Now things are going to start getting interesting. Seeing as I'm going to be going on a trip, I decided it'd be best I get this out before I leave just in case. I'll still be updating every other week, but this chapter might seem a tad rushed. I still think it's decent setup, but I decided it'd be best to dedicate this chapter entirely to Naruto and the new addition to his arsenal. Any further explanations in regards to the content of this chapter I'll throw in the footnote for this one, so if you have any questions look there first to see if I've already addressed it.
Disclaimer: Still don't own Naruto.
Chapter 37
"Wake up," the voice echoed through his mind. It was one he was intimately familiar with, and yet there was something else. Something he'd never quite heard in this voice. Urgency. "We may be in a very troublesome situation."
Naruto felt his eyes flutter open. It was an unusual sensation, almost as if he was witnessing it happening from a completely different perspective. What exactly was going on? The first thing he took note of when he regained his bearings, was the silence. He sat cross-legged in a wide open field, surrounded on all sides by a thick row of pine trees. Yet he could hear nothing aside from his own breathing. No wind, no nighttime critters, nothing.
Next came the confusion. He was not where he should have been. He didn't remember how he got there either. Most certainly concerning. "What's going on here, Furball?" he heard his own voice sound out, a thoroughly evident echo underlying his words.
"It seems your consciousness has been pulled into a higher plane of existence," the Kyubi sounded genuinely worried, which was very alarming. "Unfortunately, it would seem like we're a package deal, you and I."
"Rewind here," the blonde teen muttered, rising to his feet. It took him a few seconds to shake the cobwebs out of his head. His body felt unbelievably light. Almost as if he'd lost half of his overall weight. "A plane of what now?" Narrowing his eyes, he scanned the field cautiously. And yet, there was only a single thing present within. A humble little shrine in the form of a small torii gate, placed before a modest altar, stood smack dab in the center of the field.
"Our world was once little more than a playground for the ancient gods," the bijuu within him stated. He could practically feel the beast tensing in apprehension. "These gods, however, chose to abandon this world in favor of exploring new realms. Some still linger, in higher planes inaccessible to us." A moment of silence followed, giving Naruto some time to process this new information. "You mortals often pray to your so-called deities. Well, you're about to be one of the few to actually meet one in person."
"You're kidding right?" the Uzumaki boy couldn't help doubting what he was hearing. The big bad Ninetails was talking about gods and different worlds. This had to be some screwed up dream.
"As amusing as it would be if I was," the guttural voice sounded from within the confines of his mind. "I recommend approaching the shrine now. It's best not to keep a god waiting…"
Naruto took a second to look around once more. He then proceeded to pinch his arm. When that didn't work, he did so once again, only much harder. Aside from the annoyance of his arm now stinging, nothing was accomplished. "Is there any way to leave?" he finally asked, eyes zeroing in on the shrine once more. From this distance, he couldn't quite make out much of its details.
"You leave if the god allows you to,"was the blunt response. "Otherwise, your consciousness is trapped here. I, on the other hand, will be returned to the mortal realm once your body eventually expires."
"Great…" the blonde boy muttered, rolling his eyes at the Kyubi's not-so-subtle jibe. "Guess I'll just die then." Regardless of his personal feelings, he decided it was best to do as the Fox suggested. If this truly was real, then he didn't want to be the idiot who died because he decided to play a game of chicken with a literal god.
As he moved closer to the lonesome shrine, he began to appraise it a tad more. The torii gate was similar to a few he'd seen in a few history books. There was supposedly a large number of them in the capital, straddling a temple dedicated to some god. No matter how hard he racked his memory, he couldn't quite recall what god it was. Guess that was his fault for slacking off and sleeping through history class.
The actual altar behind the gate was little more than a large marble block, adorned with artistic waves, swirling across its otherwise dull surface. Although it may have been a trick of the moonlight, Naruto was almost certain that if he stared at one spot of the altar for too long, the waves around it would almost shift. As if they were skirting away from his notice, yet always making sure to return to their original positions when he paid attention to them. Amongst the swirling waves were other depictions, although it was a bit harder to discern them due to the nature of the artistry. One of the waves curled forth into a long serpentine dragon, seeming to almost wrap around the altar itself. In another corner, the Uzumaki boy could almost swear he saw the waves curling into a collection of webs and beady eyes. And dotted all across the waves, nearly melding into the flowing depictions, were the telltale forms of several foxes.
