Naruto: The Rabbit Prince.
This Fanfiction is a crossover with The Naruto series, Darkstalkers, Summer Wars featuring: King Kazma, with elements of Watership Down.
Rated: M for violence, blood, swearing, physical combat, mentions of sexual content, murder, and death.
Fair warning, this fanfiction contains the following tags/clichés: Competent Naruto, Fuinjutsu (not master level) Naruto, Kekkei Genkai (with conditions) Naruto, Potent Chakra Naruto, Rabbit Summons Naruto, Animalistic Naruto, and Good Kaguya. Antagonist Sasuke and Sakura within.
Pairings: None unless they are adults because the plot doesn't revolve around romance.
Summary: What if Kaguya wasn't as evil as everyone perceived her to be the Chakra Fruit drove her mad? What if she had another son that turned out to be her official firstborn that was to be the King of the Rabbit Summons? What if her son adopted Naruto and cared for him as if he was one of their own? And what If Naruto had another Godfather? As Naruto grows into a fine shinobi, he must face the many trials that come with his growth.
Disclaimer: I do not own the following Anime, Books, and Games. Naruto is rightfully owned by Masashi Kishimoto. Darkstalkers is rightfully owned by Capcom. Summer Wars and King Kazma are rightfully owned by Madhouse. Watership Down is rightfully owned by Richard Adams.
Chapter 27: The Dark Returns.
Jon speed-walked from the entrance of the tower to the Hokage's office with his fists clenched, ready to confront the Sandaime. He couldn't avoid this any longer; his past had come back, and it was time to face it.
By the time he reached the door, there was a slight moment of hesitation as he stopped dead in his tracks. He had always been calm and collected, ready to handle anything that could go wrong. However, this... this was something big. If Morrigan was here, then it wasn't good news. He wasn't friends with the Succubus, but that didn't mean he didn't know her.
Jon took a deep breath as he closed his eyes. I have to do this. I'm not going to let the life I built with my family go to waste because of my past. I have to face this head-on.
He then opened his eyes, utterly determined as he entered the Hokage's office. To the golden-eyed man's surprise, he only found the Sandaime alone in the room looking pale and staring off into space; it was as if he had seen a ghost.
"Sarutobi, what's wrong?" Jon asked in concern, picking up on the Hokage's disposition.
Hiruzen didn't respond, only muttering a few things under his breath as he seemed to stare off into space. "A Darkstalker that powerful?"
"Hiruzen!" Jon shouted, finally getting the Sandaime's attention. "What's going on?"
The Sandaime just gulped as he tried to form the words necessary to inform Jon of what he knew. "J-Jon, you might want to sit down for this... it's about your past as a Darkstalker."
The golden-eyed man's gaze became a glare as he walked over to the desk and slammed his hand on it. He demanded in a deep growl, "Tell me, what is going on?!"
"Your old associate Morrigan had told me that there was another Darkstalker that planned on ruling this world. A-And he has just resurfaced as of late," the Sandaime answered, his voice never losing the shock he felt at that moment.
"Which one did she mention?" the male Darkstalker interrogated without a moment's hesitation.
"S-She said his name was Dohma Jedah," Hiruzen replied as sweat dripped down his face. "She told me that he gathered you all into a realm called the Majigen, an unspeakable demonic realm created from the soul of one of his closest advisors to take your power and shape the world and the demon realm in his image."
Jon grunted with a nod confirming it. "That's right. Now, what does Jedah want, and what are his goals?"
"He's planning on starting a war between our villages while amassing his own cult following for what seems like world domination over mortals and demons alike. Morrigan requested you for a mission, and it involves those that know your secret to come help in this battle," Sarutobi informed.
Nothing could be said for the Darkstalker as he now gained the same look of bewilderment as the Sandaime. His face then turned into a scowl as he turned to the wall near the window and struck it. "Damn, Succubus! Now out of all times?!"
The Hokage was quick to snap out of his state of horror. He then tried to calm his Jōnin down. He folded his hands on the desk. "Jon, you knew that this day would come sooner or later."
Jon took a deep breath as he closed his eyes and clenched his fist on the wall. "How long am I going to be gone?"
