DOWNFALL OF THE LIGHT
Chapter 16: Metamorphosis
Disclaimer: I own nothing! I do own Rin though, yeah I so do! She's really pretty and I really like that!
"...": Speech
'...' Thoughts
Scene Change is listed in bolded italic brackets because this site screws up your fonts!
AN: (Takes out a pen and journal. Then shakes a bit) Okay journal, will you be my friend and keep a secret? (Now, I really sound crazy... must be the military breakdowns.) Readers are really warm and kind, it's one of the best experiences in writing so far. Some were actually hungry for my blood... I don't know if my blood actually tastes that good... I like to shoot things to make blood appear, I was never the one to taste it in person. Anyway, enough about blood. Thank you all so much for your honest reviews, I'm really happy to see more of you open up and share things. All your sincere thoughts are appreciated by me, even though I haven't see nearly any of you in person, I wouldn't like it if any of you lied. I'm sure you wouldn't like it either if I did something like that. Life has been really crap, my friends are feeling much stress and I couldn't do so much to help him, yep, I sure feel powerless. That's how that alone inspired this chapter. Those who reviewed will be thanked, hope you all love this chapter! Of course those who helped me spiritually will also be thanked.
Reviewers' Period: (I could've posted this up sooner but I had to re-modify my PC, that took 2 days)
Crimson-Strike: You think I took it beautifully? To be honest, I had more self-confidence this time around, I felt that this was good action, quite easy to follow with a slight touch of more technical terms here and there. I know there are plenty of losers in this world, they are just a bunch of fateless cowards. Oh yeah, you should expect some people to do that to your fic, it's not like I wish for it to happen but if it happened to me, it could happen to you. Just don't react how I did by saying F this and F that, I think I was really reckless and too tempered. Thank you for saying that, I really needed someone to give me the right advice at the right time, you're a good guy man, really good guy. Relaxing from vicious reality... I would like that... I truly would love to do that. Sometimes, I review my own work and could fall in that trance, it does feel good. Smaller paragraphs... it depends on what situation. I'll try nonetheless, thank you for your honesty. If that is even possible, I'll give you something worth your respect.
YoukoSesshomaru's True Love: Oh, you ARE SO NICE to me! (Gives you a great brotherly hug since I am older than you are. A kiss on the cheek if you want.) Having men and all the weapons and armour is sure a good thing but it wouldn't help if a rocket hit my face directly. That happened enough times to bug the crap out of me. I have to like you for your exuberant messages, it's good to see someone that considerate. You're a rare person to find these days, I really want to show my gratitude to you by giving you a Hinata and Naruto plushie? If you don't like it... wow... who knows what girls like these days. Thank you so much for you constant support! (Gives you a hug before you read the chapter)
Dream Walker and Kaarafear: Your words of absolute wisdom really helped this story into what it is. Dream Walker, you are the best friend I have on while Kaarafear-sempai here has to be another great teacher/advisor. Both of you have my thanks!
Dragon Noir: Wow, I so thank you for your support and encouragement. I personally think that I made a creative storyline but I can't comment too much on it until others think so. Yeah, I think I have enough guts to say it's a decent appealing storyline, since you know Warcraft3, I'm sure it's quite easy for you to get this. I also remember your questions, you have noted good points I tell you, I was wondering about them myself but when your words came in, wow, I knew I had to do something about it. Thank you for your support and sincerity, you're a guy that I would put their words into deep thought since... well, you are truly honest! Hope you love this chapter!
Otakuss: Blood... I want your blood... female blood is always sweet... (Eyes turn blood red and fangs grow out like yours and mimic your actions like a mirror.) ARGH... the pain... reader was too sweet (the human emotion, not sensation), must control self... (Turns back to human and less vampuric) What happened... did I lose control again? Whatever just happened, man, I'm sure it would happen again... I mean, it WOULD NEVER happen twice! Thank you for your consideration, I will take your advice and take my time. Hey, I have been doing an okay job at such a short and tight amount of time, right? I hope I would do a better job, thank you so much! If you wave a flag that says 'I love OpposingForce', man, you would make my day. People would think you are an addict of the game while I know you love me... wow, imagine it. Just being silly here, my friend, don't take it too personally if you don't like it. It just really beats saying thanks all the time, I just want to loosen up. (Gives you a hug for your sincerity since I know you are a girl! No hard feelings.) Hope you like my next chapter!
Wolfgirl13: You don't like being on the Others list, well you don't have to anymore. It's sure good to see you here once again, I'm really glad that you liked my last chapter and yes, I have seen Inuyasha, I like the fics but I haven't see enough episodes to know all the characters. Still good but I prefer Naruto a lot more. I will really take my time knowing the sickening truth of reality... time is really never my friend, well I hope I made something decent here. Thank you so much for your honest words!
Stoictimer: Trust me, words could be more powerful than actions. Thanks for being honest, I wouldn't like it if you lied. I'm sure you feel the same way. Anyway, I will tell you I didn't get enough rest THIS past week. Sleeping at midnight and waking up at 7 isn't that great. Before at least I had 8-9 hours of sleep, now I have 7. Really sucks if you know what I mean. The sleeping pills thing is just a joke, I got that from MAD TV. Funny show... well some of the drama are at least. Anyway, hope you like this chapter!
joecool: Your predictions are correct, it is Metamorphosis time. I hope you like it , my friend. I'm trying to figure out if there are any more funny lines in OpForce... something worth to remember has to be "Your weapon is your best friend, it is your only friend." Don't mention it about the R. Period, if you bothered to review, you're on it and to top it off you catch up with this story. I know you're a loyal reader. Now, I hope you enjoy this chapter!
sephynarutocloud: Thanks for liking my story so far. I remember you calling me a pervert on chapter 8. I wonder which part did you mean I was pervert in. The stalking? Kakashi being a jerk and deciding to help with Icha Icha Paradise or is there more? Anyway, thank you so much for your review. I know you changed your name, your email told me everything I needed. Your words are filled with enthusiasm, I have to give you credit for that. If you want to add me on your MSN list, feel free. I could use a good reader to chat with. Hope you like my new chapter.
Cynical Chaos: I read your profile... wow, after reading it I can't tell if you are stating the truth or trying to flatter me. Anyway, I'll push these things aside for now, I want you to know that thank you for being a consistent reader. I appreciate it! Your profile helped me wrote part of this chapter. I'm sure you would recognize it when you start reading. Now, I hope you enjoy this chapter! I hope you have some more words of wisdom for me later on!
En Satsu Koku Ryuu Ha: I am starting to get tired from typing... I've been doing this all afternoon. MEDIC! Enough of my silliness, I'm sure happy to solve your questions, I really hope you like this chapter. If you're going into the psychology field, do what I do. See things differently. Not to mention think about what you hear or see twice before jumping into conclusions. Things are never what they seem to be a lot of times. I don't think you need me to tell you that, but just a friendly advice. There will be more 'Life and Death' this chapter, hope you like it! Later!
Max Knight: If things aren't a little OOC, it wouldn't be that fun. Still glad you like the new attitudes, I'm happy to make another reader appreciate my story.
Hikiya: Are you the person who was the reviewer that used ......? Anyway, happy to clear things up. The last thing I need these days are more misunderstandings. Hey, don't cry, it's just an update, here, here, let me give you another good story so you wouldn't cry. I wish someone would do that to me so I would be happy. Nope, reality tells me you have to earn what you want. Sad... anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter!
