XIII Ninja
By James The Fox
Edited and Proofread by the 17th Immortal
Naruto Copyright Kishimoto and Shonen Jump
Kingdom Hearts Copyright Disney and Square Enix
Naruto: "Do I have to be part of this episode?"
Iruka: "Yes, you do. This is a Naruto Fanfic, after all."
(The author is watching two Pikachus dance to "Caramelldansen" on Youtube, awkwardly mimicking the rodents.)
Iruka: (throws an eraser at James the Fox) "Pay attention, darn it!" (Turns to Naruto) "See, this is what happens to lazy people! They end up wasting their minds on junk like Youtube, DeviantART, and the like until their brain rots!"
Naruto: "Yeah… But isn't Fanfiction just like Youtube and DeviantART?"
Iruka: (Makes a Gai-like pose) "No! We who work so hard on Fanfiction are not wasting our minds! We use our minds to write amazing, thought-provoking stories for others to read! It is OUR responsibility to entertain and educate the masses with our beautiful tales!!"
Naruto: (tears in his eyes) "You're right, Iruka-sensei!"
Iruka: "Naruto!
Naruto: "Iruka-sensei!"
Iruka: "Naruto!" (Both hug, and the background becomes that of a beach at sunset. Waves crash behind them)
Naruto: "…"
Iruka: "…"
Both: "…Never again."
(The author is still dancing, "Caramelldansen" is still playing) "On to the Fic!"
A new day.
Things had mostly returned to normal, though the village was still working hard to fix the damage caused by Oto and Suna.
Speaking of Suna…
"So, the Kazekage had been assassinated before the attack, and Orochimaru took on the disguise of the Kazekage to pit Suna against us?" Kakashi asked, raising his visible eyebrow quizzically.
"Yes," Ibiki said, annoyed at the new development. "…To think, Orochimaru has gained such power that he could face both the Third Hokage, and actually DEFEAT the Fourth Kazekage… Unthinkable…"
"Not really…" Riku muttered. "I've faced people stronger even than that before…"
"I've heard…" Kakashi said. "That Xehanort man you mentioned… and those Chasers you're so worried about… They're Kage-level, or even stronger, right?"
"Wait, so Riku here actually faced people that strong, and lived to tell the tale?" Ibiki stared at Riku.
"Yep," Anko answered for Riku, biting into some dango. "Maybe HE should become Hokage…"
"Nah… I've made mistakes before, and I never faced those guys on my own…" Riku looked away. "I don't have the kind of qualifications to be Hokage." Besides… it would be too dangerous.I'd be too much of a target, with the Chasers still out there…
"Why not Naruto?" Anko joked, still munching on dango. "After all, he's very interested in the job."
"Hm… That's actually not that bad an idea…" Riku scratched his chin. "…SHIT! I'm late again!" He glared at Kakashi. "You're starting to rub off on me, dammit!" He bolted from his seat, stopping in front of Anko. "You got something… Right there." Riku kissed Anko on the cheek, where some of the dango was on her face. "See ya!" Riku then opened a portal of darkness, leaving a silent room and a lightly blushing Anko.
"…wish he'd just propose one of these days and get it over with…" Kakashi grumbled before pulling out his perverted book. Anko promptly threw a wooden dango skewer at him where it embedded itself in the thick cover, much to Kakashi's horror.
A New Mission Begins! Find the Legendary Healer!
Mid grinned, looking at his finished creation. "Okay… now all that's left is to test it…" He walked out the door, a new invention in hand. He walked onto the courtyard, and saw exactly the person he'd been looking for.
"Llednar!"
The Twem Clan Heir stopped and turned to face his older brother. "Yes?"
"I just finished a new invention, and I need someone to help me test it."
"In other words, you want someone to be your target… Fine. I still have a little bit before I need to head to train with my team." He walked with Mid to the middle of the Courtyard. "So, what exactly are you testing?"
Mid produced a saucer-like object from a summoning scroll, and pulled out a small controller that fit well in his hand.
"A kind of puppet that I manipulate in a different way than the usual kind," he smiled, throwing the disc to the ground several feet from him. Pressing a button on the controls, four legs extended out from the device. At the same time, a thin cable came out from the top of the machine, a stinger protruding from the tip. "As you can see, it's made from about the same material as my backpack. It's equipped with a camera, so it can be used for surveillance, and has a stinger as a means of attack. Coupled with its smaller size, that makes it excellent for surprise attacks."
