Naruto fought to keep his head up, no matter how much his neck ached.
Any part of his body that touched the seal was immobilized. He wanted to be able to look around, seeing what he could. It was crunch time, and he was stuck here, like some…
FOOL. IDIOT. ANIMAL DROPPINGS
Kyuubi was growing more and more tense by the moment. He was not the only one. Naruto had to wonder what was going to happen next. Would one of the Akatsuki factions complete their preparations? Would Jiraiya and Tsuande be able to stop them? Should he take a chance, hoping? Or, should he use one of his three suicidal jutsus?
"Stupid freak!" Naruto spat. It was a mistake. The spittle went straight up and fell straight down again, hitting him in the face. He wished that he could get off the deal… march over to Orochimaru… and kick him hard in the balls. The snake-eyed bastard had gotten what he wanted. Well, not exactly. He had wanted Naruto dead. All he had to do now was follow through. What was he waiting for?
'I'm a sitting duck!'
YOU GIVE YOURSELF TOO MUCH CREDIT. INSECT.
Looking to one side, he saw Tsuande finishing off the last jounin that stood between her and the Akatsuki leader. Not too far away, Jiraiya made light work of a small cluster of ninjas, dodging attacks from another Akatsuki member who was pressed into a corner. Hyuuga Hiashi was getting the better of the man who had made light of him earlier.
Naruto swallowed hard. He couldn't take any more risks. This was all about saving Hinata, or taking himself out of the picture when caught. Well, he was caught. It was something that he had to do.
"Hey, Old Lady Tsunade!" That ought to get the Hokage's attention. "Hey, Ero-sennin!" That would work for his sensei. "Hey, Hyuuga!" The lack of respect there ought to piss off Hinata's father. "Listen up!"
"What are you doing out there, moron?" Jiraiya sent a group of shinobi hard against the cave wall with Rasengan. "That's the last place you should have gone!" He brought down part of the cavern ceiling to cover a pair of ninjas sneaking up behind Tsunade.
"If you're going to run off against my wishes, you should at least get the job done!" Tsunade had to get in on the act. "What's wrong, your luck running out?"
"My daughter is here somewhere, because of you." Hyuuga Hiashi's comment had Naruto feeling guilty again.
"Hey! You guys need to listen to me now!" Naruto was about to make his noble exit speech, and those jerks were too busy laying some kind of guilt trip on them. They deserved a good swift kick too.
WHY WOULD ANYONE LISTEN TO ANIMAL DROPPINGS?
'Shut up, hair ball! Why aren't you babbling again? You know what I'm about to do!'
That was not the wisest thing to say. It prompted Kyuubi to exert his will again. As ineffective as that might be, it was painful and distracting. Screw the stupid demon. He had something to say. If he had to read them the riot act, so be it.
"With three great warriors, I thought there would be at least one ear amongst you. Or, at least one brain." That ought to do it. They should be primed now. "Shut up and listen!" Naruto knew there would be hell to pay some day, if he somehow managed to survive all this. But, that was highly unlikely. He tried to think of the best words. Closing his eyes, he continued. "Granny Tsunade. Ero-sennin. You should bring the whole damn ceiling down. And, you should do it now, since that asshole Itachi is up to something. Orochimaru is here. Kabuto is here. Akatsuki is here. The people who know the secrets are here. The damn Seal is here!" Naruto fought to contain his anger and disappointment. A feeling of shame began creeping through him. "You could end all that!" He paused a moment. "Only… well… I don't know where Hinata is. Save Hinata, please. Please!" Naruto swore. That last part was from the heart, but it was at odds with what needed to be done. "If not I will use what I must…."
He sighed. As a ninja, he knew he might die some day. But, there had been so much he had wanted to do.
Itachi answered, before Tsunade had opportunity to reply. "Thinking of killing yourself somehow?" He stood at the rim of the seal. "Learn a forbidden jutsu or two?"
Naruto felt as if he was stripped bare by that guess. Looking around, he wondered why the elder Uchiha was just standing there. There was no sign of Sasuke, Orochimaru, or Orangbati. What had happened? He turned his attention to a smug and nonchalant Itachi.
