Naruto: The Rabbit Prince.
This Fanfiction is a crossover with Naruto, Darkstalkers, Summer Wars featuring: King Kazma, and 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: Good Kaguya. Competent, Kekkei Genkai, Potent Chakra, Rabbit Summons, and Animalistic Naruto. Antagonist Sasuke and Sakura within.
Summary: Kaguya wasn't evil, the Chakra Fruit drove her mad. She had another son that was her true firstborn and was to be King of the Rabbit Summons. Naruto is adopted and raised as the son of King Kazma and named a Human Rabbit Prince nonetheless. Not only that, he has another Godfather that comes from a world long past in history. For knowledge, It's worth embracing the dark for.
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 50: A Monster's Dilemma.
With the calm winds of the forest and the watchful eyes of the Darkstalkers behind him, Naruto knew what he had to do.
The Human Prince looked to the ground as he stepped onto the semi-dark porch, the wood strangely silent as he climbed up and made his way to the door. The boy then faced the entrance before him, raising a hand to press a button above the doorknob.
The sound of two bells reverberated throughout the estate followed by a pregnant pause. The only thing Naruto could hear was the sound of his own breathing and his heart pounding in his ears.
While he didn't see it, the group of Catwomen, Wereshifters, and Vampires hiding in the forest watched the larger silhouette walk across both the windows. They knew who was coming to answer the door.
"Felicia," a Werelion called from her right as he hid in the bushes, getting her attention. "We might need to get closer if the kid gets in trouble. We can't risk it."
"I know," quietly retorted the leader of the Catwomen as she whipped her head to the boy meters away. "When he gives the signal that something's went wrong, we'll jump in. And if he's feeling scared, we'll get in close and message him."
"Are you sure the bead will work?" asked Lucy from right next to her. "It's still in the prototype phase. What if we get the wrong signal?"
"Morrigan had them tested and set up a good connection with all of us before she sent us out. We don't need to worry about a malfunction. We have to make sure we can protect him if something goes wrong."
"Quiet!" Grace hushed from above in the trees. "We need to pay attention."
Two minutes passed as everyone kept their eyes on the manor and waited. Naruto stared at the door intently, his body becoming rigid and tense while his breathing came to a shudder. His eyes flashed back and forth from blue to red, his rabbit instincts telling him something felt off.
"Just be ready to hold him off if he becomes hostile," advised Kurama. "We don't need any casualties here."
Got it, swiftly replied Naruto as he looked about. His eyes continued to fluctuate between red and blue. I can feel his chakra, it's not far off, but he's still upstairs. I can also sense his emotions. There's irritation and worry, but there's also a sense of love being directed somewhere.
"It must be his sister. That'll prove to be a liability. Right now, it's best to play it safe. Use your Emotion Sensing to your advantage and try to persuade him without trying to manipulate him. Refrain from mentioning her since you don't want to anger him."
Understood.
"He's coming to the door, be ready."
Naruto was knocked out of his thoughts as a gruff voice boomed from behind it, making the boy jump.
"Who's there?"
Naruto's gaze solidified as he got closer to the door. "Hello, Victor? You don't know me, but I'm a friend. And right now, I need to talk to you about something important."
"And what would that be?"
"Someone you know from long ago." Naruto took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling as he let it out. "We need your strength, Victor. We can't win this battle if the enemy gains ground using you as leverage."
"I have no need for any small talk with some stranger, so if you have anything better than some empty threats, then you underestimate how far out of your depth you are."
A moment passed before Naruto heard the metal clinking of the lock coming undone. The knob turned and the door opened to reveal one of the mansion's residents.
Before Naruto stood a behemoth of a man, who stood at least eight feet tall, the same height as Jon in his Werewolf form. The most notable features were the two large bolts screwed into the sides of his head. He had spiky blonde hair, cold white eyes, a rectangular jawline, and pale skin that was the light blue tint of a corpse... but he was still alive. He donned an extra-large green parka with a white undershirt with brown pants and boots that fit his huge frame.
