Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto.
Summary – After a 2nd failed attempt to rescue Sasuke, Naruto returns home, once again empty handed. But all is not lost. The mission has taught Naruto where his true power lies. As it awakens, so does Naruto, and he wakes up to more than he expected…
Pairings – NaruHina (Main), SasuSaku, ShikaTema, NejiTen, ChoIno, LeeOC, IruShizu, KonoHana
Author's Note (A/N) – This is my first fan fic. Please R&R. I hope you enjoy it!
Yo. Welcome to yet another installment of my humble story. I really appreciate you guys for sticking with me so far. It means a lot to me. (sniff)
Anyway, enough emotion. From me, anyway, 'cause we're bound to see some emotion in the coming chapters. I'm so cruel… (Forgive me, Hinata-chan!)
Everyone! This chapter is dedicated to Ken, or kagehusha, and myself, as his birthday is today, and mine was on Sunday, the 10th. Happy birthday to Ken and myself! I'm 16 now! Woo!
Before you read, I wanna straighten something out. I don't think some of you completely grasp the theme of this story. As I'm sure most of you have figured out by now, the theme is Naruto's dormant power and how it awakens, but knowing the theme and understanding the theme are two different things.
I've read in several reviews about you guys expecting Naruto to go all 'Kyubi' on those Akatsuki bastards. While, indeed, there will be much kicking of the ass in these chapters, this isn't about Naruto using Kyubi's strength. It's about him overcoming Kyubi's strength and finding his own power. If you recall, in Chapter 299 or somethin', Yamato said to Naruto something around the lines of: "You're power is stronger than the Kyubi's." Or somethin' like that. The point is, Naruto doesn't want to rely on Kyubi's power, and, therefore, is training himself to be able take care of himself. He wants to save Sasuke with his own power, not Kyubi's. That's what the whole theme of this story is: Naruto overcoming Kyubi's strength, and finding a power that he's always had. That power is the power I am referring to when I talk about Naruto's awakening.
I just wanted to clear that up with some of you. Don't worry, that doesn't mean Kyubi's goin' anywhere (yet…), it just means that Naruto's gonna learn to kick ass his own way, without Kyubi's help. You'll find out what I mean.
And, back in chapter eight, when I had Naruto and Hinata do the elemental thing, I had a reason for that. A very big reason. All this ties into Naruto's 'awakening' and Shino's, as well as Hinata's, little inclusion in my plot twist. Let's just say that Naruto isn't the only one who will be doing some waking up…
Enough teasers. Hopefully, that cleared up some questions and got my point across. I'm dearly trying to make you guys realize that Naruto does not want Kyubi's help; he wants to be strong by himself. He wants to be known for his strength, not the Kyubi's. I dearly hope you guys get what I'm saying.
Wow. Long A/N…
Now, ON WITH THE STORY!
Naruto's Awakening
Chapter XI – Preemptive Strike
A figure flew through the city of Konoha at top speed, little more than a blur to the untrained eye. The figure sped around the entire village, seemingly trying to find something…or somebody.
'Naruto… Where are you?' The figure stopped on top of the Hokage monument, looking down at the village. To the east, he saw the commencing attack on the village by his pursuers.
'Damn! They're here already?' He thought. He sped off again, continuing his search for the blonde shinobi.
"Naruto…"
X-X-X-X-X
Shikamaru picked himself up, swaying as he did so. He looked around slowly, with a pained look on his face. Everything seemed to be in slow motion, and dead quiet, aside from the ringing in his ears. He looked and saw the debris everywhere, scattered about the ground. Injured people limped away, carrying themselves or others, wounded and bleeding. Dead bodies littered the ground. His mind was completely blank.
Then, slowly, the ringing disappeared, the pace returned to normal, and sound reached his ears, and coherent thought returned to his head.
Finally having a grasp on the situation, his senses returned and he dodged a kunai that flew through the spot his head was less than a second ago. He realized what was happening and he raised his guard, dodging more shuriken and kunai as they came. He suddenly remembered that there were non-combatants present, and he would need to get them to safety.
