KG: Okay, okay, before we all do something we're going to regret, I suppose I should explain my absence. I've decided to create a fantasy novel. A rather...erotic fantasy novel. Most of my time has been ironing out those details. I've only begun recently so...I've diverted energy to that.
Wifey: You sure it's not because you've been playing Solo Q?
KG: NO!
Music of the Week: Dance with Flames by Greg Dombrowski.
Quote: "Sometimes the only way to stay sane is to go a little crazy," by Harley Quinn
In the dead of night, far away from the streets of Kusagakure, Uzumaki Naruto opened his eyes. If one were able to peer into the heavy darkness that surrounded the blonde inside his cocoon, they would have seen that his eyes had turned from blue to an eery yellow. Inside that cocoon, buried in the depths of his contempt and his rage, his body cultivated itself to fit the immense power that had been unleashed upon it.
A chuckle escaped his lips. Despite the ache in his form, he could only describe the feeling that was coming over him as...wonderful. He did not know how long he had been in the home he crafted for himself, but his anger finally started to settle. The dream, nay the reality that he had envisioned was slowly disappearing from his mind for the time being.
The cocoon cracked and its pieces scattered to the winds before dissolving into huffs of black smoke. Naruto felt his feet touch the soft grass. He could feel the rush of the wind on his cheeks. He closed his eyes. He could hear it. He could hear...them. He could hear the heartbeats of over five hundred men and women scattered away from him. Each of them, all of them, in the palm of his hand. He could choose...whether they lived...or died.
Naruto stared at the heartbeat of one. Like a heavy rope tied to his hand. He pulled the heart and clenched his fist. He watched the heart pound and beat like mad. He could feel its very real pulse coursing through his veins. He clenched and clenched the heart until spikes of blood erupted from the valves of the muscle. Whomever this was, Naruto cared not who, they had just lost a true reason to continue living. The heart stopped and Naruto could see it whither and die just like the body soon would.
"Strange, the cultivation didn't take nearly as long as when I'm working on the memories of people I've killed. Yet, I feel so much stronger. I doubt I'm as strong as Hatake Kakashi or that fool of a Toad sage, but once I find that Box of Ultimate Bliss, I bet I will be." Naruto said to himself.
The Kyuubi jinchuuriki stood to his feet and blinked. He looked down at the ground. "Have I gotten taller?" Naruto asked himself. He swirled a piece of blood around his arm and held it in front of him. With the help of the moon, he stared upon his form in this pool of life. What he saw surprised him. He touched the back of his head. Behind it laid a full mane of red hair. His fingers brushed through it slowly. Strange, it rather reminded him of Uzumei's hair only a tad darker.
He was clearly taller than he remembered being. He felt like he had aged at least two years. Why was that? Was his former body not enough to accommodate all of the changes that had been happening to him? His hair didn't seem so spiky now. Instead, it felt rather smooth. His lips thinned. They say you never know what you have until it's gone. He kind of missed his yellow hair. Oh well, he could make do.
Next, he noticed...he was naked. The clothes he had been wearing were completely gone. He had no idea where they went. Perhaps in the transformation, they had been destroyed. Well, he could always buy more.
Finally, the former blonde turned his attention to the thing which surprised him the most out of his transformation. How could he miss them? Behind him, four red orbs floated in the air. They looked no bigger than a streetball he remembered playing with at one point. He flicked his fingers to the left. The two orbs to his left followed his command. He used his other hand to motion for the right. Those orbs on the right followed his command as well. So...they moved to his whims. Rather interesting little things.
Seeing as he had nothing better to do, Naruto called the orbs to his body. They came to him without a second wasted, but he was surprised that they wrapped around him and formed themselves into clothing that he desired. "Pretty sure, I didn't ask for this, but this works as well," he replied.
Once this was done, Naruto took in his features one more time. He wondered how Akari and Ryuzetsu would take this new transformation of his. He would have to meet with them soon. He didn't know what time it was, and he was supposed to be leaving tonight.
As Naruto stared back at the field he had laid in, his eyes glimmered in the moonlight. He then left without another word. If Naruto had stayed around, then he would have seen the fields wither and die as if the very essence of life had been sucked out of them.
Returning to Kusagakure wasn't too difficult. It took him no time to return back to his hotel room without being seen. He entered his room and quickly formed two blood clones. He then formed one of them into Uchiha Sasuke, albeit a bit smaller to make up for this new height difference of his. He then adjusted their voices. He also turned the red-haired clone of himself back into a blond.
