Chapter 3: I like it loud
Naruto had split into Kage bushin long before one of his self's went with Iruka. He had the art mastered and it was easier to complete more missions with the more selves he had running around. The way it worked was there was almost hive like. Each of the clones had their own individual thoughts and feelings. He would get info reports every so often from his clones. When one was hurt or destroyed he could choose to let it keep going or to call it back. Usually he just called it back, however he could choose to distribute himself equally and keep the clone going if it was hurt, and that's exactly what he did in this situation. He was no where near where the talks were taking place, and he was taking it in stride. He was at the local ramen shop with Sakura and Lee enjoying a rather lazy day. The news of Konahamaru's disappearance did affect him, and he had sent one of his other clones to pack up his important stuff, and to grab the leftover scrolls from the thirds house. After the report came in that The clone was exiting the building Naruto excused himself to go grab his stuff and head out to find the missing boy. He told lee and Sakura about it, and lee was more then happy to meet him at the gate. Sakura was a little baffled by the request but agreed to it to.
As Chance would have it Naruto lee and Sakura took opposite paths. Leading Lee and Sakura way from Naruto's apartment. Luck was what it was because when Naruto rounded the bend Sasuke met in their with a boat load of traps and a readied Jitsu.
"Naruto, now we finish it." Sasuke said "I could tell right away that was your clone hiding in the hallway."
"Yeah but you didn't get to hear what happened after you left you were so smart." Naruto said mockingly. "I wasn't there to rain on your parade I was there to deliver a message to The Hokage."
"I'll bet you were." Sasuke said his eyes becoming the eerie red with black marks.
Naruto knew he was serious this time. AS quickly as he could he recalled all of his clones and gathered the info passed to him. All of the anger about Sasuke flooded into him from the clone that had been with Kakashi. He just took a step forward when he noticed a wire, and couldn't stop himself from landing on it. There was a large explosion that launched Naruto Backwards. Dazed and confused he barley had time to realize he had landed on another trip wire and triggered another trap. Kunai launched themselves from out of nowhere he was in the process of dodging when he heard Sasuke calling up one of his Katon attacks. Sasuke was leading him into a trap. Quickly Naruto changed direction and met three of the kunai in the chest leg and arm.
"KATON! FIRE!" Sasuke yelled blasting balls of fire at where Naruto should have been.
The attack was hard to stop once started and Sasuke wound up wasting some Chakara. The street was covered in smoke, and Naruto was nowhere to be found.
"Come out!" Sasuke yelled. "Or are you a scardy cat?"
"Scared?" Naruto's voices echoed. "Hardly, your still recovering from wounds. Wounds that I gave you. Why don't you give up?"
"I am NOT going to be SHOWN UP BY YOU!!!!!" Sasuke screamed. "KURIAKAZE"
A blast of wind went down the road clearing all the flames and smoke away. Only to reveal that Naruto wasn't there again.
"Come out and fight!" Sasuke said his eyes darting around trying to find movement. "You Chicken!"
"I already am out, you jerk." Naruto said from below Sasuke. Quicker then Sasuke could counter Naruto threw off the sheet that was hiding him in the ground where one of the explosives had left a hole.
He punched Sasuke hard on the face sending the other boy reeling, and slammed him into a pile of rubbish from one of the ruined buildings. Quickly Sasuke recovered and charged at Naruto, only to be met with a perfect defense on Naruto's part. It was an all out Taijitsu battle, and Naruto was beginning to loose. Sasuke had studied Taijitsu, and his speed was hard to keep up with. Taking several of Sasuke's punches Naruto lined himself up and kicked the other boy away long enough to make the complicated symbols with his hands. His hands flew creating a set of symbols not seen before by the eyes of the village.
"Senkirinuki Kage Bushin No Jitsu!" Naruto yelled.
