Rating: M
Pairing(s): Naruto/Nezuko; Tanjiro/Kanao; Sasuke/Sakura; Shikamaru/Temari; Zenitsu/Ino; Inosuke/Aoi; Neji/Tenten; Giyu/Shinobu; Kakashi/Anko.
Genre: Gore, Gore, Gore, Gore, Gore, Gore, Gore, Gore, Gore, Gore, Gore, Gore, Gore, Gore.
Note: Greetings. Be warned readers. What starts here is not for the faint of heart…
Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto; or, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba.
He had chosen this spot, at just around midnight, for the sole purpose of giving some much needed private lessons to his little squad of spoiled brats, away from the commotion of the Village's night life since these kids attention span was shorter than Might Guy's maturity level. But, as Ebisu had just sat down, in a meditation pose, outright forcing his three students to mimic his position after much fuss, and before he could even utter a single instruction…
…he got drenched in what almost felt like a waterfall Jutsu smashing itself right against his back. It didn't hurt, per say, as it wasn't an attack, but by damn was it cold.
Very, very cold.
"I am trying to teach here!" he screamed out of the top of his lungs, his fury directed at the two individuals currently responsible for his most recent frustration. Or rather, one of them in particular, because of course it had to be him.
"Huh? Oh, geez, my bad," Naruto told Ebisu from the opposite side of the small lake they were all gathered around. As his students, Konohamaru, Moegi and Udon all snickered at the sight, only to get very quiet when Ebisu side-glared at them for a second, the blonde Shinobi cheekily added, "It's her first time, she didn't mean to get you all washed up! You know how it is."
"I find you most unqualified to be giving any type of Shinobi training to anyone!" Ebisu spat back, using a spare rag to try and dry his sunglasses.
"Huh?" Naruto muttered, his full attention on the lake, "You say something else?"
"…Never mind…" the sensei of his group muttered through clenched teeth, before he quickly got up and instructed his team to move further away from the knuckleheaded troublemaker and his new, likewise as annoying, friend. The kids whined and moaned some more, wanting to see Naruto training her for a little longer, but Ebisu would have none of it.
As the four departed, three begrudgingly so, Naruto kept his eyes on the water, or rather, the young girl currently dragging herself out of the lake. She was absolutely drenched, her hair all over her face, making her look like something straight out of a horror movie.
"…Didn't work," Nezuko told Naruto, her face a bit flustered, even if she was also frowning at him. Or rather, at his very poor attempts at not laughing.
"Don't worry, it happened to me a lot of times," Naruto responded, before he took further steps towards her, and as such, right over the water. Nezuko looked on in awe, as despite having seen it before, it was still amazing to see him just outright walk over the lake's surface, over the water itself, as if it were the floor. And it was confusing, to her, why she couldn't do the same. She could already cling to walls and roofs, so why not water?
"Each time… sink faster," she admitted, glaring at the lake as if it were its fault.
"We just gotta get that weird chakra of yours under control!" Naruto told her with enthusiasm, pumping his fists for the full effect. It was oddly effective on her, she noted. "Like we said, you have no problem with walking up walls or hanging upside down, and you can summon your powers at will, so all we have to do is try and focus that on your feet, see!" he added, lifting his foot so that she could see his sandal, slightly lit up by the chakra running through it.
Nezuko turned her attention back towards her feet. Unlike Naruto, she was barefooted, as he had advise her. Direct contact made it easier, or so he told her. Still, Nezuko tried her best and focused that dangerous energy inside of her and tried to channel it towards her feet. Naruto looked on, as Nezuko tried to stand up once more, and…
…managed to set the nearby grass on fire alongside both her feet.
"Whoa! Too much!" Naruto quickly cried out, curling his hand and placing it into the water, before half-seriously forming a mock Rasengan, causing a splash of water to wash over Nezuko, drenching her again. And… just her, the flames were untouched. "Ah… right, that's not normal fire."
"Hmph!" a pouting Nezuko reprimanded, glaring at the boy, now soaked even more, as she tried her best and slowly retook control, stopping the spread of the fire and dousing it in a sense. Burnt grass flew everywhere, but her feet were outright untouched. Unlike regular Jutsu, her moves didn't hurt her at all, Naruto noted, since for all their power, he knew if he smacked himself with his own Rasengan it would leave quite the bruise. But Nezuko, even with a healing prowess higher than his own, was utterly unaffected by her flames. Was this comparison, of her demonic powers and chakra being possibly linked to one another, actually not all that feasible?
"Alright, let's focus elsewhere then," Naruto instructed, noticing that if this kept up, Nezuko could likely burn down the whole place and he'd have no way of stopping the fire without hurting her. So, he'd switch the classes around for now. "Maybe, in order to get better chakra control, or whatever it is you have, you just have to train the old fashion way. Build up your strength and all that. Come on, let's go one round, you and me!"
The way she titled her head in utter confusion made it clear she did not understand.
"Ah… you Demon Slayers train, right?" Naruto asked, since he was sure Tanjiro and the others didn't get that strong by just doing a lot of push-ups and sit-ups and drinking plenty of juice.
"They… We do," she corrected, nodding.
"Then, that's what we're going to do now," Naruto explained, standing before her, a bit further from the lake, his feet firmly on the unburnt side of the grass. He took a stance, one arm extended, two fingers lifted in the form of half of a hand sign. "This is the stance we Shinobi take before we train. It means… respecting each other or something like that. It also looks really cool. Warning though, don't do this with enemies, since they don't follow these rules, being evil and all that."
"…Okay?" Nezuko just replied, still confused, but she mimicked his stance as best she could. She had a little trouble with the hand sign, but she got it eventually. Part of her actually found those hand gestures to be the coolest part of the Shinobi techniques, and she would so love to be able to do at least one of those Jutsu. She didn't care which, at least just one.
"Alright!" Naruto cheered, grin widening. "Now we fight! Show me what you got Nezuko!"
Then he launched himself at her, pushing his fist back and taking aim at her face. He knew how fast she was, but he had not really gotten the chance to see her abilities in full. She was probably stronger than she led on, but he wasn't going to go all out at the start. A simple swing, let her dodge, and see with what she would answer with. If he had to guess, a kick would be her first response, given her affinity for those. But…
…he guessed wrong…
…she didn't kick him…
…she didn't even dodge…
…Naruto outright smacked the girl in her face, sending her twirling backwards onto the burnt ground, her eyes still wide, and her nose now bloodied. She looked up, staring… until her eyes began to water.
Naruto had turned ghostly pale at the sight.
"Nezuko! Are you alright?! Why didn't you dodge?!" he cried out, bending down next to the girl, trying to help her up, but she childishly slapped his attempts away, as she brushed her face, already healed, and dried up her tears, before glaring and pouting at him at full force. "I said we were going to fight. I'm-I'm sorry if I wasn't too clear, I didn't just mean to wallop you like that, honest."
"…Mean," was all Nezuko said, as she turned away from the distressed Ninja. He felt horrible.
"Come on, Nezuko," he practically begged. "I just wanted to help, sorry! Come on, hit me back, we'll call it even."
"Don't hit… Humans," she clarified, her tone very dry and unamused. She hated him now, of this Naruto was sure.
"I mean, that's a… sweet idea and all that, but," he tried, sitting down on the grass next to her, legs crossed, trying to find the words. "We're just trying to train, to get stronger, you know? Have a chance at fighting back against these demons and protect the good people. You fight demons all the time anyways."
"Demons different…" Nezuko corrected, her gaze still looking away from him. "Demons bad."
"Are you bad?" he asked, and she flinched. She then turned, slowly, her eyes still wide as she looked at him, as if searching in his eyes for something. "…You know you aren't. So you can't say all demons are bad, because you are proof they are not."
"I'm…" she voiced, but really didn't know what to say.
"It's kinda shitty to say, but humans are the same," Naruto told her, "Most are good, but some are bad. Very bad. There are some out there that make me wish I was fighting a demon rather than any of them, because they are that bad. And we can't just not fight them, because good people will get hurt if we don't protect them."
She kept quiet. She knew he had a point. She wasn't that naïve. Before her world got twisted and her life was flung into this never ending nightmare, her mother always warned her and her siblings of strangers. Of bad men and women who could hurt them. This was not something that would change just because the world had worst monsters in it. She knew that. But, how could she even try to find the strength to fight?
