WARNING: since people are not happy about the inclusion of the characters of Yet Again at the end of the chapter, and in the next, I suggest skipping the last POV and chapter fourteen if you don't like them. The Author's Notes in at the end of the fourteenth chapter contain a summary of what happened. But if you do like them...
Finally, here is the new chapter! Enjoy it a lot!
Special thanks to Third Fang, ABitterPill, and Alpha142, for betaing this story. Especially thank you Third Fang, for allowing me to borrow some special characters at the end...
Traveler/Original Naruto: Kazama Arashi.
Pupeteer Naruto: Chibaku Arashi.
Werefox/Hybrid Naruto: Kitsune Arashi.
Deceiver/Original Madara: Tsukiyomi.
Destroyer/Rinnegan Madara: Susanoo.
Warrior/Collector Madara: Amaterasu.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. And I don't own some of the OCs at the end...
Chapter Thirteen: Asking For Troubles
Kitsune was in a dark cave. The walls were leaking water, and a red smoke was burning his lungs.
In front of him was a large cage made of stony pillars and covered with complex seals. On the center of the structure was a large lock with a sheet of paper on it, keeping the voices imprisoned. Behind… three pair of eyes were staring at the boy, each radiating with malevolence, sadism and cruelty.
"You have finally come, vessel," a three-tailed white fox declared with a monotone voice. He was wearing a blue, expressionless mask. "We were waiting for you." He seemed polite... but Kitsune knew it was only an illusion. Under this apparent civility, there was only a heart of stone.
"You have broken the deal," another three-tailed fox, gray this time, added with a falsely happy tone. He was wearing a yellow mask, looking like a smirking human face.
"YOU LITTLE PIECE OF SHIT!" The last three-tailed fox roared madly. He was black, with a red, demon-like mask. "YOU DARE TO BETRAY US!"
"I didn't do anything!" Kitsune protested. The voices had gone silent after the beating Amaterasu had given him, and he had foolishly hoped they had vanished forever...
"LIAR!" The black one shouted, and a powerful headache made Kitsune fall helplessly on his back. The white fox stayed motionless, while the gray one seemed to delight in his vessel's suffering.
"You have allowed an impure being to help you, while you promised us your eternal devotion and fidelity in exchange for our power. You were already close to breaking our deal, when you joined this Arashi Clan, but now, you took this fish with you…"
"YOU MUST LOVE ONLY US!" The black one shouted. "ONLY WE ARE REAL! WE GAVE YOU THE POWER, THE FEAR AND THE REVENGE YOU CRAVED SO MUCH! AND YOU DISCARDED US!"
"Do you have any idea of how powerful we are?" the white one declared emotionlessly, while it stared at Kitsune as if he was some kind of vermin. "We have no beginning, and we have no end. We are the three faces of a demon… the expression of your madness, and the embodiment of your will." It looked at his black brother.
"The Rage."
It stared at his gray self.
"The Selfishness."
It touched its torso.
"The Pride."
"Together, we have shattered mountains," the Pride continued. "We have burned forests, vaporized seas, unleashed tsunami, and brought down empires. In your insanity and isolation, you split us and infected us with your insanity and inner desires, making us stronger, more intelligent, and given us individuality, a goal and a purpose. We have become one, and we have cohabited in perfect harmony. We have roared with you, and killed with you."
"We have offered you a chance to join us, to become one of the faces, an aspect of the Kyuubi," the Selfishness declared. "We offered you power, revenge and company, in exchange for freedom and feelings. You were supposed to love us, and only us, to rely on us, and only us, to fight with us, and only us. And yet… you betrayed us for mere humans."
"YOU ABANDONED US!" The Rage roared. "YOU AND THIS FISH CONTAIN US HERE! WE ARE NOT AS FREE AS WE WERE! THE WORLD HASN'T BURNED YET! THIS IS INTOLERABLE! YOU WILL NOT BACK-STAB US!"
"And why not?" Kitsune declared as he rose up, determined to stand courageously before his eternal tormentors. "You betrayed me first! You forced me to kill innocent people!"
"There is no such thing as an innocent," the Pride replied with a smug tone that could put a human noble to shame. "Only different degrees of guilt. All sinners must be punished. Punishment brings fear, and fear always brings control."
"You were jealous of them," the Selfishness declared with an insidious voice. "You wanted to torture them!"
"It's wrong!" The demon vessel shouted, crying as the headache returned. He put his hands on his temples, but the voices didn't stop.
"IT'S TRUE!" The Rage roared. "YOU BEGGED US TO PUNISH THEM! YOU HATED THOSE KIDS, FOR HAVING WHAT YOU DIDN'T HAVE! YOU HATED THE HOKAGE FOR DEFENDING THE HYUUGA! YOU HATED EVERYTHING, AND YOU CRAVED FOR AIMLESS DESTRUCTION!"
"You are a part of us," the Selfishness quickly added. "Your desires were and still are the same as our own. You created us, and you haven't destroyed us. Even if you refuse to admit it, subconsciously, you still need us. You are still one piece of the puzzle."
"You are simply another face of a greater being, vessel," the Pride continued, "and we will not allow the rebellion of one aspect. You will become one with us once again, and give the world the suffering it deserves. Our tyranny shall be renowned, and the humans will cower in fear before us, as they have done before."
Kitsune glared at them. "Never! I won't let you control me again! I won't let you hurt my friends!"
The three snorted. "You can't compete with us," the Selfishness sneered. "We are you. We are the real you."
"WE ARE ALL-POWERFUL!" The Rage screamed. "WE WILL DESTROY WHAT YOU HOLD DEAR, THE WORLD, AND EVERYTHING THAT IS NOT US!"
"As long as we exist, we are not powerless," the Pride finished, as the cave began to be filled with light. "As long as there will be desires inside of your heart… we will control you. As long as your mind will stay shattered… we will live on."
And Kitsune brutally awakened, as someone threw a whole bucket of cold water on his face. Shocked and disoriented, the boy ended up locking eyes with his aggressor.
Zabuza had one hell of a scary, sadistic gaze.
"Good morning, little fish," he said with joyful glee. "It is time to begin your training…" Kitsune simply cringed, briefly hesitating between running away and obeying.
Not that the older swordsman left him any chance.
The Gatherer
"WHY DID YOU SUMMON US!" The Rage screamed with a crazed voice. "WE WERE ABOUT TO GIVE THE LAST ASPECT A LESSON HE SO DEEPLY DESERVES!"
"Antagonizing your vessel is harmful in the long term to all of us," the Kyuubi replied calmly from behind his cage. "You are not on a position of force yet."
"WAITING IS FOR THE WEAK!" The Rage shouted. "HE MUST SCREAM!"
"Enough," the Pride ordered with its ever-monotone tone. "His punishment will come in due time, but not now. I assume that you didn't gather us for something this trivial."
"No, it was for a poker party," the Kyuubi behind the portrait deadpanned. "Of course it's important."
"SHUT YOUR MOUTH!"
"Please, calm down," the Kyuubi behind the cage declared. One minute, and already a dispute?