DrunkenFistLee: Wow, what enthusiasm and encouragement, THANKS MAN! I wonder why you tried to read it all at once. Without the AN stuff, this story is around a hundred thousand words. What have we learned today... never attempt to read too much, it hurts your eyes. I learned it the hard way, so take my words with consideration. My eyes, it burns, these googles do nothing! (Simpsons Line) I ain't the best romance person, I'll admit but I always loved a more outgoing Hinata, sort of like her true self exposed if you know what I mean. As long as you respect it, that's good enough. Glad you like my psychology, it took me quite a bit time to think about them. Glad my efforts paid off. You know my friend, I hope you like this chapter too.
One Azn Dragon: Yes, finally a decent action scene for you! I was wondering when I would actually make it acceptable. I'm glad you gave your comment, I needed it. I'm glad you're a loyal reader, it's good to see another man like yourself reading this. I've cut out some of the mushy stuff out of the way for now since I don't need it yet. Like c'mon, huge make out sessions in the chunnin exam? OpForce, get real! I know you are one deep action fan but I also want to know if you like romance? I'm just curious. Now, here is another action filled chapter! Thanks for reading again, my friend!
Place-your-name-here: Don't worry about your short review, I understand if you were playing Warcraft3. Man, it's an addictive game isn't it? Yep, it sure is. Thanks for reading and reviewing!
Night-Owl123: This is as ASAP as I could go. Man, when you have burdens, you have burdens. Thank you for loving my story, I still think it's decent, not that great. Thanks for reviewing!
Anonymous: Sorry to disappoint you with the update speed this time around... (sulks in an apologetic way) As mentioned, reality is getting onto me quite badly. It's always job first and others second, it'll always be this way for as long as we live. However, that doesn't mean I can't make this story, I won't allow anything to pull me back. Thank you for liking my story, I never thought of it as suspenseful, thank you once again!
Wormkaizer: Yes, I had to make Orochimaru nearly killing our main hero since I can't have the boy winning all the time. If he loses now and then, that'll make the story a lot more interesting. He still has his flaws and weaknesses, you'll see. Thanks for being a loyal reader, it brightens my day to see another familiar name on the reviews. I have to admire your optimism, I wish I had that in real life. Hope you like this chapter!
dee-unlm1t3d: You thought Death Knight was actually a fancy term used for a high level slaves of the Lich King? I never thought of it that way, they were once Paladins and the Lich King highly respects these generals in battle. I'm grateful that I didn't show it as just a fancy title, I'm glad that I made it into something that's worth the name. Thanks for appreciating my story, I hope you'll continue to enjoy the future chapters!
RuByMoOn17: Is it getting better by the minute? Wow, never thought of that way, I always thought I was just doing my job in the best of my ability. I'm happy that you like it, it helps me get into the spirit. Please sit back and enjoy the ride of the new chapter!
chibikakashi: Thanks for liking my chapter, I like long stories too! Hope you like this long chapter my friend!
Blitz-kun: You wanna read more? Here you go, more free gifts from this soldier! Thanks for liking my work!
Crutches: THANK YOU so much, your smile sure did the job in making me more spirited.
Gopu: Thanks for being a loyal reader, I appreciate it!
(Meanwhile inside the central tower of the Forest of Death)
"Haku-sempai..." whispered Rin as she slid into her blanket slowly. "Do you think ni-san and his team would be okay?" The female archer then snuggled and curled herself into more of a ball.
"I'm sure they would be okay..." answered Haku as he stared at the ceiling of a better quality sleeping area than the participants did. "I wouldn't worry that much... knowing Naruto's strength he should come out fine."
"I got a very uneasy feeling about this," said Rin doubtfully. "I could feel a dangerous aura somewhere... it doesn't feel too welcoming..."
"You're just too nervous," stated Haku. "I'm sure the anxiety and worries have gotten too much to you. Rin, you are usually like this when something really big is about to happen. Just loosen up a bit, okay?" Rin bit her lip slightly, she couldn't understand how Haku could be so carefree like at a time like this. The Kamishiro girl then glanced over to her sempai with a look of irritation, he turned his head the other way to avoid any eye contact. Deep down, the Hunter-nin felt the aura as well, he just wanted to have more faith in his friend but he couldn't deny what Rin just said, the feeling was not welcoming at all. 'Ni-san...' she thought looking out to the night with a touch of despair. 'I hope you're okay... I can't accept it if I see the first person I truly loved die... please don't allow my assumption to come true...' She then sat back up knowing she wasn't in the mood to sleep. She then took out the same book that Naruto always carried, she was one who depended on this when she needed it. She turned to a random chapter and started to read to herself in her head.
'Life is not a fair game, we all know that, there's no use in denying it. Despite how much we could lie to others, we can't lie to ourselves. There's no use to make things look good when they truly aren't, it's only a matter of time before a human being wouldn't be able to take it for much longer. Praise, let's talk about praise for a moment. We all love to meet someone's expectations and be praised for it. (AN: Completely taken from Kanashimi wo Yasashisa Ni but this little story would get better.) You may say that 'No, I don't do this for fame', true, you may not be. However, in your heart you want your work to be recognized and wanted by others. It's true, we all want our work to receive all the attention and praise it rightfully deserve, no rants or complains should even get into the picture. I'll tell you what, this is a human ambition, that's how all our minds work no matter if you're an introvert or an extrovert, whether you're good at singing or writing.'
'We all want to be wanted and appreciated in some ways, it's clear that we would consider using our strengths to show off ourselves. Despite what your intentions are, there will be people who want to destroy your moment, who don't want your operation to continue. Wherever you go, there will be these kinds of people around, there is no escaping them. It's true that one who sabotages others is very intolerable but the one who's affected by it shouldn't take actions recklessly. If you seek revenge, you are no better than them. Think about it carefully, never deal with this kind of situation as if you desire vengeance. However, it doesn't mean you should back down from it, take it seriously.'
'It does hurt when people say 'You suck!' in your face or anything insulting but at times you have to think about why they're saying that. Sometimes, they could be just saying it to upset you. However, if a lot of people say the same thing, maybe it's the fact that your work/performance is truly not appealing. Don't expect everything that you do would be praised, especially when not much effort and thought has been put into a certain thing. You and I both know when each of us did a bad job at something, there's no use lying. A poor job is a poor job, there's no point in making it look as something it isn't. If you did put in hard work and thought, you know those insults are meaningless.'
'Selfishness, another poor quality of a human being. It's a person's natural ambition to be selfish. You may say 'I'm not selfish, I'm very generous.' but that phrase is a lie. Anyone is generous to an extent, there will be a point that a person is willing to sacrifice more of their interests and wants. We all want the best for ourselves, think about it carefully. Even lovers could do so much for their loved ones before they want something in return. In a relationship, one can not be selfish and place themselves as number one in their lives but at the same time, no one could be that demanding...'
Rin then closed her book and rested in deep thought. Somehow her mind journeyed back to her beloved brother. She loved Naruto the day she met him, she was in the love triangle herself at a part of her life. The female archer could remember how much she admired him and always wanted him to have the same feelings for her. However, she loved him at the wrong time. Naruto kindly rejected her love and only saw her as his closest sister he would ever have.
