(there may be a few errors)
Key
"words"= talking
'words'=thinking
(words)=authors notes/my thoughts
*words*=actions (e.g. *cough*, *gasp*, *huff*, *puff*)
*= look at the bottom
*Flashback*
The sun began to set. Its red-gold hue illuminated the treetops and all beneath it. Under these trees were two Genins. "Give it here." Naruto rasped, still wheezing from where the ANBU member kicked him in the side. For all he knew, he had broken ribs. Hinata pulled the oversized makimono off of her shoulders and handed it to Naruto. He took its weight with a grunt, and slipped it over his back. Naruto straightened himself up. "Hinata, stay here and wait for me. I'll be back with Kakashi-sensei in a bit. Don't worry." He paused for a moment. "I'll be alright." "What if something happens to you?" Hinata's fingers started that tapping thing on their own. "Kind of a habit, eh?" Naruto chuckled. "If you're that worried about me, then wait here. If I'm not back in.... say ten minutes, come get me if you want. Okay?" Naruto tried to smile in this dire situation. Hinata smiled back, but she knew that Naruto saw through it. Why couldn't she feel safe around him? Before Hinata knew it Naruto was gone.... off to the hooded men.
*End Flashback*
Snow began to fall. Hinata eagerly glanced at her watch. It was like chasing the moon. The time seemed to freeze within that day. According to her watch, she had 1 minute and 23 seconds left. Naruto left at 5:28:37 and it was 5:36:14. Hinata was basically going mad.
Naruto still hadn't came back from the evil mans' hostage/ransom dealing. Hinata thought she saw a blonde haired boy coming around the bend with a man three times already. Her imagination was getting the best of her. Each time she slapped herself. Hard.
Ten minutes! Hinata skipped two heartbeats and ran. She didn't waste a second. Brambles and twigs pulled at her jacket, longing her to come back to their depths. Hinata pulled at them, sometimes ripping them off their hosts.
She came to the fork where Teams 8 and 7 training grounds were. She took the right instead of left. A light seeped through a crack in the forests' walls. Closer and closer she drew.
Finally, she broke through. Her eyes began to adjust to the suns' rays. Silhouettes of six men appeared. One was smaller than the rest. Two were on their knees. Once her eyes adjusted, Hinata screeched.
"H-Hinata! Get out of here!" Naruto yelled between gasps. His arms were held behind him by the hooded figures. But that was just the beginning. His cheek bore a slash, fresh blood dripping from it. His normally orange jackets and pants were spattered with blood. Naruto had four kunai punctured all along his thighs and back. "You can't handle these guys!"
One of them punched him across the face. Naruto recoiled and spat the excess blood from his mouth. The snow turned red.
Kakashi was just as bad. "Run Hinata! Naruto's right! You can't handle them on your own! Get out of here before-"
The hooded man behind him delivered Kakashi a blow to the back of his head with his knee. Kakashi's eyes suddenly opened, and he fell to the floor, out-cold.
"Shut up!" the man said. 'Who the hell is she?.... I asked you a question Sigumi!"
One of the other men shrugged.
"Hinata! Run!!" Naruto hollered at the top of his lungs. "Please!!"
Hinata took a few steps back, never taking her eyes away from Naruto.
"PLEASE!!"
The man named Sigumi kicked Naruto across the face. Hinata shrieked.
"JUST GET AWAY FROM HERE! LEAVE!!"
Finally, Hinata turned on her heels and bolted into the forest.
Sigumi grinned under his hood. "What do you want to do to him, Kapu?"
Naruto interrupted their conversation. "Do your best, assholes!" Naruto gave them a face of pure hate. "What are you going to do? Call me a demon boy, pick on me and call it a day? That's not much of a torture." He grinned.
"We're gonna do something a whole lot worse than that!" Sigumi rasped from under the hood and pushed Naruto to the ground with a kick to the back. Unfortunately, he also grazed Naruto's shoulder. They let go of his forearms and backed away.