It had called upon all its counterparts to discuss something important, but if they were simply going to kill each other... well, they were tailed beasts, after all, even if they were as fragmented and corrupted as the trio lurking in Kitsune's mind. If a container could affect its tenant to such extant, the Kyuubi in Naruko was worrying about its sanity...
"These futilities are for humans, and certainly not for superior beings like us."
"I agree," the Pride replied, while making a sign to the Selfishness. The gray fox put its paws on the Rage's mouth, preventing it's from speaking, much to its fury. "I will talk for the three of us, other-we…"
"Can't we find nicknames instead?" the portrait-Kyuubi snorted. "Our containers did and it's apparently useful. Heck, even the Uchiha did!"
The Pride didn't even blink. "We already have names. You heard us talk to our container, so you know how we define us."
"Then we will choose our own names," the caged Kyuubi declared. "Being the cause of this reunion, I will take the alias of 'the Gatherer'."
The demon in the portrait sneered. "And what am I supposed to call myself? The Nicknamer?" The stares of his counterparts only made it sigh. "You gotta be kidding me…"
"The matter is settled," the Gatherer announced. "Now, we can begin our first conclave. The topic will be… well, this," it said, as he gazed into the direction of the man nicknamed Kazama's mindscape. The others imitated it, slowly turning their head toward the darkness.
A web of mirrors was shifting, surrounded by a beautiful, clear sea. But above it... a nightly sky full of stars, which was slowly but surely expanding, darkening Kazama's mindscape more and more with each passing second. At the center of this sky, there was an immense and brilliant purple sun, radiating with what could only be called pure malevolence. As they stared into it, the different Kyuubi felt an evil, domineering, and insidious will watching back. They quickly moved their eyes in another direction, before being completely enthralled by the sentient luminary.
"Amatsu-Mikaboshi…" the Pride whispered in horror and dread, its arrogance having been instantly overwhelmed by survival instinct. The Selfishness was shaking, and even the Rage had fallen silent. The Nicknamer eyed the sinister star the longest, before gazing at its counterparts with a mix of fear and seriousness.
"Now you understand why I convoked you," the Gatherer said. "I noticed it's presence only recently, but it has been infiltrating Kazama's mind for some time. I think that Madara is somehow responsible for this… disaster in waiting."
"How is it possible?" the Pride wondered, terrified. "Amatsu-Mikaboshi is a deity, a dark, primordial force, an entity predating creation itself! A mere human shouldn't be even attract its attention, let alone tap into its power!"
"It is entirely possible," the Nicknamer said. "As long as it corrupts something, Amatsu-Mikaboshi shouldn't care less about who is using it, or for what. And really, Mikaboshi is pure nothingness. It doesn't really think or plan... it simply is. Madara probably found a way to create links with it, harnessing the power for his own ends."
"I doubt he even understands what Amatsu-Mikaboshi really is," the Gatherer added. "He is using a fuel without knowing its composition and origin."
"It does explain many things about that cursed Uchiha," the Selfishness realized. "If he can harness the dark force's power of control, then it can probably impose his domination over our minds…"
The Gatherer nodded. "No normal Sharingan should be able to hypnotize us. The Mokuton can, because we are part of nature, but the Sharingan is just a mutated eye. But if it is enhanced by the curses of the August Star of Heaven…"
"That's why he's immortal!" The Nicknamer shouted. "And that's why he can control space! Amatsu-Mikaboshi can bend the rules of the universe in its favor, if not outright ignore them when it suits its needs!"
"Do you all realize what it means?" the Pride asked. "If the dark force is involved, then it can't be good, for any of us. The one time the Kami of the stars got involved itself it almost caused Earth to end… whatever are its intentions, its presence is only synonymous with doom and oblivion."
"I suggest we kill Mikaboshi's vessel before he turns into an avatar of the dark force," the Selfishness declared. "Or worse, learns to harness its power and uses it to control us!"
"WE REFUSE TO BE CONTROLLED AGAIN!" The Rage roared, as it broke free of its other aspect's restrains. "WE MUST PREVENT THE RISE OF ANOTHER MADARA!"
"So," the Nicknamer said, "we all agree to murder the human at the first opportunity?"
The Gatherer shook its head. "There is… another option. One that might even benefit us in the long term," he added with a sly smirk.
All the Kyuubi stared at it. "What… possibility… do you have in mind?" the Selfishness asked.
"Waiting and observing," the Gatherer explained. "I don't know how exactly this link, curse, or whatever works, but it's obviously in its early development. By watching the process, we might discover how Madara's powers works… and if we can counter them."
"You really think it's possible to exploit and resist the power of the very embodiment of control and oblivion?" the Nicknamer wondered. "That is insane."
"The frontier between genius and madness is very thin," the Pride declared. "I agree with the Gatherer. The dark force might be undefeatable by those on our level of existence, but its users aren't. Learning how they use Mikaboshi might be the key to prevent the Uchiha from ever controlling us again."
"The risk is too great!" The Selfishness shouted. "Better kill the vessel, instead of leaving the void grow inside his heart!"
"ARE YOU AFRAID?" the Rage asked. "ARE YOU TERRIFIED OF THE AUGUST STAR?"
"We should all be," the Nicknamer said. "Have you forgotten that it is because of its influence that our original being became corrupted? Have you forgotten that it was to purge the Ten-Tails from its influence that the Sage had split us, to prevent the total destruction of the world... worlds, since Mikaboshi's existence is apparently multiversal?"
"MANKIND BROUGHT IT UPON ITSELF!" the Rage roared angrily. "THEIR DESPAIR, HATE, AND DESIRE FOR DEATH AND OBLIVION OVERWHELMED THE MOTHER'S MIND, ALLOWING MIKABOSHI TO CORRUPT IT!"
"It doesn't change the fact that Amatsu-Mikaboshi is something that can and wants to either control or destroy entire universes," the Nicknamer snarled. "The decision to allow it to screw with another being must be taken with utmost seriousness. The decision is even more important, since Kazama can travel between others plans of existence. Do you realize that we are potentially giving the August Star an ultimate weapon?"
"We all know what the dark force is capable of," the Gatherer declared. "And that's why I think we should observe it from afar, in hope of finding a way to counter it. We won't have another chance, but Madara will have many more."
"I agree," the Pride added. "As long as the human isn't completely corrupted by Mikaboshi's curse or doesn't harness it, we do not risk anything."
"THEN IT'S SETTLED," the Rage barked. "THE VESSEL WILL LIVE." The Selfishness seemed uneasy with the decision, but did not say anything.
"Do we inform the humans?" the Nicknamer asked.
"No," the Gatherer said. "When Mikaboshi has cursed someone, there is no way of removing it from the soul... or, at least, we don't know any way to do that. It would be useless to inform Kazama… and cause unknown developments. We should stay silent, for the time being."
"Does anybody have another question?" the Pride asked, and the rest shook their heads. "Then I assume we have nothing to say anymore."
The Gatherer nodded. "This reunion is then finished. We will stay in contact for any new event."