"My biggest guess would be two months at best," Sarutobi replied nonchalantly and he took a deep breath in. "It's best if you gather a team together before going on this mission—"
"No," Jon cut the Sandaime off while giving him a stern look. "I only need one person to accompany me. Pull up Naruto's files."
Hiruzen's eyes widened in astonishment. "N-Naruto?! H-He's not ready; you'd be dragging an inexperienced child into a world of demons and monsters! You'd kill him!" he hysterically exclaimed.
"I'll protect him. I need his Shadow Clones for reconnaissance. He won't be doing any fighting since he's going be aiding me from a distance," Jon rationalized. "Besides, I know enough about Jedah to understand that Naruto will be one of the only ones that will be immune to his powers."
By this point, it was the Sarutobi's turn to be enraged. "You want to reveal your demonic heritage to him just so you two can become closer! This is all because of six—NO—twelve years ago, you didn't get the chance to adopt him and take him in!" He took a moment to calm down, but his tone didn't change. "What are you going to do? Simply turn the boy into a W—"
"Don't you ever dare, Sarutobi!" Jon interrupted now truly enraged. "You very well know that those summons of his won't take likely to their summoner having those 'certain' traits compared to his rabbit ones."
"Then why bring the boy along?"
Jon calmed down from his rage, the Sandaime watching him skeptically. "Why don't you pull up Naruto's files, and we can see what he can really do."
"I'm not letting you—"
"Pull them up," Jon barked out as he cut off Hiruzen, his eyes literally glowing.
The Hokage only grumbled in dissatisfaction as he reached through this desk and pulled out a folder containing Naruto's files. The papers had quite a few pages that held everything from ninjutsu down to biological data, all stored within the writing. Jon approached the Sandaime's desk and grabbed the folder. He opened it and spoke as he went through Naruto's files.
After giving them a good look through, the Darkstalker was satisfied with the results. He looked up towards Hiruzen. "Naruto has demonstrated as much skill as a Chūnin and can use the Shadow Clone Jutsu, a B-Rank kinjutsu. Do you not know how valuable he is on the battlefield? Kakashi has also stated in his report that the boy has Sensory abilities. Despite being short range, it's incredibly strong, and he can sense emotions."
The Sandaime pinched his nose in frustration and defeat. He felt that this was based on a different subject other than the boy's combat skills. "Naruto is not an idiot, Jon. One day, he'll come to the conclusion that your association with him is something more than him just being your son's best friend. This will only unravel the truth much earlier than expected."
"That's not the point," the silver-haired man replied firmly, making the Sandaime's eyes widen. "I know Naruto can find out by his own knowledge. He's actually essential since Jedah has the ability of telepathy. Because of the Kyūbi being sealed within him, Naruto can fend off most of Jedah's mental attacks alongside whatever skills he has in dispelling genjutsu."
Hiruzen sighed. "But you're still bringing a boy into a world of monsters and demons. Even if Naruto could survive going up against a Darkstalker, what makes you think he won't succumb to their dark powers? The last I heard, you said that there was a group of humans that made a profit off hunting Darkstalkers and had to train their minds to make sure they weren't corrupted by their influence."
"He won't because if you don't remember, Hiruzen, Naruto has been put through darkness for the first six years of his life!" Jon growled out with a dark grimace. Sarutobi's face looked like it had been slapped. "You don't think all that abuse doesn't affect him, even when he seems okay now? It leaves a scar, Hiruzen, a scar that can never fade."
The Sandaime tried to ease the Darkstalker's rage. "I regret what I did, Jon. That mistake will live with me until I die. I'm doing what I can to atone for my incompetence by exerting my rule as dictator of this nation."
"And I should've raised him alongside Kiba and Hana, but no, you had to put him with a foster family. You let him get abused by them to the point where you had to put him in his own apartment. Now he's one of the only candidates capable of resisting a Darkstalker's power," Jon retorted. He took a moment to calm down before continuing. "Now tell me, where's the operation taking place?"
The Sandaime was frozen as he contemplated all his options regarding Naruto; thousands of thoughts were flashing through his head as he struggled to find some sort of answer that would keep the Human Prince here. He closed his eyes and tried as hard as he could to find his equilibrium.
