Primal
Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.
Naruto talking to Kyuubi in bold.
Kyuubi talking to Naruto in bold italics.
Chapter 9
Suki sighs and returns Naruto's embrace for a few minutes. It was tempting to just forget all of it. Itachi was clearly sick. Her brother could easily die of his illness without her lifting a finger.
She could just stay with her Mate and let nature take its course. He was likely going to die a painful death. Did it really matter if she killed him or if a disease finally delivered justice?
"She's going to want to go after Danzo. There's no telling where Itachi and Kisame went. She knows where Danzo went though." Kurama tells him.
"Should we let her? Better Danzo than Itachi, right?" Naruto asks.
Danzo was old. He was also a member of the Leaf Village. He wasn't their enemy, was he? At the very least, he doubted that Danzo was as formidable as Itachi was on the battlefield. Maybe getting answers out of him was the safer choice.
"I don't like waiting, but it's the smarter option. An hour or so. We need him to think that we didn't notice him. That will get him to lower his guard." Suki whispers as rests her head on his shoulder.
"Don't underestimate that human. He may be old, but Danzo is still a formidable warrior in his own right. That and he knows about every single skeleton in this village's closet. There are things about the Leaf that neither of you know. Things that people shouldn't know." Kurama warns him.
Naruto blinks at this response. He'd never heard Kyuubi talk that way before. Whatever Danzo knew, it was bad. Bad enough that even the Nine Tailed Fox wasn't particularly enthusiastic about discussing the matter.
"Do you really think that he knows something?" Naruto asks.
"I know that he knows something. The odds that he just happened upon the forest during that confrontation are low. If you want to go home or wait here, you can. I'm going to get some answers though." Suki says.
"Suki, I'm going with you. I'm not going to let you face this alone. I don't really know what this is yet, but you're my wife. That means something!" He says.
Suki smiles. She knew that it had probably been a foolish idea to become his Mate before Itachi was dead, but this was part of the reason. Naruto cared and he never gave up on her.
"I'll take you with me. If I don't, you'll follow me anyway." Suki says slyly.
"That's right!" Naruto says proudly and the youngest Uchiha shakes her head in amusement.
"This has to be the strangest Honeymoon ever." She says with a sigh.
Naruto blinks. She was right. They were technically on their Honeymoon. That was okay though. They were already married and hadn't even been on their first date. Their relationship was clearly never going to be a normal one.
"Yeah. Well since when have either of us ever worried about being normal? Besides, it wasn't that bad. I found out something very important." He says with a mischievous grin.
"And what did you find out?" Suki asks curiously.
"That you really like to cuddle." Naruto replies proudly and Suki just rolls her eyes.
Only Naruto could make her want to laugh and punch him at the same time. It was a gift really. Unfortunately, that wasn't enough to solve the Danzo Situation.
Suki wasn't sure what Danzo knew about Itachi, but she knew one thing. His hands weren't clean. There was a reason why he had been watching them. The elderly ninja knew more than he was letting on.
"I've clearly hit you one too many times. Sorry. I must have given you mild brain damage. Uchihas don't cuddle." She scoffs at the very suggestion.
"Well I wasn't saying that your whole family did it. Just that you did." The blonde clarifies.
"You really are such a loser. You're imagining things." Suki insists.
Naruto grins again. Ah ha! He had finally fond what really annoyed her. He was going to tease her about this without mercy.
"I'm not imagining things. If I'm a loser, what's that make you? You Mated me." He points out.
Suki blinks. She didn't really have a good comeback to that one. Damn it. She'd have to think of something quickly.
"It makes me foolish and in love. Now, let's go. We need to find a way to get passed his guards." She murmurs.
"I love you too. Well we could try Transformation Jutsus. I could turn into Kakashi and you could take Granny Tsunade. They might let us in, if they thought we were them." Naruto suggests.
"That's a good idea, but Transformation Jutsus aren't your strong suit." Suki says.
She remembered him struggling with them at the Academy. To put it mildly, he was about as good at Transformation Jutsu as Kakashi was at being on time. Danzo's guards would see straight through it.
"The Mating Bond is supposed to link our chakra. Maybe that can help." He suggests.
Suki tilts her head to the side as she considers Naruto's point. It might be possible. She wasn't entirely certain that it would work, but it couldn't hurt to try.
"Alright. Transform into Kakashi. I'll see if I can help." She instructs and Naruto does exactly that.
"The results of this experiment should be very interesting." Kurama muses.
"Hey! Is this going to work? Can we really help each other out like this?" Naruto asks.
