Another update for you. Chapter 13 done and posted. Didn't really get many reviews on the last chapter. Kinda disapointing, but oh well. Though my views are increasing steadily. In fact, as of right now my views are... wait for it... OVER 9,000! Couldn't resist that one, but yeah, I broke 9,000 views on this story and it makes me so very happy.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Kishimoto-sensei probably wouldn't like some of the twists that would happen to the more... questionable characters.
A Great Fox
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
The sound of water dripping could be heard echoing through what could only be called a sewer. The walls were a rusty brown with blue and red pipes lining the upper walls. They seemed to glow with a bit of power as the red pipes dripped a red liquid that fell to the floor, merging with the water like substance that stood about 6 inches on the floor. The drops left no ripples, but echoed through the corridor.
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
Slowly, the sound of falling water woke the two bodies lying on the ground. One a blonde haired boy, the other a blue haired girl. Slowly they rose to their feet, taking in their surroundings.
"Where... where are we?" Naruto said in wonder. Hinata could only shake her head.
"Naruto-kun, this place scares me." Hinata let out a small whimper of fear in her confusion.
Naruto walked over to her, putting an arm around her. "It's all right Hinata-chan, we'll figure this out." He looked around, noticing that the hall only had two directions to choose from. "Well, let's pick a direction and set off. The sooner we get moving the sooner we can figure out where we are. Hinata just nodded.
And so they set off down the hall in one direction, not knowing what lay in their path. After a few minutes of walking the hall came to a crossroads. To the right and left blue pipes led off getting brighter and newer looking. Each path also had red pipes that seemed to be flowing down them, but the red pipes were flowing to them from the center path.
Down the center path only red pipes remained. They led away from the path and into each of the halls to the right and left it seemed.
"This place..." Naruto began.
"...feels so familiar." Hinata continued.
They looked at one another then back at the paths.
"I think we should go right/left," Naruto/Hinata said simultaneously.
Naruto frowned, "I feel the most familiar and comfortable with the right path."
Hinata spoke, "That's odd. I feel most at home and safest coming from the left path..."
One thing they agreed on, they didn't want to know what was down the center hall. It felt dark and sinister. It felt oppressive and stifling. It felt dangerous.
The duo thought for a moment before Hinata spoke first. "Do you think we should split up and see what lies at each end? Perhaps we could find the answers we seek."
Naruto crossed his arms and squinted his eyes, giving him a foxy appearance. He thought for a moment longer before looking at Hinata again and nodding. "Yes, I think that would be best. I would try to use the Byakugan, but I feel deep down that it would hurt worse than it did up on top of the island."
Hinata nodded in agreement before they each turned to their selected path and set off.
With Hinata
Hinata walked down her selected corridor for nearly half an hour. Or at least that's what it felt like to her. As she walked, the blue pipes continued to look newer and newer. Better maintained would probably be a more accurate way to put it. The red pipes still ran parallel to them. They, however, still looked just as ragged as the did when she first woke up. They were still leaking a redish liquid that she didn't feel safe touching. Continuing down the hall, she eventually came to a large square room with massive bars blocking the way half way in. In the center of the bars, or what she now saw was a large barred gate, was a tag with the kanji for seal written upon it.
"Where am I?" she wondered to her self as her voice echoed. The lavender-eyed girl looked past the bars, or at least tried to, and could only see and wall of darkness. She didn't know how far it went, but she'd guess it was massive based on the state of her ehco.
She was just about to activate her Byakugan when a deep voice called out to her from the darkness. "Hehehe," the voice chuckled. "Well this is interesting. So one of my wardens sees fit to grace me with her presence." The voice seemed amused, yet almost uninterested as well. "To what do I owe the honor, Ningen (Human/Mortal)?" The sarcasm was thick in it's massive voice.
At this point the poor girl was scared, but hiding it well. 'It's a good think I'm not some shy wallflower that faints at the first sign of excitement or nervousness...' she thought to herself. "Who are you," she said after taking a moment to steady her voice. Suddenly she saw a massive eye open in the darkness and gaze at her with the brightest crimson iris she would ever see. The pupil was a black vertical slit like a snakes. A massive snake that could probably eat her whole with no difficulty, but a snake-like eye none the less.
"Oh?" The voice questioned in false surprise and sarcasm. "The little girl thinks she's brave does she?" The source of the voice stepped forward and a massive foxes face appeared behind the bars, teeth larger than her flashing in a malevolent smile. It's fur was a dark orange, almost brown. "Do you know who I am now?" the figure asked with feigned curiosity.
