Something brightened my day :D Got a review from this guy named McCabeRz. Let me say something LMFAO! His entire argument was stupid and baseless (made assumptions on false statements in the text), and sounded like a lame attempt at trying to sound smart. Although, it was REALLY ENTERTAINING! Holy crap! Like, look it up! Seriously! YOU'LL DIE! It's on the reviews page of chapter eleven!
XD
I'm only making fun of him because I gave an extremely calm reply as a response and he didn't respond back... (it says on his profile that he doesn't respond back to PMS... wow...)
Let me make this clear; since Naruto can't use the Kyuubi's chakra, he can't regenerate. Sad, I know. Plus let me say another thing, I took his eye and I'm not going to give it back, but don't you think I'll let him see in other ways? Seriously... have a little faith. I think you're going to like some moments in this chapter.
This is the start of the part of the story where it gets really fucking fun.
Chapter Twelve: The Setup
(Seven years ago)
A young blonde boy sat in a library, streams of liquid streaming down his face as he buried his face in a book. He just wept silently, not disrupting the vast calm of the never ending bookcases and human-void tables.
"Darn it..." He whispered, trying to wipe away the tears. "Can't focus..." He rubbed his temples as he closed his book, giving a sigh as he planted his face on the rough, hard wood.
"Hey there..." He felt a hand on his shoulder. Instinctively, the boy jolted upright, fumbling over himself.
"S-sorry!" He yelped, landing on his butt. Standing above him was a lithe, brown-haired girl, who was quirking her head curiously at the blonde.
"What's wrong?" She spoke, softly yet firmly.
"H-huh?" the whiskered boy wiped his face, sniffing as he looked away. "I mean, sorry. I'll be leaving now." His hand made way for the book on the desk. "I'll put this back."
She grabbed his hand, eying him firmly. "I've seen you before..." She spoke, tapping her chin. "You always come here everyday, from six to ten. You bury yourself in your books, and then you leave... like clockwork." the teen crossed her arms as she studied him. "Yet, you're here at eleven A.M. and you're crying. Why?"
The youth looked down, sighing. "It doesn't matter. You wouldn't care anyways."
"I've got plenty of time." A small smile graced her features as she pulled out one of the chairs.
"Huh?" He spoke, shocked.
"Sit down." She patted a seat next to him.
"Who are you?" His eyes narrowed as he stepped back. In response, the girl... giggled?
"Name's Yuna!" Her smile had blossomed to a grin.
Naruto blinked for a few seconds before opening his mouth. "Name's Na-"
"Oh, I know who are, Naruto-kun." She waved it off nonchalantly. "You often leave your ID at the checkout counter from time to time." Patting the desk beside her, she directed an expectant look at the boy. Blushing, the blonde boy walked and sat right next to her.
"So... what happened?"
The blue-eyed youth bit his lip, his heart beat racing as he clenched his fists. At first he was going to tell the lady to go away, but at her expectant look he gushed. "I was sitting by a tree at the park, reading a science book.." He trailed off.
"Then what?"
"I... I was just minding my own business and then these kids playing at the park threw their ball at my head. They started calling me 'nerd'... 'weirdo'..."
The girl listened intently, nodding and gesturing for him to continue on.
"Then the big guy, the leader I guess, started making comments at me. He started poking me, and his buddies started to gather around me... and then..."
He grit his teeth, tears returning. "I tackled him, and then I punched him..." He shook his head and outright sobbed.
The teen started to pat him on the back. "That's n-"
"Then I did it again... and again... he started bleeding and I did it again." He looked up at her. "I didn't stop until he was black and blue. All his friends just stared at me... and then they ran, calling me..." He trailed off, sobbing again.
"Calling you what, Naruto-kun?" Naruto looked at her in disbelief. She just stared back with brown eyes that held nothing but caring and understanding.
"A... demon." he hung his head low, his blonde locks shadowing his eyes. "I guess they're right. I mean, I just socked that guy in the face, again and again... and I liked it. No," he grabbed his face in horror. "I loved it."
The brunette patted him on the back. "You're not a demon..."
Naruto pulled away from her like her touch was acid, just staring at her in disbelief, tears drying.
"You're..." she spoke softly. "Human."
"Huh?" The youth replied, again.
"You sure do love that word." She giggled. "If I were you, I would have socked him in the face too."
"You're saying I needed to beat him up?" The blonde was appalled.
"No, no!" She waved her hands in front of her face. "I'm saying I understand. It wasn't right, but I understand. Many people would have done the same thing..." She paused, just staring at the boy's blue eyes. "Plus, from your reaction, those kid do that often don't they?"