Luckily, Gaara seemed to be unfazed, and was taking care of the wounded and protecting the citizens. His sand was well suited to the job of making sure no one else was harmed.
Then, the invaders started swarming in, and it was then that Shikamaru saw their headbands.
They were Oto ninja.
Shikamaru scowled. Damn that snake bastard! "Orochimaru…" He growled, clenching his fists. Now, there were very few things in the world that really set Shikamaru off, and that bastard, Orochimaru, had picked the worst one.
Shikamaru got into a ready stance as he prepared to do his thing, when he remembered it was raining, and the clouds were blocking off sunlight. He reached into his pouch and pulled out a kunai and a tag. He attached the tag to the kunai and threw it behind him. Looking behind him, he yelled, "Close your eyes!" Gaara and others in the vicinity got the message and shielded their eyes. Shikamaru turned back to the mass of soldiers coming at him and put his hands in a familiar seal. Suddenly, the tag went off, and a massive flare lit up the area. Shikamaru used the added light to make a massive shadow that wound its way throughout the mob in front of him. He focused his Chakra and shouted, "Ninpo: Kage Kasui-Wana no Jutsu!" His spidery web of shadows suddenly shot up, forming thin spikes that impaled a vast majority of the mob in front of him. The enemy ninjas, being blinded by the flare, were helpless as they fell victim to the shadowy sea of spikes. After several seconds, Shikamaru's shadow retracted and he ran into the mob.
Using the after shock of the attack to his advantage, he ran to the surviving soldiers with his kunai, catching them off-guard as they recovered from the deadly shadow technique. As he reached each enemy, he used the kunai to finish them off quickly, slashing their throats and severing vital veins and arteries. He worked his way through several of the surviving shinobi before they started to return to their senses. A little worn from the chakra usage and running, Shikamaru stopped to catch his breath. He then noticed a bit too late an enemy coming from behind. He moved to defend himself, but it was too late.
But the blow never came. He opened his eyes and saw the ninja sticking his kunai through his comrade's chest, before they both were mowed down by a giant wrecking ball of some sort. He watched as the wrecking ball sped back toward him, but he relaxed, as Choji returned to his normal form and took a position next to Shikamaru.
"You alright, Shikamaru?" He asked. Shikamaru grabbed at a stitch in his side, but merely nodded.
"Yeah, just went a little overboard there…" He said, catching his breath. Ino then appeared and crouched down next to him.
"You alright?" She asked, a look on her face like she'd just seen something scary.
"What's wrong?" Shikamaru asked. "You look you saw a ghost or somethin'…"
"I've…never seen you lose it like that…" She replied. "You just totally wasted all those ninja without hesitation."
"That bastard, Orochimaru…" He growled. "He… How dare he attack this village!"
Choji's eyes widened. "Orochimaru?" He asked.
"These ninja…" Shikamaru pointed to one of the dead soldier's head.
"Th-they're Oto ninja!" Ino gasped. "But… Why? Why is he here?" Shikamaru merely shook his head.
"I don't know, but…" He looked around. "We need support, now."
"But they're all dead!" Ino cried. "Why do we need backup?"
"Idiot! Use your head. Do you really think that Orochimaru would send such a small force to attack the village?"
Realization suddenly dawned on Ino's face. "We need to get ready." Choji said, looking at the destroyed gate. "A second wave will be here soon enough…" Ino nodded. Two ANBU appeared and looked at Shikamaru.
"Shikamaru-san! Are you alright?"
"I'll be fine." He replied. "I need you two to get me as many Chunin and Jonin rank ninja here as you can. I also want every medic ninja available here, now!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Ino, I want you to hand out soldier pills to all shinobi here that aren't severely wounded. Get them back on their feet and ready to fight." Ino nodded and took a bag of soldier pills from Choji before running off.