"Go back to Konoha. You will not dispel this time," Naruto told them. They bowed to him and dashed out of his window. It would be a long trip back to Konoha, but neither clone needed sleep nor food. They would make it back before too long. They might miss a day or two of the academy, but given the little play that had been performed then it would not be so unreasonable for them to be gone for some time.
As Naruto gathered his things, his door opened. "Naruto-sama, is that you?" The blonde turned around and saw Uzumei was at the door. He fully faced her.
"Some changes had to be made, but it's still me dattebayo. What do you want Uzumei? I'm getting ready to leave soon," Naruto said. He stiffened when he felt Uzumei raise a hand to his hair. Just as he had done, her fingers slid through them like a flawless comb. When he looked in her eyes, there was something that confused him. Uzumei looked like she was about to cry. He had never known her to do that. There was a look of genuine familiarity in her eyes.
Suddenly, Uzumei seemed aware of herself and dropped her hands. "Apologies, Naruto-sama. I...I couldn't resist. Something about your hair feels...familiar," she answered him. He merely stared at her, but his thoughts were moving. Hm, so there was another lead to go off of. Red hair meant something to her. It must have been something more than just them now having the same hair color.
"It's fine. Just tell me why you're here," He pressed. He would have to get going soon.
"Ah, yes. Uchiha Sasuke wishes to be upgraded to the next training set. You advised me to consult you on this matter should it ever arise," she replied. Naruto's mouth pushed itself to the side. A stupid, pathetic pawn though he was, Sasuke was definitely not lacking in the receiving of punishment in the form of training.
Naruto pinched the bridge of his nose. "Do you think he is ready?" the former blonde asked. Uzumei took out a sheet of paper that had been hidden away in her pocket. She opened it.
"Personally no. However, I feel like in 1-2 months, he will be. When I do not give him more material, he goes back to his ranting quest for vengeance against his brother. It is a tiresome story, but it seems to be the only thing that drives him. If you would agree to advance his training, then I will begin the new schedule within three days.
"And how close do you think he is to awakening the Sharingan?" The blonde asked as he peered out the window. From its reflection, he could see the deep-seated hatred on Uzumei's face. No doubt she was thinking about Hatake Kakashi and his own Sharingan. However, true to form, the anger slowly left the woman's face and she took a breath.
Uzumei flipped to another piece of paper. "Yes, you had me learn of the history of every clan in Konoha. If I may be so bold Naruto-sama, given the structure of Uchiha biology, Uchiha Sasuke might have already awakened his ocular dojutsu," She answered him.
Oh? Now, this was interesting. "Is that so? And why do you think that?" Naruto asked.
"From what I've garnered, the Sharingan is a dojutsu that is awakened when the user is put under high stress or emotional instability. This condition or effect is magnified in regard to those whom the wielder truly cares about. The thesis papers by the Konoha Medical Facility seem to support this. The criteria for Uchiha Sasuke to awaken the Sharingan are all met...during the Uchiha Massacre. It's possible that...his mind has suppressed some of these severely traumatic memories in order for him to remain alive. It is possible that he doesn't even know he has it," Uzumei said.
Naruto listened to this with interest. Hmm, that might explain why dear Satsuki-chan was so good in the academy. His body had already been flowing with the effects of the Sharingan. Oh sure, he was talented in the shinobi arts as well, but it was obvious that the aftereffects of his traumatic experience had evolved his body a bit.
Naruto walked over to his bed and sat on it. A grin appeared over his face. "Uzumei, come here," he said. He pushed his new, red hair off the side of his face. Uzumei was already in front of him by the time he was done.
"Kneel," he ordered. Uzumei didn't even smooth her dress. She knelt before the young boy without another word. She stared at him as he crossed one leg over the other. He took a kunai into his hand and twirled it for a moment.
Naruto looked at the time of a clock on a nightstand. He would have to go soon. "Tell me, what is Sasuke to you?" The former blonde asked.
"A pathetic, insignificant brat whose only purpose, only good point is being a puppet controlled by my Lord. The instant his usefulness runs out, I would kill him if you gave me the order. If I may speak freely, Naruto-sama, I loathe standing near the boy for so long. His ambition is not my concern, his pride is grating, and his arrogance is annoying. I long for the day that you deem him useful enough that I need not shadow him any longer," Uzumei replied instantly.
