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Poison Dove & Maelstrom Fox
Chapter 14 - Steam and Toxicity Pt.2
Speed and power were two qualities that could make or break a battle, as well as what defined a fighter from time to time. There were those who lacked power yet could move as swiftly as the wind. In contrast, there existed those with the power to break apart the earth as if it were a piece of glass, yet they were as slow as a turtle. Ideally resting in the center were those who possessed both qualities. Maybe one had a slight edge over the other, but so long as both were possessed in moderation, the fighter was a force to be reckoned with. Naruto quickly discovered the mysterious armored warrior possessed both. In great quantities.
There was a red blur and the giant man was upon one of their attackers, or rather he'd already taken one out while moving to backhand a second. The blow connected with immense force, so much that Naruto could almost feel the pain himself just by watching it. Immediately, he was glad that the red-armored giant had made himself an ally instead of an enemy, not that he didn't have any faith in his own abilities.
Not all of the mysterious ninja were focused on the newcomer. The hairs on his neck stood up as the blond felt danger coming toward him. Leaping to the far right, he just narrowly avoided an oversized fist smashing into the ground where he once stood. Naruto didn't take the time to boast of his narrow avoidance, he went on the attack. Blue energy ignited along his blades as he charged through the dust toward his foe, sensing his presence through the dust and dirt. He wasn't prepared for the young genin to come down on him with as much force, as evident by his startled grunting as Naruto's blades slammed into his hardened skin. While the man snickered, Naruto grinned. The clash had told the blond something he needed to know about the attackers' mysterious powers - their skin wasn't just hard as steel, it was mostly likely steel-like in composition. His ears buzzed with the sound of metal grinding against itself.
The man had a split second to realize something was wrong, then the explosion came. At the base of the blade, orange light flashed then ran up the edge of the Kitsune-ken. All Naruto did was slid the blade barely an inch, but it was enough to ignite the flammable liquid flowing through his blades. He'd had time to brace himself, his foe had not. Both of them were thrown back, but Naruto was able to rebound faster than his foe could. His left-hand blade extended itself almost four feet as he lunged forward. Luck was on his side as the ninja was caught off-guard, and paid for that with a bloody gash across his chest. Shock manifested in his eyes as he realized the genin's weapons were able to pierce his harden skin.
"You're going to pay for this, you little bastard." Snarled the man, placing a hand against his bleeding wound. With the same blood in hand, he formed several hand signs. "Ninja Art-Blood Armament: Impalement!" His hands finished forming the tiger sign, and from between his fingers and palms came a red light. Naruto's hair stood on end and his eyes widened as he watched the blood in between his palms concentrate and materialize into a shape - a spear.
"You can manipulate your blood as a weapon? That's…kinda of gross and cool." Noted the whisker-faced boy, his feelings mixed about that jutsu. It was the last remark he was able to get out before his enemy lunged at him. A single step back and his life was saved, for the moment. The blood spear came back around from his right, and again, Naruto dodged it. All of the hard, nail-biting training he'd done with Semiramis came back to him, and paid off. He waited for the opportune moment to strike, once it came, he took it. Strong as the spear might have looked, against his blades it shattered like glass. "Hah! Not so tough now, are-" Cursing, he jerked his left arm up, just in time to avoid the spear-tip chain that was heading straight for him.
The ninja in front of him wasn't ready to be forgotten about. The shattered fragments of the blood spear hovered in mid-air for a few seconds before reforming into a pair of sickles. Naruto met the attack with his own weapons. His blue eyes stared back into the infuriated red of his opponents. The latter widened in shock when the blood sickles gave out under the burst of energy from the Kitsune-ken. No time was wasted in the slashing of the short blades, a perfect-x formed across the body of the mysterious ninja. Immediately, he turned his attention to the direction where the chain attack had come from, sure enough, another of the mysterious rogues was coming right for him. This time, he was sporting a blood-made sword in his hands.
Laying his weapons parallel against each other, Naruto ran headlong toward the opposing ninja.
CRACK!
Naruto didn't bother to bask in the sound of his accomplishment, he had too much adrenaline pumping through his veins for that. His attention turned to the man, now staggering from the cut on his arm. In one twist, he delivered a hard spin kick to the man's side knocking him to the ground.
Air rushed past him, and with it, Naruto's heart skipped a beat. Biting his lip, he dared to turn his head back. His mysterious ally had driven one of the attackers into the ground, literally. From beneath his straw hat, his eyes glanced at the blond.
"Watch out for their blood attacks," he began, standing up while flexing his hand. From what little Naruto had seen, if the stranger wanted to, he could easily shatter boulders in a single punch, to say nothing of a human's skeleton. "Their blood has now become poisonous, if it keeps into your system, it could be bad, really bad."
Normally, after hearing such a statement, Naruto would have shivered in slight fear. Though he didn't want to admit it, he was the reckless type and getting himself a scratch or two was probably within the realm of reason. Due to recent events, he didn't have such worries. "Oh, you don't need to worry about that! Trust me, big guy, my body's pretty sturdy, especially against poison! I doubt it's anything to worry about!"
"You little…how dare you, how dare you mock us!" Screamed one of the mysterious ninja, weaving a set of hand signs at startling speeds. They ended with the snake sign. "Blood Armament-Consuming Maw!" Both hands shot outward, the red veins now glowing bright crimson. From the palms, the fingertips came a blood-like construct, part-liquid and part metal. The blood-born snake was truly massive, and coming at them with speed rivaling or even surpassing that of an arrow.
Naruto readied himself to react, but his red-armored friend was faster. And stronger, much stronger.
