Yay! Angst-fest!
Either way, I meant to release this tmrw. My good friend Darkfire (who tells me if my ideas are too far-fetched or not) didn't give it back yet. So, I released it as-is with a few changes. In any case, I changed chapter 9 (finally) to say that Hikari isn't a hanyo. Took me long enough, huh?
Now, we find out if Hikari is the (re?)incarnation of Amaterasu or not. This chapter would have a lemon, but it doesn't fit in with what I need. Thus, I'll write a lemon later.
FYI: I'm working on another story (which won't be released until I've written like 5 chapters, or this story's finished) and I've got an idea for an original story (not fanfiction, something I could actually publish) that I might write and put up on FP or send to a publisher. IDK yet.
Just know that a publisher would prob write my work off as crap.
Enjoyz!
(This first bit could be considered an omake with plot-relevance)
Naruto sighed and wrote something on a piece of paper. "I see your 'eternal use of Amaterasu', and I raise you one infallible torture technique."
"I see your infallible torture technique, and I raise you one judgement jutsu," The Shinigami replied; sliding a similar piece of paper across the table.
Tsukuyomi raised an eyebrow. "I see your judgement jutsu and I raise you partial control of the moon."
Everybody was silent. "Wow," Naruto blinked. "That's a lot."
"I fold," Hotei sighed after a moment of silence.
Everybody paled. If he folded…
Jashin winced. "I fold too, in that case."
Naruto grinned as he revealed his hand. "I've got a royal flush."
All of the other deities in the room groaned. "How the hell did you beat Hotei-san? He's a god of luck!" Amaterasu exclaimed.
Naruto grinned. "I don't know."
"I wish I knew how," Hotei mumbled.
Naruto continued to grin as he took the I.O.U.'s from the gods who'd just betted against him. The Shinigami mentally swore that Naruto would eventually become one of the deities of luck. "Anyways, Shinigami-san. Since you were kind enough to offer a judgement jutsu, I'll tell you my torture technique anyways."
The Shinigami leaned in, with a toothy grin on his face. When Naruto whispered his idea into the Shinigami's ear, the Shinigami burst out laughing. "That's ingenious!"
"What is it?" Tsukuyomi whined. "I've always wanted to torture somebody!"
"It's better if I just show you," The Shinigami replied while he continued to chuckle.
"Gai-sensei!" Lee called; tears streaming down his face. His regular green jumpsuit was missing, and he was only wearing a green Speedo and orange legwarmers.
"Lee!" Gai called in response as tears streamed down his own face. His attire was similar to Lee's, except his legwarmers were blue.
"Gai-sensei!" Lee ran towards Gai, and the two embraced. The sun began to visibly set.
"I wish I'd never played poker with that man's ancestors," Amaterasu groaned.
Naruto chuckled. "So that's why you didn't make the same mistake as Tsukuyomi-san?"
"I wish I'd learned that lesson," Tsukuyomi groaned. After a small pause, she continued. "By the way, shouldn't you be testing your team?"
Naruto shrugged. "What's the worst that could happen?"
The table burst out in laughs.
"The worst that could happen…" Jashin mused. "They could turn into sacrifices for me."
Amaterasu blinked. "They're still doing that?"
"Yeah," Jashin snorted. "They don't understand that I want evil souls. It's no fun eating the good ones."
"Yeah," Naruto sighed. "They taste like… headless chickens…"
Naruto bit his finger and hit the ground with his hand. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu: Niwatori! (Summoning Technique: Chicken)"
A plume of smoke appeared, and Naruto blinked as… a headless chicken emerged.
"That was funny," Jashin commented. "I nearly shit myself laughing."
Naruto furrowed his brows. "It was so not funny…"
"So…" Amaterasu intervened. "Did you give Hikari the necklace yet?"
All of the table's occupants leaned in, and Naruto winced. "No…" He trailed off slightly.
"Why would that be?"
"You know exactly why," Naruto replied. "If she's a human, then we can be mates. If she's your reincarnation, then when she dies… her soul will be returned to you."
The Shinigami sighed slightly. "It's true… I'm afraid that not even I can do something about that."
"You would rather that she didn't know?" Amaterasu queried.
