"": Spoken
'': Thoughts
"": Spirits
Summary: What if the sealing had gone as planned? What if Uzumaki Naruto was the sole keeper of the dead king Biju's chakra and had the memories of a long dead Kyuubi. What if this said boy was still treated as if he were the dead Kyuubi reborn, would he still be Konoha's Angel?
Disclaimer: For all those who want to know, I don't own Naruto or any other anime/manga series for that matter, but that doesn't stop me from writing.
Death of A Demon, Birth of A…
Previously…
However, all good things must come to an end and before Naruto knew it, the hug was over and Haku had dashed inside, not before leaving him a peck on the cheek and the words, "Don't go to practice tomorrow; I need to have a word with Zabuza and…,"
"We should do this again sometime," those words alone lifted Naruto into the air and carried him through the night.
Chapter 11: The Curses We Bear
Waking up from what seemed to be a great dream, Naruto got ready for the big day. 'Exam Day, time to show Konoha that I'm ready to be a Chunin,' Naruto thought grinning at all the opponents he may face. Ninja would come from all over the shinobi continent, but for Naruto his greatest opponents were right in the village.
Thinking of the Rookie Nine, Naruto knew that anyone of them would a be a challenge, 'And I'll make sure they know by the end of the exam I am the best,' Naruto thought with a smirk. This was before leaving his apartment, with a piece of toast firmly clasped in his jaws and his bag fully supplied with a weeks worth of gear and rations for whatever may come.
Passing the Momochi residence, Naruto was shocked to see Zabuza leaving so late, but shocked even more when the man gave him a glare with a bit more evil in it than usual. Afraid that asking the man may provoke him into giving him an 'extra practice' before the exam; Naruto stayed silent and let Zabuza walk down the stairs first with the intent of staying out of his way.
What has him so pissed? Naruto asked himself, before remembering what Haku had told him the night before. Pushing past the warm feeling that came when he remember the hug… and the kiss, Naruto realized that she had told him not to go to practice for a reason. Holding back his laughter, Naruto managed to keep all his thoughts in his mind, less he provoke Zabuza to disregard his daughter's 'warning.'
'To think the master swordsman of silent assassinations would be so whipped by his daughter!' Letting the musing play out in his mind, Naruto wondered what hells Haku had wreaked on her father to get him to settle for glaring at Naruto.
Walking to the academy, Naruto took his time when he realized he still had about thirty minutes to burn before the exam started. Unfortunately, for the blonde, trouble seemed to follow him and those he held dear.
"Let go of me you face-painted gorilla!" a familiar voice cried out. Recognizing the voice of his 'jiji's' grandson, Naruto raced to the scene ready to help his adoptive brother of sorts. Jumping from rooftop to rooftop, Naruto landed in a deserted alleyway to see Konohamaru held up by his scarf.
"Hey you heard the kid, drop him before I have to wipe that face paint off with my fist, you gorilla!" His taunt had the desired effect and Konohamaru's assailant dropped him. Looking at the face painted boy's red face and throbbing veins, Naruto knew his comment had gotten under his skin.
'Good, now that I'm in his head this is going to be twice as easy,' Naruto concluded while looking over the shinobi for hints to his fighting style.
Aside for the face paint, I see that he is from the Sand, and he is probably a puppet-user judging by the wrappings on his back. His cloak hints to hidden weapons, maybe even a seal for another puppet. Okay from what I got, he's a mid-range fighter and probably likes to keep it that way, Naruto deduced before smirking. His training with Zabuza made him confident that he had made leaps and bounds in close range combat, something his opponent probably wouldn't be able to handle.
Taking a stance that was similar to Zabuza's, Naruto noticed that the offender did the same while ignoring his partner's cries for him to stop. "Kankuro, it's not worth pissing Gaara off just to beat this kid up," the blonde girl pleaded with the boy. However, her words went in one ear and out the other. Sighing, Temari knew that she had lost this battle and just hoped that the battle would be short so Gaara wouldn't notice their tardiness.
"Well kid, I'm busy, so I'm going to kick your ass instead of the brat's and be on my way to the exam," Kankuro proclaimed before pulling the hand he had in his pocket out. Narrowing his eyes, Naruto knew that they were probably connected with the puppet on his back, so he decided to make this quick.
