"Kill the girl!"
Naruto immediately regretted his defiant gesture.
Once again, he felt an overpowering urge to rush to her side. If he transformed quickly enough, swept in, and found some way to release Hinata…
N-NO
He forced himself to remain composed and clear-headed. He had to agree with Kyuubi this time. His bravery was not in question. Neither were his feelings for Hinata. This was about taking his best shot, doing everything he could. He would do Kakashi, Jiraiya, and the others proud.
"I wonder what the Fourth would have done?"
YOU ARE B-BUT A FRACTION OF THAT M-MAN
Naruto tensed up, but forced himself to relax. Just because Nine Tails was at wits end, didn't mean that he had to fly off the handle. He had a few moments to think, as the soldiers were not attacking or advancing. Think, Naruto. Think!
Across the cavern, groups of armed men appeared to be advancing on Hinata's position. That had Naruto seeing red, his teeth lengthening and Kyuubi chakra swirling around him like a small dust devil. He began to focus his will, seeing a group of archers take aim at his girlfriend.
"I can't," he said to himself. If he moved to save Hinata, he would fall into some trap, that much was certain. But, why else had he come here? It was fine time for his conscience, common sense, and loyalty to the Leaf to intervene. "I anyone kills her, I swear I will bring this whole place down." He might never make Hokage, but that act would allow him to be spoken in the same breath as the Third and the Fourth.
Naruto saw movement near Hinata. Another Akatsuki member, possibly Itachi, raised his arm over his head. A number of ninjas formed a ring around Hinata. The other shinobi and soldiers stopped, their postures wary.
"Itachi. What is the meaning of this?" The tall Akatsuki member called out loudly, outraged, ignoring Naruto for the moment. That had Naruto feeling pissed. Not woth keeping an eye on, am I? He watched as the man pointed to a number of high-ranking soldiers, who went on to shout orders to unseen archers and halberd men. Spear bearers took out long scrolls of concussive seals and began wrapping them around their weapons.
"Itachi…" Naruto practically hissed that name, remembering when Sasuke's brother and that other freak had come for him, only to be run off by Jiraiya. He hated owing anything to Sasuke's brother; but, he could live with anything that spared Hinata.
"It is nothing to concern yourself with," Itachi answered in a relatively calm and quiet voice. "I merely disagree with the decision to kill the girl. She may still be useful."
Hinata looked over at the Uchiha ninja. Just what was he up to?
"Since when do you make the decisions for the Nine of us?" The man called back, seconded by another Akatsuki member standing nearby. "Are you turning traitor, Itachi?"
Naruto found his heart in his throat. What if Itachi didn't actually kill his clan. What if he was an undercover agent for the Leaf, waiting for just this kind of moment? Could the same thing be said for Sasuke.
W-WISHING THINGS W-WON'T MAKE THEM SO
'I know,' Naruto said. 'Better than most people.'
"I am working towards the same goal that I set before. I have not shown a change of heart." Itachi's vague answer had had Kisame grinning. "There may indeed be traitors amongst our group, or in the large and unnecessary number of men you have brought into this."
"You put your judgment ahead of mine? Ahead of the group as a whole?" The Akaktsuki leader's voice grew slightly shrill. Archers zeroed in on Itachi, Kisame, and Hinata. Cursing under his breath, Naruto was poised to create a huge number of clones, thinking that a storm of shuriken and kunai could wreak havoc on the taught bowstrings.
"You have never heard me say any such thing," Itachi relied. A group of soldiers with large shields went to stand in front of Hinata. "I think you grow distracted at a perilous time. Our great benefactor grows eager. The boy we wanted stands before you. What good will bickering do? Are you going to throw everything away, on the verge of our great triumph?" Itachi turned his back on the other member of the Nine. He walked over speak with Kisame.
Naruto almost felt as if they had forgotten about him. But, he hadn't forgotten about the task at hand. Using the gift of time, he did as thorough an assessment of the cavern and enemy forces as he could. He began running through his list of available skills and abilities, trying to run through a number of possible scenarios. His evaluation was hampered by his inability to see sizeable portions of the cavern.
"You are foolish, Itachi, if you think that you can do something on your own." The tall Akatsuki member turned back to face Naruto. "But, he is correct in one thing. We should proceed with things before the Great Onebecomes displeased with us."
"Young man, we made you an offer and you refused it. Itachi's ill chosen actions will merely delay matters for the girl." The tall man's eyes narrowed considerably. His one hand twitched. "You declined. It's time that we dealt with you." He clapped his hands. His aide raised a black pennant with a red sun barely peaking past the horizon. A trumpet sounded. A large number of soldiers and ninjas began moving, flanking Naruto.
"Not man enough to do it on you own, huh?" Naruto spat at the feet of the Akatsuki member. "Figures. Too high and mighty. Or, too scared." He turned his back on the man, waved, and laughed. "Big talking loser. Great man to lead a new order. Shit!"
The other man went pale. His eyes filled with rage and hatred.
