A/N: Matt. Stop asking me to update Destiny's Chosen. I write and update stories when I get the urge to. I can force a chapter out, but if I do so it's going to come out badly written and messy. So, please stop asking. I'll update it when I get inspiration for it again, plain and simple

Published: 5/1/2018

Warnings: None

Kurama

Terra

Naruto

Chapter 21

Void Beasts

Naruto's eyes snapped open, just like Terra had said they would. Well. At least the guy was honest with Naruto. His only major fault was the whole 'not telling you blah blah', which still annoyed the hell out of him.

What was it with other people knowing things about him and thinking it was best to keep him in the dark about it?

Sitting up, Naruto looked around. Then, he jumped in surprise.

Beside him, glowing blue eyes peering right at him, Cloud looked like he was trying, and failing, to hide his amusement.

"Hi." Cloud greeted.

"Hey." Naruto replied, looking around. Then, he blinked. Once, then again.

Sora was fighting a small tiny little figure that had the ability to jump around like a crazed jackrabbit on Soldier Pills. Said tiny figure held a Keyblade in hand, blue and yellow, the tip shaped like the crescent of a moon with a star in the center.

"Sora wanted to practice against another Keyblade weirder." Cloud explained.

"... Mickey-sensei fights like Yoda." Naruto couldn't help but point out, because it was totally true and anyone who says otherwise is totally blind.

Cloud snorted.

"Don't let either of them hear you say that, or you'll never hear the end of it."

…

"Yoda is real!?"

Cloud shot him a no duh look. It was starting to become the mans default expression around Naruto.

"Lots of things are real, Naruto-kun. You'll find that, given enough search, most legends find their origin in reality."

"... Yoda is from a movie." Naruto couldn't help but point out, eyes narrowed in suspicion, sure Cloud was pulling his leg on the whole thing.

To this, Cloud just shrugged, his expression giving away nothing. The man could get a goddamn award for being stoic, that's for sure. Then, rising to his feet, the taller blond offered Naruto a hand. Naruto took it, and allowed himself to be hauled up.

Cloud smiled at him. Then, he turned away from Naruto, towards Sora and the Uzukage.

"Sleeping beauty is awake!" Cloud called out. Naruto twitched.

Mickey and Sora paused in their duel. Sora took one look at Naruto and grinned.

"You're up!"

Sora then broke into a jog, no doubt planning on leaping right at him. It would hardly be the first time. Sora was rather… Cuddly. He was a very affectionate individual, from what Naruto had seen so far and he wasn't afraid to show in either.

"Interesting. This human holds no dark intentions towards you. No anger, no malice, no hurt. No sorrow. That, I admit, is a first."

Naruto swore. Loudly.

Cloud turned, eyebrow raised. Sora paused, looking slightly hurt and confused. Mickey tsked, eyes narrowed.

"What? Was it something I said?"

"Holy mother of Ramen! Since when can you talk to me?" Naruto didn't bother saying it internally, annoyed and fed up with this whole mess already.

"Since you started paying attention to my 'wondrous' ves- holy son of a fudgemuffin, it's him! It's really, really him! That dreadful, twisted being!"

Naruto jumped again, although this time it had nothing to do with the voice booming in his head. Instead, it had everything to do with the teleporting death mice of doom that had appeared before him.

Dark eyes peered up at him.

"Kurama. It has been some time." Mickey greeted cheerfully enough.

Who?

"Insolent beast! Run, Uzumaki! Run! As much as I detest you, even I would not set such an abomination upon you!"

Mickey pouted. Naruto edged away slightly.

"Kurama is telling you all sorts of mean things, aunt he? He was always so sensitive." Mickey said, tsking again with a roll of his eyes.

"You braided my tails together while I was sleeping, you deranged rodent! I will never for the life of me trust you again!"

Naruto nearly fell over at that one before staring at his teacher in unmasked awe.

Mickey looked smug, as if he knew exactly what the Kyuubi was shouting in Naruto's ears.

This… This tiny little mouse… He had… He'd… Naruto decided then and there that he was in the presence of royalty. Honest to god pranking royalty.

