—he was able to tap into mental impulses, and thereby the fox could perceive general images associated with whatever emotion, via the tainting of chakra that seeped out to intermingle.
"I don't want to kill him, I just want to win and prove him wrong!" Naruto growled in response, causing the fox's eyes to squint ever-so-slightly at the runt's denial.
"You can't hide your true emotions from me boy, I am fury incarnate!" the Kyūbi dangerously roared, causing the corridor to tremble under the power of his voice.
"I don't care what you are! I just need your power now to defeat that bastard!" the boy retorted, stepping forward in a misguided attempt to bully the fox. As if to illustrate the beast's theme, a large paw shot forth, stabbing elongated claws through the vertical openings and stopping just before the foolish youth, who promptly took a wise step back.
"I am already helping you, child… My chakra is the only thing keeping your worthless hide alive. Why should I help you any further?..." the fox snarled, slowly drawing his paw back from the uncomfortable, stretched posture it was in. Thick, misty breathing simmered the dank shadows, and it emboldened the intensity of its originator's very presence; through narrowed eyes, the great fox awaited attenuation.
"What do you mean?" he questioned in bewilderment.
"I am now mending the damage your miserable adversary did to your heart. If you die, I am compromised," he growled, closing his eyes as a sign that the conversation was over; but the fox knew Naruto would persist, he knew that without his aid, Naruto would be nothing.
"Thanks... I guess... but, I still need more!" Naruto mumbled into a rise, staring down at the water covering his feet, looking at his own pitiful reflection. In the shaking liquid he watched his own fist clench, witnessing his form be controlled by the lack thereof. Lifting his gaze he stared once more into the black abyss, knowing that he couldn't hold back now. "I need more of your chakra, fox! Neji has done terrible things to the people that I care about and he deserves to pay for that!"
Slowly, the large eyes opened, peering down at the small human before him, a wicked grin splayed across his furred snout, and hidden by the shadows. This need would serve his purpose fruitfully…
"Very well… boy," the Kyūbi finally agreed, in a low, debasing rumble. Before Naruto could prepare himself, or discover the motivations behind the fox's swaying behavior, red chakra surged forth across the water rushingly from the cage's barred door, circling dangerously around Naruto before encompassing him in its raw form, as a thick cloud. "I hope you choke on it."
All Naruto knew, felt, tasted... was pain.
…
The blood curling scream that followed pierced through the quiet murmurs of the crowd as everyone watched Naruto's body twitch and spasm, tightly grabbing at the sides of his head. Worried expressions darted back and forth as they observed the strange and fear inspiring display. Neji similarly watched the spectacle, growing more fearful as the display escalated in ferocity. Naruto hunched himself over into a sitting position as he screamed into the air, clawing at his glowing red face as he suffered through some unbeknownst torment. Attempting to divulge what was happening, Neji surged chakra into his eyes, once more activating his dōjutsu with haste, and the sight that greeted his enhanced vision filled him with a gutting dread. Like a slowly spreading flood, chakra began to recirculate throughout Naruto's body forcing its way as a torrent past each gateway that stood—but instead of the blue chakra Neji was used to seeing, this was a dark crimson. As the chakra fully engulfed all of Naruto's tenketsu, restarting his chakra network, he slumped slightly and ceased his screaming. The silence that followed was disconcertingly abrupt; empty circulation filled the arena once more, filling the attendants, too, with an unprecedented unease.
As the seconds ticked by, a sudden movement behind Naruto drew everyone's attention as red chakra began to slowly snake its way from his tailbone, extending itself out into the air and bubbling a defined, blood-red outline, growing in proportion to Naruto's small body. Before the first chakra protrusion reached its halfway point, a secondary extension appeared next to it, growing out of its side, snaking its way into the air to join the first. When the two sizzling morphs had grown to full length, all who knew of Naruto's past were filled with terror at seeing a reminder of a dark day of the village's past; waving in the air behind Naruto's leaning form, were two red chakra tails. Shortly after the tails finished forming, the chakra began to spread its way over Naruto's body, fully enveloping him in the dense, effervescent substance; around his ears, the chakra began to stretch outwards in a similar fashion as it had before, bending, as though solid, into two elongated ears than stuck back behind Naruto's head.
