AN: Hey guys! So this chapter's kinda short, but I hope you'll like it anyways.
A big thanks to ghiblilover for offering to be my BETA! Yay! So give a big thanks to them!
The kit's name is still undecided, though I did get a lot of names from you guys. Thanks a lot! It was hard to pick one by myself, so I decided to let you guys do it!
On my profile page is a pole with all the names you guys suggested! I added some myself that I thought might be good, but there are a tone of names to choose from. So please! Vote for the name you like the most! The fox kit shall be named by the next chapter, so time is limited as I actually have most of the next chapter written! The name that gets the most votes will be the name of the kit that, I assure you, will play a big role in this story.
Thanks for all the suggestions guys! This chapter may be short, but it's the quality that counts. Read and Review please!
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto...
Hinata watched worriedly as Naruto hurriedly packed his bag, stuffing random assorts of clothing and cups of ramen into it. He wasted no time in getting his weapons and hastily put the backpack on.
Hinata pulled the fox kit in her arms closer. She watched as Naruto made his way towards her. She could tell he was having a hard time keeping his emotions in check by his clenched fists and trembling form.
"Naruto-kun..."
"Why..."
Hinata furrowed her brow. "Nani?"
Naruto looked up at her. "Why are they doing this? Why do they want us so badly?"
At first she was confused, but she soon realized he was talking about the Akatsuki. Hinata remained silent, unsure of words that could comfort her love.
"So the Akatsuki finally made their move."
Naruto dismissed the voice from inside him, not because he wanted to, but because he didn't have words to say.
"I have to go." He muttered hoarsely. Hinata nodded solemnly.
Naruto moved closer to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "I want you to stay here while I'm gone. Do anything you want here ...just...please don't go back to that place. Not when I'm not there to make sure nothing happens to you. Promise me...please."
Hinata could only nod her agreement. Naruto rested his forehead against hers and looked into her quivering lavender eyes. "I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to you." He raised his hands up to cup her cheeks and grasped her hair gently. Eyes shaking, he brushed away the strands of hair that fell in front of her face. "Besides Pervy Sage and Grandma Tsunade...You're the only one I have...Gaara was like me...He understood me...he was my friend... And now they've taken him and he may even be dead by now..." Naruto closed his eyes. "Promise you'll stay safe, promise you'll be here when I get back."
Hinata smiled sadly, lifting a free hand to cup his cheek gently. Using a finger to brush away a stray tear, she gave him a firm look. "I'll promise if you promise me that you'll return home safe and alive."
Naruto's eyes widened before he smiled, a true smile. "I promise. I'll kick their Akatsuki butts and return home with Gaara safe and sound...you can count on that."
Hinata smiled softly. They shared a last goodbye kiss before Naruto had to leave.
"I'll be back soon, Hina-chan."
Naruto waited impatiently by the gates of Konoha. Didn't his team mates know how important it was to leave as soon as possible? The KAZEKAGE had been CAPTURED! Now wasn't the time to dawdle. They needed to get going before the Akatsuki killed Gaara!
Naruto suddenly spotted a pink figure walking leisurely down the road towards the gates. As the figure grew closer, Naruto instantly recognized her.
Grumbling, he muttered her name. "Sakura..."
He should have seen it coming. They were both on team 7, so if Kakashi and he where going on this rescue mission together, then it was only reasonable to assume Sakura would be going along with them.
In the past, Naruto would have been jumping for joy that he would get to spend time alone with the pink haired konichi. But now...just the thought of spending time with her, let alone talking to her, gave him a horrible, pungent feeling in his gut.
As she grew closer, he noticed a scowl marred her reluctant face. Good, so she wasn't excited to see him either.
"Uzumaki." She hissed as she came to a stop in front of him, hands folded over her chest.
"Haruno." Naruto greeted back, nodding his head, trying to keep the word from sounding too nasty as it slid over his tongue.
Naruto wanted so badly to hate the girl standing in front of him, but deep down, he knew he couldn't. The only feelings he could get from this person standing before him...were ones of betrayal.
Now that he thought about it, Sakura was always like a big sister to him. An overbearing, aggressive older sibling. And maybe because he viewed her this way and all those years they spent together...he couldn't bring himself to hate her. He wanted to hate her, but no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't. He felt only betrayal and anger.