"So now you're gonna let me go?" Naruto laughed, despite the immense pain surging from his ribs and shoudlerblades.
Kapu stepped up to him and grinned back, "So demon boy. You think this is funny?" he said, gesturing to his surroundings. "Funny?" Kapu repeated.
Lightning-fast, Kapu grasped a kunai growing from Naruto's bicep and twisted it.
Naruto closed is eyes and roared in pain as his flesh was torn. The screams went away and he huffed to regain his usual spunk. But he couldn't. His fear overcame his senses. 'No! I won't freeze-up!' Naruto thought. Suddenly, another black figure kicked Naruto in the gut.
He doubled up, blood emitting from his mouth.
"Where's your laugh now demon boy?" Kapu teased.
"Hey man. We got what we came for! Let's get out. We don't need a dead Genin on our resume!" the third man said, looking around.
Kapu turned to him. "And I don't need sissies like you on my team, Yabura!"
Yabura flinched and cautiously stepped back, like he had been hit.
Naruto pulled a few kunai from his arms and one from his back. Each time, grunting.
Kapu picked up the makimono with one hand. "Thanks to you, we have what we need!" he and his gang began to laugh.... like hyenas. Kapu motioned to stop their laughter. "Look what one stupid novice can do for us, and all we had to do, was capture his precious sensei. What a sorry ass."
Naruto's temple throbbed. 'No. I mustn't let him out now! The whole village could be destroyed. Don't succumb to their plan!' Naruto shook his head, trying to get his mind straight. He stood up and staggered for a moment, but found his center.
He hadn't used any chakra yet. His lightning edge was reabsorbed when Hinata stopped him. Plus, he had two full reserves of chakra. Although, if he did call up the Kyubi's chakra, he might lose control of it. That wouldn't be good.
If only Kakashi was still conscious, they might win. Naruto might as well make a commotion. Maybe some wandering stranger could come by and see these men. Then they might go get help. Probably not.
Naruto looked up at the sky and muttered, "It's been nice to be alive." All his other thoughts were set aside, waiting for him in heaven. Naruto stepped into his basic taijutsu form.
Kapu, Sigumi, Yabura and all the others started laughing (like hyenas). Naruto loathed it. "This little kid thinks he can fight me!" Kapu hollered, holding his sides.
Kapu didn't even notice the foot coming at him. Anyway, Naruto smashed his foot into Kapu's hood. Blood sprayed out of it, and the laughing ceased.
Naruto grinned at their stupidity. "Any shinobi never let down his guard! It's a basic fundamental."
Sigumi chuckled. "If only we were shinobi!"
Kapu turned around, and slapped him. "Shut up! You almost told him!"
Naruto blinked, dumbly. It finally dawned on him. This was all a set up. 'Well, I won't fall for it.' Naruto thought. He took another run at Kapu and tried to throw an elbow to his hip, to snap it. Kapu side stepped to his right in just enough time. He grabbed Naruto's elbow with his left hand and turned so it was behind him. Then, he extended his forearm, and smashed Naruto upside the head, spattering blood from his ear.
Naruto was knocked back a few meters. He quickly stood back up, and used his Kage Bunshin no Jutsu.
Now it was one on eight. It might be even now.
One advanced on him and went under the punch to kick him up in the air.
"U....za.... maki.... Naruto Rendan!" Naruto's real body leapt into the air and kicked Kapu back to solid ground.
Kapu landed with a thud. He didn't move. Suddenly, it disappeared into mid air. Like as if nothing happened.
"Aha! Not bad for a genin." A disembodied voice spoke. "Now let me try!"
A shadow appeared from behind him and enclosed Naruto in a sheet of darkness. Naruto struggled to find an opening, but every time he thought he saw one, it disappeared into the black darkness. Suddenly he had an idea.