"Kazekage-sama!" Shikamaru shouted to Gaara. "I want you to stay back and defend the medics and injured while we deal with the enemy."
Gaara looked confused. "Wouldn't I be a greater asset if I took a more offensive role?" He asked. Shikamaru shook his head.
"No, your sand is much faster than anything else we have. It's and ideal defensive factor, and it would be best served making sure no one else gets hurt." Gaara nodded in understanding and turned back towards the injured. Choji turned toward Shikamaru.
"What are we gonna do?" He asked. Shikamaru lowered his head.
"Look for survivors…" He paused. "…and move the dead." Choji looked a little spooked, but nodded. He took the left side of the street, where several shops were, as well as the now destroyed southern wall of the Hyuga estate. Shikamaru turned to the left side of the road and scanned the destroyed buildings. He sighed. "Damn it…" He muttered as he slowly made his way to the ruins. He started shoveling through the gravel when he spotted something. Something that made his heart stop and his blood run cold.
It was a rather large fan, scratched but otherwise intact.
Shikamaru's eyes widened in fear. He knew only one person who carried a fan that large. Probably the only person.
'Temari!'
X-X-X-X-X
Kakashi and Sakura stood on top of the North gate, still looking upon the horizon. Sakura, however, was looking in the direction of the East gate.
"Kakashi-sensei! Something's happening over at the East gate!" She said, pointing in towards the east side of the city. Kakashi remained silent. It seemed as though he hadn't heard. "Kakashi-sensei--"
"Sakura." He said suddenly, with a dangerously serious voice. "Go and get help. I don't care who it is, as long as it isn't Naruto."
"Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura said fearfully. She didn't like the aura Kakashi was giving off.
"Go!" He shouted, turning towards her, where she noticed that Kakashi had revealed his Sharingan. "We've got trouble!"
"But the East gate--"
"Well, unfortunately, we're going to have to leave that to the others. I need you to find as many powerful allies as possible. You have five minutes." Kakashi looked at her with dead seriousness. "This is an S-class mission. If you fail, Naruto and I will probably die." Sakura was shaken. What was he getting at? "Go!" He yelled. Sakura returned to her senses and nodded, determination plastered on her face.
'Kakashi-sensei…Naruto…I won't fail! Not this time…'
X-X-X-X-X
"…n…nnn…uh…"
Darkness. That's what Neji woke up to. Complete and utter darkness. He tried to open his eyes, but was met with searing pain, as feeling returned and he was painfully aware of how sore his body was. He heard the cackling of fire nearby, and cries from several nearby people. And, damn, his head hurt. He sat up, rubbing his head, feeling dried blood and a bit of fresh blood. He tried to open his eyes again, but was once again met with a shooting pain across his eyes. Then the panic started to settle in.
He tried to open his eyes again. Pain. He reached up and touched his closed eyes. Blood. And pain. No. This can't be. This wasn't happening.
"No… No…"
"Neji? You're awake!" Tenten's voice came from his left. He turned toward the direction of her voice. "Neji?" She said, worried. His face was extremely bloody.
"Tenten…" Neji said, loosing his breath. "I… I…"
"Neji? What's wrong?" She replied fearfully, her voice shaky.
"I… I'm blind!"
X-X-X-X-X
"Shino!"
The said shinobi turned in the direction of the call, seeing Sakura, Kiba, and Kurenai running in his direction. They stopped in front of him, Sakura and Kiba panting. "Th-there you are…" Kiba said between pants.
"Sakura-chan? Kiba?" Sakura turned in the direction of the voice and was met with the sight of Naruto and Hinata standing behind Shino. Normally, she would have questioned this, but now was definitely not the time. Especially when Naruto was the last person she wanted to meet.
'Damn…' She thought. "Shino…Hinata-san… We need you to come with us, quickly!"
"W-what's wrong, Sakura-san?" Hinata asked nervously. Shino looked at Sakura expectantly.