Deciding not to engage in an attempt at conversation that would surely send him flying from a punch to the face, Naruto crossed his arms and turned to study the silent forest that laid beyond the gates of Konoha. Naruto was only a little surprised when Kakashi popped out of nowhere. If it were like old times, Naruto and Sakura would have shouted, "You're late!", but this wasn't old times. This was now and now had tension so thick you could cut it with a knife.
Kakashi only motioned for his students to follow him and soon they were running towards the Sand village.
Naruto was irked. It was frustrating to know that you wanted to get somewhere quickly and promptly, but the people you were traveling with trailed behind you unhurriedly. Did they not care that Gaara had been captured? Did they not know how important it was to save his friend before the Akatsuki killed him!
"Naruto! Slow down! You're not the only one on this mission, you know!"
Naruto growled at Sakura's voice. "Every minute we slowdown is another minute wasted upon saving Gaara!"
"Naruto." Kakashi calmly stated. "Even if we travel at a fast pace, it will still take three days to get to Suna!"
Naruto clenched his tenth angrily. He knew his sensei was right, but it still frustrated him to no end. He was about to yell his frustrations to the world, but a glimpse of light blonde hair caught his attention. Upon a closer glance, Naruto instantly recognized the person. "Temari-san!"
Said person looked up curiously just as Naruto jumped down in front of her. "N..Naruto?!"
Kakashi and Sakura landed silently behind Naruto. Temari didn't like their solemn looks. "What's going on?"
"Gaara's been captured by the Akatsuki. We're on our way now to save him." Naruto growled causing Temari's eyes to widen.
"Captured!?"
Naruto wasted no time in grabbing Temari by the wrist, catching her by surprise, and pulled her along. "Hurry! We haven't got much time!"
Temari followed team seven, worry coursing through her veins.
They carried on like this for the rest of the day and soon the sun descended beyond the horizon, leaving the night to paint the sky and take over. Naruto jumped frantically from tree to tree, trying to go as fast as he could. His team mates were falling shortly behind him, but not once did he think of slowing down. He had to save Gaara….he just had to!
"Naruto! I told you to slow down!" Sakura's yell rang through his ears, but Naruto chose to ignore it. She had no idea just how important that it was to get there as soon as they could.
"I hate this! Even I know why the Akatsuki is after people like Gaara and me! You know it too, don't you Sakura? I bet you probably even agree with the Akatsuki, but I sure as heck don't! So what if I have the Kyuubi sealed inside me!? I'm a human just like any of them! I have feelings and emotions, but they only see us as monsters, for what's sealed inside of us. That's all we are to them! Monsters! They don't care about us! They just want the power sealed inside of us!" Naruto yelled, clutching the fabric over his stomach.
Sakura's eyes widened at hearing this and slightly lowered her head in shame. Guilt was starting to make itself present in her gut.
"Gaara always had it worse than me! The Akatsuki are after me too…but why does he always get the short end of the stick! It's always him!"
Naruto clenched his fists. "Gaara became my friend! That's why I can't waste any time getting to him. This time….I want to save him right away!"
Something wet hit Temari's cheek and her eyes widened as she realized it was Naruto's tears. Lowering her head, she closed her eyes and sighed. 'Naruto…Arigato…
Team Kakashi stopped for a short break late into the night. They had been traveling all day and fatigue was quickly catching up to them. Kakashi was going to sit as guard while the rest took a short nap, but Naruto objected. He claimed he was too worried and anxious to even fall asleep. He begged to sit up as guard and Kakashi grudgingly allowed him too. Mostly because he just wanted to curl up against a tree and finish his new book.
Naruto sat stiffly against the rough bark of a tree and watched as his comrades tiredly sat down. He could tell Sakura was asleep by her steady breathing…and the fact she was muttering 'Sasuke-kun' under her breath….
Naruto glanced over at his sensei and saw that he was currently occupied by his book. Temari seemed to be deep in thought before she turned over and lay on her side. Naruto waited awhile until he was sure all of them were asleep before he put his plan in action.
Making sure not to make too much noise, Naruto quietly put on his backpack and jumped onto the branch. Turning back to look at his sleeping companions, he mouthed a small, 'I'm sorry', before turning and jumping away.
"Switch with me, brat."
Naruto's eyes widened. "Why?"
