A/N: Holy long as hell chapter Batman!! Anyway, here we go, chapter 7. Chapter 8 will be much shorter and will be the end of our little story. . . hopefully. Anyway, I only got 1 review for chapter 6. I'm just wondering if anyone even reads my story anymore. Anyway, sorry for taking so long. PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD REVIEW!!!!!! Your reviews are like writing candy, and without a review candy high, I won't write. Oh, mistakes will be abundant, no beta reader.
Warning: This chapter contains violence and blood shed.
Chapter 7:
"Do you understand Naruto?"
"Yes yes, its simple, even I can't mess up at doing what I do best."
"You mean being loud and annoying?"
"Yeah . . . hey wait a minute; annoying?"
"Just shut it, and get ready."
The two chunins covered themselves well behind the rock formation. Their plan was simple, but whether or not its simplicity made for an easy execution was yet to be seen. Shikamaru nodded to Naruto, the sign for the plan to commence. Breathing deeply, Naruto shot up and out behind the stalagmite.
"HEY YOU DUMB NINJAS, I'M UZAMAKI NARUTO, THE NEXT LEAF HOKAGE!!!"
All but Yunibi were caught off guard from the loudmouth blond's interruption. At first the other four were confused on why a boy would do such a stupid, life threatening thing. The pervert who touched Ino was the first to push away his initial confusion and jumped to his feet. Yunibi on the other hand; sat and stared at Naruto with fear and curiosity.
"Who the hell are you, boy?" The cloud-nin demanded.
Naruto looked at the man with confusion, "Didn't I just tell you?"
"Stupid kid." The cloud-nin hissed as he drew a kunai and charged. He clenched his weapon hard and brought it up to his face, ready to plow straight into the boy with its deadly tip. Naruto just stood there, as if nothing was happening and he had not one care in the world. The cloud-nin let out a battle cry within feet of Naruto's delicate neck. Feet became inches, and the knife was still in hand, only seconds away from driving deep into the boys unprotected flesh.
The charging stopped, the kunai's tip barely touching the blond's neck, causing a single drop of blood to be released. The man immediately went from the death strike stance on the leaf chunin too a relaxed crouch, his arm now hanging limply over his knee.
"Damn Shikamaru, took you long enough." Naruto said as he pulled back from the now crouching man. He rubbed his neck where the kunai penetrated only centimeters, small amounts of blood smearing in his hand.
"Yeah whatever . . ." Shikamaru trailed off, mumbling about how troublesome life was.
"What the hell, I can't move, someone help me!!" The cloud-nin who attacked Naruto screamed.
Serora looked up at the man. "We would if we could, but we are in the same jutsu."
Shikamaru stood up, revealing himself to the rest of the cave's inhabitants. The four around the fire and the ninja who rushed Naruto also stood up. Yunibi spotted a long shadow coming around the stalagmite ahead, under the cloud-nin and ran along close to the cave walls. It kept going around the wall until Yunibi lost track of it due to his inability to move his own head.
"So this must be the famous leaf's hidden technique; The Shadow Bind? You must have gotten it behind us while we were distracted by that boy and our stupid partner's blinded rush." Yunibi question the boy in front.
"Crap, how many times must I have to repeat myself, its once referred to as that, but now its the Shadow Imitation. But yes, that was the plan." Shikamaru responded, thinking how troublesome it was to repeat himself every time he used his family's jutsu on outside ninjas.
"NARUTO!!! What are you waiting for, come untie us!!" Chouji screamed at the blond who seemed to be ignoring his two chained up friends.
"I will, just hold on!" He barked back.
Naruto pushed past the cloud-nin and walked over to where Chouji and Ino were sitting. Half-way Naruto noticed one of the missing-nin eying him, a tall man with a hidden village of Stone head-band, his expression a mix between fear and wonder. Bending down, he noticed that his friends were chained together with very thick steel, noway he would be able to break them with his strength alone.
"Where's the key?" Naruto asked too no one in particular.
"Over here kid." The man who was eying him said.
Cautiously Naruto went up to the man who nodded towards his left coat pocket. Reaching deep inside he felt the cold metal of the key and pulled it out in triumph. Before he left the man's side however, he heard him whisper something into his ear that made his blood freeze.
