Disclaimer: I don't possess ownership of Naruto, or any of its characters; or World of Warcraft, or any of its characters. I do enjoy fantasizing about what it would be like if I did, however.
Here's the next installment of The Legend of Uzumaki Naruto!
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"Illidan..." Tyrande whispered, stepping away from the apparition as it removed its cloak of shadow. Her body shook visibly, and had been every since her eyes had fallen on the monster that she had once called friend. He looked, and felt, even more that monster than ever.
He was tall, but his presence was not like that of other elves. He stood hunched, the poise and grace that the night elves had been gifted corrupted and misshapen. His arms and chest bulged with thick, knotted muscles, grotesquely distorting the perfect proportions that his former kind had. His hands were clawed and his feet were jointed like those of a beast. Tattoos framed his body, across his chest and down his arms, which glowed poisonous green and seemed to pulse as she watched. He wore no covering over his chest, only a pair of long, flaring pants which nearly engulfed his feet.
But the true perversion of body and spirit came in the form of two great, black, leathery wings sprouting from his back, folded behind him. Two curved horns sprouted from the top of his head, curving down in front of his face. A mane woven of pure shadow, tangled and wild, fell across his shoulders and down to the middle of his back.
His face seemed to be the only thing unchanged. It was handsome, sharply defined with high cheekbones and no trace of a beard. But it was marred horribly by a smile of pure madness, showing sharp, elongated canines and morphing his face into that of a grinning devil. His eyes were invisible; hidden beneath a strip of black cloth, hiding them from the world. Or maybe hiding the world from them.
The last thing that Tyrande noticed was a huge, wicked scar across his chest. The skin around it was blackened and shriveled, as if recently burned. It distorted the muscles on his chest, sucking them into it and further marring what was left of his night elf body.
"Tyrande..." the monster whispered, taking a step forward. Tyrande took a step back, almost a cringe. Looking upon what Illidan had become shook her to the very core. She had seen the wings and horns before, but everything seemed to have changed. Illidan looked more a demon now than ever before. He felt like one too; the power that he was emitting, whether consciously or unconsciously, made her shake all the harder.
"You cringe from me, my love? It aches me to see such fear from my beloved. Please, I have not come to harm you, Tyrande." He was smiling even wider now, and took a step forward again. Tyrande almost flinched back again, but caught herself. Her initial shock was beginning to fade and the purpose of her arrival resurfaced.
"Illidan...did you call me here...?"
"Yes," he said, tilting his head to the side. "I knew you would come. If my brother is involved, you are always the first to arrive."
"Where is he...?" she whispered, raising her head slightly to look directly at him. "Where is Malfurion?"
Illidan smiled even wider. "I cannot say. He wanders the Emerald Dream; a place that neither you nor I can even hope to travel. I just used his voice to call you here..." his smile faded, and he pouted. "I missed you."
"Missed me...?" Tyrande began to shake again, but full of barely restrained rage this time. She stood tall, glaring at him with everything she had. How dare he? How dare he call her hear, using her beloved's voice, just to say that he missed her! She stepped forwards, fury seeping from every pore, eyes glowing as fiercely as the moon.
"How dare you!" she roared, suddenly. "How dare you, Illidan! Why have you come? Why did you taunt me with that vision, that voice! Answer me, you bastard!" Chakra began to seep from her, rising from her skin as a pearl colored mist. She let go of her role as Tyrande Whisperwind, and became the High Priestess of Elune; a goddess of battle.
Illidan stepped back, a little surprised at her anger. It registered on his face, his mouth slightly parted, his brow wrinkled in confusion.
"Why are you so angry, my love? Is it because I used my brother's voice? I didn't mean to deceive you so, but I knew you would come if I used it...forgive me." He bowed his head, looking truly apologetic, and for a moment Tyrande was a little baffled. But every movement and word seemed so disgustingly mocking that her fury returned two fold a second later.
"Why are you here, Illidan? How did you come to this place?"
He tilted his head again, and smiled. "It was easy. I am very powerful, Tyrande. I was able to create a portal, and I came here to see you as soon as I was able to do such a thing. I trained for many years to gain that skill, so that I could see you whenever I wanted." His smile faded some. "I missed you so much...I have waited for this day ever since we last parted, Tyrande." He began to walk towards her, but stopped when she stepped back into a fighting stance.
"Don't come closer, Illidan," she snarled. Her nails bit into her palms, causing dark blood to run freely down her hands. Illidan noticed this with a frown. He stopped moving nonetheless, standing now a few yards away from her. He reached out with one hand, and smiled again.
"You've grown even more lovely since I last saw you, my beloved." His tone carried no trace of mockery, but he knew full well that she had aged since they had last met. But in his eyes she had just ripened; the sweetest fruit that existence could offer was now even sweeter and fuller than ever before.
"Shut up!" she snapped, causing him to flinch a little at her tone. "You know full well my feelings for you, Illidan! Malfurion is my husband! Now tell me, what are you really doing here? Why have you abandoned your place in Outland?"
Illidan cocked his head. "Abandoned? You misunderstand. I have not abandoned it. I am simply on a vacation, of a sorts. I only wished to see the woman that I have loved for nearly ten thousand years. My allies are perfectly capable of handling everything themselves. There is no need to worry." His face seemed to soften, and he suddenly looked quite forlorn. "Why do you still love him?"
Tyrande flinched a little in surprise. "What?" The question seemed absurd. Why didn't she love him?
"I can see it in your eyes," he said softly. "You love him every bit as you loved him then. Why? He is not here. What has he done to inspire, to nurture that love? Where is he now?"
Tyrande scowled at him. "As you said, wandering the Emerald Dream, protecting my people! He is doing something to protect us, unlike you!"
"But he causes you such pain."
Tyrande stopped, her face and temper cracking for a second. Illidan had seen her pain. He saw the anguish she held over Malfurion's absence. He knew that she never heard from him, never spoke with him. The pain that she could hide from everyone else, was as visible to Illidan as the world itself.
"You don't have to lie to me Tyrande," he said slowly, stepping forwards again. "I can see the pain he causes you. I can see that his absence hurts you more than anything. That is why it infuriates me that he spends all his time in that place that neither you nor I can visit! In a place that might not even exist! He has the gall to hurt you like this, and I can never forgive him for that!"
