A/N: PLEASE READ THIS NOTE, WOULD YOU KINDLY?
EDIT: Yikes, can the trolls and death threats stop, plz? Can't we all be friends here?
DOUBLE EDIT: Changed the end scene to make things flow a bit better. Hope you like it.
Happy New Years! Hope you're ready for things to ramp up, because heeeeere we go! Don't worry, I'll not spoil things.
Now for your questions~!
Q: Waitaminute. Is that Nevermore who I think it is?
A: *whistles innocently* Read to find out. Magic is a useful thing, after all...
Q: Will we have scenes told from multiple perspectives?
A: Yeah, one or two. This chapter drops a lot of hints, and I mean a LOT.
Q: Yugao's getting the cinder treatment. I just know it. Yikes.
A: Yup. She's being corrupted. But to what end...?
Q: Is Salem trying to entice Naruto?
A: Eh, I'd say its more that they're corrupting each other. Speaking of corruption, Baki is definitely dead at the hands of a crazed Yugao. No escape for him. No last minute save. No resurrection to be had here. He gone! He dead! He ain't coming back! There thought I'd get that out of the way and clear things up.
Really, the show chickened out by not having Baki and Yugao confront each other. Such a wasted opportunity.
Q: Can we get a skill list for Naruto?
A: Again, Naruto possesses Magic and Aura in addition to Chakra. He's been personally trained in the art of combat by Hazel and Salem themselves. Needless to say, he can put up quite the fight when pressed, but he's not invincible. Salem's not letting her Contractor out of her sight anytime soon, so naturally, she's gone above and beyond to make certain he'll be able to defend himself when she isn't around.
Q: How strong is Salem compared to most ninja?
A: The heavy hitters of this world can give Salem a hard time, defeat her, even seal her away if she isn't careful. Problem is, she KNOWS this and has no desire to be sealed back up again. Hence why she's keeping a low profile and using others as a medium. Some may suspect something amiss, but they have no way of detecting magic, much less her. And as we all know, Salem can be sneaky when she wants to.
Or would you rather she just summon a Grimm Whale and nuke everything? That wouldn't be any fun now, would it.
Q: Can we expect to see RWBY characters brought back by the gods? Strikes me as something they'd do
A: *zips lips*
Q: That preview?! Did...Did you just cuck Sasuke out of the exams?
A: Why don't you read this chapter and find out.
Now, then. Away we go! As ever I own NO references, memes or themes. Not a wit, not a one.
Chapter title hails from the song "So Nice to Meet Me" by Zack Hemsey. You don't have to listen to it of course, but its what I had it on repeat while writing this. Really helped me out, given that the lyrics hit what I was going for here.
"Kill him? Oh, my dear. By all means. TRY. Ostracize him. Tear him apart. Incinerate him.
Like a phoenix, he'll rise from the ashes of his old Life.
And then? He'll burn your world."
~Salem.
So Nice To Meet Me
Naruto returned to the stands feeling like a champion.
Several clapped him on the back as he climbed the steps, shouting congratulations in his wake. Evidently he'd won them a great deal of money. The notion that people had actually bet on him winning would have alarmed him once, but he had a feeling he knew who instigated it. This had Salem's handiwork all over it. Leave it to her to organize a betting ring while he beat Neji senseless. Heh. It was Just like her to profit of another's misery like this. From the sound of it, she'd made more than a tidy sum today. No doubt she'd saved him a portion of their winnings.
Almost brought a tear to his eye, that did.
He noticed other faces as he ascended. Not all of them were pleasant.
Women gazed at him as if he were a different person, some strange foreign creature they didn't know what to make of.
A lifetime ago, he would've basked in such attention and craved more. Now he knew it for what it was. They didn't care that who he was, where he came from, or any such thing. No, they were only interested in him now because he'd won. Nothing more, nothing less. Fickle creatures. Had he truly been that blind? His gaze roamed the crowds as he ascended, idly trailing over faces. He only had a few minutes before they called the next match and needed to get a move on-
A flash of red collided with his shoulder.
Instinct compelled him to turn with the blow rather than against it, catching the one responsible in his arms. Even then, the impact drove him back a pace.
"Hey, be careful." he chided. "You almost knocked me down."
"M'sorry." a small voice muttered into his chest. They raised their head and gazed up at him.
Time slowed to a crawl. For a moment, a sliver of a second, Naruto felt his vision sharpen. Silver eyes met his, framed by a strange red hood. He couldn't comprehend their face entirely in the shadows of their cowl, but he could see their mouth. No. Her mouth. It was a girl. Her pale face was set in a scowl fixed solely on him. She was short, too. Really short. Her head barely came up to his chest, which was ironic, because before his growth spurt he'd been little more than a runt himself. But this girl? She looked like she'd seen a ghost.