Slowly Naruto opened his eyes. He still felt the pain, but only distantly. His mind was blank, retrieving no conception of who he was, where he was, or why he was there… but only emanating a deep-seated anger boiling inside of him, an aimless, reckless desire to obliterate. He looked at his hands, curiously observing the claw-like nails and the red boiling chakra surrounding them, feeling as if they didn't belong to him.
'Kill...'
The verbal command echoed throughout his being, filling him with purpose once again. Images flashed before his eyes, scenes played throughout the theater of his mind... vows were remembered with a vengeance. Naruto curled his hands into rock-hard fists as he lifted his gaze, his eyes falling onto the target of the anger that raged inside of him.
...
Hiruzen stood from his chair as he watched the Kyūbi cloak cover Naruto's body, filling him with dread; he did not want a repeat of that terrible night. "Kazekage-sama, we must get you to safety," he explained, waving his hand in a specified motion for an escort to be brought.
"There is no need for that, Hokage-sama. If the Uzumaki child is anything like… my son, then the seal that was placed on him should restrain most of the bijū's tremendous power, correct?" The Kazekage looked over at his older counterpart from his leaned forward posture. "Let things play out for now... I do not believe we are in any immediate danger, but should things get out of hand, I'm sure you will take the necessary actions."
Hiruzen eyed the Kazekage. While his reasoning did seem sound, there was something nagging at the back of his mind. Something just didn't seem... right. "Very well, we shall let the fight continue," Hiruzen replied as he sat back down, watching the completely covered man who eyed the fight with an unsettling interest. 'I must just be getting old...,' he thought to himself, hoping to dispel the unease that rested on his weary shoulders.
…
Gaara held himself over the railing as he observed the change over Naruto with a vested interest. His aqua-shaded eyes opened wide, hungrily devouring the sight before him, as a crazed look began to gradually take over his normally blank stare. This is what he had hoped for. Finally, a strong opponent to prove his existence!
"Yes," he hissed, tightening his hold onto the metal railing as he battled the urge to charge at the chakra shrouded blond.
"Gaara, come on, you need to calm down," the almost fully covered Kankurō said, walking over to his increasingly agitated brother.
"Get away from me!" Gaara shouted, nearly slurring with the deep voice his wrath summoned, as he turned dangerously on his sibling who promptly back-pedaled, stuttering on a heel before stopping at safety's range.
"Gaara, enough!" Baki said at an increased volume, bringing the auburn-haired teen's attention onto him. "You will have your chance soon enough, but you need to calm down... now!" he ordered.
Gaara's eyes squinted at the man in open acrimony, but he did calm down, albeit briefly as he became once more consumed with watching his future prey.
...
Neji looked into the stare of death aimed his way, and for the first time in his life, he felt a fear that filled him to his very core; never before had he felt such a vivid emotion. He inched his way back from the monster that eyeballed him, whiskers flaring out to exaggerate the feral appearance with his sharpened teeth on open display.
'Such a manifestation of evil... what is he?!' Neji thought to himself, feeling the hatred, the anger, the bloodlust radiating from Naruto's body. Within a fraction of a second, Naruto vanished from his seat, leaving no evidence that he was even there except the soil debris his rapid movement stirred. Frightened, Neji attempted to use his Byakugan to locate the exponential threat, but Naruto simply moved too fast for the increased eyesight. At the last second, Neji attempted to turn away from the blow that came in at his head, bringing his arms up to bear, but Naruto proved the faster. The chakra-infused fist crashed into the side of his face, igniting his whole body in searing agony while whipping his head powerfully around as his body, sending him corkscrewing through the air. The blow came into him as a searing blur, distorting his judgement and inciting Neji barely managing to extend an arm out wildly to cushion his fall as he roughly landed on the hard earth, rolling several times before he could maneuver his legs beneath himself, rising, jarred, into a hunched kneel.