"Your Kyuubi's container, aren't you kid?" The man whispered into his ear.
"I don't know what your talking about." Naruto quietly denied.
"Sure kid, whatever, I'll just ask your friends here if they know what I'm talking about."
"No, don't say anything."
"Ha, so they don't know about it."
"Please, don't say anything."
"Fine, I'll be silent for now, but you owe me one."
Naruto nodded, thankful that the man wouldn't reveal his secret. Walking back over to his friends he unlocked the deadbolt on them both. Ino fully awake now, thanked Naruto and together they crossed by the four missing-nins and past the stalagmite too stand next to Shikamaru.
"What now Shikamaru?" Chouji questioned his best friend as he shot the missing-nin who attacked Naruto and tried to pull something sick on Ino a deathly glare. Looking at the man, who now was defenseless, Chouji couldn't help but briefly consider to slice the man's throat open right here.
"Simple." He replied. Forming a seal, shadowy hands began to wriggle their black death up the five caught in the shadow imitation. Only inches away from their target, Chouji interrupted.
"Shika, no. Don't kill the woman, she helped earlier, I have to repay her. But the others . . .kill them."
Yunibi glared at Naruto. "Boy, you owe me, let me and that man live" he pointed towards Marduk. "You may do what you wish with the other two."
The two cloud-nins began to curse Yunibi, then started to beg Shikamaru for their lives. Unfortunately, Shikamaru thought that them being alive would be . . . too troublesome. The black hands wrapped their death grip around the cloud-nin's neck and squeezed. They began to scream before the hands' grip cut off their air. Finally, after the Shadow hand pulled away, the cloud-nins both fell to the grown, tongues hanging from their mouth, eyes rolled back towards their head.
Ino felt sick, shes never seen her best friend kill someone, especially in such a brutal way. Shikamaru looked over to Naruto with a questioning glare. "What deal did you make with that man when you went to get the key, what were you talking about?"
"Nothing, its not important. Just forget it."
"Forget it? Your not telling me something, how can we work together if we aren't fully aware of the decisions our teammate makes."
"Just forget about it Shikamaru, it doesn't matter now. Lets just worry about getting away."
"Troublesome loud . ." Shikamaru trailed off once again, rambling on about the blond haired chunin.
"Anyone of you two have a explosive tag?" Chouji questioned.
Naruto understanding what the boy meant, took out his kunai and attached a explosive tag to it. Walking over to the cave wall, he slammed the tip of the kunai into it, the tag dangling down.
Slowly they all stepped back, as did the three still living missing nin. Finally they couldn't go any farther, the missing-nin were being blocked by the cave wall on the opposite side. Shikamaru nodded to Naruto who got ready.
Releasing the Shadow Imitation Jutsu, Shikamaru turned and ran. Naruto pointed at the explosive tag and released some chakra. The tag went off, the explosion tearing through the cave, the heat met Naruto's back as he turned and sprinted towards the cave's opening. The cave tunnel collapsed, filling up with rocks and boulders, the exit completely sealed off from the three missing-nin who were now on the ground from the explosion's impact.
Shikamaru and Naruto emerged from the cave, meeting up with Chouji and Ino. It was silent, not a single breeze moved threw the the air. It was dead calm.
Naruto looked over at Shikamaru and asked, "Is the storm over?"
"No." he responded, "Its only the eye, the storm is only half-way done."
"You guys don't need me anymore, you guys can find the way back right?" Pakkun question from the Naruto's jacket.
"Yes, your job is over, you can leave now." Replied Shikamaru.
The tracking dog exploded in a puff of smoke. Which sent Naruto into a coughing fit. "Stupid dog!" he yelled.
"This calm is perfect for travel, hurry lets go." Shikamaru ordered.
Together the four leaped towards a tree and started their journey back.
Yunibi stood up, like his partners next to him, he began to cough from the dust the explosion kicked up. Looking over at Marduk he nodded. Marduk understood the signal and walked up to the pile of fallen boulders. He placed his palm on the surface and concentrated. Forcing a load of chakra through his arm and out his hand. He let out a yell as the boulders exploded outward, clearing the path to the exit.