Holy crap! Mouthed the leaf ninja with a gobsmacked expression, watching the stranger literally punch through the oncoming snake. Steam bellowed from his armor, in particularly his elbow. Rocket, he's like a human…steam-powered rocket! In the blink of an eye, the attack had been defeated, and in another blink the armored-ninja had landed his counter-attack. Once more, Naruto could feel his teeth rattle watching his ally deliver an uppercut that no doubt shattered the jawline of their attacker. He soared high, blood and teeth trailing him on his way up. Awe-struck as Naruto was, his senses hadn't completely nulled. Blood pumping, he spun to his right, his Kitsune-ken out and humming with chakra. His ears buzzed again, but this time with the sound of his own weapon deflecting another. Flipping his left-hand blade back into its proper grip, he let instinct guide him in thrusting it forward.
The results were immediate in the eyes of his opponent. One minute, they were narrowed in rage, and the next wide in shock. Gnashing his teeth, the genin dragged the blade out, leaving a mixture of orange and red in its wake. Another kick and the body went done.
Pathetic, a kick instead of a stab. You're still so soft, brat!Snapped the blonde's unwilling "guest" with a voice dripping with venom.
Hey! I'm actually trying to be tactful here! Fired back the human as he engaged a pair of blood-wielding foes. Dangerous as it may have been, he'd gotten somewhat used to having these "conversations" with the Nine-Tails. If I kill them, we won't be able to get any information out of them! Wouldn't that put us in an even worse position, furball? Even with his life in mortal danger, he took the moment to enjoy the conversational victory over the demon fox. He didn't worry about the condition they were in, for he knew Semiramis would find some way to get them to talk. How she would do so, Naruto didn't particularly want to know, but he had faith in his Servant.
Faith, such a stupid concept. Don't worry though, since HE's here, you should be able to survive this little encounter.Came the Nine-Tails' voice. If Naruto didn't know any better, it sounded almost…humorous. That piqued his interest.
Drawn by the thunderous sounds, Naruto glanced to his unknown but powerful ally. Power and skill, the armored warrior possessed them both and put them on display as he skillfully dispatched foe after foe. In spite of possessing powers the likes of which ordinary shinobi did not, none of the mysterious attackers seemed able to doing anything more than annoying the hat-wearing man. Curses and slurs flew from their lips almost nonstop as they tried and failed to pierce the big guy's armor, which held out remarkably well against their blood-composed weapons. Attempts at finding the chinks in his armor were proving to be as easy as one would have expected. Clearly, the armored warrior had dealt with enemies attempting to do the same, and they'd fared no better than the blood-wielding ninja were now.
Steam was nearly omnipresent in all of his attacks, either as a distraction or part of the attack. Naruto could hardly believe what his eyes were able to glimpse as he continued fighting for his life. He felt the temperature steadily rising, sweat forming across his brow. It was a testament to the power wielded by the armored ninja.
Said ninja's eyes met his. The blond nearly jumped in his skin seeing the hardened look in his eyes before he literally charged for him. "H-Huh, hey! Wait! I'm on your side!"
One arm stretched out catching the genin by the waist, from there, he went up, literally. Mouth hung open in a startled scream, the blond flailed about while the armored ninja carried the two of them into the sky. Propelling them was an intense burst of steam coming from the furnace-like contraption on his back. As unbelievable as it sounded, Naruto couldn't help but compare it to a jet-pack. Strike that, it might as well have been one.
Glancing down to the ground, he realized his life had just been saved. His heart skipped a beat watching a number of blood-colored spikes tear through the ground like a surging tidal wave. There was no way he could have survived such a blow, not unless sprinting at full speed was of any help. Buildings collapsed into splinters sending up dust and debris all over the place.
"I…owe you one, mister." Gulped the young blond.
"Think nothing of it, by the way, the name's Han." He was certainly experienced as evident by his nonchalant chuckle. It reminded Naruto of his own one-eyed sensei. The comparison oddly put him at ease. "Think we should move the fight to another location? Trust me, these guys aren't the top to care about collateral damage so things could get pretty messy."
"Then let's move the damn fight! Most of the villagers can't fight, and those that can won't stand a chance against these guys!" Declared the whisker-faced teenager. "If you've got a plan, then I'm all ears for it!"
Han chuckled again. After such a short time, he seemed to have grown fond of the blond. "That prick with the goatee?" Thanks to his steam propulsion, they maintained a good enough distance off the ground so their attackers couldn't get at them. They couldn't stay in the skies forever. Naruto's eyes found the supposed head ninja kneeling at the back of the assembled group. He'd seemingly led the others in the spike attack that would have claimed his life had Han not acted. "Think you can take him?"
"I'll have him crying like a baby if you can get me close to him."
The Hidden Stone ninja let out a hearty laugh. "You know, I'm starting to like you, kid."
"The name's Naruto, Naruto Uzumaki! Future Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village!" Declared the Leaf ninja.
A firm hand gripped Naruto's back. Yep, without a doubt, this is HIS kid. Heh, I'm feeling nostalgic right now. Thought the armor-wearing ninja, his lips turned into a smirk hidden behind his mask as a memory of red-flaming haori with familiar kanji flashed his mind before running the calculations in his head. "In that case, consider this another step on your path to the hat! Fly, Naruto Uzumaki!" As he'd done countless times before, Han fired up the steam, the white substance exploding out through the vents in his armor turning him into a red-colored twister in the middle of the morning sky. A split second later and a dark blur was launched from the twister.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
One became six, and in the hands of those six were gleaming blue blades strong enough to tear through flesh and steel alike.
The dozen or so dark-dressed shinobi saw them coming in fast and attempted to react, but Naruto and his clones had become human bullets thanks to Han's throwing strength. Bodies crashed into the ground, hard. Several went rolling along the ground, some leaving blood stains in their wake along with half-muted grunts and shouts of angry and disorientation. There was one outlier though.
Mr. Goatee had seen Naruto coming. Seconds before the two shinobi made contact, their eyes found one another. Determined blue met cold red, and then metal collided against metal. Naruto's arms throbbed in slight pain as his target had managed to successfully parry his attack, but he wasn't about to let that stop him. Landing on his feet, he was already twisting his body around ready to strike, but so too was his opponent. Naruto grunted in effort as instead of going on the attack, he found himself on the defensive, doing his best to stave off being impaled by a blood-red drill-like lance that had once been his opponent's right arm.
