"Shit! If this keeps up... Naruto will lose control!"
"W-what do you mean, Kakashi-sensei?" Yukari asked, frightened beyond belief.
"Naruto can only control the fox's chakra up until the three-tailed form, if he goes any higher than that... well, let's just say that we're screwed," replied a worried Kakashi.
The two chakra tails of the Kyūbi swayed wildly in the air as Naruto leant back and let out another roar, causing the group to cover their eyes with their arms as the shockwave created a dust storm that blew across the area. Then in a flash, Naruto jumped into the sky and punched one of the mouths of the Hanabake creature. The punch hit with earth shattering force and the beast stumbled from the blow and roared in pain.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Yukata shrieked in pain as the jinchūriki continued his onslaught. Her massive body was being pushed back by the blows Naruto was delivering, and at the same time being burned by the Nine-Tails chakra. The only thing that kept her from collapsing on the spot was the energy she had drained from Ruby moments before, but they were quickly fading due to the blonde's attack.
The moment the girls and human had felt the rising aura they'd been filled with fear. To them, the jinchūriki's aura was malevolent and frightening. But most of all, it was angry. They felt the power pass over them and each of them trembled nervously. Kurumu's wings were flapping instantly as she prepared for the worst to come. She sped toward Yukari and Tsukune, snatching both before flying towards a safer location and easing them to the ground. Kakashi and Moka, with the latter taking back her Rosario from Naruto earlier, soon joined them. Gamabunta had dispelled when Naruto began to transform as he sensed that he was no longer needed.
All eyes turned to Naruto who continued attacking the Hanabake monstrosity. His demonic shroud was radiating with crimson energy. He then leapt high into the air and pulled his hand back as his eyes fell on Yukata, and the witch felt every inch of her massive form tremble under his gaze.
Naruto's eyes glowed not with their usual cerulean but a slitted red. The hatred of his leer was made all the more fearsome as he looked down at her with the demonic eyes of the Kyūbi.
"Since you have hurt someone who I consider a friend," Naruto growled while his now deep voice echoed around the area. "This is what you deserve..."
In an instant, Naruto began to form a Rasengan, with the blue orb of chakra once again taking a purplish color as the fox's chakra was poured into it. Once the jutsu was completed, the jinchūriki then dived back down towards the Hanabake and thrust the orb into the creature's body while at the same time yelling one word, "RASENGAN!"
Howls of pain cried out from the many mouths that covered the beast's body. Again, the only thing that kept the old woman from collapsing was the power she had absorbed. Yukata reached one of her giant arms towards the blonde, vines striking out around him like a thousand whips in an attempt to prevent him to escape.
Naruto let out a powerful roar, repelling the angry tendrils with ease. He then formed a chakra arm from the cloak and used it to punch the witch in the face. Yukata screamed in pain as she heard something crack and felt her face burn, for the stolen aura had failed to protect her this time. A moment later however, her face slowly, but painfully, began to recover from the blow.
Yukata winced, her beastly maws roaring in agony. She looked back at the boy who was glaring menacingly at her.
Foolish boy, the witch smirked as Naruto charged at her. I can't be killed by physical att-?
Yukata's thoughts were silenced as Naruto drove his fist into her cheek. Pain wracked her body as her face burned a moment before the strike tore into the brittle green of her face. Bits of charred flesh fell from her wound, leaving a searing mark from the jinchūriki's crushing blow.
"RRRAAAAGGGGHHHHH!" Yukata screamed in pain and hatred. Without warning, the massive jaws where they stood snapped shut, trapping them both within the beast.
"NARUTO!" the three girls cried out as their friend disappeared from sight.
"It's over!" Yukata cried out in victory. Tendrils shot from the darkness behind her. With nowhere to go the swarm of vines speared towards Naruto, but to her shock, the vines bounced straight off from the cloak.
"W-what?"
"Well that's interesting," Naruto said curiously as for some odd reason, he dusted off his shoulder. He then spiked up his chakra and the demonic shroud's bubbles grew more violent.
"What...? WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Yukata screeched.
"Oh I'm just borrowing a bit more of the fox's chakra, nothing to worry about," Naruto said casually. The witch's eyes then went wide as the air around them began to feel denser from the boy's aura.
"What's happening?" Yukata wondered aloud.
The blonde smirked at his opponent's curiosity. "I'm getting impatient..."
At that moment, the witch knew that this was her end, for the boy in front of her was in a class of his own, far surpassing those of S-class ayashi. In fact, she wasn't even sure if he was an ayashi, but instead was something more... powerful... something that the most bloodthirsty of ayashi can only dream of becoming...
If you're curious to know my readers, that something is a demon.
Taking a deep breath, the witch asked one last question. "What are you?"
The blonde's smirk grew even wider. "I'm a jinchūriki," Naruto said simply as he made a Rasengan and put it right in front of the witch's gut. "And you were right, it's over..."
The last thing the witch felt was when the blonde pushed the orb into her stomach.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Yukata could feel herself falling and falling and falling. Suddenly, she felt a pair of arms wrap around her and slowed her descent. She looked up and saw Ruby, who was smiling at her. The girl's six black wings flapped steadily through the brilliant white sky.
"You... you're taking my hand?" the old witch asked in disbelief. "Even after all I did to you? Why? Don't you resent me? Still, I did..."
But Yukata didn't finish as Ruby merely shook her head. "Let's go back, Mistress Yukata," Ruby said softly. "Let's go back home... so that we can live together peacefully and happily."
The witch stared at her apprentice. Water ran down her face as a mix of joy and sorrow filled her heart. "Ruby... forgive me," the witch sobbed. "I thought you had forsaken me... that the humans had raised you against me..."
Ruby looked down at her master gently as she felt her own eyes start to water.