YOUR P-PEOPLE SKILLS HAVE IMP-P-PROVED
Naruto cocked his head. "Something you wanted to say?" Naruto spoke in a condescending manner to his foe. He used the interim to judge the speed and distance of the approaching warriors. "I'll ask them to wait, if you need time to find your tongue."
"You are not worthy of a reply," the haughty Akatsuki leader replied, laughing.
"Uh huh. Wasn't that a reply? No one Itachi speaks to you lie you're a moron or something. To think I spent time worrying if there would be some kind of clever plan or something."Gathering a huge amount of Kyuubi chakra, Naruto tried to visualize just what he wanted to do. "That's just too funny! I bet…" He stopped. A soldier on a horse rushed into the cavern through an opening in the massed soldiers. The horse slid to a stop on the slick stone floor, snorting and tossing its head. Not able to control his steed any better, the rider called out his message.
"Sir! Scouts report that a sizeable group of men are on the move from the East. They suspect Konoha ninjas. There are also hints of movement from the North and the West."
"W-h-a-t?" The Akatsuki member cursed repeatedly.
"Bad news?" Naruto offered. "It's just one of those days I guess." His spirits soared. If the man's report were true, Akatsuki might have hard time of things. His failure might not bring great trouble to the people he cared about. But, that didn't mean he was going to let up or anything. He only knew to speeds: 'Go' or 'Stop'.
"Damn. Itachi was right. When I find out who passed along word of our plans…." The tall Akatsuki warlord looked fit to be tied.
"I've often heard the Hokage say that the reigns of power are a heavy burden. It's so hard to find good help these days." Naruto kept his eyes on the soldiers. His smart ass remark was ignored by the unhappy leader. He didn't care. In his head, he began going over some possible moves with a withdrawn and stammering fox demon.
"You!" The leader called out to a high-ranking ninja. Protect the men working to bring down the barrier. Make certain they are kept alive. Go!" That man and other high level shinobi flashed from view.The tall man turned to look at a waiting group of soldiers and shinobi.. "Attack the boy! Subdue him. Keep him alive."
Naruto spread his arms wide. He hoped things would work on the scale that he imagined.
Rocks tore themselves free form the walls of the entry passage, then moved by unseen means, forming a large wall between Naruto and the approaching soldiers. Sweating slightly, he used Kyuubi's ability to create tangible structures in combination with one of his Doton skills.
'Thanks, bastard fox!'
FLAWLESS V-VICTORY. WE SHOULD LEAVE N-NOW
Naruto staggered for a moment. He had pushed a bit too far with that move, and found himself desperately needing to tap back into Nine Tail's reservoir. There had been no way to know beforehand just how much of his own chakra a fabrication like that would take.
"How?" The Akatsuki member spat the word, looking at the impishly grinning Naruto.
Naruto gave him the finger, and then watched as a large group of soldiers on his side of the wall hugged the cavern wall, treading perilously close to the seal. Looking in the opposite direction, he cursed. The seal ran all the way to the wall, in that area, That was where he had to move now. No problem. He remembered being in the forest, during the days that Team Seven was guarding the bridge builder and his family.
Realizing it was a waste of energy, the young shinobi set the tall Akatsuki member's boots on fire just the same. Sometimes, he was still 'That Naruto.' Concentrating chakra to his feet, he ran up and along the wall of the cavern, aiming for the open area near that weird pulsating barrier of nothingness and somethingness. As he made his way away from the advancing soldiers, Naruto caught sight of ninjas lugging huge scrolls to certain points at the seal's periphery. Those men began unrolling the lengthy parchments. But, there was no time for him to watch and see what all that was about.
The mundane soldiers may have been stymied, but the ninjas were not. They began to use the same trick that Naruto had, heading towards him with all haste. Dressed in colorful outfits, the shinobi wore turbans on their head and had six or seven large metal rings spaced along their left arms. By all appearances, they were from some nation far away. There would be no way to judge their tendencies or proficiency.
Naruto had a worse problem on his hands. An Akatsuki member he had never seen before followed behind the strange warriors. That was bad enough. Across the open expanse of the cavern floor, two other Akatsuki members were spurred to motion. Shit.
Shit and more shit. He would have to deal with each threat in succession, trying to space things out as best he could, while still trying to make progree in Hinata's general direction.
SH-SH-SHIT
"I just said that!" Naruto spat. "Why don't you think it louder next time." His ears hurt enough from hearing that horrible bellow before. He didn't need too much noise inside and out.
Kyuubi wasn't commenting on the same issue that Naruto had. There was something more important going on. It was not the skirmish taking place on the other side of the cavern, where one group of Akatsuki members were working towards a secret agenda.
Despite the various fights, jutsu technicians and high level ninjas continued to work with their great design. The outermost ring of the Grand Seal began to glow and pulsate. Chanting grew louder and louder, and a number of technicians began working long sweeping hand seals.