Naruto nodded slowly.
"You wanna know why?" She smiled, ruffling his hair. At the boy's nod she continued. "Because they're jealous..." Her hand slid down, cupping the boy's chin. "Jealous that you're so much smarter than them, so much more capable than them. They can't understand you so they try to make themselves feel better by taking jabs at you, thinking that if they make you feel small, that it'll make them feel better." The blonde couldn't sense any evidence of hatred, anger, disgust within her words, leaving him, once again, in a state of shock.
"Why do you care?" He replied rudely and shoving her hand away.
"Because... I've seen many people in my few years here." Her voice grew soft. "But I haven't seen anyone like you." Her voice began to gain volume. "You walk through the world, your eyes full of life, trying to understand everything. I've never seen a child so intellectually curious, so driven. I've also never seen a seven year old studying electrical fields before." She said flippantly. "So in summation, you're extremely interesting, bright, and cheerful. So I guess, I just want to help you out."
Naruto stared at the girl, picking her apart like he was dissecting a frog. At first the girl thought he was going to storm out, but then he shrugged his shoulders, looking up at her with a look of longing.
"I..." he began, a thin smile spreading across his features. "I'd like that."
(Present)
"Embrace..." A voice, a resonating whisper of power, spoke, blasting Naruto's eye open. "You must..."
The blonde hissed as beating winds whipped against his blue orb. His entire form ached with a strange acid that flowed through his veins, and he almost gagged as a wave of nausea washed over him. "The hell..." He heard the wind beating against his ears, almost blocking the sounds of explosions and shouts. "Why... why am I dreaming again."
"Naruto!" The voice was a lasso, bringing the blonde back to reality as his senses sharpened and his mind raced.
"W-wha?" Shaking his head, the enigma reacquainting himself with his surroundings, blood running cold. Sasuke was carrying him on his back, sweating and panting like a dog as he raced through the trees. "I..." Naruto gasped. "I fell asleep."
"Yeah, dumbass!" Sasuke roared. "Knocked yourself out because of another chakra spasm!" The Uchiha's irritation was more directed at their situation than the blonde's action.
"How close is she?" Naruto asked.
"Too close!" The smells of embers filled the blonde's nose, becoming more and more apparent by the seconds. "Almost skewered you a few times."
"Indeed." Sasuke froze as he came to face to face with the blonde Jonin, who was hanging upside down from a branch perched above their own. "I have to say, I'm impressed. You bunch are the most talented Genin I've seen." she chuckled again, sending shivers down the youths. "Too bad I-"
Naruto disappeared from Sasuke's back, reappearing with his fist barreling towards Jonin's face. However, the woman anticipated it, a grin across her visage as her nails extended, cutting through the boy like tissue paper.
*Poof* Immediately the blonde exploded in a burst of smoke.
"Fool me once, shame on me!" They turned their heads to the side, eyes widening at the airborne blonde who was cocking his fist back. "Fool me twice!" His entire arm hummed with a blue aura. "Fuck you!" He thrust his palm forth, raging winds erupting like a volcano.
*Boom*
The explosion echoed throughout the forest, causing the earth to tremble as a miasma of dust lingered in the air.
Sasuke blinked, as he watched the thunderous blast from afar, somehow saved from its wrath.
"Now..." He felt himself hefted up on a familiar back. "Let me take over!" He saw the blonde grin triumphantly as he took off in a burst of wind.
The Uchiha licked his lips, shocked at the blonde's recovery.
"H-how did you do that?" At first he thought his words were lost against the winds that raced past them, but the blonde chuckled.
"I adapt quickly..." He glanced at the Uchiha momentarily as he kicked off the air into the higher branches of the trees. "Now shut up and rest! We need to think of a plan."
However, mid-flight, he heard a feminine chuckle.
"Nice try there."
He kicked to the side, blasting off an invisible platform as a pair of claws shimmered past him. Flipping, he landed firmly on a branch, glaring at the cat woman who nonchalantly yawned opposite from him, admiring her claws on a branch of her own. Although he didn't show it, Naruto was cursing at Yugito's unscathed state.
"What'cha doing there blondie?" She directed a wry smile at him.
"Che, I think you know." Naruto spat back.
"Really? I don't think I know."
"Oh, I know you know."
The wry smile blew into one of playful bliss as she tapped her foot. "I don't know what you think I know."
"Then what do you know?" He bit back.
"That you're going to be dead soon."
"Depends on what you're definition of 'soon' is."
The girl chuckled, tapping her foot on the ground as she crossed her arms. "You're stalling."
