A/N - I know! I finally decided to upload something again! I've been absent for quite a few months now, and you were likely hoping I would update one of my current stories. Buuut, therein lies the problem.
Before I mysteriously vanished without a trace, I was having some difficulties. A few people were giving me shit about a few of my stories, trying to convince me that I needed to rewrite the chapter(s) and/or change things so that certain things I wrote would be changed entirely in the next chapter. I was getting frustrated with freaking EVERYTHING. On top of that, I just couldn't think straight anymore.
I grew depressed and angry and...let's just say things were hard for a while and leave it at that. I couldn't bring myself to write anything anymore. On top of that, I felt like I was a real shitty author and none of my fics were any good. I was considering just quitting and giving up on being a writer. But my friends kept being there for me and I kept getting notifications in my email about people favoriting and following me and my stories. Something inside of me just refused to give up.
Now, you were probably hoping I would update one of my other fics. Unfortunately, I still can't figure out what to do for any of them. So, since I was coming up with tons of new ideas for brand new fics, I decided that writing something like this might be worth a shot. As you can see, this fic deals with the Lord of Calamity business from Tales of Zestiria and Tales of Berseria. I'd like to think the chapter turned out rather well. However, you all can be the judge instead of me. Sooo, read on and enjoy!
Chapter 1 – Start of Calamity
"No! Stop! Dammit old man, what the hell do you think you're doing to me?! Dooon't!" a teenage boy's voice could be heard shouting out in the middle of nowhere. Why was this young man screaming, you might ask? An elderly gentleman and self-proclaimed Super Pervert going by the name Jiraiya currently had this young man in a tight hold. However, it wasn't this fact that had the young man screaming his head off. No, he was standing at the edge of a canyon, preparing to throw the blonde teenager into the abyss below.
Jiraiya, tiring of Naruto's loud screams in his ear, lifted the whiskered teen up to eye level and said, "Relax already and stop screaming at me. I know what I'm doing. Now, if you want to survive, you might want to get the Summoning Technique right this time. Good luck!" And with that, he raised Naruto up before chucking him down into the ravine. "Jeez. What a pain in the ass. If he wasn't such a shitty ninja, I wouldn't have to take such drastic measures. I expected a bit too much from him, I suppose. No matter. He'll be fine." And with that, Jiraiya shrugged his shoulders and walked away. One way or another, he really didn't care.
Meanwhile, plummeting further and further down into the dark abyss, Naruto had stopped screaming and began to come to terms with the fact that he was about to die. He didn't even want to sign the damned Toad Contract. Naruto would have much rather preferred to sign the Snake Contract like Anko had. But she didn't feel he was ready to utilize them in a manner similar to her just yet.
With a sigh, he decided to go for broke and tried to grab a protrusion jutting out from the nearby cliffs. Sadly, this just resulted in Naruto's left palm being split open and blood to start spraying from his new wound. However, he didn't scream. No, he was used to pain. Pain didn't really matter anymore. Dying would sure suck, but, at this point, he didn't really care.
Oh sure, he would have loved to make a real difference in the world, but he knew his life sucked. Nobody truly cared about him. Not the old man that currently held the title of Third Hokage of Konohagakure. Not the chefs at the ramen stand he frequented. Not his sensei, nor the Toad Sage. He would like to think that Anko cared for him, at the very least, but considering how little they actually got to see each other, he kind of doubted it. She always fed him the same excuse that he just wasn't ready to sign the Snake Contract yet. He wasn't ready to learn her skills. Same bullshit, different days.
Then there was his stalker, Hinata Hyuga. She was a nice enough person, but she honestly scared him somewhat. Part of the reason for his timidity around her was the fact that she scared off all other girls that came anywhere near her desired husband. Or rather, future husband, if she had anything to say about it.
Returning to the present, Naruto watched as the ground began to come up faster and faster. Saying 'Fuck it!' he tried to slow his descent however he could. Of course, all he could do at the moment was try desperately to grasp one of the many spiky protrusions from the walls on either side of him. Needless to say, this only served to tear his hands open again and again, his natural healing factor working hard to repair the damage done to him.
Sadly, it would seem his luck had finally run out. At some point, he began tumbling after hitting one of the protrusions, hitting the various spiky protrusions on his way down. Now, as his body hit the ground, it felt as if all of his bones had broken upon impact. He had bit his tongue upon hitting the ground, nearly biting it clean off. Blood was pooling up within his mouth to the point that he began gasping for air, the blood continuing to pool up within his mouth.
