Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or the story icon.
AN: Hello everyone, this is the first work that I'll be publishing. This is a Oneshot that I may expand into a full story later on.
XxX
"Is that the best you can do Naruto-kun?" He broke my killing intent induced genjutsu and stopped the snake with his bare hands. Impressive.
Slitted red orbs met slitted yellow before the blond boy snarled and sped towards his assailant, claws poised to take the Kusa genin's head off her shoulders. The genin merely tilted her neck to avoid the claw in a display of freakish flexibility before punching the boy in the gut hard enough to send him crashing into a tree.
"I've seen enough Naruto-kun. I only came here with a proposition for you."
"What!?" the boy said as the Kyuubi's chakra slowly began leaving his system. He was still on his guard as his body reeled from the blow.
"Who the hell are you?" That was easily the hardest punch I've taken and if it weren't for the fox's chakra…
Needless to say, he did not like where that train of thought was leading.
At this, the genin sickeningly peeled her face off to reveal another face that was pale and had an arrogant smirk. "Recognize me?"
"Orochimaru. Tell me what an S rank traitor like you wants with a lowly genin like me?"
Orochimaru chuckled and said, "Interesting coping mechanism."
The boy did not appraise the statement with a response and merely said, "What do you want?" after a few moments.
"So direct? I only want to give you a chance to realize your true potential."
"Why?"
"I will not lie to you and say that I have nothing to gain from teaching you. There is a group I need you to hunt and kill."
Hunt and kill? Can't he do it himself?
"Some of them are stronger than me you see, and I cannot do it alone," Orochimaru said as if reading his mind.
"That does not answer my question."
"Why you? Since they are after what's in you, I believe we can be beneficial to each other," Orochimaru said with a smile that sent shivers down his spine.
While what the man was saying wasn't farfetched, Naruto had a hard time believing him. He did not doubt that the Kyuubi was powerful and something that could be sought after by a lot of people with varying intentions.
"What's to say that you aren't lying?"
"Kukuku, you're shrewder than they think. Well, I will reveal some information about your lineage. The one your sensei and Hokage pretend to be unaware of."
Naruto's eyes widened.
"Your mother was a princess from Uzushiogakure, a village that was feared for its fuuinjutsu prowess and known for some other things. Her name was Uzumaki Kushina.
As for your father…" Orochimaru licked his lips as if he were relishing the suspense.
"He was the fastest shinobi in existence and the only one to ever achieve the SS-rank."
If Naruto's eyes were any wider, he was sure they would have popped out of his sockets. No no no it can't be. It just can't. His knees gave in as the weight of the disclosure set , dark and deceitful voice in his mind began whispering. Isn't it obvious? In hindsight it was. Why else would it be sealed in him? Who else could the Yondaime-his father place this burden on?
Naruto clutched the sides of his head for a moment before looking up and laughing.
Loudly. Bitterly.
The Yondaime wanted you to be treated as a hero Naruto-kun.
Distantly he noted that he was seething. This place dared to idolize his father while disregarding his dying wish as if it were irrelevant. They didn't know. Why hadn't jiji told them?
The rational part of his mind came up with a host of reasons, the first and foremost being his safety and how dangerous it would have been if it became known that he was the yellow flash's son. But they still knew about the Kyuubi, didn't they? Surely, telling them of Namikaze Minato's last wish could not have made things worse? No, it wouldn't have.
Kakashi was the Yondaime's student and even he did not bother to tell him. Of course, Sharingan no Kakashi couldn't be bothered with making his student feel better. The jonin had important things to do after all, like reading that damn book over and over again and come up with lame excuses for being late.
Naruto could feel the powerful chakra slowly entering his body while his vision went red. Konoha was disgusting. He considered giving in for a moment before trying to forcefully push the bijju chakra back into the seal as his hands reached up to the sides of his head.
Even if I give in, I don't stand a chance. Orochimaru had been toying with him only moments ago.
Naruto blinked and tried to center his thoughts again. Regardless of what the place had done for him, his father and most probably his mother died for it.
If I destroy this place, how am I any different from them? Is that what they would want?
