Chapter 10: The Awakening
The formidable stone temple rose high from the ground. Dark shadows crept on the edges of its ancient walls as the sun slowly began its decent towards the horizon. It had been decades since any mundane life threaded the grounds around where the old structure stood. Even the animals of the forest beyond it kept their distance from the four walls. It stood completely desolate for years without any maintenance but yet the marble floors hadn't collected any dust.
The inner walls were carved with pictures that told the stories of the island's antiquity. Aligned at even intervals were metal candle holders with white sticks of wax protruding out, yellow-orange flames danced at the tips of their hair. In the center of the temple rested a large stone encasing, too big for a single well-built person to move on their own. The size was too wide and too long to hold something normal such as a person or even a large animal.
But the two people inside of the temple didn't seem phased by this or even seemed to care. They stood next to the abnormally large encasing where a perfectly drawn 'x' lay. One of the men, his face hidden away by a mask, was kneeling down by the 'x'. His hands clasped together as if he were praying and he was mumbling words too fast to understand, under his breath.
Smoke began to rise from the legs of the 'x' and a circle started to form around the drawn letter. It rose around the strange symbols on the ground and yellow chakra began to emit from the ends of the 'x' until it spread and connected itself with the circle of smoke.
Without warning, the body of a man emitted out of the chakra and smoke. He was thin with a sickly gray color in his hollow cheeks and skin.
The other cloaked figure stepped back and wiped a nervous sweat from his brow. The masked man stood and stared down at the body that had just arrived, "it's time to begin, Inoichi."
The body didn't move for a few seconds but then it slowly rose and on the man's face was a mad look, a blood lust. He laughed and it sent a shiver down the boy's spine.
"Prince Kazuhiko, please move on," Madara Uchiha said.
Kazuhiko looked from Inoichi to the large box in the center, he nodded weakly. Without further orders the two men stepped out of his way and the boy went on to draw a pentagram on the marble floor. After a few minutes from the lack of progress, Inoichi stepped towards him. "Aren't you done yet?"
The kneeling boy kept his eyes on his shaking hands, "it's the floor. The marble isn't exactly helping to draw the pentagram."
"So well then skip it! Is it that hard to draw a circle and a-"
"Kiyoshi, silence yourself," Madara said in a neutral voice.
Inoichi clenched his fists at his side and turned back to the masked man, "the kid needs to hurry. Even I can smell this body decomposing," he said urgently. "If it can't even manage with just my soul, what's going to happen when Azukitogi inhabits it as well?"
The boy at work swallowed hard and tried to push the voices at the back of his head. "Without the pentagram we're not protected from Azukitogi-"
"Protected?!" Inoichi cried. "Is that what you're doing? Trying to protect us?" he took long strides until he was toppling over the prince. Up close, the smell of rotten meat wafted off him even stronger. His face had deep black holes under his eyes- probably from the lack of sleep- and they were wild. "Are you forgetting I'm about to become part of Azukitogi and you're trying to protect us?"
Inoichi began to trace back all the work Kazuhiko had done and began to erase it all, all while mumbling obscenities towards the young man.
Behind his mask, Madara frowned displeased. "You may skip the pentagram prince Kazuhiko, it's not needed."
"But during training-"
"Skip it."
The boy said nothing and attacked the marble again, this time with renewed urgency. Sweat dripped from his forehead and he pushed his hair back with a shaky hand. He sat back on his heels and let his breath come back to him before standing back up on his two feet. "It's done."
Kazuhiko had drawn a circle with two triangles facing away from each other. The triangle itself was inside a pentagon formed by five arrows. At each corner of the shape were ancient scripts and alien letters that not even Madara himself fully understood.
Kazuhiko loosened his sash and pulled out a blood-red scroll from inside his kimono and unrolled it across one edge of the circle and then he pulled out another and did the same to the other edge. He moved to where the two scrolls met and knelt again, this time with his eyes closed. His hands formed different hands signs, not your typical ones that one would learn in the Academy. They were fast and sharp. He clasped his hands together like a rock and then slammed them on the opened scrolls.