Naruto had taken a few steps back as the wood underneath creaked. He wanted to get a good look at the Darkstalker as he tried to comprehend the mad science experiment's size. He could feel static in the air as the hairs on the back of his neck raised. He's freaking huge!
"He looks like he was fed steroids for years on end," quipped Kurama. "The static you feel right now is the natural electricity this monster can produce. Just think what he could do if he learned how to use his chakra and use it in conjunction with his demonic power. It's almost unsettling."
Breaking the boy out of his inner conversation with the beast, Victor bent down to his level and spoke, "Since you're just a kid, I won't raise a hand against you. But if you cross me, it's game over."
The Human Prince only raised his hands up in surrender, trying to conceal the shudders in his breath while trying to keep his instincts tame. "L-Look, I'm not here to fight. I'm here because you're in danger, and we need to get you and your sister to safety."
Victor's face curled into a grimace as he snorted. He turned to the door, facing the dark hallway. He then shifted his head back to the boy. "Come inside. I know that Succubus sent you."
Naruto swallowed down the fear and hesitation. Alright, let's do this.
Victor held the door open as Naruto came through, his night vision helping him traverse the dark hallway. As he fully entered, he could feel the heat hug his body as the Darkstalker closed the door behind them. The Human Prince could sense no malicious intent being directed at him. For the moment, he could take a sigh of relief.
Victor walked past the boy and raised a hand to flick the light switch on before motioning for him to follow as he continued to walk to the stairs up ahead. "Come. Let's not waste time. If we're in danger as you say we are, then we should get to it."
Naruto quickly followed along, his light footsteps being heavily overshadowed. The ground shook with each step Victor took.
Looking around, the Human Prince noticed the entire mansion on the first floor seemed like a hub for parties and company. With smooth, varnished pecan wood floors and the white-painted railings on the stairs up ahead, this house had one theme: elegance and fun. It was the kind of home one would read in a book, or throw masquerade parties, or better yet, where children could run around to their heart's content.
The Human Prince then noticed that up the first flight of stairs that the hallway split into two opposing directions. The walls were covered in pictures. Some photos were of Victor and a young brunette girl donning a pink dress with white sleeves and two small nodes on the sides of her neck. Some had the two of them sitting together with an arm around each other, and some were individual pictures of them smiling with utmost happiness. The rest of the photographs and paintings were of vibrant flowers and beautiful grassland or forest scenery that were very calming upon a glance.
"On the right," Victor grunted, his head jerking to the hall as he grabbed onto the railing and walked up with his fellow blonde in tow. "I'm guessing you're just playing the messenger for Morrigan?"
"Yeah..." Naruto hesitantly replied with a nod as he followed the monster up the stairs, raising an eyebrow in curiosity. "How did you know that?"
"I know those I've fought against before. A bunch of strong fighters I've yearned to prove myself against."
"So, you know what kind of threat the enemy poses?" Naruto asked. "You two need to be moved to the castle. Morrigan can protect you."
"Can she? Or does she just want a pawn to use?" The artificial monster took a right to the other side of the house.
"If she wanted to use you, she would have already had you in her jurisdiction by now."
A huff was the only response the Genin could hear as they turned into the right hallway. It was squared off with multiple beige doors on each side. Taking another turn into the second-floor hallway, Victor and Naruto then made it to the room on the far-right side of the house from his team's perspective. The artificial monster opened the door and walked in.
Naruto quickly followed along as the lights of that room turned on. The beige room had a burgundy couch on his right and a television and entertainment center on his left with a matching coffee table in the middle. In the back of the room was one of the front windows. Between the window and entertainment center was a picture of Victor and his little sister smiling together in a one-armed hug.
Turning back to the boy, Victor jerked his head towards the couch. "Take a seat. If we're going to talk, you might as well try to make yourself comfortable. Besides, we never have guests over, so it's a special occasion."