Dashing forward, Naruto's hands formed his favorite jutsu before kicking it into high gear and moving at full speed. Kankuro was a little shocked at Naruto's drastic increase in speed, but it was something that he could handle .
The kid moves as fast as some of the villages' Chunin. Too bad for him I can kick their asses', Kankuro thought before smirking as well. Seeing through the kid's apparent speed jutsu, Kankuro began to pull on his puppet, knowing that it would spell doom for the cocky brat rushing him, when he felt the strings connecting his fingers to his puppet.
Twisting his head, Kankuro saw a clone of the brat standing right behind him, smirking before pointing forward. Turning around, Kankuro saw Naruto had his bokken to his neck, poised to finish the battle. Grudgingly, Kankuro raised his hands in defeat knowing that the boy would probably crush his trachea before he could summon his other puppet.
Seeing the boy sweat, Naruto was about to gloat when he felt another chakra signature that was somewhat similar to his. Turning his attention while applying more pressure to Kankuro's neck, making sure that the older boy didn't get any ideas while his head was turned, and called out to the rooftop adjacent to the alley, "I know that you're there so why don't you just come out!" and complying with his request, a whirlwind of sand appeared in front of him. Flaring his Junshuu Chakra subtly, Naruto whipped a light gale around him so that none of the sand would land on him, or more importantly in his eyes, while preparing himself for a fight.
"Kankuro, you're pathetic. You as well Temari; you should have stopped him from embarrassing himself," the voice called out after righting himself from his twisting motion. Letting the sand freefall from his form, the boy looked passed the two stock-still forms of his teams and looked right at Naruto.
His eyes seemed to look right through him, and stare straight at his soul. 'What kind of life causes this?' Naruto asked while subconsciously raising his Junshuu Chakra, as if it would push off his gaze.
Seeing the rise of charka, Gaara smiled internally, This one will be fun to crush, and his blood will feed mother, echoed in his mind before he emotionlessly asked, "What is your name?"
"Uzumaki Naruto,"
"Sabaku Gaara, I will be waiting in the exams," Gaara said seamlessly before leaving, beckoning his teammates to follow. Letting the boy pass, Naruto stood ramrod still letting their chakra's clash. Once Gaara was gone, Naruto let out the breath he didn't know he was holding before smirking at the tingling sensation that he was feeling and turned, following the sand trio.
'At least this'll be interesting,' Naruto thought as he came up to the academy. Opening the door, Naruto was greeted to a wonderful sight that he would have paid good money to see otherwise. Uchiha Sasuke was being launched into the air and judging by the way his Junshuu Charka was responding to his chakra, the boy's Sharingan was active.
Watching the scene unfold, Naruto prepared to stop the fight with a well-placed Kuukigiri, when a small flash darted across the room. Seeing the pinwheel shuriken pinning Sasuke's assailants arm wrappings against the wall, Naruto watched as a turtle chewed, the horridly dressed boy, a new one.
The Nin declared to be Rock Lee, was bowing to the turtle and stiffened when the name 'Gai-sensei' was mentioned. Looking to Sakura in confusion, Naruto noticed that the girl was a bit shaken up, but when he asked her what was wrong, all she could say was, "that damn leotard," and shudder before speaking incoherently.
Looking away from the quivering mass, Naruto went to collect his fallen teammate, who despite having an ex-fan girl in his Genin cell, wasn't saved a painful fall onto the hard wooden flooring. Helping the boy up, Naruto just said, "You really got your ass kicked, didn't you? Man isn't that twice now your Sharingan has failed you? You should really get a new trick or even Kiba will be kicking your ass soon."
Obviously hitting a few sore spots, Naruto disregarded the wave of killing intent that Sasuke was shooting at him, and Naruto was about to continue on how he shouldn't try to be intimidating. Especially, since people such as Zabuza and that new kid Gaara did it so much better when he registered the fact that another chakra source was entering the room.
Looking passed the plume of ninjutsu smoke, Naruto saw a man even more flamboyantly dressed than what he used to wear, and in a sudden display of sensei brutality he decked his self proclaimed 'genius of hard work' student.