Naruto kept quiet and stared forth, making a plan as he tapped the Uchiha's leg.
Sasuke immediately knew it was Morse code, tapping back and communicating with the blonde while Naruto stared back at Yugito.
"Because I find your pain amusing." She quipped, crouching low like a lion.
The blonde scoffed. "Well aren't you a sadist?"
Before he could blink, Yugito was at his side. "When'd you get the clue?" She whispered, stabbing through the Uchiha, who disappeared in a plume of smoke. "Nice switch by the way, didn't even know when it happened."
The blonde shook his head, defiantly staring back, blue eyes radiating with an aura of defiance. "Shut up." He fingered his weapon's holster.
She quirked her head. "Oh?"
He snorted. "Your voice is fucking annoying." At this the Jonin lunged forward slashing her claw forth. Displaying astounding reflex, the blonde slid down, positioning himself under the flying lioness, pulling out a kunai and slashing upward. It hit a mere apparition as the Jonin phased out of existence, appearing with her claws poised at Naruto's back.
Sasuke reappeared with his Kunai poised at the woman's back, causing her to freeze mid-strike.
"Impressive." She murmured. "I might actually have to put in some effort."
Sasuke's Sharingan blazed. "You're the one at knife point."
"Because I let you."
Although the Uchiha could see, he could not keep up as the Jonin's claw sliced through his kunai like it was butter and she planted her foot in his gut. Blasted back, the Uchiha was rammed into the tree, gasping for air as his teammate slashed at Yugito's legs. The Jonin jumped up, dodging his strike as she slashed down. Bending forward, Naruto narrowly avoid the claws as they clipped the hairs on his neck, nearly slicing off his head.
They both rolled away, bouncing up and staring each other down.
"How you holding up?" Naruto asked, still staring at his opponent. Sasuke coughed from behind him.
"She has a mean kick. Shattered a few of my ribs." Naruto clenched his jaw, this was going nowhere, fast.
Yugito's eyes were narrowed. "How?"
"What?" Naruto replied.
"I just stabbed out your eye, yet you're fighting so relaxed and fluidly. No loss of balance, time, rhythm, reflex..." She quirked her head. "I've honestly never seen that."
Naruto shrugged. "My brain captures, analyzes, and synthesizes information several times faster the normal human mind. I adapt to any situation, whether I want to or not." He twirled his Kunai, which glimmered in the afternoon sun. "Now are we going to talk or dance?"
"Dance? Why, I don't have a dress!" She feigned a look of horror, her eyes fluttering wildly.
"Funny." He growled before glancing at Sasuke. "Run. I'll hold her off." he whispered.
The Uchiha just stared back at the blonde. This went completely against the plan. However, at that moment, he realized that he would do more harm than good at this point. Although it burned ever fiber of his being, he nodded. "...fine..."
He dashed off.
"Pretty bold move you made there." She chuckled. "Heroic actually."
"Save it." Naruto growled, the sunlight shining forth on the marred flesh of his left eye. "Stop it with that tough-girl bullshit."
"Excuse me? What do you know about me?" She replied testily.
"Oh, want me to break it down? Fine." Naruto replied, a peculiar gleam of mischief within his orb. "You're probably orphaned, most likely abandoned by one of your parent, and raised by a single dad if you're straightforward syntax and blunt vocabulary are any indication." The first statement caused the girl's anger to slowly morph into surprise.
"I know that you've been training your entire life since the age of three, judging from your profile." He chuckled, a certain mirth becoming evident from the attention. "It's an impressively extensive mission record, not to mention flawless, but I'm getting ahead of myself. Nii is probably not your last name, Nii means two and you're the holder of the two tails. Too much of a coincidence."
He continued, enjoying her ever-widening eyes. "Then there's that classic farmers tan," he gestured to the rolled up sleeve that showed her contrasting skin. "I know you aren't a farm girl and you certainly don't sunbathe; you take every chance you get to travel away from the village and its abusive villagers, although that is understandable given your Jinchuuriki status. You remain loyal to the village through the abuse however as you proudly wear a cloud on your clothes, this stemming from your respect for your superiors and their treatment of you instead of the village, correct?"
Yugito's mind was racing, gears turning at the surreal deductions and accurate claims. "How are y-"
"Face it!" Naruto directed an accusatory finger at her. "You're just a frightened little kitten who has to take shit from everyone around her and takes it out on enemy ninja. It gives you a certain satisfaction of power that you don't have in your village. It gives you that temporary high because you feel in complete control, playing with other people's lives, when in reality you're a simple house pet that has to obey its owner."