"There's no time." Kurenai butted in. "We have to go. Naruto, go to the Hokage's office."
Naruto faltered. "What?" He gasped. "What's going on?"
"I can't tell you that. You are to report to the Hokage's office immediately." Kurenai said firmly. Naruto looked frustrated. She was keeping something from him.
"Tell me what's going on!"
"That's an order!" She shouted. Naruto clenched his fists.
"Grr… Fine." He said, turning away.
"Now, let's go." Shino said, giving Naruto one last glance before looking at Kurenai questioningly, or at least as questioningly as he was able to. They dashed off. Hinata, however, stayed behind for a moment.
"I'm sorry, Naruto-kun…" She said apologetically. Naruto shook his head.
"Don't worry about it." He said solemnly. He was very concerned about what was going on. Hinata gave him one last worried glance before turning to follow her comrades. "Wait, Hinata-chan!" He said before she dashed off. Hinata turned back around to face him. "Hey… Be careful, okay?" He said, looking concerned. Hinata nodded and ran off after the others. Naruto stood there for several more seconds before he dashed off in pursuit.
'She was hiding something from me…' He thought, frustrated. 'What's happening? First, that loud explosion in the distance, now this. What the hell is going on?'
X-X-X-X-X
"Damn… Damn!" Shikamaru dug at the rubble, trying to get to the bottom of the pile of ruin. That fan was Temari's, which meant this was the place he was supposed to meet her at, which meant that… "Rrrr…!" He groaned. This reckless digging was tearing up his hands, and they were starting to throb in pain. "AHH!" He yelled, the pain becoming worse. But he couldn't stop. He needed to get to her. He wouldn't let her die. Three years ago, he promised that he wouldn't let another one of his comrades be lost under his command. Sure, this wasn't a mission, and he wasn't leading her, but she had been waiting on him. She had been his responsibility. This was his entire fault!
"Shikamaru!" Choji's voice came from behind, sounding concerned. Shikamaru paid him no mind. He had to get to Temari. The longer he took, the better chance there was that she was already dead. "What's wrong? Shikamaru!"
"AHH!" Shikamaru shouted in pain. His hands were covered in blood and they felt like they were on fire, but he couldn't stop. He wouldn't stop. He wouldn't lose another friend because he screwed up. Not again.
Choji just looked on fearfully. If Shikamaru kept this up, he was going to destroy his hands. He had no idea what was going on. He looked around to see if he could gather anything from the surroundings. When he saw the large fan, his eyes widened, and he realized what exactly had Shikamaru so upset. He dropped to his knees and began to help Shikamaru dig. His hands were much tougher than Shikamaru's, so he had no trouble with the rough debris. Shikamaru's hands, however, were only getting worse. But this only increased his fervor. Then Shikamaru saw something that made him stop dead.
A bloody hand stuck out from the rubble, with a bracelet on the wrist that Shikamaru knew only too well.
Shikamaru stayed still, shocked at the discovery, before resuming his digging at such a pace that it put his previous efforts to shame. By the time he had stopped, Temari's entire upper body was visible, and his hands were drenched in blood and hurt like hell. But he paid it no mind. Temari looked bad. She was covered in scraped and bruised and riddled with cuts. Blood was everywhere.
"Temari!" Shikamaru yelled, hoping to get a response from the Suna shinobi. Temari gave no sign of life. Choji continued to shovel the rest of the rubble off of her. Shikamaru moved to check her vitals, but was suddenly painfully aware of the state of his hands. Pain shot through his entire forearm every time he made to move his hand. He stared at his hands. Blood. The skin on his fingers and knuckles was entirely gone, revealing the pink flesh below them. Much of the rest of his hands was torn up similarly. But all he saw was the red. Blood. His blood. He spilled so much of his blood, trying to keep his promise, and would do it again a thousand more times to keep it, but… Was it worth it? Temari wasn't responding or showing any visible signs of life. Blood. All this blood. Was it all for nothing? Just an empty goal?