Not at all put off by the actions, Naruto felt the boy had gotten off easy, seeing as Zabuza would have probably followed the punch up with several bone breaking sword slashes. Watching Lee pick himself up before creating a sunset genjutsu without any chakra, Naruto felt his teammates' auras' go from shock to confusion and back to shock again when the man appeared behind them.
Holy shit, this guy's faster than both Kakashi and Zabuza! This thought rattled through his mind, but it was true. Even though both Kakashi and Zabuza were faster than his eyes would track for a greater part of the time, this guy trump them both in sheer speed. The most disturbing part though was the fact that, unlike both of his sensei, this guy used absolutely no chakra to heighten his speed.
It's all natural!? What is this guy? Naruto wondered before he heard the guy, coincidentally named Gai; tell them, "Well you three must be Kakashi's students judging by your expression. Tell Kakashi that his greatest rival is waiting for their next rematch."
Turning around, all three Genin saw the man flash a blinding smile before adding, "The score is 51-50 in my favor, so tell him to bring his A-game or he won't be a match for me." Watching the man leave in a blur Naruto thought, I wouldn't have seen him leave if it weren't for his clothes, before turning to Lee who was currently rewrapping his hand bandages. Catching the faint scars on the boy's hands, Naruto noticed Sakura going into med-Nin mode, rushing to the boy and taking his uncovered hand.
Even though she had rejected the horridly dressed boy earlier, Sakura had sworn to herself upon taking up the specialty as a med-nin that she would help all those who needed it. This meant helping the guy who obviously had a crush on you and the worse sense of fashion, second only to his sensei.
"Lee-san let me see your hand, the extensive scarring you have put them through may have damaged a tendon and limit your ability to do handseals necessary for our profession," Sakura stated professional. Meeting her all-business glaze, Lee smiled slightly before taking his hand back.
"I am sorry Sakura-san but there has been a slight misunderstanding. I cannot use ninjutsu or genjutsu, so your help is appreciated, but it is not needed. Thank you and I apologize for wasting your time, but I must be off."
Not taking no for an answer, Sakura started to create the handseals necessary for healing that she picked up from training with Haku and Hinata in the mornings. Reaching quickly towards the boy, Sakura snatched both hands this time, before forcing her chakra into the boy's scar tissue, healing the poorly reformed tendons and correctly placed them for the taijutsu master before stepping back and looking at her handy work.
"All done, and Lee, even though you don't use ninjutsu or genjutsu, it is dangerous to fight with wounded hands. You should be thankful that you are a fellow Konoha Nin, otherwise I might have just let you destroy your fists and ignore the oath I took (1)." Shocked, Lee smiled at the revelation before bowing to the girl and turning to leave. Stopping and looking back, Lee addressed Sasuke.
"Seeing as your teammate helped me, I will help you. I lied when I said that I was the strongest. There is one other person that is even greater than I am and he is on my team. Watch out for Hyuuga Neji, because even though I may be a genius of hard work, he is a natural born genius."
Meeting the boy's gaze, Sasuke watched angrily as his assailant left, completely healed by his teammate. Scoffing, Sasuke walked off upstairs, leaving Naruto to congratulate Sakura on her growing skills and debate on whether or not he knew this particular Hyuuga.
'Another one stronger he says, well I'll show them both that the Uchiha are the greatest even though there are only two left!' Sasuke thought smugly while walking into a crowded room. He may have lost his first fight, but he knew a weak genjutsu when he saw one.
About to call out the two examiners, Sasuke felt a handgrip on his shoulder and turned to see Naruto just shake his head. Looking at him incredulously, Sasuke noticed Sakura was sharing the same expression before hearing Naruto tell him, "Why help the competition? Let's just keep moving and ignore the second crappy genjutsu the Demon Mist Brothers have made for us."
Nodding grudgingly, Sasuke just walked by the two-disguised ex-Mist Nin, feeling as though he had missed an excellent opportunity to show off some of the Uchiha's power. Deciding to make it up in the exam, Sasuke opened the double doors and entered the room for the first exam.
Both Naruto and Sakura could feel Sasuke's flickering emotions, one through the extension genjutsu training the village's leading genjutsu specialist had put her through, and the other through means of constantly overflowing, hyper-sensitive chakra. Doing their best to ignore the changes, both of the teammates nodded to one another knowing that, this exam needs our full attention. Anything else and we will fail.