Something was pushing through the barrier, at small points where the very fabric of existence seemed to rip or spread apart. There were three sharp points. They were huge, even when viewed on the scale of the great cavern. The moving structures were curved. They shone with an unearthly radiance, as if lit from within. One was situated directly above his head, only one hundred feet away or so. It seemed much closer. Way too much closer. A claw. Those were humongous claws. The Demiurge was on the verge of gaining access to this world!
Naruto suddenly felt as if he were about to vomit. His eyes clouded over momentarily. His knees gave way. Kyuubi was gibbering frantically.
'Not in battle, asshole!'
N-NN-NNN-NNNN-NNNNNO--O-O-O-O-O-O-O-OO-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O
The roaring noise repeated, again and again, growing in intensity. The horrendous beast known as the Demiurge knew that Kyuubi was close to its grasp. Looking towards the charging ninjas, a dizzy Naruto saw the men in the front ranks take large weapons off of their backs. They were shaped like wagon wheels, with chains and weights at the end of each spoke. Grabbing their chakar by the center hubs, those shinobi began spinning the nasty defensive weapons.
"What. Wait. That's…" Naruto fought to keep his concentration. He thought that he heard a tell tale sign of Chidori in the combined noise within the cave. That meant Sasuke. But, he didn't have time to wonder about his former teammate's presence.
Somewhat shielded by the men in front of them the remaining warriors leapt upward, sweeping metal rings off of their arms. With a fluid continuous motion, they sent the deadly sharp chakram headed directly at the Naruto from various heights and angles.
"Don't you jerks know that they're supposed to keep me target alive?" Naruto had no time to judge whether the trajectories of the flung objects were designed to maim, kill him, or just keep him off balance until the heavy hitters could arrive. "I…need…power…now…" Somehow, he actually managed to siphon chakra from Kyuubi's wellspring without the demon's assistance. "Doton Doryuuhiki." Mud spewed forth from his mouth like a river. A large wall formed between him and the chakram.
That was only a temporary fix. He needed to think of something else. Fast. An idea came to mind. He grinned. It was nasty. Really nasty. That alone made it worth trying.
"Give me complete access, hairball. This one might take a bit of juice!" Thinking furiously, trying to get the necessary parameters straight in his mind, Naruto created a huge realm, swallowing up the bunched up group of shinobi blocked by his mud fortification. He realized that the walls couldn't keep them there for too long.
They didn't have to. Those men were about to go elsewhere. "Bye bye, bastards!" Naruto squared his shoulders and worked on the realm from the outside. The space he created was devoid of warmth, light, and air.
The young Leaf ninja found himself panting. He felt totally drained for a few moments. He hadn't used up any of his own chakra on that move. And while he had used a lot of Kyuubi energy, the great fox had a great deal left. There was only so much chakra that a human body can channel, even one with a youma inside. How much of this could he take?
A thumping sound began to fill the cavern like the beat of a gigantic heart. No. Like the beat of many enormous hearts, slightly out of sync. The claws had pushed past the barrier and the distal part of an humongous scaly, slime-covered limb reached into the vast cave. Great blobs of indescribable matter fell off the huge arm, splashing onto one of the few warriors who had not been sucked into Naruto's realm. The screaming man ran blindly, his skin melting from his splattered face.
"Well, that was surely special…" Naruto sucked in his breath, flexed his arms, and prepared to meet the first S-class criminal heading his way. The incredibly large man waved his arm over his head, and then worked a series of one-handed seals.
Water began gushing up through holes in the cave floor, quickly forming a number of broad flat pools. Naruto correctly assumed that his adversary intended to make use of the aqueous flow. Thanking Jiraiya for teaching him a balanced repertoire of jutsus, he decided to strike first. Hand seals finished in the blink of an eye, the young ninja performed Suiton Suiryuudan No Jutsu, creating a torrential blast of water. Instead of one dragon shaped stream, his enhanced chakra allowed him to bring three separate dragons into being. Attacking independently and from separate angles, they sped towards the Akatsuki warrior.
"Not going to be as easy as you thought…" Naruto said, feeling a strange sense of exhilaration. He was going to strike back at someone from Akatsuki. He would have a chance to take out his pent-up aggressions on one of the men responsible for Hinata's abduction.
Nonchalantly, the other ninja worked seals with one hand, while reaching behind his back with the other arm. Two of the dragon shapes froze immediately, their serpentine and undulating forms falling to the cavern floor, shattering into large and small needles of ice. Unfolding a large umbrella with the other hand, the Akatsuki member diverted the third dragon into a split stream of formless water. Shaking his hair to remove some water, the man spoke tersely. "Not too bad, for a child." With that, he tossed the umbrella upward, in a closed state. Spinning, it drew water vapor and small fragments of ice with it. At apogee, the device snapped open. "Now!One thousand needles of ice…."
Sweeping his arm in a wide arc, Naruto projected a covering of Kyubi fire above his head, not having the time needed to be angry at that last comment. Countless deadly needles and drills of frozen water turned immediately to steam. But, he had no reason to feel smug or even safe. The needles were under the control of the enemy ninja. Some swerved enough to avoid the fire, coming on a spiral course aimed straight for Naruto's legs.