Naruto's mouth thinned, but he could feel the creeping smile staining the confines of his mind. "And what if I asked you to sire the next generation of the Uchiha clan?" The blood wielder then asked. He could see the blood gently flow through Uzumei's heart. She was still calm.
"If that is what you wish for me, then I shall get started as soon as you wish. Would you have me perform when he is of age?" the female redhead asked.
Naruto stopped twirling the kunai. A brief chuckle expelled from his lips. "No, I was just curious. Ever since I had received these abilities that lace my enemies in blood, I have sworn to myself that Uchiha Sasuke will never again lay his hands on the things which are mine. That includes you," he fired back.
"Yes, sir. Thank you for your humble mercy, sir," Uzumei answered. She then watched Naruto cut his thumb with the kunai he was holding. By his command, the blood flowed from the open wound until it swirled into three separate oval-shaped pills. Like faint, beating hearts they pulsed with unknown sounds.
"I'll be meeting with Akari and Ryuzetsu soon. While I'm gone, take this. Make sure you take it in a secure location. Give this small one to Sasuke," He said dropping two of the pills to her. She quickly took it in her hands.
"Yes sir," she replied to him. Naruto then stood to his feet and made his way towards the door. He opened it and then closed it. This left Uzumei alone with the two red oval-shaped pills that her master had left her. She placed the smallest one in her pocket and ate the one that had been given to her.
As soon as she swallowed it, she could feel her body burn with a fire greater than any she had ever experienced. Before she could even scream, her consciousness faded away and she fell to the bed. If Uzumei had managed to stay awake then she would have seen the pumping, straining, pulsating veins that lined her arms, legs, and neck. Her red hair began to glow in a creepy light that cracked the light bulb in the hotel room. Her body curled itself up and her hair wrapped around her body. Just like with Naruto, a smile appeared upon her face as well. There she would rest for the next 12 hours.
-x-
Ryuzetsu and Akari stood at the Kusagakure Gates. The former exhaled. "He is quite late," she felt the need to point out. The white-haired genin turned to her Chunin superior. She watched Akari walk around in circles.
"Yes. Worst case we will have to leave without him. I'll properly scold him when we get back," Akari said. Internally, she wondered what would keep her newest master so late. It would be bad if something happened to him. Then again, for a young man as powerful as he was, she doubted that whatever kept him was so concerning that it could threaten his life.
However, neither kunoichi had to wait for much longer as Naruto swiftly appeared next to them. "Hmmm, scold me? Been a long time since anyone's done that to me," Naruto said as he came before them. Both were ready to point out his lateness, but they were quick to take in his newest features. Ryuzetsu did not see it, but Akari sported a rather decent-sized blush on her face. Not even Ryuzetsu was unfazed by Naruto's new look.
"Naruto, is that you? What happened to your hair, and did you get taller?" Akari asked. Naruto laughed at these questions. He flipped a piece of his red hair from the side of his face.
"Perhaps a few new changes were in order. I hope you both approve," Naruto said. He could already tell from their faces that they did. He could practically feel the lust hanging off Akari's body. It would seem that he would have to sleep with one eye open or he might not get the opportunity to complete his personal vow. Then again, his body had aged significantly. Who was to say? Perhaps another transformation and he would find himself with the appropriate body for those types of activities.
As for Ryuzetsu, her silent gaze was enough to tell him that she found him attractive as well. It was rather humorous to watch her shift her eyes to his new form and then to someplace else. "Perhaps we should leave while we still have the night at our side," Ryuzetsu figured. It made the former blonde chuckle that she said this without looking at him.
"I agree. I've wasted enough of our time. Let's go, dattebayo!" Naruto encouraged. The two kunoichi looked at him for a moment before deciding the same. In no time, they vanished into the trees and made their way for the Blood Prison.
For the team of three, the first few hours of the trip were rather uneventful. The only sound to be heard was their footsteps against the three branches. They knew that they would not make it to the prison before the week was over, but it did not mean that they couldn't pick up the pace to make this journey faster.
Naruto took the time to go over the plans that laid inside his head. So many pieces interconnected together. He was thankful for the time to go through them all. In his rage and his transformation, his cultivation had not allowed him much time to think about his plans. He had been solely focused on painting the picture of destruction that he envisioned not just for Konoha, but for the entire shinobi world.