"I'll…" Naruto faltered slightly. "I'll give her the necklace soon. I just need to come to terms with the possibility. I might have good luck on the table, but when all the cards are down…" Naruto chuckled bitterly. "I always get dealt with the losing hand."
He spread his latest hand upon the table with a sigh. There was an 8 of hearts and an 8 of spades.
All of them winced. "I'll be testing my new genin," Naruto sighed.
Before anybody could say anything else; Naruto stepped through a door which randomly appeared. Jashin sighed, "Poor kid. His soul isn't as pure anymore."
"Oh?" Amaterasu asked. "How so?"
"Just as Jashin-san said. He cares for that girl far too much," The Shinigami replied. "You're sure you do not wish to reconsider?"
"Not unless he can prove himself," Amaterasu murmured.
---The Forest of Death – 6 Hours Before End of Test---
"Ah! What the hell is that?" Saimei yelled in shock. There was a huge caterpillar chasing him. "Damn it! Why the hell did we split up?!"
From behind a bush, Naruto sighed. It seemed almost as if their teamwork sucked…
"Hmm, let's see… maybe if I go attack him in plain sight of the others…" Naruto mused. "No… I have the perfect strategy!"
---3 Hours Before End of Test---
Naruto giggled perversely as he dodged another blazing kick from Ukito. He casually brought his arm upwards, and it blocked a strike from Isae. Isae jumped back to catch her breath, while Saimei took her place and sent a spinning kick towards Naruto's head. Naruto casually ducked and flipped to the next page of his orange book. "That isn't part of the academy taijutsu. Funny how it's always the 'dobe' that shows everybody up"
"When you're at the bottom, you can only go up," The Kyuubi snorted. "You have 3 days, 5 hours and 15 minutes left until your body dies."
Naruto sighed. Without any warning; he snapped his book shut and put it inside of his pouch. Naruto casually brushed some of his golden hair away from his eyes and grinned. "Well, I guess it's time to take it up a notch."
Ukito and Saimei doubled their ferocity, and Naruto gracefully weaved between kicks, punches, bouts of fire, and other attacks. Finally, when he was getting bored; he removed some ninja wire, unravelled it, and grinned. Naruto quickly pushed Saimei towards Isae; who'd just recovered, and Saimei landed on top of her; his left knee in-between her legs and his hand on her breast. Naruto released another perverted giggle and tossed Ukito into what would likely become a warzone. Before any of them could move, Naruto tossed the ninja wire around them and restrained them.
Naruto stared at the fuming genin, and started dragging them off towards the exit without speaking one word. When he was near the exit; he was intercepted by a purple-haired blur. "Naruto-kun!" Anko yelled gleefully.
Naruto ducked under Anko's path, and sighed. "Anko-nee, I'm working here…"
"You're no fun," Anko pouted. "You should've invited me!" Anko took out a kunai and slowly licked the edge of it. "I need some fresh blood!"
Naruto snorted. "I'd rather not expose them to you yet."
"Come on," Anko whined. "Just start the test over again! Nobody would know!"
"Well…" Naruto drawled.
---Flashback, One Day Ago---
"Just why aren't you testing your genin team?" Tsunade groaned as she ran her hand through her hair in exasperation.
"I was chilling out with some deities?" Naruto responded in a questioning tone.
Tsunade sighed, "I don't even know if that's a lie… You know that you're screwed if any of them die in there, right?"
"I don't let my comrades die," Naruto quickly replied; settling his steely gaze upon Tsunade.
"Then test your team like you're supposed to!"
---End Flashback---
"Yeah, no thanks," Naruto mumbled. "Obaa-chan would have my head for that. Besides, I don't have three days…"
"You're no fun," Anko repeated. "If you ever need anybody to teach them a lesson, let me know!" Anko chirped as she ran into the forest.
Naruto rolled his eyes and turned his gaze towards his group of genin. Not that they knew they'd passed. "Sensei…?" Saimei asked hesitantly. "Please don't ever bring us to meet her again…"
Naruto chuckled slightly, and tossed the three genin – who were still in compromising positions – outside of the forest. He casually sat down beside them, took a stick of pocky, and ate it. "So… What did you guys think you did incorrectly? Actually, no, scratch that. Do you think you passed?"
"Of course we passed!" Saimei yelled enthusiastically; while moving his hand – which, incidentally, was still on Isae's breast – causing Isae to let out a light moan.