'That bastard means to cripple me and bring me down. Not this time.'
When the needles had sped on their dastardly course, Naruto looked so much like a wintery porcupine. Glistening spars of ice studded both of his legs. With a loud pop, the form of the stricken ninja disappeared. A large cave boulder sat in its place. The young ninja had used the substitution technique. The move did not fool the more experienced shinobi. Tracking Naruto's movement, he held his hand up to his mouth and blew fiercely. A stream of water rose from each of the many pools, latched onto his chakra-filled breath, then whipped around Naruto like liquid pythons.
The water froze instantly, forming an ice coffin, not too different than the sand traps that Gaara used. The container began shrinking. Naruto transformed into a small penguin, and then squirted out the top of the trap, regaining his true shape in mid air. Not having the liberty to rest, he worked his next move. Numerous foxfire globes swarmed around his opponent like a group of amorous fireflies. Useless in themselves, they disguised a tremendous number of explosive kunei, tossed by the gaggle of clones that had come into being. Keeping with the theme, the replicas of Naruto all ran towards the dodging ninja and detonated. Unfortunately, few reached their mark.
Great spears of ice blossomed form the water on the ground, detonating the clones prematurely. Naruto had to leap and roll to avoid being stabbed numerous times. Hitting a broad and slick patch of ice, he slid out of control, ending up against the wall, his legs out in front of him. The Akatsuki member moved his hands too quickly to follow. A dome of ice formed over his adversary's legs. Naruto swallowed hard. There was no time to create enough fire or to form some kind of barrier with stone and mud. If that dome could act like Gaara's spike-riddled sand structures….
"Shit!" Naruto felt frantic for a moment. This was not going to be as easy as he thought. If he had been limited to his own powers, there was no doubt what the outcome would be. But, he knew what to do. He created a new realm and entered it, allowing the other realm to dissipate. Seated in his small and simple creation, Naruto took stock of his situation. A clever enemy might have guessed his ability when he saw those soldiers reappear in the same spot they had disappeared from. What might his enemy do, if he had come to the correct conclusion? What would he do, if the situations were reversed?
Just how strong was the man he faced? He must be on par with Itachi and Kisame, at least. That was not a comforting thought. His mind began to wander some, as he pondered the fact that some of jutsus reminded him of techniques used by Haku . Absentmindedly, he wondered if their bloodlines might somehow be related.
WHAT DOES THAT M-M-MATTER?
"Nothing, fur face. I'm just catching my breath." Naruto frowned. He could do without commentary in the middle of battle. so to speak. "If you like, I could just give up, wrap a big bow around myself, and run into the waiting arms of the Demiurge." Naruto waited a moment. "What? No snappy comeback?" He shook his head. "I didn't think so. If you have any good suggestions, I'm all ears."
STAY IN THE REALM. WAIT UNTIL THINGS ARE OVER. RETURN HOME
There was logic to the demon's suggestion, but only from the angle of self-preservation. If that was what Naruto was after, he would have stayed with Jiraiya. Even so, staying in a realm might not be all that it was cracked up to be. Akatsuki wouldn't be able to find him; but, they could lay trap after trap over his position and throughout the cave. Worse, he had no idea what powers a creature like the Demiurge might have. Could it see into realms? Could it reach Kyuubi where they were now?
"Damn. Stupid hermit never taught me something about this…"
For all Naruto knew, his sensei might have given him some pertinent tactical advice. He didn't hear every word that the Ero-sennin said, or remember all the points that he was taught. He was learning an important lesson in that regard, if nothing else. Concentrating, he tried to assess the strategic situation. He had noticed that Itachi, Kisame, and possibly some other members of the Nine were at odds with the rest of their organization. What was that all about? What might it mean for him? For Hinata?
Hinata.
She was the reason he was here, after all. The longer he waited, the more likely someone would be able to carry out the order to kill her. For all he knew, she might be already dead. He felt his fangs growing again. His fingers began curling into claws. Biting his lip hard, he forced himself to calm down. He wouldn't wait much longer, whether or not that was tactically sound. He had at least one Alatsuki member to face. The other two who had taken up chase might be waiting as well. Would they team up against him, all at once? There was only one way to find out….
LISTEN TO REASON. I BEG YOU. THE HUMANS ARE NOT THE PROBLEM
'Since when did I ever listen to reason?"
Naruto scratched his chin. He smiled. It was time to fight fire with fire, so to speak. He fluffed out his hair in as many directions as possible. "Spikes of the Underworld" A thick layer of spiked armor formed over his uppermost body. Saying a few words of hope, he dissolved the realm. Huge knife-like spikes of ice broke off inside the dome, as Naruto burst out of the structure like an angry jack-in-the box. Seeing the questing claw of the Demiurge above him, he struck upon an outlandish idea. If he could somehow pull it off, things would be golden! It wouldn't be easy. He didn't even know if it were possible. But, no guts, no glory.