One might ask, why would Naruto care about the other nations? He currently had no qualms with them. Well, he didn't have them now, but he would have them sooner or later. Naruto was not so naive as to think that destroying Konoha would be the end of his enemies. No, the other four nations would seek to occupy the territory that he had created and that would bring further conflict.
However, there was another reason why he wanted to destroy the other four. He merely wanted to. It would be rather interesting to see how the power scale between each of the Five Great Nations. How wonderful would it be the bring it all crashing down?
"Naruto-san?"
Naruto took himself away from his thoughts when he heard his name being called. He turned to the source of the noise and noticed Ryuzetsu was running alongside him. "What's up, Ryuzetsu-san?" Naruto asked. He was quick to notice how intensely she was staring at him. He found her gaze to be rather lovely.
"The Box of Ultimate Bliss, I don't know what rumors you've heard, but none of them do it justice. You're not from Kusagakure so I can't say I have faith in your abilities, but you were recommended by Daijin-sama. I have no choice, but to see you as a comrade. I say this for your own good. If we do find the Box, then it must be destroyed. It is evil. I'm telling you this because you need to understand the severity of this mission," she told him.
As soon as those words left her mouth, Ryuzetsu found the world around her to be rather distant. She stared into the red eyes of the red-haired boy she had been traveling with and felt her senses go numb. The feeling of the wind, the sound of her steps on tree branches, even her very sense of smell, had faded away leaving her in a black void.
"The Box of Ultimate Bliss is evil? Dear Ryuzetsu, you think it is evil because you lost your friend to it. No, the only thing that's evil is the bastards who sacrificed your friend. No, perhaps the evil one...was your friend for leaving you alone. Because he wasn't strong enough, you had to suffer alone with no one else to understand you,"
What...was talking to her? A voice that tingled her ears and fed her mouth words of delicious honey. Yes, perhaps that was true. It wasn't the Box's fault her friend was taken. It was the Kusagakure officials and their crazed lust for power. Yet, they were too weak to control such an object of unfathomable strength. They...were not worthy.
"No, the Box is evil. I've seen it. It must...be...destroyed. It must be. It's what Muku would have wanted," She said. Wasn't she talking to someone before now? Was she talking to herself? She couldn't remember. All she could remember was that she greatly missed that voice.
"Ah, yes. Muku, what a true friend he was. He didn't even try to resist. He didn't tell you about that night either. He didn't trust you. His duty was more important than you. Yet, here you stand suffering from the consequences of his mistake. Because of his weakness, you have been held back by the shackles of duty. Imagine...if someone as strong as you had the Box of Ultimate Bliss. You could make them pay for their misdeeds. You could make them suffer. You could...make them wish for death,"
Yes. Yes. Yes, death. It was what they deserved. Those damn elders, Muku's father, Muku, they all deserved to die. They all deserved to be destroyed. They were weak. The Box wasn't evil. It just found them unworthy of the magnitude of its power. If she had it...she could show them who was truly worthy.
"No, Muku is my friend. It wasn't his fault. There was nothing he could have done. He...didn't tell me because...it must have been to protect me. He wasn't that type of person," Ryuzetsu argued. She clutched her head as the words invaded her mind, but she could not stop them from wrapping around her brain like a heavy fog.
"When one is about to die, or feels they are about to, that is when their true nature is revealed. Dear Ryuzetsu, you are so strong. You do not need to be surrounded by weaklings, liars, and false friends. You tire of being alone, you tire of shouldering the weight of isolation. Give it to me. Trust...in me. Let us open the Box together and you will become a woman so beautiful, so strong, so capable, that you will not need to make excuses for crutches that tie you down. All you will need...is me," the voice said.
"All...I will need...is you, Naruto-san. All I will need...is you. Muku...was just a pathetic weakling," The white-haired kunoichi said. Her gaze were dazed and unfocused. Slowly a smile appeared on her face as she imagined opening the box and taking revenge upon all who had kept her down. She...didn't need them. She didn't need Kusagakure. All she needed was power and…
"Ryuzetsu-san? Hello!"
Ryuzetsu snapped out of her gaze and found all of her senses had returned. She found herself staring at Naruto. He looked at her curiously. "Are you alright? We can take a break if you want," he advised.