The Traveler, Kazama
Barely avoiding being beheaded by Zabuza's blade, Kazama took a step back, before cutting his teacher in half… or rather, trying. The swordsman parried absentmindedly with his blade, seeming almost bored from the look in his eyes. "Your sword is made for fencing, aka stabbing people," he grunted. "It isn't big or heavy enough to slash or smash people. At best, you will inflict only minor wounds by doing so. You must focus, be fast, and give your enemy a precise, deadly blow, by targeting the eight sensible points. You must be like a snake."
It's not my fault if I have only seen Orochimaru use his blade's piercing ability! The world wanderer then tried to pierce the Kiri-nin's chest, a tired and very bruised Kitsune observed them from the sidelines, under a tree.
"Too slow," Zabuza declared as he stepped to the side. "Too predictable." He deflected another attack with his own weapon. "Not precise enough. Not enough close. Your stance is too rigid. Be more swift, damn it! Target the vital points, instead of my shoulders. Protect your legs. Keep your balance. A bit higher. Lower. Try the sides. Do not attack this place, ever… I need it for… recreation time."
At the end, Kazama didn't even wound Zabuza once. He ended up sitting on the ground, panting heavily under the cold gaze of the missing-nin. "You are pathetic," he declared harshly. "A novice. Still, you are better than the little fish. At least, you can swing your sword... sort of."
Kitsune glared at the sadistic man. Samehada came to lick his hand, trying to console him… which made Zabuza snicker. "I meant every word I said. You both are total morons, and it will take time to make you passable… a very, verylong time. So get up!" The two blonde immediately obeyed. "Boys, the warm-ups are finished! Now, we begin the real training!"
The duo cringed. This was just a warm-up? Kazama wondered. He's even crazier than Lee's sensei!
Fortunately, salvation came in the form of a familiar grey-haired man. "Here you are, guys!" Kakashi shouted upon entering the clearing. "I was looking for you!"
Zabuza frowned. "What do you want, Hatake?" He asked distrustfully.
"Still as friendly as ever, Zabuza," the jounin replied sarcastically. "Well, I would like to know if I could borrow Kazama-san for a while. I wanted to teach him advanced elemental man-"
"Yes!" Kazama shouted, grateful for an opportunity to escape the hell that was training with Zabuza.
"No!" Zabuza answered, crushing the blonde's hopes. "He sucks so much at swordsmanship that simply watching him wielding the Kusanagi makes me sick. Correcting his many, many flaws is a holy duty for me."
"You're making too much of a big deal of this." Kakashi sighed. "I just need him for a day. It's very important… and having only one student will help you focus on him for longer periods of time so he can progress further."
Kitsune's eyes widened in horror when Zabuza seemed to ponder the jounin's words. "Well, he does suck even more…" he trailed off, before apparently reaching a decision. "Alright, take the brat for the day. It should be enough to put them on the same level… if you can call that a level…"
"Good!" Kakashi eye smiled as he grabbed Kazama's shoulder. "We should leave quickly before he changes his mind," he whispered to the blonde's ear, who was readily agreeing. The duo left as fast as they could, sending a look full of compassion toward Kitsune. The boy had gone pale, and Zabuza was apparently licking his lips under his mask, eyeing the blonde like some kind of prey.
"Thank you!" The world wanderer wept happily, as they stopped before a large rock.
"It's nothing," Kakashi replied. "Where are the rest of us? I slept in late, tired as hell after using too much chakra, so when I looked around everyone was off doing their own thing…"
"Haku is currently teaching Naruko how to use senbon as weapons," Kazama explained. The two had become very close… so much that he had mercilessly teased them about 'being on an unofficial date', much to their embarrassment. "Sasori and Chibaku are currently infiltrating Konoha, to see if my counterpart is abused or not." He hoped he, or she, wasn't, but he wasn't so optimistic… even if he there was at least one happy Naruto in the multiverse.
Kakashi nodded in understanding. "So, whether or not we will recruit him, we leave this world before night, that's right?"
"Yes," the teen answered. "It will stay like that for a long while, to prevent the Madara from tracking us down. Their travel takes longer than our own: the more worlds between them and us, the longer it will take for them to reach us."
"It's possible?" The jounin raised his eyebrows. "Even teleporting once is already a feat. Doing that multiple times in quick succession..."
"I don't know if it can work. Sasori is supposed to help me make tests, but only when he returns." The teen wondered how they could do that, but the puppeteer had already negated Susanoo's superhuman abilities after only witnessing them once. He had a plan in mind… or at least Kazama hoped so. "What do want to teach me?"
"Well, from what I've gleaned, you have completed the exercises to control chakra's shape, and to develop a Wind affinity," Kakashi explained. "I'm going to teach you how to use yours in combination with the Rasengan, and perhaps to increase your normal abilities."
The world wanderer raised an eyebrow, Orochimaru's words resonating in his mind. "Someone told me once that my fath… the Yondaime's jutsu was incomplete." The word left a bitter taste in his mouth, as if it was a loathsome insult.
Kakashi briefly blinked, before correcting his expression. "Yes, it is. Minato-sensei never finished it, but I'm sure you will. The basis is to infuse the Rasengan with your wind chakra, manipulating the element of the sphere, as well as its shape. Basically, it's what I do with the Chidori." He stared at the rock. "Once you think you've created a 'wind-Rasengan', slam it on this. If it is done well, the traces should be sharp, precise and ordered. If it is imperfect, my Sharingan should be able to notice the flaws."
Kazama nodded, before remembering something. "Kakashi, before we begin… might I ask you some questions?"
"Of course. About what?"
The teen bit his lips. "About Kenta."
The reaction was immediate. The man scowled, his gaze hardening. "What do you want to know about… him?" He spat the word with a mix of hatred and disgust.
"Some elements ticked me off, during your story," he replied. "How could his atrocities stay unnoticed by the authorities for so long? Why didn't anybody discover that half of his orphanage was a brothel and the other a training camp for young killers? Why didn't the children crack and reveal his actions? Why had he been allowed to make jounin if he was this psychopathic? I mean, it's obvious that he was very messed up in his head. Somebody, anybody, should have seen him for what he really was."
"Oh, but they did," Kakashi said darkly. "Nobody is able to conceal such activities alone. Kenta had connections in Konoha's institutions who closed their eyes on his 'profession' in exchange for money or some of the children, depending on whether they liked gold, flesh or assassins. Those who did want to bring him to justice generally ended up being killed in action in mysterious circumstances or were convinced to gently shut their mouth if they wanted their family to live. Kenta had no morals, no fetters, no code of conduct. He could and would do everything, go at any and all lengths, to save himself."
The more I hear about this guy, and the more I think he's the worst person to have ever lived. "And the people that helped him?"
"Either executed or imprisoned for life," Kakashi replied. "Kenta left before we could get to him, and we found many journals in his office… including the lists of his clients, helpers or victims. The children… were unable to say anything bad about Kenta. His brainwashing was so strong and thorough that they couldn't even remember their abuse, kills, or mistreatments. In their minds, they had grown up peacefully in the orphanage under the protection of their loved father-figure, Ayatsuri Kenta. Some had become ninjas of Konoha, others had become merchants, and others… but none could remember what he had done to them, until the Yamanaka managed to unlock their memories. To be honest, most didn't want to remember… their whole life had been a lie, and they preferred the illusion over reality. Even their friends and coworkers knew that something was wrong with them, but they were so delusional..."