His head ached as he reflected on the questions, he had asked himself. After a few minutes of introspection, he sighed as he shook his head and tried to clear his mind. While he was confused, one thing was clear. He wanted to get the hell away from this place.
What about your friends?
He smiled sardonically; do I have friends? He had them now but, would they continue being his friends when they eventually found out? Only five people had genuinely seen him for who he was despite knowing and two of those lied to him.
Naruto concluded that even if Sasuke and Sakura understood, seven- five people don't make this place worth it. His resolve hardened and his gaze met Orochimaru's.
The sannin smirked again and threw him an earth scroll. He readjusted his disguise and said" I'll see you soon Naruto-kun," before vanishing in lilac flames.
XxX
"Orochimaru-sama" Kabuto said as he bowed to his master who was on a large balcony in the central tower of training ground 44.
"Tell me Kabuto, how is the boy?"
"I'm not sure why you ask Orochimaru-sama since you did not give him your juuin."
Orochimaru shifted his gaze to meet Kabuto's and while there was no hostility, there was slight exasperation.
"He seemed pensive, cold, and distant even. He was also rather ruthless in crushing his opponent who was his classmate," Kabuto said, smirking as he pushed his glasses back into position. Clever boy.
"Do you think someone can go through all that not be jaded? To not look out for oneself?"
"No Orochimaru-sama."
"He only wants recognition and acknowledgment. He desires the power that will have him feared and respected. Thus, he will come," Orochimaru said. That look in Naruto's eyes had made it certain.
"But what about preparing him to be your vessel Orochimaru-sama?" Orochimaru smirked to himself. His right-hand man was perceptive and while it was a double-edged sword, the medic-nin was extremely useful both on the field and off it.
"I am not planning on making him my vessel since there are too many variables in the equation. We can learn a lot from studying his genetic makeup, however. The Senju and Uzumaki were known for their exceptionally strong lifeforce and vitality.
He will be my weapon. A weapon that will surely tip the scales given the right attention, training, and tools."
"Are you sure four years is enough Orochimaru-sama? While he is promising no doubt, no one can improve that fast."
Orochimaru looked at Kabuto with a gaze that promised a great deal of violence and pain as his hands twitched slightly. Kabuto's boldness was increasing, and it was not pleasing in the slightest.
He'll see soon enough.
The snake sannin shrugged off his thoughts as he schooled his features back to a look of keen interest before saying "The fact that he's come this far with the help of an academy teacher, a B-ranked chunin is all the proof one needs."
While four years are not enough in most cases, the stamina and other abilities granted to him by the fox, coupled with his talent for ninjutsu and his use of Kage Bunshin will certainly make up for the lost time."
"Do you plan on taking him before the invasion Orochimaru-sama?"
"It would be preferable. While his bonds are quite weak and new now, one month can change a lot and if the Uchiha or the girl get any closer to him, things will get tricky. They have already influenced Naruto-kun. They must be separated as soon as possible."
"Of course, is there anything else Orochimaru-sama?" Kabuto asked as he bowed. When he looked up again, there was no one in sight.
XxX
He found himself running his fingers over a part of the kunai-shaped memorial stone as he tried to feel the name that was engraved. Uzumaki Kushina, so the snake was right. Naruto straightened up as he sensed another presence near the memorial.
"Before I come, why are you here? I'm sure you did take the risk of coming here for me alone."
"Rest assured, you are worth the risk Naruto-kun but I will be lying if I said you, were the only reason. I plan to destroy Konoha soon," he said and was half-expecting some reaction from the boy but, was pleased when Naruto was silent.
"There are five people I want you to spare," Naruto said. His eyes appeared, blank to the untrained eye but, he could see the boy's request and sighed in response.
"Sentiment will only weaken you in your quest for power Naruto-kun. I will grant it just this once, however. The people who own the noodle shop, your academy instructor, and your teammates?" It wasn't much of a question and thus, the boy did not answer.
"Gather your important belongings and meet me here in one hour," Orochimaru said while smiling to himself inwardly as the boy took off. He hadn't been this happy in a long time.
It seems that you will meet my expectations Naruto-kun.