"Yo, so it seems Team Seven made it too!" A loud obnoxious voice cried out, cutting the tension Sasuke had unwontedly created. Seeing the telltale jacket and white puppy, Kiba made his way to Team Seven flanked by his teammates, Hinata and Shino, of Team Eight.
"Well of course we made it, because if Shino and Hinata could do it with a handicap like having a dog and his trained boy make it, then we can surely make it with our broody bastard as a handicap," Naruto said managing to insult both Kiba and Sasuke in one breath. Feeling two respective glares turn to him, Naruto was glad someone said something or a fight might have broken out immediately.
"Well it seems these troublesome people made it too," Shikamaru, said making it sound as if he didn't want to be here. Noting the pineapple head's frown, Chouji's smiling form, and a haughty looking Ino, Naruto smiled before saying, "Well if it isn't the Idiot Trio, how long has it been guys?"
Taking the insult in stride, Chouji just smiled before taking a quick swipe at the blonde, whom Naruto just dodged, Ino just tossed her hair as if he wasn't worth the time, which he was, and Shikamaru just sighed not wanting to put forth the effort, which it wasn't worth.
Watching the group mingle, Naruto was ignoring Sakura and Ino's battle of the wills, and pre-game trash talk, while focusing all his attention on Hinata. The girl, who was like a sister to him, may have had some answers he needed.
"Hinata-chan, who is Hyuuga Neji?" Naruto asked innocently, and looked confused when Hinata paused for a second as if trying to find the right words to say. Waiting patiently, Naruto figured that this was somehow tied to what Hinata called her 'extremely dysfunctional family'. However, the girl never had to answer seeing as a fellow leaf-nin opted to answer for her.
"Hyuuga Neji. Genin, prodigy of the Byakugan, and member of the Branch House, he has been a Genin for two years and so far has never failed a mission. It also says on a side bar that it was his father who died to save the Leaf from entering another Cloud Leaf War."
Turning to the voice, the Rookie Nine saw the silver-haired boy approach them with a smile. His disposition was calm, which was in stark contrast to the tense surroundings that they were in, and Kiba immediately questioned this.
"Hey, why are you so calm? Almost everyone around here is giving off a nervous or scared scent, but you on the other hand are giving off neither," Kiba announced, sounding rather intelligent while at the same time sounding unbearably cocky. Taking the words in stride, the man simply smiled before putting away the card that he was reading Neji's status from.
"I'm calm, because this is my seventh time testing. I know what's going to happen and unlike you loud Genin; I understand the need to be subtle." Looking directly at Kiba when he said 'loud' the newcomer gained some trust with his intelligent remark and decided to acquaint himself with the Rookie Nine Genin.
Introducing himself as, "Yakushi Kabuto, and seeing as this is my seventh exam; I figure that I can let you in on a few of my secrets." Huddling around the senior Genin, all the Rookie Nine were listening intently to the free advice he was handing out.
When the older Genin pulled out his nin-fo cards, Sasuke was the first to jump at the chance to get the scoop on the competition. Asking for the information on Rock Lee, Sasuke ignored the snicker Naruto let out, making sure to get his information as well.
"Teammate of Hyuuga Neji and Tenten, can't read the last name, they have completed at least twice as many as of the required missions for the Chunin exam. Ah, that's why, Maito Gai is their sensei. Well it seems his taijutsu is through the roof, no doubt the work of his sensei, but he is incapable of using ninjutsu or genjutsu."
While the rest of the Rookie Nine were shocked by such a handicap, Team Seven already knew this from his match with Sasuke that he didn't need either. 'Well it seems what he said was true. I need to be faster if I want to defeat him and show this Rock Lee that the Sharingan is the greatest doujutsu in the world,' Sasuke added before asking for another nin-fo card.
"Uzumaki Naruto," the black haired Nin asked, ignoring all the stares that he was getting from the rest of his classmates. Naruto just looked at Sasuke out the corner of his eye before smirking.
'If he wants to know my abilities maybe he should pay more attention in our fights rather than asking some stranger,' Naruto thought and concurring with his deduction Kabuto's nin-fo card only mentioned his Junshuu Chakra, Chakra Shokkou, and Kage Bunshin making no reference to his elemental manipulation abilities and sword skills.