"What the hell kind of jutsu is that?" Snarled the blond, doing his best to keep his strength up. Seconds after uttering the statement, did he realize his enemy was only using one hand to keep him at bay, while Naruto himself was using both.
The other hand came up, a blood-red limb that glowed with sickening light. For the first time, the lead ninja grinned at him. "A type of ninjutsu my people have worked long and hard to perfect it! Be honored that you're going to die by it!" The light in his palm blazed brightly like a flash bomb before the blood shaped itself around his fingers. Instead of a human hand, the man's left arm had now become a grotesque set of claws, the likes of which reminded Naruto of something out of a horror movie. "Blood Armament-Hand of Murder!"
He felt power well before the attack could even come close to his skin. Blue eyes shifted between the grinning face and the approaching claw, in a split second, a choice was made. While proud of her creations, Semiramis had warned Naruto not to rely on the Kitsune-ken, Jiraiya had told him the same. Naruto had enjoyed learning how to fight with the falchion-like blades, but there were times he wanted to let his fists do the work for him, this was one of those times.
Instead of flesh, the transformed hand tore through nothing but air. Wide-eyes watched as the genin fell backward, sweat caking his face but not one wound on his body. His fingers crossed in a familiar sign.
"Gah! Summon as many clones as you want, it won't make a-"
"Look out down below!" Bellowed a deep masculine voice that caught the attention of the clones and ninja currently fighting on the village's outskirts.
Han's hands had been pulled back as he descended toward the bloody crystal field. A line of steam trailed from the exhaust ports on his back, propelling him downward. Seconds before making contact, he thrust both of his hands downward.
What came next was like an earthquake mixed with a tornado. The ground shook as if it were a rattle while a literal wall of dust and rock fragments were blown outward, blinding all the fighters present. Having been ready for it, somewhat, Naruto and his clones shut their eyes while their enemies were caught flat-footed. And then their feet were swallowed by the ground, literally. At first, it felt like falling into quicksand, with the corresponding loss of movement adding to the feeling. All of the bloody spires shattered, revealing Han kneeling in the ground with his hands completely buried in the earth.
"Earth Style-Sliding Terrain!"
Seconds after shouting the technique's name, the combatants learned where the title had come from. Shocked gasps left countless mouths as the ground beneath their feet began to move. Truly, it was like the entire patch of earth they'd been fighting on was being slid across the landscape, like a playing card or sheet of paper being slid across a table. The landscape flew by as if it were a movie reel, a true testament to the amount of power that the armored shinobi possessed.
Even with his feet immobilized, the lead ninja wasn't ready to surrender. Twisting his body around, he glared holes at the orange-eyed ninja. His transformed left hand took aim at the hunched over man.
"I don't think so!" Shouted one voice before a hard body slammed into him.
"You think we're just going to let you take such a cheap shot!" Seconded another, the clone grabbing his left hand and bending it away from Han. More clones followed, the original getting lost in the pile-up causing the blood-wielding ninja to curse.
Behind his mask, Han smirked in watching Naruto and his clones keep their enemies preoccupied. The intel was on the money, the kid does love the Shadow Clone Jutsu, and he's pretty damn good at it. Throwing a side glance to the shifting surroundings, he estimated they were almost a good half mile away from the Hidden Moon Village. It was good enough for them to resume the fight, or bring it to a close. He sent another surge of chakra into the designated patch of ground. "Earth Style-Crushing Grip!"
His voice was loud enough to be heard. Upon hearing it, the mysterious ninja let their eyes go wide, they recognized the jutsu and knew they had to act quickly if they hoped to survive. From his hands came a nearly invisible wave that spread through the ground.
CRA-ACK!
"I've seen your little iron-blood trick," Began the Stone ninja, keeping his eyes hidden beneath his straw hat. "It's pretty sturdy, sturdy enough you can take a boulder fist and get back up like nothing had happened…but I am on a different level than my comrades. They call me the Steam Roller for a reason."
There were no lies or falsehoods in his declaration as the truth manifested in the jutsu's aftermath. Over half of the invading ninja had ceased struggling against the clones and were instead groaning in pain as they came to grips with the fact that their ankles and feet had just been crushed like grapes. Blood sipped through the cracks in the earth. In their moment of hesitation, the clone's struck, drawing their own Kitsune-ken and running the edges along the shoulders or going for flat-out impalement. The poison within the duplicated weapons seeped into the bodies of the attackers.
"Hm, seems I missed one." Mused the steam-wielding man, taking note of the continued struggle between the real Naruto, his clones, and the lead ninja.
Mr. Goatee managed to throw off Naruto and his assorted clones. His red-skinned body glistened in the dust and morning sunlight like some sort of surreal statue. Sweeping his gaze around the battlefield, he snarled. "You know, I came to this backwater village expecting to be done before breakfast. Thanks to you bastards, I'm now running behind schedule."
"Ah, you're feeling hungry, aren't you?" Chimed in one Naruto, his smirk taunting at the enemy.
A second spoke up holding up his knuckles. "We've got just the thing to feel you up, a specialty of ours we call an ass-kicking!"
He snorted. "Tough talk brat, but without the big man over there you're nothing but a squirt with a loud mouth!"
Han's neck cracked. "Alright, I think we've let you do enough-" Both arms flew out to the left, just in time to catch the giant serpent that burst from the ground. A low grunt came from the older man as he found himself seriously struggling against the animated beast.
Seeing the struggle, Naruto directed his attention to the lead ninja. Every instinct in his body told him to attack and that's what he did. Unfortunately, his unified attack was seen from a mile away. Chakra pulsated through the ninja's body, then exploded outward as a crimson-tinted pulse that threw Naruto and his clones back against the ground. Several of his clones poofed out of existence while a handful remained. Their anger matched their creators.
"Blood Armament-Red Life Enforcement!"
