Chapter 11:
Death City:
Naruto was laying on his bed, deep in thought. The past few days had been rough on him, but with Marie's help, he was learning to deal with Asura's wavelength of madness. 'Azusa-chan is still antagonizing poor Spirit-kun. He feels guilty letting Asura escape.'
Naruto could understand why he felt that way, even if it was wrong. The Kishin had fired Vajra at the civilian populace, forcing the Reaper to block the attack while Asura moved beyond Shinigami's soul wavelength.
Recently, Naruto had been dwelling on his past. The long years since he had been brought to this world had been filled with both strife and peace. 'I was desperately trying to control my abilities as a buki when Shinigami-sama asked me to come to Shibusen for the first time.' He smiled.
'After I ran from him the first time we met, I remember feeling a strange wavelength.' The memory was faded with time, difficult to recall, but Naruto searched for it. 'It was a witch's wavelength, but…'
That feeling he had when faced with Medusa's soul wavelength had returned, but there was a subtle change, a distinctive flavor that drew him in. He reveled in the memory, how it melded with his wavelength, not trying to overcome his senses, but to expand them.
The feelings became clearer, almost like he was experiencing it again. What Naruto didn't know was that, hundreds of miles away in the Czech Republic, in Loew Village, Maka Albarn and Crona were watching a woman emerge from a mass of spiders.
Back in Death City, Naruto twitched. "This wavelength…it's the same as before." The urge to meet this soul was overpowering; he wanted to bask in this feeling forever! Naruto stood up and walked out the door. He would find that soul and never leave.
Marie would come back that evening to an empty apartment, search for Naruto, then rush to inform the Reaper.
Deep in the Amazon Rainforest:
Arachne sat on her web within Baba Yaga's Castle, looking down at Giriko and her troops. "I've hired some new backup." Giriko snarled at this. "Backup!?" Arachne just stared down at him.
"He's already a living legend. He's known as the Lord of Blades." Giriko's face turned solemn. "It's good that he's on our side." "Humans with weaknesses are so easy to control." Arachne seemed to pause for a moment.
"Someone has found us, Giriko. Deal with the intruder." The chainsaw buki let an insane grin cross his face. "Finally, I was itching to let loose." He sprinted down the hall.
Arachne watched him go, idly examining the intruder's soul wavelength. 'I've felt this wavelength before.' She shrugged inwardly and smiled. 'Giriko is outmatched this time.'
She turned to her assembled troops. "Mosquito should be sending a report soon on the Moral Manipulation Machine. If anything should happen, alert me. I will be retiring for the day." Her loyal minions watched her vanish and turned to each other.
Outside Arachnophobia's Base:
Giriko eyed the intruder standing before him. Some weird mask covered his face, and he didn't even look that tough. 'I probably won't even get to second gear. Tch. Waste of my time.' He nearly missed seeing the intruder rush forward.
"Shit, you're fast!" He backed away from the swift punch the intruder threw at him, but had to dodge again when the masked man used him momentum from the missed punch to flip over and try to land a heel-drop on Giriko.
The chainsaw buki watched as a crater formed underneath the intruder's foot. "Strong, too, what's your name, bastard?" The intruder stood up from his failed attack. "Naruto." Giriko laughed. "Just Naruto, eh? Alright then."
He lifted his leg and unleashed his chainsaw blades. "Let's go!" Naruto crouched down as Giriko leaped at him. "Don't act scared now, Naruto!" He grinned as he slammed his chainsaw leg into Naruto.
"What!?" Naruto's arm had transformed into a long spike, blocking his chainsaw blades. Sparks flew between them as Naruto held off Giriko with one arm. "Damn it! You're a buki?" Naruto grinned as he removed his mask.
"Erupting Thorns!" Giriko kicked off of Naruto when he saw smaller spikes lancing out from his transformed arm. "Man, that would've hurt. You aren't half bad. I guess I can go to second gear after all!" The chainsaw blades on his leg began spinning faster,
Naruto suddenly sank into the ground. Giriko stared for a moment, then cursed. "You bastard! I thought you were going to fight me! Don't run away now!" A cracking noise was all the warning he had as a long spike shot up beneath him.