"Are you sure that stinger is able to do anything? It looks rather small to me…"
"Well, right now it can't, but I can arm it with up to ten different poisons, which in battle can be injected into the opponent quickly. The target would only feel something like a mosquito bite, but once the poison spreads…"
"I see… It's not something to take lightly in battle."
"Yes, if I got the arm to function correctly. If not, well… It won't thrust quickly enough to hit a target, especially a moving target."
"I see, so this is to test if it can keep up with an average ninja…" Llednar narrowed his eyes. "Very well, let's see what your new toy can do!"
"Focus… Focus… FOCUS!" Water splashed high into the air, swirling clumsily around Hinata, who had dressed down to a one-piece bathing suit to keep her usual clothes dry during her training. Her new technique was well underway, but was far from finished. Riku watched from the trees, smiling.
"That kid is, even at this point, one hell of a kunoichi…" Riku raised his eyebrows at Jiraiya, who was on the branch above Riku, watching with interest. "And quite a looker, too!" Riku shook his head.
Ugh… And here I thought the women he usually spied on were young for him… "Aren't you supposed to be training Naruto?"
"I thought he was here with you. He wasn't at our usual spot… I searched all of his usual hangouts, but couldn't find him."
"Not even at the sakura tree?"
Jiraiya bent over and hung from the branch, looking Riku in the eye, "Nope…"
"You sure you looked hard enough?" Riku asked, a bit skeptical of Jiraiya.
"I wouldn't do it any other way, in this situation… I recently got intelligence that the Akatsuki was nearby. Luckily, I was able to get the Council's permission to bring Naruto with me on a mission outside the village. With any luck, the Akatsuki will have moved on by the time we get back."
Riku narrowed his eyes. "What's the mission?"
"To retrieve… the next Hokage."
Riku leaned back, startled. "…I see. Well, in the meantime… I think I'll pay these Akatsuki guys a visit…" Riku cracked his knuckles.
"Alright… But be careful. One of them—"
"—is the traitor of the Uchiha Clan, who can screw with my mind," Riku said with particular venom in the word 'traitor'. "I'll be careful. Don't worry…" He raised his voice, "Hinata! I'm leaving for a bit. I've got some business to take care of. Wait here for Llednar, and if Naruto shows up, tell him that Jiraiya is looking for him!" Riku left before Hinata could reply, and her eye twitched.
"He shows up late, then leaves early? Of all the…"
Naruto glared at his newest foe, angry at the lack of assistance in his new quest he was receiving.
"You know, Naruto… even Jiraiya would be worried by now. Maybe you should head to the riverbank…" Larxene suggested.
Let the pervert lie. Probably busy working on his novel… Naruto grumbled.
"But we're not getting anywhere with this."
You think I don'tknow that? Naruto mentally screamed in frustration. GAH! Why the hell is there no book that refers to the Fourth Hokage by anything other than 'Hokage', 'The Honorable Yondaime', and every other damn title I can think of, but NOT his real name? He almost threw the book in anger, but remembered where he was.
"You know… I'm having just as much trouble trying to find records of anyone by the name of 'Uzumaki' even in this library…" Xemnas threw yet another scroll to the side, having no reservations about treating the books well, since they simply warped back to their original places in Naruto's library.
"Hey! I think… I think I just found something!" Axel said, grinning. However, it quickly faded. "Nope. Unless this record is wrong, Uzumaki Taifuugan was a ninja from the Land of Whirlpools, and he died before having kids… Ah, I give up…" Axel slammed his head into the table he was sitting at, resting his head there for what would be a long time.
Lexeaus was looking through books regarding the Kyuubi's sealing, hoping for some kind of clues to the identity of Naruto's parents, something that all fourteen of them, Naruto included, were trying to figure out. But after what felt like millions of scrolls and books and files, the group collectively decided to tackle the problem at another time.
Naruto walked out of the Konoha Public Library, annoyed at his failure. Again, that DAMN snake's words came back to him.
"And together, we can take the answers you so clearly need, and more…"
Naruto shook his head, angry that he would even for a second consider Orochimaru's offer. Why the hell had he been so affected by those words?!
"Naruto!" Naruto fell on his behind when Jiraiya dropped from almost out of nowhere. "I've been looking all over for you!" He peered behind Naruto, doing a double take at the library. "You've been here, of all places? I didn't know you were a reader… But enough about that! We've got a mission!"
"Huh?" Naruto asked.
"Yep, just the two of us, working together!"
Naruto reiterated his question: "HUH!?"
"We're going to find an old friend of mine, and bring her back to Konoha!"
Naruto didn't look very pleased with that prospect.
"And on the way, I'll be teaching you more jutsu!"
Naruto looked VERY pleased with that prospect.