"…How will I know?"
"Hmm?" Naruto asked, now the one confused. What did she mean?
"How will I know…?" she repeated, her eyes now on his. "…Which ones are bad enough…? How to stop myself… before… lose control?"
"That's what the training is for," Naruto replied with a grin, and he extended his hands. She looked on for a moment, before she extended hers as well and took hold of his. He softly lifted her up, and once they were both back on their feet, he jumped back, landing back on his initial spot, taking his stance once more. "Trust me, once you get strong enough, you can protect anyone and take out any bad guy without having to kill. That's my goal! A true Hokage can save everyone and have no one die! So let's get stronger, together!"
Nezuko stared, her eyes on her hand, before she closed it into a fist, tightly. She then turned back to Naruto, and once more, took his stance. This time, she did not have trouble with the hand sign. She was poised, and so was he.
"This time for real!" Naruto roared, as he lunged at Nezuko.
This time, he held back even more, just in case, but much to his delight, he actually saw her react. She dodged out of the way effortlessly, which was a given with just how pathetic a punch he had purposely launched at her, but then came her response. A kick as a counter attack, because of course, and he had to block it with his other arm. The impact sent out a small shockwave across the grassy field, and soon enough, both warriors were engaged in combat. Naruto threw a punch or two, which Nezuko dodged, followed by her string of attacks. For a girl so ferocious at times, she could also be… predictable, in a way. Right kick, left kick, jump while the last kick was still connected, slash with her long nails on the arm opposite to the last leg used, touch the ground with her hands, flip herself, dodge his attacks, then repeat the same pattern. It took about four repeats for Naruto to realize this would get them nowhere.
"Okay… I know I'm holding back but you are really not taking this seriously!" he told her, as he jumped back, gaining some distance between the two.
"Don't want… to hurt you," she explained, still in position, with her legs spread and her claws out, her eyes piercing, her mouth slightly ajar to show her sharp fangs.
"I'll admit, she has more self-control than I do," Naruto and Nezuko both heard a familiar voice say, and they both turned to the side, to find a familiar kunoichi seated a top one of the nearby trees, all smiles. "I don't think I would pass on the opportunity to smack you around for a bit."
"Hey Sakura!" Naruto quickly greeted, waving at her. The pinkette gave the two a wave in return, before she jumped down. Naruto then added, "What brings you around here this late at night?"
"I've been curious about these late night training sessions you've been having with Nezuko," Sakura told him as she approached the two, before she turned her eyes to the little demon girl. "And how are you sweetie? Naruto's been treating you okay, right?"
"Of course I-" he began.
"No," Nezuko quickly countered, and in the most intense tone he had ever heard her utter. "He has been mean."
Naruto felt faint. The girl didn't even stutter any of that. Naruto just gave Nezuko the most bewildered look, almost as if shocked to having heard her say it, and just as he did, she turned to him, but instead of a glare, or a pout, as he had expected, she had the biggest shit-eating grin he had ever seen this girl sport. 'She's doing it on purpose!' Naruto inwardly screamed.
"Is that right?" Sakura said, half amused, catching her little playful prank, but finding it too fun to pass off. She then turned towards Naruto at to his surprise, took the same stance the both of them had been using. "Guess a little payback's in order then. What do you say Naruto, you and me?"
"Ah…" he hesitated for a moment, since not once could he envision himself ever hitting Sakura of all people, but he knew that would be both insulting to her and hypocritical of himself after everything he told Nezuko just moments prior. Besides… "Actually, we've never fought each other before, haven't we? Sure! This is gonna be fun. Don't blame me when you lose though!"
"Oh please," Sakura replied, putting on a peculiar set of black gloves onto her hands. Since when did she wear those? "I'm not the same girl you knew all those months ago."
They then charged at one another. As Nezuko watched from the sidelines, impressed at the speed they moved in and at the fact they seemed to be going at it for real, Sakura's fist was the first thing to attempt to connect. Naruto had quick reflexes, they all knew, so he dodged the hit, but what utterly surprised him was not her speed, but rather the force of the wind that followed that very punch he had just narrowly avoided. 'Wait… Just how strong was that punch?!' a very puzzled Naruto asked himself.
"Like you told Nezuko, take this seriously!" Sakura called out, taking hold of her pouch and sending several shuriken his way. Naruto replied in kind, and shuriken against shuriken hit, sending them off their trajectory. Several were pinned to the ground, one at the nearest tree… one right into Nezuko's forehead.
Neither Shinobi seemed to notice, as the surprised girl just blinked, before she ripped of the ninja star from her face, with a small puddle of blood forming which was just as quickly healed up. This thing looked dangerous… and cool, she was keeping it.
"Sure about that?!" Naruto playfully warned, "Wouldn't want you to regret it once you see my new super moveeeee!" he screamed the last part, as Sakura swung her fists at him, and if the increasingly stronger gusts of wind that followed each fists was any indication, he really did not want those punches to connect. So Naruto did as a Naruto does, and began to clash, fist against fist. Or rather, just once, because despite his increased strength, her fist proved harder, which hurt his hand. So he decided against that, and instead, began to block her punches by outright sweeping her arms aside with an open palm. He managed to counter several of her hits this way, dodging the rest, before he saw her do a sweep kick.
He jumped out of the way, back-flipping for a moment before he landed with his hand sign in place.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" he screamed out, and nine clones appeared. "Charge!"
Sakura had to take a step back, taking a defensive stance when all nine clones rushed her. She inwardly cursed, having been placed on the back-foot herself, and now being the one dodging and blocking. What Naruto's clones lacked in raw power, they always made up in numbers, and frankly, this was the first time she was ever facing off against them. It was a little fun, she'd note. But, before that, she had to deal with them first. Block, dodge, block, dodge, she was getting nowhere. Too many clones, and way too close, which meant…
"I thought I told you! I'm not the same teammate you had before!" Sakura roared, as she charged her fist, but instead of aiming at any clone, she aimed at the ground. The force of her punch erupted the very dirt and rock itself, creating multiple, sharp pillars all around her and impaling several clones and pushing away the others. After the dust settled, Sakura looked up, her eyes on the original Naruto, looking at her in awe. She just smirked. "…What? Surprised I can-?"
Then she felt a presence behind her. She turned her eyes, her bright green orbs coming face-to-face with another Naruto clone, one she now realized he had sent swimming under the lake and out to get her from behind. But, that wasn't what worried her. Not the clone, not that it could hit her, not that it could stab her. Not even if it tried to smash a Rasengan into her. But rather, because it made that hand sign.
The Tiger hand seal.
And she was still bent over.
She saw the life flash before her very eyes.
"Don't you dare!" Sakura screamed out, turning towards the clone, one hand curled into a fist with so much chakra infused to it the glove was slowly breaking apart, and the other hand covering her… threatened area. "Naruto! I swear if you-!"
His laughter gave it away that he wasn't being serious. "Ha-ha-ha-ha-You should have seen your face!" he said, bouts of hearty laugh increasing. "I mean, like for real, even if I couldn't quite grasp the Chidori, having Kakashi-sensei's strongest technique under my disposal is quite the threat, ain't it?"
"Ah, take this seriously!" Sakura, blushing like mad, shouted. "That's not a workable technique out in the field, and joke or not, if you even try it on me I will sever your hands!"
"Relax, I got it," Naruto replied, dissipating the last of the clones, who had also been laughing it up. Sakura just glared, still red in the face. "Besides, it's not a technique to be used on a friend… Well, except on Kakashi-sensei, because if I get the chance, hell yeah I'm using it on him!"
"You're still holding onto that, huh?" Sakura noted, crossing her arms. Still, it sort of irked her; that for as practice exercise as this may have been, Naruto had pulled one over her. Lady Tsunade would be so disappointed. Before she could lament that fact, however, she felt a small tug on her sleeve. She turned to see Nezuko, looking curiously at the scene as a Nezuko does.
"What technique… is that?" she asked innocently, before making the tiger seal herself.
"It's not a technique!" Sakura, now even redder, replied. "Don't listen to this moron! That's not a Jutsu!"