Taking stock of his injuries, Naruto realized that he had broken nearly every bone upon impact. Broken pelvis, broken neck, broken legs, etc. etc. Closing his eyes, he let his head rest against the dirt beneath him and let out a pained cough. If this is how I die, then so be it. I'm tired of all the pain. I wanted to prove everyone wrong about me, but who really cares at this point? Fuck it. I think I'll just rest my eyes for a while…
As Naruto began to lose consciousness, he failed to notice that his blood was seeping into a strange symbol on the ground. Slowly, ever so slowly, dark light began to illuminate the bottom of the ravine. Whatever it was, this dark energy seemed to be coalescing into a humanoid form, until eventually it took shape and stared down at the young man.
The manifestation of darkness stepped up to the boy's body and reached out with its senses. It soon realized that the boy was dying, though that wasn't a surprise. A fall like the one he had suffered would have killed just about everyone. Still, the being sensed something within the young one and decided to do something for him.
Kneeling down, the figure lifted Naruto's head up so he could look the boy in the face. After a moment, he spoke a few magic words and watched as the boy's eyes and mouth shot open suddenly. He wasn't breathing, but that didn't matter in this moment. Now that the eyes and mouth were open, it could enact its plan. So, looking deep into the teenager's eyes, the dark being dispersed into a fine mist and began to force itself into Naruto's body via the eyes, nostrils, ears, and mouth. The entire time, Naruto was screaming as this dark energy did more than just envelop him, it was forcing its very essence into his body and soul.
Eventually, the dark mass was gone and Naruto's body began to convulse. Thankfully for Naruto, he had lost consciousness once again from the sheer pain his body was in. Weirdly enough, now that the dark being had forced itself into him, a strange reaction began to take place.
Throughout the entirety of the village of Konoha and all surrounding areas, the great power of the Kyuubi no Yoko was suddenly felt in one large burst. Needless to say, this caused a great deal of panic within the people and they began to take shelter, fearing for their village and their families. However, what everyone saw was most assuredly not the Kyuubi coming to slaughter them as it had fourteen years ago. No, the visage of a fox's head appeared in the sky and let out a roar that echoed throughout the Elemental Nations. Then, as quickly as it had appeared, it was gone.
Now that the giant demon fox was gone, people began to breathe sighs of relief. A great many of them wanted to thank whoever had finally managed to rid them of the blasted demon fox. After all, they had tried to follow the Fourth's wishes by killing the beast responsible for his death and the deaths of many, many others. But, no matter what they tried, the damned brat would always heal and was seemingly impossible to kill. So the fact that the monster would no longer be tainting their hallowed village had many of them cheering.
Meanwhile, back in the ravine, Naruto's body floated off of the ground and began to undergo a change. Slowly, darkness seemed to ebb from Naruto's body until all that could be seen of him was his eyes and mouth. When it finally was absorbed back into his body, Naruto stood there looking over his body to the best of his ability.
The blonde was now taller and there was no longer any baby fat on his body. He was more muscular than he was before and he certainly felt a great deal stronger than he ever had. However, he noticed that, while he still had access to his chakra, it seemed to have been amplified to a ridiculous degree. The whiskered teen sighed and scratched the back of his head as he realized his chakra control had likely been shot to hell as a result of his changes. He also felt a new power, one he was unfamiliar with. And yet, a voice whispered in his head that what he now had access to was a vast pool of something known as mana, which could be used to power his brand new magic that had been granted to him.
Looking at his left arm, he saw that it had transformed into a type of demonic-looking arm. His fingers looked like shadowy claws and his arm looked misshapen and malformed. However, he could feel an immense power in his arm, so he lowered his arms to his side and took in a long breath, letting it out slowly afterwards. Count to three in his head, he swung his arm and watched as long blades of darkness shot down the path, carving trenches in the ground and destroying everything it touched. Such was the power of ultimate darkness, he supposed.
Focusing for a moment, he tested to see if he could transform his arm back to normal. When it reformed into a normal, human arm and hand, he smiled in satisfaction. "Good." He muttered to himself in a deeper, more gravelly voice. Shrugging his shoulders, he looked at his right arm and willed it to transform as well. As he shifted it into a variety of forms, he was pleased to see that he could do pretty much whatever he wanted with his new body.
After running a number of tests to determine what he could do, he soon stopped and looked upwards. I'm going to use this power to become the symbol of peace for this world…or become the one thing they fear above all else. Either way, I will bring peace to this warring world. The people may have changed since your time, Heldalf, but they're no less terrible. Something obviously has to be done, and there are no longer any Shepherds to interfere in my quest. As for this curse…
Looking at his hands, Naruto soon clenched them into fists and chuckled darkly to himself. The curse of immortality. The curse of everlasting pain. I'll take these 'curses' you've given me and turn them into the ultimate source of power. Nobody will be able to stop me from saving this wretched world!