Giriko managed to flip back before it skewered him, but a slight pain let him know he wasn't completely successful. Naruto crawled out of the earth, his arm transforming back. "You're a real sneaky bastard, you know that?" Giriko spouted as he felt the cut on his chin.
Naruto laughed at the comment. "I'm just getting started, chainsaw boy!" He could tell Giriko was irritated by this comment, but Naruto didn't care. He felt so free! The wavelength he was looking for surrounded him, melding with his and settling it.
Naruto had always had difficulty calming his wavelength, but resonating with this soul made him feel alive. He didn't have to worry about being unstable; the beautiful soul wavelength around him seemed to connect with his on so many levels.
Naruto was so focused on these feelings he was nearly beheaded by Giriko's chain leg. "Playing around with you is fun, but I'm still looking for something. I'll play later." He had to find the source of this wavelength, this soul that gave him a feeling of rapture.
He moved away from the protesting chainsaw buki and was about to go underground when a voice stopped him. "Are you looking for me, Naruto-kun?" That voice came from right behind him!
He turned swiftly, his hand already transformed into a blade, and froze. "A Goddess…" He whispered before being rendered mute by the sight before him. The woman standing before him tittered behind her fan. "I've never been called that before."
Arachne, eldest of the Gorgon sisters, looked down at him and Naruto's knees buckled and a serene smile crossed his face. 'Finally, I have found true peace.'
Death City, Shibusen:
Shinigami, Stein, and Marie stood together in the Death Room. "Marie-chan, I want you to be Stein-kun's partner from now on. You and he will continue to teach the students about Chain Resonance."
Marie looked like she wanted to say something, but kept her mouth shut. The Reaper sighed. "I know you're worried about Naruto-kun, but we simply don't know where he is. I can't afford to send anyone out to look for him until the situation with Arachnophobia is dealt with."
Stein put his hand on Marie's shoulder. "Naruto-san can take care of himself. Don't worry; we'll find him."
The Reaper nodded, but his thoughts were uneasy. 'Naruto-kun vanished about the same time Arachne was awakened. Given his current state, her wavelength could easily overwhelm him and drive him to madness.'
He looked at Marie and Stein, Naruto's closest friends at Shibusen. 'I hope I'm wrong about this, but we may end up facing Naruto-kun in battle. I don't think Marie-chan could handle it if she had to fight him.'
At that moment, Sid, Nygus, and Azusa were sabotaging the Arachnophobia research facility. Mosquito had just finished draining one of his men and was leading Angela away from the destruction.
'I sense something has happened with Arachne-sama. Could it be that the one she was waiting for has arrived?' He smirked at that thought. 'With him on our side, my mistress' desires will be at last fulfilled.'
Mosquito was saddened by the destruction of the facility and resolved to beg forgiveness for his mistake. His mistress could be forgiving, depending on her mood. "And if he has come, then she will be very pleased, indeed."
A/N: Some of you have most likely noticed how Naruto's fight with Medusa was essentially the same as Stein's only with a new paint job. In fact, so far I haven't really changed the general storyline from the anime. Well no more!
From here on out, things are going to start changing. I know Giriko and Naruto's fight was cut off, but don't worry, I'll finish it eventually.
If any of you wonder why Naruto is acting so strange when he meets Arachne, it's because his soul wavelength has always been unstable. Marie helped keep him sane, but her wavelength wasn't enough to completely calm his own, especially with Asura sealed beneath Shibusen and Medusa appearing.
Arachne's soul wavelength interacts with Naruto's on a different level entirely. To him, it doesn't bring true madness, but freedom. He doesn't feel the constant struggle within his soul. Arachne's wavelength is essentially in constant resonance with his own, making her wavelength the dominant one that blocks out all others, even Asura's.
That being the case, Arachne is salvation to Naruto, an eternal solution to his difficulties that he must protect at all costs.
Once again, this follows the anime, so if you've read the manga, sorry if things don't make much sense.