Chapter 10

I was in the process of tracking Asuma back down to tell him what happened when a sinister energy draws my attention making my movements stop. Such an energy made my stomach turn, my throat began to burn. An energy threatening to consume me. It was animalistic and dark. Angry even. Looking in the direction I was already heading, I didn't know if I should actually continue on. Whatever was giving off that energy… is dangerous.

Swallowing hard I force myself forward for reasons I do not exactly understand. Pushing myself faster I run through the trees until I find myself standing on the edge of a crater. The boy... Sora. Shrouded in red energy. His eyes matching those of Naruto's ninetails. My eyes widen down at the sight before me. Naruto was yelling Sora's name as others I have not seen in a long time were continually trying to get their hands on the boy. Sakura and Ino hanging back healing them after each time the energy lashes out and throws them back.

Naruto gets hit hard enough by a hand made of pure red energy sending him skidding across the dirt creating a point of impact. Taking in a steadying breath I push myself forward. Throwing my energy through my right arm feeling the fire threatening to burn even me. A technique I don't use lightly. My blue flames flow through my arm outstretching from me a good ten feet. Wincing I compact the flames tighter together forcing them to become tangible. At this point, my flesh was burning and I could feel my glove melting over the top of my hand. I land on the ground and wrap my fire whip around Sora.

"Kira!" Naruto yells and I pull on my energy trying to keep Sora pinned down. Fighting against the nine-tails energy flowing from him.

"Naruto, quick!" I yell out to the boy that seemed to stand there stunned. He nods to me with a smirk before he runs for the boy. The energy around him beginning to peel his skin from his body leaving a blood-covered mess. The boy just seems to look at me before letting out a deafening roar. The red energy as if on its own accord knocks Naruto back with a formed hand. The bubbling substance was now growing up my whip. Fighting to take my flames over.

Growling outwardly my vision takes on a red haze as I push more energy into my whip. Trying to keep this boy pinned down with everything I have. Sinking my fangs into my bottom lip to take my mind off of my arm. The arm of energy that reaches out for me extends rapidly. Sizzling the air as it flies. Leaping from where I stand I barely miss being hit by it. The boy's eyes seem to track my movements as more arms shoot from him. They slam into the ground, breaking it with each hit that could have connected with me. Moving as fast as I can I continue to dodge while maintaining a steady flow of energy into my whip. Feeling the boy's energy eating away at it nearly as fast as I can replenish.

"Kira! That's still Sora!" Naruto shouts at me as he manages to get up and leap back into the fray. "Don't hurt him!"

"Tch. What do you think I'm doing?!" I holler at him over another deafening roar. "Whatever you're going to do Naruto, do it quick. I can't hold onto him much longer!" I warn dodging another attack. Each passing moment the bubbling red reaches higher up on my whip. Normally I would have added my energy sword into this. I click my tongue in aggravation. Fighting without harming or killing, is like fighting with both hands tied behind your back.

"Right!" He yells back. As I land another time a hand cracks the ground at my feet trying to throw me off balance. Tch. I click my tongue again. With so much of my energy going into my whip. Mustering up the chakra into my feet is impossible. Glaring ahead of me I scramble to catch my balance and leap out of the growing pit. Pulling my whip tighter as I see Naruto draw closer to Sora if only to keep the boy's attention on me.

A hand grabs onto Naruto's foot and begins to swing him through the air and pounding him into the ground like a rag doll. watching this I decide on a direction to go. Leaping away from another attack I lessen my energy through to my whip a bit. Taking that second I push my lightning chakra into my already damaged arm. Sending bolts of lightning down my whip and to the boy. A noise sounding like a beast in pain screeches out around us but I managed to get him to drop Naruto.

Sakura runs to our teammate's aide as I land onto the ground continuing my lightning assault on Sora. Slowing the energy hands. Another growl escapes from me echoing around the area, mixing with the painful roars coming from Sora. Moving my right foot behind me to plant myself where I stand I pull on my whip.

Throwing Sora through the air much like he had done with Naruto I attempt to disorient the boy until Naruto is back on his feet. The others having long had it with the fight. From taking damage that mere emergency medical ninjutsu could not take care of. They were hiding just beyond the crater on the opposite side as me.

With another pull of my dwindling whip, I pull Sora down through the air towards me. Kicking him the second he was close enough. The bubbling red energy burning through my pants from the split-second contact. Being forced back from my kick I watch him roll over the ground. The pain never leaving my leg made me look down.