Rin accepted that fact and she still did today but it truly pained her somewhat to see that her brother now had a girlfriend and the girl wasn't her. She knew he loved her too but not in the same manner. Rin wasn't jealous of Hinata, she wished them the best sincerely. The Kamishiro girl knew Naruto inside out, she knew whatever she felt moments ago was not a sign of her own anxiety level going too high, something was happening. 'Ni-san...' thought Rin as she began to close her eyes and drift to sleep. 'Please make it out of this alive...'
"Can I come in?" asked a voice suddenly which was fairly familiar to Rin. The girl slowly sat back up and looked over to the door.
"You may..." answered Rin carefully. As the figure entered, Rin couldn't help but feel a bit more secure to find someone she already met. "Sasuke-san, it's good to see you." She greeted him warmly with a grateful smile.
"Thanks..." mumbled the Uchiha blushing slightly as he saw the gorgeous girl in front of him. Rin noticed his blush and gave an even brighter smile to tease him a little bit. Sasuke's shade of fuchsia did deepen which made Rin grin mischievously but soon his face turned back into a serious one.
"Is there anything you need, Sasuke-san?" asked the Kamishiro girl.
"No... I am having an uneasy feeling right now... about Sakura and her team..." answered Sasuke in a low and yet serious tone.
"What about it?" She asked dumbly and innocently.
"I feel a dark presence somewhere in the forests... I don't know if I'm too sensitive but I haven't been able to feel too relaxed ever since I felt it..." 'He must be referring to the aura I'm feeling...' thought the violet hair girl narrowing her eyes slightly. 'If that aura is coming from the deep forests... I think only ni-san could produce something like this...'
"Could you be overreacting?"
"I don't know..." replied the Uchiha. "Maybe I am too tense right now... I may be just too worried about Sakura."
"I'm sure Sakura-san would be fine, Naruto-ni-san is with him." stated Rin giving a smile that was somewhat forced. She knew better not to twist the truth.
"I know, yeah, I should have more faith on her, she did towards me."
"Don't worry about it too much, I'm sure that they would like it if you put more faith into them."
"Maybe I should," said Sasuke considering what Rin just said. "Thanks, Rin, I think I might've been worrying too much, your words really helped me."
"No problem," said Rin with a smile. "We all may have these dilemmas sometime, right?"
"You're right, I think I bothered you enough for one night... I'll head back now."
"Sure, good night, Sasuke-san." Rin bid a farewell warmly that made the boy smiled back in return.
"Good night, Rin." Sasuke then made a calm exit out of the room. As the Kamishiro girl made sure the boy left, she was back in her own thoughts. 'If Sasuke-san felt it... this doesn't sound good to me. Naruto-ni-san, please be okay...' With that out of her mind, she slowly but reluctantly drifted to sleep.
Somewhere in the deep forests, three Konoha genins were still awake. It was the time for them to gather up for a progress report. It would be wise for them to figure out a plan early to plot a strategic advantage.
"So, how are things?" asked the leader of the group no other than Hyuga Neji.
"Very good," replied Lee casually leaning his arm to a tree. "I've located a river not too far from here, I'm certain it would be safe enough if we use that for our water supply. Neji, how about you?"
"This area is full of food just like the instructor said there would. However, there are many surprises here in gathering process... just be careful." Tenten and Lee both nodded in agreement.
"I've found a decent hidden place for shelter," reported Tenten as she took a zip from her water bottle. "It's across from here and I spotted no teams near there either."
"That's good to know," said Lee. "We should commandeer it soon."
"Was there anything strange that you found on the way there?" asked Neji double checking.
"I found nothing strange." Lee gave a very prompt response.
"I saw a several dead bodies on my way..." said Tenten remembering how crippled all the bodies looked. "I found 4... that means 2 teams already failed."
"Already?" asked Neji with a smirk. "Looks like we have some impatient ones in this test. Nonetheless, we don't want to experience the same fate as those unfortunate ones. Staying here would only be worth to our disadvantage. We should move out to the spot Tenten found."
"Okay."
"Roger!" replied Lee silently but firm. Then the three leaped high and disappeared in a flash.
(In the forests that night)
Hinata and Sakura just couldn't sleep that night, with their leader in such a death like state, they couldn't stop worrying for a second. Hinata held on to his hand the entire time, she refused to let go. Sakura thought it was only natural for her concern towards the silver hair Death Knight was high as well. The only thing she hoped for was to see her best friend have that cheerful spirited face that lightened her every morning. It pained Sakura to see Hinata like that, it pained almost anyone who cared about her.
With another kiss on the cheek, Hinata looked over at her lover's face. She frowned knowing his condition wasn't progressing as well as planned. The boy showed signs of both pain and irritation, he also sweated heavily from time to time. She felt his forehead for the first time, she realized he had a fever. With his body at such a weakened state anything could happen. As Naruto continued to struggle to feel better, Hinata and Sakura soon broke into tears once again, they really didn't know what to do. In reality, who would? It wasn't like this happened often. However, little did they know the poison within the Death Knight was slowly taking the deadly effects. If he didn't regain his strength soon, the poison would really take his life. Normally, some poison wouldn't be able to do that but when your body was in such a fragile state, you won't be too immune to a lot of things.
Indeed the poison was zapping a lot of his energy, he needed help but refused the dark energies to step in. However, his mind wasn't thinking like that, he could feel the dark aura already and it wasn't the Unholy Aura, he knew it was something else. Kyubi could sense this a long time ago, he thought Naruto would have enough power not to be influenced. However, seeing her favorite apprentice struggling for this long, she knew it was only a matter of time before he gave in. She couldn't allow it to happen, not here, not now.
(Inside Naruto's mind, a mental combat began)
'Death Knight,' she called softly as she approached him. As the boy turned around to face her, she gasped slightly when him covering the left side of his face with his hand. The part uncovered still showed his cerulean eyes but she could tell the dark aura was covering that other part of his face. 'Naruto...'
'Kyubi-chan...' groaned Naruto as he grinned weakly while giving an evil chuckle. 'Hello... aren't you glad that the thing you fear most is going to be reality?' He then licked his lips hungrily. 'It's only a matter of time before I could taste blood again...'
'That's the evil spirit talking!' she growled as she pulled him close to herself. 'I can't let you be tempted by that thing! I care too much about you to let that happen! Don't let the spirit control you, you're too strong to allow that to happen...'
'It's too late, Kyubi-chan...' whispered Naruto darkly but a bit less of lust. 'If I don't let it to happen... I will die... I'm really dying! There's too much that I can't let go yet.'
'You thought of the consequences if you allow yourself to fall?' she questioned him nearly crying. 'Have you thought of the people you love? How could you accept this so willingly?'
'I need to survive... I'll do whatever it takes to make that happen!' he snapped back with bloody red eyes. The demon mistress knew that was the speech of the dark spirit, the real Naruto would never allow this to happen. She could sense the real him in there, she needed to break it to him and time wasn't on her side.
'What about Hinata?' she asked seriously. 'Remember where you are right now, Hinata and Sakura are by your side waiting for you to recover. Are you that heartless to transform into a demon and kill them? Are you willing to hurt them?'
'Yes!'
'No you won't, you would hurt Hinata?'
'If she gets in my way... I'll destroy her!'
