A/N: I'm baaaaaack~!
*cracks knuckles*
Lets wrap up those battles with a flashy bang, shall we?
Shinjuro's been turned, but the others yet remain. You'll have to read and see their fates
As ever, the Embers Rule Persists; if folks truly don't enjoy this tale, then...I'll not continue it. I can't bear to write something folks don't like, and working two jobs on a near back-to-back basis leaves my energy at an all time low. Holidays are coming up two, and that's really going to wear me down, but even so, I'm doing my best to press on!
So by all means, speak up! Raise your voice! Make yourself heard!
Only a few questions, comments and concerns this time:
Q: Are you taking requests for Naruto crossovers?
A: In a limited fashion at the moment, and only for certain genre(s) that I'm aware of. For example! "So I'm a Spider" and "Kenobi" as well as others.
Someone even asked me to do a crossover with "That Time I was Reincarnated as a Slime", yet without replacing/usurping Rimuru, and on the condition of those two becoming friends. I'm thinking about it. I'd have to go back and rewatch it, although I do recall a few characters that drew my eye when it first came out.
*sees Shion and the Ogres*
...ah. Right. Them. Lets say I'm really thinking about it. But writing something like that would be so much worrrrrrk...
Q: Will we see other more Demons from different franchises in this?
A: *shrugs* Its possible. Depends on fan feedback.
Q: Update schedule?!
A: I WANT to update Elden Ring, but that's not fair to everyone else. So going around trying to update everything. Rwby, Bleach, Naruto, the works. Don't want to neglect anyone. Got some new requests to consider, too...
Of course, it helps that several stories "Caster", "Not My Lady" and others are coming to an end soon.
Q: Please don't let Naruto rampage and kill everyone!
A: As stated, that's not his intent. He's a Doctor at heart. But he will defend his family.
Q: I sense impending character death.
A: *zips lips*
As always, I'll keep the updated list of Naruto's "Demon Lords" up here. Remember, the ranks are fluid. They change constantly.
Remember, the closer to ten you get, the stronger the Demon is:
(1) Daki/Gyutaro~!
(2) Kyogai~!
(3) Not Yet Revealed~!
(4) Mukago~!
(5) Susamaru~!
(6) Not Yet Revealed~! (Pardon the error~!)
(7) Sukuna~!
(8) Akaza~!
(9) Not Yet Revealed~!
(10) Not Yet Revealed~!
Alright, I've kept you waiting long enough.
As ever, I own no references, quotes, memes or themes. Not a one! they're merely tributes to legends far greater than me.
Now, then! I do hope you're ready; because this chapter's downright vicious; such that I hesitated to post it.
Heck, there's even an Overlord reference or two in here. The slayers are not prepared.
Hopefully it doesn't put people off. Here we go~!
"Do you understand, now? Absolute authority. Absolute kindness. Absolute death."
That is what this Demon represents. And you want to challenge him?
Its your choice. By all means, go right ahead.
I'll be sure to visit your grave."
~?
Humans and Demons
He was losing.
The realization galled Urokodaki.
Slowly but surely, he was being ground down. Bit by bit. Piece by piece.
What had begun as a battle of attrition with Naruto had swiftly shifted into something of a running war throughout the manor; one Sakonji found he couldn't keep pace with. Six strikes swept in at his head in half as many seconds. He barely managed to block a third of them. The rest hammered through his guard to bite into his arms and legs. He fought back for every wound and yet despite his defiance, the blasted blond braggart wouldn't stop smiling. Indeed, he seemed amused by it all.
The tides had turned. The odds were no longer in his favor. He couldn't kill him; because he just didn't have it.
Yet still he fought on. Why? What point was there in fighting a losing battle?
An uncertain feeling gnawed at him. He wondered what it was.
"What's wrong?!" Naruto dodged a sweep and thrust an open palm out, shoving him some distance away. "I thought you had a little more spirit than this?"
"Such arrogance...!"
His blade flitted out and found itself stopped by a single finger.
"Well, would you look at that." Naruto considered his clipped nail. "You pass as a nail chipper, at least."