"He is doing what is right for the world," snapped Tyrande, her pain receding and her anger rushing in. "He puts the safety of our people and our way of life above his own life. He has a strength of will that you never did, Illidan. I can bear the pain; I know he will return some day." Her eyes flashed. "But you, Illidan, abandoned your people. You became the creature that I see standing before me today. And you have the gall to speak of something that you don't understand! You never could understand!"
Illidan looked at her awhile, his face sagging with melancholy. "Tyrande, you don't have reason to believe he will return." He clenched his fists. "He speaks of an evil that neither you nor I can see or hear or experience. Something that needs his undivided attention, while you and your people suffer. It saddens me to see you in such pain, and I hate to see you bear it. Why does he not return? Why does he not simply speak to you?"
Tyrande shook again. The very same question had assaulted her all these long years. She had lived every day hoping that she would be able to see him, hear him, touch him. She went to bed each night, hoping that he would visit her in her dreams, and tell her everything that she needed to hear.
But he didn't.
"You speak of strength of will, Tyrande. What strength of will can he have, if he cannot even return to the one he loves? If he cannot brave any obstacle that is placed between you and him, then why does he deserve your love?"
Tyrande exploded in fury. The sand around her flew away in a cloud, as her chakra flared to life all around her.
"WHAT WOULD YOU KNOW OF WILLPOWER?" she roared. "What would you know of such a thing? You never had any, Illidan! All you had was outward power. You craved it, and believed that it could grant you anything. You were wrong! Malfurion is worth ten of you, Illidan! Malfurion has done, and will do, everything that is in the best interests of his people. He loves me, but does not let it influence everything he does! If he based every decision he ever made on what I would think, or what was best for me, then he'd be just like you! He understands that, and more! That is why I love him, Illidan!"
Illidan sighed, his malformed body sagging a little. He looked troubled for a moment, and neither spoke. Then, Illidan seemed to recover. He smiled again.
"You're wrong Tyrande. I have strength of will. I have that inner strength that you chose in Malfurion. I know that outward power isn't everything. And I know that you love Malfurion more than you do me, and always did. I realize now that what my brother is doing is for the benefit of the people that abandoned me." His smile grew, and he brushed some of the flowing strands of shadow out of his face. "But I know also that power can be the answer to everything, Tyrande. I can help you. We can find Malfurion, Tyrande. With my power, we can find him together!"
Tyrande gaped at him. Find Malfurion? The thought seemed impossible.
Illidan went on, growing more excited. "I have found ways. I am not a druid, but I have found ways to enter the Emerald Dream. I am truly powerful, and I have done this all for you! Now we'll be able to find my brother, and bring him back! We can even help him destroy this evil that he claims to fight! With my power, we can do anything, Tyrande, really! You don't have to suffer anymore! We can bring my brother back together!"
Tyrande began to shake again. What was he saying? Did he honestly believe that they could find Malfurion? And what's more, did he honestly believe that she'd go with him?
But the thought, no matter how terrible, was appealing. The offer was so terrifyingly tempting that it seemed a oasis in the desert of despair. But she knew that the oasis, no matter how desirable, was tepid and plagued. Though Illidan was offering this promise, that they'd find Malfurion together, she knew that his sights were on her, and her alone. He didn't care about Malfurion, not anymore. She could see it in him. He was mad, madder than ever before!
"You haven't changed..." she said, her eyes icy crystals and her words daggers of frost. "You still think power is the answer to everything, Illidan. I told you before-- Malfurion will return. It does not matter what power you have."
"But I have changed!" Illidan said, almost desperately. His smile grew into a cheshire grin. "Power is no longer a means to an end, Tyrande! I know it can't do everything...but I don't care. The act of gaining power; of getting stronger and stronger and stronger, is what I now believe! Power has no end, Tyrande. Power is the end, and the means. Everything else is just a benefit."
"You're sick," she snarled. "You've grown even madder since our last meeting, Illidan. You think that by gaining power, you can simply take whatever you wish? Is that what you intend for me, Illidan?"
He shook his head, smile never fading. "No, of course not, my love. I will get stronger and stronger, in both mind and body. I will get you Malfurion back, but by then I know you will see that my inner strength is greater than his! I told you! Power is a journey, Tyrande! And don't they say that the purpose of a journey is not the destination, but the journey itself? My journey has no end!" He smiled lovingly at her again, reaching out with a hand. Behind the black cloth over his eyes, she could clearly see a burning, demonic green flame similar to that of an infernal.
Then, his smile faded. He touched his breast, right above his heart, as if making sure that it still beat. He looked at her again, his face solemn.
"I have inner strength, Tyrande. Do you feel this power, surging within me? It is my will that stops that from flooding out into the world. I am using the inner strength that you were so attracted to in Malfurion to hold back this power! Is that not so? My inner strength allows me to control this power! I can control it Tyrande! Isn't that why you used me? Isn't that why you freed from my endless darkness, so that my powers could be used? I am myself, Tyrande! I have never changed! How can I not have willpower, if I can control this chaotic power?"
Tyrande watched him, calmly. Her gaze was almost pitying. She slowly shook her head.
"No, Illidan. If you had strength of will; the strength of will that attracted me to Malfurion, then you would never have accepted that power. You would have never been imprisoned, and would have remained by our side all this time. Don't you see? It has affected you. You simply cannot see it." Her gaze turned hard then. "I love Malfurion. His inner strength was one of many reasons why I chose him. I always will love him, Illidan. Nothing you say will ever be able to change that."
"I understand that," he said softly. "I understand that I will never have your love. But don't you see? Don't you see that that is exactly the reason I wish to help you? I know you feel pain, Tyrande. I know you long everyday to see Malfurion, to hear him, to touch him. It is the same with me. I ache everyday, a thousand times worse, because I know that I can never have you. But if Malfurion returns, I know that your pain will vanish. If that happens, mine will lessen." He shook his head. And then his face twisted up in confusion, borderline fury. "But I do not understand! I know you love him, and will do so forever, but I do not understand what he has that I don't! We have been equals, always! Our strength of will has always been equal! It must be! If he cannot pull himself from the endless darkness that he has fallen into, then how can he be different from me?"