XxX
Sakura was breathing hard as she ran towards the source of the explosion, which led her to an open space where the floor was covered in rubble. She skidded to a halt on reaching Sai while he got to his feet.
"You're here to kill him, aren't you?!" she yelled as she gripped his collar and pulled him towards her.
She heard a scoff.
"Please, if he had managed to do that, then the last four years would've been a waste."
The voice made her stop in her tracks, her grip slackened, and she turned to face the source who was standing on the cliff with his arms crossed.
He was wearing a blue sleeveless vest with two vertical purple stripes which showed off his muscled arms, black shinobi pants, and ANBU-style shinobi sandals. He had also grown considerably taller. He was almost as tall as Kakashi. His face had lost all of its roundness and had sharp masculine features.
There was something off about him though.
It's his chakra.
She knew his chakra well but, she couldn't describe it very well. It was intense for the lack of a better word. It was always very warm, almost as if it were simmering beneath the surface, waiting to be unleashed.
The intensity was very much there but, it felt colder, it was also much darker. Volatile.
His whisker marks were a bit darker, and his nails were a little longer than average. She also caught a glimpse of his slightly longer canines as he grinned. The most jarring change, however, was his eyes. The blue that matched the color of the sky was replaced by purple. Those eyes, devoid of any emotion met her jade ones.
"It's been a while, hasn't it?" She was in no position to answer as three more people entered the, now destroyed chamber.
XxX
He smirked upon detecting the three chakra signatures entering the chamber, recognizing two of them.
"What a lovely reunion. Don't you think apprentice?" his master said, making his presence known, not that he didn't sense it.
Naruto stayed silent and tried to gauge his former team's reactions. Sakura was surprised and had not known what to expect, Sasuke was trying to look like he was not surprised and failing at it while Kakashi did not react outwardly.
The tension in his shoulders and the lack of his ever-present slouch spoke volumes for themselves. The new guy's face was blank.
He and that root guy were sent to kill me in case retrieval were impossible.
"I'm going to enjoy this. How are you, sensei?"
Kakashi did not miss the acid in his former student's voice.
"Well, I didn't know how to feel when my student mysteriously vanishes without a trace. When word spread that the nine tails jinchuuriki was Orochimaru's apprentice I'll admit I was a bit let down," Kakashi said, tone neutral.
"My godfather told you that, didn't he? I'm sorry to have let you down sensei but, I was wondering if my father would've felt the same about you."
Kakashi was caught off guard. So that's how the snake did it.
Sasuke took the copy ninja's bewilderment as his cue. "Why did you do it Naruto? Why side with a man who sought to destroy your home? Our home."
Naruto snorted and said," It appears our definition of home is not the same Sasuke. That place is not my home, it never was," the bitterness transparent in his tone.
"So, you side with a traitor and aid the invasion?"
Purple eyes flickered with an unidentifiable emotion for a moment before it was brushed aside with practiced ease and said," I didn't help him, and would me being there have changed anything?"
"As much as I am enjoying this, it is time to begin apprentice," Orochimaru said to Naruto, almost playfully.
"Indeed shishou, I will take my former sensei," Naruto announced coolly, demeanor confident and perfectly at ease.
"Of course, S-rankers are hard to come by," The snake sannin chuckled.
Sasuke was fuming at the blonde's tacit dismissal of both him and Sakura as threats or worthy opponents. "You'll be fighting me Naruto!"
"I thought you wanted to kill your brother Sasuke? You must be alive to kill someone you know," Naruto said as if pointing out the obvious even as his condescension was betrayed by his eyes and tone.
Sasuke had already gathered chakra in his palm, causing the sound of many blades grinding on whetstones to saturate the air as he activated his fully matured Sharingan, enraged by what the blond was implying. Instead of immediately jumping in the direction of his wayward teammate he promptly froze and gasped.
Is that all his chakra?!
Noticing his student's rather uncharacteristic reaction, Kakashi uncovered his Sharingan and responded exactly as Sasuke. It was the only thing he could do as he saw the life energy of the blond.