Naruto reached out for her. "Hey, are you alright...?"
"No!" she slapped his hand out of the air with an anguished cry. "Don't touch me! You're like her! Murderer!"
"Excuse me?!"
Naruto all but choked on the accusation. Murderer?! Him?! He hadn't slain a single soul! A muscle jumped in his jaw, but he resisted the urge to bite back at the strange girl. Just who was she? Before he could think to do anything else, she skittered backward and vanished in a swirl of motion. Only rose petals remained in her wake. One of them landed on his outstretched hand and turned to ash in his palm. He turned his hand upside down and let it drain out onto the floor.
...who was that?"
Shaking his head he carried on.
Thankfully, others were happy to see him.
"Ha!" he sensed Kiba coming long before he slung an arm around his shoulder. He allowed what followed, grateful for the distraction. "There you are, you magnificent bastard! I knew you had it in you!"
"Jeez! Not so tight!"
Naruto laughed despite himself and wriggled free from the Inuzuka's grasp. Whatever bad blood they'd had between them after the preliminaries appeared to have evaporated with Neji's defeat. Fine by him. Kiba was a good friend, just like Shikamaru and Choji. He might have changed, but he didn't want to lose them. And if they weren't going to judge him based on his new...skill-set, well. All the better. As far as the world new, he'd acquired a few new jutsu and a fresh summoning contract. Such an assumption wouldn't last forever, but he was content to prop up the lie where he could.
"Hey, you hit a growth spurt or something?" his friend peered up at him. "Don't remember you bein' this tall."
He had no idea. Naruto was content to keep it that way.
...you might say that."
Atop Kiba's head, Akamaru leaned forward to inspect him. The pup yipped once and gave his cheek a quick lick. Naruto laughed and ruffled the dog's fur. Another test he'd been worried about. Some animals had come to fear him since his...change. Dogs, at least, were still keen on him. He'd take what he could these days.
"Oho!" His friend saw his smirk and elbowed him with a grin. "I thought there was a strange scent on you. Anything ya wanna tell me?"
Lots of things. Nothing he would understand or accept. Kiba wouldn't understand the concept of Magic or Aura, much less someone like Salem. Moreover, he'd been asked to keep this secret. Naruto was a man of his word. If he ran around blabbing secrets, he'd have the Hokage's eyes on him by the end of the day. The old man would have questions of his own. Refusing them meant treason. One thing would lead to another and even a blind man could see the outcome come from a mile away. Salem, or loyalty to the village. One day, he would have to choose. Naruto didn't want to choose. He wanted to stay here, with his friends, for as long as he could.
Instead he settled for a smile and jammed both hands into his pockets. "Nope."
"Aw, c'mon!" Kiba needled. "Not gonna introduce me to your new friend?"
That small smile grew another inch. "Nope. She'd eat you alive."
"Bah, you're impossible. C'mon. Hina's waiting."
Naruto let the Inuzuka lead him up a level; if only because he had an inkling of what his friend intended. Sure enough, they found Hinata fidgeting a few seats above. Her squirming redoubled when she saw their approach and she looked fit to bolt. Poor girl. All told, she looked better. Not quite recovered...but better. She was breathing normally and seemed to sit a little straighter under his gaze. Good. That meant there was some hope for her career. Had someone healed her? She was healthy, to his senses. Almost too healthy.
A flash of dark amusement pulsed through his mind, courtesy of Salem.
Naruto pounced on it. "What did you do?"
"I?" her voice feigned a wounded tone. "You wound me, dear contractor. I would never hurt one so pure."
Bullshit. Salem did what she pleased, when she pleased, where she pleased. He could hear the smile in her words. "What. Did you. Do."
"If you must know, I found a seed and decided to...nurture it." silken laughter brushed the back of his mind. "By all means, see for yourself."
"Here he is, your majesty!" Heedless of their diatribe, Kiba grinned and nudged him forward with an elbow. "The hero of the hour! Why don't you give your knight a kiss?"
Hinata looked fit to burst. "K-K-Kiba!"
Now that Naruto knew what to look for he could clearly see that there was something there. Pale eyes flitted to his, then down to the floor again when he caught her staring. Naruto winced. One simply did not train under Salem and Hazel without learning a few things. It wasn't hard to tell she was holding a torch for him...that he failed to notice spoke volumes for his past self. Dense didn't even begin to describe that. If he could go back a month, he'd throttle himself. Had he really been that blind?!