Naruto reached his hand out forward, making all the darkness concentrate forward, then bolted behind him. Common sense. At least more sense then Kapu.
Naruto suddenly reversed his movement and threw two shuriken back at Kapu. They impaled him in the back. Kapu groaned in pain. As if it was a queue, Kapu disappeared and reappeared in front of Naruto with a fist to his face.
Naruto was knocked back, defenseless. 'So this is it?' he thought, loosening up, 'This is where my life ends, eh? Didn't think it would be like this though. The hero never dies, but if he does, he goes down in a glorious defeat. Time to really start this. Come on out Kyubi. Time to play!'
Kapu sprung into the air, put his knee out in front of him, and began to fall. Naruto's face would've been crushed inward if he didn't roll out of the way.
Naruto stood up and stood like a pillar, relaxed and poised. A red aura formed in his left hand, and a blue one in his right. "If you want to kill me then kill me!!" Naruto roared going into a run. His hands shook violently with nothing to brace them. He jumped into the center of a circle formed by Yabura, Kapu, Sigumi, and the other man.
"Which one wants to die first?" Naruto asked, eyes darting left and right. His grin showed his canines. Not one of them moved. The silence hung in the winter air.
Sigumi launched himself at Naruto, who rolled under him and shoved the blue lightning edge into his back. Killed. Sigumi wouldn't tell anymore tales. The blood fell onto Naruto face, and the snow.
Another man appeared behind Naruto. He whipped something out from under his cloak, cut Naruto along the back with it, and slipped it back under. Naruto yelled. He stood up, turned, and put his arm out all at the same time. The lightning edge took off the unlucky mans head. No time for pity. Both his chakra reserves were used up.
He might as well give up. Naruto unzipped and slung his jacket off. Only the bloody mesh shirt protected him from these men and the cold. Naruto closed his eyes, and turned his head up. Blood dripped down his fingers onto the snow. Still, Yabura, Kapu and the other man wouldn't move.
There was a stirring behind Naruto. He couldn't win, so he looked over his shoulder to see. A clump of bushes shook lightly. Then two people jumped out of it. They both appeared by Naruto, holding him up by the arms. Naruto looked to his right and saw Neji. To his left was Hinata.
Naruto could barely talk through his weary lips and pained body. "Hinata.... I told you. Run." Naruto coughed. "Get out!"
"Don't count on it Naruto." Neji said. "No way we're leaving you here." He smiled.
Naruto found the strength to stand, and nudged Hinata and Neji off.
"N-Naruto-kun. You're going to catch a death of cold in that shirt-"
Naruto laughed so loud, blood sprayed out of his mouth. "That's all you can think about right now, huh? What about yourself? If you're not careful, you'll be killed."
Neji ignored the remark and focused on Yabura. "Hinata, Naruto. Let's be prepared.... Byakugan!" Neji's Byakugan formed.
Hinata followed suit, and Naruto (obviously) had no Byakugan, so he cracked his knuckles.
Fear was shown in Yabura's eyes. Kapu was no better. Neji made the first move. He came up to Kapu and hit him in the chest with his palm. Yabura's wind was knocked out of him. Defenseless, Neji made his second move. "64 Points Attack!" he hit Yabura all along the chest. "Two strikes! Four strikes! Eight strikes! 16 strikes! 32 strikes! 64 strikes!"
Naruto and Hinata took advantage of Kapu's moment of awe towards Neji. Hinata leapt above Kapu, and Naruto went around. He grabbed Kapu's right arm, smashed his elbow the opposite way, turned and did the same to the other. Hinata landed next to Naruto, and broke his right knee the way it's not supposed to go. Kapu fell to the ground; a useless heap of flesh.
Neji kicked Yabura aside, and walked up to Naruto. "Heh! Not too hard opponents. Don't you think?"
Hinata and Neji both waited for an answer. None came. Naruto stared into space. All of a sudden, Naruto lost his footing and toppled over in the red snow.