Riku raised an eyebrow at the two men before him. One had blue skin, and looked like a humanized shark to him, while the other was obviously related to Sasuke.
"So, you're Uchiha Itachi… Let me welcome you home!" he bowed dramatically, like an actor on the stage.
"Hmm… I don't recall you from before," Itachi muttered.
"Yeah, you wouldn't, since I became a citizen of Konoha AFTER you left. Allow me to introduce myself. I go by many names, but you may call me…" He warped behind Itachi, his skin having become even more tanned. His eyes were a smoldering yellow, and his silver hair more smoothed than before. "…Ansem." Itachi found himself lifted by a pair of strong dark arms.
"Itachi!" Kisame, the other member, swung his blade at Riku, who parried with his Keyblade.
Itachi found himself helpless, for he was bound by Riku's Guardian, and he was not able to use his Sharingan to cast genjutsu, for Riku was not looking him in the eye.
Riku clashed, his saber and Keyblade holding off Kisame's sword easily.
"So this is the Akatsuki?" 'Ansem' laughed, sending Kisame back. "What a joke…"
"Really?" Riku found a kunai in his back and he turned around to see a Shadow Clone of Itachi. "Those are big words… Can you back them up?" The clone exploded, knocking the real Itachi free from the Guardian's grasp. Kisame took that opportunity to attempt to rip Riku to shreds with Samehada, but was foiled as the Guardian took the blow for Riku, its hard skin countering the weapon's ripping power.
"I will admit… you have some skill," Riku smiled, looking at Kisame. "You are of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, correct?"
Kisame only grinned wider.
"The last person I used this power on was Momochi Zabuza, one of your old teammates…" Riku warped behind Kisame, the Guardian throwing a punch from the front, distracting Kisame from the real threat behind him. "…And I could have crushed him, if I had wished it." Kisame barely dodged 'Ansem's' slashing attack, only to be hit by an uppercut from the Guardian. "I spared him, but I won't spare you. You who had the gall to enter my home and threaten my friends." Kisame found himself caught in a murky black substance that had appeared beneath him, and was slowly swallowing him.
Suddenly, Riku was blasted forward by an exploding Shadow Clone. Riku was about to turn around, but remembered who it was he was dealing with.
"Those eyes… You're very proud of them, aren't you?" Riku smirked. "Because of them, I can't allow myself to look at you, for fear of falling into a genjutsu…" Riku closed his eyes. "But I don't need to see you with my eyes… when I can smell your darkness!"
Riku turned around, with his eyes still closed, and threw a large number of spinning discs of energy at Itachi. Itachi dodged, and threw a kunai at Riku. Meanwhile, a second Itachi had pulled Kisame from the pool of darkness. Finally, a disc hit Itachi, only to be revealed in a puff of smoke as a clone. Riku quickly turned his attention to the real Itachi, who was standing next to Kisame.
"…Kisame, we're leaving."
"What!?" Kisame gaped.
"This is inefficient. If this battle gets any worse, then we could have the entire village on us." Itachi deactivated the Mangekyo Sharingan, reverting to the standard form, then turned and left at high speed, Kisame following. Riku narrowed his eyes, returning to normal. Riku toke note of the wound he had taken from the Shadow Clone's explosion.
I have to… Riku opened a portal, walking into it. I have to warn the others…
Uchiha Sasuke was walking towards the training grounds when he saw them. Two people, both in black cloaks with red clouds, apparently in a rush to get somewhere. However, that did not matter when Sasuke saw the face of one of the speeding ninja.
"I-Itachi!?" Sasuke stared at the fleeing shinobi, too stunned to move for a great while. After a great deal of thought, he rushed off after his brother, his revenge just over the horizon.
"Hm?" Itachi was blocked in the forest just outside Konoha, and he stood face to face with Riku, Kakashi, Anko, Asuma, and Kurenai.
"Looks like battle is unavoidable, eh, Itachi?" Kisame said, casually hefting his sword.
"Did you really think that I'd give up that easily?" Riku said, calling upon Ansem's power again.
As the guardian appeared behind Riku, the warrior of darkness Ansem laughed. "If you did, then you really are idiots." Several dark fireballs were launched at Itachi, while Anko wrapped the Sharingan wielder in snakes. Meanwhile, Kurenai, Asuma, and Kakashi forced Kisame into a defensive stance nearby Itachi.
"Riku, NOW!" Kakashi jumped back as Riku trapped Kisame in a shallow pool of darkness and created fifteen swords of darkness in a dome formation around himself, Itachi, and Kisame.