Genma, now standing several meters from Neji, glanced between the two combatants before shifting his vision up towards the podium on which the two Kage sat. With dismay he looked on, seeing no approval to end the fight; he was forced to watch on in horror at what Naruto would do next; to accord, he didn't have long to wait.
Naruto made no move at first, seeming satisfied to watch the terror that his form inspired, but a sudden movement had both Genma and Neji preparing for the worst. Naruto shifted himself slightly in his four-legged stance, pressing his feet firmly against the solid earth and digging his fingers slightly in. His mouth opened wide, almost in an attempt to shout or scream, but what came out was anything but. Beyond what either could expect, a blast wave of chakra pulsed outwards, racing towards and rushing over the two men caught in its radius. The wave of energy rolled over them, sending Genma into a sidelong roll across the ground as he caught the outer band of the pulse, Neji was not so lucky. Being in the epicenter, Neji received the full brunt of the chakra wave, sending him speeding through the air and over the tree line to slam powerfully into the arena's wall. After the initial pulse, the wave continued to rush forward, overcoming him for a second time, keeping him held against the rock wall behind him. Despite the solidity of the smooth surface, the walls began to crack under the powerful emanations of the chakra wave.
Hiruzen stood up abruptly, watching with horror as Neji succumbed to the power of the Kyūbi, making him regret his previous inaction. "This has gone too far," he said aloud, but more pointedly to the Kazekage, who continued to watch with fascination. "This fight is over!" he shouted; his voice radiated through the arena, bringing all eyes to him. "All shinobi of Konoha, ensure the safety of the civilians! All Anbu, report to the arena and subdue Uzumaki Naruto!" The wizened commander watched with satisfaction as his shinobi moved accordingly, directing everyone out of the arena as others systematically filed into the arena's pit and came to encircle the feral Naruto.
"I apologize for this interruption, Kazekage-sama, but for your own safety, we need to escort you away from here," he said, his focus fixed on Naruto and the task before him.
The Kazekage gradually stood up while slowly turning to the distracted Hokage. "I don't think that's necessary... Sarutobi-sensei."
Hiruzen jerked his head in surprise as the Kazekage slowly removed his Kage hat, revealing the thick mane of sleek black hair and pasty white skin. "Orochimaru," he spat at his former student, glaring angrily at him.
"There is no need for such hostility, Sarutobi-sensei," Orochimaru smiled, his long tongue snaking its way out the corner of his lips, running its length across his lower lip to vanish back into the depths of his mouth upon reaching the opposite corner. Movement from behind Hiruzen diverted the snake-like man's attention, eyeing the two Jōnin that stood as guards to their leader. Before either could react, the two guards behind Orochimaru "disassembled," splitting into four separate entities with two of them appearing behind the unfortunate Konoha guards. Before either could react, the sharp blades of kunai cut into their bodies, extinguishing the life from their eyes.
Hiruzen made no move, keeping his attention focused Orochimaru. "You will pay for their lives this day, as well all the other poor souls that you have ended, Orochimaru," Hiruzen stated.
Orochimaru shrugged slightly at the pathetic attempt at his morality. "Their lives served their purpose in leading up to this point, sensei. It's too bad that part of my plans will have to be held off," he explained, a disheartened look overcoming his smug smile. "But, there is still time."
Hiruzen digested the information and backed up with what he knew, he squinted his eyes. "What is your interest in Uchiha Sasuke?" he asked.
At the question, the smile returned to Orochimaru's face.
…
Naruto watched as Neji fell from the wall, landing roughly on the ground many feet below, even as Anbu circled around him, he was only distantly aware of their presence.
'Kill...'
Movement to Naruto's right drew his attention as one of the Anbu began running through a series of hand-signs. Before he could finish, Naruto lifted his arm up to the Anbu and with a—hollow—thought, the chakra cloak shot out towards him, a large red claw reaching out and clasping around him. Smoke began to waft into the air as the boiling chakra began to burn and sear both cloth and flesh, causing the unfortunate man to shout in pain.