With that said, Naruto and Victor walked over to the couch. The science experiment had taken to the left while the boy took to the right. For a few moments, they decided not to speak. The Genin had folded his leg onto his lap as he leaned back onto the backrest.
Victor furrowed his gaze analytically as he looked over the boy, reading him like an open book. He leaned in slightly, breaking the silence with the firmness of his voice. "So I guess this whole place is surrounded by your comrades?"
"No, it's just us," the blonde calmly responded with a nod, keeping a straight face.
"What's your full name, boy?"
"Uzumaki Naruto."
The science experiment carefully took note of his body language and facial features. "Are you here to kill me, Uzumaki? Because that's not going to work out for you."
"No, no, of course not," swiftly replied the Jinchūriki as he shook his head. "I'm here because of my employer."
"Morrigan..." Victor concluded in suspicion. He leaned back and raised his right arm to the backrest. "How'd they find me?"
"They never truly lost you, Victor; they just kept their distance and tried to keep track of you until you settled here. Even right now, they've been keeping some interested parties off your scent."
"Why?"
"Morrigan seems to trust you. And now we need you to come in and help with our..." Naruto averted his gaze as he tried to find the right words before locking eyes again. "Dilemma."
Victor cocked his head at that statement. "And what if I say no?"
"I'll have to talk you into it."
A battle of wills began as they tried looking through the windows of each other's souls, searching for weaknesses, but both held on. Victor was a strong and resilient person; he wouldn't be persuaded easily. Was there really any reason for him to trust anything the Genin said?
"Remember what the Succubus said, boy. You and this project are similar in more ways than one," Kurama reminded him. "Just play along. He'll join us because he has to protect his sister."
Victor's voice cut through the silence at last. "And what if I were to lash out right now? Try to kill you before you become a threat?"
A scoff elicited from Naruto's throat as he rolled his eyes and hummed at the thought. "I'm pretty sure you're not a violent person unless it's a last resort. And I'm also sure that you wouldn't disregard the lives of others just to appease yourself."
The Darkstalker stood tall, beginning a small trek to the walls where the television was. Raising a hand to the cold glass frame, he rubbed it fondly as his features softened. "Looks like safety away from all the chaos was nothing more than a passing thought."
The Human Prince couldn't help but look at him in sympathy as he began to feel the monster's emotions. The weight of sadness pressed down on his mind, and his body became tense as he tried to calm himself down; he could not let his emotions come into play here.
"See? He's just like you, dearest cousin. He desires a sense of security and safety, away from all the chaos the world has in store. However, he cannot bring himself to trust anyone else but his sister to be there for him."
So he won't open up so easily. But he might change his mind when I can tell him of the threat we're facing. Let's just hope that the situation will be grave enough for him to join us.
"Jedah's returned. He's amassed cultists that want to destroy the Elemental Nations and wants to rule over it. He's too dangerous to be left alone."
"And where do I come in?" Victor asked as he looked back at the Genin.
"Victor, you helped the others fight off Jedah in the Majigen," Naruto stressed, leaning in and gritting his teeth. "If there's anyone that can take on Jedah, it's the very people that did it before. You can utilize a new power known as chakra, and it can aid in fighting Jedah head-on."
Victor turned around fully and began to walk toward the coffee table. Each step he took shook the ground. Naruto had to resist the instinctual urge to cower before the Darkstalker, fully aware of what he could do to him. He bit his lip and tried to put on a straight face, but the Kami only knew how long he could keep that up.
"He's becoming hostile. Be ready," Kurama warned him.
Victor sneered down, his gaze cold as ice. "Oh, so that's it? You all just want me to fight on your behalf and train under you like some dog? What's next? You're going to put me in a cage?"
The Human Prince's face softened to that of worry as he held out his hand in consolation. "No one's going to put you in a cage—"
Victor slammed his hands onto the table and screamed, "STOP LYING TO ME!"