"Yo." he flashed a cheery wave her way instead. "How're ya feeling?"
Pale eyes blinked upon him. Widened. Looked up.
...tall." she murmured in awe.
Naruto blinked. "Eh?"
That was twice someone had remarked on it now. Was he really that tall? Didn't feel like it.
"N-No, its nothing." A small, tentative smile bloomed on her pale face. "I'm feeling much better, thank you." she looked away, started to tent her fingers, then stopped herself. Huh. That was new. She always did that. "I," she swallowed once, shook her head, then mastered herself. "I'm glad you spared Neji's life. He didn't deserve..."her lips pursed in a grimace. "He shouldn't have to die."
On that, they agreed.
Death was final. You couldn't learn from your mistakes if they got you killed. Time would tell if Neji learned the error of his ways. If he did, great. If he decided to clamp down and cling to his old ways...well. Another knock about the head would set him to rights. Maybe. Hopefully? Meh. He'd burn that bridge when he came to it.
But Hinata was still looking at him most intently.
"The a-abilities you used in your match," she looked over his shoulder, almost as if she saw something there, before looking back to him. "Is...is it possible to learn such power?"
Naruto blinked rapidly. Oh. Oho. Ohoho. Realization broke like the dawn. So that was Salem's game. He wasn't opposed to it. He didn't dislike Hinata. Frankly, he wasn't sure what he felt towards her. Even as a part of him felt flattered by the attention, another larger part wondered why. Salem's training wasn't for the weak of wills nor the faint of heart. Why show an interest in Hinata at all? Did she intend to cultivate her skills? Or did she have another, more sinister purpose for her? He wouldn't allow the latter, and surely Salem knew better than to try such a thing.
In the end, his mouth betrayed him of its own accord. "Not from a ninja."
Salem's laugh split the back of his head. "Well said, contractor."
"I'll put a word in a good for you."
Hinata perked up. "Really?"
Kiba scratched the back of his head. "What, you saying you got trained by a samurai or something?"
Good boy, Kiba. He'd given him an excuse without even trying. Naruto felt no need to correct him. He could believe what he wanted.
"Let me know if Neji or your clan tries anything else." He ignored him and smacked a fist into an open palm, producing an audible pop. "Just give a holler and I'll come running."
Hinata sucked in a sharp breath through her teeth. Hmm. Maybe that was a poor choice of words on his part. Meh. Too late to take 'em back now. Might as well make the most of it while he could.
On a whim, Naruto darted back in, dipped down and pulled the poor girl in for a quick hug. Sure enough, the Hyuuga's face turned a lovely shade of red and she looked fit to faint all over again. Something unfolded in him. No, no, no, that wouldn't do. He pushed his forehead against hers, commanding her attention and forcing her back to wakefulness. Blue eyes blazed into lavender.
"You're gonna be amazing someday." he grinned. "I just know it. I'll see you after the exams."
"I...you...
Gibberish flowed from her mouth. Oh, dear. Had he broken her?
He let go and Hinata jerked back as if she'd been scalded. Kiba laughed, but was already away before either could think to reel him in again. Mission accomplished. Really, the look on Hinata's face was just too precious. Too good. Too pure. Almost like a little sister. Made him want to protect her, you know? He saw Sakura in a nearby seat and nodded once, moving past her. She at least, looked like she wanted to say something, but he was in a hurry.
And then. Quite suddenly. There she was.
"It would seem congratulations are in order, dear boy."
Salem was waiting for him near the top of the stands. Her words riveted him.
At least he assumed it was Salem in disguise; because no young girl would willingly get this close to a band of foreign shinobi without batting an eyelash, much less talk to him like that. Her disguise looked good. Really, it did. Perhaps that had been her true appearance long ago before she'd been corrupted. Naruto still didn't like it. Because it wasn't her. No, the Salem HE knew was all pale skin and ashen hair, eyes like rubies, a smile like sin itself. But the rapturous expression on her face right now? That wasn't fake at all.
She looked like he wanted to devour him.
In all honesty it was a little frightening...and intoxicating.
"Hey." Naruto preened as he climbed the last of the steps. "How did I do?"
(.0.0.0.)
Sakura had never feared Naruto before. Until now.
That was undoubtedly her teammate walking up the steps towards her. There could be no doubt about that. His smile was the same. His face was the same. Even his chakra was just as she remembered it. Warm. Gentle. Kind. Sure he'd grown a few inches. Maybe gained a bit of muscle. He may looked a little older, and the quiet confidence in his gait alarmed her -as did his new outfit!- but despite all that, these subtle colors of navy-grey and black spoke well for for him. To a passerby, he seemed much as he had always been.