Emerging out of the cave, they found that the eye of the storm was overhead, the calmness unsettling. Their planned ruin because of the leaf ninjas, Yunibi was tempted to just leave and forget the entire thing. However, since the revealing of the Kyuubi kid, he knew that there was a bigger prize now. His contact with the criminal group Akatsuki said that they were trying to capture this kid, if he could get him, the reward would be spectacular. He couldn't pass this chance up.
"Serora, Marduk. that Naruto kid, hes the container of the Kyuubi. We must capture him, for the reward will be great."
The two were shocked, they only heard rumors about the nine-tail demon fox that attacked the Fire Country 12 years ago. They had no idea that it was contained in a child, and wasn't killed. Yet they trusted Yunibi, and decided to go along. Serora easily pin-pointed the chakra signatures of the leaf ninjas and together they darted off after them.
The four leaf ninjas leaped from limb to limb. They fought there way through the cold night, the only light was that of the moon that shined down through the eye of the angry storm. They each thought the worst was over. Their enemies laid in a cave far behind, unable to do anything to them now. They felt safe.
Ino was behind Chouji, she was looking at her new boyfriend with awe. His movements were graceful and nothing like the old Chouji of over the two weeks. Suddenly she was jolted out of her reverie with a hard kick in the side. She was launched sideways, flying several meters before finally slamming into the thick bark of an old tree. She let out a blood curling scream as the pain tore through her body. She slowly slid down, and came to rest on the one of the many branches.
Chouji looked just in time to see the girl impact the tree, but before he could rush to her aid, he was confronted with a sharp strike to his jaw in mid-air. Flying backwards he slammed hard into a tree, sinking deep into the bark, wood splinters exploding outwards as the genin left a crater then finally he fell through the canopy, smashing hard into the ground below.
Shikamaru looked back just in time to see his two friends attacked from unseen forces. Before he could move and help, he too was dealt a blow. A hard elbow to the back of his head sent him spinning violently into a tree, crashing shoulder first into the hard trunk. He fell and landed on his stomach on a thick branch below. The air was pulled from his lungs and he laid dangling over a branch.
Naruto landed on a branch and looked back. He was able to just see Shikamaru crash into a tree. Yelling the lazy chunin's name, he jumped over towards the tree, but was cut off by three figures.
"Thought you could get away that easy, boy?" Yunibi questioned
"You? How did you get out of the cave?"
"What a stupid question."
"Shut up, It doesn't matter, for I will kill you for hurting my friends."
"Whatever kid, if you come with us, We won't be force to end your friends' lives."
"Why would you want me?"
"Dumb kid, your the container of the Kyuubi, and the Akatsuki will be pleased to have you in their possession."
"Akatsuki?" Naruto didn't quit remember the name, but he knew he heard of it before. Then realization dawned on him. It was the organization that Itachi was apart of. They wanted him for the demon inside of him. "I will never go with you, I can kick your asses easily."
"Very well," Yunibi snickered. "Seems we have to do this the hard way."
The three readied themselves in their fighting stance. They simultaneously launched themselves at the boy. Naruto easily back flipped; dodging the incoming trio and landed on a higher branch. Grinning as he lifted his hand for a familiar seal. He yelled out; "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"
Chouji slowly got to his feet. He looked up and made out the faint outline of six people fighting it out. Concerning himself with that later, he quickly jumped towards where he saw Ino land. Landing next to her, he was relieved to find her with eyes open.
"You alright." He asked
"I'm fine, just leave me here and go help Shikamaru and Naruto."
"Okay, but stay here and don't interfere please. For you own good."
Ino nodded and Chouji reluctantly left here side. Scanning in a circle he was finally able to see Shikamaru on a branch slowing getting up. He rushed over to his friend's side. He was bleeding from the back of his head, and he held onto his shoulder. It looked to be dislocated. Chouji knew what he had to do.
"What are you doing?" Shikamaru asked as Chouji who took hold of the shoulder and made sure he had a firm grip on it.
"You know."
"How troubleso . . ." he was cut off by blinding pain that tore through his body. His shoulder now back in its rightful place, he moved it around too test out it functionality.
"Thanks . . . I guess."
"No problem."
"Hows Ino?"
"She's fine, but we need to go help Naruto, hes fighting those three alone."