"You sure we aren't here because of you?" Naruto couldn't help but ask out loud, still unsure of what he was supposed to be doing. He received no verbal response. Moving his eyes up to the top of the altar, the boy took note of the singular saucer and ceramic bottle. Both items wereunexceptional, almost as if they stood in stark contrast to the elegant pedestal they stood upon. Reluctantly stepping past the gate, Naruto couldn't help but wonder what exactly was in store for him. "What exactly am I supposed to do, Furball?"
"It's them…" he heard his tenant intone, almost sounding resigned."How ironic."
"Who?" the jinchiruki couldn't help but ask. If the Fox knew who they were about to meet, he would very much like to know as well. As things were, he wasn't exactly comfortable with the idea of trading words with some otherworldly being. "You're not helping here, Fox."
"Pour out some wine, brat…" the Fox shot back, his voice lower than before. Almost humbled in a way. It brought the boy some pause, having never heard his associate this subdued. "You're about to meet a very interesting individual."
Moving to kneel before the altar, Naruto eyed the items before him. He wasn't a very religious individual himself, but it'd probably be of some small benefit to show some respect to whatever entity he was now in the presence of. Now that he was this close, he could finally make out some of the finer details of the bottle. Upon its surface, he could just about make out the incredibly vague writing he hadn't caught before. The kanji for 'rice' marred the otherwise unblemished surface of the bottle. "I'm assuming you aren't going to let me in on who this is…" he muttered, hoping he wasn't actively offending whatever deity had deemed his presence here necessary. "Any advice before I do this then?"
"Don't panic…" was the simple response he received.
Taking a deep breath, Naruto slowly reached out for the bottle. It was only now that he noticed it. He was trembling. He was sure if he was truly present here at this moment, he'd probably also feel sick. The simple fact that the manifestation of his thoughts could even feel nervous was a clear indication of how serious this situation was. A few more deep breaths, to help him reign in the trembling, and he took hold of the bottle. Making sure his grip was gentle, he carefully popped off the wooden cork. The sound seemed to echo through the silent clearing.
Eyes moving to the empty saucer, the Uzumaki teen couldn't help but gulp. He certainly hadn't been expecting this when he'd volunteered to take first watch. With slightly shaky hands, he tipped the bottle, allowing the clear liquid to pour into the saucer. A second later, he tilted the bottle back, making sure that the small saucer didn't overflow. Having done his part, he placed the bottle back onto the altar and leaned back to wait.
Nothing. Seconds turned to minutes, and yet there was nothing that changed. He could feel the tension in the air shifting, almost as if the world itself was aware of something he couldn't perceive. And yet for all his patience, there was nothing. Allowing his eyes to move across the empty field, he focused in on the trees surrounding the clearing. They looked menacing in the dim moonlight. Like a living wall made specifically to keep him stuck here. As unlike him as it was, he highly doubted he'd be able to leave the clearing even if he tried.
"What is this?" he muttered under his breath, allowing his eyes to return to the saucer before him. The liquid within was serene. Not a single shift in its smooth surface. "Did I do something wrong, Fox?"
"How amusing…" he heard the bijuu's voice, practically a whisper. Almost as if he was afraid someone would hear him. "They're toying with us. Don't give them the satisfaction of seeing you react."
"What?" the blonde teen couldn't help but question, eyes darting around him. "Is this all some stupid game?"
"Stupid he says…" Naruto's eyes snapped wide, his head darting around to try and catch the source of the voice. But there was nothing there. "He seeks us out. He is an amusing one."The voice was feminine, soft and twinkling with mischief. It irked him for some reason. "The obnoxious one spoils our fun. He tells him we jest."
From the corner of his eye, Naruto caught sight of something. Slowly shifting his head, he watched as a light fog seemed to pour in through the trees. It crept across the ground, encircling him from afar. "He is worried," Naruto's head snapped around when he heard the voice echo from behind him. This one was different. It was deeper, yet frail. Like that of a wizened old man. It reminded him of the Sandaime. "Yet he is not afraid. How curious…"
Naruto's eyes danced around once more, as the fog suddenly crept up towards the altar. It was all around him now but seemed to be keeping its distance. It had also grown thicker. Denser than when he'd last paid attention to it only seconds ago. He wanted to speak, but a part of him wouldn't allow a single word to escape his lips. The Kyubi's words rang true in his head. They were toying with him. They wanted him to react.
"He wants answers," the voice returned, more feminine this time around. Yet it was not the one from before. "He wishes to know why he is here."The fog crept up further now, toiling only a few feet away from him and the altar now. "Does he deserve to know? Should we answer?"