If I send the boy on this mission, I'll be sending him to his death. But if I don't, will the world suffer? Will Jon really be able to protect him?
As if the silver-haired man read his mind, he reassured, "As his godfather, I will protect him at all costs. I swear he will return. Naruto is one of the only humans capable of enduring a Darkstalker's power without any training, and he still holds the innocence that can keep him sane."
Hiruzen sighed as he knew he was defeated. "You will be sent off to the northwest of Hi no Kuni by our borders with Tsuchi no Kuni. Apparently, there's an operation in the mountains where they're undergoing mass construction of advanced machinery from what you described as the old world. There, you will meet up with Morrigan and handle the threat Jedah poses by whatever means necessary."
The Sandaime took a moment to let it sink in before dropping the bomb. "She says you have within eighteen days to get ready before Jedah begins to expand on his forces and become too large to deal with."
"Understood, Hokage-sama," the silver-haired man responded in a monotone voice as he turned to walk out of the office.
As Jon walked down the hall, his gaze became cold. Hana's birthday was just five days before the mission. So many things to do, but for right now, he had to embrace these moments while they lasted. If what the Sandaime said was true, then he could be gone for two months, and that was an awful lot of time to be away from his children.
At the Inuzuka clan compound...
Naruto, Hana, and Kiba were now back in the kitchen with the groceries put where they belonged. They all sat at the table, waiting for Jon to return. It had been an hour since the silver-haired man left for the Hokage's office, and it was a bit nerve-wracking to think about for all of them. They just couldn't help but feel a sense of dread as they knew something was going to happen.
Meanwhile, Hana decided to liven up the mood to alleviate some of the tension. "So, Naruto, what's your favorite holiday celebration?"
Naruto, who was looking down at the woodwork, perked up from his seat. "O-Oh, I have a lot of favorite holidays. Because of my summons, we have a lot of celebrations."
"What are they?" Hana asked curiously.
Naruto smiled as he answered, "The first was created on July 24th. It's called the Festival of the Sun. It's where we celebrate the sun's warmth, light, and the life it can give. It's reminiscent of the book I still read to this day. The second is known as the Moon's Harmony, where we celebrate the calm and beauty of the night on the winter solstice. We also pray for the progenitor of our clan's safety."
Hana couldn't help but lean in interest as Naruto told her about all the holidays and celebrations that occurred in Usagi no Kuni, not paying any mind to anything else. It was incredible to hear that the Usagigetsu clan had such a rich culture, and it all came from both the clan's progenitor and a children's book.
"We always start things off with the Great Harvest to gather fruits before going to the arena so we can have food after all the fighting and excitement. We also like to put war paint on and don the markings that match with each festival."
Hana hummed in wonder. "That's very fascinating, Naruto. Do you think every summoning contract has their own culture and way to live by?"
"I don't know," the Jinchūriki answered as he shrugged his shoulders. "I think every contract has their own customs and ways that relate to each animal. The thing is that many of them can be picky about which summoner that will meet their requirements. Some of them actually can kill the summoner, and they could be just starting out."
The eldest Inuzuka sibling nodded her head in acknowledgment. She was about to ask another question, but their conversation was cut short as soon as they heard the front door open to reveal Jon. He quickly walked into the kitchen with the news from earlier.
Kiba was the first to speak out, excitement in his voice, "Tou-san, you're back."
"And you and Hana are still cute," Jon replied with a small smile before he turned to the blonde. "I have some news for you, Naruto: you and I will be going on a mission together, and I need someone like you for the job."
Naruto knew this was something that involved the subject from earlier. He then stood up from the table as his gaze became grave. "What does the mission entail, Jon?"
"It involves that woman from earlier, Morrigan," Jon answered honestly. "We're heading to the border between our nation and Tsuchi no Kuni; it's going to be a stealth raid operation, so I'm going to be relying on your massive reserves of chakra and your Shadow Clones to be scouts and get a scope on the terrain. But there may be complications that will come during the mission, so be ready."
Naruto nodded as he took a deep breath, understanding the mission at hand. "I have a few questions, Jon. What shall I refer to you as my superior? When are we leaving? And how long do you think we're going to be gone?"