The Jonin, red faced and fuming, stared at the orange-clad boy for a few moments, her mouth opening and closing before it contorted into contempt. Her heart raced at the Genin's defamation. She had never been so humiliated in her life. A Genin had literally just deduced her entire life's story while analyzing her psyche. She, the proud prodigy of Kumo, felt vulnerable, felt exposed, and felt sadness clutch her heart as a looming force weighed down on her body. However, despite the weight, she steeled herself, snarling. "I could slit your throat right now."
"Oh!" Naruto had the smuggest grin plastered on his face. "Hit a cord did I?"
The Jonin was before him, claw at his throat. "I want to see your face when I rip out your throat."
"I doubt that you'll do that." He chuckled as her face edged dangerously close to his. "Because you're trembling."
"Because I'm excited to kill you." She snapped.
"No, because I made you feel small." Despite his close proximity, the the girl was unable to grasp the boy as he appeared behind her, faced away without a care in the world. "And now you're terrified at the consequences of toying with me for so long." The blonde fixated his eye on her, his grin so wide it hurt. "Wanna see the results, Neko-chan?"
She lunged at him, horror striking her face as he caught her arms before her claws could descend down upon him. The very force of the attack caused the entire branch to groan in protest; however, the blonde merely yawned.
"Feeling slow?" He mocked.
Realization suddenly dawned upon the girl's face as the branch below them cracked before abruptly breaking. She hit the earth, her feet buckling under an immense pressure as she collapsed on her knees, unable to stand. Mere moments after, she heard a sharp *Snap* as the tree tumbled down to the ground, opposite of her direction.
Suddenly, she heard the blonde chuckle again. Straining her eyes to face his comfortably upright form, rage boiled her blood at his smug-stained expression.
"Looks like you put on a few pounds there, Neko-chan." He spoke.
"What did you do?" Although it was question, it sounded like an accusation.
"You were leagues above me, so I simply brought you down to my level. And now, you're sinking further and further down." He walked around her, as if taking a stroll through a park.
"Quit it with the metaphor and talk!" She yelped, the pressure on her frame steadily intensifying, flattening the grass around her.
"Your first mistake was basing my preparation off of my teammate's reaction."
Yugito's eyes widened. "You told your comrade a false plan to fool me?" Despite her focused gaze, she willed her chakra to react, calling the demon within her.
"Exactly."
"I thought Konoha hammered teamwork into their Genin." She continued prodding, but her chakra refused to respond, raging within her and straining her coils.
"Which is why it was perfect." Naruto finished firmly, before flippantly continuing on. "So while you were basking in your arrogance, I decided to cut you down at your core, expose you to yourself, and leave you disgusted at your weakness. It was honestly disturbing to see how it affected you. Doesn't help that it was a blonde-midget who pointed it out. But I digress..." He shrugged nonchalantly. "Because you were overwhelmed with emotion and focused on me, you didn't realize I had summoned clones at the base of the tree."
The woman noticed that the entire ground was layered with intricate, ever weaving ink. Realization dawned on her visage. "You had them plant-"
"Gravity seals. Yes, as well as chakra disruption seals."
"H-h-"
"My body is already accustomed to operating at ten time's the earth's gravitational field." Naruto quipped while he continued circling her like a tiger stalking its prey. "And I'm interested to see how said intensifying field affects your body. I mean, it would be quite a sight to see a human body implode."
Yugito, for once in her entire time out on the field, felt truly scared.
"As we speak we're at three times normal gravity." The air shifted as Yugito felt an invisible hand dig into her back. Biting back a cry, the girl was smashed head first into the ground, form sprawling out. "Now four..." The blonde walked casually, twirling the Kunai while whistling a merry tune.
Yugito wasn't even focused on his voice, still reeling from the blow and the continuous crushing pain. Barely breathing, the woman willed all her strength to look at the boy's single functioning orb. Her blood ran cold at the sight: its color was inconsistent, oscillating between a deep cerulean blue and a blood-stained red, both glowing with a bone-chilling miasma of chakra.
"How...?" She whispered, but stopped her thought process as the invisible palm crashed into her back again. She could feel her organs rupturing as cracks blossomed in the earth around her.
"Now five!" Naruto laughed.
"Stop!" She cried, feeling her entire body fail. "Please!"
Instead of feeling sympathy, the blonde snorted in disgust. "How cliche. A villain pleading for help at their final moments."
Despite the pain, the woman bared her fangs. "What do you want me to do?" She barked, albeit weakly. "Cry!?" In response, the Genin walked forward, crouching down and cupping her chin. His red-orb boiled with a cool rage.