This couldn't be happening. Demon Slayers were strong, Hashira even moreso. Yet here he was, being batted about as if he were a mere novice. He'd thought himself immune to pride; that it wouldn't matter if a Demon shrugged off the best he had to offer. He could always retreat and try again, return with superior numbers. He'd done so before with no shame.
And yet now!
A heel hammered his ribs, breaking two and fracturing another. Urokodaki hurtled back, hit a wall, kicked off it with a roar and launched himself back at the master of the manor. Naruto met him with a grin and battle was joined once more. To his chagrin, he found himself mirroring the monster's madness beneath his mask.
Parry. Riposte. Sweep, leading into a lunge. He soon lost track of it all.
It should have galled him. To enjoy himself in battle against a demon. Instead it humbled him. Even in his prime he still had much to learn. And he would continue to learn. Like a sword sharpened over time, so too would he hone his skills. Even now he was growing stronger. Learning, as he danced on death's edge. And in learning, he wished to impart these skills to the next generation.
Because you see, he wanted to win.
Alone. Not with superior numbers, but by his own skill!
Win! Survive! Triumph! He didn't want his life to end here!
"That's it! That's the look!" Naruto pivoted away with a grin, baring his fangs in the low light. "Are we having fun yet, Urokodaki?!"
The clash of steel was answer enough.
(.0.0.0.)
"There it is!"
A squad of slayers rushed through the forest.
"I can see the manor ahead! Hurry!" Support the Hashira!"
Their purpose seemed clear enough; their mission of the utmost importance. Once it became clear what -who!- they were facing, reinforcements had been sent from headquarters.
.
..
...pity they'd never arrive.
Susamaru stepped out of the brush, grinning from ear to ear.
"What do we have here?" she clapped her hands, reveling in their startled faces. "Reinforcements? Naruto didn't mention backup. How many of there many of you?" her head tilted, taking each of them in. "Ten? Twenty? More? I don't suppose there are any Hashira with you?"
Their silence was her answer.
"Well, that's boring~!" Ladies! Spring the trap!
A web burst from the brush to block their path. Three women emerged from it.
"Run away, run away, run away...
"Ooops, that's right. You can't run anymore, can ya?"
"Such a pity. Guess that means this is the end of the line for you~!"
Some of the Slayers managed to draw their blades. It availed them naught.
Blood flew through the air.
Bodies hit the floor. Some in pieces.
"You don't seem to understand." Susamaru granted them a death's head grin. "There will be no reinforcements."
(.0.0.0.)
They'd taken his leg.
Jigoro Kuwajima, spared a baleful look at the splinter of his left thigh and heaved a sigh. No matter what happened here today, his days as a Hashira were over. Oddly enough the thought didn't trouble him. It was a small price to pay really; had been a second slower back there, he would've lost his arm and most of his ribcage besides. By that reckoning the loss of a limb was a small price to pay...
.
..
...or so it should have been.
He was losing blood rapidly; worse, his foes were closing in.
"What's wrong, old man?" Mukago hoisted her prize -his leg!- high, brandishing it like a baton, and bit into the ankle. A deep bite tore strips of flesh free. She swallowed and granted him a bloody grin, crushing the rest in her grasp. "You were talking all that good shit a second ago. Then I tore your leg off. Where'd that bravado go?!"
He could ask her the same thing! Where had that tiny, terrified girl gone?! How had she transformed into this tall, terrifying, gorgeous creature?!
Daki grimaced beside her. "Yikes, you're scary when someone flips your switch. Still, you have a point...
Balancing himself on one leg, Jigoro steadied his breathing and readied himself for a final strike. He lacked the strength for anything else. One slash! One kill! He'd at least take out one of them before he went down! He had to! He must! To give anything less than his all would be a disgrace to the corps!
"Seriously," Daki prattled on, "We should knock you out more often, Mukago. You're other side's actually dangerous...
"Quiet, you!"
There! They were distracted! "Thunder breathing! Second form...!"
He was on them in an instant, his only passing a crackle of light. They had no time to react. Mukago was cut clean in half. Daki crashed backward, head flying from her head and one of her arms besides. Jigoro landed atop her, blade poised for stab down and obliterate her skull. For some reason, beheading didn't seem work on her. In that case...
Had to destroy the head!