Sasuke's going to be in for a surprise when we fight, Naruto thought before moving to his seat after hearing the examiner order them to, "Shut up and listen!!"
This first exam is surprisingly easy, Naruto noted while watching the rest of the other Konoha Genin finish after Team Seven. Team Eight was the first to finish after them, seeing as Kiba had used Akamaru to deliver answers in quiet barks only the Inuzuka could decipher; Shino had used his kikai insects as scoots, and Hinata had used the Byakugan to literally see through all the lies and find the answers.
Following Team Eight was Team Ten. Ino had mind swapped with an examiner after struggling with Sakura to overtake her mind. The deflection of her clan's jutsu came off as a shock, but Ino just smirked and was probably more anxious for their match more than ever now. Mind swapping with Chouji to give him the answers, Ino was about to jump to Shikamaru when she noticed he had stolen the answers from Sasuke using a few new shadow surveillance techniques that he picked up from his dad.
Settling down after Ibiki's climatic finish, Naruto felt his heart rate shoot back up when he felt a flicker of chakra approach the window before a seductively clad woman appeared in front of Ibiki with a bloodthirsty grin on her face.
"It seems you're losing your touch Ibiki, I was sure that less than fifty Genin would be left," the woman said while eying the Genin. Naruto couldn't help but feel a little intimidated by her aura, especially the bloodlust and borderline insanity that surrounded it.
"No it's just a good batch this year Anko," Ibiki replied while glancing at all of the Rookie Nine. Seeing the look, Naruto couldn't help but agree, well at least until the crazed woman turned her attention to them.
"I see… Well then I'm glad I made the test tough this year, because I'm looking to cut this number at least in half," Anko said before licking her lips in anticipation.
'Why do I have the feeling she's serious,' Naruto noted morbidly while waiting for the second exam.
About An Hour Into The Second Exam…
'Sometimes I wonder if I'm cursed.' Naruto asked no one in particular while flying through the air. Ever since the first exam, he had his cheek cut open by the bloodthirsty examiner, Mitarashi Anko, attacked while taking a leak, no thanks to a perverted Rain-nin, and he couldn't forget being blown away by the creepy Grass-nin who returned the very kunai that torn his cheek open after licking it clean.
Twisting his wind oriented chakra around him; Naruto righted his fall before touching down softly. Figuring that he was about a good five minute run away from his team and their opponent, Naruto knew Sasuke and Sakura could hold up long enough for him to get back and help.
Filling his muscles with chakra, Naruto prepared to take off at full speed when he felt a sudden explosion of chakra surge from behind him. Turning around slowly, Naruto saw the biggest snake he had ever seen in his life.
"Yeah, I'm cursed…," Naruto said aloud as the giant maw closed around him.
With The Rest Of Team Seven…
Okay. Not only can she stand Sasuke-kun's fire jutsu, but the Grass nin seems to be impervious to all but my best genjutsu, Sakura noted to herself while assessing the situation. Currently, Sasuke was fighting hand to hand with the nin in front of her while, she healed a minor cut on her arm that she had gotten after the woman countered a failed genjutsu attempt.
Watching Sasuke get pushed back just as she finished, Sakura started another, more powerful genjutsu when the woman's voice broke her concentration. Normally, not even Hinata's impending Jyuuken strikes could distract her, but this woman's voice was more chilling than having all of her tenketsu closed. This killing intent laced with the Grass-nin's voice overrode all of her imbedded shinobi training and before Sakura knew it; both she and Sasuke were caught in a craftily laid genjutsu.
"Ah Sasuke-kun, it seems you have made some powerful allies. Well let's just see how powerful they are," the woman said in a haunting tone while throwing two kunai at their heads.
Theories of breaking genjutsu rushed through Sakura's head, but it wasn't until the kunai were merely feet away from hitting their mark did Sakura strike gold. Mixing her own chakra with her own killing intent, Sakura managed to remove the fear-induced genjutsu that was binding her. Deflecting both kunai, Sakura countered with her original plan and disappeared before both the Grass-nin and Sasuke's eyes.
Suddenly, the moss and vines covering the branch they were standing on erupted upward, wrapping around the Grass kunoichi. From the top Sakura bloomed, poised for the deathblow when the Grass-nin twisted her body in an unnatural direction before making a swipe at Sakura with her kunai. Blocking the attack, Sakura could feel her Magen: Jubaku Satsu failing under her small reserves, but before she could safely escape, the Grass-nin opened her mouth and showed her that her tongue was holding a kunai.