"Alright, what about you, Ukito-kun?" Naruto asked.
"I refuse to fail," Ukito replied.
"Isae-kun?"
"Of course Ukito-kun passed!" She squealed.
"Let's see… how to kill the 'fan-girl virus'…" Naruto mused. "Alright, you pass, I'll see you guys later since you get the next two weeks off. I expect you three to train. Especially you Isae-kun, you need more stamina. Ukito-kun needs more restraint and variety, while Saimei-kun…" Naruto frowned thoughtfully. "Saimei-kun should work on strategy."
Before they could reply, Naruto jumped off. They were all silent for a moment, and Saimei frowned. "Aren't we still tied together?"
"He still didn't give us his name!" Isae shrieked.
A small piece of paper took that moment to land in front of them. "What's it say?" Saimei asked.
Ukito strained his vision. "It says… 'My name is Namikaze Uzumaki Naruto'."
Naruto coughed lightly as he jumped towards the Hokage tower. Once he removed his hand from his mouth, he lightly moved the coppery liquid around in his mouth and spat it out onto the grass. "Team 7 passed," Naruto stated when he landed on the windowsill.
"Any observations?" Tsunade asked.
"Ukito is good with fire, but he's far too arrogant to actually improve. By my reckoning, Saimei's a taijutsu genius, and he's probably good with ninjutsu as well. Isae… She might make a good medic-nin, and probably a good genjutsu-user," Naruto replied. "Can I leave now? I gave them two weeks off, and I really need to go before we feel an immense explosion of power and Konoha implodes."
Tsunade paused. "Konoha would implode?"
"Yeah," Naruto replied. "It's somewhat annoying, but at least I know that it's not the best thing to do inside of civilization."
"Hm," Tsunade mused. "Alright, how about you go to Tsuchi no Kuni for this implosion?"
Naruto blinked. "Is there any particular reason? The Tsuchikage and the Tsuchi no Daimyo are huge fans of the new-and-improved Icha Icha…" Naruto mused.
"I'm not going to ask," Tsunade muttered. "They've been getting bolder, and we've been attacked during missions more than once. Just stay outside of Iwa's borders, but sent a message."
"Alright," Naruto sighed. "Anything else I need to be aware of?"
"There'll be one team in the area," Tsunade replied. "Try not to harm them."
"I'll try," Naruto replied. "I'll see you soon."
Tsunade smiled lightly as she watched him go back.
"Hokage-sama, you said that you had a mission for me?" Hikari asked as she opened the door.
"Alright, so this mission is to Tsuchi no Kuni," Tsunade began.
---Seven Days Later---
"What was that explosion of power?!" One of the Iwa shinobi asked/hyperventilated.
"I don't know!" Another one responded.
"Well the Tsuchikage will want to know! We've lost half of our livestock from that!" The last shinobi yelled. After five more minutes of arguing, they finally moved to a different location.
At that exact moment, Hikari jumped down from the tree she was hiding on, and clutched her arm in pain. She slumped against the tree and hissed as the rough bark made contact with her bare back. Hikari sat on the ground and looked at her leg. "Damn," She muttered. "It'll be out of commission for six days, and I can't heal it because of all the Iwa shinobi…"
---Flashback---
Hikari groaned silently as she saw the army of shinobi in front of her. She knew that no matter how powerful she was, she wouldn't be able to defeat all of them without taking a few life-threatening injuries. She also knew that, since she was bordering on chakra exhaustion, she wouldn't be able to use Amaterasu.
"Well, well, well," One of the shinobi laughed. "Isn't she a pretty little thing? Don't worry honey, I'll treat you just fine," he drawled.
Hikari gritted her teeth. "To hell with restrictions!"
Before that shinobi could say anything else, he was hit with three kunai, landing in his head, chest and groin respectively.
The entire clearing burst into activity, and soon, there were only 15 people left. Through the fight, Hikari had sustained some painful, yet non-lethal injuries. There were several shuriken sticking out of her back, a few kunai were sticking out of her right leg, and her arm was sprained. Hikari gritted her teeth and fled as fast as she could; leaving her pursuers in the dust.
---End Flashback---
Her head snapped up as she heard a twig snap, and she looked up to see… a fox with golden fur? Hikari's eyes widened as the fox trotted up to her, sniffed her, and curled up beside her. "That was weird…" Hikari murmured.