Somehow the energy had grabbed onto my leg. Burning my skin as it holds tightly. When the boy stops, a fanged smile shows before I have my leg pulled off of underneath me. My long black hair whipping around behind me, my clothes billowing with the force. The speed I was moving at threatening to cut me off from oxygen. My Whip finally dissolves from the burning energy forcing me to release him. " .Sh Shit!" I yell just as the hand releases me. Sending me through the air doing cartwheels.

"Partial expansion Jutsu!" Someone yells just before I hit an overly large hand. Catching me like a ball in a mitt. Once I am lowered closer to the ground I jump off the hand landing in front of people. Most of them are ex-classmates of mine.

"Thanks." I say before I drop to my right knee feeling the extent of my burns and how much energy my whip had taken from me. Sweat rolling down my face from beneath my forehead protector. Sakura comes running and kneels in front of me. Her green healing chakra already coating her hand as she moves to take care of my right arm.

"These!" She exclaimed probably from having noticed the problem. Looking down I try to force myself to steady my breathing. Lightly laughing briefly. "I don't use that technique for a reason but Naruto was in trouble." I take my hand from her and try to stand.

"Kira... You're in no condition... You need." Sakura begins and I shake my head. "Fast healer remember." I point out to her before I limp back towards the fight.

"Sakura, when did.." Ino starts and I could feel Sakura shake her head.

"About a week ago." That is all she said before I turn my attention away from those cowering in the trees. I gasp seeing Naruto coated in the red energy and I stop walking. He was screaming as he fights against himself. Bringing the others up next to me. "Captain Yamato!" Sakura yells.

"I know!" Yamato responds just as he rushes to Naruto. Slapping his hand into Naruto's back before pulling away with a string of chakra connecting his right hand to Naruto. Yamato kneels as he grabs onto his own wrist. A large circle of wooden pillars appears around Naruto and Sora seeming to somehow have what looks like metal spikes on them coming out of the ground.

"Captain!" Sakura yells again as the bubbling chakra moves from one tail to three. Reaching into my pouch I retrieve my canteen and uncap it. Bringing the cold metal to my lips. The chilled sticky substance flowing down my throat causing my body to hum. I can feel my energy replenishing. Tipping my head back I drain the rest of the contents. I can feel my energy move to heal my body.

"I can't! Whatever is causing this, is from the outside!" Yamato calls out as I cap my canteen. It wasn't enough. I nearly sigh. I won't be able to do much more. After this, I stand a chance of losing myself if I take too much damage and my damn leg isn't healing as it should be. I knew I should have finished the fight with Aphrodite quickly. I silently curse at this situation. "He has to beat this himself, without help!"

"Kira?" Turning my head I look away from the scene in front of us seeing Rock Lee now standing next to me. I give him a nod before looking back towards Naruto as he continues to struggle with the energy around him.

"Sorry for my behavior before, Lee." I tell him softly trying to make it sound sincere. He smiles as he too looks down at Naruto.

"Welcome back." I raise my hand up to silence him seeing Naruto grab Sora when the boy attacks him as more of Sora's skin peels away.

"Don't.. Don't do this Sora! Sora!" I very nearly look down. It's almost like Sora is in a blood haze...

"That won't work." I mutter causing Lee to look at me again. Raising my hand I curl my fingers into a light fist at my chest watching Naruto continue to yell for Sora to hear him. "The monster has taken control. Sora can't come back... Not until the beast within him tires out.." I close my eyes remembering the most recent of times my blood lust has taken control of me.

"This isn't good, Everyone run!" Shikamaru yells just as the sound of an explosion builds with a blinding white light. Raising my arms I attempt to block the debris and gusting winds from my face. Feeling the heat coming from the explosion. The bubbling chakra had become so condensed it had more than just substance. As it fades my arms were coated in blisters.

Opening my eyes I nearly gasp the boy's skin was completely gone leaving his blood-covered muscular frame only hidden by a more condensed form of the bubbling chakra. His eyes were empty and a bright white almost as if there was a form of light behind them to make them glow. He growls opening his mouth showing the same bright white as his eyes. He was perched down on all fours, with four tails swishing and swaying behind him formed by a mixture of energy, and blood. "Naruto!" Sakura yells in fear and worry for our teammate from somewhere behind me.

Again I watch as he grips onto the more beast than boy trying to reach him with words. "Sora! Wake up!" Then with a single head butt, Naruto is sent rolling backward. The impact that finally stops his movement shook the ground and flew debris into the air.