Clones began to form behind him, Clones upon clones upon clones. Each one of them held a kunai. Sasuke just was getting ready to strike again when All of the Naruto's Charged. Little stinging pains began to fill Sasuke. Each time he would go to kick a clone that affected him another would come up and the one he was aiming for would disappear. Finally the pain got to much and he screamed out in pain. Every second there was a new sting, every second there was anew whiplash to his pride. Before he knew it the onslaught stopped. His clothes ripped to shreds, his pride stinging. Sasuke charged again, only to be stopped half way between himself and Naruto. Naruto just stood there and looked at who had caught the boy.
"Kakashi sensei," Naruto said. "You heard what I told you earlier."
"Naruto, think this through, is this really what you want to do?" Kakashi said fighting to keep a grip on Sasuke.
Sasuke stopped struggling and looked up at Kakashi.
"Sensei," He said his voice dripping with sweet sarcasm.
Kakashi looked down his one eye wide. Something about the way that Sasuke just said that word made his skin crawl.
"Kakashi Sensei," He repeated again this time breaking the seal and letting the black curse mark flow over him. "You forgot to uncover your other eye."
Kakashi only realized what happened by the time it was to late. He made contact with Sasuke's Sharingan and was sent into a screaming hell of pain. The grip loosened Sasuke again charged towards Naruto, this time stronger then the last. Naruto looked around, people had started gathering and were now watching in horror as Sasuke punched on Naruto relentlessly. Naruto didn't want to hurt anybody, but without calling on the Kitsune he had no chance of surviving. Kakashi was still on the ground screaming and holding his head, Iruka was helping and soothing the man. Then it clicked. Naruto didn't even have to ask, the Kitsune wanted to help him.
"You-You hurt Kakashi." Naruto said stopping dead still getting punched and kicked by Sasuke. "You will PAY!!!!!"
The world stopped, Sasuke was caught mid punch, Naruto called the Kitsune to him, and the Kitsune's power came ripping through the boy with a vengeance. At first things started moving slowly. Naruto had time to block Sasuke's last punch. The second Naruto made contact with the other boys skin the Kitsune erupted outwards, sending it's own power into the boy and causing him to throw Sasuke down the street with little effort. Sasuke was so caught off guard about all he could do was sit there and get his wits about him. Meanwhile something beyond explanation was happening to Naruto.
Kakashi sat up immediately after the Sharingan spell had broken and looked around. Sasuke was nowhere in sight but he could still feel the boy. However Naruto was in plain sight, and what surrounded him made Kakashi freeze in fear. The Kitsune's Chakara had enveloped the boy, totally and completely. However Naruto stood looking down the street and wasn't making a sound.
"Naruto, stop!" Kakashi yelled. "Don't let him take you!"
Naruto slowly turned his head in an almost lazy fashion.
"This isn't anything Kakashi," Naruto said his voice sounding unusually masked. "This is only stage one, I used this to defeat Neji. However I am not going to go back on my word. I am sick of being mistreated. I am sick of being looked at with hated hearts. I am sick of living a lie solely to please those around me. I am sick of having to hide who I really am. This village wants a demon then they will get one."
Kakashi turned his head quickly when he heard footsteps approaching Naruto. There was a flash, then Naruto standing with another form, the form was being held by Naruto tightly. It was Shikamaru.
"Shikamaru, what are you doing?" Naruto said, his voice dropping back into it's regular form.
"I can't let you go through with this, I wont have my village destroyed." Shikamaru said wrestling with the other boy. "I have yet to live out my life, and I will live it out come hell or high water."
"Shikamaru!" Naruto began laughing a cheery laugh. "I am not going to destroy the village, or any of the people here in it."
He leaned over and Whispered the next part in Shikamaru's ear.
"No Shikamaru, what I am getting is the chance to finally be free of all of this troublesome mess." He whispered. "I want to live like you, watching the clouds, and contemplating the world. I want to live like Lee, and fight long and hard forever training to prove that I am not just some looser. I want to live like Kiba, and be brave and boastful, yet caring. I want to live like Hinata, and be quiet yet have power. I want to live like Kakashi, and become one of the worlds best Ninja's. I want a chance to do all of this, to find myself, and I will never have the chance to here, for as you know I came into the world hated. All I want is a chance to become who I need to be. So let me fight this battle and you will be rid of me for good."