"Just do it. Combine us this time. I'm gonna need my fox senses."
Naruto sighed before complying with the fox's commands. Cerulean eyes closed and they opened to reveal slitted crimson. Kurama stopped jumping from tree to tree, instead choosing to sniff at the air. Naruto watched on in curiosity as Kurama used his body to sniff at the air and listen intently.
Kurama suddenly jumped to the ground and took off running.
"Where are we going?" Naruto asked, looking up at the fox, but Kurama never answered.
Instead, he continued running, often turning here and there. Finally, after what seemed like hours, they stopped. Naruto looked to check his surroundings and found that he was now standing in the middle of a desert….How did that happen?
"Kurama…where are we?" Naruto asked as the fox, still in control of his body, walked slowly out further into the desert, often sniffing at the air.
"Quiet brat, I'm trying to focus."
Naruto sighed, plopping back down into the water. What was that fox up to? Suddenly, Naruto found himself back in control of his body meaning Kurama had switched back. Warm desert wind whipped through his hair and he had to squint his eyes in order to escape the harsh glare of the sun. His eyes soon widened though when he noticed he was holding something in his hand. Looking down, Naruto noticed that he clutched a ripped piece of white cloth.
"What's this?" He brought it in front of his face for closer examination.
"It belongs to that sand boy, the one you want to save. Gaara was it?"
"Nani!?"Naruto clutched the piece of cloth tighter in disbelief. "Are you sure!?"
Kurama sighed. "I remember his scent from those pesky chunin exams. That definitely belongs to him. There's also a scent on there that seems vaguely familiar, but I can't determine who it belongs to. It must be one of the Akatsuki members who captured him."
Naruto stared wide eyed at the piece of cloth before tearing his eyes away to glance around him. "Which way did they go?"
"Ten o'clock north. The scent is faint, but it's still there."
Naruto nodded before tucking the piece of cloth inside his jacket. Determination blazing in his eyes, he took off running in the direction the Kyuubi had pointed him in.
As he ran, Naruto started to notice a slight discoloration in the sand. Narrowing his eyes, he glanced down. The normally golden sand seemed darker in some spots here and there, almost as if something wet had been dropped on to it.
"Switch." Kurama ordered and Naruto complied.
Kurama bent down to sniff the ground and frowned. After switching back, Naruto immediately asked him what it was.
"It's blood."
Naruto's eyes widened. "Blood!?"
"Yes, and it's apparently still fresh. It hasn't dried yet in this hot sun. They must have passed through here moments earlier."
Naruto clenched his fists and stared at the blood stained sand. Blood….that was Gaara's blood…
Intense hatred for the people who had done this washed over him. He could feel himself becoming angry, furious. He felt his canines growing, becoming sharper, his nails extending into claws. His blood boiled and he let out a furious roar.
Naruto didn't know what was going on, but he did know one thing…he wanted the people who done this dead.
He could no longer feel Kurama's presence inside of him. Instead, he felt something foreign…almost like it was Kurama…but it wasn't. He faintly heard Kurama's growling struggle, but it was soon drowned out by the swirling wind around him. Something was coming out of his skin….it was orange…yes, orange. It bubbled and wrapped around him as if it were a cloak. He was enveloped in an immense heat as the orange cloak bubbled around him. It was hot, but it was bearable. In fact, he felt more powerful than ever. Only, his conscious reasoning seemed to be fading.
One look at the blood at his feet caused something inside of him to snap. Naruto dropped to his hands and feet and quickly took off running at an inhuman speed. His nose caught the scent of blood and he raced towards the smell.
Naruto broke through the tree line and continued to race through the forest, his bubbling orange tail trailing behind him. He growled deep in his throat when the smell grew even stronger. It was all around him meaning that whoever had captured the Kazekage was close by.
Naruto spotted two figures and a large white bird up ahead by what seemed to be a river and a huge red gate. By the red cloud pattern on their black cloaks, it meant only one thing. They were members of the Akatsuki.
Growling low in his throat, Naruto crouched to the ground and snuck through the bushes behind them. He soon jumped in the air and took the short fat one by surprise. His fist slammed into the body of the Akatsuki member, causing a loud crunch. Wood splintered everywhere, showering the river with small plunks. Naruto slid backwards across the water as he watched the two members recoil in shock.