'You would hurt them? You love them both, Naruto! She loves you with all her heart, you two went through a lot for your relationship to happen! Hinata is the most important person in your life, remember? Don't even think of doing something that reckless to the one you love! Don't let the dark energies to control you, they're messing with your head. Be strong. Remember I'm here too to help you, you're not alone here. Sakura, Hinata and I are here, hang in tight and don't allow the darkness to consume you.' Naruto then removed his hand off his face and gave a nod. Kyubi was relieved to see his left eye returned to the blue colour she loved. Even so, she could tell his mental state was in awful crisis. All the demon master could do now was wait and see what kind of chaos would erupt.
(In the early morning the next day)
The female shinobis of Team 7 watched over the Death Knight until daybreak, it was clear to anybody that they barely slept during the night. There was just too much to concern for them to experience any type of decent rest. Hinata looked outside of their camping spot with no signs of tiredness whatsoever, she needed to be strong for her Naruto. Sakura walked out from her sleeping spot and yawned a bit. Suddenly, she heard a fire cracking sound nearby. The pink hair girl knew that Hinata or herself didn't carry explosive tags on them, as she opened her eyes, she immediately saw one about a several feet away from her. It immediately exploded causing the girl to scream in pain. The force sent Sakura colliding to a tree with a heavy impact.
"Sakura-san!" yelled Hinata as she watched her friend took the blow completely. It was then when a powerful cutting wind coming from the forest attacked the Hyuga heiress. Hinata took on her guard but unfortunately for her, she was too tired from last night to show any type of resistance. Like Sakura, she was blown forcefully back crashing to the ground near Sakura. Hinata groaned in pain as she got back up on her feet, she glared angrily at whoever pulled off that stunt. This wasn't the greatest time to meet any other teams.
"Who the hell are you?" questioned Sakura as the 3 Sound-nins revealed themselves from the forest with the most confident smirks on their faces.
"You can tell by our forehead protectors," said Dosu pointing to his headband.
"Sound-nins..." hissed Hinata quietly.
"That's right, little girl. Getting you two out of the way should be quite simple."
"Why are you here? What do you want with us?"
"Our intentions are not your concern," snapped Zaku. "Just get out of our way and we'll consider sparing your lives!"
"As if we'll surrender just like that to a bunch of Sound demented retards!" retorted Sakura. "I don't care what you are doing here, we'll make sure you won't proceed any further!"
"As if you could," said Kin very amusedly. "You could see that you're outnumbered."
"Do you see that we care?"
"You're taking the two of us too lightly," added Hinata as she stood in her taijutsu stance. "I know it's not us that you're after..." The 3 Sound-nins jerked back slightly at her words.
"You're after Naruto-ni-chan, aren't you?" questioned the emerald eye girl. "I have no idea who you serve or what you want with him, you're not getting one step closer!"
"I suggest you three to back down now," stated the Hyuga heiress fiercely. "I'll say this, we won't hold anything back to protect him."
"I never expected this kind of resistance," said Kin with much sarcasm but managed to keep a straight face.
"No matter," spat Zaku. "If we beat them when they gave it their all, they would know the true meaning of being powerless. This would definitely be very fun."
"Deal with them," ordered Dosu coldly.
"Enough talk!" demanded Sakura as her teammate dashed to the three immediately preparing another raging battle. Zaku and Kin then leaped together in a team to take on the two Konoha genins while Dosu stayed behind the sidelines to observe.
Kin took on Hinata while Zaku dealt with Sakura, it was clear to both sides this was guaranteed to be a battle that your lives were on the line. Kin took on the first opportunity and decided to fight with taijutsu. The Sound girl first used a swipe kick aimed for the head but the Heiress simply shifted her head back slightly to dodge. Kin cursed her luck and decided to pursuit with punches. Hinata then activated the Byakugan, without much effort she blocked and countered every punch with her own. Hinata knew her opponent wasn't that great with taijutsu, the heiress could clearly tell Kin was testing her strength. She would prove to the Sound girl that testing her patience was one of the last things she should be doing.
As another swift punch was aimed for Hinata's chest, she smirked as dashed forward to take on the offensive. Seeing her opponent's tactics changed, Kin also decided to make a few comebacks. However, that wasn't before she received a palm strike to the face heavily. Stumbling backwards trying to maintain control, the Sound girl tossed a swarm of needles at Hinata. Seeing it coming, Hinata quickly lowered her body to evade the attack completely. 'Damn her!' cursed Kin as she readied herself for another pursuit.
With complete composure, the Sound-nin then threw two groups of needles quickly aimed at her opponent's critical points. The Hyuga girl then formed the hand seal of Blink and teleported away. Kin's eyes widened at Hinata's cunning abilities but she didn't expect the Hyuga heiress to appear right in front of her with her palm ready for a Gentle Fist. As Hinata's hand made contact with Kin's body, her eyes narrowed and twitched when she figured it was a replication.
'She thought one step ahead of me...' thought the Hyuga girl nearly blaming herself but chose to calm down. 'She can't fool my eyes.' This was something Naruto frequently said when he wanted to pierce into someone's thoughts and mind. Sensing a presence behind her, she lifted her left arm to block a kick that was aimed for her head. With the Byakugan activated, no one could hide behind Hinata. However, the Byakugan user was clearly impressed that her opponent was at her blind spot. She knew it must've been a fluke, it wouldn't happen twice. Kin was furious, none of her attacks seemed to be doing anything. It was nearly like her opponent was prepared for anything given to her. As Hinata decided to make a counter with another Gentle Fist, Kin suddenly leaped high into the air.
With a few hand seals, Kin then called down a rain of needles hoping to end things. (AN: It's not as dramatic as the Rain-nins that fought Gaara since Kin isn't a Rain-nin. However, hers is more of a one shot suppressing fire attack. It's deadly nonetheless.) Hinata was impressed with her sudden attack but then smirked as she began generate chakra in her hand. It was then when the heiress stood in another stance.
"Shadow Strike!" shouted Hinata mildly as she released a chakra formed dagger to the needles coming downward to her. Her attack shattered Kin's needles into pieces and continued to head straight for the female Sound-nin. In such a vulnerable position, Kin couldn't make any sort of evasion and took the mysterious attack completely. A great deal of pain was the result causing Kin to scream painfully and crash-landed slightly defenselessly. As she attempted to pull herself together, she was immediately stopped as another considerable amount of pain came to her. Hinata continued to stand in her Hyuga stance as her opponent slowly stood up.
"What the hell did you do to me?" questioned Kin rudely as she held the lower area of her upper body panting heavily due to the pain.
"Nothing much," replied Hinata insincerely. "You just got hit by my Shadow Strike attack, an attack worked best on killing a target with one shot since it does contain a poison in it that's formed with my chakra. At first you feel much agony, then the poison will show more of the side effects later."
"What are you talking..." Kin stopped her talking and held her pained spot more tightly. It wasn't long before she vomited blood. 'I don't understand this...' thought Kin as she coughed. 'My body is suddenly weaker...no, this couldn't be the poison effect is it?'