"Sure it is!" Naruto countered, as he jumped towards where the two girls were. He made the seal himself, and added, "And a very powerful one at that," he told Nezuko, his tone serious, totally the opposite of what this explanation required or deserved. "You see, Sakura is a very strong Kunoichi, and even she was utterly afraid of the power I wield with this technique. You see, you form this seal, and then you call out its name! The "Leaf Village Secret Finger Jutsu: One Thousand Years of Death!"; and then you bent down behind your opponent," he instructed, mimicking the attack at an imaginary foe before the two girls. Nezuko looked on in awe, taking notes in her mind; Sakura was trying to bury her face into her palms. "And then you shove it right in there!"
He shoves it right in there… into the poor imagery guy. Nezuko was confused. Shove what where?
"You see!?" Naruto exclaimed, proudly, stars in his eyes.
"…No," Nezuko replied, earnestly, her head tilted slightly.
"…Don't ruin her anymore, please," Sakura begged, apologizing to the Slayer Corps on the Leaf Village's behalf for everything this idiot was going to teach this poor, innocent girl.
-0-
Shizune walked across the halls of the main medical building with a slightly rushed pace. After all these days of uncertainty, she had finally gotten a small nugget of knowledge that she was hopeful could prove useful. It wasn't much, she knew, but it was the first time that… thing had ever been mentioned anywhere. It made it concrete. It made it real. And if the warnings from the Demon Slayer Corps were half right, they needed as much as they could in order to deal with it.
'Milady will need to know this,' Shizune told herself, as she walked through the mostly empty halls. It was a bit odd, not to be bumping into people left and right around these parts, but if it meant less cases, both in the real and in the strange, then it was for the best. It helped her get her message out faster. 'After all that searching, I finally found the Necronomicon actually mentioned by name somewhere… Now if we only had any idea of someone who practiced Jashinism.'
But then she stopped. One of the storage doors was open, which in itself was against protocol, but furthermore, just the faintest of lights could be seen from the interior. Shizune looked on, noticing how it seemed that little flicker of light resembled a candle of sorts, but why…?
Shizune moved in, taking a step into the storage room, just before she lightly tripped on the steps.
'Wait, steps?' she noted, turning back to the floor. There weren't any steps in this room, not before at least. Utterly confused, she was moments before walking out before she noticed someone to the side. She recognized the nurse, one who worked often with her and Sakura and Ino. Shizune motioned to the young girl, her hand on the girl's shoulder, but noticing how she was… in a strange position.
On her knees, hands interlocked, as if… praying.
"…Hana?" Shizune asked, her eyes filled with worry, looking at this young girl, moments before the girl began to cry blood. "Hana!"
Shizune heard her own shout echo throughout the small room, far too small to be the storage she had just walked into. Then she saw others. Some she knew, some she didn't. All of them in the same position. Praying, all aimed at the same direction. All crying blood.
All praying towards the Necronomicon.
Shizune felt all the blood drain from her face. How?! Why!? That thing was supposed to be sealed away far, far from here. And there it was, on a small table, placed as a relic, being worshipped as if some sort of Holy Scripture. And, just below the book, there were eyes.
Shizune's own eyes widened in fright. These people weren't crying blood. Those were their eyes, stripped off, and placed before the Necronomicon as an offering. She darted, away from the group, her instincts kicking in. Trying to save anyone would be futile, she screamed at herself, but as she moved to get out…
There was no door.
"What?! No! Please, someone, Lady Tsunade, help!" she screamed, turning back to the praying eyeless, and she recognized how some weren't just members of the hospital staff. Some where visitors. Some were corpses from the morgue. Some were corpses from the cemetery.
"Pleased be thy."
They all began to chant, in unison, and there were more voices than she saw bodies.
"Pleased be thy."
Shizune quickly took out a kunai and a paper bomb, prepared to make a door if there was none.
"Pleased be thy."
She would not fall to this madness. It wasn't Genjutsu, she knew, she could outright feel it.
"Pleased be thy."
But before she could ignite it, she saw another figure.
"Pleased be thy."
One bending down right before the Necronomicon itself.
"Pleased be thy."
The figure had not been there before.
"Pleased be thy."
As it stood up, she could only stare at how impossibly tall the figure looked.
"Pleased be thy."
It didn't make sense, as it wouldn't fit into this room; no way it could bent itself, yet it kept growing.
"Pleased be thy."
It turned, she ignited the paper bomb, and then a pair of hands softly covered her eyes from behind, as a voice whispered into her ear…
"Pleased be thy."
-0-
"Please be…?" Nezuko voiced softly, having just heard something whispered into her ear, something close to that, but as soon as she turned, she saw that there was no one there at all. Naruto and Sakura both paused, turning towards the younger girl. The trio had moved on from the training area, and, upon Naruto's request, gone straight towards Ichiraku's Ramen place for, as Naruto put it, some well-earned feasting.
"You okay there?" Naruto asked, his eyes on Nezuko.
"…Hmm," she noted, still a bit confused. The voice she could no longer recall even if she had just heard it, what had that even been? "Thought I… heard something…"
"Must be my stomach," Naruto noted, his hands on his belly. "Now that I've become a night-owl like these Slayers, my body demands ramen at this hour! No exceptions!"
"You've been spending more time at Ichiraku's than you have been on the training field, haven't you?" Sakura asked, her brow raised. His expression gave her the answer.
"So?" he defended. "A guy's gotta eat!" he added, "You wanna join us?"
"I would, but unlike you, I'm not on vacation," Sakura replied, waving him off. He was already frowning at her remark, which just made her laugh. "Lady Tsunade requires my presence at the hospital, so if you'll excuse me, I'll be on my way to get my stuff and head out to work and train. Train properly might I add," she added the last part with emphasis, to which Naruto only rolled his eyes. Sakura then turned to Nezuko. "And I'll see you later too. Remember, don't take everything this dummy says to heart, but every once in a while, there is some advice worth taking note of in there. Do your best, okay?"
"…Yes," Nezuko nodded, smiling. "Take care… Sakura."
Sakura just smiled a little wider at the sound of her name coming from the girl, before she turned to Naruto and gave him a little wave. "See ya then."
"Sure!" he replied, before he added, "Oh, and before I forget!" he told her, which made her pause. What was it now? "…Your birthday's on March twenty-eighth, right?!"
Sakura just blinked. Huh?
"…Uh, yeah…" she replied, for a moment confused why he was bringing that up all the sudden. "Wait, was this about the conversation we had when you got back? How'd you find that out? Did you ask Lady Tsunade?"
"Heh, heh," he sheepishly laughed. "A Shinobi takes his secrets to the grave," he added, "Besides, what sort of friend doesn't know something so basic, like please, Sakura, come on. Give me some credit."
Sakura was going to counter his argument, and probably probe him as to how he got that information, but she just smiled at the sight. She had honestly missed him, and it was until now she realized he really did lit up the place whenever he was around… and behaving himself appropriately enough.
"Oh right, you win this round," she noted with the softest expression, before she lifted her hand, and forming a fist, added, "See you around."
"Yeah, later," he replied, bumping his fist into hers. Sakura left the two shortly thereafter, and as Naruto stared at her retreading form, Nezuko couldn't help but feel out of place. This really wasn't her life, nor where she should be. So she tugged at his sleeve, causing him to turn to her.
"…You …like her, don't you?"
Naruto just turned beet red at the accusation.
"W-What?!" he screamed. "Where did that come from?! Sakura and I are just good friends, best of friends even. Nothing about liking her in any way outside of that," he told her, but his voice dimmed with each word, his eyes now back to the spot Sakura had just walked away from. "…Besides, she likes someone. Someone I care about a lot too. I… I want them to be happy."
Nezuko's wide eyes just stared at the boy. And the more she spent time with him, the more she got to know him, was the more she wondered whether or not she was imagining it. 'Why is there… much sadness in you…?'
"But, forget that!" Naruto quickly gleamed back up, now seemingly excited once more. "Let's go eat, or, I'll go eat and you creepily watch from the side like you always do."
Nezuko felt slapped. "Hmph!" she muttered with a pout. "I wish… could eat," she said sternly. "…Cannot. Stomach won't… allow…"
"Relax, Granny said she'd help you guys fix that right up!" Naruto replied, as he moved towards the little restaurant's entrance. "She helped fix up Sasuke… too much if you ask me. And she got Bushy Brows back on his feet. And I mean, like right back up. Dude was kicking ass the very same day, I think…" Naruto added, and after pushing the cloth that made up the entrance away, both he and Nezuko were greeted by, what was to her, a set of new familiar faces.