He stared at the sky. "Even me… I don't fully remember everything that he has done to me, but it was so nasty that I'm not sure I really want to get back all of my original memories."
Kazama frowned sadly, but said nothing.
"About his psychopathic mindset… he was able to hide it well. He could fake affection like no one else, charm people easily, lie without any external sign… he was popular, and even had a girlfriend. You couldn't help but like him… until you realized that behind that veneer of civility, there was only sadism and cruelty. Most psychological evaluations… well, why do you think Sasuke has been allowed to enlist? Why me? Why Sakura, who was hiding terrible problems behind her fake smile? It was because there is no meaningful psychological evaluation, that's why."
"But…" Kazama trailed off, quite taken aback. "The authorities can't ignore that!"
"Of course they don't," Kakashi replied. "But I think you gravely misunderstand a ninja village's mindset. Here, just about everyone has lost someone. Everyone is dysfunctional to some extent. When someone has problems, the answer is 'deal with it'. Take Sasuke: he has lost his whole family, his idol has betrayed him, tortured him with an S ranked genjutsu, basically told him he was not even worth his time to kill, and advised him to hate him as much as he could. But as far as most people are concerned, it is something he has to deal with alone, to become though enough to be a ninja."
"That's crazy!" Kazama shouted.
"I know!" Kakashi snapped. "But ninja villages run on this way of thinking. Normal people can't be ninja. Being a ninja means sacrificing your happiness and very sanity on the altar of war and bloodshed. Do you really think that you can serve as a ninja more than ten years and stay sane? Ninja villages need cold, emotionless, immoral people that will do everything and everything in order to accomplish the mission. Nothing less, nothing more."
Kazama remained quiet, unable to truly think of how to argue against that logic.
"Take the ANBU," Kakashi continued. "Most people think they're some kind of super-soldiers, the proud defenders of the Hokage and of the village, the elite… well they are Konoha's black ops. They aren't chosen because of their skills, but because they are completely loyal to the Leaf and have… flexible… moralities. Protecting the Hokage is only their official role. In reality, they accomplish acts that the public must never know about, like false flag operations, sabotage, spying on our own allies, supporting resistance movements in enemy countries, kidnapping… the ANBU mask has a special device in it, supposed to crush our face, should we were to die with it, to protect our identity and prevent our victims from connecting the dots between Konoha and their own problems. Not because it's cool." He locked eyes with Kazama. "I have done many things I'm not really proud of either, things that I hope you will never have to do. The ninja world isn't a nice place, Naruto."
"I know," the blonde replied, even if he had believed it was, before jumping worlds. Before his whole life had changed forever.
Kakashi looked at the rock. "Now, enough talking. We have a jutsu to make, or else Zabuza is going to think I was just screwing with him… which I was."
The puppet master, Sasori
Sasori knew he wasn't especially the kindest, nicest person around.
Having been born and grown up in Sunagakure during the eras of war, Sasori had been recruited early in the ninja corps and became genin at seven. He was promoted to chuunin a few years later after successfully poisoning an enemy platoon's water supplies, causing the death of around fifty people, thanks to his grandmother's precious teachings.
One day later, his parents were murdered by the White Fang, Sakumo Hatake.
His grandma, Chiyo, took him under her wing, teaching him puppetry. At first Sasori only saw the art as a way to gain the power necessary to one day kill his parents' murderer, but the man's suicide deprived him of that pleasure. He had still celebrated the news with his grandmother and about the whole village, getting drunk for the first and only time in his life. It wasn't an experience he particularly liked, having done some... disgusting stuff, while under the alcohol's influence... or so he was told the next morning.
Before he reached fifteen Sasori had become an expert at puppetry, creating multiple designs that allowed the rise of a whole caste of puppet-users. The original puppeteers, the successors of his idol, the great Monzaemon Chikamatsu, were only using individual original and complex puppets that, while powerful, needed special treatments to stay utilizable. Sasori became a legend when he created basic designs of dummies that could later be customized while being repaired easily. Basically, he made puppetry accessible and affordable to everyone, allowing the rise of new talents that would have stayed ignored otherwise.
… But his glory and fame turned when the Sandaime Kazekage decided to label human puppetry, the new step in his art, as a kinjutsu.
For Sasori, puppetry was to be done for puppetry's sake. It was an art, something that shouldn't be limited to human morals. So when Sasori had discovered a way to turn living people into living puppets, giving them a form of immortality and making them living masterpieces, he immediately came to see his leader and almost begged him to give him the funds necessary to develop the idea. If he had accepted, Sasori would have basically given death the middle finger, preventing the Shinigami from taking anyone ever again, and created a monument to eternity.
Instead, the leader of the village confiscated Sasori's schematics, put him under supervision, forbade him to teach, and privately labeled him clinically insane. Unofficially, of course. For Sunagakure, the great puppeteer had simply retired for a while so he could work on another brilliant project.
It was then that he understood that he had nothing to gain anymore by staying in the village. Evolving puppetry to a next level was a holy quest for the puppeteer, one that his former superiors had tried to hinder in their foolishness. They had betrayed him… so it was only justice he betrayed them in turn. After massacring the ANBU sent to watch him, he reclaimed what the Sandaime had stolen and left the village, leaving only a slashed forehead protector and a letter to Chiyo behind him.
Soon after that, he ambushed the Sandaime while the man was training alone in the desert, challenging him to a duel for revenge and to prove once and for all puppetry's superiority over bloodline limits. In his pride and arrogance, the man accepted believing his iron sand to be invincible. He hadn't memorized the lessons taught in the Academy... that so many people wielding 'invincible' or 'unbeatable' bloodlines and techniques died in battle against opponents that were considered harmless. True most puppeteers were at a disadvantage against the iron sand wielder as he could use the dust to jam up puppets and simply perform larger scale ninjutu than what most puppeteers could possibly dream of… but there was no such a thing as the impossible, and Sasori proved it this day by assassinating the Kazekage with his latest invention.
Nerve gas.
As the previously "unbeatable" Sandaime Kazekage agonized before him, Sasori took off his cape, revealing his new mechanical body. His gas couldn't affect someone without a brain, making him immune to his own weapons and poisons. Only his heart was still made of flesh. It was unfortunately necessary. People's memories and identity weren't contained within the neurons, contrary to the popular belief, but within their chakra, the link between the soul and the body. The brain was simply the organ that commanded the others… and a puppet body had none. It only needed some seals to work.
Taking the Kazekage's body to create another masterpiece, Sasori retired from society, gathering the funds needed for his studies by creating a private spy network and selling information to the highest bidder. The irony was that his own old village became one of his recurring clients… during the war he unwillingly helped in starting when Sunagakure began to accuse all the nearby nations of having kidnapped or assassinated their leader.
At least the war gave him large supplies of bodies to work on and the funds to do so for a while.