The young genin touched her face and found sweat dripping onto her hand. "Huh? What happened?" she asked. She didn't remember much anything after she had just spoken with Naruto.
"You were just telling me about the Box of Ultimate Bliss. I assured you that if the time came we would try to destroy it," the red-haired boy replied to her.
"Yes...it must be destroyed. Thank you for...reminding me," she said. She then felt a heavy jolt of electricity fire through her body when she felt him touch her shoulder. It nearly made her lose her pace and fall from the trees.
"Are you alright?"
"I'm fine! Don't touch me!" she exclaimed and swatted his hand away. She widened her eyes in surprise of her own outburst. She then looked forward to see Akari looking at them with a curious gaze. Ryuzetsu then turned her gaze to Naruto. She felt the guilt fill her body by his concerned expression. She had no way of knowing, but a blush appeared on her face when she looked upon him.
"I'm...sorry. I suppose I'm just more tired than I thought. I'll just...need some space," she said. She then dashed a few branches away to be by herself. Naruto watched her go and the grin on his face only grew wider. Yes, Ryuzetsu, all you needed...was Naruto. Just Naruto!
-x-
Where did it all go wrong? Where had he made the error? When...had his judgment faltered? For many years, he had laid the groundwork for the construction of his underground empire. He held a hand in every arms deal under Konoha and between the Five Great Nations. He was a part of an inner circle of the world's underground that only the dangerous elite of society could fathom. His very hand was enough to move even the Kage to action if money passed enough.
Those foolish village leaders and elders might think that they were the supreme power that moved the very structure of modern society, but they couldn't fathom their own insignificance. He, and the numerous connections that he had made, were the ones in control. He was the one who decided who lived and who died. He was the one who bent the arms and knees of civilizations. He...was a god.
So why...was he staring at the corpse of his son while his wife laid chained against a wall? Why was Takamura Shingen trapped against a chair, his face bloodied and bruised by a miserable Uchiha slut that he had taken for his own in his dungeon?
The plan had been simple. Uzumaki Naruto, for whatever reason had let him go. Since then Shingen spent every waking second plotting his revenge. He was amassing an army to retrieve his wife and escape with his son. While he coordinated the destruction of Naruto's forces from a safe distance, he would begin the plot to retake his empire.
Where had Shingen gone wrong? He had planned to retrieve his son secretly, but each day he felt like he was being watched. Every corner he turned there was only silence to greet him, but paranoia and anxiety became his neighbors. Not even masked in a crowd of civilians did he feel safe.
As soon as he came into contact with his son, his world had gone black. When he had awoken, the sight before him was Izumi Uchiha standing over the corpse of his son. A sword rested in her palms caked in blood and splattered organs. He hadn't even heard his son scream for him nor his mother. He hadn't even...seen his son's face one more time before he fell over dead.
Then, came the pain. Nothing stopped Izumi Uchiha from releasing years of pent up rage in her body against him. No scream was too loud, no cry was too wet, and no mercy was too big, to get her to stop her assault. Minutes seemed to pass like days until the pain finally stopped, but only for a moment.
Izumi removed herself from Takamura and stood in the doorless, windowless, cage that she had created for herself and her victims. "It hurts, doesn't it Shingen? You have no idea how many nights I slept on thinking of this moment. A shame about your son. I suppose was just...unlucky that the circumstances weren't in his favor. Isn't that what you used to tell me?" Izumi asked.
"ISN'T THAT WHAT YOU USED TO TELL ME?!" Izumi asked with a snarl. She kicked Shingen's chair sending his face crashing to the floor. A painful grunt expelled from his body.
Izumi brushed a piece of her hair from her face. She then lifted her foot and slammed it on top of Shingen's head. A scream expelled from his lips as he felt the bones in his face groan between the floor and Izumi's heel. "Hahahaha, I remember the first time I woke up. I was chained to a wall, the only thing covering me was a dirty rag. You enjoyed passing the time telling me about my clan. You even...dug up the bones of my mother...and threw them in your fireplace. I could only watch as you laughed, and taunted me. Your wife...kissed me more times than I could fucking count. Day in and day out I thanked Kami that I was not tossed around by you like some horrid plaything," Izumi said.
She stared at Kai Shingen, the wife of Takamura, who glared at her with the flames of rage that burn from a distressed parent. Izumi stepped up to Kai. The female Uchiha frowned. "What a horrid look on your face. You should be thanking me. At least I let your sniveling offspring die with some dignity. It's more than whatever you gave me," Izumi answered to the glare the former underlord's wife gave her.