At the sound of their comrade in harm, all of the Anbu rushed towards the distracted Uzumaki in an attempt to bring him under control. With a simple retraction of the chakra arm, he pulled the Anbu to him and with a quick twist of his arm, the extension launched the human projectile at one of his companion's, taking the two out. As the others drew closer, with a swing of his tails, several others were tossed aside while turning towards the last remaining few. Opening his mouth once more, another chakra pulse radiated outwards towards them, flinging the Anbu across the arena to litter the ground.
With the feeble distractions dealt with, he set his sights on the recovering Neji; planting his feet and hands firmly onto the ground, he pushed off suddenly, upturning loose earth with his departure as he flew across the ground towards his intended target. Neji looked up just in time to see the large, curled fist racing towards him, but was unable to bring up any semblance of defense before the air was blasted out of his lungs, only to crash once more against solid arena wall. Before he could fall from the wall, a second fist came reaffirming his spot on the wall, pressing him powerfully into the foundation behind him. The fist was quickly replaced by a third, then a forth in what seemed an endless stream of pain, the rock behind him began to crack around him from the prolonged assault, several chips falling free to break apart on the ground beneath. After a final hate filled punch, Naruto retracted his hand from wall, staring at the barely conscious Neji, who stared in disbelief back.
A pang of regret began to form in him as he witnessed the harm that had dealt. Was this right? Should he be doing this? Naruto closed his eyes in an attempt to fight the anger that raged within him.
'Hinata-sama is more than likely no longer with us…'
His eyes reopened with a renewed fury, boring into the brown-haired teen before him. As Neji began to slump forward out of the crater he was forced into, Naruto reached down and grabbed one of his uncovered legs. A hissing could be heard as the chakra began to burn the unprotected flesh, but Neji was beyond able to respond to the pain. With a twitch of his arm, Naruto yanked him from his embedded seat and had him swinging upwards into the air. At the apex of the upward lift, Naruto snapped his arm down, bringing Neji swiftly smacking into the ground; he repeated the motion three more times, blood seeping into the soil as Neji's face took the brunt of the beating, before finally snapping his arm to the side and releasing him. Neji was sent rolling across the ground, skipping painfully as he went, before coming to rest many meters away. With his anger played out on the unfortunate Hyūga, Naruto let our a rage filled roar and began to scan for his next target.
In the middle of the arena, two figures materialized in a swirling vortex of leaves, which quickly abated upon completing the Shunshin technique.
"Sorry we're late, we..." Kakashi started to apologize, being stopped upon realizing the gravity of the situation that he and Sasuke found themselves amidst. All across the arena's floor, bodies of unconscious or injured Anbu lay scattered about leaving the two confused as to what had transpired during the Chūnin exams. Fighting could be heard ringing in the air throughout the village, setting the two even more on edge, but only served to add onto their confusion. A quick scan had both shinobi soon realizing the cause of the devastation. Feeling the presence of the two newest arrivals, Naruto turned to regard his sensei and his teammate, though he didn't see to recognize either; they were simply something for him to kill.
"What the...?" Sasuke questioned, unable to comprehend the sight before him.
"Sasuke, I'd like for you to ensure the safety of those who haven't evacuated yet. Stay in the stands and wait for my mark," he said, reaching his right arm up and bending it at the elbow towards his face, his hand grasping his hitai-ate and lifting it from the covered left side of his face. Uncovered, his scarred eye slowly opened, revealing the dormant Sharingan he typically concealed. "We'll reconvene after I take care of things here, hmm?"
"Are you joking? You need my help!" Sasuke shouted, unable to tear his vision from the demon a distance away.
"This is not up for discussion. I'll handle Naruto, but I need you out of the area, you'll be too much of a distraction and in a situation like this, that could mean both of our deaths." Kakashi slightly turned his head, looking out the corner of his eye at the young Uchiha at his side.
"Tch," Sasuke hissed through ground teeth, torn between his personal emotions and the request of his sensei. Reluctantly, Sasuke turned away from his companion and started running towards the stands.
"Sasuke," Kakashi called, bringing him to a halt, turning to realign his focus. "It's still Naruto, no matter what he may appear like now. I'll ensure that he's not harmed."
Sasuke's demeanor lightened a little at the assurance, casting one final glance at the feral looking blond before rushing across the arena's open field.