The fox yipped.
"A fox that can understand what I can say…" Hikari mused. "Are you a Yoko?"
The fox nodded its head.
Hikari blinked. "How many tails do you have?"
The fox looked up at her and tilted its head. Hikari sighed. The fox suddenly scampered off and Hikari watched with a frown as it came back with something in its maw. Hikari leaned down to examine the item, only to see… a golden necklace shaped like the sun, and a silver star-shaped necklace shaped. The fox dropped the two necklaces onto the ground, and curled up defensively beside them. When Hikari tried to touch the golden necklace – which seemed eerily familiar – the fox growled at her, and she brought her hand back.
"Fine," She muttered.
Thus, the two living beings, Hikari and the fox, made a small companionship. Since Hikari had wounds on her back, legs and arms; the fox would bring her food while she bandaged and cleaned her wounds; while Hikari would defend the fox from any large predators. However, there eventually came a time when Hikari had to leave for Konoha.
"I'm going to go now," Hikari stated as she petted the fox. The fox let out a small purr of contentment, and Hikari had to suppress a laugh. "I'm going in a few minutes."
The fox snapped out of its mini-trance and went toward its small stash of jewellery (read: the two necklaces). The fox picked up the golden necklace with its maw, and handed it to Hikari, who stared at the fox questioningly. She could've sworn she saw a small trace of sadness inside its eyes.
"For me?" She asked. The fox yipped affirmatively, and Hikari found it somewhat amusing that she was able to tell whether the fox – who she suspected to be male – was saying 'yes' or 'no'.
Hikari gently took the necklace from its maw, and put it on. As soon as she clasped the two ends of the chain together, it began to glow brightly, before the light faded. Hikari shot a questioning look towards the fox, who gave her what she assumed to be a sad smile.
Before Hikari could say anything, the fox grabbed the silver necklace within its teeth and scampered off. Hikari touched the necklace, and a light frown made its way onto her face.
With a small sigh, Hikari quickly made her way towards Konoha; trying to get the images of the fox's mournful cerulean eyes out of her head. Suddenly, Hikari's eyes widened. "Cerulean…?" She muttered.
The fox let out a small growl as eight more golden tails emerged from its tailbone. After a moment, the fox began to mutate in shape, until it turned into a human with nine fox tails and fox ears on the top of his head. After another minute, the fox ears receded, as did the tails. Naruto chuckled sadly, "So it's true, huh?"
"It's a shame," The Kyuubi remarked. "She would've made a great mate."
Naruto sighed as he wore the crescent-shaped necklace. Suddenly, a bitter laugh forced its way out of his mouth. "That's hilarious," He muttered. "I fell in love with the reincarnation of Amaterasu, and even if Hikari reciprocates my feelings, a bond between demon and god…"
Naruto wiped a lone tear away from his eye and stared at it in confusion for a moment. "Why am I crying…?" He muttered.
"It's not impossible. You love her and she loves you, doesn't she?"
Naruto frowned thoughtfully.
"I'll never give up!" Naruto yelled. "'Cuz that's my nindo!"
"I'll never give up," Naruto muttered as he wiped the tears away from his eyes. "Because that's my nindo!"
---Cue Perfect Place to End… AKA A Few Days Later; In Konoha---
Naruto groaned as he experimentally moved his shoulders. "My muscles are stiff, damn it!"
Naruto blinked as he walked into training ground 7 and saw all of his students. "I could've sworn I gave you guys two weeks off," Naruto stated.
"It's been two weeks already, sensei!" Saimei yelled. "Now come on! We've been waiting for 2 hours!"
"2 hours?" Naruto asked. "Damn, I'm early. Alright, we have 6 months to train you three to be the best genin you can possibly be!"
"Yosh!" Saimei yelled enthusiastically.
"Why six months, sensei?" Isae asked.
"I'm considering whether or not I should enter you in the Chûnin exams," Naruto replied. "They'll be in Kirigakure no Sato in six months."
Ukito smirked, "Sounds like a good idea."
Naruto rolled his eyes. "Alright, what we'll be doing today… is a survival exercise!"
The incessant groaning of the new team 7 could be heard up until it was time for them to go home.