Illidan was suddenly bereft of breath. His hidden eyes widened, staring straight into Tyrande's, not a foot away. Her fist was buried deep into his solar plexus, driving the air from his body. He gasped, only to have her move back and smash her other fist into his jaw. Propelled by chakra, he flew backwards tearing up the sand of the beach and landing in a heap yards away. Her whole body shook with fury.
"What did you say?" She walked towards him, and as he got up, she blurred and appeared in front of him again.
"Where is he, Illidan?" She lifted her hand to strike again, her eyes blazing with primal fury. Illidan looked up at her, a frown marring his face. He looked confused.
Her fist smashed into him again, knocking him to the ground again. Dark blood, almost purple, dribbled from his mouth, as he struggled to get up from the two amazingly powerful strikes.
"WHERE IS MALFURION!"
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"Hey, hey, do you really think she feels like a mother?"
Neera blinked, staring at the boy in confusion. They stood at the very end of the bridge to the Temple Gardens.
"Why not?" she said, looking at him with puzzled eyes. "But shouldn't you know that...?"
Naruto shook his head. "Nah. I've never had a mother, so I don't know what one would 'feel' like."
Neera blinked, suddenly feeling extremely embarrassed. Though she did know he came from another world, and a little of what that world was like, she knew almost nothing about his personal life. But ever since she had mentioned it, the boy had looked somewhere between nervous and excited.
He had no idea what it was like to have a mom.
"Oh," she said softly. "Well, a mother makes you feel safe. They're someone who is always there for you, no matter what, and who helps you work out your problems without judging you in the slightest. They are someone who loves you unconditionally." She blushed a little. "Sorry, but I'm not a very good explainer. But that's what I always feel like whenever I see my mom. I feel safe, warm and happy. They can make you smile, or at least the good ones can, whenever you are feeling bad. They take care of you."
Naruto slowly nodded. He had never had anyone like that. But in his opinion, Tyrande did feel somewhat close to that description. She certainly made him feel safe, and was always there to talk, no matter what. He had no clue if she loved him unconditionally (whatever that meant), but he realized that she was very close to him.
She'd become one of his most precious people.
They reached the Temple of the Moon a few moments later. There were few Sisters still remaining, and the Sentinels still prowled the entrance. They walked towards it, intending to go inside. But one of the Sentinels stopped them, a frown on her face.
"If you're looking for Lady Tyrande, she's out."
The two exchanged glances. "This late?" asked Neera. "What is she doing?"
The Sentinel shook her head. "She went for a walk." She pointed towards the woods off to the side of the Temple, thick and black and almost dead silent. The Sentinel did not look pleased with this fact. Her gaze lingered on the dark forest, her forehead wrinkled with worry.
Neera frowned, watching the woods as well. Naruto looked between the two women a moment, not understanding their confusion. So she went for a walk. Was that so unusual? He voiced this to the two, and Neera shook her head slightly, still staring towards the forest.
"Do you hear anything?" she asked him, pointing to the forest.
Naruto frowned. "No," he said. "Why?"
Neera shook her head again. "Have you ever heard it this silent? I haven't, and that's making me a little worried." She glanced at Naruto. "Perhaps we should go see if she's alright."
Worry crept into Naruto. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he too felt a compulsion to check up on Tyrande. It couldn't hurt, and she could always do with a bit of company.
"Yeah," he said. "Let's go!"
--------------------------------
"I do not know," Illidan said, standing up again. "I told you before, Tyrande. My brother is lost to me and to you."
"You said he was lost in a darkness," she snarled. "What did you do to him, Illidan? What do you know?"
"Nothing that isn't hearsay, my love," he said. "I have heard nothing from him, nor seen him at all. He is as bereft from my dreams as he is yours. But it is the only explanation for he is gone. He got himself trapped by the being he fights, this Nightmare, or lost within the boundless realm of the Emerald Dream. I have nothing to do with his disappearance, Tyrande. Believe me."
"I cannot believe you," she said, walking towards him. "You are insane, Illidan. I know that you know something. You say you put to rest your feud with Malfurion, but I can see that as long as you love me, you will always despise him. You are jealous, Illidan. You will tell me what has happened to him." Her eyes blazed and her chakra began to rise again, an aura of pearl light, drifting off her body like smoke.
"Or I will kill you."
Illidan wiped his mouth. There was no longer a wound, and no blood flowed any longer. He looked sad again.
"I am not insane, Tyrande. This is the change that I went through to handle this power. This is my inner strength. Yes, I love you. I love you more than anything in the world. But I do not hate my brother for loving you too. Not anymore. I hate him for causing you pain, like he is doing now. I have done nothing to him." He sighed. She was not listening.
Suddenly he smiled.
"But maybe I could tell you something. But not now."
Tyrande's eyes narrowed, becoming silver daggers in the night.
Illidan continued, holding out a hand. "Before that, would you grant me the honor of seeing the goddess of battle that I fell in love with? Would you let me see the strength that I saw in you, Tyrande? That is what I missed most: my goddess, the lovely Tyrande Whisperwind." He grinned like a hyena, his fiery green eyes beginning to glow once again beneath blinding cloth.
Her answer was a fist.
Her fist, charged with chakra, crashed into Illidan's face, knocking him back again. But he did not fall over this time. Instead, he spread his wings, revealing two large weapons strapped beneath. They were wicked things, consisting of two blades protruding from a circular guard, which was gripped like a shield. He removed the weapons in an instant, and as soon as they were secured on his arms, they began to glow red and crackle with lightning.
Tyrande's hands formed a seal, and a second later, she touched a small place on her arm, where a small, nearly invisible tattoo had been made. There was a large puff smoke, and the three bladed weapon of the Sentinels emerged from it. She clamped onto it, and brought it swishing down at Illidan.
The Betrayer raised on blade, blocking the attack with ease. He did not flinch at the hit. He smiled wider, pleased with Tyrande's ferocity. He thrust her off, not violently, but simply and effectively. Tyrande landed without a sound, a charged forwards again. Her weapon began to glow, gathering her pearl-colored chakra around it. She struck at Illidan again, and again he blocked. When the two blades met, however, Tyrande's chakra exploded outwards, violently. Illidan leapt back, a tendril of Tyrande's deadly chakra scything a few hairs from his shadowy mane. He smiled.