In the end, could he really save anyone?
Choji moved to check Temari's vitals. She wasn't breathing. He was about to check her pulse when he looked at Shikamaru. He just kneeled there, staring at his hands, which looked like they hade gone through a blender. He looked utterly hopeless. "Shikamaru?" Choji said weakly. Shikamaru jumped at the sound of his voice.
"Ch-Choji…" He began shakily. "I…I promised that I wouldn't fail again… That I wouldn't let myself lose another friend…"
Choji kneeled there, worried for his friends mental health. This wasn't good. To make Shikamaru lose it like that…
"But… In the end, I couldn't do it. I couldn't save anybody. I failed again."
Choji just sat there, dumbfounded. He had never seen Shikamaru so…helpless, so lost. He didn't know what to say.
Shikamaru continued to sit there and stare at his torn-up hands. Blood dripped and fell onto Temari's face, adding to the already large amount on her person.
Shikamaru clenched his fists. Pain shot through his arms, like nothing he had felt before, but he didn't notice. All he felt was the pain of loss and something he had only felt scarcely before.
Rage. Pure and blinding rage.
"AHHHHHHHHH!" He yelled at the top of his lungs, letting his emotions fly out in a rare show of uncontrolled emotion. Choji just sat there, looking at his friend sadly. But he felt rage bubbling up inside of him, as well.
'Orochimaru…' He thought with a deadly killer intent coursing through his being. 'You WILL pay for this!'
X-X-X-X-X
'Warmth…' Was her only thought. Warmth. On her face. Only a small spot, but it was warmth. Feeling. Consciousness.
And pain. She felt pain. But not from her battered body. It paled in comparison to the pain she was feeling now. It came from an outside source, a nearby outside source. Her hearing returned, and she heard a scream. It hurt. Not in volume. It was laced with internal pain and struggle. The source of the yell was in serious pain. Pain she had never wished to feel. Coherent thought returned. She realized there must be someone next to her. A very hurt person. Someone who was feeling pain so strong, she could fell it from her current position. It hurt her, this person's pain. She wanted it to stop. Nobody should be in such pain. She opened her eyes.
'Gloomy…' Was her first inference. The clouds were gray, occasionally flashing with lightning as thunder followed immediately after, the sky taking a brief rest in it's torrential downpour. Thunder. The thunder. No…it wasn't thunder. It was the scream. So painful, filled with such sadness it made the sky look sunny in comparison. She turned her head slightly.
There. The source of the pain. A man. With a forest green jacket. And black hair, tied in a short, high ponytail. Recognition. It hit her like a ton of bricks.
"Shi…ka…maru…"
X-X-X-X-X
Shikamaru froze. As did Choji. That wasn't real, was it? That was just their imagination, wasn't it? Both looked down to the presumably dead body of Temari.
She stared back at them, eyes barely open. Shikamaru just stared. He couldn't believe his eyes. She was alive! He shakily reached out to her with his bloodied hand. Temari looked in the direction of his nearing hand. She noticed it's trashed state.
'Did he…do all that…?' Tears formed in her eyes. "Damn…damn it, you…"
"What?" Shikamaru continued to stare in disbelief.
"Hurting…yourself…like that…" She muttered. "Idiot…"
Relief flowed through Shikamaru like a warm breeze. She really was alive! He smiled weakly. "You're okay!" He managed. Temari smirked, but faltered as pain shot through her. She maintained the smirk nonetheless.
"Heh… You shouldn't worry…so much…
"…Crybaby…"
With that, she closed her eyes, and the tears flowed from her eyes. Shikamaru smirked happily.
"Troublesome woman… You're the one who's crying…"
Before she lost consciousness, she felt something liquid hit her cheek.
'Warmth…' Was her last though before she slipped into unconsciousness.
Shikamaru's hands were lying limply on his thighs.