Fifteen… Have I really used up that much energy? Riku thought as he threw Way to the Dawn into the very top of the dome, pointing straight down at Itachi and Kisame, who couldn't escape. "Now, prepare yourselves!" Riku charged, slashing Kisame with his saber. As Riku vanished, the saber flew forward, embedding itself into the ground. Riku reappeared outside the dome, grabbing a Sword of Darkness as he rushed the duo again, this time hitting Itachi. Again, Riku disappeared, the sword flying forward before dissolving. Riku repeated this cycle six times, striking both Itachi and Kisame with his swords of darkness.
As he made his sixth slash (eighth in total), Riku grabbed Kisame's sword, vanishing with it. When he reappeared, Riku charged with Samehada, the spikes protruding from the hilt passing into small portals of darkness, and ripped into Itachi with the weapon, vanishing afterwards, sending the dangerous weapon to the ground. After this, Riku continued his normal assault, slashing Itachi and Kisame each four times. After the last strike on Itachi, Riku reappeared above the only remaining sword, the Way to the Dawn, and dove downward with the Keyblade in hand.
"Fourth Generation: OMNISLASH!" The shockwave Riku released upon stabbing the ground with his Keyblade sent both Itachi and Kisame to the ground, their robes shredded.
Itachi stood first, several cuts across his body. "Interesting technique… It was lucky I was able to just able to avoid lethal blows, or I wouldn't be here…" He grasped his side, where he was heavily bleeding from Samehada's strike. "I may… I may even have to use… that jutsu… to attain victory."
Kisame stood as well, anger in every feature. "How dare he… How DARE he steal my sword!?" He limped to his weapon, picking it up. "Leave THAT punk to me, Itachi! I'll kill him myself!"
"No… My way is better…" Itachi said, activating the Mangekyo Sharingan and looking the fatigued Riku in the eye. "Tsukuyomi…"
Riku had no time, no chance to avoid the terrible jutsu. Three Days… One Second.
"Where… Where the hell…" Riku looked about, slowly recognizing the beach he stood at. "Destiny… Islands."
"Riku…" Riku's head snapped behind him, staring at the source of the new voice.
"S-Sora?" Indeed, there he was, battle worn and heavily scared.
"Riku… I made it… Somehow, I was able to escape…" He smiled. "It's so good to see you…"
"Sora…" Riku smiled as well. "Same here…
"So, Riku… Where's Tensai?"
Riku's eyes widened. No… Not now… How… How the hell am I supposed to tell him… to tell him that his own son is dead?
"Riku?"
Riku shook his head, finding no other way to say it. "Sora… He's… he's dead."
The look on Sora's face was horrible for Riku to look at, but he found that he couldn't look away. "D-dead?"
"…Yes. Sora, I'm sorry… I failed…"
"No… No… No…" Sora continued to deny the truth over and over, visibly breaking more and more with every utterance of the word.
He wasn't the only one.
Riku collapsed, tears streaming down his face.
"How unfortunate…" Riku looked up to find Itachi standing behind Sora. "And here I thought… That you might last a while longer… This is Tsukuyomi, the ultimate Genjutsu. You will be here for three days, suffering in ways you can't even imagine… While outside of the technique, only a second will pass."
"…An… illusion!?"
"Almost," Itachi said. "The pain, the sorrow you're feeling… It's real, every bit as real as it is outside of this place. Also, your suffering… is not over yet." With that, Itachi stabbed Sora in the back, causing the Keybearer to gasp in shock and pain. Itachi pulled the knife out, and stabbed Sora again, and the spiky-haired man fell to the ground, dead.
"No… Sora!" Riku reached out to Sora in desperation, and then pulled back, covering his mouth. "W-what?"
"…" Riku could see the small smirk on Itachi's face. "Don't worry… There's only 71 hours, 59 minutes, and 59 seconds left to go."
Riku stared at the man. Only a second has passed already? He mentally repeated, aghast. However, instead of asking, only one word escaped Riku's lips: "Shit."
Hinata frowned. This jutsu was getting nowhere! At the same time, neither was Llednar. She had seen no sign of him, nor any sign of Naruto. She sighed and resolved to keep on trying, since there was nothing better to do.
"Focus… Focus… Focus…"
Riku collapsed, clutching his head in pain. "D-dammit…" Riku glared at Itachi's feet, knowing better than to look at Itachi's face.
"Riku!" Anko picked him up, helping him to his feet. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine… I'm not done yet!" Riku got back into a fighting stance. If anything, Itachi showed some slight respect. After all, not many people could take the Tsukuyomi full on and still be able to stand.