Yet his eyes were different.
Sakura had been his teammate long enough to see the changes there. Those azure orbs still true and blue, but they seemed brighter somehow. Sharper than she remembered. Downright deadly. He looked over the crowd and dismissed them, even as a few happy bettors clapped him on the back. Naruto didn't shout or scream his victory to the heavens. There was no need. His actions spoke for themselves. But those eyes. Sakura couldn't stop looking at his eyes.
And he was headed her way.
Sakura straightened her back imperceptibly and ran a hand through her hair, then immediately cursed herself for the. What was she fussing for?! It was just Naruto. Why was her heart beating so fast? She tried to speak as he drew within earshot, but His gaze rolled right over her. He nodded once and walked past. Like she wasn't even there. She'd soon learn why.
"It would seem congratulations are in order, contractor." a soft, indulgent voice crooned only a row behind her.
Her ears perked up. That was a girl's voice. Naruto? With a girl? What madness was this?
"Hey." he called to someone a few rows up, "How did I do?"
Sakura turned subtly in her seat to find them.
No. Surely not. Naruto couldn't have. He didn't have it in him to woo someone. Imagine her surprise then when she found a girl with striking aqua eyes waiting for him. At a glance she wasn't much to look at. Pale hair of spun gold framed her face and a simple white sundress sheathed her slim form. She was all smiles, however, as she stretched her arms out to Naruto.
Sakura nearly choked on her spit when he walked right into her embrace.
"You were marvelous." the girl hummed, nuzzling his neck. "I believe you deserve a reward."
With that said she pushed him down into the seat she'd just vacated and sat in his lap, pinning him there. A few bystanders turned a bemused look at the teenagers, but none challenged them. Perhaps that had something to do with the absolute giant of a man who sat beside the girl. By the sage, that man was built.
"Salem, c'mon." Naruto rolled his eyes in mild sufferance. "I can't stay up here for long, you know."
As if sensing that thought, she smiled. "Then your reward will be brief...this time."
Salem kissed him and pulled him into a fierce embrace. Her chin appeared over his shoulder and quiet suddenly, Sakura found herself the under the scrutiny of those piercing aqua orbs. She bristled at having been caught out, but the other girl raised a finger for silence. Oh. Maybe she wasn't so bad after all...
Salem's lips curled around a single silent syllable. "Mine."
For a fleeting moment, those pale robs flashed red and the whites of eyes burned black. The poor kunoichi shrank back, though her adversary made no move to speak, much less attack. But the blond smiled all the same. It was a dark, dangerous thing, a grin that promised dark secrets and great power...if you were willing to pay a price.
"Look upon him and know what you have lost, child." a voice like honeyed poison brushed her mind. "If you ever strike him again, I will kill you. And he'll never know."
Just like that her presence retreated.
Sakura blinked rapidly and scrubbed at her eyes with the back of her hands. When she looked again, the girl's eyes were pale once more. Salem wasn't even look at her anymore; her attention was fixed firmly on Naruto as she chatted with him.. Her imagination, then? Surely it must be. She looked away, trying to ignore the pang of doubt that followed.
What was that just now?
Where was the boy who had fussed and fawned over her for as long as she remembered? He'd found someone. She shouldn't care. If anything it mean she would finally be rid of his persistent attempts to ask her out. And yet a worm of jealously burrowed its way into her heart. He had improved. And she was being left behind.
She...She could close the gap, surely. Something told her she couldn't.
The poor girl shivered and hugged both arms to herself.
When had she lost him?
(.0.0.0.)
Salem was up to something.
Naruto knew in his bones, but for the life of him he couldn't figure out what it was. He wasn't stupid. Once was an accident, twice a coincidence, but three times? No. That was intentional. Queen or not, she had gone out of her way already messed about with poor Yugao, talked to then subsequently healed Hinata in order to pique her interest, and now she was glaring bloody red daggers at Sakura over his shoulder. If she thought he was blind to all that, she had another thing coming. He wasn't stupid. He knew she was plotting.
Not that she gave him much time to dwell on it overmuch.
"What're you up to...?"
"I know not of what you speak." Salem reclined languidly on his lap with a smile, delighting in his discomfort. "Can we not simply enjoy ourselves until your next match?"
His lips quirked. "Greedy girl."
She laughed and slapped his chest. "You know me well!"