Kakashi smiled slightly under his mask as he watched his student depart, but was quickly replaced with a grim outlook as his gaze returned to Naruto, who had yet to make a move. 'Easier said than done...' he mentally remarked, not nearly as confident in his own words now faced with the reality of his situation.
As Sasuke was about to reach the wall and make the leap towards the stands, a form out of his peripheral caught his attention. Upon focusing on the form, he recognized the long dark-brown hair, the khaki-colored shirt and the bandage-wrapped arm of Hyūga Neji, though, it was hard to truly tell if it was the same person.
Running to the limp body, Sasuke saw the damage—that he assumed Naruto had dealt—and found that he pitied the unfortunate mess before him; for a second his mind hung away from himself, awestruck by the sheer power that had begotten the boy's injuries… Neji's face was covered in scathing burn marks and his nose was grotesquely bent to the side, blood covering much of his lower jaw. Down his body all exposed lay raw, covered with cuts, though from Naruto or from what he did was unknown… in addition to what appeared to be dilated scorch marks covering much of his clothing. Unsure if the Hyūga was even alive after such a beating, Sasuke fell to a knee, extending and placing two fingers against the base of his neck, closing his eyes and blocking out all other sensations. Long seconds passed, bringing Sasuke's eyes open in resignation. Just as he was about to pull his fingers away, a faint beat was felt pulsing against the tips, causing shock to paint his countenance.
"Neji?!" Sasuke blurted, placing a hand close to the "body"'s mouth, feeling a barely detectable sign of breathing that wasn't present outwardly. Overcoming his disbelief, Sasuke gingerly maneuvered Neji's body, picking him up with his back. Confident that he was secured, Sasuke resumed his course, when a sudden feeling of fear washed over him... a unpleasantly familiar sensation. The recollection of the feeling caused the mark on his neck to throb violently, a burning sensation exploding in the flesh surrounding the curse mark, causing Sasuke to become unbalanced and fall forward into a supplicant posture:
Slowly, Sasuke's head swiveled around, looking up the wall as the sensation became more and more acute in its potency. As his unsteady vision fell upon the pale-skinned man, Orochimaru felt his eyes staring at him, drawing his attention downwards. As their gazes crossed, Orochimaru's amused smile was completed by a long tongue snaking its way out, licking its way across his lips. Sasuke pulled his eyes from the vexing figure, looking at the Hokage who stood like a monument, unmoving and unbending as he faced down his powerful opponent.
Sasuke shook his head, driving his eyes down to the ground before him. Sasuke searched for Kakashi, knowing that he should tell someone… someone. He opened his mouth to shout his sensei's name, but nothing came, caught in his throat in the form of a dry lump. 'Dammit!' he mentally shouted, ashamed by his own deplorable state, having thought he had overcome his fear. Returned to an almost child-like state, Sasuke focused on the task at hand, closing his arms firmly against Neji's legs to both distract him and assure him of his choice and his inability, rushing up the wall and rushing through the stands towards the central hospital.
Kakashi continued to observe Naruto, knowing full well that it was better for the blond to make the first move, as he pondered just how Naruto had achieved such a state. A not too distant memory of a similar occurrence in the Land of Waves filled Kakashi with worry. While he could accept that the seal was weakening, what alarmed him was the rate at which the deterioration was occurring. Within a six week time span, the seal had weakened enough to allow the Kyūbi's chakra to manifest in such a level, which did not bode well for Naruto, nor for the rest of the village.
Appearing to have grown bored with the delay, Naruto suddenly charged at the silver-haired Jōnin, bringing him into a state of alertness. Before Kakashi could react, Naruto appeared before him, his Sharingan barely able to perceive the movement but giving him just enough time to dive out of the way as a chakra hand came slamming down onto the ground where he once stood. Naruto stared at the spot, surprised that he had missed and turned to his target, growling in anger.
"Naruto, you need to calm down," Kakashi said in a level voice, not wanting to provoke another attack and attempting to reach at the boy suppressed under the rage. Kakashi looked down at the hand in the ground and saw something that seemed... odd. Staring at the hand, it appeared as if the fingers were wiggling back at forth slightly above the surface. A sudden realization had Kakashi jumping back as the fingers exploded from the ground beneath him, snaking their way into the air and then chasing after the evading ninja.
