Alrighty, here marks the end of what you might call the first quarter of the story, roughly. Of course, we're ending things with a bang!

I do not own anything.

Poison Dove & Maelstrom Fox

Chapter 18 - Ending and Beginning Pt.1

The sharp jolt of pain was as unexpected as it was horrifying. Akitake's hand immediately jumped to his chest, his fingers clawing at his flesh beneath his clothing. It felt like a needle bomb had just exploded inside of him. Quickly, the pain raced up the rest of his body, nearly bringing him to his knees. Instead, the following quake did the job, knocking him onto his knees. Rather fortunately or not, those in the lab were also brought to their knees by the shaking. Briefly glancing up, Akitake was able to see some of them were clenching their hearts as well showing that they too had felt the painful jolt that he had. They too had sensed the death of one of their own.

"Toshinaka is dead."

Akitake hated hearing it in spite of knowing that it was true. So painfully true. One of their village elders had been slain, though he liked to believe from the rumbling that the old ninja had put up one hell of a fight before going down. Akitake glanced over to find Motomune staring back at him. It hadn't been any easier for him to say it than it had been for the rest of them to hear it.

There were times where Motomune was one of the least pleasant people to work with, but it was undeniable that the work he did put in, he did for the village. Not to mention he put his heart and soul into it, a trait that even the frontline fighters found admirable. Then there was the fact that he helped keep them all alive in some small way or another. The bags under his eyes had steadily grown worse, a result of his intense work hours put in ensuring that their lord was given the highest amount of power possible, and could live long enough to use that power in the name of the village. Even as he wrestled with the grief they were all feeling, his slate gray eyes maintained a spark of their original determination, the determination that had allowed him to break through so many boundaries.

The black-haired scientist was the first to rise, his lab coat billowing as he hurried back over to the control console that he'd previously been operating. His face twisted into a snarl as he attempted to pick up where he left off. "I need time, more time dammit! The procedure will be complete is eight minutes!"

"Then that's the time you'll have!" Barked Montoku, jumping to his feet. His body was already in the midst of transforming, his skin hardening in preparation for the coming battle. Without a doubt, it was going to be a vicious and bloody affair. "Motomune, focus on making sure the procedure finishes up, the rest of us will find the intruder and do what we must in means to stop them. Everyone who isn't a scientist or needed for the procedure, move out, now!" In spite of his words, Montoku took a second to linger on the massive pod-like contraption that his elder brother had stepped into. Cocoon might have been a better description of it.

Almost ten feet in length and six in diameter, one could have gotten the sense that an animal of some sort was going to emerge instead of a human being. Whatever it was, it would be large and incredibly ferocious based on the light show that was playing out with the cocoon at the center. The cocoon was already oversized, but it had various pumps stretching out from both sides. On the other end of the pumps were various tanks and giant-sized plants. Upon said plants, the leaves and flowers were beginning to wither and die, proof that their nutrients were being sucked up and pumped into the container. Orange and green-colored light pulsated from the inside of the pod; a faint human-shape just barely visible. If examined closely, one could see that the human was breathing, rather calmly. Compared to how the leader of the Hidden Vine Village was when they started, it was a great improvement.

Hand-in-hand with the steady breathing was swooshing sound, like liquid running through a pipe. In a way, that's exactly what was happening, the juices were being pumped directly into the pod's occupant. That occupant was Juntoku Iwanaga, eldest of the Iwanaga Clan and head of the Village Hidden in Vines.

And at the moment, he was standing before the path that would make him one of the strongest ninja in the land, perhaps strong enough to rival even the five Kage. But none of it would matter if his "rebirth" was interrupted before it could be completed.

Akitake took a single look at the pod realizing if the process was interrupted, it could have placed his village's leader in a state that was arguably worse than death. Attempts to grab at such power often came at high risk. It was only a question of rather or not one was willing to accept that risk and keep ongoing. As a village, they'd decided to take that gamble.

Something told Akitake that their odds just got a bit dimmer.

"Wait, Akitake!" Sounded the grim-faced doctor, catching the jonin's attention. The green-eyed ninja saw the dark expression on the scientist's face. He needed no more hints as to what he was about to say. Motomune silently moved about toward the far right side of the lab were a number of metal containers were held. When he came back, he was carrying a box whose lid was automatically sliding back to reveal the fruity contents. While looking like apples, their dark red-color and slight spiky exterior destroyed whatever assumptions one might have had about them on first sign. Motomune looked around at the gathered ninja, Akitake being the last one to fall under his gaze. "I don't think I need to tell you how this is going to end. Even if you survive, there's a chance that you won't be able to continue being a ninja."

The gathered men and women looked to each other, a ripple of anxiety spreading across them.

There was a brief chuckle, then Akitake took one of the fruits into his hand. "We're ninja, aren't we? What's a little risk to a reward, especially one that's going towards the village as a whole? Eh, great researcher?"

A brief fit of chuckling broke out amongst the ninja as they one by one reached into the box for their own enhanced fruit. Several of them took their first bite without a moment's hesitation.

Motomune laughed. It was perhaps the first time he'd laughed or shown any positive expression in almost a week. He could clearly say that the stress of work had done a good job of eating away at him. Here he stood, at the threshold with everything he'd ever worked for threatened, and he was smiling. More than anything, he was willing to chalk that up to Akitake and the others who'd promised to buy him as much time as possible. Odds were, they were going to lose their lives in the process. They would be doing so under the pretext that their sacrifice would be worth it. Motomune planned on making sure of that.