"Survival training, huh?" Hikari asked as she jumped down from the tree.
"Yeah," Naruto replied after a brief pause. "So, anything interesting happen while I was gone?"
"Now that you mention it," Hikari nodded thoughtfully. "I met a golden Kitsune during a botched up mission. It seemed to take a liking to me."
"Is that so?" Naruto asked casually. "Sounds like you're good with animals."
"That's not it," Hikari interrupted him. "It took care of me and everything. It even gave me a necklace once I left."
"I guess the Kitsune clan really likes you," Naruto stated after a small pause.
"Its eyes were blue, Naruto," Hikari muttered. "You were that Kitsune weren't you?"
"I suppose I was," Naruto conceded. "But then again, I am a demon, right?"
Hikari furrowed her brows. "Why did you give me the necklace?"
"It was a gift," Naruto responded after a moment's pause. "I also wanted to see something…"
"What was that?" Hikari asked cautiously.
"I wanted to see if it was truly yours."
Hikari narrowed her eyes. "You're hiding something."
"'A ninja's best weapon is deception'," Naruto quoted.
"And a ninja is a mere tool," Hikari murmured. "Naruto… what am I to you?" His eyes slightly widened in shock, and he paused slightly. When he didn't respond, a bitter smile began to form on Hikari's face, and she walked away slowly. "Until you've decided; I'm Hikari. You're Naruto. Not Naruto-koi or Naruto-kun."
Naruto's head snapped up, and he made a quick decision. "Everything," Naruto murmured. Hikari turned back and stared at Naruto expectantly. "You're everything to me, Hi-hime… You're my night, my day, my life…" Naruto kept his voice level, and he stared Hikari straight in the eyes. "You're the person I love."
Hikari smiled softly. "I love you too, Naruto-koi. Now why don't you tell me what you're really hiding?" She asked; her voice talking on a steely tone.
Naruto gulped. He knew that if he didn't answer, he'd lose a very important part of his anatomy. "Wait, would she risk it? Can I grow it back…?"
"Do you want to?"
Naruto paled. "I… I can't tell you."
Hikari narrowed her eyes. "It wasn't a question."
"I…" Naruto furrowed his brows. "I can't tell you. It's too…" He lowered his gaze to the ground.
"If you can't tell her, then I can," Naruto heard from behind Hikari. Naruto's eyes snapped up and he saw Amaterasu wearing a confident smirk. She was standing behind Hikari, wearing a light yellow yukata.
"Who're you?" Hikari asked.
Amaterasu nodded gravely at Naruto, and he hung his head once again when she snapped her fingers, and the two of them disappeared in a bright flash of light.
Naruto sighed as he plopped himself onto the ground and watched the sunset.
"You shouldn't hide these things from those you're destined to be with," A wolf stated as it trotted up to Naruto and sat beside him.
"I can't come to terms with the truth," Naruto chuckled bitterly. "She'll probably start avoiding me once she learns that we can't be together. Just as well, it takes away a lot of pain."
"You're being a coward," The wolf growled. "If you love her, then fight for her!"
Naruto glared at the fox. "I am not a coward," Naruto growled back.
"Oh really?" The two-tailed wolf taunted. "You chose to wait until she was outside of Konoha to give her the necklace, you didn't tell her who she is…"
"What would you have me do?" Naruto asked in exasperation. "I haven't felt anything like this, and I don't want it to end! I was hoping that if I just left it…"
The wolf shook its head sadly. "I told you something when I came here today. 'You shouldn't hide things from those you're destined to be with'," The wolf stated. "Until you can recognize the truth, you won't deserve her; you will be a coward… Just know this, Naruto-san: the gods work in mysterious ways."
The wolf disappeared, and Naruto could've sworn he heard the words 'Look underneath the underneath,' riding on the wind.
"I'm such an idiot," He snorted lightly. "Just a few days ago, I was telling myself that I'd never give up…"
Despite his mood, Naruto could feel a small smile gracing his face, and he walked to the apartment that Tsunade had rented for him. Once he closed the door and secured it; he walked into the bedroom and turned around to close the door. Naruto blinked as he saw Hikari staring at him; one step away from him.