The raven haired ninja bites her lower lip as she attempts to reach out to Naruto with her chakra. Visualizing him in her mind was easy. He was a golden ball of light. It was the sharpening of his chakra that was going to be tricky.
"I'm not certain. Mostly Mates just transfer each other chakra. I've never really seen them try to influence how the chakra was being used before." The Nine Tails answers honestly.
"Oh that's really reassuring!" Naruto snaps at him.
Her own chakra had taken the form of a purple panther. Damn it. Naruto was really never going to let her live that down. If she could see it, then he probably could as well. That was just embarrassing.
"Alright, Naruto. I'm going to try. I'm not sure what's going to happen. This might be painful, do nothing, or actually work. Are you ready?" She asks.
"I'm ready!" He replies with far more optimism than he actually felt.
Kurama didn't even know what was going to happen. This might not end well. Hopefully, he was right and that this wasn't going to backfire on them in a big way.
"Then let's get started.'" The Uchiha woman whispers as she brushes her chakra against his, trying to even out the erratic flow.
Suki smiles to herself. Naruto really as her Sun. He was all power and warmth, but it was an untamed power. His chakra might as well have actually been solar flares. Despite that though, the blonde's chakra didn't hurt her as she continues her task.
The young ninja watches in astonishment as Naruto's transformation became a perfect replica as Kakashi. Naruto had a lot more chakra than her (with or without Kurama) and she had more control. The Mating apparently could balance those facts out.
"It worked! If I didn't know any better, I would think you Kakashi. The Transformation will only get you so far though. You have to act like Kakashi." She reminds him.
"Yeah. I know. I can do it. Time for you to become Granny Tsunade!" He says cheerfully.
"You definitely can't call her Granny Tsunade in front of Danzo or his guards." Suki says with a sigh as she performs the Jutsu.
It felt odd. She was now a blonde and wearing a drastically different wardrobe. She tries to shake off the surreal feeling that always accompanied Transformation Jutsus for her and gestures for Naruto to follow her.
"Yeah. I got it! I got lost on the road of life." Her Mate says, imitating their Sensei.
"That's a bit better." Suki concedes and with that, the two of them take off.
Meanwhile Itachi and Kisame had made it out of the Leaf safely. He couldn't believe that he had been so foolish. Now, Suki knew that he was dead.
"She knows that you have one foot in the grave now. What are the odds that she's just going to let time finish you off?" Kisame asks casually.
Itachi's eyes narrow. Kisame's tone might have been casual, but he knew the truth. His partner was hoping that he would stop "playing the part of the martyr," as he called it.
That wasn't going to happen. He wasn't a martyr. A martyr died for wh at they believed in. He was just atoning for his sins in some small way. His death might bring Suki peace.
"That's highly unlikely. My foolish little sister has dedicated over half of her life to killing me. I doubt very much that she would let a disease be the thing that kills me. She wants to avenge our Clan too much to allow such a thing to happen." The Uchiha answers him.
He owed her that much. Itachi knew that Kisame thought he was crazy and maybe he was, but he wasn't going to change his mind. This was the only way.
"I don't know. Maybe she's smarter than you give her credit for. After all, she's "Mated" to someone now. What the Hell does that even mean anyway?" Kisame demands.
"The Tail Beasts' hosts are a little different than most people. While Jinchuuriki can marry and do, they also have another option available to them. It's called Mating. When they bite their intended, their chakra is injected into them. It creates a bond. A powerful one." Itachi says.
Kisame raises an eyebrow. That sounded pretty freaky. Still he couldn't lie. Itachi had aroused his curiosity and he had to know more.
"And what does this bond do?" He asks.
"It links their chakra. They can feel with the other feels and even share chakra. I'm certain there are other aspects to it. That's the general gist. Of course, there is a catch. Their life force is linked. If one dies, the other will die or likely go insane." The other Akatsuki member explains.
This causes his partner's eyebrow to raise even further. He couldn't for the life of him imagine himself linking himself to another person in such an intimate way. While the chakra sharing did seem rather interesting, the costs were too high in his mind.
"Well I see why you were so upset earlier. Your sister is basically married. Is that even legal?" He asks and Itachi snorts in amusement.
"In the Leaf Village, anyone can marry when they become a Chunin. Your age is irrelevant. That and it's not as if the legality of the matter is an issue here. Demons don't care about things like age. They Marked each other. It can't be undone now. My sister is very foolish." He says with a heavy sigh.
"It's a shame that you're heading off to your death so eagerly. If you were actually planning on sticking around for awhile, I'd make you a bet." Kisame says.
Itachi raises an eyebrow. Kisame was not the most subtle man that he had ever met. Despite that, he found himself mildly amused by the shark lover's antics.