They whipped around to face him. Naruto couldn't see their faces because of the straw hats that covered them, but he could see Gaara clutched in the tail of the bird. His blood boiled and soon he was shouting profanities. "Give Gaara back!"
"Gaara?" The short one rasped in a deep voice. "The Kazekage you mean? Well, I don't think that's possible."
Naruto growled. "I said, GIVE. HIM. BACK!"
"Quite demanding, aren't you." The short one laughed before turning to his partner. "Take jinjuriki on inside and start the sealing process without me. I'll join you shortly after I finish dealing with this annoying brat."
The other member looked like he wanted to protest, but the short one merely pointed a spiked tail at him. "Don't make me repeat myself. Now go. I don't want to have to wait."
The taller member grumbled before turning and disappearing into a cave, the bird following. Naruto was about to run after them, but a sharp spiked tail stopped him in his path. Naruto tried to move around it, but the tail merely wrapped around his arm and threw him across the water. Naruto let out a frustrated roar and charged the Akatsuki member again.
He managed to dodge the tail this time around, but the Akatsuki member still managed to catch him and throw him backwards.
"Get out of my way!" Naruto screamed, causing the Akatsuki member to chuckle darkly.
"Quite the impatient one, aren't you."
Naruto growled lowly, the bubbly orange chakra seemed to grow more intense as his anger grew. He could feel another chakra tail growing behind him. Immense power burst through him and he felt exhilarated...powerful...
With even more speed than before, Naruto vanished from his spot on the lake, causing the Akatsuki member to look everywhere around him. He tried to spot the blond, but failed.
Naruto appeared behind him and with a triumphant smirk, and pulled his fist back to deliver a devastating blow. Unfortunately, the man seemed to be one step ahead of him. Before Naruto could deliver the blow, the sharp metal tail shot up so quickly that there was no time to avoid it. He didn't even see it coming until it was too late.
The tip of the metal tail pierced through his abdomen, ripping through fabric and imbedding itself in skin. Naruto gasped in pain as he was thrown backwards, blood splattering across the once clear water. Naruto feel to his knees, clutching his stomach. Now he was even more furious than ever.
The Akatsuki member seemed rather pleased with himself, tail swishing behind him. Naruto's anger grew fiercer and more intense, causing yet another tail to sprout behind him. Gasping, Naruto clutched his head. It was like he couldn't control himself...he couldn't...think...straight...
Naruto stood up and swayed on his feet. He looked up with a crazed, demonic smirk on his face…..and then he was gone.
The Akatsuki member's eyes widened when a leg made contact with its tail. The force of the kick caused the tail to shatter and scatter in pieces across the river. Naruto smirked, but his face quickly morphed into one of confusion and pain. His vision was becoming blurry and it was getting hard to move his arms and legs.
The orange chakra around him faded away and his eyes and nails returned back to normal. Naruto fell to the water and clutched his stomach. What was going on?
He tried to remember back, but his memory was fuzzy and he could only remember bits and pieces. Suddenly, an image of the tail popped up in his mind. It was dripping a dark purple substance back then...
"Poison!" He rasped, clutching his stomach where the injury remained prominent.
The Akatsuki member chuckled. "So you finally figured it out. You may have succeeded in destroying the tail, but it seems you were too late. The poison has already entered your blood stream and will soon end your life in the span of three days." He turned back to the cave. "I must be getting back to that sand brat. Farewell."
Naruto cursed and tried to stand, but only seceded in falling back down onto the water with a splash.
"Kurama..." He gasped
"I know, brat...I'm working on it..." But Kurama's voice was fading.
Naruto managed to crawl from the water to where he collapsed on the bank.
"Maybe...going by...ugh...by myself...wasn't...ah...such...a...good idea..."
Naruto tried to fight the impending darkness that harkened unto him, but its sweetly bidding voice was too much to resist. So there, on the bank of the river, in front of the Akatsuki hideout, Naruto fell into a dark and troubling unconsciousness.
AN: The poll for the kit's name is open on my profile page, so please be sure to vote! There were tons of choices to choose from so I decided to put them in a poll and let you guys decide! The name that get's the most votes will be the name of the kit who, I assure you, will play a big role in the story!
So please! Vote! The poor little kit needs a name!
Hope you guys liked the chapter! Please Review!