NO ONE DESERVES THAT. NOT EVEN A HUMAN. DO IT
For the next two minutes, Naruto dodged attacks from his opponent, having to enter realms o occasion when the other Akatsuki members saw openings that were too tempting to resist. It was a tricky approach, as he couldn't afford to get seriously hurt or disabled before things aligned perfectly in his favor. The attack might not even work. He could be doing all this for nothing.
'I'd better experiment some, without giving my plan away.'
There was a great risk involved. He had no idea what the Barrier was, what kind of jutsus had created it, and what techniques were necessary to bring the whole thing down. Was it possible for him to cause thinning of one area, without weakening the barrier in its entirety? Could he create a realm just beyond the shimmering curtain of light, leaving someone trapped there when the realm disappeared?
"Now!" Naruto created a small number of strong clones, directing them to set up as pairs. Each group began making small weak versions of Rasengan. No longer needing help to form the spiral force himself, he concentrated a powerful mass of swirling chakra on one palm. "Let's go guys!" Naruto and his clones rushed forward, coming in from all sides of the Akatsuki member, who was causing huge stalagtites of ice to rain down from the ceiling, while razor sharp plates of ice sprung out of the cavern floor.
The enemy was confident. He knew about Naruto's well-documented abilities. The blow could be warded against with his defensive skills. He might be forced backward a bit, but would be ready for a final counter-attack when the boy's attack gave out. This was playing right into his hands.
"RASENGAN!" All of the surviving Narutos shouted at once. The combined force of their attack knocked their opponent backward, pinning him against the cave wall. The man was smiling, feeling no effect from the well-timed assault.
"That would have worked against a worthy opponent. You had a reputation of being tricky. Tricks don't work when you enemy knows all about you." The Akatsuki member began building up his own chakra. It would be simple work to kill the upstart, but keeping him partially intact was more difficult. No matter. For one of his skill, it was only a matter of patience.
"Were… you… expecting… this…" Naruto grunted. His clones followed suit. While they fought to maintain Rasengan, he reached into his bag of Kyuubi tricks. The tall man passed into a realm formed against the barrier, followed by the Naruto clones. "Got you!"
Naruto closed the way into the realm, on the face adjacent to the cavern. At the same time, he tried to dissolve the rear wall of the realm, the one oriented to the barrier and beyond. He was meeting more resistance than he had hoped to see, and knew that another one of the Nine would take up the attack while he was preoccupied. Sweat pouring down his face, and his mind coming perilously close to blacking out, he managed to force his adversary beyond the barrier.
He fell to his knees for a moment. He found it hard to breath. The sound of his heartbeat was loud in his ears. That had been tough! But, he had no time to bask in victory. There was no celebratory parade, and no medals were being handed out. Looking up, fighting to keep from vomiting, he kept a wary eye on two dark-robed figures.
N-NOT TOO BAD F-FOR A CHILD
'You better not just curl up in a ball and whimper,' Naruto thought. 'If I get this done while you hide, you'll never hear the end of it. From me, or the history books!' He hoped that the smarmy comment meant that Kyuubi was getting its sense of humor back. That might mean that the fox demon was conquering its fear of the Demiurge. Might.
"The child has an overactive imagination, it seems. And it doesn't pay to underestimate him." Do you wish to go first?" A strange looking man, eerily like the figure in Naruto's dream, turned to speak to his fellow. He looked at the spot on the barrier where there other comrade had disappeared. "If you do, I really won't mind…." Huge jaw-like forms curled up from inside the collar of his robe. Naruto wondered where he had seen something like that before. Right! On a Venus Fly Trap.
"No. Go right ahead. You were here first." The second man also bore some resemblance to one of the figures in his dream. His cloak was a bit different, long and loose over the arms. The ninja's arms looked to disproportionately long, while his legs were a bit too short for his frame. "Besides, the water may benefit some of your skills." Leaping, the strange man spread his cape-like cloak and glided over to the wall. Clinging upside down by his feet, he watched Naruto intently, wanting to judge his abilities, and alert to any vulnerable spot he could attack unannounced, while his partner took the lead role.
"Yes. That much is true. No matter." The pale ninja spoke with a crooked grin. One side of his face was light in color, while the other was dark. That made him look twice as creepy in the low light present in that section of the cave. "It would save us both a bit of sweat, if you simply surrendered. I promise to tell everyone that you put up a heroic fight." The man swung his arms about, this way and that. As far as Naruto could tell, the motions were random and uneventful.
"I was about to make the same offer," Naruto said, shrugging. "Do you like originality, or would you prefer to go the way your friend did?"
The barrier began bulging more and more. The terrible roar rang out, many times in succession. Even the Akatsuki members looked to be in tremendous pain. Kyuubi began babbling incoherently. Naruto did everything he could to shore up the youma's resolve. Soon, that damn monster would be able to swing its awful limb about the cavern.