"Well, well," the owner and chef of the joint, Teuchi, quickly greeted. "If it isn't our favorite customer, and he brought the little lass once more. Nice to see you here again Nezuko."
"…H-Hello," Nezuko shyly greeted with a little wave. It was still strange to be seeing so many new faces.
"Hope you have your best grub ready old man," Naruto noted with a fist bump, "Because I am starving!"
"For you? Always," the other staff member quickly called out from inside the place, before she stepped into view. The young girl, waitress of Ichiraku's and daughter of the boss himself, Ayame, gave the two a very friendly smile. "Take a seat! Let me guess, one usual Miso Pork for you, biggest serving we can manage?"
"Yes please!"
"…We might have to invest in bigger bowls," Ayame noted, her eyes on her father briefly. "He is a growing boy after all. Not sure what we serve now will suffice when he's, say, fifteen."
"Too true," the old man noted.
"…And, what about you Nezuko?" Ayame then asked the girl, who had just sat down besides the ever eager Naruto, her wide pink eyes on the older girl. "You hungry this time, or…?"
"…I," she tried. She really hated this. Naruto loved this place, said the food was heavenly. And these people were so nice, always so welcoming. It wasn't just an act to get customers in, but genuine care and affection. The man even kept the shop open later once he heard Naruto was back an operating mostly during the nights. That's not something anyone else would do. And the food… it looked good. Too good. Something she would trade her soul for if she could have brought some of that to her family for them to eat. Her mother would have been thrilled, and she knew Takeo, Hanako and Shigeru would have loved it. Oh, would they have loved it. Even little Rokuta could try a bit of it. She'd feed him carefully of course. Make sure it wasn't too hot, nor too much.
"She's still not feeling well," Naruto carefully explained, sensing how she was struggling. "One of these days she'll come in here and eat even more than I do, but for now, just one bowl please."
"Of course," Ayame noted, as she turned to her father with a nod.
Teuchi, taking hold of his apron and tightening its grip, began his prep, his expression fierce. He began to work, making his wok sizzle. Taking hold of several of the freshest veggies he could pick out, he begun to make the fastest prep work he had ever done until now. He had a clear idea of what to do, of the best version of this dish to.
'My finest Miso Pork Ramen yet…' Teuchi noted, 'That's what this will be. I have to focus my entire craft on making this work. Can't have my own teacher spinning in his grave if I mess up now,' he added, as he took hold of a carton of eggs, and set the finest two of them out, putting them into a pan and setting the water to a boil. Then, of course, came the noodles.
Teuchi used his trademark knife to cut and roll the noodles, setting them up, before he turned to the veggies and cut them into clean cuts too. He then set them aside, and took hold of a handful of the trademark tenderloin pork meat. He needed very specific cuts, so he proceeded to effortlessly get those processed, before he moved to take out several more ingredients: bok choy, green onions, aburage, nori, kamaboko and his special, modified soy sauce. The family's secret ingredient!
Before even a drop of the boiling water left the pan, Teuchi was already on it, taking hold of his utensils, and taking out each of the two hard boiled eggs, as he placed them gently to the side, before he carefully washed his knife, before he took hold of one egg. Then, with one fell slice, he divided them cleanly in half, just as…
"Dad," Ayame called out, her expression one of bemusement. "T-This is the wrong story for that."
"Oh?" he noted, sadly.
Naruto, none the wiser to whatever that was, had his eyes on Nezuko. "Hey, it's all right," he told her. "You'll be cured soon enough, of that I'm sure," he told her softly, so no one else would hear. She didn't seem all that sure, but she nodded nonetheless, even if her expression remained downcast. "Nez-"
"Well look if it ain't true," Naruto heard a very familiar voice from behind, and to Nezuko's surprise, the boy's eyes lit up like never before. They both turned, Naruto out of excitement and Nezuko out of sheer curiosity, as they were both met by the sight of a vest-wearing Shinobi Nezuko did not know but Naruto clearly did. "So glad I managed to come back from my mission in time to see you here. How have you been my boy?"
"Iruka-sensei!" Naruto quickly greeted, full of so much glee. It was here Nezuko realized who this man must be, as she had heard Naruto mention that name many times over. "I had asked around for you! You're finally back!"
"Yeah, we here at the Leaf need all hands of deck, so even I'm getting drafted out," Iruka noted, as he moved towards the seat. After offering quick salute to the owner and his daughter, he turned back to the pair. "I also heard you… well, I heard many different versions of a story, but all of them included a young lady you are currently helping out. Would this be her?"
"Oh, yeah, Iruka-sensei, this is Nezuko Kamado," Naruto quickly introduced, signaling to Nezuko. She really, really wished the ground would just swallow her up there and then. She was way too nervous for this now. Where was her box?! She wanted in!
"It's a pleasure to meet you Nezuko," Iruka warmly greeted, and it helped calm Nezuko a bit. This man seemed genuinely nice, and a small part of him, his body language and gestures, reminded Nezuko of her own father, for as hazy as that memory was.
"…Same," she tried to sound like an actual human being. "I have… heard of you, Iruka-sensei. Naruto speaks… fondly."
"Does he now?" Iruka said, as he ruffled Naruto's blonde hair in a kind gesture, getting the kid to call out an embarrassed "quit it!" but his laugh was still there. "Can't judge him, though. I speak about this one everywhere I go. Goes to show how traumatized I was after teaching the kid."
"Oh, that's hilarious," Naruto noted with a frown, moments before his bowl of steaming Miso Pork Ramen was placed before him, causing his to outright salivate at the smell overtaking his senses. "~Oh, it's finally here. How I've been savoring you all day long!"
"Guess some things never change," Iruka noted with an amused expression, before his eyes turned to the fidgeting girl next to Naruto. She looked… uncomfortable for some reason. "Hey, doesn't Nezuko want a bowl too? My treat of course, yours too at that."
"Oh! No, you don't have to do that Iruka-sensei," Naruto replied, after slurping down the first mouthful of the delicious ramen. "She's not feeling all that well, so she's not eating… Nezuko?"
Naruto paused, as Nezuko had etched herself closer to him, her eyes on the bowl, her eyes a bit narrowed. She was starting to get hungry, all that attempt at training her had gotten her stomach to begin craving nourishment, but like always, despite how she knew she would probably love this food, it didn't seem the least bit appetizing to her. Food never did, and she couldn't help but feel so much hatred inside herself for that damned monster that had taken everything from her. Her family, her home, her way of life. She could no longer taste food, she could no longer feel the sun on her skin, and she could no longer even speak too much without her words twisting and her mind clouding. And she was starting to forget. First her parents and her siblings names, back then, but she had forced herself to remember. And she repeated their names over and over to herself, just to make sure, almost at every waking hour.
Her father was Tanjuro Kamado.
Her dearest mother was Kie Kamado.
Her little siblings were Takeo Kamado, Hanako Kamado, Shigeru Kamado and baby Rokuta Kamado.
'I am human,' she told herself, 'I won't let those memories be torn away. Not of them, nor will I let my older brother do everything by himself. Not…' she paused, eyes wide once more.
Her elder brother… What was his name again?
"Hey, Nezuko!" Naruto quickly called out, the moment he saw her expression take a drastic change. Ayame and her father were also quickly by her side, just over the counter, as Iruka had outright vanished from his spot and reappeared next to her, his hand tenderly on her back.
'…Calm down,' she instructed herself, knowing she was causing a scene. 'This is one name I will not allow myself to forget. I rather forget my own,' she told herself, trying to calm herself, control her breathing, just as her brother and their friends had been taught. Constant. In and out. Regain control. '…Tanjiro Kamado. My dearest brother. You have suffered so much. I… will not forget you.'
"If she's not feeling well, maybe we can take her to see the Fifth?" Iruka noted, before he turned to Nezuko. "Do you need to lay down, or perhaps…?"
"…Sorry," she voiced, shaking her head. "…Condition is… difficult. Do not… concern," she tried, before she turned back to the very worried Naruto. Of course she was also making him worried. That's all she ever did. "…May I try… just a bit…?" she asked, and Naruto was confused for a moment, before he realized she meant his ramen.
"Oh, sure, I mean, are you sure?"
She nodded. Her expression made it clear she was.