He knew Naruto had inhuman chakra reserves and had expected them to grow significantly but, for the first time in a while, his estimate was wrong by such a huge margin. He was expecting a sea but, found an ocean instead. The boy's reserves dwarfed even the combined chakra that everyone present at the scene, including Orochimaru, had to such an extent that it was borderline laughable.
His chakra which was swirling around him was the same color as his eyes.
Is this a curse seal?
Anko had briefed them about the curse seal and its properties and effects, one of which was foul purple chakra the users gave out. It was supposed to be oily, polluted, and similar to Orochimaru's chakra.
While Naruto's chakra was foul and sinister it was not even remotely similar to the chakra of the sannin, it was similar to what he felt during the Kyuubi attack, only less potent.
Kyuubi then.
Kakashi pondered on the best course of action as this sunk in. While this was an S-rank mission, he realized that things were going to get hardcore soon. Memories from the mission briefing began to surface without warning.
"They are quite determined to bring him back," the Godaime muttered to herself as Kakashi found himself in the Hokage's office, in the company of both the current and former Hokage, one of his old ANBU teammates and a boy who he presumed was from Ne. His students were dismissed just moments before and had left to pack for the mission.
"They'll probably beat him senseless and drag him back."
"While I certainly hope that you succeed, I hope you understand that failure is not an option. Thus, Sai here will accompany you and carry out the contingency in case you are unable to retrieve Naruto."
The Sandaime raised his hand to silence Kakashi's outrage before it began and said," I am just as happy about this as you are but, Danzo is right Kakashi. You can surely imagine the consequences if Orochimaru manages to take over Naruto's body?
He has already come dangerously close to crushing Konoha once and with the Kyuubi's power under his control, he won't even need half the troops he had last time to succeed.
However, I sincerely hope it does not come to that and that is the reason for sending Yamato on this mission. Good luck Kakashi."
"It definitely will not come to that Hokage-sama."
The certainty with which he made that statement had all but disappeared. Yamato needs to hold off Orochimaru, while Sasuke and Sakura are jonin, he's way out of their league. Even with the three of them...
"Sai, go back Yamato up. Naruto's mine." This is my mess after all.
"I'm afraid that will not be possible", Kabuto said appearing in a shunshin with the ever-present superior smirk. Sai drew his tanto and prepared to engage.
Naruto put some distance from the crater that was the base with a shunshin and Kakashi followed.
"I suggest you come at me with the intent to kill sensei. You and your team won't be walking away from this if you don't." The blond gave him a feral grin that would have led lesser shinobi fleeing.
While he understood that raw power did not decide battles, it did give Naruto an advantage, and a big one at that. Under other circumstances, he wouldn't have been filled with trepidation as he faced a juggernaut as they were not the biggest threats he had faced. He had cut down quite a few of them.
Orochimaru however, was no juggernaut.
He was an unstoppable monster but, he was more of a finesse fighter.
He was a master of ninjutsu and, Naruto spent almost four years training under him.
If I underestimate him, I'll lose for sure. He settled into his stance.
"Now Naruto, let's see how far you've come."
The blond only grinned again as he slid into his own.
XxX
"I expected you two to be a good match for my Naruto-kun, but it seems it was too much for you." Orochimaru's tongue flopped out of his mouth and he licked his lips in anticipation.
"What did you do to him?" Sasuke asked through gritted teeth.
"I just gave him the power and tools to crush his enemies."
"He won't destroy Konoha for you," Sakura's expression and tone were resolute.
Yellow eyes rolled "I know he will not, he asked me to spare your lives after all. Fortunately, that is not what I require of him since my real goals are beyond that paltry village." He was waiting to savor their reactions and the kids did not disappoint.
Red and jade orbs were as big as saucers at the revelation while Orochimaru chuckled, "Be that as it may, do not presume that you'll leave this place unscathed. Now Sasuke-kun, let's see if you are capable of killing Itachi. Isn't it what you trained under my illustrious teammate for?"
"That's not the only thing I trained for traitor but, I will enjoy killing you," Sasuke growled.
"Come then," the sannin taunted as the combatants got ready.
Yamato, Sasuke, and Sakura exchanged glances before Orochimaru made it clear that he was not going to kill Sasuke and Sakura, he was not going to make this easy either.