"This is dumb," the words left his mouth before he'd even realized it. And what followed them was silence. Complete and utter silence. The fog continued to writhe around him, soundlessly creeping along the ground as it approached him. Yet the voices were gone. For a moment, he wondered if he'd screwed up.
"He concedes," the voice returned, mirroring that of a young man now. "He does not wish to play our game, so he has no choice but to surrender."The voices seemed to be contemplating amongst themselves now. "He concedes because he wishes to win," another voice echoed, as if in response to the first. "If the game stops, he attains what he desires."
"But if I don't give up," the blonde began, his voice a tad shaky. "Then neither of us win."The Kyubi was strangely silent in all this. He assumed that was because the Fox wasn't sure what to do in this situation either. Naruto's eyes darted forward, watching as the fog seemed to congregate to the other side of the altar. It rose higher, forming an ever-shifting shape that resembled…something. One moment, it was a long serpentine thread, another it was the muddled form of some animal.
"He wishes to win through defeat," the voice returned, only this time it originated from the shape that now sat across from him. "He is most interesting indeed."
"Who are you?" Naruto finally asked, swiftly growing tired of the nonsensical babbling of whatever deity this was. "What do you want from me?"
A moment of silence followed, as the shape before him shifted once more. Nearly a minute passed, before the voice returned in the tone of a young adolescent child. "We are they who watch this world. We are they whom seek to improve ourselves."
"Do you have a name?" the blonde Uzumaki prodded, a tad tentative. He didn't want to come off as too rude. But it didn't seem like whatever entity he was speaking to seemed to mind his forwardness thus far.
"We have many," the answer came, the voice shifting once more to match the first one he'd heard. Your kind once worshipped us in greater numbers. They prayed to us for their harvest. For their prosperity."Another moment passed where the being seemed to consider him, almost as if it were judging him. "Longer ago still, we were worshipped by some who wished to create works of art. Art through steal and fire."
"You're talking to Inari Ōkami, Maggot!" the Kyubi's words stopped him just as he was about to repeat his question. "And they've taken an interest in you." The Kyubi's voice was no longer hushed, the beast seemingly having abandoned any preconceived notion of subtlety.
"The obnoxious one speaks presumptuously,"a new voice fired back, catching Naruto off-guard. "We seek only to further our own talents."Deciding it was best if he kept his mouth shut for the time being, Naruto simply lowered his gaze as a sign of respect."We were once known as a patron for those who desired both glory and wealth. They prayed to us, asking for our blessing upon their craft."The smoky form shifted once more, settling into the shape of a large humanoid. "We have come to you offering a gift, in hopes of furthering our knowledge."
"What?" the genin couldn't help but blurt out. The conversation had taken a rather abrupt shift in direction.
"We seek to improve our talents," Inari repeated they're previous words. "To do so, we have come to offer you a token. So that one day, upon your death, we may claim this token to further our understanding of the bond between tool and master."
"You…" he paused, trying to wrap his head around what he'd just been told. "Want to give me something?"
"Yes," it was more of a self-affirmation than a response. "We offer you a gift. A tool. A weapon."
"Why me?" that was the most obvious question that came to mind. Surely there was a reason why a literal god had decided to bestow upon him such a favor.
"You intrigue us," the voice shifted once more, a tad muffled. Almost as if it was being spoken through a thick layer of clothing. "You hold a creature similar to our ilk in form. You will face many battles ahead. This will provide us with much knowledge."
"So, you want to give me a weapon," Naruto began, hoping to clarify the situation once and for all. "And in exchange, when I die you'll take the weapon back so that you can learn from it?"
The apparition before him almost seemed to shudder in appreciation. Even though its form was in constant flux, Naruto felt its gaze upon him with renewed vigor. "You understand," it spoke; it's voice oddly familiar this time around. It held an almost motherly tone to it. "You must learn to understand our gift. Once you can understand its calling, you can use its true power."
Before he could respond, the blonde shinobi felt a sudden bout of nausea overtake him. The world seemed to twist around him, its dark colors swirling into a stream of grey. Inari's voice echoed around him, but the deity was no longer before him. "We return you now," their voice resounded in his head. His eyes moved to the saucer of liquor on the altar before him. The small porcelain item was the only thing he could still clearly discern. "Do not disappoint us, child. We expect great things of you." And within moments, the Uzumaki teen lost himself within the tranquil surface of the rice wine, the world around him a maelstrom of bleak colors and sounds.