"I was blinded," Yukata continued. "Whatever I could've said or done... you had always been... the only one that mattered to me."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The group watched nervously, each one thinking a silent prayer. Moments after Naruto and Yukata had been trapped inside the beast's mouth, the creature had stopped moving. There had been no auras that signified a battle. They all wanted to do something, but feared that any attempts to save the jinchūriki might instead condemn him.
And so they waited, hoping for a miracle with each passing minute.
And then it happened. An explosion of light, big enough to engulf an entire mountain, burst from the Hanabake monstrosity. The group quickly covered their eyes, for the light was too strong for it to handle, but unbeknownst to them, they had received their miracle. When the light eventually cleared, the group gasped in shock, as the creature's body was now gone, never to be seen again in this world. But Naruto was still inside. They frantically looked around, hoping that they would find their friend, and their eyes widened when they found one familiar figure standing where the beast had once been.
Naruto was exhausted. Every muscle in his body ached since using the fox's chakra always harms his body, but at least with it, he was able to end the battle before any more people got hurt. He fell forward, only to be caught suddenly by two pairs of arms. The blonde looked up and saw the faces of Moka and Kakashi, with the former having changed back into her Outer self, gave a teary smile towards her boyfriend, extremely relieved that he was okay.
Meanwhile, Tsukune and the others stared at the three's interactions while rays of light soon peaked over the horizon. They watched as Kakashi and Moka helped Naruto up and the members of the Newspaper Club gathered before Witch Hill, with all reflecting upon the actions of that pre-dawn morning.
"In the end, I couldn't do anything," Tsukune sighed in remorse.
"It's okay Tsukune-kun," Kurumu patted the shoulder of her Destined One. "You did what you could."
Before anyone could reply, the sound of vehicle horns could be heard. The group turned to see the familiar school bus and an unknown car approach them. From that car climbed out their club advisor, Shizuka Nekonome. "Sorry for the delay!" the teacher apologized before she spied upon the aftermath of the battle. "Oh my! It didn't end without trouble it seemed."
"What do you mean 'without trouble'?" Naruto demanded, his voice etched with annoyance as the Newspaper Club members gathered around Nekonome.
"Are you guys a bunch of idiots or are you just doing that as a joke?" The group turned towards the familiar voice of Gin as the werewolf emerged from the bus door with the unconscious form or Ruby in his arms, to the amazement of the other members of the Newspaper Club.
"Ruby-san's alive!" Yukari asked in disbelief.
"Heheheheh, almost leaves you all speechless eh?" the bus driver asked as he leaned against the door frame of the bus. "That witch escaped that explosion unscathed, it seems, and we found her lying unconscious. It would appear that her master used the last of her strength to protect this child."
"Ruby-san!" the group exclaimed as they rushed towards the unconscious witch's side, glad that she made it out alive.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
As the members of the Newspaper Club started to board the bus, Kurumu suddenly cried. "Naruto-kun! Summoning that massive toad to help you in the fight... it was absolutely amazing!" she then hugged him tightly.
Bonk! A giant basin fell on her head courtesy of Yukari.
"That really was amazing, Naruto-kun!" Yukari said while Kurumu was rubbing off her now hurting head.
"That... that really was amazing," Moka said shyly, smiling sweetly at Naruto.
Amazing? Inner Moka thought. Amazing? Hmph. His display of power was unlike anything any of us have ever seen. The Kyūbi is a being of unfathomable strength, one that could destroy mountains and create tsunamis' with just a single swipe of one of its tails, and Naruto is able to use its power very effectively. Admirable, Inner Moka purred again as she remembered Naruto's two-tailed form. Such power. Such a display. Yes... I have had enough of waiting. The next time this Rosario comes off, I am making my claim. A being of his power is mine and my other half's and no one else's. I will be sure to let everyone, including that succubus and human, know that Namikaze Uzumaki Naruto is ours.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Moka was the last one to get on.
Stop right there.
The pink-haired vampire jumped a little when she realized that her Inner self was talking to her again.
From now on, Inner Moka said. Whenever you get into battles, I'm coming out to.
Moka blinked in surprise at her Rosario. "Um... sure," she said. Then she smiled sheepishly in an almost Naruto-like fashion. "We have been leaving you out lately. I guess you want to be able to walk around too, huh?"
Do not misunderstand me, Inner Moka corrected. I merely wish to have something relieve me of the boredom I feel while being sealed.
Moka smiled at her Rosario. "Okay," she said. "I'll make sure to let Naruto-kun know," With that, Moka hopped aboard the bus.
Too easy, Inner Moka thought to herself in satisfaction. Once they get into another fight, which will be soon, knowing Naruto, he will remove the Rosario and release me just as I requested. Once we are done with whichever opponent we face, I will claim him. And he will soon learn what that claim means. No doubt my other self will protest. But once she realizes that we will be having Naruto all to ourselves... I highly doubt that she will complain. Soon it'll be just us, Naruto-kun... very soon.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Naruto shivered.
Huh, I haven't felt this feeling ever since I was back in Konoha... I wonder what it is now...
Meanwhile, inside the mindscape of the blonde, a certain Nine-Tailed Fox was chuckling in amusement at his container's obliviousness. Oh brat, The fox thought. You are an idiot. I can sense the intentions of your silver-haired girlfriend. It is the same as that blue-haired female, Hinata was it? Anyway, it is so obvious; in fact, they were both reeking of it. Again, damn you Minato for having to seal me inside your stupid son! Couldn't you have found me a better container?
AN: Yeah, I think that I shouldn't have brought Gamabunta into the story as his departure was rather plain and lame... oh well, too late to change it now. Also, is obliviousness even a word? I just taught it would sound right for the sentence.