"Ahhh. Brave talk from one so young. As it turns out, he wasn't my friend." The ninja kicked some water out of one of the shallow pools. "He was part of the organization, however, so I do owe him something." He picked up the tip of an icy stalagtite, and held it in his hand. As it melted, he walked towards Naruto, dripping water here and there.
Naruto took a step back. Strange looking patches of slimy discoloration were growing on the areas that had been moistened. What was going on?
"Not too many people get to see this. You are truly privileged, as it turns out." The Akatsuki warrior pulled a long scroll out of one sleeve, unrolled it, and then swung it through the air. A barely visible dust floated down from it, forming a crescent shape around the pasty looking man. Small shapes arose in that arc, growing just as rapidly as the other areas. "Some might think it bad manners and arrogance, for a mere youth to think he could challenge one of the Nine." The ninja took out another scroll and wrapped it around his waist three times. "But, seeing that you managed to catch one of us off guard… in a rather permanent fashion, it would seem… I suppose I should give you the benefit of the doubt. I assure you, your capture with be educational." He laughed a tittering laugh. "But, I'm afraid you will only live long enough for us to dump you onto the seal."
Naruto coughed, and then brushed off his sleeves. He smiled, and fluffed out his hair. "Yack, yack, yack. What isit with big time criminals and their monologues?" He put his hands together, stretched, and cracked his knuckles.
"He's a rather mouthy young man," the strange bat-like shinobi observed. "Why don't you bring him down to size?"
"Certainly." The pale man worked a series of seals, and then smiled. Strange plants grew all around him. Just beyond them, sickly and grotesque shapes quivered and moaned, bearing some resemblance to various fungi and mushrooms that might be found in nature. He put his hand to his mouth and coughed. The action was purposeful. It was a variant of Biransei No Jutsu. A large cloud of poisonous spores surrounded Naruto, clinging to his hair, skin, and clothes. "Those won't kill you, immediately. But, they will serve as a stimulant to my new friends." The Akatsuki member waved his arm towards the gibbering slime molds, fungal growths, and parasol-like mushrooms.
'OK, damn fox. Help me with the control here. I don't want to burn off something I still need!'
Naruto swallowed hard. He finally noticed the piles of cyanotic corpses surrounding him. They were the men he had suffocated in the one realm he created. It was not a pretty sight. But, as usual, this was kill-or-be-killed. He knew which outcome he preferred. Slowly building chakra up inside him, he looked this way and that, seeing that the remaining soldiers in the area were more than content to leave the fighting up to their superiors.
'Let's do this.'
Naruto spun slowly in a circle, releasing bits of Kyuubi fire from all of his pores and follicles, a move he copied in theory from one of Neji's. He incinerated all of the spores, but remained free of burns. His control had been so fine, that his hair was intact and his clothes unharmed. He rubbed his head. It would have been exceedingly embarrassing, fighting naked with his…
I CAN D-DO WITHOUT TH-THAT IMAGE, THANK YOU
"Very interesting. Children are so full of surprises." The strange looking ninja smiled, then began manipulating chakra connections to his new crop. "I hope you haven't lost your boyish curiosity. The next few minutes should prove quite interesting."
Naruto carefully looked over at the writhing masses of growths flanking the man. Some were squat and round, covered with pits and small bumps. Others were like fleshy spires, wrinkled and sporting misshapen cone-like tops. The remainder looked like huge umbrellas, with huge disc-shaped helmets. They all smelled terrible.
The plants growing between the two clusters of mushroom and fungi were no less weird. Some looked like clusters of ropes, covered with large glistening balls of liquid. A few looked like huge cups with flap like lids, their bodies bulbous and brightly hued. One in particular resembled its master, having two huge flap-like jaws lined by long flexible feelers. Naruto shivered involuntarily. The plants gave him the creeps even more than the man did. But, what was the threat here? He could easily move away from the area….
Before he knew it, a huge tendril broke out of the ground beneath his feet and wrapped around his leg.
"With plants, it's the parts you don't see that are often so critical." The Akatsuki member noted. More tendrils, large and small, began popping out of the ground.
"Shit! This is…." Naruto needed to act fast, before he was wound up like thread on a bobbin.
The other ninja waved his arm. The ball-like mushrooms exploded, filling the area with a huge cloud of slowly settling spores. Naruto found it very hard to breathe. He couldn't see anything. His nose burned, and his tongue tingled. "Hallucinogens. Sleep agents. Irritants. Even laxatives. The spores can have so many effects." He waved his arm again. Naruto didn't notice the waves of dark spores drifting down from under the large parasols. He had no way of seeing the green dust wafting out from the conical tops of the other horrid growths.
'Do what works best.' Naruto remembered his Jiraiya telling him that once. 'The best ninjas are not always those with the most tricks, like the Uchiha clan. They are not always the ones with the strongest or most coveted abilities, like the Hyuuga clan. The most effective shinobi are often those that choose the right skill for the right situation, and can do that skill well.'