Tyrande's weapon now resembled a sea urchin, with large spikes of her chakra jutting out in all directions. They were already fading by the time he noticed, contracting back into a shapeless mass surrounding her hand.
Tyrande suddenly made a hand seal, and then hurtled her weapon at Illidan.
"Moonlight Strike," she whispered. The weapon became a sliver of light, and if Illidan hadn't at the very moment raised his weapon, the blade would have sliced straight through him. Instead, it slammed into the guard of his left blade, causing a dazzling flash of light and a loud ringing. Illidan was thrust back by the force of the hit, his mouth open from both surprise and delight.
He remained on his feet, skidding across the sand and throwing it up in a continuous cloud. He watched as the weapon reappeared in Tyrande's hand, in another flicker of light. That was her power. The power of the Priestesses of the Moon was more than the power of the earth. They controlled light itself, in all its amazing and complex forms.
After all, it was the goddess Elune that gave them both light and inspiration.
But only the High Priestess, his Tyrande, could control it to such an incredible degree. Light was a tricky thing to control, but his love had done it masterfully.
Tyrande cursed silently. The technique usually struck and killed without fail. The weapon moved so fast that it could be neither seen nor heard, nearly approaching the speed of light. So how had he been able to block it? It was not possible for him to move so quickly, to anticipate the attack. She frowned. It must have been luck.
Illidan had always had such uncanny luck.
Lifting the weapon again, Tyrande began to twirl it in her palm. She took a deep breath, as she twirled, and both her hands began to glow with built up chakra. She suddenly gripped the blade with both hands, and slashed it downwards at Illidan.
There was a bright flash of light again, and the sand was instantly divided, sliced almost half a body's length into the ground. It cut straight through to Illidan. But he remained unaffected. The light seemed not to touch him, as the ground a foot on either side of him remained intact. He stood motionless the whole time, unconcerned.
"Please, Tyrande. I long to see my goddess. She has yet to show herself," he said, grinning madly. He then cocked his head to the side. "Perhaps a little incentive?"
Red chakra began to bubble up around him, forming a protective cocoon. He raised one leg, and then stomped the ground, hard.
The red chakra exploded outwards, blowing away the sand around him. Tyrande leapt away, stunned by the power, covering her face from the flying sand. The violent chakra forced the sea back, and caused the trees to lean away, as if disgusted by the tainted power.
It did not fade. It settled down into small patches in the sand. The sand suddenly rose up, first a shapeless mass, then slowly, it became the perfect likeness of a naga. Every detail was etched in; every single scale in the serpentine tail, and every tooth in their gaping maws. The sand then began to change color, turning green and white and silvery, all the colors of Azshara's brutal naga. When the glow finally faded, Illidan smiled.
"I developed this ability too. They are sand naga. They are simply constructions of my chakra and the natural world, but I love them as though they were real."
Tyrande stared at the five new naga, who hissed like snakes and bared their fangs at her. They looked exactly as naga should; but Tyrande could see that they possessed little of the fighting power that naga did. Even if it was Illidan's chakra they were made of, it was obvious that they possessed only a little of their master's power.
But Tyrande knew how to deal with them. She didn't need to waste time dealing with weaklings.
Tyrande bit her thumb, and her hands blurred together in a rush of seals. She then slammed her palm into the ground, creating a spider web of black markings in a heartbeat.
"Summon: Nightsabers!"
There was an explosion of purplish smoke, which obscured Tyrande for a moment. Illidan and his makeshift naga waited, a hideous smile painted on his handsome face, and seconds later five white blurs erupted from the smoke.
Five massive nightsabers, silvery white with many black stripes, streaked across the beach towards their quarry. They pounced on the naga, their claws glinting. The snake men met them with claws and tail, hissing in their own language and clawing at the big cats with whatever they had.
But neither Tyrande nor Illidan paid much attention to them. Tyrande was rushing towards Illidan again, her eyes narrowed into daggers. Tyrande slashed at the demonic elf with her weapon, but Illidan blocked and danced away. Cursing, Tyrande made a seal and lifted up a handful of sand.
"Stardust Shower!" She thrust the sand out, and it lanced into Illidan's chest, finally damaging him. It struck as hard as a shotgun blast, spreading outwards across his chest, each grain drilling a hole deep into his flesh.
Tyrande smashed her fist into the wounded area a second later, knocking him off his feet. He crashed to the ground, and lay on his back, stunned. The wounds on his chest bled freely now, spilling a strange purplish ichor over the ground.
Then he became sand.
Tyrande blinked in shock as Illidan, grinning maw and all, became merely a sculpture of sand on the spot. It dissolved into a heap mere seconds later, leaving the true Illidan unaccounted for.
She turned and saw him, standing amidst the ruins of his naga and the five bodies of her nightsabers. His blades were slick with blood, and the damnable smile remained in perfect place.
She looked back at him, frowning. The subtleness of the previous attack seemed so unlike Illidan. He no longer wielded his power as if it were a sledgehammer, using it to destroy everything from elephants to ants. He wielded it swiftly and powerfully, like a sword. He had trained, she saw, and not just to increase his power. He had gained lots of control over it as well. Perhaps he had changed. He had changed in realizing that raw destructive power wasn't the only type of power one could wield in battle.
Though, she thought, it still helped.
Illidan touched his chest, right atop the scar. "You seek to strike where it would hurt most, my love. You are still as amazing as ever."
"That scar suits you Illidan..." she snapped.
Illidan's face suddenly morphed, his smile exploding into a look of volcanic fury.
"A reminder of my battle with that fool, Arthas! Every time I have looked down and seen it in the past years, I have grown even more driven to destroy that man! The time will come when my power will be far greater than his, and then I will annihilate him." His grin returned, a heartbeat later. "But he is still just an obstacle, my love. I have never hated anyone, not even my brother, more than that man."
Tyrande smiled grimly. "I see a growing trend, Illidan. You hate those who are stronger than you in any way."
Illidan frowned at her. "Yes, you may be right. But soon will come a time that nobody will be stronger than me, and I will not have to hate anybody, Tyrande. Hating people is incredibly troublesome, and I have learned in my feud with my brother that it brings nothing but more hate and more pain. When I am strong enough, I will no longer have to hate."
Tyrande shook her head, glaring at Illidan again. "I don't know how your mind works. But I don't care anymore. You will tell me where Malfurion is."