"Then, by all means, dig in," he told her, signaling to his ramen. Hell, her ramen now if she wanted it. But, to his continued surprise, she didn't motion to take hold of the chopsticks or to the ramen itself at all. Instead, she just opened her mouth, little fangs and all, and it was here Naruto realized what she intended. "Eh?"
She wanted him to feed her?
"Oh?" Ayame said, blushing.
"Oh?" Teuchi said, blushing harder.
"…Guess not all the rumors are untrue," Iruka noted, with a look that just screamed approval.
Naruto, on the other hand, was blushing madly. He was very dimwitted at times, even he knew that, but feeding someone was too intimate a thing even for him not to catch the implication behind it. And, demon or not, Nezuko was still a very, very pretty girl and every now and then he was getting reminded of it.
'I've been actually living with this girl for the last few days,' Naruto inwardly noted, face still flushed. 'Is that what Sakura meant?! Damn it, this is going to make things awkward. I mean, she's sleeping on my bed, bathing on my bath, hanging around day and night… Oh, keep your focus on, damn it! You are a Shinobi, and she's a comrade in need! Be less like Pervy Sage and more like… I don't know, someone who's not a pervert.'
Shaking his growing thoughts aside, Naruto still took a small bit of the ramen with his chopsticks and brought them up to Nezuko's parted lips, doing the herculean task of ignoring all the stares and looks the other three present were giving the pair. Nezuko took the bite, gently as she was in all things when not clawing at a demon, and proceeded to try and savor it.
"There you go!" he cheered, still a bit flustered but powering through it. "Mighty tasty stuff, ain't-"
She outright vomited it all over him.
After the surge of shock from all those present, Iruka was the first to reach out to her, intending to get her to the hospital as soon as humanly possible. Only Naruto stopped him, not saying anything, but his eyes made it clear Naruto knew something Iruka did not, and for all his immaturity, Iruka trusted Naruto to a fault, so if the boy knew what was best for her, he would not try to force the issue.
Said girl clung onto Naruto's now stained jacket, her tears beginning to pour, as she softly muttered apologies at him. She had not wanted to ruin this dinner for him. Ruin everything once again. So she cried, and she apologized, and she hated how he never sounded mad at her. Why did he, and her brother Tanjiro, and Zenitsu, and Inosuke, and her Master and the Water Hashira all trust her so implicitly? Was this really all worth it? Would it not just be better if she just died?
"You'll get better," Naruto softly told her, and she wondered if he could read her mind too. "This isn't your fault. We'll get you better, no matter what, I promise."
-0-
"I'm off!" Sakura shouted out, as both her parents walked in from the dining area. "Remember, I have an all-nighter today, so, see you guys in the morning."
"I understand you asked for all of this, and I am thankful for the Fifth for taking you in, but you have to take it easy, okay?" her mother, Mebuki Haruno, told her.
"She'll be fine," her father, Kizashi Haruno, added in. "She's the toughest member of our family bar none. Not even the finest of the clans here can say they have one of their own training directly under the Hokage herself. You are underestimating how strong our little baby has become."
"That sort of undersells my toughness dad," Sakura noted, blushing a bit at the terms of endearment. "Besides, with Ino away at Suna, I have to pull double duty, so I'm not a baby anymore, just you watch!"
"Of course," her father agreed, all smiles.
"Just be careful, Hokage or not, Lady Tsunade will hear from me if anything happens to you," her mother added, in a tone that made it clear she was not joking.
"Mom! Please, no!" Sakura was quick to add, since she knew her mom well enough. She would outright storm in there and give Lady Tsunade a piece of her mind, and for a full-fledged Genin like herself, that would be beyond embarrassing. "Just… I'll be fine. See you guys."
"Later sweetie," her father said.
"Oh, and tell your teammate he can stop by again if he wishes to," her mother added. "Just, announce it beforehand next time."
"Oh, come now," her father countered, while Sakura remained confused. "The boy's not half as bad as this whole village paints him out to be. He's quite friendly, and caring too boot."
"There is a reason I never requested she'd be put on another team despite the fact," her mother said, and Sakura had to outright raise her hand to ask her question.
"Teammate? You mean… Naruto?"
"Yeah, he paid us a visit a few hours ago," her father cheerfully replied. The elder Haruno brushing his long, pointy hair a bit back, even if it just sprung back into place.
"He didn't tell you?" her mother asked, her eyebrow raised. Sakura thought for a moment, before she just smiled.
"…He asked you guys for my birthday, didn't he?" she asked, and they both nodded. Sakura just laughed a bit. 'That dummy…'
With that "mystery" solved, Sakura was on her way, leaving her home and calmly walking through the mostly empty streets towards the hospital. The night was eerily calm, but she wasn't in a rush. She had time. But… why did it feel… so off?
Then, just as suddenly, she was grabbed from behind before she could even react.
-0-
"I hope little Nezuko is okay," Ayame noted, closing up shop, as Iruka had taken Naruto and Nezuko home, after the latter had tried to tell them all she was fine. Or at least, fine enough. Her father just pondered it for a moment, since he knew it most likely involved Shinobi affairs, which them as civilians, were better off not knowing. But, he too hoped the young lass could get better from whatever ailed her. Before he could voice his thoughts, his duties already mostly taken care off, with only the deep fryer left to be tended to, he felt someone else step in from behind the counter.
Ayame turned, having finished up cleaning said counter and the leftover vomit from the sick girl, but her eyes widened at the sight.
"Sorry, we're closed for the eve-" Teuchi began, but as soon as his eyes caught sight of the… being before the two of them, he just lost his voice entirely.
Yoroi stood there.
In silence.
Blood dripping from the crevices in his hands. Blood that was not his.
He lifted his head, with no eyes to see, but he looked at them anyways. He extended his hand, slowly, open palm, inches from Ayame's shocked face.
Teuchi took hold of his daughter by the waist and pulled her over the counter, mere moments before Yoroi's hand had opened up to reveal a row of fangs ready to carve her face open. Ayame was pulled to the other side, knocking down everything on the counter, but landing on her feet on the opposite side, slowly coming to terms with whatever it was that was happening.
"Dad, that's-!"
"Run!" her father roared, before Yoroi effortlessly jumped over the counter, landing on their side. The Missing Nin effortlessly took hold of Teuchi's neck with his left hand, beginning to choke the man with monstrous force, much to the terror of his daughter. Her father, knife in hand, attempted to stab his attacker with his butcher knife, but this was stopped by Yoroi's other hand, taking hold of the elder man's wrist without any visible effort.
"Let my father go!" Ayame pleaded, her eyes filled with tears, but Yoroi paid her no mind. He just stared at the man in his grasp, and… it wasn't enough. Someone with this very little chakra, could never be worthy. It would be such an undercooked meal.
As Teuchi seemed to try and say something, but managed not a word thanks to the monster's grip, Ayame could only watch in horror as Yoroi merely tilted his head for a moment, as if observing his prey for just a second, before in a violent rush, pushed the elder man's entire face into the boiling oil.
Ayame screamed, lunging at Yoroi to try and save her father. She took hold of another, smaller nakiri knife, and stabbed right at him. But Yoroi did not move. He did not bleed. He just stared at the dying man before him. As Teuchi's body violently shook, his face and neck burning to a crisp, with Yoroi's own hand burning as well, but just as quickly regenerating.
Ayame tried everything, but she could not make this monster even bulge, let alone save her father. So she ran, ran towards the exit. Crying and screaming, she just ran.
Yoroi still stared at the dying man. His eyes had been burnt off, oozing right off his face. Ears too. His skin peeled away, all his remaining hair lost. His body stopped moving shortly thereafter, and just like that, Yoroi took out his hand. It looked utterly uninjured. How very interesting. How amazing was this power. And how… damn… hungry… he was.
So he moved. He would have to make an exception.
Ayame screamed, rushing through the street, having just exited the establishment… just before she felt her ankle get grabbed, and with it, she fell to the floor, slamming her face onto the concrete so hard she bit part of her own tongue cleanly off. Mouth bleeding, eyes crying, she knew they had to still be close by. She begged they were.
"I-Iruka!" she cried out with all her might, as she felt a tug on her leg, before she began to be dragged back into the building. She dug her nails into the concrete, but to no avail, as she was taken in with the most minimal of efforts, despite her cries or her screams… "Naruto!"
The door then closed, and the screams ceased.