A sound like air being sucked from a tire began to surround them all, the outline of the circle suddenly began to let out jumping sparks of yellow light. Within the circle different runes began to glow red, like the color of the flames on the candle stick.
The ground began to shake with the stone encasing being the epicenter of it all. Kazuhiko was chanting more quickly now, his eyes squeezing tighter and tighter as his mouth moved faster. Madara didn't understand the language Kazuhiko was speaking, but he knew enough of the ancient tongue of the Island of Sakuraso to catch some parts: Azukitogi, I summon thee. From your long slumber. From your prison between the worlds. I summon thee.
The prince paced around the circle once and then stopped. Taking a shaky deep breath, he unpinned the small crystal ball that not only held his kimono and sash together but also the soul and power of a dark demon. As if it burned his hands, he threw it towards the marble box where it shattered, spilling black mist everywhere.
All of the lit candles around the room died out and they were left in darkness.
Naruto's nails dug deeper into the bark of the tree he was grabbing. The muscles in his knee felt like they were being pricked. Each cell behind the skin was being stabbed through with sharp needles. He bit down on his lip and got on his two feet.
Still gripping the tree, he stared in front of him. There was no way whatever was before him was Daisuke. The octopus figured thing moved around the body of water that supported it up, as if waiting for Naruto to come at it again.
He was down to two clones left in the forest which meant only two chances of using Sage Mode and he had to use them right. Getting rid of the lake was a stupid thought, he had to look for its weak spot. The thing had no eyes or ears, which meant it sensed him through his movement from the ground.
Naruto shifted and took a step forward and the monster quickly turned towards him. "Are you really that scared of me, Daisuke?" Another step to the left, "can't even come out and fight me yourself?"
One of the pointed tentacles slammed down at his feet, barely missing his foot. Four clones were at his side, two of which held a rasengan, the others grabbed at the tentacle and held it in place.
When both rasengans connected with its target, black water spit back at their faces. Without missing a beat the original Naruto jumped in with the last rasengan and the arm of the beast slung back into the stomach of the octopus figure.
One down, three to go.
He sprinted to the other side of the lake where the other arm was calling to him and quickly did the same. Now the black inked creature moved around with two short arms at its side. It slithered around the water, trying to get as close to the edge as possible and reach for Naruto but he stepped back.
Again the air started shaking and Naruto's head shot at every direction waiting for anything to jump at him. The monster's arms retreated back into its body, just like the ones Naruto had damaged, and for a second he thought it was over but he knew it was too soon for that.
He hadn't realized he had been holding his breath until the creature dipped into the water and then jumped out, this time with eight tentacles.
"W-what the hell..."
It let out a piercing scream and he fell to the ground clutching at his head and just like before, he was in the air again. His bad knee was grabbed and he could have sworn he heard the bones cracking.
His head was turned upward but his eyes were shut tight, he opened them and saw the one thing that he hadn't noticed before.
They were inside a dome.
"What are we going to do about her?" Kiba bounced his shoulder as Hinata's head started to fall. The warm breath at his neck sent a shiver down his spine and it was making it harder for him to concentrate. Hinata's blue hair blended with the wind and it almost seemed like Kiba was wearing a cape.
There was silence before anyone really answered. Naruto hadn't returned since they split up after the doppleganger attack, cutting their man power to just four. Which maybe it still seemed like a big number since they were ninjas, but no one knew who they were going up against.
Hinata was uncounsious again, down to three, four if you still counted Akamaru. It had only happened twice so far on the mission but it felt like more. He didn't want to complain, and he tried hard to keep the whine out of his voice, but it was difficult. He was worried for her and he was worried for all of them. As of then only Hinata's Byakugan could really sense whatever she was sensing before, not even his nose or even Akamaru's was picking up anything.
He sighed and tightened his grip on Hinata. Whatever she was seeing was probably the reason she passed out and that made him angry. Heat ran to his ears and his grip on the blue haired girl was getting stronger.