Without another thought, he transformed his arms and began to climb his way up and out of the ravine. I think there's a certain Super Pervert I should test my new abilities on. I may have the power now, but I lack the experience that he no doubt has. It won't be easy, but I'm looking forward to making him my first conquest. Prepare yourself, Jiraiya, because your time has come.
Day of the Chunin Exam Finals
Naruto waited quietly within the shadows within the colosseum that made up the arena he and his fellow Genin would soon be competing in. As he watched his fellow Genin, making sure to keep a close eye on a certain few, the new Lord of Calamity smirked cruelly to himself. Soon. I will make my debut and strike fear into the hearts of the men and women here today. And I do believe I'll start with you, Neji Hyuga. I'm going to enjoy destroying you.
As he listened to the old man Hokage ramble on, Naruto let out an aggravated sigh before making his move, stepping out into the arena to join his fellow rookies. When all eyes fell on him and they took in his new appearance, many people were terrified of this strange being that now stood among them. "Rather long-winded, don't you think?" he questioned to nobody in particular. "Why don't we get on with the show, hm?"
The Third Hokage's eyes were wide as he stared down at the mysterious being inside of the arena. Leaning over the railing so he could get a closer look at the man whose very presence radiated power, Hiruzen's eyes soon opened wide in realization. "N-Naruto?!"
This was the spark that ignited chaos within all those in attendance today. As people began to shout in disbelief or started slinging insults and curses his way, Naruto locked eyes with the Hokage and let another cruel smirk stretch his cheeks. You see it now, don't you old man? Yes, I'm the one that killed Jiraiya. And soon, if Orochimaru doesn't kill you, then I will. Though, I might as well give you a chance to save yourself. Meeting my parents was quite the experience, I must admit. You don't need to know those details, however. Now start the damn matches. I want to kill this arrogant prick behind me.
As if he were sensing Naruto's thoughts, Hiruzen coughed into his hand and motioned to Genma to start. The entire time, however, the old man stared into the blonde's eyes and thought to himself, Just what happened to you out there, Naruto? You feel…wrong somehow. And, if I'm right, you're the one responsible for Jiraiya's death. But why? What happened between you two?
Flashback
Jiraiya scowled as he looked at the bastard that had dared to destroy his glass of booze. He was frustrated with his recent failure of an apprentice, as well as the lecture he got from Hiruzen for killing the village's prized jinchuriki. If he really cared for the kid, he'd have made sure that he was actually ready to learn under someone of his caliber. Who cared if the brat died? Nobody else seemed to give a shit. In fact, most of the townspeople were cheering in excitement that the 'demon' was finally vanquished!
Still, with all the frustration he was feeling, Jiraiya decided to drown himself in booze for a while. Sadly, as he was downing his second glass, his wrist was grabbed quite tightly, refusing to let him bring his desired liquid to his mouth. "Let. Go. Now." Jiraiya bit out.
"I don't think so, Mr. Pervert. You see, I have something of a score to settle with you. I considered waiting, but I want you as sober as possible for our duel. For you see, Super Pervert, a dear friend of mine died and you are the one responsible. I'd say that entitles me to some revenge, wouldn't you agree?" the stranger said, a wicked smirk dancing across his face.
"You're making a big mistake here, kid. Buzz off before you make me angrier." Jiraiya snarked before forcing his arm free. As he went to down the liquid in his glass, his eyes widened as the glass shattered in his hand, the glass embedding itself deep into his fingers and hand. "Fuck! The hell is your damn problem?!"
Without a word, the stranger raised his hand, palm forward, and smirked as the darkness began to swallow Jiraiya whole. Then, continuing to remain silent, he sank into the pool of darkness beneath him.
When they reemerged outside the village, Jiraiya coughed and sputtered, trying to catch his breath after what he had just experienced. Once he was back on his feet, he leveled a fierce glare on his assailant and shouted, "What the hell was that?! Just what the fuck are you?!"
Naruto tilted his head and tapped a finger against his chin. "Well, I suppose you could call me the new Lord of Calamity. Now, do be a good servant and bow before your master. Should you refuse…? Well, you don't want to find out. Now, feel free to grovel at my feet and apologize for killing Naruto Uzumaki."
Jiraiya glared at his soon-to-be opponent as he rose to his feet. "Fuck you boy! Why should I apologize for killing that brat? He was pathetic! Not once did he ever show the kind of talent his parents had! He was just a waste of space and time! Now why don't you bow before me and beg me for forgiveness? Not like I'd actually grant your request, though."
The Lord of Calamity shrugged and said, "Very well. You were given a chance, and you just blew it. Any chance of mercy has evaporated like droplets of water on a sweltering day. Now, prepare yourself! You're going to be the first of what will be many conquests. I will bring peace to this world, and I'll start my journey off by killing you!"