X-X-X-X-X
Hinata landed on top of the North gate, arriving beside Sakura. She looked down, seeing Kakashi, Kurenai, Shino, and Kiba standing down on the ground below, facing four strangers.
Four strangers, cloaked in black with red clouds embroidering their attire.
Hinata was nowhere near them, but she could feel their strength from here. She shivered involuntarily. 'Such strength…' She thought fearfully. 'Who are they?'
"Hinata-san…" Sakura said, never moving her gaze from the sight below. "They told us to remain here…"
"W-what?" Hinata stuttered. Was she serious? They were so strong. She could feel it. Shouldn't they help?
"As medical ninjas…" Sakura began. "They advised us to remain outside the battle." Hinata looked at her four comrades below.
"A-are you serious?" She asked in disbelief. "Th-those men are so strong… Shouldn't we help?" Sakura smirked.
"Of course we should." She said. "They obviously don't acknowledge how much we've grown, Hinata…" Sakura looked at Hinata with determination etched into her face. "Let's go.
"Let's show them… Let's show them how much we've grown."
X-X-X-X-X
Kakashi stood his ground, glaring at the new arrivals. 'Four of them?' He thought angrily. 'This couldn't get any worse…' (Apparently, Kakashi doesn't know about the little war going on at the East gate…) He clenched his fist as the staring contest continued. Kurenai's reaction seemed to be similar to his, while Kiba was blatantly showing his anger. Shino just stood there, keeping his usual cool.
"What are you doing here?" Kakashi asked. Itachi closed his eyes.
"You know very well why we're here, Kakashi-san." He said coolly. This only proceeded to piss Kakashi off even more.
"Leave." He replied. "As long as I live, you won't lay a hand on him."
"Tsk." Kakuzu grunted. "That can be arranged." He stepped forward. "I'll take care of you. You have quite the bounty on your head, Hatake Kakashi, or, should I say, Copy-Ninja Kakashi, elite Jonin of Konohagakure no Sato, age 29, birth date September 15, height 181 cm, weight 67.5 kg, bounty 10 million ryo."
Kakashi lifted his arm and grabbed his headband, revealing his Sharingan eye. "You've done your homework, haven't you? But it won't change anything." Kakuzu smirked under his mask.
"Very true." Came Kakuzu's voice from behind, startling Kakashi. Kakuzu swung his fist and sent Kakashi flying to the left. In a cloud of smoke, a log replaced Kakashi, and the real Kakashi leapt down from a nearby tree. Kakuzu smirked underneath his mask again. "I expected nothing less from you, Kakashi. But the games end now."
"Indeed." Kakashi agreed.
"Your head is too good an opportunity to pass up, Kakashi. I will kill you." With that Kakuzu dashed forward, attacking Kakashi. His blows were quick, and if it weren't for the Sharingan, Kakashi would be severely beaten by now. Even so, dodging his blows was becoming increasingly difficult. His speed made it impossible for Kakashi to counter attack. He decided to put some distance between him and Kakuzu, jumping away at the first available opportunity. Kakuzu smirked, as he used his speed to jump right after him, catching him in midair. Kakashi found himself unable to dodge. He briefly saw Kakuzu's skin color change from a pale indigo color to a pale green color. As Kakuzu appeared before him, he saw that his amazing speed had suddenly dropped, but he could sense an immense amount of chakra in the incoming punch.
'Damn! I can't dodge!' He braced himself for impact, but, suddenly, a large boulder smashed into the attacking Akatsuki member. Kakuzu was caught off-guard and faltered in his attack. A blur of black flew through the debris, heading straight for him. He moved too late, and his left arm was struck. His arm went limp, as he saw that his nervous system had been shut down in his left arm. He fell to the ground and jumped back, grabbing his arm.
'Damn it!' He thought angrily. The rubble cleared, and he saw two females in front of the group, one tending to Kakashi, the other facing him in a peculiar stance. He saw the white eyes and bulging veins, and instantly realized his tenketsu had been struck. He glared at the now-present Hyuga heiress.