Though some were on the edge of consciousness and others had outright slipped into the realm of sleep, they all reacted. In unsettling unison, the bodies of the invaders all jerked as if some plug had been jacked into their bodies. From their open wounds rose their blood, glowing an unearthly red that made Naruto and Han's skin crawl. The blood viper the latter had been holding off disintegrated into red droplets that were quickly absorbed into the head ninja's body, which had begun to bulk up as the supernatural blood was absorbed into his skin. The veins along his skin turned black and the coloration began to spread to the rest of his body, turning it pitch-black.
"Naruto, stop him!" As the words left his mouth, Han sped towards the transforming man, his fist outstretched and bellowing steam as well.
Two things happened within moments of each other. One was the lead ninja's arm sprouted a black-iron blade, and the second was Naruto and his clones resumed their charge attack. The blade extended, cutting through them all until getting to the original, who threw himself onto the ground avoiding the organic weapon's edge. Turning his attention to the charging Stone ninja, the muscles in the man's right arm bulged, then he threw said limb forward.
Spider-web cracks manifested beneath the feet of the two men. Behind his mask, Han smirked. "Been a while since anyone stood up to one of my punches, but don't get too cocky!" More steam blew from the exhaust on his elbow, allowing him to overpower the adversary ninja.
Biting back a snarl, the black-bodied man struck out with his left arm. "Shut the hell up, you disgusting freak! I'm twice as strong as you are!"
With minimal ease, Han parried the attack. "You've got some nerve calling me a freak, least I don't need to take some magic drug to get my power."
"No, you just have it-" Rather than press his attack on Han, the ninja turned around finding a new wave of clones coming at him. Hands morphed into claws which were swung about in a wide arc. Unlike before when the clones dispersed, these clones remained, blood spewing from their countless cuts and lacerations. "The hell!? What kind of-gah!" The first one tackled him in the chest, the rest followed suit. It was a dog-pile the likes of which only a rookie ninja would have resorted to. And yet, somehow it couldn't be overcome with sheer brute strength. That left one option, "You annoying little shit! Get the hell off of me!" Roared the gurgled voice of the ninja.
Though each spike varied in size, their sharpness to be admired. Several of the clones gave strangled cries before they dispersed into clouds of smoke. Red eyes searching the shifting white haze for the bloody remains of the original; instead of being impaled, he was standing a few feet away, grinning at him alongside another clone.
"Brat, I'm going to enjoy ripping that grin off of your face!" Shouted the man, holding up his now glowing hands.
"Provided you're even able to move your arms after this." His fingers came together in the ram hand sign.
As the spikes were sliding back into his body, the ninja realized something was wrong. Wide-eyed, he glanced down into the collection of spikes he'd manifested to defend himself. Attached to several were paper-tags with odd, near alien markings. They glowed red before sizzling, and then came the pain. Snarling in agony, he tore at the seals, now attached to his transformed skin. It was like attempting to scoop up lava, a feat not possible even with his enhanced durability. His struggles came to an unexpected end as an unseen force seized his arms and held him in place in spite of his struggles.
"Let me go, you overgrown tin can!" Shouted the foreign ninja.
"Nah, you fellas loved bragging about that little power of yours. Let's see it stand up to the strength of one of the strongest ninjutsu ever created." Came Han's laidback voice before turning his attention to Naruto. He had to admit it, his set up for the Rasengan was…unusual, but not without reason. As he watched the clone kept his hands stationary above the original's right hand, the blue orb took shape. Ah, I see, he needs the clone to stabilize the chakra since he's not quite at Minato's level. Well, I guess genius does skip over a generation or two, but the kid's certainly got his old man's makings in him.
The Stone Village ninja tipped his hat as if in silent mourning seconds before the blond ninja declared his attack. His stone golem kept the struggling enhanced ninja in place, the poisonous tags still eating away at his skin. All he could do was cry out in sheer rage before the swirling mass of chakra slammed into his gut. With the golem holding him down, the man could do nothing but take the full brunt of the attack, every second of it being nothing but pure agony. After almost a full minute, Naruto's attack ended, and by the venture of the stone construct, the man was still standing, albeit that wouldn't last long. Blood spilled from his lips as the transformation began to recede, revealing cut and bruised skin.
Hateful eyes looked up into determined blue. "You…disgusting…little…"
CRUNCH!
For the second or third time, Naruto winced at Han's dismissive brutality in dealing with the mysterious ninja. The stone golem fell apart seconds after both its fists slammed into the lead ninja's head from both sides. His eyes rolled back then his body fell to the side.
"Pretty impressive, a bit crude, but impressive, Naruto Uzumaki." Stated the armored ninja, walking over to the young blond.
"Thanks for the compliment, and thanks for the backup." Laughed the Leaf ninja. "I seriously owe you one, Han."
"Oh, think nothing of it. Truth is I was actually on the trail of these guys." He motioned to the unconscious man before looking to the remaining eight men. All of them were in a similar state as their lead. "They've caused quite a bit of trouble for the Hidden Stone Village, and I was sent to make them stop. Granted, this isn't quite how I imagined things going."
"Who are they?" Naruto asked.
Before answering, Han picked up their downed foe and throw him over his shoulder. Given his vast size and strength, it looked as simple as picking up a pebble. "I'll explain more once we get back to the village. Preferable over drinks or something. I hear the Hidden Moon's village's very hospitable."
The jinchūriki grinned. "You have no idea."
He's brought back a friend. Was the first thing Semiramis had thought upon sensing a second non-hostile presence coming up alongside her Master. Then she saw what, or rather who, the presence was. A very big friend at that. Not a second later and she added intelligent to the description. The addition was born from her eyes meeting those of the armored man, all it took was one look for her to realize this man who'd accompanied her Master was not of the big and dumb variety. As he looked back at her from across the field, Semiramis realized he'd made a similar analysis of her. Naruto, it seems it is your fate to attract those with brains to make up for your lack of them.