He grinned. "I will. But I haven't seen her yet."
Tyrande began to weave her hands together in seals. She smiled.
"Here she is."
Tyrande suddenly stomped the ground with one foot. Six immense boulders, rising from deep within the earth, exploded from the sand around her, and began to hover in mid-air in a circle around her. She made another seal, and thrust her hands out in both directions, towards the boulders. They began to glow, a bright, electric blue, crackling as she charged them with her light chakra. She then made a final seal, and they shot upwards, high into the air and out of sight.
Illidan watched the entire process, smiling. His eyes were now skyward, as if attempting to spot the high flying rocks.
This was it.
His beloved's most powerful technique.
Starfall.
Then, as he watched, he spotted six glimmers of light, high the air, growing larger and brighter. As they came closer, he got more and more excited, his eyes growing wide and his mouth stretching into bigger and madder smile.
"Omen's Howl!"
Illidan suddenly felt a terrible pain erupt within his head, as a howling sound filled his large, sensitive ears. He suddenly found himself on the ground, clutching his head, as his ears rang and his body convulsed. He was unable to stand, his equilibrium all but obliterated. His vision swam as he looked towards Tyrande, who was glaring at him. Omen's Howl was another technique that only the Priestesses of Elune could use. A sonic, high-pitched howl that could destroy most elves' ear drums, and severely weaken anybody who was caught in it.
With no way to combat its effects, despite his power, Illidan was unable to stop the attack, as Tyrande's Starfall struck home.
The world exploded as one of the falling boulders, super-charged with chakra as well as heat from the force of its fall, slammed into the ground directly beside Illidan. He was flying through the air, twisting and flailing, whatever sense of direction he once had now gone. The second struck a moment later, engulfing him in searing flames and hurtling him into the air again.
Through the smoke and sand, however, and through the haze in Illidan's mind from Tyrande's previous attack, he saw her.
Her saw his goddess.
He saw her clad all in armor, white as the moon, that he had seen her wear in every battle he had fought alongside her in. Her hair flowed and her eyes pierced through his. He saw the immense power that she exuded, the power that he had always seen in her. It was a glorious sight, more glorious than anything he had seen in ages.
And then, she was gone, hidden by smoke and out of his view.
But he had seen her.
And that was enough.
Illidan Stormrage suddenly vanished, as chaos reigned around him.
Tyrande watched as her technique ended. The air was now filled with dust and sand, and smoke rose steadily from six monstrous craters, much of them overlapping. Illidan was nowhere to be seen, but she knew that the attack wouldn't have killed him. The demonic power inside him wouldn't have been so easily defeated, or else Maiev Shadowsong would have done it years ago.
So she hardly found it surprising to find him suddenly behind her. Shadows dripped from his wings and slid off his body like water, forming a pool at his feet. He was smiling, and the burns and wounds he had sustained from her attack had just completed their regeneration. He was perfectly unharmed.
"Beautiful," he said.
"That wasn't Shadowmelding or Shadowform," Tyrande said, ignoring him. "What was it?"
"Something that I created with inspiration from Akama, my ally of the Fallen Draenei. Shadowmancy, I call it."
Tyrande snarled. "Have you had your fun, Illidan?"
He shook his head, ever smiling. "Not yet. I have not seen you for so long. If I tell you now, then you might make me leave. I wish to just be with you a little longer."
Tyrande's eyes flashed, and she turned on him in an instant. Her words, whatever they might have been, however, were suddenly cut off by a sound. It was a whistling sound, that of metal streaking through the air. It's source became known not a second later, when Illidan lifted one of his evil blades to deflect a Sentinel's three-blade weapon. Both Illidan and Tyrande turned towards the origin of the sound, and spotted Neera, standing atop a high branch in a tree very near the beach's edge.
Tyrande's heart skipped a beat. If Neera was here, then she knew that Naruto couldn't be far behind.
And she was right.
In a blur of motion, Naruto appeared in front of the Betrayer, clutching a sphere of glowing, spinning blue chakra in his hand. With the speed of the wind, he thrust the chakra forwards, into Illidan's gut, before he could react otherwise.
"Rasengan!"
The ball exploded in a bright flash, creating a loud howling sound as the spinning chakra was flung into Illidan's body. The former night elf was thrown backwards, skidding along the ruined sand. He came to a stop many yards away, still on his feet, his body hunched over in pain.
Naruto immediately turned to Tyrande, a worried look on his face.
"You okay? What happened? Who's that guy?"
Tyrande stared at Naruto a moment, before smiling kindly at him. "I am fine," she said. Her eyes then went past him, towards Illidan's hunched form. The demonic elf was already straightening, and his wounds healing. He was frowning at Naruto, but Tyrande couldn't judge what he was thinking because of that. She only hoped that he was more curious that angry at the blonde. That distinction might save his life.
"That is Illidan," she said. Naruto gaped at her a moment, before spinning around quickly to face the elf. This guy was the bastard who had betrayed the elves for power. The guy that had hurt Tyrande so much. Naruto was both angry and slightly afraid as he stared at the elf's ruined form. Angry and wanting to express that anger to the person who had harmed Tyrande so much, and afraid of what power he might have. He could feel it in the air, hot and stifling, like an immense layer of smog. And upon seeing him shrug off the Rasengan to easily, Naruto was sure that this guy was incredibly powerful.
"Who...what...are you?" Illidan suddenly said, frowning at the blonde curiously. He touched his stomach again, making sure the pain was totally gone. What a strange technique! He tilted his head to the side as he watched the young human, standing in front of Tyrande and glaring at him forcefully. Again, he could not express how strange the boy was. He felt human, and yet, there was something else, deep within him. It was hidden to most eyes, but Illidan could see almost everything. He could see the power that was contained in the blonde.
"Uzumaki Naruto," Naruto said, standing up straight and smirking. "Konoha's Number One Most Surprising Ninja!"
Illidan blinked beneath his cloth covering, tilting his head to the other side as he did. "Konoha? That name sounds familiar, but I can't place where." He then frowned at Tyrande. "Why is there a human here? I came to understand there is no Alliance anymore. Why is he here, Tyrande?"
"To help create a world alliance," said Tyrande simply.
Illidan blinked, and looked at Naruto again.