"No Yugito, I want you to die."
She froze, jaw agape as the blonde simply stood up and and walked away. Though she didn't know it, the blonde was more than satisfied, and was disgusted at the thought of watching her slowly implode.
"You're just going to leave. You're not going to say anything else!" The next words drove the nails into her coffin.
The blonde froze, giving her a momentary glance. "Who's the idiot now?"
Like clockwork, the moment the words left his lips, the invisible force drove her further into the ground.
"Six." The blonde voiced coolly, resuming his trek.
Her entire body-her organs, her bones- began to cry, searing with an unbearable pain as the life was squished out of her. All she could do was despair as tears streamed down her cheeks. She had let her arrogance get the best of her, let it blind her, and a Genin had taken advantage of it. It was hilarious, her village would sneer at her weakness. None of her accomplishments, her achievements, would ever overshadow this disgrace.
She was going to die. She was going to be a blood-stained smear on the floor. Utterly horrified, the woman tore up her pride.
"I'm sorry!" She pleaded, rivers gushing down her cheeks.
Naruto stopped mid-step, and like a shimmer of hope the gravity began to loosen, giving berth to her breath.
Yugtio could still win.
However, the one-eyed boy's voice was deathly cold. "Eight." The gravity roared, crushing the life out of her.
Despite the agony, her mind kept on racing for a way out. "I can..." She gagged, spewing blood as her ribs punctured her lungs. "Give you information."
The gravity loosened once again, continuing to ease as the life ebbed back into the Jonin. Interest piqued, the blonde turned on his heel, walking towards her.
Yes, she still had a chance.
His expression remained stone cold as he stared her down. "Why are you here?"
"My client, Sokatoma Sets-" Naruto put a finger to her lip, eye widening ever so slightly.
"Did you say, Sokatoma?"
The woman nodded, desperately trying to mold her chakra again. Although it was chaotic and raging, it could be done. She just needed time.
"Hmmm..." The blonde tapped his chin for a few moments, causing the woman to grin inwardly. "Was she also investigating for treasure on the island?"
"Yes, yes she was." She nodded, her chakra slowly trudging to her arm.
"Interesting..." The blonde furrowed his eyebrows. "Have you found anything of value?"
"No, we haven't investigated the village yet."
"Then we're done here." He stood up and began to dust himself off.
Yugito felt her heart sink as her entire body trembled, sweating as her chance at victory slipped from her grasp. However, before the gravity began anew tears streamed down her cheeks as she grabbed the boy's ankles.
"Please... spare me." The boy glared at her hand.
"What did I say about touching me?"
He decked her in the face.
"Urgh!" The woman grunted but held on to his ankle. "I understand why you want to kill me! I made your life hell! I took your eye, but I changed."
Naruto glare intensified. He kicked off her hand and crouched down, staring her in the eye. "You're a horrible liar."
"You're right..." The Jonin coughed up more blood, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I'm just scared." She hiccuped. "I don't want to die."
As the tears glistened down her cheeks, Naruto's will began to break. He saw a defenseless girl who had just had her entire ego, her entire world shattered. Although he could feel his entire being scream in protest, he hesitated.
Gritting his teeth, the blonde's mind raced as looked to the side. "Give me one good reason why I should help you?"
The woman chuckled as the flow of tears ceased. "I don't need to." Her claws extended before the blonde could even blink, piercing his gut and erupting out his back. He could only stare in shock as the woman continued ramming both of her claws through his stomach, stopping once they were finger deep. Ironically, he had felt no pain at first. However, the woman grunted, slowly standing up with the vanishing gravity as she gutted him up in the air.
He tried to speak, but only tasted the metallic taste of blood as it dripped down his chin. As his senses focused, his body registered the sensation, giving way to a blazing, sharp agony that swelled through his very core, blinding him as he vomited blood over Yugito's arms.
"The tough guy always goes soft when the cute girl cries." In morbid fascination, she turned her hands at an angle. A sickening squelch was heard as the blonde's face turned red, veins bulging out as he wheezed. "Any last words, whisker-san?"
Naruto fixated his eye on her, rage so hot that it could ignite a sun. He gurgled for a bit before spewing a heap of blood onto her face.
"You're ugly."
To be continued...
Yeah another cliffhanger, next chapter will conclude the struggle against Yugito, and it'll also bring some starting revelations. And I mean some startling revelations.
Seriously, your mind will be like O_O
DID HE JUST FUCKING DID THAT!?
Anyways...
As always PLEASE REVIEW!
Storm Out