And with that, the battle started. Everything seemed to be going in Jiraiya's favor as he kept slipping around Naruto's myriad of attacks and landing blow after blow upon the inexperienced Genin. When he finally stopped raining blows upon Naruto, Jiraiya leapt backwards and smirked at his opponent. "What is this? For all your bravado, you're barely putting up a fight! You're as weak as that little shit stain, Naruto!"
Before Jiraiya could say anything more, his eyes widened as Naruto's body began to shift, the darkness around him growing thicker to the point it nearly blotted out the sun. "Wow. And here I thought you were going to be a challenge. I guess you're probably the weakest of the three Sannin if this is all you can muster."
"The fuck are you talking about?! I've been winning this fight from the start!" Jiraiya exclaimed angrily. However, his eyes soon widened as his opponent lifted his head and stared into his eyes. "Y-You're not even hurt… That's impossible!"
Naruto simply chuckled evilly and said, "I am what your former teammate desires to be so strongly: immortal. Go ahead, try and kill me. You'll find out that I can't be defeated!"
Jiraiya's eyes narrowed and he exclaimed, "That's not possible! There is no such thing as true immortality! Even Orochimaru's attempts haven't yielded such results yet!"
The blonde chuckled darkly and said, "Say what you want, Jiraiya. I'll make a believer out of you before I finally end your wretched life."
And with their piece said, they began to battle once more. After some time, Jiraiya plunged a kunai straight into Naruto's heart, causing him to stumble back and cough up blood. "Ha! See?! How does it feel to die like the bitch you are?!"
Slowly, the Lord of Calamity took hold of the kunai and pulled it out. Looking at his blood upon the blade, Naruto smirked and tossed it back to Jiraiya. "I think you misplaced that. Would you care to try again?"
The white-haired man's eyes widened in disbelief. Slowly, he took a few steps backwards, fear beginning to overtake him. "T-This isn't p-possible…this can't be real! It must be the booze! Yeah, that's gotta be it! I'm having some kind of horrible dream! You want me to apologize for what I did to Naruto, right? Well, I'm sorry! I didn't mean for the kid to die! Honest!"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Jiraiya, you should know better than to lie like that. We both know you never cared for him one way or another. As for this being a dream…?" Naruto disappeared in a burst of speed before reappearing with Jiraiya's severed arm in his hand. "Hmmm, this came off far too easily. I expected a bit more resistance than this. Do tell me, though…does it hurt?"
Jiraiya blinked his eyes a couple of times as he tried to register what had just happened to him. When the pain finally registered, he screamed loudly enough that the birds in the trees were frightened from their perches. "What did you just do to me you bastard?!"
Naruto chuckled sinisterly and said, "I do believe I took your arm. Would you care to have it back?" Before Jiraiya could reply, Naruto flashed in front of him and began to clobber Jiraiya with his own arm. The entire time, he was laughing maniacally, clearly enjoying the torture he was putting the old bastard through.
When he was finally finished with the dismembered arm, he tossed it aside before transforming his arm and gripping Jiraiya's face tightly. As the claws dug into his skull, Jiraiya screamed again and began to beg for mercy from his opponent. However, Naruto felt nothing and didn't care for the concept of mercy. Instead, he crushed Jiraiya's head, the blood and brains flying everywhere. "Farewell you old bastard. If you happen to be granted a new life after this one, I do hope you turn out to be a better person. If not? Well, I'll just keep killing you as many times as it takes for the message to sink through to your tiny little brain."
Without speaking another word, Naruto raised his hand and used the power of darkness to create the visage of a skull for everyone within the village to see. Once he was sure he had everyone's attention, he disappeared into the darkness once again, leaving before anyone could possibly find him.
Present
Locking eyes with the aged Hokage, Naruto smirked and pointed his right index finger towards him. With a sinister grin, he mouthed, 'You're next.' Afterwards, he turned to face his opponent for the first match of the finals. The other finalists had already left for the waiting area.
Meanwhile, Neji glared at his opponent and said, "Just because you've changed your appearance doesn't mean you'll win this fight, Naruto Uzumaki. Fate has chosen me to be the victor today, not you! You're just a clan-less loser destined for failure since day one! If you're smart, you'll concede victory to me and run off with your tail between your legs."
Naruto simply stared into Neji's eyes, a very tiny smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. Slowly, he brought his hand up to his mouth and let out a loud yawn, just to make sure everyone's attention was on him. Afterwards, he said, "Fate? I suppose you could say fate is involved, yes. However, you do not control fate, nor can anyone else here. Nor can you predict the outcome of a match simply because of your own arrogance. I'll tell you what Fate really did for me, though."