Jon grunted in confirmation as he prepared his answers. "We have eighteen days to get ready, two months is the highest expectation from the Hokage, and you shall refer to me as taichou." The Darkstalker then crossed his arms, awaiting Naruto's response.
The Human Prince took this all in as the Kyūbi began to voice his concern. "There's something's wrong here."
What do you mean? Naruto inquired curiously.
"This man is hiding something from you," Kurama replied, suspicious of the silver-haired man's intents. He's going to use my cousin for something—
The beast cut himself out of his own thoughts as he just realized that he actually thought of his meat sack of a Jinchūriki as his cousin. If there was one thing the Kyūbi no Kitsune didn't do, it was refer to a mere human as his baby cousin; it was an insult to his pride to see how much the brat had grown on him in the past month.
Kyūbi? Are you alright? Naruto asked as he didn't hear anything back from the fox.
Kurama was snapped out of his thoughts as he growled at the boy from within his mind. "Whatever you do, be cautious. Talbain knows more than he lets on," the beast informed.
The Human Prince nodded his head as he listened to his cousin's advice.
Meanwhile, Kiba was quite shocked that his father was requesting his best friend to go on a mission with him. He felt a bit let down because in a way, he was a little jealous; who wouldn't? His father had chosen his friend to go on a mission with him while his children were right there.
"Hey, Tou-san, why do you need Naruto for this mission?" Kiba asked curiously.
Jon turned to his son, knowing that he was a bit jealous. "I need Naruto since he's a Sensory Type; it's a rare ability born within so few shinobi, much less with Emotion Sensing. He also has Shadow Clones that can send their knowledge back to the user, which then can be used as an information network of sorts."
"Oh..." Kiba was a bit sad about that. Akamaru popped up from his hoodie and began to nuzzle his face to comfort him.
The silver-haired man walked over and put his hand on his son's shoulder. "Hey, now I can't play favorites with my children, even on the job. I need Naruto for what abilities he has in his arsenal. I trained you and Hana, but I've never trained Naruto before, have I?" Jon asked with a playful smile.
The feral boy couldn't help but smile back as he answered, "No."
The Darkstalker grinned as he patted his son's shoulder. "Thank you, Kiba. I swear, when I get back, I'm going to spend an entire week spoiling you and Hana. I'm also going to teach you two 'that' technique."
Kiba's eyes lit up while Akamaru yipped in joy. "R-Really?! You're gonna teach us that jutsu?!"
"Of course," Jon replied earnestly. "When it comes to you and Hana, I don't make shallow promises."
Meanwhile, Naruto knew he had to prepare for the mission. "Well, it looks like I'll have to kick my training up a notch before the mission begins," he said, breaking the moment between father and son.
The silver-haired man then turned to the blonde as he removed his hand from Kiba's shoulder. "But you can train with us in the meantime, Naruto."
"Not exactly..." the Human Prince drawled out as he raised his hand to scratch the back of his head. "For the past month, I was working on a few crystal ninjutsu. I'm going to need my team's training field if I'm going to get it done in time for the mission."
That was partially a lie. Ever since Jon walked through the door, the Jinchūriki could sense the man's worry and fear being hidden by a happy yet stern mask. There was something about the situation that told him to get ready, and not just to pack some supplies and essentials for the mission. Despite all the bad things that came with it, having animalistic instincts was quite handy when needed.
With a small nod, Jon accepted the boy's excuse. However, nothing could get past the Darkstalker; he knew that Naruto could sense his emotions. Instead of trying to get his godson to calm down with his concerns and stay a little longer, he knew he had to let the boy go.
Naruto began to walk from the kitchen towards the front door. However, he was stopped by the Jōnin. "Naruto, wait."
The Human Prince turned around to face Jon, Kiba, Hana, and Akamaru, who were all standing by the threshold between the living room and the kitchen. "Yes, sir?"
"We'd really love it if you came by for Hana's birthday," Jon implored benevolently. "You're like a member of our family, and it would really mean a lot if you came. It would also help you relax before we head out." He knew that Naruto's prey instincts were capable of stressing him out.