"Hey, Semiramis! I, um…woah, I kind of don't know how to say this." Began the whisker-faced teen, scratching his cheek. With a nervous chuckle, he turned his attention to the…stone coffins, coffins on wheels, that had been trailing behind him and his giant ally. "Oh, by the way, this big guy here is-"
"Han, Han of the Hidden Stone." She concluded, looking to the big man. "Your…associates arrived sometime after things went to hell and informed me of your mission." Her old instincts kicked in, causing her to bow. "Thank you for aiding my…partner…and bringing me back some test subjects."
Han caught the insidious smirk that manifested on the black-haired woman's face. "Um, is she-"
"She's like that." Whispered the younger male. "Just…get used to it."
"Eh, I've seen worse. My cousin's a directorial little bastard." Answered the older man with a shrug.
"Ahem, as usual, disrespecting our Lord Tsuchikage, it seems getting you out of the village didn't change one little thing." Snapped a stern male voice. As Semiramis had indirectly revealed, she wasn't alone in her waiting. From the side came another Hidden Stone ninja, his red-sleeve and light brown flak jacket giving him away. The twin scars running along his right cheek to his ear were quite eye-catching, and combined with his scowl, the man gave off a rather unpleasant aura. It deepened as Han merely laughed, and then vanished into a defeated sigh. "Thank you for bringing back some prisoners for us to interrogate, this may be the break we needed."
"Actually, Ontake, half the credit goes to this kid here." Naruto was unprepared for the attention to fall on him, which was exactly what Han wanted. It was amusing to watch the formerly boastful and energetic blond become flustered under the attention of the village heads and his own ally. Brief as it might have been, Han caught the way Semiramis' lips tucked upward in an approving way.
"Letting a kid like this do the heavy-lifting." Snorted the jonin. "You're not slipping on me, are you?"
"Hey, just become I'm not six-feet and decked out in some big bulky armor, doesn't mean I can't kick some ass!" Defended the kid in question.
Seeing where things were going, Semiramis decided to step in. "We can settle the matter of credit for another time. For now, we have more pressing issues, gentlemen. Tsukino."
When Naruto had last seen the dark-skinned girl, she was understandably shaken. Internally, he bit his tongue on acting so rashly and leaving Tsukino practically floating in limbo in regards to the safety of her village. To her credit, when their eyes met, she gave him the best smile she could manage. "W-Well, the…guest we had fallen from the sky is currently being treated at the village clinic. Semiramis did quite a good job on him." At the sound of her giggle, the long-haired woman visibly stiffened, as she felt Naruto's grin upon her. "As for these…men, um, while we do have a prison, I'm not quite sure it's big enough to hold all of them."
"That is where we come in." Ontake spoke up, his gaze focused on Han. "We're going to reinforce the village's prison to make sure none of these bastards can escape before they can do any talking."
"Of that, you all can leave it to me." Declared the slit-eyed woman. Wordlessly, she walked past Han to examine one of the mobile stone coffins he'd brought with him. Her finger ran along the rocky surface. She felt Naruto shiver, which brought a small smile to her lips. "I'm…quite good when it comes to making men such as this lot talk. By the afternoon, I'll have all the information we need. In the meantime, Naruto, watch over our guest. I'll join you, Tsukino, and those of you from the Hidden Stone sometime later so we can pool our information together. Is that an ideal for everyone?"
When she turned back to face everyone, they looked like they'd just witnessed an execution. Outwardly, she maintained her passive face while inwardly, she couldn't help but grin. Their reactions marked a nice return of formula for her. Semiramis would have bit her tongue than admit she was turning soft; now, by some divine grace, she had a chance to earn her edge back. By her estimates, she had about four hours or so before a meeting could be conveyed. More than enough for her to "get back into the groove of things" as far as she was concerned.
So far, this was turning out to be a rather interesting day so far.
"Your partner's a bit of a sadist, isn't she?" She heard Han mention, his voice sounded in deadpan.
"Eh, sorta. But deep down, she's got a heart, trust me." Snickered Naruto.
Semiramis resisted the urge to scowl. Note to self, find some way to poison Naruto to prevent him from talking too much. To Irkalla with the giant red rat in his-wait, a moment. Straightening up, she switched her gaze to Han. Though he was busy conversing with Naruto, who seemed quite liken to the large man, Semiramis sensed something amiss. He was massive and skilled enough to hold his own, that made him a potential ally…and a potential enemy. Something about him made her skin crawl in ways that put her nerves on edge. It was decided in a heartbeat she'd keep an eye on the newcomer, if only for Naruto's sake, and she'd have to keep her worries to herself until they were confirmed or debunked.
"Ontake, come with me if you will. Tsukino, see to Naruto's potential injuries." She finally said, turning to face the whole group.
Almost a second after she'd finished speaking, the man in the coffin groaned as if slowly clawing his way back to consciousness. This didn't go unnoticed by Semiramis.
Hm, Ontake spoke of these people possessing some sort of bodily enhancements. How fortunate, I've been meaning to test some samples of the Moonflower. Momentarily overcome by the thoughts of the next few hours, the Assassin allowed a rare smile to grace her lips. It remained as Ontake took the reigns from Han and followed Semiramis, the villagers parting way for the pair. Several shivered in fear, feeling the dark aura slowly consuming the other-worldly woman.
"Um, Naruto…Semiramis isn't going to…go too far, is she?" Questioned Tsukino, looking to the blond with slight fear in her eyes.
He gulped. "Er…well, I…I…your prison's soundproof, isn't it?"
Relax, Came the demon fox's voice. The fact that it was filled with malicious joy made Naruto's heart skip a beat. I'm sure the wretch possesses a poison or two that'll take care of their vocal cords. All that pain and agony…yet no way to scream as to alert anyone. Quite a dreadful fate, eh, brat?