SMACK!
Kai felt pain as her head slammed into the side of the stone wall she was tied to. A grunt of pain flew from her mouth. Kai felt her body slump, but the strength of her restraints only caused her insufferable amounts of pain each time her body slouched. "You're lucky. You could bury your son if I allowed you to. I can't even do that for my mother anymore," Izumi said.
The female Uchiha held up her blade and watched it shimmer in the lamplight. "Hehehehe, well dear, look at our little Uchiha. She's moved up in the world. Now, I regret that I left my wife have all the fun with you. I never got my turn," Takamura said.
Izumi stared at him. He offered her a bloody smile, but she did not return it with rage. Instead, she returned it with death. Her gaze froze him from where he laid. She turned back to his wife. Takamura felt anger rush through his body. First his son, and now...his wife.
"Takamura Shingen, I'm going to ask you a series of questions. If I don't get the answers I want, I have my own entertainment with your wife. First question, where is Itachi Uchiha?" Izumi asked.
"How the hell would I know where an S-rank missing nin travels?"
Takamura then heard the gut-wrenching cry of his wife. His face clawed at the ground to turn him over so he could see. The best his vision could give him...was the ring he had put on his wife's finger when he asked for her marriage. It laid in front of him...along with the finger he had placed it on.
Shingen balled his bound fists and snarled at Izumi like a rabid beast. He could see the glimmer of blood staining her blade. She swiped it off. "Where is Itachi Uchiha?" she asked again.
"...I don't know. The only contact I've had with him was before he left the village. He must have blackmailed our organization's doctor because she was treating your injuries. You almost died about seven times in the process of your recovery. You were to be confirmed dead so he sold you to me. He reasoned that I might find a suitable client that would take you out of Konoha. Heh, he probably was too soft in killing all of you so he think of some way that one of you could escape," Shingen replied.
"Well, I'm glad my survival meant so much to Itachi. Why did Itachi kill my clan?" Izumi asked.
"Do I look like the head brass of Konoha? How would I know? All I can say is that life in Konoha has been much better with your family feeding the worms. Any village that would harbor a bunch of potential traitors is bound to collapse," he teased.
Izumi did not seemed interested in his taunts. She then heard Kai chuckle. "A shame he killed them all. I was trying to entice my husband about potential Uchiha offspring. I guess the offer came too late," she said with a hard cough.
Izumi placed a finger to her chin in thought. Her mind raced through the numerous possibilities of what this information meant. Her only lead to Itachi and it had turned up in smoke. This could not be the only trail that she had left to her. There must be more. She did not wallow away in a cell for so many years TO COME TO A DEAD END!
"GAH! UGH! RAH!" Kai screamed as Izumi pushed her blade into the former's abdomen. Izumi stared mercilessly as she heard her sword meet bone. She pushed until she heard the snack and crack of those in the path of her blade until it touched the stone wall behind her prisoner.
"You know, Shigen Family. I've served under Naruto Uzumaki for almost a year and a half now. Now that I have you here, I now see why he allowed me to hunt you. It was because he wanted to see if I was just in this to make you suffer or...hehehehahahahahaHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Izumi grabbed her blade and tore it out from Kai's body. The wife of Takamura screamed as her blood splattered on her husband's face. Takamura stared up in shock as Izumi released a wide smile. "Talking to the two of you, I now realize at first...it was about revenge. Now, I love seeing that look on your face. I like the despair, the pain, the anguish, and the fear running through your eyes. I love seeing the grief strike you like a plague of locusts on a well-kept garden. The closest thing I've lost...is my own reason," Izumi said.
Kai and Takamura, despite the pain they were in, stared into Izumi's eyes. They could see the full might of the Sharingan staring at them, but...it was not like any Sharingan they had ever seen before from any other Uchiha. It looked more developed, defined, The three-tomoe shapes had come together to form a sharp pattern not so different from a shuriken.
Slowly, time slowed down for them both. Izumi picked up her blade. "I will tear it down. Everything that Itachi protected, everything that my family ever loved, everything that makes this world run smoothly, I will burn it to cinders and ashes. I will make Itachi watch as I create miles of graveyards wrought with the bodies of the living,"
Izumi picked up her blade and slashed Kai's chest. The female Shingen tried to scream, but she found her vocal trapped by...something she couldn't identify. "Shhh, you make too much noise. Let me...savor this. Let me...keep cutting you like this...for the next 144 Hours," Izumi said.