"Are you okay, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura inquired, helping her teacher off the ground. Kakashi nodded.
"I'm fine." He said. "I thought Kurenai told you to not get involved?" He said sternly. Sakura just stared back just as sternly.
"I'm not gonna stay on the sidelines this time. I did before, and that only resulted in Sasuke-kun leaving and Naruto getting hurt." Kakashi saw the determined glint in her eye. "I won't let anymore of my friends get hurt because I didn't step in to help!" Kakashi stared.
"Heh." He said, closing his eyes. "You really have grown."
"Hinata-san and I are strong enough to fight. We'll be fine."
"Alright, then. 'Strength in numbers,' I guess…"
Hinata stood in front of the group, Byakugan active, Juken stance ready. 'I got his arm…' She thought, little bit of pride flowing through her. That feeling disappeared, though, when she saw the glare the man was giving her. She could feel his killing intent.
"You got hit by a girl?" Hidan directed at the pissed bounty hunter. "You're slipping, Kakuzu…"
"Shut up, Hidan!" Kakuzu spat in response. Damn that girl. That had hurt his pride, and she was going to pay for that. He clenched his fist and dashed at the Hyuga heiress. Hinata jumped at his sudden assault and was caught off-guard.
'He's attacking! I can't dodge, he's too fast!' She thought frantically. He was certainly going to kill her! There was no mistaking that killer intent. She closed her eyes and braced herself for the impact…
But it never came. Instead, she felt another killer intent, directed elsewhere this time, that made Kakuzu's feel like a poor insult. She opened her eyes.
Naruto stood there, shielding her, Kakuzu's fist clenched in his. He had stopped the attack. Hinata would have felt tempted to blush and think of Naruto as her knight in shining armor, if it weren't for his current appearance. His canines were elongated, as were his nails, and his whisker-marks were broader and more distinct. There was also an ominous red glow surrounding her savior. But what she noticed the most were his eyes.
They were no longer the blue she fell in love with. They were a deep blood red, with slit pupils, and none of the warmth she always saw in them. They were now cold and filled with hate and rage, directed at one person: Kakuzu.
Kakuzu himself was a little shocked at this turn of events. This kid was strong, he could feel it. And angry. Oh, yeah, he was really pissed. And this feeling. This feeling of foreboding, radiating from the boy. It frightened him a little. This was him. This was the Kyubi.
Naruto threw Kakuzu to the side roughly, trying to hurt him as much as possible. Naruto clenched his fists and turned to the bounty hunter as he was picking himself up. He shot him a glare that would make Tsunade falter. He clenched his fists even tighter.
"If you ever even touch Hinata-chan with your filthy hands…" He growled, words dripping with hate. "I'LL KILL YOU!"
A/N – Ah, another chapter completed. I feel so accomplished. Anyway, the action starts, and all Hell's about to break loose. I'm shivering with excitement!
Happy birthday to Ken-san! Otherwise known as kagehusha!
And happy birthday to me! My b-day was on Sunday, the 10th, and I'm now 16! WOO!
Happy birthday to anyone else who I didn't know had a b-day this month!
Anyway, the plot thickens, and the action begins. I had fun writing this chapter. I had the Final Fantasy X boss battle theme playing, and it fit really well. But that's just me being a loser… (sigh) Anyway, the whole scene with Shikamaru and Temari, I know they were a little OOC, but it was a very dramatic experience. I'd think I'd crack if one of my best friends died, and I felt responsible. Anyway, I hope they weren't too OOC…
And Neji. Damn, that sucks. But before all of you guys start hating me for making Neji blind, don't worry; it's not permanent. Tenten will be able to see those pearly white eyes again. So no hard feelings, okay, Neji?
Well, there's other stuff I could talk about, but I wanna read some Bleach. I got into it recently, and it's pretty badass. But Naruto is still my fave! NARUHINA ROCKS!
Laterz!
And again, happy birthday Ken-san!