"You're an idiot," Hikari growled as she pushed him towards the wall. Naruto only had one second in which to register confusion, before she slammed her lips against his. She began to violently attack his mouth with her tongue; putting it in just the right places to elicit positive responses from Naruto. Naruto growled as her tongue lightly flicked against his cheek, and he pushed her on the bed.
"If you don't turn back now, you'll mate with me," Naruto growled. Hikari allowed herself a confident smirk when she saw his flushed cheeks and the tails which were flickering behind him.
"I wouldn't have it any other way," She grinned.
---The God's Poker Table---
"He passed the first test. Willingness to break the rules for her," Amaterasu commented.
"You think he'll get the second?" Tsukuyomi asked.
"We'll have to wait and see…" Amaterasu muttered.
---The Next Day---
(I'll write a lemon… eventually. The setup for this one wouldn't work with the lemon I have planned)
Naruto squinted as the light from the curtains streamed into his room. He lightly stroked Hikari's cheek, and smiled as she tightened her grip around him. "Wasn't I supposed to go meet my team today?" Naruto asked himself.
"Don't leave," Hikari mumbled.
"Well, that's all the motivation I need," Naruto shrugged as he formed a Kage Bunshin without the seals. The Bunshin went towards the training ground to train his students.
Hikari turned around to face Naruto and glared at him. "If I'm pregnant, you have to take responsibility."
Naruto smiled, "You know, I've always wanted a kid. I'll go through heaven and hell for you, Hi-hime. If we have a kid, I'll do the same for him or her. Although I'm quite sure that kissing doesn't equate to pregnancy..."
Hikari giggled, "We'll see."
Naruto chuckled lightly. "When I get back... maybe then I'll be able to take you..."
Hikari snorted. "Do you think we'll have the time?"
Naruto winked. "We'll find time." He looked at the calendar and frowned. "I'm going to have to go."
"Why?" Hikari asked.
"I'm going to take care of something," Naruto replied as he rolled out of bed. Hikari grabbed his hand, and Naruto turned to face her.
"You better come back alive," She murmured.
Naruto winked. "I will."
He jumped towards the Hokage tower, and inside the window. "What is it?" Tsunade asked.
"I need to leave the village," Naruto replied. "I'm going after Akatsuki."
"Wouldn't that be playing into their trap?" Tsunade pointed out.
"I'll have my best chance to fight them tomorrow," Naruto replied. "Mark it down as an SS-Ranked mission. Actually, don't mark it down. Just give me a temporary travelling pass."
"You better come back alive, gaki," Tsunade sighed as she handed him the pass. Naruto winked as he took a necklace with a green gem attached and handed it to Tsunade. "Is that…?"
"I can't wear it during this fight," Naruto gravely stated. "I know what it's used for, and I can't risk it suppressing my yoki."
Tsunade's gaze hardened. "Don't you dare die…" She murmured.
Naruto winked as he unfurled a scroll and placed some blood on a seal in the middle of it. As soon as he placed the blood on it, a perfect copy of him was assembled; from the innards up. "My Chi Bunshin (Blood Clone) will act in my place here. It has about 1/5th of my power."
Tsunade blinked as she did the math. "That's a lot…"
"Yeah," Naruto grinned. He turned to the Bunshin and whispered something in its ear; causing the Bunshin to pout and blush consecutively. "Alright, see you Tsunade-sama."
Tsunade's eyes widened as Naruto jumped out of the window. "He'll be fine," The clone reassured her.
There was a moment's pause. "So, seen any good movies lately?" Tsunade asked the clone in frustration.
---2 Days Later---
Naruto narrowed his eyes as he entered Amegakure no Sato. He could still see the blood stains from the recent civil war which had occurred. Naruto didn't need a genius to know the winner of the match, but he knew that this would be the hardest fight that he'd ever had.
Just as Naruto stepped past the first building, he was intercepted by six figures, each of them with similar eyes. Their eyes were completely purple, with concentric circles leading towards the pupil. "Pein, I challenge you to a battle," Naruto stated after the seven of them stared at each other.
"What would this battle be, Namikaze Naruto?" Pein asked. "What could force you to fight against a god?"
Naruto allowed a small smile to grace his otherwise emotionally devoid face. "Peace."
To Be Continued.
Next Chapter: Naruto vs. Pein: I Won't Give Up!
Mmk, I'm going to my school dance now (well, later) :D
- Laterz