Jiraiya was right. Naruto created another realm. It was harder this time. Using the same ability channeled Kyuubi energy through the same parts of his body. He didn't know how long he could hold this construct, or how many more times he could access a realm today. He had never pushed things this far in practice. Parts of the huge tendrils had accompanied him. Detached from their above ground segments, the writhing and constricting growths continued with their ceaseless purpose. The larger ones fell off when he singed them with demon fire. The smaller ones needed to be cut. His legs ached. Small hair-like projections covered some of the grotesque forms. Those small things seemed to enter his flesh, doing who knows what.
"Damn!" What could he do? An idea came to him. It would be dangerous, since the tendrils still seemed capable of movement. But, there may be no time to waste. Naruto transformed again, this time into a flea. The wormlike growths burrowing inside of him did not transform. They fell to the ground in striking numbers. Back in human form, Naruto felt wobbly. He wasn't sure if it was from the effect of the spores, or if he had used too much Kyuubi energy too quickly. Wrapping a scarf around his nose and mouth, he plotted strategy. It would be foolhardy to stand in any one place for too long. He needed to stop the tendrils somehow. And, he had no desire to find out what capabilities the plants had.
'Now!' Stepping out of the realm, Naruto jumped and somersaulted, and then began running for an area away from the plants.
"That won't do you any good, you know!" His opponent laughed. "The huge rhizomorphs injected rootlets into your body. They will settle in your heart eventually, causing you to falter and pass out. Some of the smaller hyphae bathed your legs in secretions that will numb your senses and incapacitate your muscles. It would be so much easier if you just bowed to the inevitable."
Naruto was about to brag, saying how he had gotten around all that. But, his time with Jiraiya had not been limited to simple techniques. The older man had been slowly and laboriously working on his pupil's habits and attitude. Miraculously, there had been some progress. Not saying a word, Naruto did the hand motions necessary to work his own large scale version of Kenkaze. Huge unseen gusts of wind moved like scythe blades, slicing through the clusters of fungi.
"Very nice. But, the saprophytes will grow back. And, their underground components will work just the same." The other ninja waved his arms. The large and bulbous plants oriented on Naruto, and then convulsed. Shooting forth huge geysers of liquid, they nearly hit the dodging boy. Still, the near misses produced a sticky mist from the streams of malodorous substance. Some of that mist settled on parts of his body.
Avoiding more tendrils, Naruto slid on a patch of water, and then tumbled over one of the bodies of the suffocated soldiers. He wasn't down long, lucky for him. There was another thing to worry about. The huge bellow filled the cavern again. The Demiurge had enough of one limb protruding into the cave, that it was able to move the grotesque multi-jointed appendage around. Massive claws struck the ground where Naruto once lay, digging huge furrows.
"Great!" He had to leap again, without getting a good sense of his orientation. Huge tentacle-like plants swung in his direction. One barely grazed him, but the globe-like balls of liquid were like glue. The remainder of the tentacle doubled back on itself, intending to snare its prey with more globes.
"Carnivorous plants are so remarkable, don't you think?" The other ninja chuckled loudly. "You won't need to worry about the digestive enzymes. They are mild, and act very slowly. You should worry about being immobilized." The man frowned, thinking that the Demiurge might kill the boy before they were ready. It might have no reason to enter the plane in its total glory then.
Other plants belched forth slippery liquids, making it hard for Naruto to maintain his balance. He used his kunei where he could. He strung together various jutsu. It took everything he had to stay one step ahead of the damn leafy monsters.
"But, not every carnivorous plant does the job of digestion itself. Some attract helpful insects that kill the lured prey. The droppings from those bugs help feed the plants. Want to see how that works?" The Akatsuki member drew blood from one finger, and then worked a summoning.
"Hey! Keep your damn things under control. Tell them I'm not the target!" The smaller Akatsuki ninja was forced to dodge a number of persistent plants. "They've killed a number of soldiers and chased the rest away."
Naruto felt a chill run up his spine. A group of six insects with elongated carapaces stood in the cavern, skittering this way and that to avoid being struck by the Demiurge's claws. One stood up on its hind legs, antennae twitching in anticipation. The others showed no such eagerness, but their eyes all swiveled towards Naruto. Each bug was the size of a small pony. Their wing cases were a dull tan-grey in color. Their eyes were glistening black orbs. Long proboscis like tubes were folded underneath their head parts.
"Assassin bugs," the enemy ninja said, beginning his lecture. "The normal smaller counterparts are content to wait in ambush on flowers and plants. They are nonetheless very aggressive, and capable of giving a human a rather nasty little bite. These larger ones…." One bug scuttled forward. The remaining insects twitched slightly. "Stop!" The command caused the giant bug to halt. "If only our human servants were so eager." The man sighed. "Anyway, the long beaks are rather adept at injecting fluids into the intended prey. The substance begins the digestive process, from the inside out." He laughed. "Fascinating, isn't it? I understand that one Konoha clan likes to play with smaller bugs. I much prefer this size, myself.