Currently blocking the first strike with two hands, Sakura was sure she was fast enough to dodge the kunai strike, especially one delivered by the body's most flexible muscle. However, with the Grass kunoichi's shift in attention to Sakura, Sasuke was able to overcome the choking grip of the first genjutsu with his chakra alone before sending a kunai to aid in Sakura's escape.
Deflecting the mouth launched kunai, Sasuke's kunai gave Sakura the time she needed to escape and place a weak genjutsu around the area to cover their tactical retreat. Breaking through the mist genjutsu inspired by Haku, the kunoichi smiled when she noticed her prey was gone.
"So the hunt continues…," the woman spieled, before disappearing from the area faster than she appeared.
With Sakura And Sasuke…
With his back firmly pressed against the bark of the tree he was hiding in, Sasuke turned to Sakura who was currently healing his wounds. How is it that she's so strong? How was she able to fight that… that monster? Sasuke thought angrily before jerking away from Sakura. Expecting her to back away hurt; he was shocked when she started into him.
"Sasuke, we don't have time for your ego! And if you haven't noticed, the Grass-nin we just ran from just kicked both of our asses, and I have a bad feeling that she was only playing with us. So stop sulking and let me heal you or we are both going to die."
Rearing back as if being hit in the balls, Sasuke fell deeper into his brooding state but allowed Sakura to finish healing him. Handing the boy a soldier pill, Sakura answered both of his inquiries before he even asked.
"I got them from Hinata, and before you ask, she got them from Kiba, who happens to have about ten lifetimes worth of pills in stock just for situations like these." Popping the pill first, Sakura felt a charge of chakra make its way through her and before she knew it, she felt like she could fight three days and three nights without sleep. Watching Sasuke do the same, albeit grudgingly, Sakura nodded in approval before trying to plan out a way to contact Naruto without alerting the Grass kunoichi.
Back With Naruto…
Fortunately, for the blonde shinobi, he hadn't been swallowed but at the way the snake was snapping at him that accomplishment may become a thing of the past. Meeting its giant jaws with a Kuukigiri, the chakra wave didn't even leave his sword, seeing as the hard that covered the snake pushed it back. Even its eyes were covered with a thin translucent film that prevented even kunai from penetrating them.
Well I'll just have to try again, Naruto thought before pulling out one of his trusty kunai. Spinning it around his finger, Naruto built up some wind chakra while jumping over the snake's attempt to eat him. From mid-air, Naruto launched the kunai at one of the snake's protected eyes and with the built up wind chakra, the kunai was able to penetrate the protective covering.
A fierce howl was let out when the kunai cut through, leaving the giant anaconda half blind. Adding even more chakra to another kunai, Naruto quickly moved into the snake's new blind spot before throwing the kunai.
Normally, the shot would never connect from the angle that Naruto was at, but with a bit 'abnormal' elemental manipulation, Naruto curved the trajectory of the kunai and guided it from underneath the snake to a perfect path into the still functional eye.
Hearing another terrible howl, Naruto knew his shot had connected, but he wasn't sure that was a good thing. The snake was now fully blind, and also fully pissed and out for blood. Jumping over its wild thrashing, Naruto found it even harder to avoid the snake's attacks now that it was berserk.
Jumping from another destroyed branch Naruto circled the blind snake, not knowing what to do. 'Okay, its blind but I still don't have a way to penetrate its even harder scales,' Naruto grimaced when he realized that he had used all his power just to pierce the weaker scales that protected the snake's eyes. However, the scales covering the snake were at least twice as durable and even his fully powered Kuukigiri couldn't crack them.
Launching another Kuukigiri only to see most of it absorbed into the scales of the behemoth, the lingering amounts bounced off the scales harmlessly. Cursing, Naruto jumped from his current position as the monster's tail crashed into the log he was standing on. Realizing the snake was adapting to its loss of sight Naruto figured, I need to kill it now before it fully figures out how to fight without seeing me.