"K-K-K-KYUUBI!?" she stuttered out in shock and fear. "B-b-but you're supposed t-to be s-s-sealed!"
The large fox growled in mock-anger and reached his claws through the bars to freighten the poor girl, knowing he could not harm her. With a squeak, Hinata fell on back in fear. It really had been too long since he had been able to terrify anyone. "Does that tell you anything?" The fox scoffed. "You ningen are so naïve at times. What do you suppose these bars are for!?" he half yelled. He really was having fun scaring her. She didn't know that he was only the yang half, the more positive half of the fox. As such he wasn't reall angry, he just couldn't resist the temptation to have a little fun. Especially after so long trapped in a cage and separated from his other half.
Hinata could only nod frantically, unable to speak and not wanting to offend this ultra-powerful being. Taking a moment to calm herself, Hinata then asked to herself in a quiet voice, "Am I in the seal?" A little louder she repeated the question to the fox, not knowing that he heard her the first time.
Despite her soft-spoken voice, the fox still heard her and contemplated weather or not to answer. "Yes, ningen. You are in the seal." The giant foxed gazed down at her with genuine curiosity. 'How did she calm herself so fast? Especially in my presence? By my very nature and the feel of my chakra alone she should be cowering in fear. Interesting...' Contemplating for a moment he continued, growling his next question with false anger. "The real question is, why have you disturbed my rest ningen? Answer before I force my chakra through the seal and burn you from the inside out." Not that he actually could. The seal prevented that, but she didn't need to know that. Besides, scaring people was just too fun sometimes.
"I-I don't know," she squeaked out. "Iwillleaveyoualonenow," she said in a hurry, turning around and sprinting back the way she came. The fox merely chuckled as she fled.
With Naruto
Naruto saw a similar state as Hinata did as he walked through the tunnel until he too came into a large roome with the same gate and seal.
"Huh, this is strange..." he said. He heard a massive growl. He then felt a rush of wind coming from behind the gate along with a malevolent feeling. He saw a massive eye open with a blood-red eye with a vertical slit. It glared at him with pure, raw hatred. It was so strong that Naruto felt as if his entire existence could be snuffed out with merely a blink of this great red eye.
A deep voice called out, "Come closer."
On a sort of auto-pilot and unable to control himself, Naruto did just that. Massive white claws sprang out of the bars and stopped a hairs width from his face. Naruto fell back in fear, landing on his butt. He scurried backwards, out of reach of the claws.
"What are you doing here? Have you come to offer yourself to me? To be my servant? To sell your very soul for the power only I can offer?" The great voice scoffed. "As if a weakling like you could ever become strong. You ningen, who see yourselves as so great are nothing when compared to my might."
'I'm glad I'm not some loud-mouth idiot who screams about being the greatest at the top of my lungs, this thing could kill me in an instant.' Naruto thought as he pieced all the clues together. I large gate with a massive, red-eyed figure behind it with a 'seal' tag on the gate. Yep, this could only be the Kyuubi. "No, Kyuubi. I didn't come for your power. In fact, I could have gone my whole life without seeing you."
The fox squinted at the insignificant pest in his line of sight. "Careful, ningen. You don't want to make me angry. I am Hatred. I am Destruction. I am a walking natural disaster with the power to destroy nations and reshape the landscape. Do. Not. Anger. Me."
Naruto chuckled to himself. "You can't do anything Kyuubi, not while you're in that seal."
"Is that so? Are you sure? After all, I am sealed in more that one place. I have many options to..." The great fox trailed off, leaving his veiled threat in the air as Naruto paled considerably. His current complexion could make a certain pedo-snake jealous.
"Leave Hinata-chan out of this," Naruto snarled out.
"Oh? The ningen thinks he's strong? Hahahahaha," The Kyuubi laughed darkly. "You have guts kid, trying to intimidate me. But know this, no matter what you do, I will escape. The seals weaken every day." That was technically true, but the rate was so slow that it would be years without any tampering until the great fox could do anything about it. "I will eventually be able to break through one of the seals. When that day comes, I will kill you both before I turn to your village and take my revenge for sealing me. I am the strongest of the Biju and I will not be denied. Konoha will burn." The great fox closed his eyes and retreated back into the darkness of his cage.
Naruto turned around and walked back the way he came to meet with Hinata.
A/N: Short Chapter, but it's honestly just a sort of filler to set up the next bit. Sorry it took so long, life gets in the way at times, then when I have time to write, my muse likes to fail me... Yeah, sorry excuse, I know. But hey, I do my best. Again, sorry for the short chapter. Will do better next time.