"Damn, Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Kakashi shouted while he crossed together the barred fingers of each hand, spawning a clone who promptly grabbed onto his bent elbow and tossed him out of the way. No sooner than had the clone finished, the five protrusions stabbed the copy's body, dispelling it in a puff of smoke, leaving Kakashi in the open. Retracting the digits, Naruto pulled his hand from the ground and opened his mouth. Kakashi's brow furrowed in confusion as he watched the odd action and his surprise was only given new life when a pulse of chakra surged outward towards him, materializing out of the thick aura, rolling over him and launching him through the air, down to colliding roughly with the ground. As he connected, he went up in a puff of smoke, similar to the clone of not moments ago. With his target missing, the clouded jinchūriki surveyed the area, with a wildly turning head on scout for the elusive shinobi.
Kakashi pressed himself firmly against the trunk of the tree near the arena's perimeter, glancing around its circumference to keep tabs on Naruto's location. 'Good thing it was just a clone, this is going to prove difficult,' the usually laid-back man thought to himself. As he completed the though, Naruto disappeared from sight, leaving Kakashi wide-eyed and intuitively ducking at the same instant that a enlarged chakra hand came swiping through the tree, cutting just above Kakashi's lowered head. Knowing that he had to get away from the enraged boy, Kakashi propelled himself forward, away from the tree cover, and back into the open as Naruto landed on the ground and chased after him, roaring as he went.
As Kakashi fell towards the trailing dirt in front of himself—he glanced over to his left for a brief moment—before focusing once more onto the blond in front of him. Knowing that he only had one chance to get this right, Kakashi turned in mid-air and landed, waiting for Naruto to reach him. As Naruto touched down, he flew at his teacher, extending one of the chakra limbs out to connect with Kakashi's body, sending the Jōnin flying through the air. In mid-flight, Kakashi was replaced in a puff of smoke by a log, completing the substitution technique as a pair of hands erupted from the ground, grabbing Naruto by the ankles. Before the red chakra could do any damage, Naruto was forcefully pulled into the ground until all that remained was his head as Kakashi came walking out of the nearby foliage. Thinking Naruto secure, he watched as the figure he noticed jumped down into the arena, rushing towards the captured blond. The ground exploded as Naruto began to extract himself from the hard earth, using both the chakra limbs and his enhanced strength to free himself. As he was halfway out, Aeron quickly slammed a leaflet-sized tag against Naruto's forehead and pulled back, eyeing him hesitantly.
A surprised expression quickly overcame the anger that was present on Naruto's face. His eyes flashed their normal bright blue as the anger within him was targeted by the sealing paper and suppressed, replaced by a soothing, peaceful sensation that stuck through his rigid form set momentarily petrified by the conflicting energies. The Kyūbi cloak began to dissipate, relinquishing its hold on the young boy and also siphoning his focus, leaving an airy dissonance that faded away as small samples of him melted into the evaporating aura; as peace surged through him, Naruto's eyelids grew heavy from the strain the chakra had put on his body and he promptly slumped forward into the realm of sleep. Aeron caught him on his way down while simultaneously lifting him from the earth, only his grated pants and shoes skidded slightly while the man transitioned to laying him gently down on the ground, out from the short, uneven tunnel.
"Thanks," Kakashi said while looking down at his sleeping student, then turning and focusing on the blue-clad man.
The wiry stubble bent oddly around the white-haired man's smile; "Oh! Yeah, no problem." Aeron paused, glancing around almost expectantly… unassured by the unforthcoming dullness beading his friend's stare.
"Hmm?"
Aeron opened his mouth to speak, but found a little stutter choking his usual clip. "…"
"Ah yes," Kakashi commented, finally returning his eyes to the blond's easing visage, whose chest now rose and fell with comfortable respiration. "I wasn't sure what would have happened…"
"Di—Didn't you…," the man started, sweating only slightly to his awareness.