"Kiba, calm down. She'll be alright," Sakura said in his ear. He ignored the noise coming through the earpiece. He didn't care if she was going to be alright, he cared if she was going to get better right then. Hinata was strong, yeah of course, but he hated how only she could see whatever it was that was out there. It was all up to her and he couldn't help her and that angered him. Aren't I like a brother to her? Don't I have to look after her?
Her arm slumped down to her side, yeah. You're doing a great job of that now aren't you, Kiba?
Akamaru tensed up next to him, "what is it, boy?"
"Are we getting closer?"
"I think so, Akamaru's acting weird."
"When we get there, we'll have to leave Hinata outside the temple."
He felt a boulder fall into his stomach. "We can't have her inside. She'll just get in the way, Kiba." Kakashi's tone was matter-of-fact.
He nodded and didn't argue, he had to follow orders.
It thickened, the smoke did, and it crawled around and up the circle as if something caged it in. That's why Kazuhiko drew the pentagram, a weak one at least. He knew it wouldn't hold Azukitogi back for much, but it was better than having him roam around the temple- or even worst-outside of it.
Thick black claws walked around the circle, a disembodied red eye formed on the knuckle of one and blinked towards Madara and then shifted its gaze towards Kazuhiko. A smile formed, twisted and full of intent to kill. He threw straight towards the prince.
A plume of black smoke scaled up the invisible barrier that kept the chaotic mess that was happening inside the circle away from the three people; it spiraled upward, spreading and solidifying. Two red eyes loomed in the empty space of the thick smoke like a spider on its web.
And they were on the prince.
Can demons smile? Kazuhiko didn't know, but he could feel something coming off the demon that made him feel as if Azukitogi had done just that. He pushed the bile down his throat, if he threw up now it wouldn't help anyone, he already dragged himself this far, he had to pull through. For Megumi.
"Well, what are you waiting for? Are you just gonna stand there- go on!" Inoichi shouted. He was pacing the temple now. His hands were taped at his side and his fists were clenched into a tight rock, a shaking rock. He raised one of his trembling hands and rubbed the nape of his neck. Why was he doing it? Kiyoshi, why was he doing it?
Kazuhiko turned toward the trapped demon again, his hands raised out in front of him and his eyes closed. He couldn't stare at those red eyes any longer.
"Azukitogi-"
"Ah, I see..." the voice slithered down Kazuhiko's spine. "You are going to seal me away again."
He ignored the voice, "between your worlds and ours, we give you a vessel." He focused purple chakra at the balls of his hands. Sweat trickled down his forehead and he blinked it out of his eyes, okay. Breathe.
He sucked in his breath and pushed all that stored energy into one single point. The light at the base of his hand grew until Azukitogi was engulfed in all of it. There was a dim pulse at the bridge of his fingers, he did it.
All that training, even though he was doing it backwards, he did it.
He could control Azukitogi.
Inoichi stopped pacing and looked towards the prince, "he did it..." He glided a shaking hand through his hair. "No way. He did it."
"Kiyoshi, come."
Inoichi looked towards him, his eyes wide. He shook his head slowly and then dropped to his knees.
"No way... I didn't- I didn't think he would-"
"Quickly, I can't hold him for that long!" Kazuhiko shouted.
Inoichi looked down at his hands and laughed, "this is what I get for trying to runaway from my past." He hugged himself, his fingers digging deep into the skin of his elbows.
So that was it.
You should be long gone.
Me? Gone? This is my body you're using... And for reasons that you weren't even clear about yourself.
He ignored the him but how do you ignore the nagging voice at the back of your head? You know, Inoichi said. If you give in now and let me take over, I bet she would forgive you.
He scoffed, what do you know? You don't know anything, you didn't-
Oh, but you're wrong. I did. And I know everything because now I am you and you are me. You know everything I've felt in the past and everything I feel now, just like how I know everything about you.
If you knew then why didn't you try anything before, why now?
What could I do? I knew you would break down if the prince were to succeed at extracting Azukitogi's soul. It was all a matter of sitting and waiting for my chance.
But how were you sure?