"Finishing you off would be easy now, your movements has slowed down dramatically." Hinata charged forward at her opponent with high speed knowing Kin was dramatically weaker. Unknowing to the heiress, the Sound nin wasn't as ready to fall down just yet, she still had quite the spirit within her. With a lift of her legs, Kin prepared herself for a spin kick. Before she could proceed with her attack, her movements unexpectedly stopped. Kin fell on her knees vomiting more blood than last time. The pain was there once again, this time it was more severe, she knew she couldn't continue this. Every 10 seconds or less, she could sense a portion of her health being zapped away. It was then when Hinata seized this open chance to strike Kin in the chin once again with her palm sending her gliding backward with much pain. Suddenly, the Shadow Strike effect activated again giving the female Sound-nin another deal of torment. At that time, Kin went unconscious as her body made contact to the ground.
The heiress was proud of her victory but she knew it wasn't the perfect moment to celebrate just yet. Seeing his ally down, Dosu immediately stepped in to engage Hinata in another ferocious combat. Hinata grimaced at the sight but held her ground as the leader Sound-nin made his first pursuit.
(Meanwhile)
Sakura on the other hand wasn't having such a susccessful fight. Zaku was obviously counting on his brutality rather than cunningness. The emerald eye shinobi secretly was glad that Naruto taught her many evasive techniques, she couldn't believe how handy it had actually become. Sakura could tell her eyes and senses have drastically improved, Zaku's movements didn't seem to be as fast as they seem to be but deadly regardless. Zaku unexpectedly slid out 2 kunais from underneath his sleeves and made a surprise attack at Sakura. Even though it was noticed by the girl, she couldn't deny that it was released at a fairly quick speed. Sakura leaned her head back in the best of her ability and miraculously evaded the attack successfully. Zaku winced his eyes in frustration but smirked as the girl unintentionally made a vulnerable spot as she fixed her composure.
"I see an opening!" shouted Zaku as he launched a kick at the girl. Sakura quickly made a guard but unfortunately it wasn't before the kick made contact with her chest sending her backwards crashing to the ground. The Sound male smiled devilishly while the Leaf genin wiped away the dirt away from her mouth and glared fiercely. She then ran back to him and made a quick combat with taijutsu. It was clear to her that Zaku had more stamina than she had but she knew she would be able to get him. Zaku, however seemed confident he was going to win as his fist jammed the girl on the elbow. Sakura grimaced at the pain but smirked as another punch came. Suddenly, Zaku's attack hit nothing but air, his eyes widened at this.
"What the hell..." he asked himself angrily.
"I'm right here," said Sakura as she appeared next to him after her Phase Shift. Unknowing to Zaku, the girl was already gripping extremely tightly to his left arm. "How does it feel like to be squeezed?" She then strengthened her hold making the boy groan in pain.
"Let go of me!" shouted Zaku as he charged up for an Air Cutter in his right arm. As his free arm aimed at the girl, he didn't hesitate to unleash the powerful gust hidden in it. The winds sent Sakura forcefully back, she couldn't control her actions properly at all. She knew the Phase Shift wouldn't work this time around since the effect could last for 2 seconds at most. That wasn't enough dodging time. It was clear that remaining in that gust would be to her disadvantage, she quickly formed a several hand seals of a technique she hadn't used in a while, it would prove to be very useful.
"Mirror Image!" yelled the girl as she suddenly vanished by a peculiar warp. A mysterious wave movement soon appeared half a second later, 4 Sakuras were there, standing in a combat stance. 'What is this technique... I haven't seen anything like this before...' thought Zaku as he prepared himself for a tough combat. At that instant, the 4 Sakuras dashed to her opponent at high agility preparing to strike. As Sakura's fist reached close to her opponent's face, as a natural reaction, Zaku raised a hand to block it. As his hand caught her fist, he was surprised at the strength that was put into it, it was weak. The Sound genin could tell her attacks were fast, some of them were hitting him cleanly and effectively. However, it would've been much more effective if more strength was put into it.
"You're a weak one, bitch!" growled the boy confidently as he blocked another attack. "I should just kill you immediately, you're wasting my time!" Completely out of the blue, his neck then felt an incredible amount of pain jolting into his system. It felt like a forceful karate-chop struck it. He slowly turned his head around just to see another Sakura behind him with her hand to his neck. He could see she was smirking darkly.
"Who's weak now?" she questioned him coldly. "Did you have fun with my Mirror Images?"
"What the hell are they?" he shouted as he cunningly prepared an attack.
"It really wouldn't make a difference if I'm going to kill you," She then took out her kunai from her holster. "Say die!"
"I don't think so, you little red riding bitch..." Sakura then gasped as another gust of wind captured her, Zaku grinned sinisterly and rolled away under the massive pain he still had on his neck. The winds got stronger by each passing second, the girl couldn't break free despite how desperate she wanted to. The winds then turned into a cyclone consuming her fully as she spun inside helplessly. Within a matter of seconds, the cyclone violently released her from the top like an amusement park ride but this time around, it was no ride. The pink hair genin was sky rocketed to the air and soon hit ground with a devastating impact. The immediate result of that collision was a painful vomit of a lot of blood. As the powerless girl continued to cough with much difficulty, Hinata was knocked to the ground sliding roughly on the dirt. The Hyuga girl vomited as well due to the severe injuries she received. Sakura watched Dosu as he tilted from side to side while walking to Zaku, he seemed quite beat up himself. She knew he had a difficult time dealing with Hinata but she couldn't believe the heiress actually lost.
The two male Sound-nins watched the two girls pitifully, they readied themselves for their final attacks. The situation didn't look good for Sakura, her friend was unconscious and to make things already worse than it was, she was badly wounded. She failed Naruto, she failed her team.
"What a terrifying girl..." said Dosu as he regained his normal breathing rate. "Even with my attacks... she just kept going... she managed to beat me this badly when herself was pretty drained "
"Who cares about that now, Dosu!" snapped Zaku angrily yet wanting to end things quickly. "They were challenging, I'll give them that! But it's time for them to meet their maker."
"You're right."
(Currently in Naruto's head)
'I don't feel Hinata-chan's energies... Sakura-chan's is too low...' thought Naruto worriedly as he tried to maintain his deadly ability to activate. 'Could they be under attack?'
'Your friends are under heavy combat...' answered Kyubi sadly since she was strong enough to sense the other signatures. 'Sakura is badly wounded and Hinata is down...' Naruto's eyes became deadly fierce.
'How dare they hurt Hinata-chan!' the dark shinobi said in an enraging temper. Suddenly, the dark aura once again enveloped him, this time completely.
'Naruto, no! Don't do it!'
'I'll make sure they suffer...' Those were his last words before the darkness took him. Kyubi watched helplessly as her apprentice was about to activate his deadly transformation.
(Back in reality)
"Say your prayers, little bitch!" shouted Zaku as he ran to Sakura with a kunai in hand. Sakura's eyes twitched in anger, she wanted to continue this fight but her body didn't respond in the manner she wanted it to. It felt dead, that last fall was critical. She knew she couldn't evade the incoming attacks, she held a kunai in her hand and readied herself for the worst possible scenario. Sakura thought this was the end, she failed Hinata, she failed her brother. There was too much for her to just let go, she wanted to become a good jounin, be with her friends, allow Naruto to love her as the best sister she could be, be with Sasuke and a lot more. She couldn't now because she was too weak. To herself, she was a loser. 'So this would end everything, would it?' she thought bitterly.
"Konoha Senpuu!" yelled a familiar voice as he made a 360 degree kick at Zaku's gut. The Sound-nin fell on his back painfully as the new acquaintance landed safely in front of Sakura.