However, the chakra-absorbing snake was sneakier than it looked and it proved it when it used its mid-section to toss an unsuspecting Naruto into the air. Before the blonde could activate his air chakra, he was caught in the summon's mouth. Using his wind chakra to keep the corrosive acids, what the beast called saliva off him, Naruto realized that he was in the perfect place to win this battle. 'Alright you bastard, you better hope your insides are as hard as your outside,' Naruto thought while smirking and unleashing his favorite jutsu.
"Hope you're ready for this you overgrown earthworm, Chakra Shokkou: Chire!!"
The several bursts of compressed chakra tore through the snake's body before severing the snake in two. Breaking out from his acidy prison, Naruto didn't even complain over the grotesque smell or the green slobber that covered him. The only thing on his mind was making it to his team in time to help. Letting the chakra-filled wind rushing past him clean his body, Naruto entered the clearing where Sasuke's chakra was currently spiking.
'Maybe I'm not too late…,'
With Sasuke and Sakura…
Breathing in deeply, Sasuke finished his handseals and unleashed one of the two jutsu that he learned in Wave. Unleashing a stream of red-hot fire, Sasuke watched the incinerating element glide across the several strings of fireproof wires connecting his strongest Katon jutsu to the Grass kunoichi.
Hearing the yell of agony when the raging fires connected with the kunoichi, Sasuke looked over to Sakura's trapped form while thinking, I didn't need her help anyways, and this once again proves that the Sharingan is the greatest power!
Sakura, unaware of Sasuke's growing dementia, was pinned to a nearby tree barely conscious since an oversized boa constrictor was squeezing the life out of her. This snake, strangely enough, had large venom glands despite its species of snake not to have any. Unaware of Sasuke's victory, Sakura was silently berating herself for falling into the kunoichi's trap, leaving Sasuke to fight the woman alone.
However, neither could have predicted what happened next. The screams of agony slowly turned into an insane laughter as the woman walked out of the fires and through the steel wires that bound her. Seeing this, Sasuke suppressed his shock and decided to pull out his trump card.
I was saving this one for Naruto, but I guess I don't have much of a choice now, the raven-haired Uchiha thought, before activating the Chidori. The buzzing of the forming jutsu grew louder and before he knew it, the insane laughter that was filling his eardrums was now by the chirping of a thousand birds. Looking down at his chakra-filled hand Sasuke knew his limit and thought that, this will be my last jutsu. It has to finish the job.
Diving forward to the still immobile enemy, Sasuke shoved the jutsu forward. The blunt edge of chakra that it had once been was now a sharpened blade of lightning. Sasuke was constantly training between the mission to Wave and the Second Exam with this and now wanted to see if it had paid off.
ZZZZZzzzz…zz…z…
The Chidori died out, leaving a dumbstruck Sasuke looking into the eyes of a deformed grass kunoichi. The woman, with the skin of her face peeling, was holding Sasuke's wrist, effectively stopping his greatest jutsu and leaving him completely chakra-exhausted and defenseless.
"Who are you?" Sasuke managed to ask, hoping to buy himself some time. The woman chuckled, but unlike her last insane laugh, this one was deeper and slightly more masculine. Grabbing her half-melted face the woman began peeling back the folds of melted skin, revealing half of a ghostly pale, male face.
"Oh Sasuke-kun, I'm so glad you asked. For you see, I am a god in the making, the bearer of Ultimate Power, and the answer to all ambitions," the man revealed capturing Sasuke with his words. Tossing the boy back several feet away, the man didn't show that he was impressed that the Uchiha could still stand, but instead asked, "Now what do you have to offer, in exchange for your life."
Reaching into his kunai pouch, Sasuke didn't pull out a deadly flying star, but instead in his hand was a small scroll that said Heaven. Holding it up Sasuke said, "I offer this scroll, in exchange for my teammates and my own life." Taking the silence as an approval, Sasuke tossed the scroll, only to see it intercepted in mid air.
The blur, which revealed itself to be Naruto, steered itself in front of Sasuke and broke the branch connecting the pale man and himself. Turning to Sasuke, Naruto made his way up to Sasuke while pocketing the scroll.
"Dobe, this isn't the time for your pride! This guy will…," but Sasuke never finished seeing as Naruto punched the boy with the fading chakra of his Chakra Shokkou: Dageki, which didn't take off his head but left him reeling. Not even bothering to conceal his anger, Naruto turned his back to Sasuke while preparing to fight the pale man.