-0-
"You three still have a long way to go!" Ebisu told his team, as the four-man squad walked through the empty Konoha streets. He was, as per usual, annoyed at their antics, and they in turn, annoyed by the stick up his ass, as Konohamaru usually phrased it.
"Yes sensei," the three muttered for what felt like the fiftieth time that night alone. Konohamaru was eager to be finally allowed bigger missions, if only to show what he and his team could do so that Ebisu-sensei would finally loosen his grip on the team. Soon, he told himself, hopefully.
"As true Shinobi, your main focus should always…" Ebisu began, fully intended on reprimanding them further, right up to each of their respective houses if need be, until he gave pause. The trio of kids turned to him, with Konohamaru wondering if the guy had caught sight of a pretty girl and gone all pervert mode once again. Moegi and Udon also stared, wondering if the guy had lost his train of thought. Better for them in a way, but still…
Ebisu's eyes, hidden behind his trademark dark sunglasses, stared at the nearby Ichiraku's Ramen shop. Not an unusual sight at all, as he himself ate their on occasion. Fine folk and all. But… weren't they usually closed this late an hour?
"Sensei?" Moegi asked, her little head tilted. "You hungry?"
"The serve pretty good ramen in there," Udon added, signaling to Ichiraku's, to which Moegi quickly nodded.
"They still seem open, so if you want to eat, just walk on in teach," Konohamaru told Ebisu matter-of-factly, as he strolled right towards the eatery.
"…Wait! Konohamaru, something's-!" Ebisu tried, since even he was finding it difficult to put into words why exactly he was feeling this sudden sense of… dread. It made no sense. But the boy still went in.
"Something's what?" Konohamaru asked, as he peeked his head inside the joint.
For a moment, nothing seemed off. Ayame was there, and Konohamaru liked her. She was cute and she was funny and very kind. But… she was naked. And despite being a little bit of a pervert himself, he found it odd that she'd be like that to welcome in customers. But, slowly, his brain registered what his eyes were seeing. She wasn't exactly just nude, as she for as much as she lacked clothing, she seemed to also lack several parts of her skin by that point. She was sprawled across the counter, her head hanging down from it, bloody lips slightly parted, her eyes wide and dim. On top of her, was something… its mouth deep within her torso, having pushed her ribs apart, out of her body, feasting on her insides.
Yoroi took notice, lifting his head towards Konohamaru, and with it, still caught in his mouth, a large chunk of her small intestines.
Konohamaru didn't even feel the small stream of urine that dripped down his own leg and onto the blood drenched floor.
"Fire Style!" Ebisu roared, making Konohamaru come to his senses, just as Yoroi pounced. The boy screamed, but the flames reached Yoroi first. "Fire Dragon Bullet!"
A massive surge of his sensei's trademark fire Jutsu erupted into the demon, setting it ablaze, alongside Ichiraku's. Ebisu quickly took hold of the boy, and jumped back, just as the flames consumed the once beloved ramen shop, placing his hand over the boy's shocked eyes to spare him the sight of Ayame's corpse burning to a crisp.
Ebisu landed with Konohamaru a bit further back, and just as quickly instructed the other two kids to hop over to where they were, away from the flames. When they hesitated, he screamed, causing Moegi and Udon to quickly rush over, as Ebisu glared at the scene before them all. What kind of monster would do something so horrific, to a civilian no less?
"S-Sensei…?" an almost crying Moegi voiced, utterly horrified, but at least she could speak, unlike Konohamaru.
"We must announce this at once," Ebisu instructed, his eyes searching everywhere at once. "We do not know if this is an attack!" he added, before he placed his hand on Konohamaru's head. "Snap out of it! Our job is to make sure no one else… is… No…"
Yoroi was standing, lit in flames, but with holes where his eyes should be turned towards Team Ebisu. Ebisu felt a chill run up and down his spine, at seeing something that simply should not exist in this world.
"…You'll do…" Yoroi voiced, and it sounded like several voices at once.
"Damn it! You three, r-!" Ebisu tried to instruct, but before he could, Yoroi vanished from his line of sight, before he appeared right in-between the four. Ebisu could only react in horror, as the three kids had yet to even realize what was happening, before he was kicked away by Yoroi with such force he felt a rib crack. The kick sent the Special Jounin through a wooden structure, creating massive crash. Of the three kids, Moegi was the first to shift her eyes from the flames where the monster had been, to the side, where it now stood. She was crying.
"Wha…?" she voiced meekly, before Yoroi took a swing for her neck, his hands opening to reveal the fangs hidden within. Udon reacted then, realizing the danger, as he tried to pull Moegi away, but it wasn't enough. Neither kid could react quickly enough to dodge. And Konohamaru was still lost.
Yoroi swung at Moegi, but he was held back. Inches from the little girl's skin, Yoroi noticed a small steel string on his wrists, holding his arm back, piercing his very flesh. Then Ebisu reappeared, from the rubble, holding into the other end of that steel string with his teeth, so fiercely his mouth was bleeding. With such fury, the man then smashed both fists into Yoroi's imposing frame, grunting at just how strong the demon was, almost as if trying to put a dent on a boulder, but still successful in pushing it away just enough to take hold of all three kids and jump away.
Yoroi broke away from the string with ease, only to notice the explosive tags left behind by the kids' sensei. At this Yoroi frowned. Perhaps leaving the older one for last had been a mistake. But, how he craved the children so…
The tags exploded, and the demon did not even stagger.
Ebisu landed with all three kids further away, gasping for air due to the pain. 'What the hell is this?!' Ebisu noted with shock, as nothing seemed to even put a dent on him. 'No… it doesn't matter. I cannot win. I must get the kids away, and alert the village. Damn it Guy, if only you were not away!'
Yoroi stared, before he took a few steps, reaching down to a nearby piece of rubble. A wooden piece of debris, from where Ebisu had crashed into. It would suffice. With monstrous force, Yoroi threw the wood as if it were a javelin, aimed not at Ebisu, but at Udon. Ebisu had barely enough time to react, pushing the little kid to the side, but in doing so, getting in the path of the projectile himself. He attempted to catch it, using both hands to grasp the wooden spike. He was successful, but the force of the throw pushed him back, much to his utter shock, as his sandals almost created sparks with how much friction they made against the ground, since he was pushed back several feet, with the spiked wooden piece mere inches from his jugular.
Udon fell back, onto his bottom, and was about to call out to his sensei, when all the sudden, Yoroi was once again standing before them. But he wasn't looking at him. Yoroi had his empty eyes all on Moegi. The little girl stared up, her eyes wide, at the demon before her, who was salivating from his mouth and from his hands at the mere sight before him.
So young.
So tender.
So juicy.
"…No…" she pleaded.
"Moegi!" Udon cried out.
"…Mine," Yoroi declared, and took hold of the girl by her head, lifting her up, and despite her muffled cries and the way her body shook and she kicked at him with all her might, he just savored the touch of her skin for a brief moment… before he slowly cracked her skull open.
At the sight, Ebisu felt his entire world sink. For just a brief moment, everything just went… black.
But as Yoroi began to devour the remains of Moegi's body, her body began to inflate. The demon paused, and she ignited, blowing up right on the spot.
Yoroi stared, what had just been a tasty little girl was now just a burnt straw doll, and as the demon turned, he could see them. Udon still on the ground, Konohamaru glaring at him with tears in his eyes, and… Moegi, on her knees, shaking, crying, but alive. Yoroi glared, dropping the little makeshift explosive doll, realizing it hadn't been the girl to make the switch, but rather…
"K-Kono-nohamaru…" Moegi cried, still shaking, her eyes on her teammate who was glaring with all his might at the monster, despite how his entire body was shaking with outright terror. "T-Thank y-you."
"…O-Of course!" the crying little boy replied, showcasing as much bravado as he could manage. "Don't let him grab any of you! We're not civilians! We have to protect this place! And this monster… Screw him! Fire Style: Fire Dragon Bullet Jutsu!" Konohamaru screamed out, doing the seals Ebisu-sensei had taught them, and firing a smaller version of the attack at the monster. He didn't care if it would work or not, but it should at least serve as a distraction. Besides, given the height disparity, Konohamaru had purposely aimed the fireball towards the thing's crotch. Monster or not, that should still hurt…
…But Yoroi caught it.