"Lee-san..." said Sakura dumbly. That was all she could gather after that shock. She was so grateful that he was here.
"Hello, Sakura-san," greeted Lee with his back turned to her. "Looks like you need some help."
"Why are you here?" she asked weakly and coughed a bit.
"Like I said before, I will protect you until I die." Lee replied with a smile in his usual taijutsu stance. "How are Hinata-san and Nauto-kun?"
"It looks real bad..."
"You should be ashamed of yourselves," called a firm male voice from above. Lee smirked while Sakura looked behind her to see Neji and Tenten together. "Looks like you Sound-nins are nothing but a bunch of bullies who like to pick on rookies." Tenten was shocked to see Naruto and Hinata out of action, she couldn't believe Naruto wasn't even in the battle. She was curious of what happened to him but she had more important things to deal with.
"You look pretty tough," spat Zaku pointing at Neji. "Why don't you come down here and show us what you're worth?"
"Normally I wouldn't care for any other team other than my own," said Neji as his voice contained much rage. "But you have hurt my friends down there and you went overboard with them!" The Hyuga genius then activated the Byakugan which startled the two Sound-nins.
'His eyes...' thought Dosu with fear. 'It feels like he could see everything around him with it... it's just like that girl's...'
'His Byakugan,' thought Sakura. 'They are even more frightening than Hinata-san's...'
"Still acting tough, huh?" taunted Zaku. "Just because you think you have those eyes doesn't mean you scare me! I'm not afraid of you, c'mon down and fight me like a man!" Neji smirked returned to his face while Tenten also prepared herself for a battle. As Neji and Tenten were about to join Lee who was defending Sakura, he suddenly sensed a very dangerous aura.
'That chakra... it can't be...' thought Neji as a cold sweat came down his side. The weapon master noticed the quick change in his expression, she was puzzled.
"What's wrong, Neji-kun?" she asked as a small sign of fear crept on the Hyuga male's face.
"You're afraid of me?" shouted Zaku confidently. "If you don't like what we were doing, come down and fight!"
"No, there's no point for me to do a thing..." answered Neji as he pointed at the body behind Sakura. Everyone reverted their attention and froze in fear. Dosu cold sweated as he began to see a pitch black source of energy was surrounding the target they were searching for. The energies were growing more powerful, they could feel it in their veins.
"Ni-chan, you're awake..." said Sakura but stopped as she saw him get up. Her eyes showed both pain and fear as he slowly removed his blindfold and opened his eyes, it wasn't teal or cerulean, it was red. His pupils had a strong sense of darkness within it just like how his aura was enveloping him at that moment. As the Death Knight stood tall, everyone took a step back to achieve some distance. Naruto's energies were like a pitch black smoke that was consuming him more and more each second, like a dark figure within a shadow.
"Sakura..." began the transforming half demon in a threatening voice. He didn't even use the suffix chan.
"Yes..." she asked trembling.
"Who did this to you?" he continued in a dangerous tone.
"Naruto-ni-chan... are you okay?"
"Yes, I'm fine," answered the Death Knight coldly. "I feel great, this is only part of the power of the Metamorphosis."
"The what?"
"It's not fully complete yet... but it will be soon enough," he then laughed evilly in a way Sakura had never heard before. Lee and his team narrowed their eyes carefully, they knew this wasn't the Naruto they knew. "I don't like to repeat myself, Haruno Sakura. Who the hell did this to you?"
"I did!" said Zaku proudly. Dosu on the other hand twitched in shock when he heard his teammate's response. At this time, mistakes couldn't be afforded.
"You have signed your death sentence," stated Naruto with a dark laughter.
"I'll like to see you try!" Zaku then prepared himself to strike.
"Zaku!" shouted Dosu hurriedly. "Don't do it!" Despite his teammate's warning, Zaku charged up his attack and unleashed it on the Death Knight hastily and recklessly.
"Maximum Air Cutter!" An extremely forceful razor wind then blasted the dark shinobi. Naruto simply stood there and allowed the attack to hit him directly while Lee, Sakura, Neji and Tenten were having trouble remaining at the positions they were at. Suddenly, Tenten lost her grip on the trees but luckily Neji gripped on her wrist tightly before she went flying off.
"Thank you, Neji-kun," said Tenten blushing.
"Just don't let go!" ordered Neji for he was struggling to stay in one place. After half a minute of devastating winds, Zaku breathed heavily due to the fact he used up a lot of chakra in that one initial blast. As the smoke cleared, he twitched in fear for he couldn't believe what he saw. The dark energies were still present and the silver hair genin still had that smirk on his face. What freaked Zaku and Dosu even more was how the Death Knight defended against his attack. They didn't know when the boy had black devil wings, it seemed to have grown out of his back. Naruto looked demonic.
As the Death Knight stepped closer to them, everyone knew he wasn't affected in any way. Zaku's confidence submerged immediately when he saw no scratches or cuts whatsoever. 'Who is this guy?'
"You call that your maximum?" questioned Naruto as his stretched out his wings back. "You have to do better than that."
"I'll show you who is the boss!" shouted the Sound-nin angrily as he charged to the half demon hastily. He then unleashed more hidden kunais at him which Naruto tilted his head amusingly to evade. Zaku gritted his teeth angrily and decided to fight him in taijutsu. Naruto didn't even bother to stop him from advancing, he wanted to see how much his opponent could pull off. As Zaku charged with a punch, the demon's wings intercepted the attack. As the fist made contact, Zaku couldn't believe what he felt. He pulled his fist back and held it painfully.
'His wings are as hard as steel...' thought the Sound male in disbelief. 'What in the hell is going on here?' Once Zaku got his act together, he decided to fight him with range. As Zaku aimed his hand at Naruto preparing an Air Cutter, the Death Knight opened his wings into flight. Since it was too late to cancel his attack, Zaku released the Air Cutter rather a bit too recklessly. With a heavy flap, Naruto was in the air looking down at his pathetic opponent.
"I won't let you escape!" shouted the wind user as he continued to blast wind after wind like a maniac. With swift movements Naruto could avoid all of them easily. Zaku didn't give up, he was determined to take him down. As Naruto dived downward at high speed, Zaku then fired numerous of Air Cutters directly at his face. Naruto smirked widely as he shifted his body sideways to dodge one, then flew higher to avoid another and to let Zaku know he was no match for him, he even allowed some of them to hit him. Zaku and Dosu were shocked that none of Zaku's attacks even phased him, even those ones that hit directly in the face.
"Take cover!" shouted Dosu as Naruto dived at high speed. As Zaku ducked to lower himself as much as he could, the Death Knight cursed silently under his breath and glided to a further distance away from them. Zaku got back up immediately and launched another Air Cutter at Naruto's back. The result was a heavy impact but Naruto took the strike completely with no signs of pain. 'This ain't possible!' thought Zaku twitching in fear and frustration. He then dug into his weapon pouches and tossed multiples of shurikens in a legion. However, even though it might've hit him, the shurikens weren't able to pierce through the wings. In truth, it didn't make a dent. Zaku knew his enemy could've evaded them easily, he just decided not to so he could prove how powerless Zaku really was. For the first time during this combat, Zaku experienced fear.