"Fate is what led me to obtaining my new powers. Fate treated me with a kindness nobody else ever has. I suppose, in a way, that Fate is my dearest friend. As for you? I suppose Fate is responsible for your situation, in a way. Born into the Branch House, simply because your father was born a few minutes after your dear uncle. Branded at a young age with that seal you hide upon your forehead. You have so much anger and resentment within you, but you direct it towards the wrong people. What did Hinata ever do to you? Is it the sheer fact that she exists? Or could it be you're actually jealous of her? After all, she has what you never will: a family that cares about her…to an extent. Hanabi clearly loves and looks up to her sister, and Hiashi loves his daughters dearly, even if he's too cold and stupid to really show it. But you? Heh, you're at the bottom of the barrel. Nobody wants you. Nobody needs you. You're destined to fade away in the sands of time while others make a name for themselves and actually become what you dream of being: free and happy. I suppose I'd be doing you a favor by ending your life here. I do hope you make this interesting for me, Neji Hyuga." Naruto said, his smirk ever widening until he had a maniacal grin on his face. "Prepare yourself for the sweet embrace of death, Neji! For I'm not going to stop until you're a smear on my sandals."
Neji's eyes widened for a time before they narrowed in rage. "I'll kill you, Naruto Uzumaki! No one disrespects me like this and gets away with it!" And with that, he charged forward, completely neglecting his Byakugan and any form of technique.
Blocking and parrying each of the attacks sent his way, the Lord of Calamity soon backhanded Neji in the face, sending him flying from the overwhelming power Naruto now held within his body. When his body hit the wall, Neji coughed up blood and spat out one of his teeth. What the hell was that? Where did he get such power?!
"Are you going to sit there all day, Neji? I thought you wanted to kill me. You can't do that if you decide to take a nap over there." Naruto said, staring at Neji apathetically.
Growling to himself, Neji activated his Byakugan and began to cautiously approach his opponent. This turned out to be a mistake, however, as the shadow underneath him suddenly began to expand in size. When a pool of darkness appeared underneath him, Naruto pointed his hand, palm outward, and commanded the darkness to wrap itself around the Hyuga.
As Neji thrashed and shouted a variety of expletives at his opponent, Naruto sighed and said, "I had hoped to prolong your suffering, but you're boring me, Hyuga. Farewell." And with that, the darkness pierced Neji in each of his vital organs. And, just because he could, Naruto destroyed Neji's eyes.
Silence descended over the stadium. Nobody dared to talk or utter a single word. Naruto, their favorite punching bag, had become something truly dark and, dare they say it, evil? Whatever had happened to him, Naruto was back and wasn't afraid to kill anyone that annoyed him.
When Genma announced the match in his favor, Naruto nodded once to the proctor before sinking into the darkness. When he reappeared in the waiting area with the other finalists, Naruto smirked as he looked them over. When his eyes landed on Gaara, the Lord of Calamity said, "Crush your opponent. He's annoying. Should you choose to kill him, that's alright with me. Now, enjoy."
Gaara raised an eyebrow in curiosity but didn't say anything. Instead, as his name was called, he descended into the arena to await his opponent. Once he was gone, Naruto looked into Temari's eyes and said, "You are a fine woman. Powerful too. That's a good quality to have."
The pigtailed blonde blinked a couple of times before offering him a smirk. "Just what the hell happened to you this past month? You're like a completely different person now."
Naruto simply shrugged and leaned back against the wall, keeping his gaze focused on her. "I suppose you could say I was…'reborn', in a sense. I happen to like my new self. No longer do I have to hide behind a mask of deception. I am no longer afraid to be myself. I'm honestly more concerned with Gaara's opponent."
Temari raised a brow and asked, "What? You worried he'll beat Gaara?"
Naruto chuckled and shook his head. "No. Not even close. I just want to hear confirmation that his match will be postponed. Sasuke is the 'golden boy' of the village, so they wouldn't dare risk upsetting him. So they'll postpone his match in the hopes that it will give Sasuke enough time to get here."
Temari scowled and said, "But that's not fair to anyone! If he's late, he should be disqualified!"
Naruto simply shrugged. "It is what it is. Besides, Orochimaru's up there and he's whispering sweet, honeyed words in Hiruzen's ears right now. After all, Orochimaru wants to see his 'precious' Uchiha in action. Especially if it means his invasion can go on without a hitch."
Temari and Kankuro both blinked a couple of times before peering out of the waiting area up at the Kage booth. "But…"
"That's your father? Right? No. Orochimaru likely killed your father some time ago so he could take Rasa's place. It's a tad too late to cancel your invasion plans, but I hope you can talk your brother down, should he grow violent. If you can't…I'll handle it. Before you jump to conclusions, there's no need to worry. I have no intention of killing Gaara. He is what I could have been had I given into my darkness earlier in my life. Besides, I need allies, and who better than another jinchuriki? Though, I'm afraid my bijuu is no longer with me. No, he's quite dead now." Naruto explained.