No, that wasn't quite right. Yoroi merely lowered his own hand, and devoured the fire Jutsu completely, leaving himself untouched. Konohamaru could only stare, eyes still wide, his hands still in the form of the last seal, the sensation of the flames still caught in his throat…
And once more, none of the kids saw the thing move. One second he was there, the next he was before them, this time aiming at all three at once. An arm for Udon, another for Moegi, and his entire mouth meant to decapitate Konohamaru in a single bite. And Konohamaru knew… he knew he couldn't possibly do a Substitution Technique fast enough to save anyone this time.
But he didn't feel the pain. The ground seemed to explode, with such power that, for the first time, it launched Yoroi backwards, sending the demon into the hard ground, creating a small crater. Their sensei had reached them, taking hold of the three, and had sent explosives into each of Yoroi's mouth in the nick of time.
The pained grunt Yoroi gave made it clear that it had indeed felt that, but the demon slowly rose back up, this time his attention fully on Ebisu this time.
Konohamaru looked on, as he turned to his sensei, fully ready to never question this man ever again, until he caught sight of the wound, and he couldn't even speak.
Ebisu had carried both Udon and Konohamaru with his left arm, and Moegi with his very teeth, biting into her clothes and pulling the three up into a nearby roof. But, as the blood poured, it had been clear that in order to save all three, he had to block Yoroi's mouths, all three of them, and with such limited time, even a talented ninja could only do so much.
"…You three, run, alert the Village," he instructed, as the blood continued to drip from the stump where his right arm had once been. Konohamaru, Moegi and Udon all stared, horrified, as their sensei had been outright crippled by this un-killable thing. "Stop wasting time!" Ebisu roared. "We do not have that luxury! For once in your lives, follow my instructions! These are my last orders to you three! Run! Alert the Village! Now!"
All three kids, biting down the very death that hovered over them, in tears, cried out a final "yes sensei!" to the man that had trained them all this time, and ran away, hopping away from the roof as fast as their little chakra-infused feet could carry them.
Yoroi did not move. He had his attention on the wounded Shinobi, and the delicious blood that was flowing out of him.
"…Senseless sacrifice," Yoroi noted.
"You will not harm those kids," Ebisu declared, as he took a stance. He could no longer use Ninjutsu, so Taijutsu would have to suffice. 'I felt a fear worse than death itself when I saw this thing tear Moegi apart. Konohamaru… you have my thanks. You are a most wonderful student. The grandson of the man I most admire, you will be a great Shinobi soon enough. All three of you will be. The Will of Fire burns brightly in you all, so even if I am to die here, know that I am proud.'
Yoroi charged, and Ebisu did as well.
'Seventh Hokage was it, Konohamaru?' Ebisu noted one last time, just as he clashed against the demon in mid-air, 'All because Naruto is to become the Sixth? Well… you better not disappoint that boy, Naruto Uzumaki…'
-0-
Nezuko stopped dead in her tracks, surprising Naruto and Iruka who had been walking alongside her, on their way to Naruto's place so she could rest up. Nezuko, however, turned, her eyes on the road they had just come from.
"Something wrong Nezuko?" Naruto asked, his stained jacket now rolled up and on his arms, while Iruka looked on.
"…Blood," she replied, her breathing slowly becoming more intense. "Blood!" she repeated, and her eyes slowly morphed, taking their more demonic form, as the veins in her face begun to bulge out.
"What, hey, blood? Where?" Naruto quickly asked, moving next to her, before he turned towards where she was looking to.
"What wrong?" Iruka asked, his eyes on the dark road as well, feeling that something did really feel off all the sudden. Before he could inquire further, they saw a figure approach, and fast.
Naruto quickly took hold of one of his kunai, before Nezuko's hand was raised, blocking him from throwing it. "Hey!" he muttered, even more confused, before he caught sight of the approaching figure. Or rather, figures.
"Help!" Konohamaru, Moegi and Udon all cried, out of sync, but all three sounding equally terrified. Upon seeing both Iruka-sensei and Naruto, Konohamaru quickly bolted to them, reaching Iruka and practically throwing himself at the elder man. "Please help!" he screamed, crying. "Ebisu-sensei's hurt! A monster attacked us! Back at Ichiraku's!"
"Please save sensei!" Moegi cried out, sinking into Nezuko's outstretched arms, as the demon girl took hold of both the little Kunoichi and Udon, who also quickly pressed himself against Nezuko's frame. Holding them so closely, Nezuko could never confuse this… stench.
"There was an attack near Ichiraku's?" Iruka asked, holding Konohamaru up, making sure the boy was not hurt. Konohamaru nodded, making it clear that time was of the essence, as he turned his pleading eyes towards Naruto. Naruto felt a pang on his chest, because for all their back and forth, he had never seen Konohamaru this distraught. Not even when the Third had passed away.
"Naruto," Nezuko quickly called, as Naruto turned towards her, and upon seeing her expression, he guessed what she was going to say next, much to his own dismay. "Demon."
"Here? Damn it!" Naruto cursed, as he turned to Iruka. "Iruka-sensei, Nezuko and I will check it out! Make sure these kids are alright!" he added, and Iruka shouted a complaint at that plan, but Naruto was already rushing back to Ichiraku's, even discarding his trademark jacket without a second thought. Nezuko softly let go of the other two kids, before she gave chase as well, leaving the Chunin conflicted, but when he heard Naruto's final words before he vanished, he had no choice but to comply.
"Alert the Village that a demon is attacking!"
As Naruto and Nezuko rushed, as fast as they could, through the roofs, electric poles, and signs, they managed to reach the spot rather quickly. Naruto landed before the broken down ramen shop, still lit up in flames, his eyes wide with shock at the sight. Nezuko landed shortly thereafter, her eyes on the burning rubble. Unlike Naruto, who quickly turned to find where Ebisu was, Nezuko just stared at the scene. At the flame. Naruto had not noticed it. But she did. She could smell the burning corpses underneath it all. It was the father that had served them food, and the girl that treated them so well.
They were dead. And she couldn't do a thing about it.
Naruto hopped into one of the roofs, unaware that Nezuko had stayed behind, and once he landed, he caught sight of… him.
Yoroi turned, his mouth dripping with fresh blood, the craters that made up his eyes burning themselves into the blonde ninja. Naruto felt a cold shiver as he did, and it was here he noticed the corpse at Yoroi's feet, the one he was feasting on. Ebisu-sensei.
"…I know you," Yoroi told him with several different voices.
"I'm going to kill you, you bastard!" Naruto roared, launching himself at the demon.
Naruto took out several shuriken, throwing them at Yoroi, who had charged at him as well. The shuriken sunk into Yoroi's flesh, but that didn't even slow him down. Yoroi took aim at the boy, with his open palm, striking at the blonde. Naruto dodged, bending down and spinning under Yoroi's grasp, before he send the demon flying with an uppercut right across his jaw.
Yoroi fell backwards, just as Naruto made his hand seal, and shouted, "Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!" with so much force he sounded like a different person.
Yoroi looked on as over three-hundred Naruto clones appeared throughout the entire area, with each and every one taking aim at the demon. The clones wielded kunai and other weapons, but as Yoroi noted, nothing with Nichirin properties.
"…Useless effort…" Yoroi noted, and just as the first bash of clones reached him, he opened his palms, revealing his fangs, and took a bite out of several of them at the same time. Smoke clouds erupted from them, and as more and more clones attacked, Yoroi easily countered. The mouths on his hands opened up further, first to the wrists, then all the way to the elbows. With it came an increased range, and in what seemed like a dance of macabre, Yoroi tore through the clones effortlessly.
He set his sights on the original, but before he could move, he felt a massive smack from above. Yoroi was surprised to see that the remaining clones had thrown one of their own upwards and then catapulted it like a bullet right down at him. It was with so much force that both Yoroi and the clone broke through the roof and into the closed for the day shop. Emporium Karin had seen better days, Naruto noted, but at least the girl herself wasn't there.
Still, a weapon's shop was the perfect spot to fight the damn thing, so the clones all rushed in, taking hold of as many ropes and chains as they could and throwing them at Yoroi, attempting to tie him up and hold him down, until morning if need be.
Naruto peered down, glaring at the demonic Yoroi… but something was off. He wasn't moving. Before Naruto could think, in a 'poof' of smoke, Yoroi was replaced by Ebisu's broken corpse, much to the shock of Naruto and all his clones.