'It's time to even the scales...' thought Naruto while smirking evilly. At that moment he suddenly disappeared. The next second he was already in front of Zaku with an amused look. Before the Sound genin could even jerk back, the Death Knight's knee was in contact with his stomach. While Zaku lowered himself to hold the pained area, Naruto raised his leg and slammed it on his opponent's back in a downward action. Zaku fell face first on the floor painfully, it happened so quickly that they nearly couldn't catch up with. Naruto then stepped on his opponent's back with one foot and the other one pinning Zaku's right arm. Naruto then held his opponent's left arm with his own hands in a dead lock. Then he began to give in pressure to all those three points.
"You seem to like your arms," hissed the Death Knight terrifyingly. "It's such a shame you can't be proud of them for much longer."
"Stop... stop it!" The Sound nin could feel the demon trying to break his body parts.
"Stop?" asked Naruto with much sarcasm. "You're in no position to ask me anything."
"I beg you to please stop!"
"Never." Without hesitation, Naruto directed much pressure at all three points allowing all of them to hear forceful bone and ligament breaking sounds with much tortured screams. The sounds were disturbing and sickening as the genins were shocked to see Naruto still having that hungry smirk on his face. While Zaku was still screaming due to his now crippled arms, the Death Knight couldn't help but laugh. "Don't worry, it'll heal someday, I can guarantee that. But I want you to have a little present before I fully release you..." He then used his right hand to take out his primary weapon. As he withdrew it, it was charged with dark green energies.
"What are you doing?" grunted Zaku whose eyes were showing nothing but fear.
"To allow you to experience the sensations of death..." The boy pointed the tip of his runeblade at his victim's neck when Zaku was still trembling in pain. Naruto smirked and allowed the Death Coil to release. Tenten and Sakura shut their eyes as all of them saw the display in front of them. The tortured Sound-nin was devoured by this attack in a gruesome manner. He screamed like a girl but no one cared at all. The Death Coil appeared to be eating Zaku alive. His skin gradually turned pale white and he no longer showed much life. His pupils in his eyes became gray when the burst of death was over. Neji's eyes twitched in frustration, frustrated that how could anyone be so merciless? This wasn't the Naruto he met before the exam, it was scary. With Zaku now like a zombie, he no longer had the will to fight. Naruto released the lifeless fool and eyed the last Sound-nin.
"This leaves just you," said Naruto with much lust for death. "You better entertain me better than him..." The half demon then approached Dosu slowly with his runeblade still in his hand. As he made each step, the blade grew brighter with deadly chakra. As he walked by Sakura and Lee, the pink hair girl was in the verge of tears. She couldn't believe what she witnessed in this past minute, it was too overwhelming for her. As she saw Hinata began to get up, Sakura's mind was in chaos. There was no possible way that she could allow Hinata to see him in this form, it would crush her. The kind and supportive Naruto was no longer here, only a ruthless and merciless one stood. He destroyed a person as if it was nothing and now he thirsts for more. Tears came out of her eyes once again, Lee could tell she was emotionally crushed.
"Na-Naruto-kun..." groaned the Hyuga heiress as she forced her body to summon enough strength to pull herself back together. Hearing that voice, Neji and Tenten immediately rushed to her side offering assistance.
"Hinata-sama!" shouted Neji as he supported his cousin. Tenten was surprised that she was awake.
"What happened?" asked Hinata weakly but firm. "Neji-ni-san... please tell me..."
"Naruto has wings..." replied Tenten worriedly. Those words made Hinata's eyes widen in shock. The first thing that struck her was the Metamorphosis. She unexpectedly pushed the two away refusing their help. The older genins were shocked by this outburst. Hinata and Sakura's bodies suddenly reacted on their own, forgetting about all the pains that were still in their bodies they ran and stood in front of him blocking his advance. Tears were in their eyes, they wouldn't allow Naruto to do anymore.
"What do you think you're doing?" questioned Naruto tightening the grip on his weapon with his red eyes flashing dangerously. "Get out of my way or I'll kill you both!"
"Naruto-kun, it's me Hinata!" reminded the Hyuga heiress desperately wanting him to recognize her. "Please... I know you're not fully transformed yet... please return to me. Don't let the Metamorphosis control you, you're too strong to let that happen!" 'Metamorphosis?' thought Sakura.
"I don't care who you are, you're in my way!" The Death Knight then raised his blade high and readied to strike. However, a sudden pain came into his head. Sakura and Hinata watched him carefully as he held his head painfully.
"Fight it, ni-chan!" encouraged Sakura not really knowing what the Metamorphosis was. She just wanted her brother to be back to the way he was.
"I love you, Naruto-kun... please come back to me..." begged Hinata as she wanted to cry. She couldn't stand to watch him like this for much longer, she immediately attached herself onto him giving the half demon a passionate embrace. Even though she wasn't awake to witness what happened, she had a very clear idea of what was going on. She wanted the gentle and sincere Naruto to return to her, she didn't want her lover to be an engine of destruction. She hugged him tighter while pushing herself a bit closer to him to feel his warmth.
Sensing her touch, Naruto's eyes softened a little and reluctantly looked at her. What the demon saw was a girl who refused to let him go, tears were rolling down her cheeks from her pearl like eyes, a beautiful girl was there for him. To the Hyuga girl's surprise, she suddenly heard a dropping sound and felt a pair of arms embracing her as well. She blushed a bit and looked at him, she could see his wings were extracting back to his body, the dark aura around him was slowly dispersing. Most importantly, his red eyes gradually returned to the blue colour she loved. She then gave in more passion in her hug and Sakura didn't hesitate to join in. When Naruto felt Sakura's touch, his body felt relaxed and breathed softly.
Meanwhile, Dosu was still too shocked at the moment. As his mind jolted back to reality, he immediately took out the scroll he was carrying and alerted the three genins.
"We can't defeat you..." admitted Dosu trembling. "Uzumaki Naruto... please accept this scroll..."
"Why?" questioned the Death Knight harshly. Even though he no longer was transformed, his glare and voice gave the Sound-nin chills.
"I'm forfeiting... you're very strong indeed, without my teammates I can't take you on."
"I refuse to accept your scroll!"
"What?"
"My team has both scrolls already, why would we need yours?"
"Please!" begged Dosu. "Accept it, let us go in peace!" At this point, Dosu was already kneeling bowing his head to the half demon.
"Fateless coward!" shouted Naruto as he gathered chakra to his hand to attract Nightshadow to his hand. "The only place I'll let you go is straight to hell!" He then broke himself out of the embrace he was in and dashed angrily at Dosu. However before any damage was dealt, Sakura quickly took a hold on the boy's wrist halting his assault. Naruto flashed a glare at Sakura. "Let go, Sakura-chan!"
"Naruto-ni-chan, I won't let you! We killed enough people for one day, please stop!" exclaimed the pink hair girl with a saddened look. Naruto narrowed his eyes in irritation for a moment and looked over to Hinata who had the same expression as Sakura. He sighed and decided to calm himself down.
"Please let us go," pleaded Dosu lowering himself lower than dirt. "Give us a chance to run but I will ensure you the next time we meet, we won't run away. I promise you we will fight you to the bitter end."
"Enough of your fancy speeches!" growled Naruto in rage. "Leave your damn scroll and get out of my sight! You're not exactly the best person I want to look at." As an immediate response, Dosu quickly picked up both Zaku and Kin over his shoulders and leaped back into the forests gratefully. As the Sound ninjas were no longer nearby, the Death Knight felt an uneasy feeling within himself. He wanted to vomit but felt too weak to do anything. Without noticing, he fell face first to the ground. The remaining five genins panicked.