Naruto looked at his arms. He could see the plant residue, and had no doubt what had the insects zeroing in on him. What a nasty surprise. He jumped over one questing hyphal form and slid under a large whip-like plant extension covered with sticky balls. Hitting another slick spot, he almost slid into a large sucking plant bladder. The roar echoed outside and inside his aching head. The damn claw came close again, a number of times.
"I will need to exert my will, to keep them from drinking you dry until after you serve our purpose. That will be the tricky part. But it's one way I will earn my keep." The ninja laughed again.
K-K-KILL THAT M-M-MAN
'That's kind of my main intention, right? No distractions now, bezoar!'
Naruto concentrated charka on his feet and ran straight up the irregular cavern wall, nearly losing his grip numerous times. Three of the bugs ran in the direction he headed, while the remainder took to the wing. He needed distance from the spreading plants. There would be precious few seconds to work his jutsu before coming under attack from the bugs. Biting his thumb, he worked his own summoning.
THE BUGS ARE COMING
"I know that," Naruto said.
THE PLANTS ARE MOVING TOO
"I know!" He didn't need an announcer or tour guide. He coughed as a large cloud of smoke rolled over him, a result of his actions. Slowly, a huge form took shape as the air cleared. A giant toad was squatting on the cavern floor.
"Whoa… what's up, Dude?" The huge rumbling toad voice caused the insects slow their advance. "And where the heck am I, muchacho?"
"Don't stand still!" Naruto shouted. "Look out for the damned claws, G-dude!" Naruto pointed to the sweeping limb of the Demiurge.
"OH CRAP!" Gamarakki leaped upward, avoiding massive appendage. "What kind of bad shit have you gotten me into, man? I won't ever complain about ramen gathering again!"
"Speaking of lunch…" Naruto said, motioning to the giant assassin bugs. "Free food, buddy. Chow down!"
"R-I-G-H-T-E-O-U-S!"The huge toad smiled an amphibian smile. "No problem, amigo!" The toad's huge tongue shot out, wrapped around a bug, and then retracted. A loud crunching noise could be heard. "Oh ho ho ho-o-o-o. Primo stuff, Dude!"
Running from the other bugs, Naruto didn't have time to reply. He disabled one bug with a rain of exploding kunei. The clones he created ran in different directions, but they were not coated with the chemical attractant. "Get some of that green shit on you!" Naruto instructed them, watching as Gamarakki's tongue flashed out and back twice more.
"Oooooooh. I love the sour filling. The taste has real bite!" Gamarraki laughed at his own bad joke. "It's fun biting something that tries to bite you back!" The giant toad unlimbered his axe, and then sent it spinning across cave. The great patch of spreading plants was mowed down effectively.
The assassin bugs were confused, now that there were numerous targets to follow. Naruto intended to take advantage of the situation. Maybe he could even kill two birds with one stone. He jumped up onto Gamarakki's warty head. "Time for the flame cannon, pal." He slapped his hand on the warty hide of the great toad. "Got oil?"
"(Crunch) You bet… (crunch crunch) plenty…. (Gulp.)" The great toads cheek pouches bulged like enormous balloons. When he belched forth a huge stream of oil, Naruto ignited it.
"Try for the guy in the black robes! Get as many plants as you can!" Naruto tossed a fistful of shuriken in the direction of the Akatsuki member. The great spray of burning liquid drenched the plants and remaining insects. The ninja was swift, managing to dodge the oncoming conflagration. But, his only opening brought him perilously close to the great seal. "Suitahon time, man. Knock that sucker onto the seal!" Naruto grinned. He might have been outgunned by his opponent in some fashion, but nothing could beat good luck! It also didn't hurt to have a giant amphibian on his side!
Gamarakki shot forth great balls of water, just as Gama Bunta had done during the fight against Shukaku. The enemy ninja was able to dodge them all, but made a critical misstep. He was hoisted by his own pitard. One foot slid out from under him, thanks to the spreading plant sap. That foot ended up on the seal. He couldn't break free. Looking up, his eyes widened. His doom was coming down. The Demiurge's claw pierced the unfortunate man, tearing the remnants of the body free of the trapped foot.
Naruto grunted. Two down. He scratched his chin a moment, trying to remember something. Oh yeh! That's what it looked like. The dead Akatsuki member had reminded him of a butterfly collection he had seen once. Somehow, it seemed apropos, the man being pierced by a huge claw that way. Scanning the area, he saw no sign of giant bugs. Unfortunately, he had also lost track of the smaller bat-like ninja.
"G-Dude! Move to that side wall. Locate the platform with the girl on it. Jump over the seal and take me there. We have someone to rescue!" Naruto was exhausted, but he could feel the excitement growing within him just the same. He was close go grabbing Hinata. With Gamarraki covering them, they could find some way to escape before the giant toad left the scene.
"No problemo!" One prodigious leap brought them in line with the distant podium. "Here's the platform man. But, where's the babe?"
Naruto just stared. The platform was empty. His heart felt like it was in freefall. Where was Hinata?
BUMMER
Naruto clenched his fists. That had been a response more suited to Gamarakki than the mouthy fox.
Now what?