It was during his travels after the war that he found Naruto, sleeping on a road in the Land of Fire. It was mostly curiosity that pushed him to examine the boy instead of simply ignoring him… an action that made him realize that he had just found a Jinchuuriki, far away from any village. Intrigued, Sasori questioned the boy when he woke up, and after hearing how he had escaped from Konoha, the puppeteer jumped on the opportunity. Recruiting a willing Jinchuuriki was not something that happened every day, and it would allow Sasori to study the boy's seal.
Not once did he regret his decision.
Naruto proved himself to be a very loyal and gifted person with multiple flourishing talents that only needed to be polished. Months of travel with him awakened something in Sasori. The boy had a spark in his eyes, one that the puppeteer knew too well. The thirst for knowledge, the desire to create new things, the will to explore the unexplored. The same spark that animated Sasori himself, and that had animated Kabuto, while he was alive.
It was this spark that convinced Sasori to teach the blonde puppetry. Unlike Kabuto, who preferred medicine over mechanics, Naruto showed a deep interest in the art, and a great talent in it as well. Perhaps one day, he would be able to surpass Sasori himself, and complete his work. The great puppet master wasn't as arrogant as the Sandaime Kazekage, and knew that someone or something could one day kill him. Naruto was his contingency plan… his legacy.
When Kazama and his female counterpart had showed up, Sasori had jumped on the chance to explore new worlds. How could he have resisted? The possibility of meeting doubles of himself that had evolved differently, other puppeteers, and perhaps even puppet masters better than himself was simply too tempting. If things had gone as planned, Sasori would have perhaps made his art evolve to another level once again...
But then, the Uchiha attacked, killing Kabuto. Sasori wasn't an emotional person, but after spending years working with someone, you couldn't help but value and respect him. His death didn't really sadden Sasori, but rather angered him. Years of work and studies had been ended, the results of Kabuto's research stolen to be better used by one of his murderers. It was an insult, that had to be washed away. His defeats and the threat of losing his legacy only hardened his resolve to one day find a way to kill their pursuers… even if he had to wait for years to do so. Even finding other puppeteers had become a secondary goal. No one pissed him off and lived to tell the tale about it.
So, no, Sasori really wasn't a nice person.
And yet... and yet, he couldn't help but feel inwardly happy when Kazama smiled at the photos the puppeteer had taken in Konohagakure. Empathy was still screwing with him again, no matter how hard he had tried to repress it in the past...
"So the Inuzuka adopted us?" Kitsune asked.
"Yes," Chibaku said, as he stared at a picture of a Naruto riding on a large black dog and wearing facial markings. "Apparently, he is Kiba's best buddy and a respected chuunin. Some still dislike him for being a demon vessel, but he has friends... and a loving family."
"Cool dog!" Naruko exclaimed. "Why can't we have one?"
"I had dog summons," Kakashi said. "But apparently, I can't call them anymore…"
"Not cool," Chibaku said. "I really want to be able to ride a dog like this Inuzuka Naruto. It would be so badass…"
"Anyway," Haku declared, while Chibaku was trapped in his fantasies, "I assume it means we have nothing more to do in this world? Are we going to leave it?"
"Yes," Kazama answered. "As soon as possible."
Sasori scoffed. "This time, I will put some recording seals on you to analyze the way your seal works. We will be able to leave in one hour, right before noon. Please, prepare your bags in the meantime. I would hate to wait for you."
The rest of the group nodded, and left one after the other. Naruko briefly locked eyes with Kazama, before walking away. In the end, only Kakashi stayed with the two, much to Sasori's irritation.
"I asked him to be there beforehand," Kazama said. "I have something to talk about with you two… there are things that need to be discussed."
Sasori raised an eyebrow, and began drawing seals on sheets of paper he had prepared. "I'm listening."
"During my fight with Tsukiyomi," the teen began. "He tried to convince me to join him. I obviously refused, but during our talk, he showed me a recorded meeting of an organization called the Inner Council… aka, the conspiracy responsible of most of my, and my counterparts', problems."
Sasori stopped writing, and Kakashi's eyes widened. "You do realize it's an enemy that showed you that?" the redhead frowned. "He isn't the most reliable source of information."
"I know. He had already lied to me once, and it's why I want your point of view."
"The Inner Council was an organization that formed during the Shodaime's rule," Sasori started slowly. "It was composed of powerful clan heads that thought he was unfit to rule after giving the Bijuu to other countries. It got wiped out by the newly created ANBU, under the direction of the Nidaime Hokage when it refused to disband after he inherited his brother's job. It reformed during the Sandaime's late term after Orochimaru's betrayal and Danzo's actions in Amegakure…"
"Danzo?" Kazama asked, frowning.
"ANBU's former commander," Kakashi explained. "He was one of the Sandaime's teammates, and his rival for the title of Hokage. After serving as one of Konoha's generals for years, he was forced into retirement after the Sandaime discovered he had secretly founded his own, personal ANBU, an organization called Root."
"Officially," Sasori corrected. "Unofficially, Root still exists, even if it is only a shadow of its former self. And really, the reason why he has been forced to retire is that he tried to forge an alliance with Hanzo, Amegakure's leader, without Konoha's consent. They can't have rogue elements like him acting freely without consulting anyone."
"How can Root still exist?" Kakashi wondered. "The village cut Danzo's funding and arrested most of his old allies or forced them into retirement."
"A shadow of its former self I said," Sasori responded. "At best, there are three hundred members, a tenth of the ANBU's number. Little cells are easier to fund and maintain, and they probably are recruited in early childhood. With the number of talented and unclaimed orphans on the roads, it is very easy to find and craft powerful and loyal soldiers…"
Kakashi's expression darkened, and the puppeteer immediately understood why. Sasori had, of course, some knowledge of the man's life, and had learned the general lines of the Ayatsuri's case from some outside sources. He was even doubting that the man's journals had been all destroyed, despite what Konoha had claimed… but such information would only anger the man greatly, and he had no need to prove it, so the puppeteer kept his doubts for himself.
"This new Inner Council repeated the mistake of the old one, and refused to disband when the Yondaime came into power, and ended like the older one. The Inner Circle you're talking about probably appeared soon after the Kyuubi's attack. I haven't enough information on them, since I haven't been able to contact Homura Mitokado for a long while… my version of Konoha had increased its security and military after Chibaku's departure, so it was too risky to approach him."
"He was one of the members that Madara showed me," Kazama said, as Sasori finished writing sealing arrays on four sheets of paper. "Along with Koharu Utatane…"
"Predictable. They are always together… in fact, they had had an affair in their youth. They are more firm and authoritarian than Sarutobi, so it was kind of obvious they would try to affirm themselves. They have large bank accounts and many allies and contacts in the Daimyo's court."
"Hiashi Hyuuga…"
"The strongest clan in Konoha, after the Uchiha massacre. We already know that they were the drive and masterminds behind the conspiracy, so no surprise."