I wasn't.
"Kiyoshi!"
He looked up at the masked man across him and then his eyes darted towards Kazuhiko and then back. But are you sure, Kiyoshi?
CRRRSH.
At least that's the sound Naruto's body made when it met the ground for what seemed like the sixth time that day. His back bounced back and then slammed back down, he bit down on his tongue and stifled the moan trying to escape.
They were inside a dome, okay so what?
So now you can finally beat whatever the hell that thing is!
He rolled to his right faster than he imagined possible as one of the tentacles came down on him again. He moved his arms and tried to get himself back up but his leg was making it difficult to move around.
"I have to end this now or I'm done for," he mumbled under his breath. "And then I have to get back to everyone else." His heart jumped, he had to get back to everybody else. They were going to need him.
Not if you're dead.
Biting down on his lip, he lifted himself and jumped back into the comforts of the forest before the second tentacle slammed on his head. His head bounced back as it hit hard against the trunk of one of the camellia trees. His mouth came open, and a terrible howl of anguish tumbled out of it that was quickly silenced by the piercing scream that came from the lake. It jumped to the black sphere above them and then pounded into Naruto's ears. He dug his hands at the side of his head and shoved himself in a bush, wishing the screaming would stop.
He didn't know whether it was a attack scream or maybe a defensive one or whether it was one of pain, but he had a feeling it was the latter. His head lifted only centimeters until the second shock wave of screams filled the dome again and sent his head back down by the force. His mouth was filled with dirt but he couldn't raise any part of his body, the weight of the screams was pushing him down like hands at the back of his neck.
Those weren't screams of attack, or even defense. They were screams of pain.
The balls of his palms were shoved deeper into his ears and he fought back against the pressure that was on his body until his head was high enough that he could see what was causing the octopus-like-monster so much agony.
The tentacle that had just barely scythed Naruto before he hit the tree trunk was stuck inside the roof of the black dome. But that wasn't what the young ninja was staring at, it was what what was happening to its tentacle.
The outer layer of its sleek skin was peeling away slowly and falling down into the lake until the whole thing was gone and along with the screaming. His hands fells from his head slowly and he looked up at where the sleek tentacle had been before. A crack.
A big enough crack that let in enough moonlight through the blemish of the system. It burned down on the black body of water below it and the creature was trying its hardest to stay away from the white ray of light.
That's it! He nearly laughed from hysteria. Wiping the blood that dripped into his eye, he steadily rose back up. It was a long shot and if he was wrong he'd be screwed, but if he didn't take the chance he'd be sitting there forever against a giant sushi roll.
The stunted light fell down from the unnatural ceiling and kissed down on the still water and flicked away as a bird flew over the dome. Naruto didn't know whether to find it amusing or nerve wrecking that every time the final attack happens, a hush falls over everything. The only thing he could hear, or more so- feel, was the thump-thumpa-thump inside his chest. He pushed down the sticky saliva in his throat and prayed for a miracle.
And then he was in the air before he could ask his clones if they were ready. He was weightless in the air and if it weren't for the situation and the giant rock in his stomach, he would have felt giddy. But feeling giddy was something he couldn't afford to think about, he could not make it close enough to shatter the dome, he could be struck down by the black creature, he could fall midway and land even closer to the monster he could-
The next thing that happened could have been missed if you blinked. Naruto took it all in as a series of snapshots, a string of still frames from a moving picture and his eyes were the cheap handheld camera.
SHOT 1: A screeching sound, but smooth. It's in his hands, a small pulse that's cool like a wind. It's growing.
SHOT 2: In the air, just barely. Everything around him a blur of faded colors and black. A lot of black.
SHOT 3: A side glance at the octopus-like-monster. It's rushing towards him regardless of the moonlight breaking through the barrier.
I'm not going to make it.
SHOT 4: The rasenshuriken growing in his hand until he has to push his hand away from him.
SHOT 5: The monsters raising his tentacle over its head.
SHOTS 6-10: More weightlessness, more colors out of focus. The cracked dome is only feet away, so is the monster's pointed tentacle.