The traitorous sannin only smiled to himself as he saw his opponents charge at him. This is going to be fun.
XxX
Naruto and Kakashi continued to hold each other's gaze for a few moments, sizing each other up, daring the other one to make a move. In the end, Naruto settled on biting and moved in.
Typical, maybe we'll get through-, Kakashi winced as his forearm absorbed the impact of Naruto's lead hook. The wince was more out of surprise than pain as Gai hit harder but, surprisingly not by much.
Even as he tried to grab the offending appendage, he realized his forearm was in a vice grip and he was yanked into a knee to the gut. Fast. Kakashi careened for a few meters, skidded to a halt, and brought his hands together intending to perform hand seals.
Naruto was, however, one step ahead and sped through a few seals of his own. Kakashi had to resist the urge to gape as water began to form around Naruto like a vortex before heading his way, violently, Suiton: Suishōha.
The copy ninja fought the astonishment trying to take over and sped through his seals, Tiger-Hare-boar-Ram-Dog-Ox-Snake before slamming his palms onto the ground as a wall rose, eight feet high and two feet thick, Doton: Doryūheki.
Naruto sighed, "I already told you to take me seriously sensei but, I guess you'll need to learn that the hard way," he said and made two hand signs, Boar-Tiger, Doton: Yomi Numa.
Only one thought echoed in the copy ninja's mind when he noticed the earth he was hiding in starting to liquefy and performed one of the fastest Kawarimis of his life.
We're fucked.
Kakashi had steeled himself before entering Orochimaru's base, the risk of Naruto's body being taken over was too great, and that he would kill Naruto if there was no other option.
I'm not even sure if I can.
As he refocused on Naruto and the huge swamp he managed to create, he decided that he did not want to see what other jutsu the blond had up his sleeve. Even as he rushed in to engage his former student in taijutsu, his Sharingan did not miss the look of smug satisfaction on the boy's visage.
"Are you giving up on ninjutsu sensei? Surely Sharingan no Kakashi should have at least a few powerful jutsu to match those", Naruto said even as he blocked a kick to his head using his arm.
Kakashi wanted nothing more than to wipe that superior look off Naruto's face. There were only four other people that were able to make Kakashi feel out of depth in the ninjutsu department. The problem wasn't that he did not have the jutsu to counter Naruto's.
The problem was that Naruto could continue to spew high-level jutsu with something akin to reckless abandon while he could not. He wasn't even sure if there was a drop in his chakra levels since Naruto looked like he just used a few E-rank jutsu and got bored. He most certainly did not look like a guy who had just used two high-level A-rank elemental jutsu in quick succession.
He on the other hand would not have been able to perform that Suiton jutsu without a water source nearby. He did not want to see what else the blond had in his arsenal.
While Naruto was always fast and had excellent instincts, his taijutsu was ugly and somewhat inefficient. He had hoped that Naruto would still fight like a thug as he delivered an uppercut to the boy's jaw.
His hopes were quashed again.
Naruto recovered from the punch much faster than he had anticipated and elbowed him in the ribs, hard, a voice in his mind idly pointed out the obvious.
His form is clean, and just where did this power come from?
Naruto was on him even before he skidded to stop with a thrust kick. Kakashi calmly changed its direction before swiping the blonde's stationary leg from underneath him and following up with a solid cross to the boy's jaw.
Naruto corrected himself mid-air and landed on his feet, crouched, and dug his nails into the dirt to stop. So, he can stand his ground.
He rolled to the side to avoid a dropping heel that was sure to incapacitate on contact and caught an elbow aimed at his temple before pushing off the ground and using the built-up momentum to deliver a vicious haymaker to Kakashi's chest. The jinchuuriki followed it up with a roundhouse kick to his former sensei's shoulder.
Not one to be outdone easily, Kakashi got a hold of Naruto's offending foot and roughly pulled the boy towards him. Naruto tried to land his other foot on Kakashi's face but, landed it on his forearm instead. As Kakashi's grip on his other foot loosened he placed his hands on the ground and managed to free himself from the jonin's hold before being pushed back by a kick to his midsection.