"HEY!" A childlike wail tore out of her, startling him. "That's no fair! You cheated! CHEATER!"
A beat of sweat ran down his brow. "I...beg your pardon?"
"I fought you fair and square! Then you pull a stunt like that?! Unfair! Unfair!"
"How are you still talking?!" Jigoro grunted and drew himself upright. "No-nevermind that! I cut you apart! Why aren't you dissolving?!"
"Old MAAAAAAAAN! YOU'LL BE A PUDDLE WHEN I'M THROUGH WITH YOU!"
Oh, dear. Seemed her companion had survived as well. She looked livid. Indeed, Mukago was already rising, but slowly. Even a demon needed time to regenerate after being cut in half, surely...!
"You've ruined everything! This was my chance! My moment to look good for Naruto!" Daki's fists hit the ground, body thrashing as she threw a tantrum beneath him. "Everyone will laugh at me now! Its all your fault! Die! You can just DIE!"
His sword flashed up. Stabbed down.
Daki saw it and screamed louder still. "BROTHER!"
Jigoro scoffed. "As if calling aid would change anything! Perish!"
A grey hand closed around the Hashira's throat. Squeezed now, half-crushing his windpipe. Pain blossomed in his throat and he lost his grip on his sword.
"You raaaaang~?"
A fist thundered into Jigoro's head.
Darkness swept in.
(.0.0.0.)
Their battle ended not with a bang, but a sigh.
Urokodaki felt cold claws bite into his collarbone and tear downwards; even as he twisted aside he knew what would transpire. He accepted the mortal wound for what it was and slammed his heart into the blond's chest. Nichirin steel pierced his heart and burst out his back. It was, by all means, a powerful blow. A human would have perished on the spot. Even a demon should've felt some semblance of pain and flinched for it, enough to open them up to a follow through blow.
Not so Naruto.
He grunted in pain, grinned, snapped the blade and followed through with his devastating cut.
Sakonji's left arm sailed through the air, tumbling end over end, severed at the shoulder. He watched it numbly. There was no pain. Not at first, or even panic for that matter. Here and now, in his final moment, he couldn't bring himself to feel anything but grateful. It had been a good fight. Better yet, he'd been allowed to keep his sword arm. He would die with honor.
Ah. There it was. The pain he'd expected.
He staggered, grasping his wound with one hand, still trying to cling to his sword.
"You did well to last this long." Naruto's figure swam in and out of focus before him. "You have my utmost thanks."
Praise from a demon. Urokodaki took some bitter pleasure in that as he leaned against his blade. He'd never met one who lauded his achievements so thoroughly. Cutting his head off didn't work. He'd landed that last blow out of spite and little else. If he was to die here, he would at last die memorably.
He was exhausted, his body drained. An ache in every bone, a promise to die alone, his soul left to roam.
"Live or die, Urokodaki." Naruto stalked forward, hands dripping blood. "This is your last chance. "What'll it be?"
Blood flowed behind his mask. "You already know my answer."
He expected anger. Disappointment at the least.
Bastard kept smiling.
"Your sword is broken." Bright eyes roved over him. "You're missing an arm and bleeding out." he reached up, plucking the broken blade from his chest. "Even so, you still want to fight? Knowing you'll perish?"
The world was going grey. He didn't have much life left in him. But he would not yield. "I shall live and die as a human!"
"You know, I may be a demon now, but I was once a human too, just like you." Naruto's snapped his fingers, conjuring a current of wind to his free hand. "I still believe in the potential of humanity." those gentle blue eyes must've sensed his confusion, because his smile grew. "We are demons, yet we are not demons as you know of them. We live. We have families. Children, too. I should introduce you to my daughter sometime. Miranjo is a darling little girl. She'd like you, I think."
"Impossible!"
"Something is only impossible until someone does it, Urokodaki." the demon's hand closed around the gale, stifling it with a twitch of his fingers. "There are heights you have yet to reach, peak you're not even aware of."
In that, at least, he could believe him. "...let me see it, then, before I die. This so-called peak you speak of."
"Are you sure?" a rare flicker of concern crossed his whiskered visage. "Your heart might stop."
"Even...so!"