Kakashi shook his head; and from Aeron's perspective, somehow did not shift his overachieving level of facial garnish even minutely, somehow. "I didn't have a plan at all, actually!" At this, his visible eye arched while he turned to Aeron.
Unwilling to let the man process, Kakashi went on, "How did you know to come here?"
Aeron now kept his gaze locked on the tranquil looking blond. "I was in the middle of service when I felt the Kyūbi's chakra spike. I feared the worst, so I rushed over. And by the looks of this place, it's a good thing I did, too," he explained, lifting his gaze to take in the wreckage that Naruto had wrought. "I'd hate to think what would have happened had you not been here to stall him."
Before either could continue, an auburn-haired boy jumped the sizable fall into the arena, walking unsteadily towards Naruto's unconscious body. Aeron furrowed his brow as he observed the oncoming newcomer.
"Sabaku no Gaara," Kakashi said, watching the boy just as intently.
"Must kill... Need to kill...," Gaara muttered just loud enough to be heard, ambling towards the men.
"Gaara!" shouted another teen dressed completely in black as he too fell to the center of the arena. Landing silently he hurried forward and stuck a hand out thinking to reach for the boy, only stopped when a sudden stream of sand whipped up, forming a curved, half-concealing barrier.
"Go… AWAY!" Gaara slurred, continuing his hungry stalk towards the incapacitated blond.
The two men, sentinels to Naruto, stood defensively though languidly, noticing two more—a masked man and young woman—fall to, to their knowledge, complete the Suna entourage.
"Aeron," Kakashi said, slowly readying his right hand.
Toothpick cocked, the man nodded, then folded his arms.
"Gaara," the man—presumably their squad leader—shouted dashing forward to meet the flowing sand barrier with defiance; just so, he slammed his hand against it, "Listen to me!" he continued, unknowingly drawing a sluggish turn of Gaara's left eye towards the muffled sand that seemed to speak to him; "You can not forsake the plan. You obey the village first! Do you understand?" he hissed, pressing his hand nearly into the reluctant compliance of the hot wall.
Both Aeron and Kakashi looked on as the boy they could clearly see, giving them a horrific leer, outlined by the vexing, dark rings encircling each eye, remained silent for a moment as he seemed to mull over the information spewed through his partition. With a pained, hungry glance at Naruto, he groaned something incoherent before recklessly turning into the sand, casting it around his arm and to the side while he dashed off towards the dome-like side of the stadium.
Shaking his head into a sigh, Baki continued, "Go with your brother, both of you, and see to it that he completes the mission."
Wordlessly, they complied, though anyone to see them could tell that they loathed the order; as they went, both wore heavy grimaces, but that dissatisfaction only spurred them on after the trailing Gaara.
In accordance with the unspoken decision, Aeron made to chase, but was stopped by the Suna Jōnin's swift pull at the weapon satchel at his hip. Quickly responding, Aeron gathered a pocket of air as to whistle within his cheek, and with a chomped compression spouted it forth to propel the small wooden sliver of timber towards the man's visible eye; said eye opened in shock as the little dart came within a meter of its shaking vector, but soon squinted in disbelief when another similar toothpick shot from the angle northeasterly connecting with Aeron's own and sending them both in a little spin before they fast came to rest in the dirt below.
"What?"—this comment was shared by all, though the varied expressions lead in degree to the one unshaken, who landed in a formative crouch, smiling, beside Kakashi.
"Genma," Kakashi greeted happily, giving a half-hearted little salute with the several fingers he felt could be spared.
"Yo," the crouched ninja whispered, bracing his acute lean with an open palm to the dirt. While tattered from his earlier tumble, he simply shrugged himself into his new vocation, grinning slyly while he brought a hand to adjust his lacerated bandana. To complete his setup, he stood, tilting his head side to side in a repetitious stretch; "So, Aeron, right," he remarked, a sidelong look cast in the still-surprised man's direction.
"…Yes?"
"You're just a citizen, right? Wouldn't want you mixed up with any foreign ninja—could be bad for your cred'." Breathing in slowly, he arched his lower back, raising both arms over his head and pulling. "I'll help Kakashi here, you go do what you have to do."