"Oh for the love of- mayday, everyone. He's been corrup- stop cheering!"

Naruto easily blocked out Terra's voice, instead focusing on the being before him. This totally awesome being that Naruto would learn so much from.

Naruto then bowed, head nearly slamming into the ground.

Sora's jaw dropped.

"Great Uzukage-sama! Please, teach me your pranking ways! I beg you!"

"... I take back every nice thing I ever said about you. You're just as twisted as he was."

"Shut up, you drama queen. Let him live a little."

"Why you approve of this is beyond me. Do you too not detest the rodent?"

"Whatever gave you that impression? I just don't know him, that's all."

"Both of you, shut it! This is my moment here! Finally, someone who truly appreciates the pranking arts!"

"If you wanted help with that, all you had to do was ask."

"... You… You pranks people? Since when?!"

"I'm an Uzumaki. It's a time honored tradition."

Naruto, with little mini stars shining in his eyes, soon became lost in his own internal argument, the very picture of an insane person talking to themselves over and over again. Which, technically he was, even if the voices in his head belonged to others.

Sora titled his head at his cousin. Naruto seemed to be having an… Internal battle. He was making faces left and right, his expression shiting from one to another.

"... Should we be concerned?" Sora asked.

"Nah. The seal will hold. Even a Keyblade would have trouble breaking something like that." Cloud replied.

Sora's eyes widened.

"Wait, really? What kind of seal could the Yondaime have used that even a Keyblade would have a hard time breaking?" Sora asked in amazement.

The Keyblade was literally a weapon designed to break seals. Any seal that a Keyblade would have trouble breaking was just plain unnatural.

Hell, from what Sora had heard, some wielders of the Keyblade could even use it to extract souls from others, although such a practice was explicitly forbidden for obvious reasons.

Not that Sora wasn't curious. If anything, he wanted to learn it for Rinoa. True, she hadn't been possessed by whatever in the hell had taken over Adel all those years ago, but there was still the risk.

Learning such a technique, while forbidden, would help Sora in such a situation. The downside, of course, was that he couldn't exactly practice the damn thing unless he used a live person, which he adamantly refused to do.

Sora's musings were cut short by the Uzukage.

"The kind where one deals with the Shinigami directly." Mickey answered, face scrunched in distaste.

Sora couldn't help but shudder at the words.

Okay, he was not expecting that one. He wasn't sure whether this meant the Yondaime had balls or if he was just plain stupid. Best not to think too much into it.

Karin's eyes snapped open. With a yawn, the former Kusa Genin lifted both arms above her head, stretching.

Where… Was she?

Karin looked around.

Huh. She was back in her room at the hotel where all the Uzu delegates had been given. How'd she end up here, anyways?

The last thing she remembered was…

Karin felt a scream ripping past her throat.

Eyes. Glowing eyes, staring right at her. Chakra so twisted, so dark that even thinking about it made her feel like she was dying. Like she was drowning, fading away in the all consuming frigid feel of the whole thing. Just the very memory of it felt like ice, coursing down her veins. Lava, pouring down her throat. It felt like-

Karin blinked, the images fading as quickly as they had appeared. For some reason, she was starting to feel… Sluggish.

Karin blinked, shaking her head to shrug it off.

Where had she been again? And how had she ended up back here?

Suddenly, the door snapped open. Karin shrieked, looking up. Tall, blond and jock stood there, blue eyes peering right at her.

"All right! You're up! I didn't tell any of the others, butttt you really shouldn't do something like that again! "Jockboy then proceeded to wag his finger at her. Karin twitched. "What if someone else found you? You'd never hear the end of it from Auron, that's for sure." Tidus was far too cheerful as he strode in, closing the door behind him as if he owned the place.

Karin glared at him, pulling the sheets up closer to her frame. True, she had clothes on, but sill! What would Sora say if he walked in on such a scene? What would he think?

Karin's heart belonged to one man, and one man only! How dare this… This… This musclehead march in here like that while no one else was around? The indecency of it all! Karin was a good girl, and she wouldn't have her name slandered by this idiot and his actions!