Kankuro and Temari were wide-eyed at this news. "You're, erm, you were a jinchuriki? Seriously here man, what the fuck happened to you?!" he half-whispered, half-shouted.
"And how do you know about our father and Orochimaru?" Temari questioned angrily.
Naruto shrugged and held up a finger, telling them to hold on a moment. Unsure why he was doing this, they soon got their answer as the proctor announced that Gaara's match would be postponed for the time being. Realizing that his turn was up, Kankuro was initially going to forfeit, but decided against it. Now that he knew the truth, he had no intention of crossing this monster in front of him. So, with a resigned sigh, Kankuro left the waiting area and made his way down the stairs alongside his opponent: Shino Aburame.
Once Gaara had rejoined those left in the waiting area, he approached Naruto and looked into his eyes with a curious gaze. "Mother says you are dangerous. She doesn't want me to fight you. Just who are you? Who is the one to strike fear into Mother like this?"
The whiskered teen chuckled and said, "I am the newest incarnation of the Lord of Calamity. It's been many millennia since the last of my kind walked this Earth. Now that I am here, I will reshape the world itself until it's a land of peace as the world was meant to be. If that means I have to weed out those that do not belong in the new world I will create, then so be it."
Temari frowned at him and asked, "And who are you to decide who belongs or not? You're sounding awfully arrogant."
Naruto shrugged and stepped up to the railing, peering over the side to watch the battle between Kankuro and Shino Aburame. When the two Sand siblings joined him on either side, he said, "Is it arrogance to want peace? I don't care who rules when it's all over. I don't care if I receive any credit for making the world what it will be. Just as my ancestors did before me, I'll work to attain peace in my own way. Some may view me as arrogant or evil, even. Others might view me as their glorious savior. But I am neither. I am just a simple man with a grand scheme. As for why I get to decide? Let me counter your question with another. Who better than me to decide? Unless you're offering to take up the mantle of advisor and help me decide?"
Temari frowned at him for a time, still believing his talk to be born of arrogance. However, as she thought about it, she let out a reluctant sigh and nodded her head. "If it means I can keep you from killing everyone that angers you willy-nilly, then sure. But I expect you to listen to my advice. You don't have to follow my every word like it's law, but I want you to truly consider the advice I plan to give you. Is that understood, mister?"
Naruto chuckled for a time before saying, "Very well. You have yourself a deal, Temari of Suna. What say you, Gaara of the Sand? Will you join me? Or will you stand against me?"
The redhead frowned and shook his head. "Neither. Mother is wary of you. She says not to trust you. But I do not wish to fight you. I am…conflicted."
The whiskered teen simply shrugged as he watched the end of the fight down below. Both Shino and Kankuro had succumbed to their injuries, chakra exhaustion, and poison. When they were both rushed out to receive proper medical attention, Naruto turned his gaze to Temari and said, "Your turn. Give me a good show, Temari-chan."
Temari smirked at him and nodded without a word. Afterwards, she glided down to the ground on her fan. He may be odd and kind of arrogant, but he doesn't seem like a bad guy. Guess we'll see, though.
Meanwhile, up in the waiting area, Naruto turned his gaze to Shikamaru and pointed down at the arena floor. "Move it lazy bones. I want to see this fight. You really don't want to annoy me."
The Nara male frowned for a time before releasing a heavy sigh. "Whatever." He said before he began his descent. If he was going to fight, he was going to take his time and try to formulate some kind of plan based on the terrain and his knowledge of his current opponent.
Back in the waiting area, the blonde looked at his sole companion standing there beside him. "So, you hold number one, don't you?" he asked.
Gaara frowned but nodded his head slowly in confirmation. "Yes."
"I see. You look like you've never slept a day in your life. I assume there's a good reason for that?" Naruto questioned.
"Yes. If I sleep, Mother comes out to 'play'. I have not permitted myself to sleep in many, many years." Gaara explained.
"I see. I'll have to fix that. However, my knowledge on seals is limited at the moment. Give me time and I will devise a stronger seal to help you." Naruto said.
"You would strengthen my seal?" Gaara asked.
The Lord of Calamity shrugged and said, "An ally shouldn't have to suffer as a result of a shoddy seal. What kind of leader would I be if I didn't take care of my own people?"
All Gaara could do in response was nod to this. Instead of speaking any further, he and Naruto turned and watched the fight taking place down below. At the end of the fight, Naruto sighed and shook his head. "Lazy bones is going to forfeit. Lazy bastard."
Before Gaara could question him, they both heard Shikamaru say, "I forfeit!" Hearing this, Gaara blinked and asked, "But…he won?"