Shikamaru understood and together they headed towards the sound of battle taking place only several hundred meters away.
"Child, you have no way to beat us, just stop your suffering and come along. You can't beat us alone." Yunibi hissed. He just dodged a spinning kick from one of Naruto's shadow clones. He had to admit, the boy was advanced in skill for his age. But it didn't come anywhere close to what he needed to defeat him. The shadow clone once again came out Yunibi, this time for a right hook to the jaw. Yunibi easily sidestepped the oncoming attack and grabbed hold of the clones wrist. Twisting it, he heard the sounds of bone snapping and the clone let out a scream of pain as it exploded into a puff of smoke.
Another clone flew back into a tree, crashing hard into it. Before finally exploding into a cloud of smoke he let out a scream of pain. Serora stood at the small crater the clone left, and smiled to herself for a job well done. The clones were easily dealt with, the real kid should also be easily defeated.
Naruto flipped back onto a branch, breathing slightly heavier from his previous attack on the three missing-nin. He crossed his arms and twisted his face in hate. "I'll beat you Yunibi, and one more thing." He released his arms from around his body and pointed at the rock-nin. "Who said I was alone?"
Before Yunibi and his two partners could register what the boy meant, they all found a an array of shurikens and kunai screaming through the air, heading straight towards them. Yunibi easily dodged them, as did Serora. But Marduk was just a little to slow to react, and several kunai embedded their sharp points deep into the man's left leg and right shoulder. Staggering from the pain, he bent down and pulled the two kunai that were in his leg out, blood shooting out from the now unplugged wound. Before he could do the same to the weapons in his shoulder, he was confronted with strong kick to his face, sending waves of pain through his nose and down his spine. Falling backwards, he landed on a branch below, eyes shut in excruciating pain. Slowly he opened his eyes, to find a figure hovering over him. The figure wore baggy cloths, and his white scarf flapped sideways in the wind. "Your the one that hit Ino. I will kill you for that." The figure growled angrily.
Back up top, Serora screamed Marduk's name as he saw her partner fall towards the ground. Just as she went to help her friend, she found with horror, that her body betrayed her.
"Hey, don't forget about me." Shikamaru mocked from a branch below. His shadow snaked up the tree and took hold of the mist-nin's body.
"Damn shadow user. . ." Serora cursed. Looking over at Yunibi for help he saw the man take out several shurikens. In a blur he whirled around and threw the deadly stars at the shadow using leaf-nin. Unable to dodge and keep the jutsu, he new he had to release it. He leaped to the side, barely missing the shurikens. Freed from her shadow prison, Serora released a sigh of thanks.
"Take care of the shadow kid. Marduk will be able to hold his own against the other boy. I will deal with the demon kid myself." Yunibi ordered. Serora nodded in compliance and went after Shikamaru.
"So it looks like its just me and you demon kid."
"Yeah, lets stop the chit-chat so I can kick her sorry ass."
"How troublesome, once again I have to fight a woman. Why in hell couldn't it have been her to kick Ino, that way Chouji could have fought her." Shikamaru was complaining inside his head. He never seen Chouji physically get so worked up over Ino getting injured. Did something between those two change. Well, it didn't matter, he thought. I have more troublesome things to deal with now.
Creating some distance between Naruto and that Yunibi guy, Shikamaru finally came to a halt on a long thick tree branch. He stood there and smiled. He quickly laid out his plan and got ready for the woman to arrive.
Serora steamed through the forest at her highest pace. Finally after a minute of jumping she was able to see the leaf-nin standing on a branch, arms behind his head. How stupid was he, just to sit there in a casual stance she thought. Oh well, looks like she can kill him quickly and get back to aid Marduk.
Not getting to close in fear of his shadow, Serora stood opposite of the boy. Using a long range attack would prove the better choice. Forming seals with her hand, she yelled. "Mist Water-ball!!" Moister in the air began to circulate at extremes speeds. Then shooting out from in front of Serora, the ball of compressed water split threw the air headed for Shikamaru.
Shikamaru looked at the projectile heading straight for him, but didn't move. The water ball slammed head on into the boy. The compressed water and intense speed caused the boy to be forced back and off the branch. Flying several meters through the air, he finally slammed into a tree, his spine snapped and he fell to the ground.