She turned to Takamura. She grabbed him by the throat and shoved him against the wall. "Don't die too quickly. I've studied a lot about the human body. I might not be as good as a Sannin, but I can keep you breathing!" Izumi said as the throes of bloodlust darkened her speech. Takamura screamed, but no sound came up. He looked down and he saw Izumi's blade stabbing through his crotch. He stared at her and all he could see...was the spinning wheel of her Sharingan.
Izumi opened the hidden door to the room that had been her entertainment. She stared at the mangled, disfigured, and dismembered corpses of her victims. Her eyes squinted as blood continued to pour away. Her breath was heavy and so was her body. "Don't get too comfortable Shingen Family. I'll be sure to send Itachi to you for company," Izumi said as she closed the door.
The female Uchiha started walking away and the building behind her exploded as fires took to the trees. She paid them no mind. She was tired. She would also have to find a plan to deal with the Inuzuka clan's meeting for Hana.
"How do you feel?" Izumi turned her gaze to see Anko Mitarashi standing in front of the gate of training ground 44, better known as the Forest of Death.
Izumi licked a piece of blood from her cheek. "I feel...hungry. I'm in a mood. Order me some dango," she replied. A chuckle escaped from Anko's lips.
"Well, at least you have good taste," the snake mistress replied. She stuffed her hands into her pockets and fell into step with the Uchiha.
"By the way, Izumi, have you ever heard of a group called...The Akatsuki?" Anko asked.
-x-
"I can't leave the compound?! Do I look like I'm Kiba to you?! I've been jailed to my house for three days like some criminal! Why can't I leave?!" Hana asked.
"Because I said so! You have nothing to do anyway. I know because Hokage-sama and I cleared your schedule. If you want to go out, then go train in the compound. You could use more practice in your collaboration techniques anyway. This discussion is over, Hana," Tsume returned fiercely.
Hana felt like her mind was being snapped into pieces. She could feel her chest pumping, and she could feel the excess chakra rushing through her body. Each day, each night, Naruto's words rang in her ears. She...was a Dog Soldier. She could feel her body getting restless. She could feel her senses heightening. She could feel her aggression levels rising.
"YOU DARE TURN YOUR BACK TO ME, MOTHER?!" Hana asked, her voice full of anger that surprised Tsume. The Matriarch of the Inuzuka clan turned around and she could see her daughter's once black eyes, now take the color of harsh gold. Like a great beast, her pupils hung vertically in her eyes. Her teeth were sharpened like blades. Her hands itched for blood.
Tsume slowly held up her hands. "Hana, listen to me. You've got to calm down. I know it's been hard on you, but you can't leave the compound. If you need something I will task a clan member to get it. Someone else can cover the vet duties. There is nothing you need that requires you to be away from the compound,"
Hana felt like her mind was being ripped into two different pieces. Adrenaline was rushing through her body. Chemicals and hormones released by her were constantly being released into her brain and lower organs. "Calm down?! Calm down! You dare tell me to be calm?! I don't need to be catered to by a bunch of lower, sniveling dogs! You take me for a fool?! If you don't move, I'll rip the heads off every INUZUKA CLAN MEMBER IN THIS DAMN COMPOUND," Hana said. Her voice was filled with fire and steel. She could feel her mind slipping away.
"Good girl, Hana. Just like that. The days get closer to the full moon. You can feel the power that Konoha's tried to suppress and control inside you. Do you see the way Tsume hides her left hand? A syringe lays behind it. It will restrain your aggression and relieve your mind of its consciousness," a voice spoke to her.
"I have been trapped in her like some caged animal for three days. I only wished to go out to spend some time to myself. I am not even allowed that. Naruto, I am afraid. What are they going to do to me if I fall asleep? I have not slept for 3 days from this fear. The base below the bar is the only place I feel safe to rest. I would rather slit my own throat than eat anymore food they give me!"
"Have no fears, Hana. Izumi is aware of the timeframe. Besides, you've continued to grow for so long. They can't keep your growth from rising forever nor will they. However, since you're hungry, why don't you...feast?" Naruto said from within her mind.