Naruto chuckled softly and said, "Indeed he did. He doesn't care, though. Advancing in rank doesn't matter to him. He'd say it's 'too troublesome'." Shrugging his shoulders, he nodded to Gaara and said, "If your opponent doesn't show himself this time, you have my permission to kill the bastard. And if he does show himself? I give you my permission to kill the bastard."
Despite himself, Gaara chuckled and said, "Very well. I will put on a show worthy of the Lord of Calamity."
As Gaara descended to the arena and Temari stepped up to him, Naruto smirked and said, "This should be fun to watch. I do hope your brother makes that arrogant punk suffer. I never did like Sasuke. Arrogant, stuck-up, and rude. I honestly don't understand why girls like that kind of boy."
Temari sighed as she leaned against the railing on his left. "Hell if I know. I'm a girl and even I don't understand my gender. I'm sure they can spout out reason after reason for wanting a guy like that, but it would all be utter nonsense, I'm sure."
Naruto chuckled and said, "We're in agreement there." Glancing towards a specific section of the arena, Naruto pointed towards Sakura Haruno and said, "I can't believe I ever had a crush on that girl over there. Sakura Haruno. She's a bitch and Sasuke's number one fangirl. I would oftentimes ask her out, and she'd hit me pretty hard just for daring to talk to her. Then she would turn to Sasuke and swoon over him. I would assume it's because she wanted to get Sasuke to notice her, so she did what she thought would make him happy. The problem with that little plan of hers is the fact that Sasuke doesn't have any interest in women. He's too obsessed with power and his brother that nothing else matters to him. Your brother would be doing everyone a favor by killing Sasuke today."
"I see. Well, if you're telling me this, I assume you've moved on from your 'crush'? Got a new target in mind?" she teased good-naturedly.
Naruto shook his head and said, "No. It never even crossed my mind. I suppose it would be nice to enter a romantic relationship with a girl, but it's not important right now. If it happens, then that's wonderful. If I'm meant to be alone, however, I can tolerate that as well."
"I see. Well, so long as you're happy in the end." Temari said before looking down at the arena floor once again. The people had begun cheering and she was curious as to why that was. What she saw disappointed her. "Really?"
Down below, Gaara stared at Kakashi and Sasuke with a bored expression on his face. "Really?"
Standing there back to back were Kakashi Hatake and Sasuke Uchiha. Kakashi, in typical fashion, asked, "Are we late?"
"Yes. Sasuke's match was postponed. If it was up to me, I'd have disqualified him by now. You and your student are setting a terrible example, Kakashi. Now get out of here so they can start their match." Genma said irritably.
Kakashi chuckled a bit before patting Sasuke on the shoulder and whispering something in his ear. Afterwards, he vacated the area, going to join his friends in the stands.
Looking at his opponent, Sasuke smirked and said, "I see you decided to show up, after all. Are you that eager to fall before me and admit that I'm your better?"
Gaara closed his eyes and said, "You're boring me. Let's get started. Proctor, begin the match."
Genma looked at Sasuke for a moment before shrugging and shouting, "Begin!" And with that, the battle got underway.
Naruto
"See? He's an arrogant slimeball. Can't believe you said he was 'cute'." Naruto teased his new friend/advisor.
Temari facepalmed and slowly dragged her fingers down her face. "Don't remind me, please. That was before I learned what he was like. Anyways, do you believe he could possibly win this?"
The whiskered teen chuckled and said, "Not a chance. I don't care what tricks Kakashi taught Sasuke this month. It won't be enough to help him defeat Gaara. Although, if he was foolish enough to teach Sasuke his own original technique…"
Temari frowned in thought for a time before asking, "You can't be serious?!"
Naruto nodded and said, "The Chidori, yes. But if he's really taught Sasuke that technique, then Kakashi's an even bigger idiot than I thought he was. Sasuke won't hesitate to use such a technique on anyone that's in his way, even if it's an ally."
"How the hell did either of them actually become shinobi in the first place if they're so bad?" Temari questioned.
Naruto sighed and shook his head. "I'm not sure about Kakashi, but I can tell you this about Sasuke: the council loves to suck his dick every chance they get if it means he'll show them favor someday. It'll never happen, but it's because of them that Sasuke was allowed to pass. And Hiruzen hasn't done anything to punish them or try to rein in Sasuke. I'm not sure if it's because he's a weak old man that's too powerless to get anything done, or if he honestly just doesn't care. Either way, the old man is a weak fool that's going to get what's coming to him soon enough."
Temari let out a scoff and said, "There's really no love lost between you and your people, is there?"
Shrugging again, Naruto watched as Sasuke attempted to use his speed to penetrate Gaara's sand barrier. "I care nothing for these people. I have no true friends here and no one that cares for me. Well, aside from a crazy stalker, but I try not to think about her. Besides that, you should know what the life of a jinchuriki is like, considering your brother holds the Ichibi. I grew to hate these people. Can you really blame me?"