"Pride…," Naruto snorted before continuing, "Pride, Sasuke! You think this is about pride! No, this isn't about pride, because unlike you, I am not so wrapped up in myself and my massacred clan that I can see death when it is right in front of my eyes. Seriously, do you really think someone that's powerful enough to put Sakura in such a position while fighting you at the same time is interested in this exam? No… he's way too powerful for that and giving him the scroll would only have made your death more shameful to your family."
As Naruto finished his speech, the man arrived back on the level as the two males from Team Seven. Hiding even more of his face in the shade of the canopy, the man seemingly said, "Yes, as strong as you are Sasuke-kun, you still have much to learn in the ways of the shinobi. A problem I seek to alleviate."
Placing his hand on the disfigured folds of flesh hiding his face, the ghost of a man peeled the rest of them off, revealing that he was in fact Konoha's greatest traitor, Orochimaru. Setting himself for a fight, Naruto knew he couldn't win but there was at least a small chance that his fight with the Legendary Sanin may attract the attention of the village and save him and his team.
'So I just have to make this fight as noisy and noticeable as possible,' Naruto figured while flaring his chakra. Unfortunately, the second that he took in order to do that, Orochimaru formed the handseals for his own personal jutsu.
Stretching his neck to inhuman proportions, Naruto barely dodged Orochimaru's attack, only to find out that he wasn't the target. Not waiting for Orochimaru to remove his fangs from Sasuke's neck, Naruto shot his Chire at Orochimaru's body. The snake man remotely controlled his body with chakra, making it jump out the way of the destructive balls of light while retracting his head from Sasuke's neck. Landing on an adjacent branch, Orochimaru smirked at the screams of pain that Sasuke was projecting.
Looking to Naruto, Orochimaru said, "And then there was one… come young jinchuriki; show me the power of the Kyuubi." Gladly obliging, Naruto dug deep inside, pulling out all his chakra before making the seals for his most powerful jutsu.
"Naiteki Kai!!"
Author's Note: Well I hope that this chapter was good, and after a long break, I hope the action in this chapter made up for the slowness in the last. Well, now it's Orochimaru vs. Naruto; who is about to show Orochimaru that he is not only messing with a demon container, but a force of nature as well. Also I know that Sasuke may have come off as a bit more emo and prideful in this chapter than in the manga/anime, but remember both Naruto AND Sakura are threatening his position as the top dog now making him more defensive and thus going further back into his superiority complex that he built up to protect himself.
On another note, I'm going to say this now. I WON'T ABANDON THIS FIC, okay with that out the only reason I get go of Seeing Past because I really let it go which was a direct result of my lack of planning. However, DOAD is planned out beginning to end and all I have to do is write it. So please no more threats on killing me if I abandon this fic.
(1): The Oath is referring lightly to the Hippocratic Oath all doctors must take, swearing them only to heal not harm and things along those lines (such as patient/doctor confidentiality).
Something Extra: A little, treat for you all.
Chapter 12: Preview
The Masks We Wear…
Tearing the chains from Naruto's chest, Orochimaru watched the boy crumpled unto the branch they were standing on. Such power… This is no mere child but a god such as me! the narcissist snake thought, while looking down on the blonde's convulsing body. Turning to leave, Orochimaru stopped when he felt a sudden surge of power, so much that he could barely believe his eyes when he saw Naruto struggling to stand.
"What… did you do to me?" Naruto asked, breathing heavy and eyes half-lidded in fatigue. Despite the power he was emitting, his body was ready to fall from under him. Humoring the boy, Orochimaru hid his fear and just smiled.
"I have given you all the power you could ever want Naruto-kun…"
--
Peering into the two red eyes, Naruto readied himself. The voice as smooth as silk boomed in his ears with awe-inspiring authority.
"I am everything you loath," the being said as nine tails of demonic red chakra flailed behind him. "I am everything you cannot control," the spirit added complicated seals, resembling a true Shinigami covered his pale skin "And I am all that is sealed within," the doppelganger finished as his red eyes grew and specific black pattern, before charging...
P.S.: I hope that has you pumped for the next chapter, because I can't wait to write it. Well as I said above, and until next time…
Black Saint