Key
"words"= talking
'words'=thinking
(words)=authors notes/my thoughts
*words*=actions (e.g. *cough*, *gasp*, *huff*, *puff*)
*= look at the bottom
*Flashback*
The sun began to set. Its red-gold hue illuminated the treetops and all beneath it. Under these trees were two Genins. "Give it here." Naruto rasped, still wheezing from where the ANBU member kicked him in the side. For all he knew, he had broken ribs. Hinata pulled the oversized makimono off of her shoulders and handed it to Naruto. He took its weight with a grunt, and slipped it over his back. Naruto straightened himself up. "Hinata, stay here and wait for me. I'll be back with Kakashi-sensei in a bit. Don't worry." He paused for a moment. "I'll be alright." "What if something happens to you?" Hinata's fingers started that tapping thing on their own. "Kind of a habit, eh?" Naruto chuckled. "If you're that worried about me, then wait here. If I'm not back in.... say ten minutes, come get me if you want. Okay?" Naruto tried to smile in this dire situation. Hinata smiled back, but she knew that Naruto saw through it. Why couldn't she feel safe around him? Before Hinata knew it Naruto was gone.... off to the hooded men.
*End Flashback*
Snow began to fall. Hinata eagerly glanced at her watch. It was like chasing the moon. The time seemed to freeze within that day. According to her watch, she had 1 minute and 23 seconds left. Naruto left at 5:28:37 and it was 5:36:14. Hinata was basically going mad.
Naruto still hadn't came back from the evil mans' hostage/ransom dealing. Hinata thought she saw a blonde haired boy coming around the bend with a man three times already. Her imagination was getting the best of her. Each time she slapped herself. Hard.
Ten minutes! Hinata skipped two heartbeats and ran. She didn't waste a second. Brambles and twigs pulled at her jacket, longing her to come back to their depths. Hinata pulled at them, sometimes ripping them off their hosts.
She came to the fork where Teams 8 and 7 training grounds were. She took the right instead of left. A light seeped through a crack in the forests' walls. Closer and closer she drew.
Finally, she broke through. Her eyes began to adjust to the suns' rays. Silhouettes of six men appeared. One was smaller than the rest. Two were on their knees. Once her eyes adjusted, Hinata screeched.
"H-Hinata! Get out of here!" Naruto yelled between gasps. His arms were held behind him by the hooded figures. But that was just the beginning. His cheek bore a slash, fresh blood dripping from it. His normally orange jackets and pants were spattered with blood. Naruto had four kunai punctured all along his thighs and back. "You can't handle these guys!"
One of them punched him across the face. Naruto recoiled and spat the excess blood from his mouth. The snow turned red.
Kakashi was just as bad. "Run Hinata! Naruto's right! You can't handle them on your own! Get out of here before-"
The hooded man behind him delivered Kakashi a blow to the back of his head with his knee. Kakashi's eyes suddenly opened, and he fell to the floor, out-cold.
"Shut up!" the man said. 'Who the hell is she?.... I asked you a question Sigumi!"
One of the other men shrugged.
"Hinata! Run!!" Naruto hollered at the top of his lungs. "Please!!"
Hinata took a few steps back, never taking her eyes away from Naruto.
"PLEASE!!"
The man named Sigumi kicked Naruto across the face. Hinata shrieked.
"JUST GET AWAY FROM HERE! LEAVE!!"
Finally, Hinata turned on her heels and bolted into the forest.
Sigumi grinned under his hood. "What do you want to do to him, Kapu?"
Naruto interrupted their conversation. "Do your best, assholes!" Naruto gave them a face of pure hate. "What are you going to do? Call me a demon boy, pick on me and call it a day? That's not much of a torture." He grinned.
"We're gonna do something a whole lot worse than that!" Sigumi rasped from under the hood and pushed Naruto to the ground with a kick to the back. Unfortunately, he also grazed Naruto's shoulder. They let go of his forearms and backed away.