Temari frowned and placed a gentle hand upon his shoulder. "Sorry. I didn't mean to bring up painful memories."
Naruto chuckled and said, "You didn't. I don't care about these people. So they abused me? It doesn't matter in the long run. It just proves to me that a great majority of these people don't deserve to live in the world we're going to create. I suppose a few aren't all bad, but the good ones are so hard to find." Sighing sadly, he closed his eyes and said, "If only Haku had survived. She would have made a wonderful friend and a great companion."
Deciding not to question him about this Haku person, she and Naruto were caught off guard when they heard the sound of thousands of chirping birds. Glancing at the fight once again, they saw Sasuke was charging towards Gaara with Kakashi's signature technique in hand, the mighty Chidori.
Facepalming himself, Naruto grumbled irritably to himself. "Kakashi, you really would be that damn stupid, wouldn't you? Temari, get ready to take your brother out of here. If Sasuke tries to follow, I'll kill him myself."
Temari frowned and shook her head. "Don't kill him. As much as I'd love to just let you do it, it's better to leave him alive for the time being. You don't want to bring the wrath of an entire village down on you. At least not yet, you don't."
Naruto frowned for a time before nodding in acceptance. "Very well. I will heed your advice. Now go."
Temari nodded and together, she and Naruto leapt down into the arena. Temari immediately retrieved her brother and began to flee with him. Sasuke tried to follow, only to receive a powerful backhand blow from Naruto, sending him flying into the nearby wall hard enough to form a large crater. "Sorry, but I can't let you harm them."
Genma scowled at him and asked, "What do you think you're doing, Naruto? In case you missed it, we're being invaded! The Sand and Sound villages are invading! You're defending the enemy. That kid, Gaara, is likely to be their trump card, considering he's a jinchuriki. You may not like it, but you have a duty to this village, Naruto. If you assist Sasuke in detaining them, I think we can pardon your behavior here today. Now, are you going to cooperate or not?"
Before Naruto could respond in any way, the Sand Siblings' sensei appeared on the arena floor, attacking Genma almost immediately. Seeing that his fun was being taken from him, Naruto sighed and looked at Sasuke as he hobbled towards him. "Fine then. Let us go, Sasuke. It would seem we have a jinchuriki to defeat and capture."
Narrowing his eyes into a glare, Sasuke snarled out, "I'll make you pay for that cheap shot, Naruto! But right now, we've been given our orders. I hope you can keep up, because you're not going to want to miss this."
As the Uchiha took off in pursuit of the Sand Siblings, Naruto sighed and shook his head in disbelief. Things would be so much better if she'd just let me kill him. She's right, though. It wouldn't do to make an enemy of one of the great five anytime soon. Not until I'm ready.
Shooting a quick glance up at the purple barrier on the roof of the arena, Naruto narrowed his eyes and thought, I'd prefer to kill the both of you myself, but I'll be satisfied if you manage to kill each other. If one of you actually survives, I'll just have to destroy the victor. Now, however, I want to watch the Uchiha get his ass kicked. That might actually amuse me for a bit. And with that, he took off in pursuit of Sasuke and the Sand Siblings. The path to peace would be a long one, and it was bound to be plenty bloody along the way. However, he had all the time in the world to set things right in the world. After all, he was immortal now. He could afford to be patient. And with a competent advisor to guide him, he was certain things would soon start swinging in his favor.
I wonder, is there a way to grant those I come to care for immortality? That's something I'll have to study. For now, I just want to alleviate my boredom. So go on my puppets, dance for me. Kill each other for all I care. In the end, no matter what you fools try to do, I'll be the victor. Naruto thought to himself with a chuckle. Ah, it was good to be the Lord of Calamity.
A/N - And that's the chapter! I wasn't sure how to end the chapter, so I decided to just throw in a little something there at the end and call it quits. lol. I sincerely hope you enjoyed the chapter! I'm not sure what I'll work on next or when, so I hope you don't mind being patient.
Also, seeing as I didn't mention it before, I've been trying desperately to clear out my gaming backlog and my anime backlog. I literally have over 100+ games that I still need to finish and/or start playing. And I am sooooo far behind on everything anime that I doubt I'll ever catch up. In other words, my focus has been primarily on those two pastimes.
At the moment, I'm working on two games in particular: The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II (on my PS5) and Hyperdimension Neptunia Re:Birth1 for my Vita. It's a slow process, but I'm working on it. I'm definitely hoping to move on to Cold Steel III sometime soonish. But we shall see. lol
Anyways, I dunno what else to say. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and are looking forward to whatever comes next.