(Days later since that delinquent encounter with the Sound nins)
He didn't know how long he had passed out for, when he regained enough strength to open his eyes, he found out he was lying on a bed. He could tell he wasn't in his room, the ceiling was white while his was blue. As he paid more attention around, he could see a several people were here with him. Hinata, Sakura, Rin, Haku, Sasuke and the Special Jounin Mitarashi Anko were present.
"Naruto-kun, you're finally awake!" exclaimed Hinata as she hugged him immediately without a second thought. Naruto coughed a bit due to her sudden actions but didn't hesitate to hug her back.
"Hey it's okay, Hinata-chan, I'm fine." He assured in the best of his ability. She then claimed his lips in a deep kiss. Haku and Sasuke both grinned a little at the sight, it was good to see the two reunite with another. Sakura wanted to do that with Sasuke as well but she didn't know how he would react. Rin at that time was too angry at her brother for being so careless before. She had to interrupt the moment.
"Ni-san, you had us worried!" shouted Rin as she held his hand tightly on the other side of Hinata.
"What happened to me?"
"Based on these medical reports..." said Haku. "You suddenly fainted after your last battle."
"Fainted?" asked Naruto in disbelief. "How did..."
"Ni-san, your body was still too weak at that time," said Rin concernedly. "You shouldn't be so reckless, you had me so worried!"
"I'm sorry Rin-chan..." apologized Naruto. "I just..." Rin then put a finger to his lips and gave him an understanding look. Naruto simply smiled back. "I'm sorry to worry you, all of you."
"It's okay, Naruto-kun," said Hinata kissing him on the cheek. "As long as you're okay."
"Naruto," called Sasuke with a grin with Sakura next to him with her head on his shoulder. "You really kept Sakura in one piece, you truly do keep your word."
"Did you discuss something with ni-chan without me?" asked Sakura eyeing her friend cautiously. Sasuke and Naruto simply laughed a little. "Sasuke-kun, what did you two talk about?"
"I'm sure Sasuke will tell you, Sakura-chan," replied the Death Knight as he kissed Hinata on the forehead gently. He then looked over at Anko who was really quiet for a long time. "Anko-san, is there something you need to talk to me about?" The Special Jounin then woke up from her thoughts and took a glance at the Death Knight seriously. When she gave a nod to him, Naruto could tell there would be a long explanation after this.
"You can talk a little bit," said Anko. "I would need to talk to you a little later though." Naruto silently nodded while Anko exited the room quietly.
"So, how long was I out for?" asked Naruto to Haku.
"This is already the third day of the exam, you arrived around morning of the second day," answered the Mist hunter-nin. "I'm surprised to see you awake after that severe injury of yours. You really are quite the guy."
"Thanks, sempai..." groaned Naruto as coughed a bit. Hinata tugged him closer to herself while Rin felt his pulse. She was glad it was normal. "Even so... where am I?"
"You're in the ward of the tower," explained Sakura happily. "You know what that means?"
"Not really..." answered Naruto with Hinata giggling beside him.
"We passed the exam!" exclaimed Hinata and Sakura joyfully. Naruto just gave them a grin, deep down he was glad to pass this thing. Rin and Haku smiled with them while Sasuke gave his friend a pat on the shoulder.
"That's good to hear, but how many teams have passed so far?" This time around, the Death Knight's question was serious. Rin and Haku obviously didn't know but Sasuke seemed to hold the answers.
"The very first team that arrived was the Sand team..." said Sasuke in a low voice. "That team with the red head with a gourd. My team arrived second and your team and Hyuga Neji's team arrived at the same time."
"There are only 4?" The Uchiha, Hinata and Sakura nodded together. "How did Neji's team get here the same time as us?"
"We gave them the additional scroll that we didn't need," explained Hinata. "They tried to help us... I think it was the least that we could do to show our gratitude. I hope you're not mad..."
"No, don't be silly. I want to fight Neji and Lee in the future, I would be disappointed if they didn't make it. Hinata-chan, I'm glad you did that."
"Looks like ni-san never likes to avoid strong opponents," teased Rin as she took a cup of tea and offered to her brother. "You are always like this."
"What's the fun in fighting weak people, you get nothing out of it if you win." All the others had to agree with that logic, looks like the boy's wisdom was still there.
"Naruto-ni-chan, how did you get that wound to begin with?" asked Sakura.
"Yeah, Naruto-kun, that had to be the most serious injury I had to treat yet," added Hinata. "You made me worried sick about you. How could you have disappeared like that on us?"
"I think I may have part of the answer you are looking for, Hinata-san, Sakura," said Sasuke. "I'll tell you guys later, okay?" The two girls then nodded and reverted their attention to Naruto.
"Ni-san, it's a good time for the talk with Anko," reminded Rin as she looked at the clock. "Sasuke-san, Hinata-san and Sakura-san, I'm sorry but Anko specifically said only sempai, ni-san and I could be present."
"We'll tell you as much as we could later, okay?" Haku tried to compromise. Despite how much Hinata wanted to be with her lover, she knew she was in no position to complain. She then kissed her boyfriend softly on the cheek which made him smile in return. Sakura then took her best friend's hand and exited the room with Sasuke. As soon as the three left the room, Anko accompanied with Kakashi entered and closed the door. The two jounins then took a seat near Naruto and sat silently.
"So, what do you need me to talk about?" asked Naruto sort of knowing what they want already.
"How about if you start from the beginning?" asked Kakashi kindly.
"Yes, start at the point when the second exam started," corrected Anko. "You have to tell us everything that you remember, okay?" Naruto simply nodded with a smile.
"Yeah, that's fine with me, Kakashi-san, Anko-san," said Naruto quite co-operatively. "There are some questions I might want to ask you two myself." 'So, it begins...'
AN: I need to apologize for the late update this time around. As you can see work as gotten in my way to write this story in time. I suppose it ain't that bad, I could've took even longer. Anyway, I hope you all loved this chapter. I will apologize if you think that the Metamorphosis was a little short or not exciting enough. Feel free to complain about it, I personally think that it was a little short but I couldn't imagine what would've happened if he lost himself. If he did, he would've changed the storyline too much and I would be in serious deep trouble. The last thing I need is to make any more writers block for myself. They are truly troublesome, for any authors out there, I'm sure you know my pain. I'm certain that there will be another case of the Metamorphosis, who knows when he would use it. Oh yeah, the transform isn't as dramatic as the real Demon Hunter's ability, Naruto would have only bloody red eyes, dark aura, maybe a bit more built and devil wings with a very wide wingspan like a demon. To those who thought the ending part of the transformation was kind of cheesy... well, I think I'm running low on ideas. Not that low, don't worry about that. If you have good suggestions, I'm happy to hear it. If you want to complain about that cheesy ending of the transformation, feel free. I need some discipline.
Before I go, I really want you reviewers to tell me which one of you don't know Warcraft3 at all, like absolutely no idea. If you really don't know it, tell me and I will explain things in a more orderly fashion. Just because I understand this story, doesn't mean all of you would. Feel free to tell me, I don't mind the effort. As long as no misunderstanding arise, that'll be good enough for me. Next chapter may take a week or so since I have work for one more week, I hope you guys would be patient with me. Thanks again for reading!