Shikamaru froze momentarily. More people had gathered but they were well out of range of any of Naruto's close attacks. So many people were looking on with wide eyed fear, and yet Naruto had not even shown part of his power. Yet, Naruto's words had been powerful and Shikamaru let go.
"So long as you promise you wont hurt the village I'll let you go." Shikamaru said.
"I still love this village even if it doesn't love me back." Naruto said his voice becoming the mask again. "Don't worry, I wont do anything to hurt it, just something to stir it up a little before I leave."
Shikamaru nodded and took off towards Iruka and Kakashi. Kakashi was still down and out, the Sharingan was powerful and his muscles weren't working like they should have been. Iruka was attempting to get Kakashi on his feet when Shikamaru came over and helped the other man.
"come on we need to get out of attacking range." Shikamaru said hefting Kakashi towards where the crowd of people stood watching wide eyed. "This is going to be interesting."
"What's he planning on doing?" Iruka asked as they finally reached the crowd.
"I don't know." Came Shikamaru's simple reply as he turned back to Naruto.
The Chakara around Naruto slowly changed, it went from an unpredictable mass of red energy to a concentrated well controlled mass. There was yelling, and cries from the crowd. No one knew what was going on.
"NARUTO!!!" Came a cry of pure fury from beyond the crowd. "YOU WILL PAY!!!!!"
With all the grace of a cat Sasuke launched himself back over the crowd and towards Naruto. Sasuke about regretted doing so.
Naruto looked at Sasuke with feral eyes. The blue turned to red, and slits took over the once rounded irises. The small black scars on Naruto's cheeks became larger making the boy look more like a fox with each passing second. Sasuke hit the ground and began to skid. Naruto hunched over a low quiet sound building up in his throat. There were several sickening pops and crunches as Naruto's body grew and rearranged itself. Claws formed out of fingernails and toenails, bones thickened, muscle grew, and teeth which had once been the dull of human teeth, sharpened themselves into razor like cutting edges. It was happening so quickly and Sasuke was watching it all in slow motion. He remembered this form from Gaara, this was dangerous. He tried to turn around but his momentum was carrying strait to the still transforming Kitsune boy.
Naruto let out a howl in pain as the most drastic part of his transformation took place. Red fur began to take the place of the scars on the boys cheeks, the fur traveled upwards becoming black and forming a trail to his now quickly lengthening ears. His arms lengthened, his legs lengthened, both got fur over flesh, and both looked sickeningly animalistic. Red Chakara began to concentrate and form wispy waving bits of energy behind Naruto. Sasuke finally stopped and began to fall back again.
"Sasuke." Naruto's voice came out as an overlap between the happy boy and the feral beast. "Why?"
With a loud Snap the Chakara condensed further and formed red fur covered appendages that began to twist behind Naruto like snakes.
"I…I…." Sasuke was trying to find words. Why did he want to kill Naruto?
"You, you are an avenger, I never got in your way." Naruto said stepping forward with an awkward gate. "You defended me…. Why?"
Sasuke couldn't hold it any longer, the seal began to seep out again, and this time not with Sasuke's permission. Black flames began to consume the boy. Naruto stopped and sniffed the air with his acute sense of smell.
"I know why now." Naruto said his eyes following the flame as it spread. "You are not Sasuke, not right now anyway."
Fear leapt from Sasuke's eyes, and he stood in almost a puppet like fashion. Naruto stepped backwards, his paw like feet spreading and his claws digging into the dirt.
"So wise," Sasuke's form said. "To wise for even me, Naruto-kun"
The way Sasuke said that made Naruto's newly formed hackles raise on end. His tails went still as he contemplated the eerie way the words were spoken.
"So many years of planning all to go to waist because of a rather looser like boy and his pet fox." Sasuke said looking up with a wide condescending smile on his face. "You were the thirds favorite you know, So was I, till I realized there was bigger and better things for me out there. Now you are the fifth's favorite, what a pity for you to be Hokage of a town that is drowning on itself."
Hokage? Naruto momentarily blanched. Since when has Sasuke ever talked like this?