Hana was quick to softly push her father and brother away with an excited look in her eye. "I know it's a lot to ask, but can you make some of the cookies you made?"
Kiba was quick to shove his sister out of the way to add in his two ryō. "Also, can you make some of the cheesecake you talked about alongside the other cakes you mentioned?"
Meanwhile, Akamaru leaped onto the couch and looked on in amusement as everyone was distracted.
The show started with Hana pulling Kiba back and wrestling the Inuzuka heir to the onto the ground. With a few rollovers and turns, Hana had him pinned down. "Say Oji, runt."
"Bite me!" Kiba retorted as he summoned the strength to turn to the tide and roll her over so that he was on top. Not more than a few seconds after that, Hana was on top once more.
"Give it up, Kiba. I gave you the position of clan heir all because I wanted to be a veterinarian," the former Inuzuka heiress declared as if to taunt the boy.
"Never!" Kiba shouted in retaliation as he struggled even harder to break free of his sister's hold.
Meanwhile, Jon and Naruto just sweatdropped at the situation. The silver-haired man turned to his godson with a warm smile, ignoring the fight between his two children. "Naruto, just remember that you're always welcome to come by. And don't let the mission stress you out. Just be ready."
Taking a deep breath, the Human Prince now felt a little more relieved from his stress. Despite his instincts telling him to stay away from the man, he somehow felt a little bit safer thanks to his reassurance. "Thank you, taichou. I'll be sure to not let it get to me."
"You can call me taichou during the mission, but here you're free to call me Jon or Oji," the Darkstalker insisted.
"Understood," the Jinchūriki returned sincerely. And with that, he took his leave out the door.
Fifteen minutes later... At the Training field Seven...
It was about sunset as the sky was slowly becoming a beautiful orange. As Naruto approached the steps his team usually sat on before their sensei showed up, he took a good look at the field.
The Human Prince was stuck in thought. I don't get it, why me? Why am I so special?
Taking a deep breath, he knew that he had to get ready for the mission. Pushing his thoughts aside, he quickly made a familiar plus-shaped handseal.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
In a row, over sixty Shadow Clones came into existence as plumes of smoke enveloped part of the field. They were all lined up side to side with their arms folded behind their back as they stood tall with their heads held high, awaiting their creator's orders.
Naruto, who soon imitated his clones, walked up to them from left to right, now determined to make sure his skills were up to the mission's standards. "Alright, everyone, today we have to make sure that my skills in ninjutsu grow in these eighteen days. We have a lot to work towards, but if we work together to gain the experience needed, we can overcome this wall. So, let's get to it."
The Human Prince then walked back to the concrete stairs only to turn back to his clones. "Thirty of you will form a group that will work on Crystal Style ninjutsu I haven't been able to get down for the past month." He then pointed towards an entire row from left to right. He then looked towards the other thirty. "While the rest of you will work on all of my wind and lightning ninjutsu. We must work to the best of our ability when it comes to this mission."
All the clones agreed as they spoke in unison, "Understood."
They then all walked off into different parts of the field, carrying out the orders of their creator. Naruto then joined the group that was working on the Crystal Style. They would spend the rest of the day and night here if it meant gaining the skills needed if he were to engage whatever enemies he may face in combat. It would be hours until he at least made a significant amount of growth when it came to his ninjutsu.
Later that evening...
The night sky and moon lit up the training field as Naruto trained to refine and gain whatever skills he could before the mission.
It had been hours, and the Human Prince was still at odds with figuring out one of his Crystal Style ninjutsu. He was still a little green on the subject, but he was making progress at a much faster pace thanks to the Shadow Clone Jutsu. Most of his clones were gone as they used up all of the chakra given and divided amongst them. He had blood running down from his nose from the influx of memories and experience coming back to him as he reached the homestretch of his training.
Naruto furiously went threw an array of handseals.
"Crystal Style: Death Spikes!"
He slammed his hand on the ground, only for an entire row of white crystal spikes half the size of a tree to emerge and devastate part of the training field in a straight path. They weren't big enough, however.