"So now you're gonna let me go?" Naruto laughed, despite the immense pain surging from his ribs and shoudlerblades.
Kapu stepped up to him and grinned back, "So demon boy. You think this is funny?" he said, gesturing to his surroundings. "Funny?" Kapu repeated.
Lightning-fast, Kapu grasped a kunai growing from Naruto's bicep and twisted it.
Naruto closed is eyes and roared in pain as his flesh was torn. The screams went away and he huffed to regain his usual spunk. But he couldn't. His fear overcame his senses. 'No! I won't freeze-up!' Naruto thought. Suddenly, another black figure kicked Naruto in the gut.
He doubled up, blood emitting from his mouth.
"Where's your laugh now demon boy?" Kapu teased.
"Hey man. We got what we came for! Let's get out. We don't need a dead Genin on our resume!" the third man said, looking around.
Kapu turned to him. "And I don't need sissies like you on my team, Yabura!"
Yabura flinched and cautiously stepped back, like he had been hit.
Naruto pulled a few kunai from his arms and one from his back. Each time, grunting.
Kapu picked up the makimono with one hand. "Thanks to you, we have what we need!" he and his gang began to laugh.... like hyenas. Kapu motioned to stop their laughter. "Look what one stupid novice can do for us, and all we had to do, was capture his precious sensei. What a sorry ass."
Naruto's temple throbbed. 'No. I mustn't let him out now! The whole village could be destroyed. Don't succumb to their plan!' Naruto shook his head, trying to get his mind straight. He stood up and staggered for a moment, but found his center.
He hadn't used any chakra yet. His lightning edge was reabsorbed when Hinata stopped him. Plus, he had two full reserves of chakra. Although, if he did call up the Kyubi's chakra, he might lose control of it. That wouldn't be good.
If only Kakashi was still conscious, they might win. Naruto might as well make a commotion. Maybe some wandering stranger could come by and see these men. Then they might go get help. Probably not.
Naruto looked up at the sky and muttered, "It's been nice to be alive." All his other thoughts were set aside, waiting for him in heaven. Naruto stepped into his basic taijutsu form.
Kapu, Sigumi, Yabura and all the others started laughing (like hyenas). Naruto loathed it. "This little kid thinks he can fight me!" Kapu hollered, holding his sides.
Kapu didn't even notice the foot coming at him. Anyway, Naruto smashed his foot into Kapu's hood. Blood sprayed out of it, and the laughing ceased.
Naruto grinned at their stupidity. "Any shinobi never let down his guard! It's a basic fundamental."
Sigumi chuckled. "If only we were shinobi!"
Kapu turned around, and slapped him. "Shut up! You almost told him!"
Naruto blinked, dumbly. It finally dawned on him. This was all a set up. 'Well, I won't fall for it.' Naruto thought. He took another run at Kapu and tried to throw an elbow to his hip, to snap it. Kapu side stepped to his right in just enough time. He grabbed Naruto's elbow with his left hand and turned so it was behind him. Then, he extended his forearm, and smashed Naruto upside the head, spattering blood from his ear.
Naruto was knocked back a few meters. He quickly stood back up, and used his Kage Bunshin no Jutsu.
Now it was one on eight. It might be even now.
One advanced on him and went under the punch to kick him up in the air.
"U....za.... maki.... Naruto Rendan!" Naruto's real body leapt into the air and kicked Kapu back to solid ground.
Kapu landed with a thud. He didn't move. Suddenly, it disappeared into mid air. Like as if nothing happened.
"Aha! Not bad for a genin." A disembodied voice spoke. "Now let me try!"
A shadow appeared from behind him and enclosed Naruto in a sheet of darkness. Naruto struggled to find an opening, but every time he thought he saw one, it disappeared into the black darkness. Suddenly he had an idea.