Naruto's eyes fluttered open, taking a few seconds to adjust to the flickering shadows around him. The dull crackling of a campfire reached his ears from beside him, allowing him to focus his attention on his immediate surroundings. Tall trees stood around the small camp, the occasional chirping of crickets resounding through the otherwise quiet night. The dirt beneath him was soft and cool, pleasant to his slightly trembling hands.
As his eyes moved across the camp, he took notice of the two sleeping bags. Kakashi occupied the first one, his arms behind his head with his single visible eye closed peacefully. The man looked asleep, but Naruto wasn't quite sure that was the case. One never could be sure when it came to jounin. A bit of a ways away from him was the second sleeping bag. This one was pulled up farther, only revealing the dark-blue hair of its occupant. Hinata was clearly asleep, of that there was no doubt. She'd had a bit of trouble keeping up with them earlier in the day. Mostly because Kakashi was a jounin and Naruto was…well, Naruto.
Moving his eyes up, he took note of the dark night sky. How long had he been out? Clearly not long enough for his shift to end. But it had certainly felt like a fair bit of time had passed. Had all of that really happened? Or had it just been a dream? Albeit a very realistic and terrifying dream. Shaking his head a tad to try and alleviate the wooziness he was experiencing, the blonde stretched his arms and looked once more to the dwindling campfire. He idly tossed another scrap of leaves and branches into its twisting clutches.
"Brat," he heard the voice clear in the quiet night. He jerked his head up, but swiftly calmed down once he recognized it.
"What do you want, Fox…" he muttered under his breath. "I'm not in the mood."
"Get in here," the Kyubi's voice almost seemed…worried. "That thrice-damned god's done something."
Naruto's eyes snapped wide, but any response he had was cut short when he felt his consciousness forcefully pulled into the seal. As his body tumbled forward, it fell into the awaiting arms of none other than Kakashi. The man eyed the unconscious teen for a few seconds, before letting out a sigh. He'd been warned by the Sandaime years ago that the Kyubi was indeed capable of rendering the boy incapacitated. However, for its own safety, it probably would not choose to do so if it meant risking the young Uzumaki's life.
Shaking his head in resignation, the man smoothly hefted the motionless teen into his arms and moved towards his sleeping bag. He had no idea how long he'd be out, but for the sake of caution, he decided it would be best to start his watch early. Although, he'd most certainly have some questions for the blonde when he did come to. Especially since these kinds of circumstances weren't something that came around often.
Trudging through the murky waters of his mind, Naruto scowled as he approached the entrance to the massive chamber that housed his tenant. He wasn't very fond of being forcefully pulled into this place, particularly against his will. And if the damn fox didn't have a good excuse for doing so, he would not be very pleased. Upon entering the large cavernous room, he took note of something almost immediately. Something that was entirely new in this most familiar scene.
"Brat!" the voice of the fearsome bijuu echoed through the otherwise silent cavern. "Get that accursed thing out of here!"
Walking up to the cage, the blonde Uzumaki came to a halt before the new addition to his own personal world. A small white fox sat before him, its beady eyes turning to gaze at him. It was no larger than any small woodland creature. Its fur was a hazy white, a long fluffy tail idly waving around behind it. Patches of dark grey fir adorned its otherwise pure body, one such patch being one of the creature's ears. The small animal didn't move, it didn't make a sound, nor did it pay any attention to the enormous beast of destruction that lay in wait a mere dozen or so feet away from it, held back by the large metal bars that represented the seal.
"Alright then," Naruto finally spoke, having waited nearly a minute in hopes of getting some kind of explanation. "I got nothing, Furball. What's going on with this thing?"
"That foul god bestowed you with one of his pesky helpers…" the massive creature growled out, its eyes narrowing in caution as he focused on the small fox. "To think, he'd curse me with such a fate for speaking my mind. Get that thing out of here, brat!"
Crouching down, Naruto took a moment to look over his curious new guest. The small fox tilted its head, sniffing in his general direction. "It doesn't seem dangerous," the Uzumaki boy stated out loud, reaching out a cautious hand. The creature didn't move, simply watching curiously as its new master moved to touch it. "So all of that was real then. Part of me was hoping it was just some screwed up dream." A near-silent purr resonated through the small fox as the young shinobi scratched it between the ears. "Though this doesn't seem too bad. Doesn't seem like much of a weapon though."