"Yes sir,"
"Hana, I'm warning you! Stand down!" Tsume ordered. As soon as those words left her mouth, three Inuzuka clan members and their ninken surrounded Hana in the corridor that separated her from the outside. A deep growl ruptured from the daughter of Tsume. She turned back to her mother and saw Kuromaru standing with her.
"Stand down?! A loser bitch and her brood dares me to stand down?!" Hana asked. She took a step forward. As soon as that step landed, the walls and floors cracked from the pressure of her chakra. She could see the beads of sweat fall from the faces of those around her. The weight of her chakra and her intent of murder was so strong that even Tsume felt her foot step back.
"Her chakra is so strong it's visible! She didn't have this much strength even two weeks ago! What happened? Where did she gain all of this power from?!" Tsume thought to herself. This...this was getting dangerous. She would have to inform the Hokage about this. How dense had Hana's chakra coils become?
"If you want me to stand down, then why don't you make me!" Hana screamed as she charged her mother. With her enhanced vision and reaction speed, it would have been easy for her to dodge the weapon she knew was coming, but she did not. Instead, she felt her mother stab her neck with the syringe and push the liquid into her daughter's bloodstream.
In an instant, Hana slumped over Tsume's body. The latter picked up her daughter into her arms. "Take her to her room. I want two Inuzuka stationed at the door. She does not leave her room under any circumstances,"
"Hai, Tsume-sama. Consider it done," one of them said. They took the unconscious woman from her mother and walked away. Tsume watched them leave with Hana while Kuromaru looked at his partner.
"Something's wrong. It should have been easy for her to dodge that. Even in the narrow corridor, she had the space," the wolf-dog said. The frown on Tsume's face deepened.
"I agree, but it's also easy to think she was drunk on her own rising power that she underestimated me. I never thought I'd have to use that syringe. It has enough drugs to even put down the Hokage for two days. She shouldn't wake up until the dinner. We can then move her and observe her," Tsume said to him. The two walked away.
Meanwhile, two Inuzuka were assigned to Hana's room. They gently laid her on her bed. "I should have brought a book if I knew we were going to have this assignment," one of the Inuzuka members said.
"I'll get you a damn book, Sarin. Besides, she's not going anywhere. I'll be right back," the other said. He walked out of the room. Meanwhile, Sarin brushed a piece of hair from Hana's face. He looked at the door.
"A-A quick kiss, wouldn't hurt, would it?" he asked. Perhaps it would be a bit shameless of him if he did more than her cheek. Sarin leaned over and slowly kissed Hana's cheek before backing away. He stopped at the edge of the room and laughed to himself.
He turned around to Hana's bookcase and cleared his throat. "M-Maybe I could get one more?" He said to himself.
While Sarin was thinking of the many things he could get away with, he did not see the eyes staring at his backside. He did not feel the glare of murder directed at him. So lost in his thoughts and plans, Sarin Inuzuka had no time to react when Hana grabbed the back of his head and bashed it into her bookcase.
"GAH!" Sarin yelled as he fell to the ground. He tried to find his bearings, but the only thing that he found was Hana's fist crashing into his skull. Over and over, Hana punched and punched. Her eyes held no anger. Her eyes held no compassion. Her eyes held...no humanity. She just kept striking and striking without mercy. However, her face began to morph into a wide smile.
Hana's punches grew harder and faster. Pools of blood stained her floor. A crack and snap of bones crunched with each strike now. She kept up blow after blow until her hands stopped. The Inuzuka heiress stared at the corpse she had bloodied at her feet. She then leaned over and grabbed Sarin's head. Though he was no longer alive to feel the pain, if any were around then they would have heard the cruel, wrenching twist of a neck. With her strength, Hana ripped Sarin's head from his shoulders.
Hana stared at the head of her deceased family member. She then heard the banging on her door.
"Sarin?! Sarin! Are you alright? I smell blood! You son of a bitch, I know you're a horny bastard, but I swear if you…,"
The door opened. The Inuzuka member who had left to fetch Sarin his book dropped it to the floor. He stared in speechless horror of the headless corpse at Hana's feet. He stared in horror of the head in her hands. Before the Inuzuka member could even scream, Hana smiled. She then lunged her full body at him. He did not make it far before she dragged him back into her room and closed the door. No sound could be heard except for the occasional crunch or sloshing noise.
KG: Done. Back to Solo Q! I-I mean writing my novel! GIMME CREAM SODA!