"Shibi Aburame…"
"Head of the Aburame clan. Polite, but a firm believer in discipline and a close ally of Hiashi. When one is nearby, the other isn't far away… he also has allies in some minor countries, and possesses many shops in the Land of Fire. "
"Shikaku Nara…"
"Master strategist and planner. Probably the brain of the whole operation. Though I wonder why is he helping such a takeover… he must know that antagonizing a demon vessel and the Hokage is harmful in the long term… perhaps is he simply not confident enough in Konoha's rulers' abilities."
"Inoichi Yamanaka…"
"Shikaku's best friend, a spy master, and a great psychologist. Probably the second brain of the operation. Is the owner of many florist shops that are a front for information gathering operations and possible assassination."
The rest of the names involved some jounin or merchants that Sasori knew enough about to say they were simply opportunists, powerless without the great clans to back them up. They didn't bother him. The leaders, however…
"Why isn't Danzo among them?" Kakashi asked, giving voice to Sasori's doubts. "I thought he would be a member, being willing to undermine the Hokage and all…"
"Perhaps…" Sasori trailed off. "But this man is fanatically loyal to Konoha itself, and the Inner Council is weakening it. He probably sees himself as Sarutobi's closest ally, even if he is willing to ignore his wishes and order to 'help him'. And he is probably one of the only people in the village that wouldn't mind Naruto getting stronger, as long as he is loyal… at least, if he is the same person there as he is in my world. Is my information correct in your universe too, Kakashi-san?"
The jounin nodded. "But it doesn't mean they're right in all of them."
"This might be problematic," Kazama said. "If the conspiracy differs in all worlds…"
"Then we will punish those that cross our path," Kakashi announced. "At least, after we correct the Madara problem."
"I agree," Sasori added. "Dealing with them and testing the validity of Tsukiyomi's claims is a secondary objective." Kazama clearly wasn't happy with that, but reluctantly nodded. "The first, now, is to outmaneuver our pursuers." He put the sheets of paper on the blonde's shoulders, forehead, and belly. "These seals will memorize everything that happens to you: modifications of your chakra, interferences, sounds, visions… it will give us some insight into your ability. How it works, what are its limits, and if it can be used in another way than simply teleporting to another world."
Getting up, the puppeteer locked eyes with the world wanderer. "Our first test will be simple: checking out the precision of your teleportation. You can already transport us at places like 'the forest near Konoha'. Now we will test if you can teleport 'near this person' or 'near this thing'."
Kakashi blinked. "Like a Sharingan?"
"Like a Sharingan," Sasori agreed. "We will test if you can go near a Sharingan, but one that doesn't belongs to Uchiha Madara. First, to test the precision, and second… to prevent our capture. At this time, we should have two worlds of advance, but we can never be sure…"
The Girl, Naruko
"Is everyone ready?" Naru-sensei asked. Seeing them all nod, Kazama smiled. "We are going to go near a Sharingan… one that, I hope, won't be Madara, or even hostile. Still, prepare yourselves for battle… just in case."
Naruko nervously took a few senbon between her fingers, quickly imitated by Haku. The Yuki had shown her where to put them on someone's body to paralyze some nerves, but she hadn't tried to do that for real… at least, she had all her other techniques to make up for her lack of experience.
Sideway, she saw Zabuza grab his sword's grip, and Kitsune doing the same. Chibaku took a kunai in hand, and Sasori simply cracked his fingers, being ready to use his flamethrower anytime. Kazama unsheathed the Kusanagi, and closed his eyes.
A flash of light later, they found themselves standing in the middle of a field… of red flowers.
"What is this place?" Naruko wondered out loud, looking at her surroundings. The sky was made of yellow clouds, and the field was circled with completely black trees. Looking beneath her, the blonde girl noticed that all the flowers' petals were intertwined, protecting the core of the plant from the outside world.
"Well, no Sharingan around," Zabuza grunted. "You suck at accuracy and orientation, brat."
"I don't understand," Naru-sensei replied as he scowled. "I pictured a Sharingan in my mind. We should have teleported near one…"
Naruko's eyes was immediately attracted by one of the plant, that was slightly moving.
"This place is freaky," Chibaku said. "Something is bothering the Kyuubi. Something like…"
The petals opened…
"A predator."
… revealing a Sharingan with one swirling tomoe.
Before Naruko had even the time to pale, all the flowers opened, all revealing a red eye in their middle... each of them staring at the group.
Chibaku blinked in surprise. "Shit."
Immediately, dozens of long spiky vines whipped out from the ground, trying to seize the humans like they were some kind of snake. The ninjas quickly dispersed, stepping back as new vines erupted to capture them.
At the same time, multiple Sharingan began to appear on the trees' bark, eyeing the fleeing Shinobi. Their roots rose out of the earth, and lifted the plants above the soil. And then, they began to walk through the field, balancing their branches menacingly.
As Naruko avoided a vine, her mind worked frantically to try to understand the situation. Plants weren't supposed to be hostile, or even have bloodline limits!
One of the trees reached her, and attempted to hit her with one of its appendages. Gracefully jumping above it, Naruko then leaped on the bark, and tried to ram a senbon in one of its eyes. But instead of adhering to the surface, the blonde's feet slipped. Successfully landing safely on the ground, the girl then threw her weapons at the bark, hitting two Sharingan. The eyes began to shed black blood, and another one gazed into her own, twisting into a shuriken-like form.
The world turned red, full of tears and screams. Her death was inevitable. Her friends and family would get smashed and turned to shreds, their blood feeding the plants like countless before them. They would soon join the multiple devoured bodies, hidden under the red field…
An animalistic roar resonated in her mind, and reality returned to normal, the tree's Sharingan glaring hatefully at the blonde. Kyuubi? The girl wondered.
Yes, the Bijuu responded. I don't know how, but these plants can use the Sharingan and one of its advanced techniques, Tsukiyomi. I can break any illusion ensnaring you, but you should gather your friends and escape as quickly as possible before being outnumbered.
I know, the blonde replied, as she pierced the tree's last eyes, before rotating toward her companions, who were struggling with the vines and trees. Zabuza was cutting them one after the other, Haku had transformed one into ice, Kakashi and Sasori had just set two on fire, Kitsune, Chibaku and Kazama were fighting two trees all wrapped into twisted armors of yellow chakra. More walking plants were slowly but surely closing the distance between them and the Arashi Clan, like an advancing sea of branches and leaves.
Why are they trying to kill us? the girl wondered, as she rushed at her allies' side.
To nourish themselves, the Kyuubi replied. They suck their victims' blood to feed on it. When you have been put under the tree's illusion, I've briefly connected with its… mind. What I've found in it is disturbing, to put it simply.
Why is this forest like this though? She asked, as she took a kunai and slashed a vine with it.
The forest has a mind of its own, the Bijuu explained, and it really, really wants to kill everyone passing through it. You and your friends are the lasts of a very long list of prey and victims, including the forest's creator… some kind of crazy scientist that thought creating Sharingan-producing plants was a good idea.
"Guys!" She shouted. "The forest is trying to kill us!"
"No, it's just trying to hug us!" Chibaku deadpanned, as he finally found an opening in the tree's armor, making an explosive kunai passing through it. The plant was instantly reduced to ashes.