"Who are you?" Naruto hissed hunching down into a readied position.
"Who else?" Sasuke said the black fire marks on his skin beginning to pulse. "If neither of you has figured it out by now I might as well just stop this battle where it is by destroying you both."
Naruto thought quickly, the Kitsune helped him along with pictures and intense feelings that the fox had against this particular person. Sasuke shifted his shoulders back and his hips thrust out in an unusually lazy position for the boy. Their eyes locked. And it hit Naruto.
"hmmm, Lets see." Naruto said standing up to his full height in the current form he was in. "Rude, in a pleasant singsong way. Mention of the Hokage with jealousy so rampant in your voice that the words are practically running down the road. No mention of my stupidity what-so-ever… "
Sasuke scowled and a sneer graced his lips.
"So you know." Sasuke said. "I should have given you more credit."
"So should have everyone…" Naruto said changing his voice into a sing song mimic of the boy in front of him. "….Orichimaru-chan."
"You will regret saying that Kyubi." Orichimaru said through Sasuke's lips.
"Bring on the regret then." Naruto said his tails splaying out behind him.
The would be Sasuke sneered and launched himself into attack. The attack pattern was not familiar to Naruto but he kept up with ease. Sasuke's first couple of attacks didn't break though, however slowly Naruto saw that Orichimaru was using Sasuke's Sharingan to predict his moves. A punch flew in and made solid contact with Naruto's jaw, then a kick to his side where he was unguarded. Ribs broke and repaired themselves as Naruto lunched into his side of the dance.
Quicker then the eye could see Naruto's hand lashed out and grabbed Sasuke's head in an iron grip.
"Your to slow now." He said chucking Sasuke away. "Your not Sasuke so you don't know how to use his body."
Naruto didn't give time for the possessed boy to regain his balance before launching into a slew of moves designed to temporarily disable an opponent. Several hits made contact, several missed, but the effect was the same. With a jolt The possessed Sasuke fell over onto his face leaving Naruto staring down at him.
"You…. You…" Orichimaru's voice was failing. "You will regret this, you and the whole village. So long as…uRK."
Sasuke suddenly curled into a ball and began to scream. Naruto took a step backwards surprised at the loud scream. Somewhere during the battle Kakashi had regained full function of his body and made his way over to Naruto. Kakashi stool only a couple of inches taller then Naruto in this form. He set an arm on Naruto's shoulder startling the boy further.
"Naruto, I saw what that was." Kakashi said. "The seal broke again."
"Yes sensei." Naruto said turning his head so he could see the man. "That wasn't just the seal breaking. That was Orochimaru in his body. If I would venture a guess I would say that seal that he gave Sasuke is a seal that he can use to take over their bodies for short amounts of time. I have not caused permanent damage to him."
Naruto turned to face Kakashi all the way the other man's hand falling off his shoulder. Kakashi's eye went wide. He had not seen Naruto like this before. Naruto noticed the surprise in Kakashi's glance and smiled one of his trade mark smiles.
"Naruto, are you fully in control?" Kakashi said his eye darting all over Naruto's body marking the changes. "Though the Kyubi's Chakara is running through you I can still feel your Chakara running beside it."
Naruto lifted one of his clawed hands and flexed it showing off razor sharp claws.
"Fully myself yes." Naruto said looking back down to Sasuke. "Somewhere along the lines the fox and I have begun living for the same reasons. I think it was after Jiraiya taught me how to ask for it's power. So yes, it is my mind, even though my body has changed."
Sasuke moaned and turned over looking up at Kakashi and Naruto.
"Na-Naruto…." Sasuke said his voice horse. "I… I…"
Naruto quickly bent down to Sasuke.
"You are an Idiot." Naruto said poking the dull end of his claw on Sasuke's chest. "You have begun to worry everybody with you coolness."
"Heh." Sasuke chuckled horsy. "I don't remember everything, but I remember enough."
Iruka and Shikamaru had finally made their way over to the 3 in the street.
"Remember what?" Naruto said his red eyes piercing into Sasuke's black.