Sometimes, Naruto wondered about that. Magic was strange. Shapeshifting -so far beyond the basic transformation jutsu- was yet stranger still. Illusions were the strangest of all. Salem had mastered all three during her long captivity beneath the earth. For all intensive purposes she was a teenager again. They both knew she wasn't, but as he'd learned, Salem loved her games. Since her "resurrection" she liked to pretend, to put on airs, try her hand at things she'd never done before. It was...honestly a little endearing.
"This is a novel sensation." she hummed, leaning against his chest. "Hmm. Yes. I rather like it. Why did I not think to try this in my last life? To simply savor the simple pleasures of live. All that time, all that rage, all that anger...wasted." he heard Salem click her tongue, but couldn't see her expression. "Eternity is a heavy thing indeed. I'll not waste this second chance."
Naruto felt a shadow fall over his thoughts. "Just how bad was your first life...?"
"You know enough of it. I never had a childhood." grave eyes looked up to regard him with something akin to nostalgia. "My father saw to that. By the time Ozma rescued me from that tower, I was a young woman. From there, my life was a whirlwind. First with him, then the gods, and later, vengeance. It never occurred to me to try my hand at such a life. Perhaps I should have."
With a huff, she leaned forward to regard the teeming masses below.
"Ozma freed me from a tower." one hand rose to touch his cheek, guiding his gaze to follow hers. "You unbound me from the earth. He offered me his hand. You did the same. You're alike in a way." a faint longing in her voice stirred something in him. "For a time I feared that he might reincarnate in you, that I'd be doomed to the same dance all over again."
Salem must've seen the surprise on his face too, because she hastened to explain.
"But unlike him, you have proven yourself. You were willing to adapt." she turned in his lap, pushed herself up and kissed his scarred chin. "To bend without breaking." another kiss followed the first, her lips trailing over his whiskered face in a smoldering line. "To listen." Closer now. "To understand." Close. "To be that which he could never be." Closest. "If I were to compared the two of you now, one was water and the other, wine." Her nose brushed his, breath warm against his face as her legs settled on either side of him, pinning him where he sat. "You, dear contractor, are that fine wine...
Her eyes flashed red for a moment as she leaned in.
...and I intend to savor every drop."
In full view of everyone, Salem deliberately grabbed him by the face and yanked him forward, pressing her lips to his. She kissed him fiercely, running her tongue over his to silence him. Damn but she was good at that. A few catcalls and whistles filled the air. He didn't even have it in him to glower at those responsible. Salem loved her spectacles and speeches. She'd meant her every word.
She pulled away suddenly, regarding him with lidded eyes.
"There. Does that make my intentions clear?"
Naruto managed a dopey grin. "Yup."
Hazel leaned over and clapped him on the back then, nearly knocking the wind -along with any further response!- from his lungs. By the sage, he hit hard!
"Well done." the older man rumbled. "You showed admirable restraint down there."
Naruto wheezed out a laugh as Salem chuckled. "Thanks."
Hazel never liked killing. Yet he served someone like Salem, who would happily massacre any who stood against her. Didn't that make him a hypocrite? Probably. Best not to think about it. He'd give himself a headache. It didn't matter, anyway. Hazel was on Salem's side and that made him an ally. If he didn't want to kill others, Naruto was happy to oblige him. He was content here, sated even. But he still worried. What was her endgame? Hazel wasn't a killer, yet he'd seen the man fell trees with a single punch. The man could be a gentle giant, but also a terrifying one. Where did he factor into Salem's plans? What-
A sudden chime overhead cut that though off.
"Will all combatants please return to the lower stands." a neutral voice proclaimed. "I repeat, all combatants please return to the lower stands for the next match."
Well, they were bound to notice his absence sooner rather than later.
Naruto blew out a sigh and stood. "I'd best be getting back."
Salem yanked him back for another bruising kiss.
"Be wary of the sand-wielder." she warned, pulling away a moment later. "He's not right in the head. You know what he wields."
A monster. Just like his. He fought down a bitter grimace at the reminder. "Figured that out already...
"And one more thing." she tugged at his wrist. "I want you to win."
Now it was Naruto's turn to blink. "Wait, what?"
"I want you to win the exams." Salem repeated, lounging back in her seat as though it were her own personal throne. "Do so and I will reward you beyond measure."
He couldn't quite hide the sly smile that followed. "I dunno, I'm already feeling pretty blessed...
Full lips brushed his ear as she whispered dark secrets to him.
...belay that. I'll kick all their asses."
She laughed softly.
"You'd better!"
Salem gave him a shove and he made his way back down, clearing two steps at a time in his haste to return. Whose match was next? In all honesty he couldn't remember. If memory served it was Sasuke's turn, but he'd not seen hide nor hair of his teammate. Surely he wasn't going to pull a Kakashi and show up late. Not here. Now with world watching.