"Everyone, gather around me!" Kazama shouted. "I'll teleport us out of here!"
"So soon?" Kakashi asked. "That's probably risky!"
"It's either crossing worlds or facing that," Kazama declared, as he stared at an advancing army of Sharingan-trees, most of them clad in chakra armor.
"Okay…" the jounin trailed off. "World jump?"
"World jump," Zabuza agreed, as he avoided getting smashed by a large branch. "To whe-"
"Now!" Naruko shouted, as the whole group got encircled. Kazama closed his eyes, and red light filled the clearing…
An invisible force made the girl crash on a rock. Difficultly rising up and trying to deal with the pain, Naruko stared at her surroundings.
She and the rest of her group were either standing or laying on a plain, under a blue sky and near a big mountain. On it, a little village was constructed. Helping Naru-sensei getting up, the girl saw that the teen's skin had turned white.
"Boss, are you alright?" She asked worryingly.
"I… feel sick…" He muttered, touching his belly with his palm. "The seal… is burning…"
"This is… worrisome," Sasori stated. "Perhaps we have overloaded it…"
Kitsune's disturbed murmurs interrupted them. "Guys… I think you should look at that." He pointed his finger at something before him.
The air before him was… breached. A tiny crack was spilling foul-smelling smoke, and slightly growing with each passing second. The tear into space seemed to bleed, spilling molten metal on the grass below, slowly starting a fire.
"What is this?" Zabuza wondered. "Doesn't look good…"
Suddenly, the breach widened, growing to take the size of a large gate. Beyond it, Naruko could see large rocky islands, floating on a sea of lava and molten gold. Also, multiple pairs of yellow, shining eyes, were glaring at them malevolently.
An instant later, the ninjas jumped backward, as a large form crossed the breach and landed where they were previously standing, creating a small crater as a result. As dust filled the airs, Naruko saw other shadowy figures passing through the gate.
When the girl could see clearly, she gasped and paled. They were facing… monsters.
The very large thing that had almost smashed them was a large, bulky creature looking like a bull standing on its legs and having hands. It was wielding a large iron mace, and his eyes were like two suns. When he opened his mouth, he revealed two sets of fangs. A twin of the beast was standing behind it, glaring ferociously at Kazama.
At his sides, two humanoids wearing red armor and holding two-handed blazing swords. The opening in their cuirasses only revealed black bones and two green glows in place of the eyes. They weren't moving, as if they were dead... which they probably were, in a way.
Behind them were standing two ogre-like beasts, blue and red, with horns, large fangs, wild white hair, and six fingers. They were wearing black kimonos, sandals, and iron clubs. They smirked at Naruko and company, as if they were trying to appear nice, while they inwardly weren't.
The last creature was… bigger. In fact, it overshadowed everyone. It was around twelve feet tall, and looked like a humanoid lizard. It had a purple, thick skin, a dart at the end of its tail, and two yellow wings without feathers. It had a long neck, impressive caws, and a green substance was dripping from its fangs…
The lizard stared at the ninjas, making them straighten and stiffen. "You," he declared with a raspy, deep, inhuman voice, "you are the summoners. Thank you for having called us. You have the Makai's eternal gratitude."
Naruko's jaw dropped. "Euh… it's nothing," she replied lamely.
"You will be handsomely rewarded for you help," the lizard continued. "Money, love, power, immortality… you will have whatever you want. I, Kishin, ruler of the sea of fire and son of the great Kiryu, will make sure of it."
Nobody had any idea of what to respond to that.
"Take your time to think about it," Kishin said. "We have all the time in the world, now that you have opened the gate. I have no idea of how did you succeed at opening a permanent breach between our two plans of existence. It's quite the feat."
Kazama smiled uneasily. "Well, it was quite hazardous..."
"It is still very impressive," the lizard praised him. "I don't sense any residual magic or chakra, which means you have done that with your will alone. Only gods have that power, young son of man. I'm sure that with enough training and adapted techniques, you will be able to open bigger breaches, or make your abilities ascend to another level."
"Thank you..." the teen trailed off, not sure what to say. Naruko could understand. It wasn't all days that you were praised by some kind of winged reptile...
Kishin seemed to smirk. "I think we can begin today. I know a ritual that, with a large number of human sacrifices, should be sufficient to widen the breach, and allow the invasion force to annex this dimension."
Naruko's eyes widened. Invasion force?
"Invasion force?" Kazama asked out loud.
"Well, yes, the invasion force," the winged beast smirked. "Who do you think we are? Unorganized savages? Our legions are already gathering from the other side of the portal. Within seven hours, this world will be Hell's property." He stared at Kazama. "As a reward for your help, you will be of course given dominion over this plane, and perhaps even others, if you can open more gates. The size is a bit problematic, but we as long as there are local settlements nearby it, it won't be a problem." It looked at the town on the mountain.
"Like this one... I smell some fresh blood… young, tasty children." It licked its lips, immediately imitated by the other creatures. "I'm already hearing the screams of their parents when I will eat their progeny and burn their home to the ground."
"MAIM!" The other creatures singed, ignoring the terrified expressions of Naruko's group. "KILL! BURN!"
"We will lose sweet destruction, my dears," Kishin promised. "This village will be the first of our never ending conquest." It stared at the humans. "Would you like to participate? It will always be possible to discuss the terms of your allegiance to Hell, rewards, obligations, rank in the legions and all that stuff later. Believe me, killing innocent people is a good sport. Especially when they can't fight back."
Naruko's eyes widened horrifically, she prepared herself to fight. "In your dreams!"
"Yeah," Chibaku declared, as he unsealed Uke Mochi. "No way I'm going to let you destroy this town!"
"Who the fuck are you?" Zabuza growled.
The lizard seemed to frown. "Who am- wait," it blinked. "You didn't summon us on purpose, did you? You are not demon summoners?" The other monsters grinned, seizing their weapons, quickly imitated by the humans. But then a deep sound began to resonate.
Kishin was laughing.
"It's really a lucky day!" the creature roared. "I thought you were already corrupted! Now, I have to tempt you, making this all the sweeter!" It smirked. "You have absolutely no idea of who I am, do you?" It asked, as his eyes glowed even brighter. "Let me present myself: I am the Demon Lord Kishin, emissary of the Makai, and top general of the forces of hell!"
And crap, Naruko thought.
"My dear friends..." It announced. "I am a representative of the Makai, the great and beautiful realm where all corrupt souls end and suffer when they die! Always seeking to enslave other planes of the existence, the Demon Lords ruling it are thereby offering you, accidental summoners, a chance to tag along for the ride that is the great and glorious conquest of everything that is!"
Its wings moved, began to fly, roared, and then breathed a blue fire at the sky. "In exchange for your precious help, the Makai will offer you whatever you want: immortality! Riches! Women and men! Slaves! Territories! Power! Knowledge! Vacations in our dominions! I especially counsel the last, we have some wonderful beaches and hostels in Hell..." It added with a smirk. "In exchange, we only need your eternal allegiance, and some annual sacrifices. No need to offer your soul, since you will immediately be promoted in the demonic hierarchy once you're dead, in case you don't choose immortality! We are nefarious, not treacherous."