Naruto reached his hand out forward, making all the darkness concentrate forward, then bolted behind him. Common sense. At least more sense then Kapu.
Naruto suddenly reversed his movement and threw two shuriken back at Kapu. They impaled him in the back. Kapu groaned in pain. As if it was a queue, Kapu disappeared and reappeared in front of Naruto with a fist to his face.
Naruto was knocked back, defenseless. 'So this is it?' he thought, loosening up, 'This is where my life ends, eh? Didn't think it would be like this though. The hero never dies, but if he does, he goes down in a glorious defeat. Time to really start this. Come on out Kyubi. Time to play!'
Kapu sprung into the air, put his knee out in front of him, and began to fall. Naruto's face would've been crushed inward if he didn't roll out of the way.
Naruto stood up and stood like a pillar, relaxed and poised. A red aura formed in his left hand, and a blue one in his right. "If you want to kill me then kill me!!" Naruto roared going into a run. His hands shook violently with nothing to brace them. He jumped into the center of a circle formed by Yabura, Kapu, Sigumi, and the other man.
"Which one wants to die first?" Naruto asked, eyes darting left and right. His grin showed his canines. Not one of them moved. The silence hung in the winter air.
Sigumi launched himself at Naruto, who rolled under him and shoved the blue lightning edge into his back. Killed. Sigumi wouldn't tell anymore tales. The blood fell onto Naruto face, and the snow.
Another man appeared behind Naruto. He whipped something out from under his cloak, cut Naruto along the back with it, and slipped it back under. Naruto yelled. He stood up, turned, and put his arm out all at the same time. The lightning edge took off the unlucky mans head. No time for pity. Both his chakra reserves were used up.
He might as well give up. Naruto unzipped and slung his jacket off. Only the bloody mesh shirt protected him from these men and the cold. Naruto closed his eyes, and turned his head up. Blood dripped down his fingers onto the snow. Still, Yabura, Kapu and the other man wouldn't move.
There was a stirring behind Naruto. He couldn't win, so he looked over his shoulder to see. A clump of bushes shook lightly. Then two people jumped out of it. They both appeared by Naruto, holding him up by the arms. Naruto looked to his right and saw Neji. To his left was Hinata.
Naruto could barely talk through his weary lips and pained body. "Hinata.... I told you. Run." Naruto coughed. "Get out!"
"Don't count on it Naruto." Neji said. "No way we're leaving you here." He smiled.
Naruto found the strength to stand, and nudged Hinata and Neji off.
"N-Naruto-kun. You're going to catch a death of cold in that shirt-"
Naruto laughed so loud, blood sprayed out of his mouth. "That's all you can think about right now, huh? What about yourself? If you're not careful, you'll be killed."
Neji ignored the remark and focused on Yabura. "Hinata, Naruto. Let's be prepared.... Byakugan!" Neji's Byakugan formed.
Hinata followed suit, and Naruto (obviously) had no Byakugan, so he cracked his knuckles.
Fear was shown in Yabura's eyes. Kapu was no better. Neji made the first move. He came up to Kapu and hit him in the chest with his palm. Yabura's wind was knocked out of him. Defenseless, Neji made his second move. "64 Points Attack!" he hit Yabura all along the chest. "Two strikes! Four strikes! Eight strikes! 16 strikes! 32 strikes! 64 strikes!"
Naruto and Hinata took advantage of Kapu's moment of awe towards Neji. Hinata leapt above Kapu, and Naruto went around. He grabbed Kapu's right arm, smashed his elbow the opposite way, turned and did the same to the other. Hinata landed next to Naruto, and broke his right knee the way it's not supposed to go. Kapu fell to the ground; a useless heap of flesh.
Neji kicked Yabura aside, and walked up to Naruto. "Heh! Not too hard opponents. Don't you think?"
Hinata and Neji both waited for an answer. None came. Naruto stared into space. All of a sudden, Naruto lost his footing and toppled over in the red snow.