"And what bet would that be?" He asks.
"I bet you that they have a blonde kid." The sharp toothed man says with a grin.
Itachi tries his best not to openly gape at his partner. Of all the foolish things that the other man could have said, that was likely the one that he had least expected.
"Don't be foolish." He mutters.
"You're right. I guess it is a bit silly to bet over things like hair color, but one has to pass the time somehow." The other Akatsuki Member reasons
"There is no such thing as a blonde Uchiha. There never has been and there never will be. It's unfortunate that I will likely die before I'm proven right. Otherwise, I would take that bet." Itachi reasons and Kisame just laughs.
Back in the Leaf Village, Danzo breathes a sigh of relief. It looked like Suki and Naruto hadn't noticed him. Now that he was safely back in his office, he could plan.
"I can't believe that she Mated with him." He mutters.
That complicated things. If Suki found out the truth, she'd go into a rage. Her Mate would follow suit. The village wouldn't stand a chance.
"I'll have to find a way to kill them both. That or Itachi has to die quickly." He says with a sigh.
He did want to honor Itachi's final wish. The eldest living Uchiha wanted Suki to "avenge" their Clan. Danzo had been fine with granting Itachi that much. It didn't matter to him how Itachi died.
What was important is that his secrets would die with him. The rest of the Leaf Village could never be allowed to know the truth. That would rock the very foundations of their village. Such a thing, must never come to pass.
"Truly, it seemed like such a small concession at the time." He mutters.
Suki had only been an innocent child when the Massacre happened. Obviously, she hadn't been involved in the coup. All Itachi wanted to prevent a war was for his baby sister to live and eventually kill him.
Who was he to deny him that very reasonable request? For years, the secrets of the Massacre had stayed buried. One way or another, he was determined to ensure that they would stay that way.
"Suki has spent years in the Sound. She's likely immune to poisons. The Nine Tails would likely burn off anything that I gave to Naruto. Poison won't work." He murmurs to himself.
No. This situation called for more a more direct approach. He had the Sharingans on his arms. There was a chance that he could beat them both, if it was a quick fight.
"Suki doesn't have the Nine Tails. She'll likely be somewhat easier to kill. If I can kill her, that might kill him as well. The bond between Mates is powerful. That's a gamble though. If he survives, he'd fly into a rage and slaughter me." He growls.
That wouldn't work. It would have to be a simultaneous death or at least he would have to find a way to restrain Naruto. That was easier said than done.
At that same moment, "Tsunade and Kakashi" arrive at Danzo's home. The guards looked rather confused. What was the Lady Hokage and CopyCat Ninja doing at Danzo's residence at this hour?
"Lady Hokage, Kakashi. What are you doing here?" One of the ROOT Members asks.
It was only years of training to suppress human emotion that kept his confusion out of his voice. Fortunately, Danzo had trained him well. It looked like that training was going to pay dividends now.
"We need to speak to Danzo immediately." Tsunade says.
"My Lady, I'm afraid that Lord Danzo is very busy right now." He replies.
"Are you questioning my authority? I am the Hokage of this village. Danzo is my subordinate. I don't care what he is doing. I need to speak with him now." She snaps at him.
Naruto blinks. He was impressed. Damn. Suki was a really good actress. He could easily pretend that she really was Granny Tsunade.
"There are few things more attractive than a skilled huntress. It seems that they are buying the act." Kurama says.
"Good. I really didn't want to have to blow this place up to get to him. We need answers and to get them, he has to be in one piece." Naruto replies.
It was at that moment, that Naruto decides he should say something. He needed to say something that would make them more eager to get their boss. He had just the thing in mind.
"Tell Danzo that it concerns the Akatsuki." Kakashi says.
That seemed do the trick. One of the guards rushes into Danzo's Office. He didn't even bother to knock.
"I see that he doesn't bother to lock his doors." Naruto says to Suki.
"There's no point in a ninja village. That and he has a large group of elite guards protecting him." She reasons.
"Lady Hokage and Kakashi, you realize that we can hear you, correct?" One of the guards asks.
Suki rolls her eyes. The last thing that she was in the mood for was to deal with a sassy guard. Thank goodness that he thought she was Hokage.
"And you realize that as your Hokage, I do not care?" Tsunade growls at him.
The ROOT Member had had nearly all of his emotions beaten out of him. The training regime that Danzo put his men and women through was intense. It was actually rather barbaric, but no one could argue with the results.
Well that was until now. The guard knew at that moment, that the Hokage was more than willing to kill him. He could see it in her eyes and that actually frightened him.