"I remember, you saved me." Sasuke said. "During the exam you saved me, you also saved me with Gaara. But, I only remember waking up from this dream in pain. I don't remember what happened after the exam, My mind has been trapped."
"Mind traped?" Shikamaru said putting his fingers up to his lips. "That means that he has been stealing jitsu this whole time you realize."
"Stealing Jitsu?!" Iruka said leaning down to Sasuke. "How?"
"The Sharingan works for whoever is in the body." Kakashi said turning away from Sasuke and looking down the street at the now fast approaching ninja members. "I taught my Chidori to Orichimaru then."
"What?!?!" Naruto said his tails bristling. "That snake faced bastard."
"It gets worse from there." Shikamaru said leaning down to Sasuke. "After Sasuke recovers again he will take him over and bring him to the sound. Something about this whole plans reeks of years of painstaking setup."
"That's not the half of it." Sasuke said beginning to prop himself up. "Naruto you have to get as far away from here as you can."
All eyes turned to Sasuke again.
"His plan is to use me to get you." Sasuke said his hand reaching up and rubbing the painful seal.
"He wants me?" Naruto thought out loud.
"Naruto, it is obvious now." Shikamaru said helping Sasuke attempt to stand. "You are the fourth, he created a counterseal on the Kyubi, so that when the fourth sealed it, death would only take your memories and your physical body. that's why you were turned into a child, that is also why Orichimaru wants you. You have the gift of not only a genius human, but also a feral spirit inside of you."
"How the hell did you know that?!?" Kakashi spun around to face Shikamaru. "No one knows that except the people that were at that battle that day!"
"Implications." Shikamaru said throwing a sour look in Kakashi's direction. "I learned about some of Naruto's past through the council. However I got a good deal of it from Naruto himself."
"Naruto, how did you find out?" Kakashi said turning to Naruto.
"Iruka told me some of it, and then I read the rest from scrolls the third gave me to read about the city's past." Naruto said his eyes piercing into Kakashi.
"Well what's done is done." Kakashi said looking out to the now fully surrounded area. "We have company, Naruto change back."
"No don't change back." Sasuke said hobbling up to Naruto. "You have to run, and your never going to make it through all those Ninja in your normal form."
"What does Orichimaru expect?" Iruka said his eyes traveling around the crowd.
"He expects exactly what will happen if Naruto stays." Sasuke said as he wobbled. "Naruto to be accepted back but with malice. At which point the was planning to use me to lure him to the sound."
"How do we know your not Orichimaru playing a trick on us." Naruto said his ears laying back. "your talking way to much for Sasuke."
"I have nothing to prove to you, I am still better then you." Sasuke Scoffed a slight smile playing across his face. "You however are in more danger then I am, and I would hate to be the one that leads to your fall."
"Sooooo," Naruto said a smile playing across his face. "Your saying that your friends with me and you would hate to see me hurt, is that it?"
"You…" Sasuke said his face becoming . "You….. Scardy cat!"
Naruto Laughed.
"Good enough, I'll trust you." Naruto said his face becoming serious again. "I know that you wont be here much longer Sasuke, and I am leaving as soon as we stop here. I am going to fill Sakura and Lee in when we meet tonight. Just know that I will be back, and I expect you not to have destroyed the village before I get back. You wont be able to stop what is going on, and this city is to vane to keep you locked up properly. I don't know how long it will take me to find what I am looking for, so I don't know how long I will be missing. Sasuke I will re-unite team seven again if it is the last thing I do."
Naruto put his hand on Sasuke's shoulder.
"Naruto, be quick." Sasuke said. "I didn't ask for this, and I don't want to wake up someday finding that we are all past our prime."
"Naruto move now, they are charging, it is Anbu." Kakashi said turning around and grabbing Sasuke. "Return safely, and never fail to heed my first words."
Naruto smiled.
"I will never fail to look underneath the underneath." Naruto said smiling. "You should work on your clone detecting skills."
With a poof Naruto disappeared.
"If someone else doesn't before he gets back here." Kakashi said anger and amusement creeping into his voice. "I am going to kill that boy!"