"Naruto!" I yell out as my chest tightens. Dropping to my knee as a newfound wave of exhaustion hits me. Damn it! I should have refilled my canteen when I had the chance earlier. There wasn't enough to heal me and restore my strength! I silently cuss at myself.

"That's it Sora! Smash the Leaf to pieces!" A male's voice yells from somewhere in the distance with glee. As the dust clears Naruto is revealed poised on all fours. The skin on his face already melting due to the red energy around him. Giving the view that soon, he will look just like the boy he is trying to help.

"Naruto!" Yamato gasps and I reach calmly into the pouch on my hip. Retrieving my red storage scroll. Opening it I frown. It's empty. Has my thirst really grown this much? Sighing I close my scroll and place it back into my pouch. I guess, for the rest of this. I'll have to do it on my own...

"There's no way I'm going to let this... Stupid fox take me over! I didn't call you! Beat it monster fox!" He quivers with his own internal fight. "Don't just show up on your own!"

"Captain Yamato! Can't Something be done about this?!" Sakura exclaims her control on herself waining the more she watches Naruto struggle.

"No, my jutsu won't work on Naruto now. We can only have faith in his strength!" Yamato answers her and I look down my fingers curling into fists on my knees thinking about that book within me. There is one thing that would work… but it's a power unique to my mother…. Am I really so weak that I can't do anything to help?

"I won't run away! I won't be taken over by the likes of a stupid fox!" Naruto shouts bringing me back out of my thoughts in time to see him jab some sort of blade into his right thigh. He drops down from the pain and struggle. Almost to the point, his head was touching the ground. I could hear his voice murmuring something lowly. He then raises up showing half of his face was now bleeding and damaged. Skin missing leaving the same blood and energy mixture running over the damaged parts. "Knock it off!" He then drops back down on all fours glaring at the fox boy in front of him. "Sora, I will get you back, with my own hands."

"Sora!" Naruto yells as he winces in pain and struggle. "Wake up! Are you going to sleep forever?" It was then the red energy around him begins to rapidly dissipate. "Wake up already!" Naruto's eyes then return to his normal blue. "Wake up!" At the moment right after his yell to wake his friend up, the red energy completely vanishes. Leaving his open wounds in clear view. "Sora!" He yells as he pulls the blade from his thigh. I can feel my body beginning to shake. The scent of blood I had been fighting to ignore slamming into me. Feeling like a thousand-pound weight is resting on my chest making me pant and gasp for breath.

The haze around my gaze darkens as I fall forward and plant my hands on the ground in front of me. Trying to use the feel of the soft earth to slow the spinning. The fox boy roars again echoing the boy's emotional pain. "Hang on, Sora!" I could feel my fangs aching with need as I fight against my own body. How it wishes to just kill everyone. It wants me to let it free. To tear everyone to shreds and bask in their blood. To drain them dry until their hearts stop beating. I dig my fingers into the dirt and growl at myself. "Sora! I got rid of the nine-tails... And I did it by borrowing your power... This time, I'll loan you my power... Don't hold back!"

"Kira!" I felt Sakura land next to me before I could even hear her feet tapping on the ground. "Are you alright?" She asks, worry lacing her words and I close my eyes. My body quivering with my struggle to keep it put. "Kira?" She reaches out to touch me causing me to tense.

"Don't!" I snap at her feeling my throat tighten making her movements pause. "Naruto…" I lick my dry cracked lips. "He can beat his demon…" I begin to more talk to my body as I fight to sit back up on my knees. "Then I can beat mine damn it!" I growl at myself before falling back onto my hands a moment. "I won't do it... I won't hurt everyone… I care about..." I mumble to myself.

"I don't... I don't understand." Sakura says quietly and I look at her, my lip curling back in a snarl giving view to my fangs. Her green eyes widen down at me as she goes to reach out and touch me again only to pause. "Kira... What's going on?" She asks confused. Her worried gaze makes me look away back down to the earth.

"I'm not like you guys. Never was. You, humans, are so frail and naive.." I close my eyes feeling a tear escape from me. As I remember everyone I care about, from this world.. And the last. "Maybe that's why I like you guys. You live openly, desperate for your connections. To not be alone." I can feel my body start to settle down as I stop shaking. "Just like me. Your largest most carnal desire... Is to be loved and accepted."

Taking in a steadying breath my body relaxes as my throat begins to loosen. Looking over my shoulder to Sakura who looked confused and yet, she was smiling warmly. "It's okay now. I think... I have control back." Even though I say that. A part of me still is not so sure. I can still feel the desperate desire to sink my fangs into her neck. To rip her limbs from her body and bury my hands in her blood.