"Alright." he closed his eyes. Took a deep breath. Opened them again, now. "Have it your own way."
There was something different about them. They were still a cat-like, slitted red, but they'd gained a sharpness that hadn't been there before.
As he looked on...they began to glow.
The air grew heavy around him. He didn't even move. Yet the pressure, his presence, only seemed to grow larger. Motes of golden light rose around Naruto's body, tiny embers giving birth to a raging flame. Black marks scrawled forth from his stomach and spread across his form; creating myriad patterns Urokodaki couldn't recognize. An unseen breeze whipped through the manor and blasted his robe back, bringing with it a sudden chill that shouldn't exist in such a season.
Then he looked at him.
"...!"
Urokodaki felt his body lock up. It was akin to being plunged into cold water-no, as if the very air in his lungs had frozen. He couldn't think. Couldn't move. Couldn't even breathe. The being before him defied imagination. Behind him, the demon's shadow twisted into a monstrous shape, taking on the likeness of a beast with nine tails.
What was this? He knew he wasn't human but this...this went well beyond a demon!
"Is this the extent of your courage?" Naruto's granted him a wry grin, and for a moment, just a moment, he could've sworn something spoke with him. "Kurama and I are still getting ready."
What the devil was a Kurama and why did he have a bad feeling about this? Doom, he realized. This was his end.
Urokodaki tried to speak. A strangled gurgle fled from his mouth behind the mask.
Raise your sword! Do something! Move!
Naruto frowned. "Then die."
A fist slammed forward.
Urokodaki saw a giant fox behind it. Heard it roar.
His life flashed before his eyes.
And there, at the end:
DEATH.
"No!"
His head shifted an inch to the right.
Miraculously, the blond missed. Or perhaps he changed course at the last moment. Clawed fingers swept past-just short of caving in his face. The air around him ruptured in every direction, yet somehow the slayer found himself spared. His mask split on either side of his face and fell to the floor, the twin halves clattering harshly.
His knees joined it a moment later as he collapsed to the ground.
A thin rivulet of blood ran down his forehead; a shallow cut carved by the wind pressure. He suspected it would scar.
"Well done." the self-proclaimed doctor drew back, wearing a bemused look as he gazed down at him. "Its been awhile since someone survived that. How does it feel to overcome your fear?" a hand settled on his shoulder. "You did well to avoid dying of shock and I can see why. Deep down, you want to live. You want to survive. Pass down your skills to the next generation."
Urokodaki tried to speak. He only managed a weak gurgle. Everything had grown so dark...
He'd seen beneath the mask, glimpsed the warrior lurking behind this foolish facade. This creature was a terror. He professed to be a man of medicine, a healer, a doctor, but he was so much more than that. He'd seen the summit of the mountain and only now did he realize just how far he and his fellow Slayers had yet to climb...and that one wrong move would bring the avalanche crashing down on their heads.
The others! They had to be warned...!
"Or that's how I see it." And then this "Demon Lord" was gone, leaving Naruto the jovial jester once more. "Well, I suppose I should finish up here."
The Hashira closed his eyes and braced himself for the killing blow.
It never came. Laughter rose in its place. "You pass!"
.
..
...ha?"
A hand set itself to Urokodaki's ruined arm and then there was pain. He looked down, alarmed to find his arm jutting from the bloody tatter of his sleeve. He'd been healed? His am given back to him? But why? What did he gain by perpetuating this farce? It didn't make any sense! He'd already lost so much blood...
"What is...the meaning of this?"
"I'll tell you when you wake up." Naruto drew back, set a finger to his wounded forehead. "For now, I'll have you sleep for a bit."
It was too much. The spirit was willing, but the flesh was weak. His body crumbled. His sword fell from his fingers.
He heard three words before sleep claimed him.
"Onto the next...
(.0.0.0.)
His blood burned.
Shinjuro could sense the change overtaking him in his mind's eye. Hear his heart pounding in his ears. Feel his wounds close. See the veins pulsing in his arms. Strength. Power. It overtook him slowly, crawling into every cell, slowly burning his weakness away. It was everything Akaza had promised him and more. He'd become twice-no, thrice as strong as he'd been. Perhaps more. He who had been on death's door only a moment before, now felt as if he could tackle the entire Slayer Corps alone.