Kakashi jumped at the chance to finally get off the back foot and tried to catch Naruto off guard with a hook. Naruto was slightly disoriented by the punch even as he brought his forearm up to block as Kakashi's momentum was not fully absorbed by his block.
The blonde ate another jab to the face before a rather powerful sidekick was coming at him almost too fast for his eyes to track.
Almost.
The boy had no time to breathe easy despite blocking the kick as a palm thrust to his sternum cleared out most of the air in his lungs and a nasty elbow to his cheek took his eyes off his assailant which allowed the copy ninja to finish with a roundhouse kick that sent the boy sailing for a few meters.
Naruto righted himself once more and rolled his shoulders when a coppery taste made itself known in his mouth. Come on! I haven't had a good fight in forever.
He did spar with Orochimaru from time to time but, being the unorthodox teacher that he was they were always about learning something or the other. He knew they were useful, extremely so but he had missed the simplicity a deathmatch had.
Kakashi was looking to apply pressure and was speeding towards the blond. Naruto went low, channeled chakra to his feet to stick to the ground, and smirked as Kakashi was undeterred.
I've got you right where I want you now.
Even Kakashi's Sharingan would not see this coming. The copy nin's punch, poised to break his opponent's ribs was only a meter away from its target when the ground below the blond exploded and Naruto was propelled towards him. Kakashi's eye caught it but, he was powerless to stop the debilitating punch to his gut that took all the air out of him and caused his blue mask to darken further as he spat the blood gathering in his mouth.
Naruto had no intention of giving Kakashi any respite, however, and proceeded to deliver a brutal ax kick to his airborne assailant which resulted in the copy ninja cratering into the ground.
Naruto broke into a roll as he landed light as a feather, less than a moment later as Kakashi was slowly dragging himself out of the crater and although his face remained impassive, his body language screamed of discomfort and more importantly, pain.
Naruto did not miss Kakashi centering himself and pushing the pain aside with considerable effort as they locked eyes again.
Underneath the underneath huh?
As much as Naruto was ecstatic about besting his former sensei, he knew that Kakashi's situation was an extremely unfavorable one. Naruto had a home-field advantage and the element of surprise in his favor.
The probability of a shinobi no matter how talented, improving as quickly and drastically as he did would be brushed off as nearly zero. No human could have.
But both he and his master knew that Naruto was…not fully human.
Konoha had sent a team that was equipped to deal with most missions and respond adequately to most situations. Two prodigious youngsters who had trained under the sannin themselves, their best jonin, an ANBU who was capable of suppressing berserk jinchuuriki, and a ROOT agent. It was a very capable team.
They were just dealt a bad hand when it came to their mission. Nobody would have expected Naruto to be able to go toe to toe with Kakashi, much less come out on top without completely relying on bijju chakra. They also were not planning on running into Orochimaru twice.
He could tell Kakashi was getting desperate, anyone would. Naruto could afford to keep fighting and could easily outlast him in a battle of attrition. He also had nothing else to focus on except the fight and winning. Kakashi however, was leading a team and knew full well that in a fight against Orochimaru, he could tip the scales in favor of his team and make it a decisive victory. He was hoping that he could subdue Naruto and then either kill or incapacitate the snake sannin long enough to escape with their target.
He's going to try to end this.
Naruto was not disappointed as Kakashi performed a few seals and slammed his hands into the earth but, when the wall rose, it was not in front of the ex ANBU. It was behind Naruto and was in something akin to a U shape as opposed to a flat rectangular slab.
Naruto quirked an eyebrow as Kakashi held his hands in a cross seal and created a Kage Bunshin. Taking a page out of my playbook?
Both his opponents went through identical and all too familiar hand seals, Ox-Rabbit-Monkey. The sound of electricity crackling saturated the air around them, the effects only amplified by the earth wall surrounding him.
As a chord of blue lightning was held by Kakashi and his clone, Naruto was almost gleeful.
"An offshoot of Raikirisensei? I'm honored."
Kakashi's Sharingan enabled him to see the naked anticipation in the blonde's eyes as he and his doppelganger made their approach. He was sure that this would undermine the jinchuuriki if not kill him outright. But he still did not feel the assurance that his signature S-rank jutsu usually gave him.