"Yes!" Naruto put all of his defiance into that answer.
"How noble," Itachi said, his face blank, but his eyes lighting up just a bit. "But how tragic. Go ahead. Kill yourself. It won't make any diference."
"Good bluff, jackass!" Naruto wished that he could give Sasuke's brother the finger.
"Bluff? You misunderstand, fool. The seal not only has you trapped, it has Kyuubi contained. But there's more. The containment reaches inside of you. If you perish, the Nine Tails will still exist." Itachi looked over to his side, nodding his head.
The work crew began working something into the cavern.
"Sure. Another stupid villain monologue. What would you tell me this?" Naruto spat out, half-convinced that Itachi were telling the truth.
"To shut you up," Itachi said.
The object finally came into view. It was a huge sphere, made of pearly iridescent stone. At its top point, the giant ball stood as tall as three men.
WHERE DID THEY FIND THAT? HOW COULD THEY KNOW WHERE TO LOOK? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Naruto couldn't see, hear, smell, taste, or feel anything. Kyuubi's anxiety and strong covetous feelings overwhelmed his senses. What was going on. He fought to regain control.
'What are you doing!'
THAT IS MINE. MY PRECIOUS. MY BEAUTY. MY LOVELY. GIVE IT BACK!
The young ninja fought to keep his head up. His neck muscles were screaming out in agony. He was feeling dizzy.
Naruto swallowed hard. His heart was beating incredibly fast. Sweat poured out onto his body. His bowels went into spasm. He had to exert his will, to keep from peeing himself.
'Stop it, idiot fox! I don't have the freaking thing, and they can't hear you!'
Why was Kyuubi acting like that. He was struggling harder because of some giant ball, than he did when he came into the Demiurge's presence.
I MUST HAVE THAT. I CANNOT ALLOW THEM TO HARM IT. I NEED IT
'Why? Why do you need that damn ball? Answer me!'
Kyuubi was too busy mumbling 'mine' over and over again.
"Want to know what it is, before you die?" Itachi raised his hands. In response, a number of huge heavily muscled men walked up and surrounded the giant sphere, large mallets in their hands.
Naruto just scowled. Looking at the periphery of the Seal, he saw that the skirmishes were still going on. He had save the day in the past. Was it too much to ask for Tsunade, Jiraiya, or Hiashi to do it this time?
"I'll tell you any way. It is something you should all come to understand. The balance of power is shifting." The older Uchiha brother nodded to another Akatsuki member who joined him. They both threw off their black robes, showing dark blue garments underneath.
"Things aren't usually as simple as they seem," Jiraiya stepped up to the edge of the seal. "No matter how well you think you have things plotted out, we can stop you."
"I suppose it is possible," Itachi called back. "But highly unlikely. You and the woman Hokage could not stop Orochimaru when his arms were disabled. This is a much more difficult situation, if you haven't noticed."
"There were extenuating circumstances, before." Tsunade struck one man down with a hammer blow. She stared at the shocked Akatsuki leader, even as she spoke to his traitorous underling. "And, there is much more at stake here today." She looked out at Naruto. "It took a while for me to take up the cause, last time."
"You traitorous actions will come to nothing, Itachi. Blasphemer! When the Onewalks this earth, I will tell him of your treachery. The torment will be unbelievable." The foremost member of Akatsuki was quivering with rage. "I promise you that!"
"You promise? You have no authority to talk such nonsense. I have stood by quietly, listening to your insane beliefs and watching your suicidal plans." Itachi sounded disgusted. "Do you really think that thing we saw was a god? Idiots. You and those turncoat elders are the greatest fools alive."
"NO! HERETIC. YOU LIE. I'LL…." The Akatsuki leader started heading around the rim of the seal. Tsunade let him go.
"You will do nothing!" Itachi raised his arm. The archers loyal to him, the few remaining alive and able, all drew back their strings, arrows aimed at Naruto. "The old scholar knew the truth. He tried to tell it to you. You didn't listen. But I did." He ran a hand through his hair. "There was a way to have power, and to live to enjoy it. I only told those I could trust, the ones that weren't drunk on your stupid ideas."