"Lord Danzo, Lady Tsunade and Kakashi are here to speak with you! Kakashi says that it's something about the Akatsuki and the Lady Hokage is rather insistent on the matter." The ROOT Member tells him.
"Very well. Send them in and see to it that we are not disturbed." Danzo orders him.
As soon as those words left his mouth, the ninja heads off to do as his master commanded. He knew better than to keep Lord Danzo waiting. Very bad things happened when you did that. He shudders at a few rather unpleasant memories involving kunais and fire.
"Lord Danzo will see you now." He says.
"Thank you." Tsunade responds and she drags Kakashi off behind her.
The ROOT Members look at the two ninjas with slight confusion. Since when did Tsunade treat Kakashi like her personal rag doll? The Lady Hokage must be deeply worried about the Akatsuki. There really was no other logical explanation.
"Those are rather convincing Transformation Jutsus. Whose idea was it?" Danzo asks as he glances up at the two of them.
"Damn it. What gave us away?" Naruto demands.
"I just escaped from the Forest of Death, scarcely an hour ago. The odds of Kakashi and Tsunade knowing what happened already and coming to see me so quickly are rather low. I presume that it was Suki's idea then." He mutters.
"Actually, it was Naruto's idea. That's besides the point though. We want answers. I know you have them. I'm not stupid enough to believe that you just happened to be there when we were confronting Itachi and Kisame." She seethes at him.
Danzo smirks. Well she did have a bit of Itachi in her after all. She had his intelligence, but not his patience. That was unfortunately likely going to be the cause of her death.
She had rushed into a Mating with a demon. That almost never ended well. He felt a stab of pity for her. He wasn't completely heartless. None of this was really either of their fault.
"I have answers. None that you will like though. It would be wise for the two of you to just let the dead rest in peace. There's no reason to peel open old wounds. Nothing good will come of it." He says.
"That's not for you to decide!" Naruto snarls at him.
"You two are young and in love. I know a Marking when I see one. If you wish to throw your lives away by seeking these answers, that is entirely up to you. I would urge you not to be so foolish though." He says.
"Your Mate is getting ready to grab him and to flicker off. You should grab onto her." Kurama warns Naruto.
It was a good thing that the Fox Demon warned Naruto about Suki's plans. If he hadn't, Naruto probably would have been left behind. Before he really realized what was happening, Suki had teleported them a few miles away from the Leaf Village. They were now in some kind of meadow.
"Itachi always did call me his foolish little sister. I guess the label was accurate, after all. You are going to tell us the truth and tell us now or I will kill you." She hisses at him.
"Yeah. She's definitely got a Snake Contract. She even hisses like one." Naruto observes.
Danzo's eyes narrow. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen. Sadly, he supposed there was nothing that he could do to advert the looming disaster.
Well there was nothing that he could do except for fight. That's when he began undoing his bandages. He was going to need his Sharingans to defeat the pair of them.
"I didn't want it to have to come to this. I truly didn't. Itachi is a great ninja. He understands that the good of the many, outweighs the good of the few. Perhaps, one day you'll both be able to understand that. It's not really fair to expect children to understand the truth." He says.
"Sharingans! Ten of them!" Kurama observes.
Naruto's eyes widen in horror and Suki's widen in fury. He had never seen anyone look so angry before. The blonde could also feel her rage through their Bond. It was almost paralyzing.
"Grave robber!" She snarls at him and charges at Danzo in a righteous fury.
"It doesn't matter how I acquired the Sharingans. The only thing that matters is that I did. I'm sorry that it had to come to this, but I will protect the village. I won't allow you and your pet demon to destroy it!" Danzo says as he dodges.
What he didn't count on was Naruto joining the fray. He wasn't just facing one opponent. He was facing two. (Three if you counted the Nine Tails as being a separate entity from Naruto.)
"You aren't getting away that easily." Suki growls at him as she unsheathes her sword.
Maybe he would feel more talkative, after she sliced off a few limbs. Starting with that arm of Sharingans. That was blasphemy. He had ten eyes on his left arm.
That meant that at a minimum, he had the eyes of five Uchihas on him. Perhaps as many as ten. It was a grave robbery and Suki wasn't going to let him live after defiling her family's corpses in such a fashion.
"Pity. It seems that you are both truly in a hurry to die. Very well. BAKU!" He calls out and a large creature appears.
"What the Hell is that?" Naruto asks.
"I don't know." Suki whispers as she assumes a defensive stance and her Mate does the same.
Danzo wanted a fight. That was fine with Suki. She was going to make him suffer for wearing the eyes of her family as if they were bracelets! He would die slowly and screaming!