His sense of unease did not reduce in the slightest as Naruto made no move to dodge or otherwise evade. Kakashi knew it was futile as most of the blonde's avenues for escaping were cut off and his Sharingan would predict his movements and allow him to adapt but, could not help but feel as though he was missing something.
Just as Kakashi was ten meters away, Naruto brought his right-hand level with Kakashi'sRaiden.
Now!
Tiny tendrils of purple lightning were beginning to appear around him and the sound of electricity crackling coming from where he was standing as well. Only, it was louder. Much louder.
XxX
Orochimaru was right in his assumption that the fight would be exhilarating. While Sasuke did not hold a candle to Naruto, he was skilled no doubt. Jiraiya's training had ensured that the boy had enough raw power to perform more chakra intensive techniques and his natural finesse had made him a balanced and deadly fighter. That Rasengan of his was irritating.
The girl was not great with offensive ninjutsu but more than made up for that with her freakish strength. Even one hit was extremely dangerous as Yamato was there to make the most of any openings.
The three of them were enough to keep him on his toes and he was enjoying it. He did not bother hiding it from his opponents and it succeeded in infuriating them further.
They were faced with the same challenge as Kakashi. He was fighting to stall them and keep them from interfering with Naruto's fight. They were fighting to kill. The kids were also worried about Naruto's safety. He chuckled to himself as it became clear that they wished to aid Kakashi in subduing his student and he was in the way.
Sasuke and Sakura were getting impatient, and Yamato was being forced to compensate for it. He was about to knock Sasuke out when he heard it. A huge quantity of electricity being forced to pass through the air.
He chortled audibly while the Konoha ninja froze.
"I suggest you go check on your sensei. If Naruto-kun has used that jutsu, he's in great danger."
Sasuke and Sakura held back the urge to snort. They had imagined that Naruto would have grown powerful but, even both of them were unable to take Kakashi down and had to make the use of some unconventional methods to get the bells.
The thought of Naruto alone being able to beat Kakashi was outlandish but, then again Orochimaru had no reason to stop fighting. Moreover, the uproar was that of a high-level Raiton technique, similar to Raikiri. Their earlier fears about Kakashi killing Naruto besieged their thoughts and they rushed towards where Kakashi and Naruto were fighting.
They were not prepared for what came next.
XxX
Kakashi's Raiden was only meters away from latching onto its target when Naruto's hand became encased in purple lightning and he brought his hand in a downward slash.
The cable was severed at the middle and Kakashi rammed into his clone, dispelling it, and was heading towards the wall as a result. He torqued into a spin, landed on the wall, and used his chakra to stick to it and focused on Naruto once more while his mind trying to make sense of just how his jutsu was rendered ineffective.
Reflexes born from decades of fighting had him moving while Naruto closed in on him. He was too late to dodge, however, and Naruto thrust his hand into Kakashi's chest.
Electricity the likes of which he had never felt before flowed into his body and every single nerve ending in his body was set on fire. He was not even able to scream his lungs out as the lightning was interfering with his nervous system. He was barely able to make out Sakura's cry and Naruto's whisper. The last thing he saw was the lightning gleam in Naruto's eyes as everything went black.
"Kukuku, quite impressive I must say apprentice," Orochimaru said, radiating approval while withholding a shudder. What a terrifying ninjutsu.
"Thank you shishou," the blonde demurred and shifted his gaze to his teammates who were rooted in place, focusing solely on Kakashi's prone form.
Naruto was awaiting Sasuke's angry outburst and Sakura's sobs but, much to his surprise, they exchanged glances and charged. They're serious. Not bad.
Two clones appeared behind him in identical puffs of smoke and proceeded to grab a hold of both Sasuke and Sakura's wrists before shoving the same purple lightning into them. They both crumbled to the ground and began twitching uncontrollably.
"Sasuke, you should train harder because Itachi will kill you as you are now. Don't waste your time chasing after me and Sai, was it? Tell Danzo next time he tries something like this, I'll feed him and the rest of ROOT to Manda."