"Help create an alliance...ah yes! Kael told me about this! He said that something was happening in this world! I was so busy training that I didn't care! An alliance! Tell me Tyrande, have you joined it?" He smiled widely at Tyrande. "It would be unlike you to have not. I think Malfurion would have approved, wouldn't you say?"
"Yes," Tyrande replied tersely.
"But I wonder if it will work?" said Illidan, suddenly frowning. "It sounds so...difficult. But I have confidence that you will do it, Tyrande! There is nothing that my love couldn't do. What is the purpose of this alliance, may I ask? What brought it on, especially after years of isolationism?"
Tyrande wondered why she was still talking, still answering this madman's questions. She looked at Naruto, who was glaring at Illidan. To protect him, of course. The longer they spoke, the more likely Illidan would lose interested in Naruto's previous action. As strong as he was, Naruto had no chance against Illidan.
"To destroy the Scourge, and to bring peace to the world," she said.
Illidan's smile faltered. "Oh...? To destroy the Scourge...that would mean destroying the Lich King...and Arthas..." He frowned deeply at the blonde then, and a purple glow began to show beneath his eye bandages.
"I can't let you do that..."
Tyrande's breath caught in her throat. Illidan's cheerful and flowery speech had vanished. His words now burned with blistering rage, transforming them into fearful weapons. The words sent a sliver of fear through Tyrande's body, and just a little in front of her, Naruto froze up. The killing intent that Illidan was now releasing was enormous. It was unfocused, but was so incredibly intense that it felt like Naruto now faced a thousand Illidans, rather than just one. It was not directed at any one thing. It just flowed out like liquid fire.
"He is mine to destroy. He will always be mine. I must destroy him and consume his strength. I can't let the alliance exist if it seeks to take that away."
Tyrande stepped forwards. "Don't even think about it, Illidan. If you attempt to do this, then it won't matter what knowledge you have of Malfurion. I will not let you do anything to endanger my people." Her eyes swept to Naruto. "Or this boy. You will do nothing, Illidan, or I will show you what I am truly capable of."
"I would never hurt your people. Or you. But this boy must be the reason that this alliance is happening. If I destroy him, the alliance will fail, won't it? Or maybe not. But even so, I find that I am mere moments away from attacking him." His grin returned. It was more a leer now, and it reminded Naruto uncomfortably of Sasuke's.
'I'm more special than you Naruto!' his best friend had cried, smiling maliciously as his body had changed from man to monster.
Illidan continued. "Your body contains an incredible power. Each time I look at it, I get shivers of delight. I am astounded at how such a small body can hold more power than the generals of Sargeras' army. But I can also see that it is not without its effects on your body. I can see that it hurts you to use it. It seems that you have not fully accepted it. But it fills me with delight to see such a power, but at the same time it makes me sad that it is contained." He brandished his blades, and they crackled and glowed red even brighter. "I want to bring it out. I want to see it."
Naruto growled. Somewhere within him, he could feel the creature stirring. It did not speak, but he knew that it was watching. This bastard had caught the Kyuubi's attention, and Naruto knew that if he even attempted to use the demon's power, the Kyuubi would attempt to seize control.
But at the same time, he could barely control the rage that was flowing through him. Illidan's face and demeanor awakened memories of the last time Naruto and Sasuke had seen each other. The glint in his eyes, the mad smile, and the horrible power that he emitted.
Tyrande suddenly stepped in front of Naruto. He was struck by the gesture. It was not unlike what Iruka had done during his fight with Mizuki, ages and ages ago, or even what Sasuke had done during their fight with Haku. She was protecting him.
It meant that she considered him a precious person, too.
Naruto smiled, renewed courage welling up in him. He flexed his arm, and drew his sword. He stepped up alongside Tyrande, and grinned up at her.
"Oi, I'm not gonna be left out, here. This guy has done some bad things, and I don't think I can stand just sitting here and not fight him."
"Me neither!"
Both turned just as Neera leapt from her perch, landing right near Tyrande. She clutched her Sentinel weapon, which had returned to her after failing to strike Illidan, and stared determinedly at Tyrande.
"Lady Tyrande, you have done so much already. Please let us help you."
Tyrande looked at the girl a moment, and then down at Naruto. She was touched.
But she shook her head. "No. He is too strong. Even for me. You cannot fight him, or he might not have the same reserves that he has had in fighting me. He has not yet attacked me, only defended. He will not hesitate in killing you, that I am certain."
Illidan listened patiently. He broke in, smiling.
"I won't kill him, Tyrande. I know you would be angry with me if I did that. I just want to see the power he has within him. It has been a long time since I have seen such immense demonic energy." He stepped forwards. "I won't kill him."
He was suddenly there, right in front of Naruto. His leering face so close that his and Naruto's noses almost touched.
"I promise!"
One of his blades sliced forwards. Naruto's sword came to meet it, but the force of the hit threw Naruto backwards. The blonde skidded across the sand, but twisted to his feet at the last moment.
Illidan was already upon him. The second blow came just as fast, just as strong. Naruto's blade met it, and this time Naruto bolstered his stance using Kongou. It nearly numbed his arms, almost causing him to drop the sword, but he held fast against Illidan's strike. Then, kicking the ground, Naruto threw the former night elf off of him, and dodged away to the side. His hands came together, and with a familiar cry, he summoned six clones to aid him.
Illidan was not impressed. The technique was exceedingly simple-looking, at nothing that he couldn't match or see through. He turned and attacked again, gleefully yelling as his weapons sliced through the air.
Naruto moved forwards, meeting Illidan's blades with his, while his clones circled around the demonic elf. Drawing fistfuls of their own shuriken, they sent a storm of steel towards Illidan. With a smile, Illidan suddenly vanished, the shadows consuming him. The weapons hit nothing.
Naruto's eyes widened. It looked a lot like the Shadow Walk he had learned from the trolls, and yet at the same time seemed far different. Illidan did not utilize shadows, but summoned them. He was not at their mercy, they were at his.
Naruto lifted his sword upwards in a heartbeat, and almost immediately found it pulling behind him. He turned, just in time to meet another of Illidan's hits. He grunted from the exchange, then leapt back, extending one hand out to the side. He willed his chakra to spin, creating a large, blue glowing Rasengan.
Illidan peered at the ball with great interest. The technique seemed so simple, and yet from what he had already experienced, possessed great power. He grinned again. This boy was interesting indeed!