Tsunade pointed out at Naruto. Jiraiya nodded his head, watching as his one time team mate began throwing huge pieces of rock onto the seal, making a walkway. Jiraiya ran, his robe flapping about him. Reaching the last stone, he leaped. Brusquely, Itachi brought his hand down. The archers fired. They were too late. Standing above Naruto, his master caught one arrow, brushed others aside, and took one deep in the thigh.
"Shit! This is why I never should have taken on another student. The Fourth was never this much trouble…."
"Ero-sennin…." Naruto looked up at his masters, eyes wide.
"DON'T CALL ME THAT HERE!" Jiraiya pushed the arrow through his leg, broke it, then threw the pieces at Itachi.
"Touching." Itachi shrugged and shook his head. "You could write that in your next novel, I suppose. You are stuck too. You have only managed to delay the inevitable."
Naruto clenched his teeth. He looked up at his master. A tear came to his eyes. "Good bye, sensei. Thank you." He closed his eyes. There was no need for the null seal combo. Summoning the death god wouldn't help, if Itachi was telling the truth. It seemed he was, if he was willing to turn him into a pincushion for arrows. But, while Kyuubi might be contained, maybe he could make that a moot point, by releasing all of the fox demon's energy.
'Bastard fox, the time has come.'
NO!
'Yes!'
DO NOT!
'There is no other choice.'
PLEASE. NO. WE MAY BOTH DIE
'There are worse things.'
WE ARE TRAPPED. CONTAINED. IT WILL LIKELY PROVE INEFFECTIVE.
'I'm dead anyway, right? What do I have to lose? And, if things work out well, maybe we can get your toy back.'
IT IS NOT A TOY!
'But you want it, don't you. You think they will give it back? If this does more than the Great Seal can hold, maybe we can get free. I promise to save your ball.'
Naruto didn't need to hear an answer. Kyuubi's avarice and possessiveness threatened to suffocate him.
Itachi looked around the cavern. His men had things in hand. There was nothing to worry about at the moment. He looked over at the other blue-robed Akatsuki member and said "Let them know why the Nine-Tailed demon will soon be under our control. They may cease their pointless actions when the know the truth."
"Once upon a time, there was a trickster, a kitsune. She could take the shape of a human when it pleased her." The speaker was a woman. Naruto did not recognize her voice or face.
'Her?' Naruto raised an eyebrow. He knew that Kyuubi was male, from seeing its memories. But, even in a situation like this, it didn't hurt to score a point or two. 'Her! Is there something you forgot to tell me, Mr. Squat and Pee?'
IDIOT. IT IS A CHILD'S TALE. I AM NOT A KITSUNE
'Heh heh heh. Gotcha!'
"When she took her mortal form, she also suffered some of the semblances of mortality itself. That is, unless she had she ball with her." The female Akatsuki member's voice was rich and ideal for story telling. Inexplicably, some of the warring groups simply stopped to listen. "Whenever anyone stole the ball from her, the kitsune would whine, plead, and beg for it back."
'Just a story, huh. That is mine. My Precious. My Beauty. My Lovely. Give it back!'
I WILL EAT YOU SOME DAY. SLOWLY. PAINFULLY. WHILE YOU LIVE
'Yeh, I know. Or defecate on me… yada yada yada… yawn…'
"People often wondered why the ball was so important in that kind of story. Some thought that the kitsune ball, the Hoshi No Tama, contained a portion of the creature's spirit, or their hopes at freedom." The woman walked over and ran her hand over the surface of the giant sphere. "They would do anything to protect their special treasure. Perhaps because it held more than a piece of their spirit. It might be the very key to their immortality. No wonder the stories say they would grant any wish, just to get the ball back."
"Oh crud," Naruto swallowed hard. He saw where this was all going.
"Smartest thing you said all day, no doubt. " Jiraiya sounded disgruntled.
HE'S RIGHT.
"Of course, it was only a story. But, stories are often based on fact. Was the mention of a nine-tailed fox creature mere coincidence? Had the earliest authors simply been impressed by a fox youma, basing their descriptions on that? Or, was there something else." Itachi spoke up and actually smiled. That was shocking in itself.
'It's time. I kinda got caught up in the stupid story.'