In a sudden blur of motion, the small fox leapt up, darting across Naruto's arm with the grace of a feather. The young boy had to blink, not quite sure what had just happened. Realization came to him swiftly though, in the form of a furry body pressing against his neck. The fox's tail wrapped around his neck in a comfortable position, as the creature settled upon his shoulders. Its tongue tickled his cheek as it offered him its companionship.
"I detest its existence," the rumbling voice of the Ninetails reached him. "Get rid of it."
"No," was his simple response, as he rose up and reached around to give the purring fox a gentle pat. "Now tell me what's going on."
"You ungrateful whelp," the Kyubi didn't seem pleased with his quick dismissal. "I shall offer you no further assistance with this matter until I am shown respect befitting of my stature."
"You and me are stuck together, Furball…" Naruto fired back, crossing his arms and giving the massive creature a scowl. "I'm not too fond of the idea of having to explain why I'm swinging around some oversized sword to everyone else. And as far as I'm concerned, that doesn't work well in your favor either."
The bijuu went silent, eyeing the boy before it intently. Eventually, it let out a low growl before settling down with its maw resting upon its paws. "Then I suggest you don't," it finally spoke, closing its eyes in dismissal. "The weapon shall remain within you, appearing only through the new markings upon your body."
"Markings?" the Uzumaki boy couldn't help but inquire, arcing a curious eyebrow. "I have another seal now?"
The Kyubi chuckled, its voice low and guttural. "No, not a seal…" he eluded, voice dripping with condescension. "You'll see soon enough. I advise you to keep usage of your new tool to a minimum, until you're able to come up with a convincing explanation."
"Figures you'd say that," the jinchiruki stated, rolling his eyes before eyeing the fox that rested upon his shoulders. "This whole night's just been one big mess. I'm assuming this guy's staying here while I'm awake?"
"I would prefer to be left to my own solitude," the fox responded, not even bothering to grace him with the pleasure of opening his eyes. "But seeing as you have no choice in the matter, I believe I too have no choice but to accept my new plight."
Running a hand through his blonde locks, the teen couldn't help but let out a sigh. If what he'd been told just now was indeed true, he'd have to come up with some kind of false narrative to help explain whatever new marking he'd been given. If it was visible to the people around him, that is. In such a case, he supposed it'd depend upon what kind of marking it was. He also wasn't quite sure if he'd tell anyone the truth. For as much as he cared for and trusted his friends and family, he wasn't quite sure if outright informing them of this new predicament was the right decision.
Feeling the creature around his neck nuzzle into his cheeck, he smiled and looked down at it. Well, if nothing else, at least he had a new friend to keep him company at times when he was all alone. Taking a seat in the ankle-high water of his mind, he brought his hand up to scratch the fox behind the ears. "Guess we need to start somewhere," he muttered out loud, watching the creature snuggle further into him. "Might as well start with a name."
As Naruto's eyes fluttered open once more, he found himself staring up at the sky. From the looks of things, it seemed like it was a few hours from dawn. Of that, he could be relatively sure. Letting out a yawn, he stretched his arms out and immediately realized that he was no longer where he had previously been. Looking down to affirm his thoughts, he found that he was indeed tucked into a sleeping bag.
"Nice to see you awake," the calm voice reached his ears, prompting him to jerk his head around. His eyes came to rest upon the one-eyed visage of none other than Kakashi Hatake. "Had a pleasant nap I hope?" Muddled thoughts swiftly catching up with his current situation, all he managed was a weak nervous smile. "Good. I think we have something to talk about, don't we?"
Alright, now before I bid you all a pleasant week ahead, I have a few things to mention for the handful of you who actually read this part of the chapters.
Inari won't be playing a big part in this story as a whole. Most of the gods aren't. As mentioned by the Kyubi, most of the older gods abandoned this world ages ago. The ones that remain seek to either serve their own purposes, or simply watch to fulfill their own purposes. That being said, Inari's main purpose was to present Naruto with his new weapon, which I'll be expanding upon soon.
Most of this arc will still revolve around developing the relationships between the characters. Naruto's new weapon will also help with this in certain ways that I'll keep to myself for the time being. The weapon itself won't be used much for now. It's true potential will be revealed post shippuden time-skip. That'll allow me to explain relatively easily how Naruto learned to utilize the weapon properly, which will make it all the more fun when ya'll see him use it well and good for the first time in a future fight I have planned.
With all of that out of the way, I've got nothing else left to say. If you all have any questions, feel free to leave them either in a review or pm me if you aren't comfortable with that. Other than that, as always, I hope you all have a wonder week/weekend and I'll see you next time. Thanks again for taking the time to read another one of my chapters.