"Illidan!" roared Tyrande, somewhere behind him. "Stop this!" She ran shot towards the two, her hands flying through seals as she went. Neera followed her, weapon raised and ready to fly. The Betrayer turned, shot her a warm smile, before stomping the ground once. The ground beneath Tyrande and Neera suddenly became pure shadow, causing them to stumble and sink beneath it.
"I can't stop, my love. Please, I won't kill him. But my body is moving on its own. I want to see this power!" He struck out at Naruto again, his blades searing hot. "Show it to me, boy!"
Growling, Naruto met his twin blades with his Rasengan. His chakra struck the glowing steel, repelling it. But the blades suddenly flared to life, cutting through the swirling barrier. Naruto leapt back, crying out just as the steel bit into the flesh of his palm. He was blown back additionally by the force of their chakra's sudden parting. Cursing, Naruto landed a few yards away, blood dribbling down his hand onto the sand.
"Show me!" Illidan cried again. "Show me!"
The Betrayer suddenly sucked in his breath, his hands coming together briefly in a single seal. His ruined, tattooed chest expanded outwards, and his throat began to glow green. Seconds later he exhaled, bellowing as he did, "Nether Flame!"
A large sphere of emerald fire erupted from his wide mouth, and it streaked towards the blonde, faster than any shuriken. Using his Kazaashi, Naruto blurred away, just as the fire streaked past him.
It detonated over the water, a brilliant viridian inferno in the night. The explosion sent a gust of wind strong enough to make Naruto stumble, and to kick up more sand into the air. Throwing up a hand to ward off the flying dust, Naruto sought out Illidan, who had vanished again.
"I will force you to show me, since you seem to have little incentive. Release the power!"
Illidan exploded from the ground beneath Naruto, having Blinked there just after releasing the attack. He lifted one blade and with a cry slashed it across Naruto's stomach. Naruto tried to harden it using Kongou, but the blade sliced through it with ease. Pain flooded into his body, igniting it afire and making him scream. He crashed to the ground, clutching his stomach, as blood flowed out.
Tyrande's heart skipped a beat at the blonde's scream, and she struggled to release herself from the technique. Neera hurtled her weapon, but Illidan blocked it easily, hardly looking up. He was staring at Naruto, a frown covering his face.
Naruto did not get up. He lay on the ground, clutching his stomach, the pain growing more and more unbearable. It was greater than anything he had ever felt. Every nerve burned, and it felt like his body was going to explode from the inside out.
The pain was most intense in his stomach, right over the seal of the Kyuubi no Yoko.
Illidan stared at the blonde again. "Ah. I see." He looked at the blade that had done the deed, and smiled. "This blade does more than cut flesh. It cuts everything. It seems I cut the bonds holding the creature within. It will soon break free." He then looked troubled, turning and looking at Tyrande.
"I do not want to go back on my word, Tyrande, but this boy might hurt you if he stays alive. The creature will come out soon. I don't want you harmed. Will you reconsider?"
Tyrande screamed.
It was a scream of primal fury, causing Illidan to step back. Tyrande broke free from her bonds, and was in an instant at Naruto's side. But as soon as her hands touched his flesh, he had to pull away, hissing as the demon's chakra lashed out at her, burning her flesh. But she did not move away. Her eyes immediately went to Illidan.
"Leave."
Illidan opened his mouth to protest, but Tyrande didn't let him. "Leave, Betrayer. Leave and never come back. Your presence brings nothing but suffering and destruction. Leave, return to that godforsaken world you rule, and stay there. If I see you here again, Betrayer, make no mistake, information about Malfurion or not, I will kill you." Each word was spoken with the so much hate that Illidan recoiled slightly. Tyrande had never spoken to him like that. She had never called him by that name, either.
He stepped back, as Tyrande began to inject healing chakra into Naruto's wound. She never looked back at him. Her mind, her determination, was focused solely on Naruto. Illidan had seen that very attentiveness in her dealings with Malfurion, ages and ages ago.
Illidan wanted to say something, but he suddenly felt presences coming towards them. Sentinels, druids, maybe. Drawn by the sounds and the sights of battle.
"I will leave, then, Tyrande. I am confident that you will survive this. You and my brother defeated Archimonde the Defiler. Though this creature might be stronger than he, I have no doubts that you will be able to come through." He smiled. "I have every confidence." He forgot her earlier biting words. He knew she didn't mean them.
"I have only this information-- Malfurion lives, somewhere deep within the Emerald Dream. I know that he is locked in a struggle in which he cannot leave. I know not where he is, only that he is. I have no other information. I am sorry. Goodbye, my love." He smiled again, mad as a hatter. "I will love you always."
The shadows consumed him, and Illidan Stormrage left Teldrassil as suddenly as he had come, but his presence would soon be made known, and the mark he left would remain with the elves forever.
Tyrande, though registering Illidan's final words, paid no attention to his leaving. She suddenly didn't care. All that she cared about was healing Naruto.
But it wasn't working.
Her chakra was repulsed. Boiling red, angry chakra began to flow from the wound in Naruto's stomach. He screamed and writhed, but his screams soon became more animalistic. They suddenly spoke not of pain, but of hate, rage, and destruction. No matter what she did, it kept flowing, surrounding Naruto's body, taking the shape of a fox.
Naruto face suddenly vanished into the cloud of chakra. The fox head that replaced it then turned and grinned at her.
Teldrassil awoke, its inhabitants hearing the terrible rage of the Kyuubi, finally free.
And soon they would feel it.
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Kira cried out and sat up, feeling a great surge of chakra behind her. Her empathetic mind, sensitive to emotion, was suddenly filled with all the most horrible feelings of battle. She felt an ancient, monstrous wrath, not at any one thing, but at everything. She doubled over, gasping, nearly sick from the suddenness of the feeling. She barely heard Kylia, who had awoken at her shout. She barely noticed Tsuwabuki, sitting in the corner, suddenly writhing and howling in fury and anger as the feelings from the bond washed over her too.
But this rage was familiar. The terror that it brought to her could only be matched by the terror she had felt when she had seen Naruto use his powers.
This was the power of the Kyuubi.
"Naruto..." she whispered, looking out the window.
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"Oh!"