Before the blond could give any commentary, the giant in red armor clapped his hands together. "Quite a woman you've got for a traveling company, Naruto." Yep, I'm definitely spotting a pattern here. Han thought sagely with a confident nod, a memory involved a curtain of red hair came to his mind. If he were younger and less experienced, he would shiver in great fear by now for recalling that image. It was that day Han, after surviving it, swore not to anger women again especially those who were too clingy to their partners. What did his people back home think he wore the mask for? Simple, to hide his nasty scars all over the lower half of his face from view, which they're served as proof of him had fought that scarlet demoness and lived. And his face wasn't the only thing that was scarred; his body armor had quite a story to tell. Just thinking of them caused a painful sensation of memory to come over him as he resisted the urge to rub his chin under his mask that hidden one of the facial scars. Despite the sturdiness of my armor and body, those chains sure punctured good and hurt like a bitch. But I'm not complaining now because I have feeling in my gut what these bastards going to have is worse than I was inflicted in the past.
At that moment, he almost felt pity for the ninja invaders who were going to have the worst time of their lives. Almost. Han had learned the hard way to not mess with scary women. But to the murderous ninja, they would soon learn that in the worse way possible.
"Um, you don't have to if you-"
"Naruto, I've rested long enough. Besides, I've caused you and this village enough problems already."
The white-haired female moved to speak before the blond could. Tsukino's smile is quite encouraging as she spoke with a voice brimming with cheer and confidence. "Our village prides itself on its hospitality so your stay here is of no trouble. Besides, Goichi-san, turning away someone in need goes against my personal code. The same goes for this blond goofball here."
The bandaged man couldn't repress the laughter building in his chest in watching the two teenagers. Hours ago, his green eyes had been close to flickering out, but now they brimmed with life, albeit there was some shade in them. "I suppose the stories regarding this village's kindness are true. Guess it's time for me to repay it." Sucking in a quick breath, he swung his legs over the edge of the bed and stood up. Given the amount of blood he'd lost and the extent of his injuries, a normal person shouldn't have been able to stand, let alone walk. Goichi wasn't quite normal, at least as far as ordinary ninja went. Still, as he took slipped on some sandals, his legs wobbled just a bit. Naruto caught sight of the wobble and moved to balance the man. "Heh, me a veteran ninja needing help from a genin. Talk about a fall from grace."
"Well, with all due respect, Goichi-san, you're no spring chicken." Offered the "princess" of the Hidden Moon Village.
Subconsciously, the older man scratched his chin, which contained a fair amount of fuzz to it. Earlier, his appearance had been masked by the blood he'd lost as well as the general chaos of things, but without both of those elements, a clearer picture was possible. While Tsukino might have been right, Goichi liked to believe he still had it in him to wield a kunai or two. He had after all managed to reduce the number of his pursuers from twenty to twelve. Though Naruto offered to help him through the short walk from the village's clinic to the central house, Goichi declined. Neither teenager argued with his decision.
As was standard, two chunin guards were waiting for the trio at the entrance and exit to the village's clinic. As Tsukino passed them all, occupants and patients alike respectfully bowed. Neither Naruto nor Goichi bothered to make a jab about it on their way to the central house where the meeting would take place.
The dark-haired runaway said nothing of the curious and cautionary stares he received along the way. Not even once they entered and were escorted to the central chamber. Naturally, all the eyes in the room fell on him, for the first minute or so.
After giving Goichi a quick glance, Tsukinari, the village head, directed his gaze toward his daughter. It was very easy to see the physical resemblance between the two, with the dark skin and white-colored hair. Granted, Tsukino did not possess the same jagged scar running from his left side jaw down to the neck as her father did. A testament that the village head had seen his fair share of combat in his career. His eyes softened upon seeing his daughter, give a nod of approval before taking her place beside him.
Semiramis looked as casual as one could, sipping tea and only popping an eye open to see her Master. Laid out before her were several vials and a metallic container. Naruto knew she'd explain them all once the meeting was in full swing. Breaking with Goichi, he took his place beside her.
Han and Ontake sat directly across from them. The steam-wielding ninja was still wearing his armor, and his hat too. Either they were glued to his person or Lord Tsukinari was willing to make an exception for the Stone Ninja. Semiramis guessed it was the latter given his fighting prowess and aura he seemed to possess. For Naruto, he simply deduced Han's armor and headwear to be like his own sensei's mask-one had better luck finding a penguin in a desert than getting them to remove them.
The previously wounded man took his place in the center of the room, putting all eyes on himself as he bowed. "I'll get straight to the point of this, my name is Goichi Nishimaru, a shinobi of the Village Hidden in Vines."
Snap!
Save for Tsukino, no one reacted to the four-feet map that appeared in the center of the room showing the Land of Moon and its surrounding. While the village was highlighted, so too was another landmass almost another country to its right. It wasn't quite small, but it wasn't that large either. Highlighted by a red circle was what was undoubtedly the land's ninja village.
"Cute trick." Stated Han.
"One of many." Drily replied the Servant, turning her gaze to Goichi, who had his head lowered. What information he was going to divulge, Semiramis probably already knew, that and more. "The Land of Peaches, or rather the Village Hidden in Vines is a decent-sized country, though not exactly one that commands great military respect."
"Out this far, none of the villages do, at least not the sort that draws much attention." Spoke the village head, crossing his arms. Tsukinari stroked his short white beard as his old eyes examined Goichi's body language. It reeked of unease and thinly veiled fear. "As with many villages, including our own, the Hidden Vine Village relies less on military strength and more on other means of income and service to get by. If I'm not mistaken, like the rest of the country, it specializes in farming and gardening, does it not?"
"You are not incorrect, Lord Tsukinari. While our village and country lacked military strength, it has made up for it in other ways." Goichi finally admitted. Nervously, he glanced upward revealing the worry, and anger, in his eyes. "Sadly, there are some who…weren't happy with such a way of life. To escape it, they…decided to grow something they shouldn't have."
Naruto heard all the alarms blaring. He'd kept up with things so far, but as he examined Goichi's choice of words, he felt things were about to take a complicated, and bloody turn. "When you say 'grown something they shouldn't', um, what exactly are you-"
"In our village, there's a legend about a certain…type of fruit, almost a fairy tale really. As the story goes, in ages long since passed, our village's ancestors once dominated this region of the world thanks to the power of a mystical fruit they were able to grow." Spoke the black-haired ninja. His gaze flickered to the metal box sitting before Semiramis. He'd already guessed what was inside.