Shikamaru found him next.
"Nice fight." his friend yawned as he slipped down to the stands with the other competitors. "Pretty sure Hinata's gonna be over the moon after seeing that."
More and more, Naruto suspected why. It was a subject he'd rather not broach right now, least of all with prying ears lurking hereabouts.
"Meh." he forced himself to shrug instead. "I had a grudge against him, too. Felt good to knock him down a couple of pegs."
"The Hyuuga clan won't like that."
Something bridled in him. "I left him alive, didn't I?"
"That's not the point." a finger sought his chest. "You made a fool of Neji out there. He's only a branch member. How do you think the main branch will react to this?"
They wouldn't, if they knew what was good for them. Did he care? Not at all. He'd made his point, and no further quarrel with them. With a little luck, Neji would learn from this and become a better person. If his clan tried something...well. No matter how mighty their All-Seeing-Eyes may be, the Hyuuga techniques meant less than spit in the face of Salem's power. His power. He wasn't so arrogant as to believe he face someone of a high jonin level and emerge unscathed -not yet!- but he favored his chances if anyone tried anything.
That wasn't a threat. It was simply the truth.
Shikamaru didn't like what he saw in his face just then. "Are you alright?"
"What?" Naruto blinked. "Yeah? I feel fine. Better than fine."
"I can tell. You've gotten stronger."
Danger, danger! Deflect! Deny! "Well, you know how it is. Push-ups, sit-ups, plenty of juice. That sort of thing."
At the end of the day, Naruto considered Shika a friend. One of the few he had. Lazy bastard though he might be at times, the Nara wasn't stupid. On the contrary. He was terribly clever. That was the problem. He knew something was off about all. Something in him had changed and he feared it wasn't for the better.
"She have anything to do with it?" His gaze traveled Salem up in the stands, still hiding in plain sight.
"You could say that." Naruto hedged. "She motivated me."
"That so?"
Naruto swore softly. Did he know? Did he suspect? He hadn't exactly been subtle down there, but he hadn't gone out of his way to out himself either. He'd been hoping -foolishly perhaps- that most would write off his new tricks as new jutsu of some kind. Luckily, most of them had done just that. Shikamaru hadn't yet. Didn't look like he was willing to, either. And what he suspected, others might as well.
Salem would kill him if she thought herself threatened.
'C'mon, just drop it, Shika.' he willed the thought at him. 'Don't get involved in this.'
"Alright," the prodigy released another jaw-popping yawn. "You don't wanna talk about it. That's fair. But do you have to keep that damn bird around?"
As if summoned by that very thought, Raven swooped down from the rafters and alight upon Naruto's shoulder with a proud caw. Oh. Right. He hadn't set her back with the others. In all honesty, he'd forgotten about his bird in the chaos that followed. But she hadn't forgotten him. Nor did she appreciate Shikamaru's slight. Beady red eyes focused on him with hawkish intent. The Nara shrank back half a pace.
"Hey, I didn't choose her." Naruto shrugged. "She chose me. Also, no, Raven. Bad birdie. No pecking his eyes out."
Its beak clicked open in silent anger. "Stupid boy. If I had arms, I'd tear his eyes out."
Naruto patted her head. "Vicious little thing, isn't she?"
"LITTLE?!"
He raised his arm and she took off in a plume of dark feathers, arrowing back toward Salem with an angry squawk. Really, she was a chatty thing. Almost as if she'd been human, once. That was impossible of course. He only knew of two Grimm who could talk, and he'd not unleash the Hound on his worst enemy...
'Suppose I'm rambling again...
Shaking his head, he pushed such thoughts aside. Perspective was a funny thing. Once he had been weak, but now he was strong. There were no strings that came with it; Salem had given him her gifts freely. The once dead art of Magic now lived again through him. Heat burned in his veins, teeming with it alongside the strength of the Grimm. Most would have lost themselves in such power, drowned in avarice and greed. Yet he hadn't. He didn't. And he wouldn't. Naruto knew who he was, what he wanted, and how to get it.
He was just...a little more determined now.
If his heart was a little harder and his eyes a bit colder, then surely that was a small price to pay. He was still himself for the most part. With this power he could protect everyone. Surely a few dark looks were well worth it so long as he was able to safeguard his precious people. Belatedly, he realized the next match hadn't been called yet. And there was still no sign of Sasuke. What was keeping him?
His brow furrowed. "'Ol duckbutt's gonna be disqualified if he doesn't show up...
"Yeah about that," Shikamaru looked away with a grimace. "I don't know how to break this to you...but they're probably going to disqualify him. There was an accident."