"Yes you are!" Anko growled, holding him back. "Look at yourself! You just collapsed, clutching your head, you needed my help to get back on your feet, and you're almost out of chakra!"
Kakashi charged at Itachi, throwing several kunai at the Uchiha. The Akatsuki member blocked and dodged them all, sidestepping Kakashi's punch right afterwards. Itachi grabbed Kakashi's arm, throwing him to the ground. He stabbed a knife into Kakashi's back twice, and then turned his head to Kisame, who had just knocked Asuma into Kurenai.
"Kisame, we're leaving," Itachi stated.
"Alright, Itachi…" Kisame replied with a growl, obviously annoyed that he hadn't gotten a shot at Riku. The two then fled, disappearing into the trees.
"Should we follow them?" Kurenai asked.
"No," Asuma replied. "We've got two heavily wounded shinobi here that need help now. That would leave one of us against the two of them. Not to mention that not one of us can take them, even as they are now." He turned back to the village. "Let's go…"
"No…" All looked at Riku, who was turning to face the direction the Itachi had left. "I'm… Fine… I can… still fight…" He took a step before falling. He awkwardly got to his feet, and tried to keep going. However, he fell again, this time being tripped by Anko.
"You can't even stand up right, Riku. I can't understand… Why are you so bent on fighting those guys?"
"They're… They're after something in this village…" Riku said, standing again.
Sasuke watched from a tree nearby, his interest piqued by Riku's words.
"It's… Naruto… They're after him… I can't just let them go… not when I can do something about them… I…" He took another step, but then collapsed unconscious.
"Riku…" Anko picked the fallen Jounin up, and Asuma did the same for Kakashi. "Alright… We'll bring these two back to the hospital…" Sasuke didn't hear those words, having left to find his brother.
Naruto…
"Man… Where'd you learn that move, Sasuke?" Naruto asked, panting from exhaustion after one of their spars. "I mean, I've never seen someone hide under the ground and try to pull me down. If I hadn't kept an eye out, that might have gotten me…"
"I got hit with it by my sensei back in our survival training… And when Sakura found me, she screamed something about a talking disembodied head and fainted instead of getting me out…"
Naruto laughed.
"Hey, what's that for?"
"Sorry, sorry… It's just… I can't really see that happening to you, being buried up to your neck and all… It's funny to even think that's possible."
Sasuke grumbled. "That teacher… he did it, then took a picture, just to piss me off…"
"Whoa, man… That's harsh…"
"What about you, Naruto? What's your teacher like?"
"He's alright, just… I'm not sure what to think of him. He acts nice, but he's always late…"
"Hmph. Maybe mine's related to yours, since mine's late to everything, too…"
"Yeah!" Naruto laughed. "Does he cover his face with bandages?"
"No, but he wears a mask."
"Long silver hair?"
"No, spiky."
"Aw, man! Addicted to Icha Icha?"
"…Yes."
"Hehehehe!" Naruto was on his back now, laughing like a madman.
"Hmph…" Sasuke sighed. That idiot…
Sasuke increased his speed. There was no way that Itachi was going to kill his… friend.
Naruto sneezed several times in succession.
"Man, Naruto, I guess someone is really talking about you…"
"Yeah…" Naruto itched his nose, slightly annoyed. "So, when are you going to teach me that new jutsu?"
"Patience, patience…"
"I've got a feeling that something bad is about to happen…"
"What sort of bad thing?"
Next time on XIII Ninja: The Hatred of Brothers! The Moonlit Battle!
"I… don't know…"
Shadow: "Damn… I smell weasel."
Link: "Yeah... but I also smell a poll on James' profile... 'What non-XIII Ninja... Shit. Folks, don't pick GoW. Please!"
(The Author is still dancing to Caramelldansen, but has been joined by Itachi, Eggman, Ansem the Wise, Orochimaru, Sephiroth, Ganondorf, and Manaphy.)
Dancers: "U-u-uwa-uwa-ohhhhh!" ("Bada!")
All: (Steps away from the author.)
Shadow: "…That is… disturbing."
Link: "I will never look at Ganondorf the same way again."
Sora: "I have lost all respect for Sephiroth and Ansem."
Sasuke: "Okay, I am NOT taking lessons from that guy. Now…" (Throws a kunai at Itachi, sending him to the ground, although it can't kill him because of his location. Sasuke drags Itachi offstage, and much screaming is heard. Itachi walks back to the stage.)
Itachi: "That was a cheap shot, foolish little brother…" (Goes back to dancing)
Shadow: "…Okay, I'm ending this chapter. NOW."