Tsukinari's eyes widened, then narrowed as the dots connected in his head. "The ketsuekigrēpu," the word came out in a near snarl before the old ninja regained control of his emotions. Pity swelled within his eyes as they fell upon Goichi. "So…the recipe still exists, and someone found it."
"Um, question?" Interjected the genin. "What are you guys talking about?"
Tsukino looked to her father, who readied himself to speak. Goichi cut him off as he knew it was his story to tell. "In my village, long ago, we were able to grow a…special type of fruit that allowed for the enhancement of one's natural abilities. Further testing eventually found this fruit able to bestow powers upon those who devoured it. This fruit was the ketsuekigrēpu, or "Blood Grapes". With this power, we were able to dominate the surrounding areas and at one point, plans were even made for attacks against the Five Great Nations."
"However, such power came with a price." Calmly added Tsukinari. "Those who ingested the blood grapes repeatedly steadily found their minds becoming corrupted, to say nothing of their bodies. They allow for the manipulation of the iron in one's bloodstream, hardening it and to an extent, granting usage of one's blood as a weapon. When the two mixes together, a special type of metallic substance can be manipulated from within the body and used as a weapon."
"Oh, well…that explains a lot." Commented Naruto, putting all the pieces together. It certainly explained quite a bit about the opponents he and Han had faced. "So…let me guess, after a while, all the other villagers got angry and mounted an attack on the Hidden Vine Village?"
"Yes, it was a brutal affair, but one that was ultimately necessary in the long-run." Semiramis and Ontake raised eyebrows at his words, but Goichi remained firm as he continued to explain. "A vocal majority had begun protesting the usage of the ketsuekigrēpu as the side effects were proving to be too high a price for the village to pay. Those in power thought otherwise and the village descended into a near-dictatorship as the elders believed with their power they could ascend to greater heights. They were delusions of grandeur that could only be brought to an end with bloodshed. Such bloodshed came when, with some help from the Hidden Stone…and Hidden Leaf Villages, an attack was mounted ending with my village's near destruction. Luckily, thanks to the intervention of the Third Hokage, a peace treaty was made and the recipe to grow the Blood Grapes was sealed away or outright destroyed."
"But that was over twenty-five years ago, during the onset of the Second Shinobi World War." Spat Ontake, his stern voice reverberating through the room. "In the last four months, reports have come through regarding ninja from your village laying waste to surrounding lands, and going on bloody rampages. Just last week, shinobi from your village came into conflict with ours. We lost nine ninja to you…a small ninja village that's barely a bleep on the radar."
Naruto's gaze hardened into an outright glare he directed toward the Stone jonin. Catching it, he returned it at the genin, letting it known he wouldn't be intimidated by someone he considered a lesser ninja.
Sighing, Semiramis cracked open the box. "I've had some time to examine these grapes, certainly nothing to sneeze at, but a double-edged sword should one grow too addicted to them." Via her magic, she levitated the plastic see-through bag and passed it around for all to see. She could practically feel their stomachs churning as their eyes took in the blood-curled swirls atop each grape. The black-colored vines that held them in place certainly didn't help. "After some…convincing, your former comrades told me quite a bit about them. Almost a year ago, someone discovered the recipe to grow them and has vowed to help your village 'reclaim its former glory'. Is that information accurate, Goichi-san?"
The green-eyed man swallowed the lump in his throat. "Unfortunately…yes, ma'am, it is. A man…a scientist…Motomune Ishitsugu, he discovered a way to regrow the grapes, and grow them in mass. After he presented his findings to our village's elders…" A hand fell over his face.
"They saw the opportunity, and took it, didn't they?" Unlike his comrade, Han's voice was oddly light. Though his arms were still crossed and his posture rigid, one could detect a note of sympathy in his eyes.
"We're sacrificing our own to these damn fruit! And those of our enemies! The grapes can only-"
"They require blood to grow, along with a handful of other nutrients found in the human body." Semiramis cut off in a sing-song voice.
"What?!" Yelped Naruto, falling back in his seat. As luck would have it, the grapes were hovering in front of him; he looked at them as if they were a nest of poisonous vipers. "They need human bodies to grow? That's sick!"
"Did the name not tell you enough?" Asked his Servant with a raised eyebrow. The plastic bag was returned to her hand were her eyes scanned the contents with calculative eyes. "It's pretty obvious what your village's elders intend, what they kill and conquer will be turned into the farming ground for these grapes. It will be…quite a dreadful sight, one you cannot stomach, Goichi-san?"
There was a brief pause before the man spoke again. "I…my eldest son spoke out against the usage of the Blood Grapes…and he was…they killed him, and used his body for…for…" No longer holding in his emotions, Goichi's fist slammed into the hardwood floor. The echoed through throughout the entire chamber…and the heads of those present.
Being the youngest and "upright" of the group, Naruto and Tsukino visibly reacted in horror and disgust. They were still young and the true cruelty of the world they lived in had not yet been imparted onto their minds, but now they each had a taste. For veterans such as Ontake, Semiramis, Han, and Lord Tsukinari, it was yet another harsh reminder of the danger that came with seeking power and prestige. Semiramis in particular silently shook her head in disappointment.
Though the world of ninja possessed its oddities, there were still similarities between it and her own. Namely, the cruel and disgusting lengths rulers were willing to go in order to attain power.
Her gaze turned to Naruto, whose face was contorted in a mixture of rage and sympathy. She didn't need to read his thoughts to know what was running through his head.
"Why did you flee from your village?" Tsukinari asked.