The news hit him like a physical blow in the chest. "What...?"
"Dunno much about it." his friend hedged, leaning against the railing. "Only what I heard from my old man. They said it had something to do with a jutsu gone wrong. That's not all. Puppet boy over there," he jerked his head toward the sand siblings, "Went and forfeited his match against Shino. Before it was even announced. He gave up just before you came down here. Said he wasn't up to fighting."
Blue eyes narrowed. "Then why come here at all?"
"No idea, but I don't like it. I'll be going against his sister, but there's a good chance you'll be called up after."
Naruto blew out a weary sigh. "I'm gonna have to fight that sand bastard, aren't I?"
Shika patted his back. "Don't be like that, there's still a few matches to go...
A sudden wave of killing intent lodged the words in his throat. Once, Naruto would've balked under such pressure. Now? It felt like a cool breeze. This was nothing compared to what he'd endured. He'd stared down death and evil incarnate. What was the anger of a surly shinobi to that?
Sure enough, he turned to find a certain redhead glaring at him.
"You." Cold green eyes locked onto him like a heat-seeking jutsu. "Why didn't you kill him?"
Naruto blinked. "Excuse me?"
It took a moment for his mind to click. He remembered this one. Gaara of the Sand. Unfortunately it wasn't a fond memory. Bones cracking. Lee screaming. Sand Coffin. If Neji was a bully, then this one was a monster. He had been terrified of him before Salem's training. Now? Fear had became something else altogether. His vision flickered red for a moment before he got ahold of himself. An arm rose, waving Shikamaru back; he was more than happy to take the chance to retreat. His shadows could stop Gaara, but not his sand.
Naruto took the chance to step forward regardless, placing himself firmly between them.
"The Hyuuga." Gaara growled the word. "You spared him. Why?"
Naruto wrinkled his nose. "Because I wanted to...?"
"I do not understand." Far from calming the demented boy, his response only agitated him. "You could have killed him. Crushed him. Ground him to paste." his voice took on a pained note as he clutched his forehead. "Yet you let him live. What purpose does he serve if left alive?"
If he killed Neji, Hinata would never forgive him. Moreover, Neji wasn't evil. Just...misguided. He wasn't about to share his inner thoughts with a psychopath, however. Not after what he did to Lee.
"Killing isn't my way." Instead, he pushed past him. "I don't have to answer to you."
Gaara gave him five steps. "Then you are weak."
Naruto froze. "Excuse me?"
"Weak." Gaara rasped the word as Naruto pivoted on his heel, unaware of the slumbering dragon he'd inadvertently woken. "When we fight today, I will kill you." Dull green eyes shone when he looked at him, brimming with bloodlust. "That girl will not save you. Mother will savor her death just as much as yours-
CRUNCH.
In hindsight, Naruto wasn't sure what compelled him to lash out. Maybe it was anger. Perhaps it was pride. Or maybe, just maybe, it was something else. Without Salem, he was nothing. If they hadn't met, he never would've gained this incredible power. Never come to understand her. Worse, she would have stayed at the bottom of ravine. Lost and forgotten. Seething in silence, her mind slowly breaking in her prison until exile drove her mad. A lonely life. Similar to his, yet so much worse...
Unbidden, he recalled her smile. "You are mine and I am yours."
...and this boy dared -DARED!- to say he would kill her? The nerve. THE GALL!
His world went red.
In a seamless blur of green and silver he moved. His forehead slammed against Gaara's, cracking his sand armor to draw a startled flinch from the redhead. Red eyes rimmed by black sclera met startled green. His mouth split in a snarl, exposing sharpened fangs. His inner Grimm was showing. He didn't care. He had good reason to dislike Gaara before. But now? would never forgive this boy. Not until he brought him low.
"That's big talk for a one trick pony that nearly lost in the preliminaries."
Gaara growled. "I will savor your blood."
Natuto felt the fingers of his right hand begin to twitch. Dark power boiled up inside of him, eager to rip and tear. He had but to let it out. It would be so easy to kill Gaara. He was faster now, faster than Lee ever was. The sand wouldn't be able to stop him in time. It would be so simple. Just reach in, grab him by the neck and-
'No!' He stamped his anger down before it could consume him. 'I'm not a slave to this power. I won't let it control me.'
He couldn't strike with his fists. Not here. Not yet, when he ran the risk of disqualification. But there was another avenue of attack open to him. Salem's insight was vast and she had revealed many things to him over the last month. He knew what Gaara was. What he contained. Moreover, his mind had sharpened in days gone by. He wasn't some petulant child to lose himself over an insult. No. He held jabs of his own. With the anger gone from his mind, a new emotion was born.