Serora commented on the stupidity of the boy and rushed over to him. Kicking the lifeless body to make sure he wad dead, he smiled at herself for easily defeating the boy. Turning around, ready to leave so she could go aid Marduk, she got a glimpse of a piece of paper swaying in the wind to the side of her head. Looking over she saw a explosive tag, hanging off of a kunai stuck deep into the wood. Cursing, she tried to run away as fast has she could, but she found her body once again betraying her. Looking down she saw a dark shadow. She followed the pitch black shadow through the forest. She finally found the end of it, there stood the boy she just killed. "How?" was all she could get out when she saw the boy at her feet explode into a puff of smoke. She cursed herself; it was a replication.
Shikamaru laughed. "Wow, it seems that all girls fall for the; create a shadow replication and hide behind a tree trick." He laughed once again. "Well it seems all bets from earlier are off." Sighing to himself, not sure if he really wanted to kill again. But as a ninja, these things were required, and hopefully he could deal with it. But the woman would be troublesome if left alive. And technically, he didn't hit her, so he wasn't some evil man. Pointing at the tag and releasing some chakra, he simultaneously let go of the shadow imitation. The tag went off before Serora could get out of the way, the explosion ripped threw here, burning away her flesh and blowing away her left arm. Flying head first into a tree, her skull split and she fell towards the ground; dead.
Shikamaru was blow back from the explosion, he didn't get as far from it as he would have liked, but he wasn't injured. Getting up from the ground slowly, he saw the burnt remains of the woman. He couldn't help but feel a tearing of his heat for killing a woman. But he once again told himself. "It had to be done." Sighing in remorse, he rushed off towards his friends, ready too help.
"I will kill you" Chouji yelled at the man who now laid on his back.
"Whatever kid, you just got a lucky shot on me, no more."
Marduk jumped to his feet and pulled out the kunai in his shoulder. He quickly took hold of it and slashed at his enemy with it. Chouji easily dodged it and came around with a kick to the back of the sand-nin's head. Chouji was glad he missed the kunai, for it was poisoned. Its the reasoned that this man he faced wouldn't have a chance against him. Marduk stumbled forward cursing. Spinning back around, he met up with the fist of Chouji's punch. The punch rammed fulled force into the sand-nin's nose, increasing the damage from the previous kick. The nose snapped under the force, and Marduk was sent flying backwards off the tree. He slammed hard into the ground below, the impact forcing blood to be thrown out from his mouth.
Chouji looked down at the man below, he thought that there was no reason to continue this fight anymore. Concentrating his chakra into his hands, he molded it until he felt the familiar feeling he had right after he took the third pill. Clenching his teeth he jumped of the branch, knees bent and his right arm pulled back ready to give the final blow to the sand-nin below. Halfway to the ground he let out a yell. "Choukaihou!!" (Butterfly Release) Chouji's left arm erupted in green chakra, it blazed up his arm and onto his back. There the chakra began to form. The green energy sprouted from Chouji's back, and took shape of wings. The green chakra spread out, lighting up the forest with its glow. Butterfly wings of chakra on his back, Chouji slammed into his enemy, his fist driving straight threw the sand-nin. The sound of bone giving way was sent flying through the forest. The man screamed as the leaf-nin's fist drove straight through his chest and into the ground below. The force left a huge crater, in which they both were now at the bottom of. Chouji sat up and saw the lifeless eyes of the man that he just killed. Wings of chakra still on his back, He jumped up to go help Naruto.
Halfway to where he left Naruto with Yunibi, he heard an powerful explosion. Landing on a branch, the light from his chakra wings lighting up the forest immensely. Standing still he slowly scouted out the forest ahead of him. After a few minutes he was able to see the figure of Shikamaru jumping from tree to tree. Happy that his best friend made it, he quickly went over too meet up with him.
Twice he had tried and failed, two Rasengans missed the rock-nin he faced. The first he missed completely, but the second had scratched the side of the man's waist. It left burnt flesh in its wake. The wound wasn't fatal however, it was more like a thorn in ones finger. The man he was fighting was more or less toying with him. He wanted Naruto alive and he couldn't do anything to the boy that might potentially kill him. Instead he decided that it would be best to tired him down, So one hard strike would be enough to knock him unconscious. Naruto dug deep into his brain trying to figure out a plan. Suddenly he was tore out his thoughts from a loud explosion. Looking over in the direction that that mist-nin chased after Shikamaru, he worried that the explosion might have killed his friend.