Sakura backed away from the table, as the tea from her cup splashed across it, and dribbled onto the ground. She stared at her tea cup, which had split almost completely in two.
Ino, who sat across from her, blinked at the unusual breaking. "Oooh, that's a bad omen, Sakura. You'd best watch out for yourself in the future." She then peered at Sakura's slightly shocked face. "Or were you thinking about someone else when it happened?"
Sakura continued staring a moment, before she slowly shook her head. "Of course not. I don't believe in those stupid superstitions. Aren't you a little old to be taking them seriously?"
Ino puffed out her cheeks, annoyed.
Sakura walked away, saying that she was going to find a napkin. As she did, worry filled her heart.
She had been thinking about someone.
'Naruto...'
-------------------------------------------
Naruto stood, knee-deep in the murky water of the Kyuubi's chamber.
The bars had been cut.
The huge opening, large enough for the Kyuubi to fit its head and forearms through, completely bisected the small piece of paper that had once read "Seal." One part was completely gone, the other half remaining attached to the remnants of the bars, slightly singed.
But that was only the least of the problems.
The Kyuubi was gone.
"Oi, fox! Where are you?"
"HERE."
The water began to bubble and froth, and Naruto yelped as it began to boil beneath him. It soon rose upwards, forming the head and body of the Kyuubi. The water began to glow bright red, and streamers of similarly colored chakra, extending from between the bars, flowed into its new body. It was only partly formed, but it seemed to be growing more and more solid as time went by. The water was turning into reddish fur, and more of the body began to form.
"I AM FREE. I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR BEING SUCH A GOOD HOST. I WOULD HAVE BROKEN FREE EVENTUALLY, DUE TO YOUR CONSTANT USE OF MY POWER, BUT THAT ELF HELPED QUITE A BIT." A claw suddenly shot out, grabbing Naruto. The blonde cried out as the chakra seared his flesh. He struggled, as the demon pulled him close.
"YOU WILL WATCH. MY POWER IS NOT COMPLETELY FREE YET, BUT AS IT COMES OUT, I WILL USE IT TO DESTROY EVERYTHING YOU KNOW. I WILL MAKE YOU A PRISONER, LIKE I WAS FOR YOU. ENJOY FOR FINAL MOMENTS, BRAT. IT WAS FUN."
The Kyuubi smashed him into the wall, and then pulled away. A bubble of chakra remained around the blonde, trapping him. He struggled and growled and screamed, but the pain soon overwhelmed him. He watched in horror as the demon grew, and could do nothing to stop it.
Outside, the world awakened to fear, as Kyuubi no Yoko walked once again.
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Surprised again? Illidan isn't even the main baddy. It's Kyuubi!
I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. I wrote it a little worried, however. From what everyone was saying in the reviews, they wanted me to put Illidan in the character they remembered him as. Kickass, anti-hero and Tyrande-lovin'. Well, the kick-ass and Tyrande-lovin' are there, but he is at present much more villain than anti-hero. He's crazy, as you can see.
I made his personality as such because of two reasons. One, it might be canon. Illidan was totally pissed after losing to Arthas, and it might have driven him over the edge, especially given so much time to brood about it in Outlands. So my Illidan, despite still being in love with Tyrande, is much more obsessed with power than his canon counterpart. He loves power for the sake of power, and enjoys attaining it. Everything he does revolves around attaining power, no matter what kind.
Before you say that he is like Orochimaru, (and that is slightly true) he has a big difference. He cares not for immortality, or becoming the "Ultimate Being". He has no goal. He's just gaining power because he wants to. Simple as that.
The second reason for making him crazy is because he's so much more interesting that way. He's unpredictable, weird, and a little child-like. He can go from being rather depressed and poetic to being violently mad in a heartbeat. Besides, if he was regular-ol' Illidan, it wouldn't cause nearly as much conflict or be nearly as exciting. I hope you find my reasons to be acceptable, and if you are a fan of Illidan and do not like my interpretation, please know that I am very sorry, and that I hope you continue reading nonetheless.
As for Illidan's personality, I gave you hints that he's like Sasuke, but also like someone else? Can anyone guess who from this chapter? (It's not Orochimaru).
Thanks again to Nozdormi for previewing. And to all who sent information about Illidan.
Next week: The Kyuubi Cometh. The Elves had better be prepared!
Spellbook:
Moonlight Strike- Imbues a weapon with light chakra, which enhances it to a near light speed. It cannot be done with people, because their bodies are unable to handle it. Only usable by those who have trained to be a Priestess of the Moon.
Stardust Shower- Imbues ordinary sand, or pebbles or small objects with light chakra, and then they are thrust out to move at high-speeds and cause great damage up close. Has the force of a shotgun.
Starfall- Only usable by the most skilled Priestesses, the Starfall imbues any number of boulders summoned from the ground with light chakra, and then sends them streaking high into the air. Upon their return, they gain force and deadliness, and when the return to the earth, they cause massive damage to groups and individuals. Needs incredible concentration to do it.
Omen's Howl- Named for the wolf, Omen, who once defended the Night elves as their ally, before being corrupted. The howl is incredibly effective against those with enhanced hearing, such as the elves and trolls. Causes loss of equilibrium and can completely destroy inner ear.
Nether Flame- A highly concentrated blast of demonic chakra, emitted from the mouth. Causes incredible damage.
Shadowmancy- Invented by Illidan, based on the abilities of the Fallen Draenei, led by Akama, who follow Illidan. Cloaks a person in shadow, and allows them to teleport and conceal their presence with it. It can also be used to attack, in a variety of ways. Incredibly powerful, but much of it has yet to be revealed.
Armory-
Blades of Azzinoth- Illidan's twin warglaives. One can cut nearly any material or chakra, making it useful for breaking attacks, while the other can defend against any attack. Their full powers have yet to be seen.
Bestiary-
Illidan Stormrage (Humanoid/Demon)(Boss)- Obsessed with power, in love with Tyrande, and hateful of those stronger than he, Illidan is an incredibly powerful opponent. Possessing a cunning mind, and being extremely unpredictable, Illidan is a very difficult opponent to fight against. He seeks power only because of power, remarking that power is a journey, and that he never intends to end that journey. He has no destination. His true power has yet to be revealed. He rules over Outland, a world which he conquered long ago, along with his subordinates.