"Get out! What are you even doing here, anyways?" Karin screeched before freezing. No, no. Yelling was a bad idea. What if someone came and check and got the wrong impression?

Tidus arched a single eyebrow. Then, proving he had self preservation instincts at all, he crossed the small space between the bed and the door and tossed himself in right beside her, grin never leaving his face.

"Is that how you greet your knight in shining armor?" Tidus pouted at her.

"Sora is my knight, not you!" Karin growled, her glare growing more pronounced.

Tidus frowned.

"Huh. You really don't remember last night, do you?"

Karin felt a feeling of dread course through her.

"No… No, I don't. Oh god, we didn't-"

Karin was a good girl, and she meant it. Surely she hadn't done… Dirty things with this boy. She hadn't. She couldn't have.

Tidus laughed, which did not help with the situation. At all.

"You, Miss Uzumaki, got drunk as hell. Where you found the booze is beyond me, but your friend card is hereby removed for the next week cause you didn't think to share." Tidus ended with a pout.

What in the hell?

Drunk?

Well, Karin supposed that did explain her pounding headache.

Still… She couldn't help but feel like there was something important she was missing. Something that she had forgotten.

Karin decided to waive it off. Really, if it was that important, she'd remember what it was, right?

"Your memory wipe better hold, child."

"Course it will. Who do you think I am? You should me more worried about Riku's work."

"Relax. I did my part. That girl won't be sensing anything at all. That doesn't rule out Konoha's own sensors, though."

"They are of no consequence. That girl, though… She has her mother's gift. You did well in capturing her, my boy."

"You two are disturbing to look at. You know that, right?"

"Shut it, Yami."

Orochimaru trailed behind his new… Ally. He used the term lightly. Very, very lightly.

Kuja Tribal was one deranged ninja. Deranged to the point where he made even Orochimaru slightly uncomfortable. This was the man that had spent decades building trust in Uzushio before orchestrating its fall from the inside.

On top of that, Orochimaru was sure the man had some sort of immortality jutsu. Despite the many decades that had passed, Kuja still looked the same. On the other hand, so did Tsunade so Orochimaru supposed it came with the territory.

Still, this man was willing to help Orochimaru in his goals. The why, however, was what bothered Orochimaru. Not so much the act itself, because Orochimaru was a Shinobi and to him death was but an old friend.

No.

It bothered him because really, it was such an utter waste!

"You truly intend to kill the boy."

It was not a question. How could it be, when Kuja had made his point on it perfectly clear a dozen times over?

Kuja looked back. The pair of them had been walking along the forest, apparently to some grandiose 'secret weapon' Kuja had constructed that, according to the other, would be vital if they wanted to succeed.

Normally, Orochimaru would waive of such notions. His own preparations would normally be more than enough to crush Konoha underfoot, but that was before the newly added factor to the equation.

Uzushio really was a troublesome place. Could they not just die and fade, like history demanded they do so? That old village and its remnants seemed adamant in their refusal, which was why he was here, trailing behind a ninja just as dangerous as he was.

"But of course. The Keyblade… It truly is a twisted thing. That shall be my gift to the world: the erasure of that dreadful fallacy." Kuja spoke delightedly, practically skipping at the thought.

Orochimaru was talking, of course, about Sora. Surprisingly, Kuja had yet to learn Naruto Uzumaki could summon a Keyblade as well, and Orochimaru was going to keep it that way. He needed this man's help, distastefully, but he couldn't have the man killing of not one, but two potential vessels.

"Such power, though-"

"The Keyblade is a twisted blade beyond measure. From it are birthed true abominations, monsters running about without souls to call their own. Whatever benefit you seek, you shan't find it in that." Kuja shook his head at Orochimaru, as if Orochimaru was an insolent brat that 'just didn't understand'.

The moment this second rate crossdressed was of no use to him, Orochimaru would tear him to pieces. Perhaps he'd feed him to Manda. It would probably give the other an upset stomach, but Orochimaru didn't mind. Anything to be rid of this brat.