Naruto formed several more replications, each of them attacked Yunibi at the same time. The rock-nin easily destroyed them. "Your running low, I can tell." He hissed at Naruto.
Naruto, despite his insane stamina knew that he was right. He had formed over fifty replications already, and formed the Rasengan twice. But he still was nowhere near depleted.
Leaving one clone next to him, he was about to form yet another Rasengan, when a green glow caught his attention. Looking over he saw what appeared to be Chouji. The boy's arm was covered in green chakra, which trailed up towards his back. Naruto couldn't believe what he saw. Coming out of Chouji's back were green chakra wings of a butterfly. The sight was beautiful.
Chouji glanced over at Naruto before he charged Yunibi. Fist reached out, ready to plow straight through the rock-nin just as he did to the sand-nin.
Yunibi had other plans. He quickly formed a seal and performed his most unique jutsu. Yunibi skin turned hard, rock appeared from his back and spread swiftly over the man. Now covered in rock, his eyes glowing red, he looked at the charging boy. Setting himself up for the impact, he let the boy with the butterfly wings plow straight into the solid rock of the man's body. The boy's hand jammed, blooding splashing out from his knuckles.
Chouji jumped back astonished, the man was a walking boulder, and his head on punch didn't even dent it.
Shikamaru watched from the bushes, he had a back up plan just in case his best friends strength wasn't enough. Quickly he used his trademark jutsu.
Yunibi looked at the boy who just charged him. Growling in anger, his red eyes squinting, he began to rush at the boy. However, on his second step, he found that his body wouldn't obey him.
"Dammit, not again." The boulder covered man screamed. He looked down to find that same black shadow at his feet
"Hurry, hes too strong, I can't hold him for much longer!!" Shikamaru yelled from the side.
Chouji nodded and turned towards Naruto, he quickly told him what to do. Chouji jumped on the opposite side. Yunibi stood in the middle, between Naruto and Chouji; he wasn't sure what to expect.
Naruto, with his clone formed a Rasengan, the ball of swirling blue pulsed in his head. Chouji, focused as much as he could into his palm. The wings on his back crawled away and combined with the chakra in his fist. Seeing that Naruto was ready. He signaled to let their plan commence.
Naruto sprung forward, Rasengan in his palm, the blue hurricane in his hand heading straight towards Yunibi's face.
Chouji rushed forward, arm out, hand clinched into a fist; the green chakra glowing bright as he head for the stone-nin's mid-back. Inches before thy reached their target, they both let out a battle cry.
"Rasengan!!!"
"Choukaihou!!!"
The two met their mark as Shikamaru released his shadow imitation. The Rasengan went full force into Yunibi's rocky face, it shattered through the rock, the pulverized stone spun out. Through the rock, the Rasengan finally hit flesh, making Yunibi's head snapped back. The chakra covered fist of Chouji mets its mark as well, the rock breaking away at his extreme strength. The rock exploded out, revealing the flesh behind it.
Yunibi let out his final scream as the two impacts from opposite directions made his body bend in ways it wasn't meant to be. With blood gushing, his chest down was separated from the rest of his body, and it flew towards where Naruto once stood. His head and shoulders, with blood gushing forth, flew back, landing near where Chouji was just a second before.
Chouji and Naruto crossed paths, each landing near the bloody remains of their enemy. They both were covered in blood, in dripped down their face and onto their cloths. To them, it felt like the clouds were raining crimson.
In complete silence, the three gathered. Chouji then went to where he left Ino.
"Chouji!, are you okay, your covered in blood?" Ino's voice was filled with fear and concern.
"I'm fine, its not mine."
The girl was pale, never in her life had she seen so much blood. She slowly got to her feet with the help of the boy at her side. Chouji lifted her up onto his shoulder, and went back where Naruto and Shikamaru waited. Together they rushed in silence towards the safety of the caves. The second half of the storm was just about to start.