One hand swept forward, clamping down on Gaara's shoulder like an iron vice to pull him close.
"I pity you."
Sure enough, Gaara flinched. "What?"
"It must be a terrible thing to grow up so angry." Naruto pressed the attack, watching the boy's brow begin to twitch. "So bitter. So alone. Maybe that's why you're always so angry." Gaara tried to squirm away but he had him now, and there was no escape. "That's alright, Gaara. I understand. I forgive you. You don't have to prove anything to me." his fingers squeezed, bruising the boy's shoulder. "We'll fight, fair and square. May the best monster win."
Sand lashed out at him, forcing him to disengage. "You know nothing! I'll kill you!"
"I know enough." Naruto's grin grew as he skipped back out of reach. "More than enough, really." his sandals bit into the ground, grinding his retreat to a halt. You've had a bad life. So what? Mine was rotten, too. You're a jinchuuriki. What of it? I'm the same." he jerked a thumb at his chest. "Haven't let that keep me down either."
Gaara glared bloody green daggers at him, but rather than strike again, his anger cooled. "Then you are a fool."
Yup. He was. A fool among fools, consorting with the Queen of Evil and trying to change her.
"Sure am." Laughing, he spread his arms wide. "Yet here I stand."
One of the sand siblings, the blond, balked at him.
"You're cracked."
"Me? Insane? No, no, no. You haven't seen anything yet." Still smiling, Naruto shook his head and walked away before the redhead could get a word in edgewise. "You may think you know what a monster is, Gaara. You have no idea. And when our match comes around?" He paused and turned his head, knowing the effect it would have on them. "Well...
Then for a moment, just a moment, a fraction of a second.
A blood red iris peeked over his shoulder.
...I'm going to show you despair."
Without another word or warning, killing intent shot through the arena, a targeted wave launched squarely at Gaara, then Kankuro and Temari behind him. Gaara flinched, eyes widening, shoulders spasming in surprise. His siblings fared even worse. They witnessed their deaths a dozen times, saw their bodies beaten and flayed, their hearts torn out, their everything pulped beyond recognition. No one else felt it. Only them. He cut it a moment later, leaving the two of them a quivering wreck.
As for Gaara? He didn't speak. Didn't move at all. He just...stared. Stared and smiled like he'd found a new plaything to break.
...I retract my previous statement." he spoke slowly, the words a dull rasp. "Uzumaki. I will relish our fight."
It was not at all the reaction Naruto wanted. He scowled and stalked back the way he'd come.
Fine. If it was a fight Gaara wanted, then a fight he would get.
He wouldn't be smiling by the end.
A/N: Hoooo boy, its coming!
Not really a fight chapter, more a setup of what's to come.
Had to hold off on a certain Salem scene for obvious reasons, but there we are.
At the end of the day, Naruto is still Naruto. He's not a madman drunk on power, and while his temper may rear its head from time to time, he's usually able to stamp it back down with only a little difficulty...until someone mocks Salem. Right now, he's gone full passive-aggressive mode, mocking Gaara to get a rise out of him, to make him loose, sloppy even.
Its gonna be one hell of a brawl.
Soooooooo In the Immortal Words of Atlas...
...Review, Would You Kindly? It Keeps A Man Alive...
And of course, here are some previews for your care and time~!
References are references as always and I own absolutely nothiiiiing!"
(Previews!)
Shikamaru won. As expected. And still no sign of Sasuke.
Naruto's mind did the math for him. Shino had won his match by default. He would be facing Shikamaru. With Temari's defeat, that left...
"Will Naruto Uzumaki and Gaara of the Sand please report to the arena?"
He blew out a breath and stood. Alright, then. Game time.
They wanted a show? He'd give them a show.
"She's wicked! You can't trust her!"
"And who are you..?"
"Welcome back to the land of the living. There's work to be done."
Salem's revived minion knelt before her.
"As you command."
"What are you...?"
"Lots of things." Salem smiled as she reattached an arm. "None of them will matter to you in a few minutes." Her right leg regrew in an instant. "If its any consolation, that hurt like hell." She grabbed her ruined neck and wrenched it back into place with a horrible crack. "I meant what I said. I gave you five minutes." The gaping tear in her chest closed, concealing her still beating heart beneath a perfect breast. "All your tricks. All your traps. I could give you an army and it wouldn't make a lick of difference."
Her victim drew back, eyes wide. "Monster!"
"No." her smile turned colder than any winter storm. "I am the devil."
R&R~!