It wasn't long after until Naruto had collapsed from the fatigue of training for hours alongside the experience being sent back to him; it was enough to make the boy drop. Naruto laid there panting and exhausted as he looked up towards the stars, taking in their vast beauty as they lit the sky. He could hear crickets chirping and see fireflies dancing amongst each other as they brought the beauty of a hot spring night.
It's beautiful. Isn't it, Kyūbi? Naruto asked, trying to take his mind off today's training as he wiped the blood from his face.
"Yes, it's quite a sight," Kurama replied with no malice in his voice, just similar awe to his baby cousin. "When I was free, I loved this more than anything in the world. The old man always told us that this world was filled with such beauty and that it was worth protecting. But the humans that he asked us to protect turned on us and feared us for our power while some lusted for it."
Kyūbi, I'm so sorry to hear that.
The Human Prince hadn't earned his name yet, but Kurama was now seeing the boy in a new light. He couldn't help but feel a little bit more... comforted knowing that there was someone that honestly cared for him as if he was family.
Hey, Kyūbi?
"Yes?" Kurama replied.
How long has it been since you've last seen the other Bijuu?
"It's been a long time. I was always stronger than them because of my tails and used that against them. In the end, I seemed to have burned bridges I should have mended long ago."
You were that arrogant?
"I had the most tails out of all of them. So, therefore, I was the strongest," Kurama retorted.
Yeah... that seems like arrogance if you ask me.
The beast just huffed in annoyance.
It must have been a touchy subject to bring up to the fox. If he really wanted to bond with his prisoner, the Human Prince knew that he had to gain the beast's trust. He was then knocked out of his thoughts as someone called out to him.
"Naruto?" The blonde got up off the ground and turned around to see Kakashi.
"Sensei? What are you doing here?"
"Nothing much," Kakashi answered jovially with an eye-smile. "A black cat crossed my path, so I had to take the long way home."
The blonde sweatdropped at the excuse. "Really?"
"Yeah," the cyclops replied as he scratched the back of his head. He then opened his one eye and changed the subject. "So, what brings you out here at this time of night?"
"Training," answered the Jinchūriki as he got up and approached his instructor. "Apparently, I'm going on a mission with Jon, so I have to be ready for whatever may come."
Kakashi had to hold himself back from tightening his fist as he became lost in thought. He had just recently learned that Jon was taking Naruto with him on the mission. However, one question ran through his head: Why? He knew about Jon's secret past, but why did he have to bring Naruto along? He was far too young and inexperienced to handle what was coming.
The cyclops did nothing but stare for a bit as if he was looking right through the Human Prince. Sensing his teacher's distress, Naruto was quick to break him out of his thoughts. "Sensei? Are you alright?"
Kakashi jumped up a bit as he said that, his gaze now focusing on Naruto. "I'm fine. In fact, I was hoping to give you this in the morning, but right now seems better since you're right here."
Kakashi reached back into the pouch on his right side only to pull out a little blue book. He was quick to give another one of his eye-smiles. "This is a book on jutsu creation. It could help if you want to make your own techniques."
Naruto took a step back. "Sensei, are you sure you want me to have this—"
"Yes," the Jōnin cut the boy off. "I'm only giving you something that is suited towards your skill level, and hoping you'll work on it."
Naruto raised his hands to accept the book with curiosity as Kakashi looked on in pride. Sensei, are you watching him? He's going to make it in this world.
The Human Prince looked up in gratitude to his teacher. "Thank you, Kakashi-sensei. I swear I'll make good use of this."
Kakashi hummed in content. "I know you will. Keep up the good work, Naruto." He then walked off the training field and onto somewhere else.
As the cyclops disappeared into the distance, Naruto knew it was time to head home. But unknown to the blonde, Kakashi was on his way to confront Jon, regardless of the consequences.
Alright, here's chapter 27.
Everything's beginning to build and drift off into the real story.
Crystal Style: Death Spikes.
Rank: C.
Class: Offense, Supplementary.
Range: mid to long-range.
The user gather's crystal chakra into their palm and sends it into the ground, causing a path of spikes to emerge and destroy anything in its path. It's a good technique to use for both assault and the element of surprise if one is summoning a single spike.
I'd really like to thank my Beta for all her help because it means a lot.