"Only death comes to those seeking that blade, and death alone."

Kuja turned away before letting out a squeal.

"Aha! It's here! It's still here, after all these years! Marvelous! Yes, marvelous!"

Then, the small ninja darted forth, practically floating away. No. Literally floated away. Orochimaru took note of it, following behind.

The pair of them arrived in the ruins of a stone temple. Vines clung all around masonry, cracks running along it. The roof itself was gone. All that remained was the floor, the walls and roof having caved in long ago.

Orochimaru raised an eyebrow.

"This… Is what you seek?"

Kuja giggled, turning to look at Orochimaru over his shoulder.

"But of course, Orochimaru! A summoning circle, tied to the Void. Truly, the things Konoha doesn't realize are right before it's front steps!"

Tied to the Void? What did that even mean? Curiosity spiked, Orochimaru eyed the ruins a little more interest. Runes ran along the floor, half covered in debris but there nonetheless.

Kuja spread his arms out on either side of him. A small hum escaped the Nukenin's lips before said debris was blasted away, gust after all.

Then, from Sage knows where because that outfit literally had no pockets, Kuja drew four vials out.

"This is just what we need. For our enemy is the Uzukage, and this shall be his bane. Come, from the Void, and forge in their image."

The air around them began to pick up. Then, before Orochimaru's eyes, a hole tore itself in reality. That was the only way to describe it. A hole in the world, in the universe, in all creation.

Kuja tossed the vials right in.

There was a hiss followed by screeching. Orochimaru gripped at his ears, backing away. How Kuja could stand so nonchalant was beyond Orochimaru. He personally worked with Sound Jutsu, and that noise was loud enough to rupture eardrums, protected by Chakra or no.

Kuja splayed his hands once more, lifting them into the air.

"Rise, from the ashes. Rise, and take the form I so desire. Come, beasts of the Void, may you breath again."

Then, all at once the screeching stopped. Then, hands started to claw their way out of the tear. Except, they weren't normal hands.

They glistened, like crystals.

No.

Not like.

They were crystal. Creatures made of crystal. What in the world?

Four figures crawled their way out, out from the Void and into the world. Orochimaru froze, eyes locked with one of them.

What… What was this Jutsu?

"What is this?" Orochimaru's voice trembled. He couldn't help it. These creatures… They felt wrong. Wrong in every sense of the word. Something that should not ever, ever exist.

Kuja turned, a smirk dancing on lips.

"These, my lovely snake charmer… Are manikins. Weapons that we shall use against the Uzukage. Yes. These four… These four will do." Kuja grinned turning back towards the crystal creatures.

Orochimaru took a step forward.

Of its own volition, his hand lifted.

Naruto Uzumaki's pet guardian stared right back at him, skin a translucent mix of earthy browns and purple.

Kuja smiled.

"Tell me, Orochimaru, do you think Naruto-kin will be grateful?"

Orochimaru froze.

"I've no idea what you mean, Kuja."

The other took a step forth, hand reaching out. With it, he cupped the cheek of the smallest of the crystal warriors, a boy forged of greens and white.

"This is as much a gift for him as it is for the Uzukage. Yes. Perfect. This shall be perfect. You will do. Yes…" Kuja looked back at him, and smiled. "I've brought his family back for him! For I am the light of the story, and it will be I that will reunite them! And you…"

Kuja turned back to the manakin, petting it on the cheek.

"I think you will do best, little Ventus. You'll kill Naruto-kun for me, won't you?"

Shit. Orochimaru decided he'd have to have Kabuto trail Naruto-kun. And Sora. Sigh. And they'd been just prepared to let that cover drop too, but no. It seemed they would need it a while longer.

No matter how useful Kuja was, Orochimaru wasn't about to let the other murder Orochimaru's only chance at attaining a legendary power that rivaled that of the Rinnegan.

Kuja took a step back, that smile never leaving his face as he grinned victoriously at his creations.

"This shall be the Uzukage's undoing. Let him fall, at the hands of reflections of his old friends."