Regaining a bit of composure, Goichi looked to the village head. "Believe it or not, I was actually hoping I could make my way to one of the Five Great Nations, perhaps the Hidden Sand or Stone Villages to ask them for assistance. I know what I was going to ask them boarded on treason but-"
"First off, you wouldn't have made it to the Hidden Sand." Began Ontake with a dismissive shake of the head. "Better men than you have tried and failed crossing that forsaken desert. Second, you were better off waiting it out as after that little incident at Hidedoki Mountain, we of the Hidden Stone had turned our eyes to your village. We would have taken care of it one way or another."
"I'll help!"
For the first time since the meeting began, all of the room's occupants turned to Naruto Uzumaki. In stark contrast to the earlier shower of attention, the genin remained resolute. His blue eyes were focused on Goichi, who stared dumbfounded at the younger boy. Never had he seen such a fire in the eyes of one so young.
"As a ninja of the Hidden Leaf Village, I'll help you get rid of these stupid grapes! That's a promise!" He boldly declared.
It was only a little, by the slight roar of the steam engines in Han's armor caught everyone's attention. Tipping up his hat, the masked ninja directed his gaze toward the bandaged man. "We of the Hidden Stone came to this region with a mission - the location and destruction of the ketsuekigrēpu. Since our goals align, how's about a team up?"
Just as Naruto's eyes began to morph into stars, Ontake exploded. "Han! Watch your tongue! Do you have any idea who these people are?!" Screamed the scar-faced jonin, directing a finger toward Naruto and Semiramis. "These are Leaf Ninja, our enemies! The same as the Yellow Flash who slaughtered thousands of our comrades in the last war! Has that overgrown horse inside of you finally eaten whatever sorry excuse of a brain you have!?"
Semiramis' ears twitched.
To his credit, Han remained cool underneath his comrade's harsh glare. Too cool for his liking. "We've worked with the Hidden Sand and Cloud, both of whom we've formerly fought against. I know we allied with the Hidden Sand to screw over the Hidden Mist from time to time." He spoke of the incident with an air of fondness that belayed the darkness of his statement. "Besides, the old man was rather clear about the mission details - we do whatever is necessary to eliminate the threat, even if it means teaming up with a rival. If it'll make you feel any better, Ontake, I'll go with them by myself so you don't have to stain yourself by assorting with 'Leaf scum'. How's that sound?"
For several long seconds, it looked like a fight was going to break out between the two Stone ninja. If so, it would certainly be a destructive one. Tsukino nervously looked between her father, the two men, and Naruto and Semiramis. Naruto himself looked surprisingly…not worried, his gaze was instead directed toward his partner. Said partner was watching the two with quiet interest, as if she were watching the sky for rain clouds. It was quite telling.
"…Fine. But don't forget who they are. Not to mention you're still under my watch, got it?"
"Yes, daddy."
Naruto's snickers continued, even as Ontake flung his gaze toward him. It wasn't the first time he'd been the target of such venom, and it wouldn't be the last.
"It seems fortune has smiled upon you, Goichi-san." Began Semiramis, showing how unaffected she was by the standoff. "You now have four associates to help you in reclaiming your village."
Confusion marred the man's face as he looked to her. "Four?"
"Yep, see, Semiramis is my partner." Laughed Naruto. "Wherever I go, she…kinda follows me."
"What is she, your handler?" Ontake scowled, now looking at the long-haired woman for the first time.
Lips briefly tucked upward as the Servant flickered her gaze to Naruto. "That's…one way to look at our relationship. As Naruto said, we are partners. Goichi-san, though I may not be a ninja, know this, I have experience in dealing with what has consumed your village - poison." The tuck took full form, manifesting as a wicked smile that made the hairs of all present stand on end. Naruto was the exception, instead of fear he merely sighed, as if in relief. "This poison that has infected your village, rest assured, I will aid you in rooting it out, by any means necessary." And bending it to MY will.
Too caught up in her own dark thoughts, Semiramis failed to realize her Master had been listening in on her mind. He was not scared, at least not for the reason one might have suspected.
Oh man, I REALLY hope this doesn't end with her making a mess of things. Prayed the blond jinchūriki with a sweatdrop.
Within the boy, the red-furred demon grunted. Your mind's on the wrong track, brat. She's not going to destroy this place…she's going to RAID it.
Naruto wasn't quite sure how to picture such a scene…but one thing came to mind. He remembered watching a movie featuring a mad scientist carrying out all sorts of crazy and outright diabolical experiments. The setting of the film came back, but the characters were swiped out. Rather than a lunatic in a lab coat, what he knew saw was an eerily beautiful woman in a gold and black dress with hair which is the color of darkest night. Her grin wasn't one of insanity, but of malicious joy. More sweat drops appeared on his head.
You know…I'm starting to wonder if I'm really cut out for this whole Master thing.
…It took you this long to start thinking that?
Shut up, furball.
Make me, blondie.
Unknown to any of the other occupants, especially the genin and his inner demon, another conversation was being carried out. One that mirrored the one carried on between the blond and the fox within him.
I don't see much of Kurama's influence on him, that is good. Albeit, I can tell he probably hates being stuck inside of an…interesting host. The soft, feminine voice echoed in Han's mind.
His mental chuckling was matched only by his beast's own easy-going laughter. Didn't you always say it's the prideful who fall the hardest? He goes from being inside of a loudmouth…to said loudmouth's son whose personality is just like hers.
Deep within the subconscious of the Hidden Stone ninja, the Five-Tailed Stallion nodded his head in agreement with his host. Kokuō liked his peace and quiet, but every now and then he was open to a little excitement. Such a thing was now being offered to him, and at the hands of his "big brother" Kurama. He could hardly wait to see events unfold.
Alright, this whole story arc probably came from me watching too much Kamen Rider Gaim, not that I regret spending much time doing so. Now, you've got the mission set up, a determined Naruto, an asshole from the Stone Village, a human steam-roller, and…a VERY excited poisoner. This too borrows a bit of canon, namely the mentioned but rarely explained Second Shinobi World War. According to the description, a combination of economic differences and aggressive territory expansion led to conflict so this arc will explore some of the background and fallout of said conflict since not much was given in the series.