He rebuked himself for such arrogance a moment later. Mustn't lose focus.
He'd given in not for greed or power, but for his family. Ruka. Kyojuro. Senjuro. So long as he could live, so long as he could keep them safe...then he would happily fall to the darkest of depths. This wasn't the end of him, or his resistance. After all, he'd agreed to be turned, but he hadn't sworn his loyalty to this "Naruto", nor his clan. With his newfound strength, he just might be able to-
"Feels good, doesn't it?!"
Shinjuro's head snapped up. He found Akaza stalking his way away, grinning like the cat that caught the canary. There was something tucked under his arm, a parcel of some sort wrapped in dark cloth. His keen senses caught a whiff of blood on the air. Once, it might've made him sick. Now...
Hunger.
His throat began went dry and his head ached, an awful red haze falling over his vision. Shinjuro tried to beat it back, even succeeded in part, but it was there now, gnawing at the back of his mind. Like an itch he couldn't scratch. He found a hand twitching toward it and gripped that wrist with the other, reeling himself back.
"Here ya go~!"
It landed at his feet with a wet thud. He didn't have to guess what it was. He already knew.
"Don't worry," his "comrade" granted him a grin. "That bit came from a band of bandits we massacred yesterday. Its fresh. Dig in."
Shinjuro did, much to his shame. He couldn't help himself. He tried to pretend it was something else, pork perhaps, not human flesh. Nevertheless, the morsel satiated him and the haze receded.
"See?" Akaza plonked down beside him. "Ain't that better?"
...what of my family?" he hated how weak he sounded in that moment.
"You're welcome to go back to them, once you've got your hunger under control."
Easy. Too easy. What was the catch. "How long will that take?"
"Couple of weeks. Or months. Might even be days." his sire shrugged. "We had a baseline, but apparently it varies from demon to demon. Turned one girl awhile back and she wasn't hungry at all. These days she only eats once a month or so. Takes time to find out. But you'll have plenty of that going forward, now that you don't have to worry about the sun."
"You're mad." Shinjuro glowered at him. "Your kind cannot go out in the sun."
"Our kind." Akaza poked him in the chest. "You're one of us now. And yes, we can."
"How?!"
"Eh. Guess you could say we're built different."
Shinjuro's jaw popped open. He closed it again with an audible click. Surely this one spoke in jest. Demons died perished in daylight. Everyone knew that. It was critical knowledge and pivotal for their hunts. A demon who could walk under the sun, utterly indistinguishable from a human...the thought terrified him for more than one reason. They'd never know the difference until the enemy was upon them. If he told the Corps, they'd kill him on the spot. He would be forever compromised in their eyes.
But if he didn't, that meant he could visit his family as he saw fit!
"You're assuming I won't just betray you."
Akaza grinned. "You won't."
"How do you know that?!"
"Because you won't."
Shinjuro sprang upright. A hand clamped down on his shoulder.
"Sorry, I can't let you leave just yet." Akaza's smile was just a little too sharp for his liking as he reeled him in. "You don't have full control of your yourself just yet." that grip remained firm in the face of his struggles, all but holding him fast. "If we let ya go as you are now, you might lose it and go on a rampage. Boss doesn't want that sort of thing to get traced back to us."
"Quite so."
Shinjuro bridled as new voice spoke behind them.
Akaza let him go and he pivoted, new heart racing in his chest.
It was the man from the manor. He beheld the blood staining his robes, none of it his own. Anguish twisted in his chest. He was weak. He'd given in when temptation reared its ugly head. Urokodaki and Jigoro were strong as only veterans could be, rigid and unyielding. They would've fought to the end. Death before dishonor. He knew that.
Even so, their absence pained him.
"You...!"
"Me." Naruto spread his arms wide with that same selfsame smile he always wore. "Seems you made the right decision after all." Red eyes swung to his wright. "Good job, Akaza. How'd you pull it off?"
The brawler grinned and clasped both hands behind his head. "What can I say? I made a compelling argument."
"You made a donut out of his chest, didn't you?"
"Maybe~!"