'The demon can use the Substitution Technique?!' Naruto realized with horror, just as he felt a surge of demonic chakra from above. He turned, seeing Yoroi in the air above him and the shop as a whole, all while doing a series of hand signs, just before a bloody mist seemed to surround him.
"Demon Blood Arts," Yoroi called out, and Naruto could barely react to what was effectively the very first usage of an attack of this kind. "Corpse Mimicry: Fire Dragon Bullet Jutsu…"
And the resulting mixture of a Demon Blood Art and a Ninjutsu proved massive in scale, forcing Naruto to jump out of the way, off the roof, just as it all was engulfed in flames and burnt down in an instant, with all his clones getting destroyed in unison.
The real, and last, Naruto landed away, the force of the blow leaving him gasping for air.
Yoroi landed on his very flames, on his knees, arms outstretched. He didn't move for a moment, and it looked like he was thanking the very heavens for this madness. Not that Naruto cared. He needed to stop this, and stop it now. So he forced the Nine-Tailed Fox's chakra out, deciding to match demonic power with demonic power, except… it didn't work.
Naruto just stared, his eyes on his hands, wondering what was going on. He couldn't even feel a hint of the beast inside his belly. He tried again, forcing it further, but instead of power, all he felt was a massive pain right in his gut, on the very seal itself. 'You stupid fox!' Naruto cried out inwardly. 'This is the worst possible time to get stingy with me! What gives?!'
He was the transported into the very world within him, with his feet standing above the water, his eyes on the massive gate that held the Fox back. Naruto glared at him, utterly peeved. This was not the time for this nonsense.
"Hey!" he called out, clearly pissed off. "Give me some chakra you damn smelly fox! I can't afford to-!"
"Not once did you listen to my warnings," the Nine-Tailed Fox spoke up, it's growling voice interrupting the boy's rant. Naruto was moments from arguing on regardless, but then the Fox etched closer to the gate, and as the light of the very dimly lit… room they were in showed, there was something… wrong. "…This is the result of your carelessness."
Naruto just stared, eyes wide in shock. The Fox had a massive, open gash all over his face, right over his eye. Crescent in shape, just like…
"That's from the fight with the Upper Moon?" Naruto asked, utterly baffled.
"…How do you think you survived such an attack?" the Fox responded with a question of his own, and Naruto felt his stomach burn at the reminder. And, no matter how much he hated this damn fox, he couldn't help but feel angrier at the demon. Had the Nine-Tails been out in the wild, there was no way that demon would have been able to harm him like this. He would have been outright torn to shreds by the Fox. But, since he was sealed off, Naruto was another story. Naruto could not match the Upper Moon, and because of it, the Fox was… this hurt.
"Wait, but, can you heal?"
"My chakra is fighting off the demon's very poison," the Fox replied, and even his tone sounded pained. How had Naruto not noticed? He had even spoken to the Fox after the fight, but with it being so dark, he had not seen the wound. He had not seen the poisoning. "But, you best focus… Or today is the night we both die."
"Wait, how can I-?" Naruto tried, but before he could speak Yoroi seemed to appear right inside his mind, his hand breaking through the shallow water below him. Naruto dodged in the last moment, avoiding the thing's bite, but his undershirt got caught in the fangs, as Yoroi pulled him down, back into the very water that made up his the room with the sealed gate.
Wait… This didn't make sense. Where were they even fighting in?
As Yoroi pulled him through the water, Naruto's eyes caught sight of the Fox, his wounded gaze on the boy, as the Nine-Tails' sealed gate seemed to merge with Konoha's buildings themselves, with Naruto and Yoroi flipping through his inner world and the real world so fast he couldn't even understand what was real and what wasn't.
He saw the Fox still, now with the very buildings of Konoha as his gates, peering down at him as he struggled with the demon. Naruto writhed, rolling through the grounds one moment, then rolling through the water of his inner sanctum, as he tried to avoid the massive amount of teeth the demon had, all before Yoroi threw him through a wall, causing the boy to have to focus his chakra to better hold himself up.
Naruto tried to clear his head as best he could. Slowly, his vision recovered, and the merging of the two worlds stopped. He was back in the real world, back to almost getting killed if he slipped up even once.
Trying to focus, he took out several kunai, and launched them at Yoroi, who let them all hit, before he took aim at the boy with his right arm. Luckily, the paper bomb went off, severing that very limb. Instead of being affected, Yoroi merely took aim with his left arm, which Naruto barely dodged, but managed to stab a kunai right into Yoroi's shoulder, stabbing deep. With this, he poured as much chakra and power as he could, forcing Yoroi down onto the floor, then avoiding his mouth, began to smash his fist into the demon's forehead.
Yoroi seemed to stagger at the hit, but recovered quickly, but Naruto smacked him again. And again. And again.
"I," hit, "don't," hit, "care," hit, "how," hit, "much," hit, "you," hit, "heal," hit, "I'll," hit, "punch," hit, "you," hit, "until," hit, "daytime!"
And true to his word, Naruto pounded away at the demon, not allowing it time to heal before he hit him again. And again. And again. His fist was already bleeding, and the Fox's chakra was not even healing that. But it didn't matter, he'd protect everyone, somehow. He'd keep this demon down with his bare hands if he needed to.
Another hit. And yet another… Until…
Yoroi's very head split open by the middle, revealing even more teeth, and Naruto's entire fist went right into its mauls. The boy's eyes went wide, just as Yoroi shut his entire face into Naruto's arm, with the Shinobi feeling the demon's teeth sink right into his flesh.
Then Yoroi's face blew up, partially, but enough to allow Naruto to pull his arm out and jump away, just as Yoroi's regenerated arms attempted to vivisect him. Naruto landed a bit further away, grasping his wounded and bleeding arm, but it was thankfully still attached.
Yoroi slowly got up, his face quickly regenerating, just as he seemed to materialize a tongue just for the purpose of licking the left over blood Naruto had left behind.
"…Impressive…" the now fully healed demon noted.
"…You bastard…" Naruto growled, still clenching his bleeding arm. 'Too close… Had I not made that partial Rasengan at that very second, he would have torn my arm clean off! Damn it, calm down, it's not as fast as the Upper Moon One, nor, I think, as strong, so… I can stop it. I have to stop it. I just have to find out how!'
Then it was heard. A huge siren all over the Leaf Village. Naruto felt a small sense of relief at hearing it. Iruka-sensei and the kids had gotten the word out. The siren rang, and with it, the people could be saved, the Shinobi could be prepared.
"…I remember… the protocol…" Yoroi voiced, as Naruto looked on, eyes narrowing. Yoroi turned from the boy towards the very Village itself, as the sounds of the siren continued to sound off. Alerting everyone, warning them all. "…I was here, before, after all… I remember this warning… I remember… where the civilians will be hidden…"
"You damn bastard!" Naruto roared. "Like I'd let you get near anyone!"
"You cannot… stop me…" Yoroi merely replied, and in an instant, he was gone.
No, not gone. He was just fast. Naruto turned in time, blocking the onslaught of teeth from his whip like arms with a kunai at the last second, but the force of the blow threw him back, with Yoroi following right after. Naruto attempted another seal, in order to create at least one clone, but Yoroi was matching him with his own technique.
"Corpse Mimicry," Yoroi called out, "Starch-"
"Screw you!" both Naruto and the newly created clone cried out in unison, all three in midair still, as the boy's open palm began to collect and swerve the chakra from within, with the clone helping him stabilize it properly. "Rasengan!"
With the roar, Naruto slammed the spiraling sphere of chakra right into Yoroi's abdomen, the biggest target in his body that didn't have any visible teeth, focusing as much chakra into it as he could. Yoroi could be heard screaming out in pain, as the Rasengan tore into his insides and grinded everything into dust, causing all three of the demon's mouth to spew out with blood.
"-S-Syrup Cap-turing-" Yoroi still tried, through bloody fangs, as Naruto forced even more chakra into his palm, outright beginning to peel his own skin off, but managing to skewer right through Yoroi, causing an even more pained shriek to emit itself from the devil's spawn.
"No! You! Won't!" Naruto roared, 'I know this can't kill him, but please, whatever it takes, knock him out! Please, knock him out!' Naruto pleaded to whatever higher power there could be, and with that fierce clash of powers, out came a massive chakra-infused explosion on the skies of the Konoha.
As the alarms continued to sound off, sounding ever so distant with each passing moment…
%
Pleased be thy.