"Let's go."
With that Naruto, Orochimaru and Kabuto dissolved into lavender flames.
XxX
"…he proceeded to use that jutsu to cut the cord before stabbing me with it. It was quite similar to the Raikiri."
"But does it not require the Sharingan?" Sasuke interjected, his envy for Naruto had understandably increased. He too had worked hard for three and a half years and the blonde proved that he was not his equal.
"The Sharingan is only needed to safely use it since one has to be extremely fast to pierce through most defenses using Raiton chakra alone. Lightning is not meant to cut or pierce in most cases. The speeds at which one needs to move are much faster than what we can perceive, and this is where the Sharingan comes in."
Everyone in the hospital room was silent for a few moments after Kakashi concluded. Sasuke and Sakura's expressions were sullen as they sat beside Kakashi. The fact that Naruto was able to reduce their most formidable jonin to such a sorry state was mind-boggling to Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Hiruzen.
Their respect for Orochimaru as a teacher and shinobi had increased substantially as they tried to wrap their heads around Naruto's growth. It was at this moment that a cold and twisted chakra made itself known.
"He calls it Shidenby the way. While it is true that Raiton cannot pierce easily, Naruto-kun's chakra is not ordinary as you no doubt sensed.
"You should consider yourself lucky Kakashi-kun, you are the only one who has seen it and lived. Apart from me and Kabuto of course. Although I'm sure he was not intending to kill you." Orochimaru's voice was dripping with satisfaction as he was leaning against the doorframe. Only to break your spirit.
"Why are you here teme?"
"A man can visit his old teammates and sensei, can he not?"
"We all know how that ended last time. Are you here to gloat Orochimaru?," the Sandaime cut in.
The snake sannin smirked. "You know me too well Sarutobi sensei. To think that you had him here for twelve years and chose not to do anything with him, you have truly gone soft sensei and as you can see, I merely took advantage."
"I did that so that he could have a childhood," Sarutobi said while was trying not to wince at the ridiculous excuse.
"He had an extremely memorable one no doubt. Tell me Sarutobi sensei, could you possibly look Minato in the eye and tell him the same thing? Naruto is royalty after all." At this, Jiraiya caught Orochimaru's collar and raised him to his eye level, clearly furious.
"Can you Jiraiya? He was your student, and the boy is your godson or should I say was," Orochimaru sneered. He saw Jiraiya deflating and freed himself from his grip.
"When are you going to take over his body Orochimaru?"
"So to the point Tsunade, I am not. I was never intending to and your team saw that I did not give him a curse mark. I only wanted to study his physiology and I must admit, the last of the Uzumaki and Senju was certainly fascinating.
Affinity for three elements, the strongest affinity for Raiton and Suiton I have ever seen but, I suppose it was expected since the Senju managed to bring the Uchiha to their knees."
Jiraiya snorted, "It would have been quite easy then".
"Hardly, what your team witnessed was only made possible by a lot of research and tinkering. While the results were hardly promising in the beginning, I think it's safe to say now that it was well worth the effort."
"How did he do it without hand seals?" Sakura spoke for the first time in the hospital.
"Naruto-kun is as familiar with Raiton chakra as he is with his normal chakra. Thus, he can use it without hand seals, although he still needs them for complex techniques."
"Why are you telling us all this?," Tsunade was curious, if all Orochimaru wanted to do was gloat, he would have left long ago.
"Akatsuki is your enemy as well and you know what they say…."
The Godaime scoffed, regardless of how much she wanted to ask Orochimaru to go fuck himself, he was right. Akatsuki was a threat from Jiraiya's intel and having someone like Orochimaru and by extension Naruto, two S-rankers would certainly be beneficial. Furthermore, his information would be far more specific and extensive than theirs and as he was not going to take over Naruto's body, they had nothing to lose.
Probably due to the Kyuubi's presence.
The traitor's thin lips quirked into a smile as his tongue lolled lazily. "I'll keep in touch Hokage-sama," he said before bursting into smoke.
XxX
Reviews and constructive criticisms are appreciated. A major thanks to Wyatt Axford and Inert at DLP for their help and advice.