SHOT 11: The final frame. The rasenshuriken touches the barrier. A sound like dropping glass, it's cracking like an egg-shell until it gives into the pressure and shatters.
The black shell that had once been over their heads roared and deteriorated and the black inked creature fell down on its weight. The shrill that had once filled the atmosphere before were back again and louder than ever.
But Naruto couldn't hear anything anymore. The world around him was mute and all he could focus on was the falling twinkles of white light around him that use to make up the dome. He was falling in star dust and the moon above him gleamed on him in approval of his work.
He was in the air for just a few seconds that were stretched out in miles in his eyes. He was falling for just milliseconds but time had stopped still. He was suspended in the air and was hovering just above the draining black water.
His eyes reflected back the bright moon's face, had it always been that big and bright? The smile on his face touched the corners of his cheeks as time returned back to its normal pace and he fell with the grace only Naruto Uzumaki had into the now crystal blue water.
Kiba knelt down, lying Hinata gently up-right on a tree, and took off his jacket and put it behind her head. As he drew his hand back, he barely grazed her cheek and felt the heat coming off her. She was burning up. "Kakashi-sensei, are you sure we can leave her alone?"
The masked ninja didn't look at him, but kept his eyes on the temple only feet away from where they were standing. "We have to, Kiba. We're down now three people, I can't afford to lose you and Akamaru too."
"I can't just leave her alone like this here, she's my teammate. You can't just leave your friend-"
"I know, but we're wasting time we have to get going," Kakashi let out a sigh. "This isn't something we can debate, Kiba. As a shinobi-"
"Screw being a shinobi if it means leaving your friends behind when they need your help!" his eyes were serious. There was desperation and persistence behind them. It was obvious he wasn't going to be giving in. And he looked a lot like Obito, they had the same eyes. Kakashi looked away.
"Kiba... I want to be here for Hinata just as much as you do but-"
"Leave a clone with her, let's go we're wasting time."
Kiba nodded and did the hand signs to summon a clone, "you stay here with her. Don't leave her... protect her, got it?" he told him after Kakashi and Sakura went ahead. He nodded, "you got it."
"Kiba, lets go!" Sakura called for him.
He looked towards Hinata one more time, something told him to stay. But he was a shinobi, and this was all he could as far as it came to protecting her. "I'm sorry," he whispered to her and then he left, running with Akamaru by his side, to Sakura and Kakashi.
Inoichi's hands were still at his side, the shaking had gone away. "Kiyoshi," Madara called again. "This isn't the time to be fooling around."
He nodded and stood back up. This won't erase the mistakes you've done, Kiyoshi.
He nodded again, another step forward. Don't do it.
Two more steps. And then another, more steps until finally, he was in front of Azukitogi and Kazuhiko. His breath was chained to his lungs and it weighed down like lead. There was a sick heavy feeling in his stomach like someone had dropped hot coals into it. This was it.
Azukitogi stopped moving in the invisible box he was held in, everything around him seemed to have gone still. Even the flames, who had been moving wildly before, had frozen in time. The red orbs that hovered in the black mist turned a darker shade. "She's here," he said. His voice was low and raspy. But he had no mouth where the words could have come from. But the voice was around them all. "The Hyuga."
Author's Note: I know there might be some questions left unanswered in this chapter and i also know just how late this chapter is but it's been really hard to update but i'll try to update more frequently. A lot of things may seem like i'm throwing it just out there, especially since the gaps of me updating are very wide and you might have forgotten some things that happened before in the story. But everything is going to start tying in now and the puzzle pieces are about to start fitting! I guess i should also add that after this chapter i'm going to deviate very far from the original plot that Kishimoto has laid out. I'm going to be taking a different spin with these characters and probably won't be following the original plot of the manga. Thank you for putting up with the unexpected hiatus i had before, i hadn't been feeling very well mentally and was really doubting myself writing wise and other things. But i'm back and will be trying to update sooner! And thank you to all the people who review, it means a lot. Even if you follow and favorite thank you so much ^-^