Naruto's eyes went red as he shot to his feet. He reached for his belt and whipped out a gun, taking aim.
Victor slowly lifted his hands from the table and backed away, gritting his teeth. "I'm sorry, that was cruel of me. I just wanted to see what you'd do since you came all the way out here to talk."
"I did," growled the Human Prince as he lifted the gun towards the monster's forehead, glaring straight into his eyes. "But I'll fight to protect myself if need be."
At Aensland Castle...
With everything that was going on, Morrigan had retreated to the entrance of her castle. The warm spring breeze brushed through her hair and warmed her in its embrace.
From watching the bright lights, metropolis, and landscape of her kingdom. Morrigan put a hand to her mouth as she snickered, looking to her right and gazing upon the amusement park. Fireworks flew high into the air. Explosions of all colors filled the skies. The thumps and bangs were overrun by the metropolis and its many citizens. A sight to behold, and one the Queen of Makai was all too familiar with.
The Succubus sighed at the scene. Makai would be wrought with destruction unless a powerful lifeform was there to maintain the balance. Noble families in this very realm, my kingdom, were killing one another in a needless power struggle, just to dominate the throne.
Morrigan took a deep breath, shifting her head up at the night sky. Beautiful... like always. Lilith, when you merged back with me, you gave me something I never realized I had missed for a long time.
"Your innocence?" Lilith's voice echoed throughout her mind.
Yes. After simply growing up and going throughout the human world, it all seemed to just rush in. And after the Majigen, we got to each other just in time before you faded away, and that part of my soul would have been empty without you.
"Gee, when you say it like that, was I really that important to you?"
Morrigan nodded as she tried to hold in her smile. You gave me a precious gift, something I can never let go of. It was like seeing the world through a child's eyes and exploring it for the very first time. That's something far greater than what nostalgia could bring.
Suddenly a strange sound filled her ears. It sounded like the buzzing of an insect's wings... but more... human-sized.
"Morrigan, it's been a while. How many years has it been?" an energized voice of a woman buzzed out. "Five thousand since Jedah's last attack? Kind of amazing that you sent for me; is there a chance I'll get blown away?"
Rolling her eyes, Morrigan turned around to see a woman standing before the castle's entrance. The new arrival before Morrigan was a familiar sight, one she knew very well in her time as a combatant.
The Darkstalker before her looked to be a young woman eighteen years of age. She was a head below her in height, and had fair skin and lilac hair that stood up and curved off, and dark purple eyes that were like voids with black sclera. Her body was dressed in a black and yellow striped bodysuit that trailed off to her tailbone had a bee's bulb with a stinger with lavender insectoid wings to match. She had yellow antennae with curved purple disk ornaments that curved around them. Tufts of white fur covered her neck, upper back, and wrists.
"It's been a while, Q-Bee. I'm glad to see you're doing alright. How are the Soul Bee race?"
Putting a hand to her mouth, the newly named Q-Bee hid a giggle as she walked forward. "Fine so far. But I have to say, I never expected my former master to be coming back. I came the minute I got your message, but I do expect some sweets after this."
"I promise you'll have an entire buffet of sweets to yourself. But for now, Sasquatch is the next to be contacted."
"Hmph." Q-Bee nodded her head slowly as a mocking smile tugged at her lips. She crossed her arms as she stepped forward. "So why trust little ol' me and my race? You very well know of our past loyalties to the Dohma family."
Morrigan had taken account of everyone who associated with Jedah, especially those he had under his care, including Q-Bee and her race of hive-minded insectoids known as the Soul Bees.
"The last I heard, you betrayed Jedah after he promised to save your people from extinction," Morrigan haughtily sneered as she strutted forward and put a hand on the demonic insect's shoulder. "And don't forget who stopped you when you threatened my Kingdom."