It stared at the humans below. "How can you refuse such generous offer? You know, no need to mind about the many, many people you and we are going to kill, devour, enslave, torture and/or oppress, depending on the preferences. They will understand that you couldn't have let such opportunity like this slide!"
The ninjas' answer was a series of hand seals.
"Well," the lizard trailed off. "We can always force you to cooperate… or you're just that masochist. Demons, attack! Capture the summoner, and kill the rest of them!"
Really, the Kyuubi whispered in Naruko's mind, as the other demons charged at her. The next time your counterpart creates a dimensional gate to somewhere in the cosmos, tell him to open the way to heaven instead.
The Dragoness
In some world, where distorted angels were fighting giant creatures protecting mankind, a dragon-demon-god… thing, stiffened. She had been tranquilly resting on a paradisiacal island, taking a break from her container's insane adventures… not that she didn't enjoy contributing to the chaos herself mind you… when she had sensed someone messing with the fabric of reality… in the bad sense of the term.
Even if she had never considered herself a card carrying member of the fiendish races, demonic blood still ran strongly in her veins. She could listen to the whispers of the abysses, and her mind was still connected with those of her unstable and corrupted relatives… and one of them, a powerful demon lord had just been summoned in an unregistered universe by some human and was inviting every available fiend to help him conquer it…
Idiot.
Under normal circumstances, the dragoness would have simply left the locals deal with the threat, but two things were… unsettling. The first was that, well, it was an undiscovered universe, and there was always a chance that the natives had no way to deal with a trans-universal demonic invasion. It wasn't that she went out of her way to help random universes every time one looked like it needed help… just the opposite, quite frequently she just stayed on the sidelines and watched the shows unfold, but she wasn't cruel enough to let her grandfather's spawn ravage a defenseless world unchecked when said spawn was doing such a sloppy job of just getting into the world. It would let the demon's heads get too bid… as if many weren't big enough.
The second was that, well, the summoner hadn't used any known spell or technique to call upon her relative. He had just… torn space apart. That… was neither normal for dimension travelers… nor good.
None of the demons of the invading world knew how exactly the fabrics of reality had been breached, but they were all aware that the opening of a permanent, if small, portal between a fiendish plan and a human world had been made. Anyone with any education in the field was aware that this was no small feat, that only incredibly powerful people or creatures could even hope to accomplish something like this. The mere possibility of allying with an evil summoner able to open gates through the multiverse was exciting to the demons… terrifying for almost everyone else…
And very annoying for her.
The dragoness was not going to allow someone with that power to join the forces of evil... or at least the forces of impulsive rampant destructive evil. Smart evil bad guys at least had some self control when it came to matters like these. The multiverse had already enough evil overlord wannabes. No need to have another troublemaker… especially if this one was a menace to multiple worlds. Dealing with him now would spare the dragoness future hassle so she could do her own thing… which was mess around with the heads of obnoxious and clueless unknowing figures of great power that couldn't jump between worlds.
Flying away to another island, the deity decided to pick a couple of her servants along for the ride. Dealing with demons and malevolent humans was an activity she was doing all the time, and a sport that she really enjoyed since her targets were almost as creative and varied as her 5 servants, but she wasn't an expert at sealing interdimensional portals. Traveling and making them, yes, that was easy, but torn portals required a certain… touch…
Quickly finding her container lazily sunbathing on a beach, the dragoness dive-bombed her, literally. It was good for the woman that the otherworldly being was only the size of a sparrow at the point in time. The woman only got a small concussion from the blow that left her inside a 10 foot deep crater.
"Zuzushi, you stupid lizard!" The girl spat out irritably as she picked herself out from the hole in the ground. "I was having a good dream full of candy! I actually managed to break my record of chewing on 8 jawbreakers at once in them!"
"We can pacify your sweet tooth later," the dragoness purred. "I need you and Ghost, and perhaps even his apprentice: we have work to do."
The black-haired girl, also known as Shadow, growled. "It's a vacation damn it, offered by Gendo Ikari, of all people! Willingly! We didn't have to blackmail or bribe or do anything for him this time somehow which I am still trying to figure out how Ghost managed to pull off! It's the reason why I actually bothered to travel here in the first place! We are not supposed to work!"
Ignoring her conatiner's childish wrath, the Sky Mother bolted off into the sky, and as such was quickly followed by said irritated vessel. Faster than the wind the two flew toward the dragon's strongest servant and his blonde apprentice, who were eating ice cream with a blue-haired girl and a male teenager… and dive bombed him in the same manner as her apprentice. The impact launched the local teens away hard enough that they were knocked out, but the apprentice managed to land unharmed.
"What the f-" A physically 14 and a half year old Naruto Uzumaki, otherwise known as Konoha's Feral Gale, nearly swore before realizing what had just happened. "Why the hell can't anything you guys do be subtle for once?"
"My ice cream!" The second immortal shouted in pain and loss as he looked at the melted and discarded frozen dairy product several feet away from him. "He had a future ahead of him with a wife and three children! Why!"
"One of my demonic cousin's was summoned to an unregistered universe near the boy's by accident… and the idiot is calling out to literally every demonic presence that can possibly make it to see if they want to join in the fun."Zuzushi explained, ignoring her strongest servant's temporary moment of insanity. "The portal is permanent and unstable, so we have to fix it while kicking his ass so that he doesn't get ahead of himself, and maim the idiot who foolishly made the portal in the first place." The dragoness explained.
"A permanent portal?" Shadow raised an eyebrow. "That's new."
Naruto sighed, resigned to be used to solve another problem that he shouldn't have any part of. This was the third random excursion that he had to take since his master took him dimension hopping for his training. "Why do we always have to do crazy stuff? I though your training trip was simply going to stay that, a training trip. And people thought that shit only happens when I'm the one in charge of the missions…"
"There is a good reason for that," the God of None grunted as he picked himself up, reversing time on his body so that the several dozen broken bones that he received didn't exist anymore. "It's called Murphy's Law. That, and the multiverse hates my guts for some obscure reason."
"I gathered." The boy sighed before looking at the knocked out Rei and Shinji. "Uh… shouldn't we do something about them? You know… make sure they aren't dead and stuff?"
"They'll be fine." Ghost waved a hand lazily. "Shinji's an optimistic idiot, so he heals quickly, and Rei is the silent cold type. They always get back right up no matter what."
"Fine," Shadow sulked to the dragon as she covered herself in darkness before her natural casual attire materialized from the empty substance, "After this you better not bug us with chores again Zuzushi. Scare one of the local gods to do your work for once instead of dumping it on us."
The dragoness snorted as she opened a portal in front of the group of three. "Sure. Whatever you say slave…"
"… Fucking walking purse…"
Author's notes:
Yes, Zuzushi and co are appearing! Those who love them, rejoice! Those who don't, don't worry, they are only here for this chapter and the next. A cameo, really.
They, of course, belong to Third Fang... and they're awesome. I especially recommend his story, it is a damn good one (Yet again, with a little extra help, for those who don't know).
Now, please review/give your point of view, and write you soon!