Naruto could perform the Half Seal jutsu without any hand seals. He did so. The power began flowing into him, after he finished the first stage. He didn't know if his body could handle it. It was as if he had broken the handle off of a spigot, without being able to put it back when the sink was overflowing
"To make a long story short," Itachi continued. "A man found an interesting scroll. The scroll had an interesting passage. The passage told of an interesting place, hidden deep in the ground. The place had a very interesting object. The one you see behind me now. The one those men are poised to destroy."
CRUD
'That's… the… smartest…'
Naruto couldn't finish his thought. The mental pressure threatened to wipe out his mind and extinguish his spirit. Just the same, he completed the next stage. Barely.
"What's to stop us from destroying the ball." Tsunade's voice carried throughout the cavern. "Seeing you need that to have the demon do your bidding."
"I invite you to try. But, I'm afraid that things have been too well thought out." Itachi replied.
Naruto moaned loudly. He felt strange. Very strange. There had been no way to predict what would happen when the demon being tapped actually resided within the ninja doing the tapping.
"Naruto. What are you doing?" Jiraiya wasn't the only one to focus on the moaning boy.
"Kill the boy. Now!" Itachi's voice was harsh, demanding. The archers put arrows to their bow, ready to fire. It was too late.
AHHHHHHH-AHHHHHHH-ARRRRRRRRRUUUUUUUHHHHHHHH
The Nine Tails was also suffering intense pain and disorientation.
"What the…." Jiraiya suddenly found himself staring at Naruto. His apprentice's form was wavering, as if he were only a mirage. When the image solidified, it was no longer human. It was a fox. A nine-tailed fox. It grew. Rather rapidly. Incredibly large.
A vulpine call echoed off of every surface in the huge cave. All eyes were glued to the large form standing in the middle of the seal. It was Kyuubi in his natural form, mouth wide open and slavering. With all of the demon's power rushing out of the source of the chakra, and with the Half Seal being worked by the recipient of that full youma energy, a miraculous thing had occurred. An inversion. Naruto was now sealed within Nine Tails!
NOW THEY WILL SEE. NOW THEY WILL PAY. NOW I WILL HAVE IT BACK!
Kyuubi felt great. For sixteen long years he had been sealed behind the navel of some puling human. For sixteen years he had suffered the humiliation, denied his right to wander where he wanted, destroying what he chose. For sixteen years, he had been plotting his revenge. Once he had his precious ball back again, the fools would get what they deserved. He would never be trapped the same way again!
'Hey… hairball… I wouldn't talk so big, if I were you.'
It was Naruto's voice inside Kyuubi's head. The youma shook that large head trying to rid itself of the voice, to no avail. That was an inconvenience though, seeing that it was free.
I AM BIG. FINALLY. I CAN DO WHAT I WISH
"Uh huh. But, you're missing an important point.'
Naruto smiled mentally. Nine Tails would be incredibly pissed when it realized a simple but very important fact.
I WILL REND THEM ALL. I WILL REGAIN MY PRECIOUS. I WILL…
'We're still stuck.'
It was true. Even with Kyuubi in full splendor, the Great Seal was doing its job.
BUT…
'There's more. You overlooked something else. Guess who's still in command?'
Naruto's mental voice was smug. Hestill controlled the body's action. It just wasn't his own body at the moment.
THIS CANNOT BE. IT IS NOT FAIR. I AM SO CLOSE
'Bummer'
It felt good to slide that one in there. He remembered the 'Bummer' that Kyuubi gave him when they found that Hinata was gone.
'Maybe I could give you the reigns for a while, now and then. If…you're… a… good… boy…'
GRRRRRRRRR-R-RR-RRR-RRRR-RRRRR-RRRRRR-RRRRRRR
'I will eat you!' Naruto couldn't help but chuckle. He doubted that Kyubi would appreciate the joke. 'I will defecate on you!' Kyuubi's anger was reaching record levels. That made things all the more sweet for Naruto.
"I does not matter. The final card is still in our hands!" Itachi looked on in disgust as some of the less powerful shinobi began trembling with fear.
Another voice shouted. Naruto recognized it all too well.
"The seal is broken. For now!"
It was Kabuto. What he said was true.