"Don't be coy, Morrigan. I fought for the good of my people so they wouldn't starve. The next move would be to expand after all that had happened." Q-Bee couldn't help but chuckle as she bent her head down. "Jedah had split himself off into multiple clones and tried to preserve his miserable life. The fear on his face the second I double-crossed him was the richest thing I had ever done."
"I can see you're quite the sadist. I guess some things never change after so long."
"Whatever," retorted the insectoid as she rolled her eyes. "In nature, it's survival of the fittest. And with a starving people, it was only a matter of time until something tipped over."
It was true. In times of distress, whether it came from starvation or a lack of supplies, one would become very desperate to ensure one's survival. However, in Q-Bee's case, it was the threat of her own people facing extinction. She would forget her old agreements if it meant her own would survive and prosper. And despite her composure, there was something hidden underneath that calm and happy demeanor.
Huh... Morrigan despondently thought as she thought over the insectoid's words carefully. To think she was holding that in after so long...
Can you blame her? Lilith asked while Morrigan looked over the Darkstalker. She was struggling to survive, and she knew Jedah would only hold out to keep her loyal. Trust me, I know what it's like to be manipulated like that...
Back within the manor in the forest...
In the room, Naruto had a gun aimed at Victor's head. Minutes had passed, and the Darkstalker did not move a muscle. Outside, Naruto's group had been watching the entire scene from the trees with their sharp vision and getting ready to intervene. Wereshifters were transforming into their bestial forms, the Vampires baring their fangs, and the Catwomen's eyes becoming slitted.
Gritting her teeth, Grace turned to her leader and growled, "Felicia, now's the time to jump in!"
Felicia raised her hand to stop her. "Wait. The bullets in that gun are magically enhanced to stagger beings like Victor. He hasn't pulled the trigger yet, and Victor has his hands up."
"T-That means... Victor is the one with all the cards in hand. He's just testing Naruto," Nonno realized.
Everyone stiffened at the revelation. The entire time, Victor had everything under his control. This wasn't just some talk between a distraught individual and a boy that followed orders; this was pure manipulation.
Meanwhile, Naruto sneered as his grip on the gun became tighter, his hold steady and firm. He was ready to shoot and call for backup. All Victor had to do was make a move.
He knows what he's doing, angrily thought Naruto as he tried to keep from shaking in rage. He's just playing with me!
"Calm yourself," Kurama advised. "He wants to test you and make sure your intentions are separate from the Succubus's."
"Look, why don't you put the gun down?" composedly asked the Darkstalker as he bent down to the boy's level, his gaze firm yet warm. "Let's do it your way, the easy way where we don't need... to make things any messier than they already are. Okay?"
Thousands of thoughts ran through Naruto's head as his heart pounded in his ears. His eyes became their Lapine red. The intent in Victor's voice alone was enough to set off enough red flags and set his instincts on overdrive.
The blonde lowered the gun to his left side, turning away from the Darkstalker. He brought his right hand up and pressed the bead behind his ear. He spoke gently, "Stand down. It's all clear. Just stand down."
If there was one thing Naruto had failed to anticipate was Victor's ability to take control of the situation. It wasn't anything like Haku, where he could play off his compassion and empathy. Victor proved to be a wild card in situations like this.
For now, it was best to take the subjects back to the castle and give them the lowdown of the entire situation. It might not be much with tensions running high, but it was better to try and make the best of their circumstance.
Alright, I'm back. I haven't updated since January. So... let' see... I got burnout and am trying to get out of it, busy with a job, and so on and so forth. Needless to say, life caught up with me while I was losing the motivation to write and am trying to get it back. Without looking, guess the reference in the chapter.
Okay... I've also decided to cut out a bunch of planned content and save it for something else. This arc has been dragged out long enough, and for me, it's getting old. I still regard Chapter 48 as my favorite written chapter because it centered on a character that wasn't Naruto, Jon. So much could be done with each character, and more ideas pop into my head that I have to write down as simple notes and save for later.
Thanks goes out to my Beta Reader, who has helped me so much with my work and giving oversight.