Shinjuro grit his teeth "My fellow Hashira...where are they?!"
The master of the man pivoted to face him. "Your comrades have been dealt with."
Those words threatened to shatter them. His throat closed. He went for his ruined blade. "You killed them?!"
"From a certain point of view." Naruto thumbed his chin. "I suppose you could say I killed their ideals. Would that answer bring you peace?"
It did the opposite. Not knowing, the uncertainty of it all...it gnawed at him. He found no help in Akaza; his part done, the brawler seemed content to stand by and let thing splay out. Damnit. Damn him. Damn them all! A muscle jumped in his jaw. His pulse quickened, heart quickening with rage. Urokodaki and Jigoro had been his friends. Comrades in arms. If they were truly dead...! No, they surely were. He could not allow himself to hope here, for to have hope and lose it would surely break him.
"Tell you what." the elder demon saw his anguish and settled into a low stance. "If you can get past me as you are now, I'll let you see them."
His words only further stoked the fires of his rage. "Their corpses, you mean!"
"..." Naruto didn't answer. The silence hurt more than words.
Shinjuro steeled himself. Drew his ruined blade once more. He could do this! He was strong now! He could win! Or barring that, escape at the very least-
Clenched knuckles barreled into his face with impossible speed, shattering his thoughts like brittle glass.
One punch and his newfound strength abandoned him. The world went out like a light.
He pitched backwards into agonizing unconsciousness.
And he heard those fateful words.
"Welcome to the family."
A/N: Aaaaand scene. Did Urokodaki and Jigoro live? Did they die? Suppose you'll find out next time.
Credit to those who figured it out, Mukago is similar to Zennitsu. Knock her out and she goes through a transformation of sorts; becoming older and far more aggressive.
Well? Did you like it? Ya or nay? Gotta let me know, ya know.
As ever, the Embers Rule Persists; if folks don't like this tale, then... I'll not continue it. I can't bear to write something folks don't like, and working two jobs on a near back-to-back basis leaves my energy at an all time low. So by all means, speak up! Raise your voice! Make yourself heard!
Reviews are the fuel that sustain me and my team in these darkened times.
So in the Immortal Words of Atlas...Review, Would You Kindly?
No previews. I haven't the heart for them.
I'm so very tried these days...
...no, I'll still try.
I HAVE to try.
(PREVIEWS!)
...I would like to propose an alliance."
"Between the two of us? Alright. I'm a reasonable guy. Go ahead." Naruto sat and crossed one leg over another. "Convince me."
Tamayo hid a smile behind her hand. "My, my...do be careful. You're getting me riled up...
"I wish to request some leave."
"That's fine, Tenth. Did you wanna go somewhere?"
He glimpsed a faint smile upon the shadowy figure's face. "I intend to look in on my legacy."
"You poor thing." he patted her head. "You suffered all this time. It was hard, wasn't it It hurt, didn't it? But it's alright now. Why, you ask? Because...
"I am here."
"Daddy!"
"Awww! There's my little girl! Up you go~!"
She climbed atop him, laying scorching kisses across his neck. "I want a baby."
"Oi, oi. I already promised Susamaru a kid. You can't just go making demands like that...outta the blue...
His words trailed off as she rolled her shoulders. Her kimono lost its battle with gravity and fell at last exposing her bosom to his wanting eyes.
"Well. You make a compelling argument."
Muzan scowled, veins pulsing in his face. "...foolishness."
Zennitsu screamed. "Noooooo! A demon!"
Mukago screamed right back, just as terrified. "A slaaaaaayer!"
"What's to stop him from taking over the world?"
Besides the fact that he doesn't want it? His family for one."
EDIT: Hey, you made it!
Once more, we're sticking with the "Embers" rule for this little tale. Sad to say, but if folks don't like this, it won't be continued. Meaning that if the story itself ain't popular? Well, I'll lose the drive to continue it! I'm working two jobs these days so I barely have time to write; as such, I cannot afford to write something folks don't enjoy.
So by all means, speak up! Your voice matters! Make yourself heard! As ever, reviews are the fuel that sustain me.
Without them I cannot write a single word. Simple as that.
Looking forward to chatting with you all later~!
R&R~!