Briefly, Aeron thought he should feel insulted, but after studying the man's ubiquitously understood eyebrow nudge, he felt somehow at ease. Forlornly, he looked towards his felled toothpick… but opted against his baser urgings, 'Nah…,' he thought.
He nodded to both, taking off to the side and veering right around, straight after the three younger ninja.
With the man shrinking into the distance as he approached the titanic curvature of the structure, all three ninja once again focused sincerely on each other.
"Shall we?"
A quick clash of metal rung out, only dotting the numerous sounds that sprang across the massive battlefield… and all out into the rest of the village.
"Just a 'citizen' my ass," Aeron grumbled, leaping from tree to tree in a very… trained fashion. With each leap, he'd land with a swift tack that only blended into the shaking of the branch left in the wake of his kickoff; then, subsequently he would land once more, bracing himself as he made sure to keep to the subtle trail left by the three he pursued.
"They're not bad…" he remarked, "definitely ain't Genin level." At this, his mind went to the espial capabilities of the boy he called Otōto; he couldn't help but snicker. The innocent joviality was harshly interrupted by a corruptive bang denting the far off stone, followed by pattering explosions trickling along what he could assume were the ranks of guards foolishly positioned. 'I knew it…,' he thought, looking up, away from his saddened gaze behind and continuing his pursuit, 'why are they always at war?' A few jumps later, he found himself entering the darkening wood, knowing he was trifling in unfamiliar territory. "What a stupid question," he chastised himself, shaking his head.
Fading into the forest, a final shout of reprisal shot out, startling several birds, "And I didn't even bring another god damned toothpick!"
…
"Gaara!… Gaara!" Kankurō shouted, cupping his hands around his mouth. "Shit," he muttered, turning back to the sight of his fan-wielding sister approaching, wearing a very womanly scowl.
"You idiot!" she dug in, shooting herself right up beside him. "How could you let him get away from you!"
"Do you see this gash?!" he shouted right back, leaning his weight more into the aggressive hunch he sported; while speaking, he wielded the prominent tear in his clothing, as well as the viciously scratched away skin. "He attacked me! Would you have stayed to let the damn brat kill you?"
At this, Temari merely shielded her eyes with a hand, sighing indignantly. "Fine, whatever, but we need to keep them thrown off; who knows what this village has sent to follow us?"
The kabuki-painted ninja nodded, returning her now concerned eye-contact; "Yeah, you're right… I've kept the trail bu—"
"—But you neglected the full gamut of this forest's fauna, like an amateur," a gruff voice completed, drawing both pairs of eyes to the man who stood lazily slouched against a tree, not five meters from where they sat. To demonstrate their folly, the man held up a sampling of bark that he'd, evidently, ripped from one of the trees, showing them the scratched patterns along its surface; "Nothing here makes scratches like this, even I know that," he finished with a soft chuckle.
"Who the hell are you?" Kankurō challenged, leaning forward as he made to draw attention from his faintly glowing fingertips.
"He's the enemy," Temari growled, reaching for the metal holster affixed to the upper back of her kimono.
"Right," the black-clad boy affirmed, giving a thick grin with the bolster of his face paint.
A faint wind, albeit one with voice swept through the canopy's alcove, dusting away stray leaves and the bark Aeron let fall free from his firm grip; with the silence they exchanged, each flick of a brushed leaf or click of a twig nicked against their auditory.
Aeron then raised an open palm outwards. "I'm going after the redhead next… the jinchūriki…" the man paused at this, raising an eyebrow to gauge their response—in turn, they both seemed adequately surprised; "But first, we're going to have a little talk."
"Yes, mother… soon… soon I will have the blood of them all—no—PLEASE… let me…"
Not far from his siblings, the dark-eyed gourd-bearer trudged sloppily along the forest's thinning floor, gripping his forehead tightly.
"Yes… him… too."
...
A/N: So, I think everyone can agree now that Neji got what he deserved, don't you think? Hope you all enjoyed and REVIEW!
Next Time | Arc Two Conclusion: Chapter 7 - Borne of War