As he was the first to step forward, Akitake was the last one to leave, casting one final glance at Motomune. They'd had their disagreements, but at the end of the day, they were still fellow villagers. This was their duty.

"My, oh my, it's been quite a while since I've seen a drama like this play out. I must say, it almost brought tears to my eyes."

Silently, the grizzled scientist looked at the white-haired foreigner. While no doubt, what success he'd had was due to his own brilliance and hard work, Motomune couldn't deny that he'd had help. Foreign help. At the very least the help was coming from another minor village, one looking to rearrange the current balance of power between the Five Great Nations. That was one motive, the other was a scientific curiosity, which Motomune was both respectful and wary of. When pursuing matters such as this, such trivial things like morality and friendship often ended up swept by the wayside. If one could so easily cast aside lifelong relationships then what hope did two strangers have of surviving together until the research was over?

Lastly, while he was driven, Motomune wasn't desperate enough to be blinded to who he was working with. When one dealt with poisonous reptiles, caution was a must. Such creatures were often wily and crafty as their nature demanded them to be in order to survive and thrive. Just the fact that his "associates" hadn't betrayed him or his village yet was a positive sign, but snakes often played with their prey before going for the kill.

"I have some information on who's rampaging down in the village." Spoke the silver-haired scientist, a smirk tugging on his lips. "He and I are…old friends you can say."

"Ah, so he's a troublemaker?" Motomune offered with a raised eyebrow.

"Of the highest caliber. Curiously, why was that the first thing out of your mouth?"

He at least gave him the courtesy of a smirk. "Just a hunch. From what I've learned working with you these past weeks, you seem to attract those types of people to balance yourself out. Actually, I believe relationships like that are necessary."

"Do you now? That's quite surprising." He chuckled back.

"Everything in this world and beyond needs balance in order to survive. Compassion to balance out cruelty, light to balance darkness, and sanity with insanity." His speech was put on hold via the resounding thump that came from the pod. Briefly glancing back, Motomune saw that and smiled. Things were progressing along smoothly. "Scientist like us need men like Akitake and Montoku to do the heavy lifting, to make use of that which we create. While we may have our differences, we still need each other when required and can work well together. How else do you create a village or anything of any value?"

"Quite philosophical of you, Motomune. I never would have expected such a thing from a person like you." Laughed the younger man. "I must say though; I find it intriguing myself. Your thoughts on balance, is that why you're making this procedure take longer than required? We could have had Lord Juntoku out and about almost three hours ago if we'd go the direct path."

What little humor there was vanished in the blink of an eye. Blue eyes sharpened into razors that stared back at the cold black orbs behind glass. "If I wanted my lord to become a rampaging monster hellbent on laying waste to everything around him, then you're right. That would have been the best route possible."

There was a pause. "…You really do care about him, don't you?" Motomune noted the ring of shock and surprise in his voice.

"He's my village elder…and my friend." Shot back the black-haired scientist. "Besides, when he agreed to this, he told me to put him down if he went out of control, and I told him that it wouldn't come to that." The smirk that followed was completely lacking in anything resembling humor. "Quite uncharacteristic for a mad scientist, huh?"

The laugh he got was equally as humorless. "Hey now, don't sell yourself so short. Besides, that label is…ugly and limiting, I prefer not to think about it. Then again, why should people like us care? We do what we do because it's who we are, who are others to tell us otherwise?"

Rather than immediately respond, Motomune took a second to sit on the words. While he couldn't deny a part of him found it appealing, he always knew that was the easy way to going down a dark path. One from which there would likely be no going back.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

"You should probably go, I can finish up the rest of this. We can finish this, in fact, we should." Offered the black-haired scientist, causing the younger man to raise an eyebrow.

"I'll have you know that I can handle myself. If I couldn't then I never would have made it this far, and I'm sure whatever or whoever Naruto's brought along, I can take them."

"Perhaps, but you have a purpose beyond this. With all due respect, this is our fight." Motomune pressed with a serious face.

There was a chuckle, one part malicious and the other part humorous. "Why do I feel like you just don't want me and my associations hogging all of the glory for ourselves? Don't worry, I can understand. We can go through all this trouble and then have us, the outsiders, go and steal all of the spotlight. It's okay, I've seen it happen before."

"From what I understand your…younger associate, might actually like the exercise. He's been bored out of his mind since he got here."

"Aren't lions often lazing about when they're not on the hunt?"

"True, but our lion's time to hunt isn't now. Not with such a…" He could tell that the word "backwater" was about to spill out. Motomune at least had the willpower to keep a passive and neutral look on his face in contrast to his colleagues. Their conversation had been anything but silent, and as things had taken a more and more serious turn, they'd opened their ears; in spite of the fact that they all had things they were assigned to be doing at the time. "Let's just say that it's not the right time. Our little lion…and that loudmouth, they've still got some training left to do before they can come to blows with each other."

Once again, Motomune's eyes narrowed. "You're preparing something, you and your master."

"What possibly could have given it away?" Jested the younger scientist. "Regardless, I'll take your advice and scram with my associates while the opportunity is ripe. No offense, but we do have other things to do…and I believe the progress you've made so far is impressive enough I can leave you to your own devices, Motomune-san. I wish you the best of luck, you and your village."

"Thank you for your…aid, we…appreciate it."

Pushing his glasses up, the young adult flashed him a dark smile. One way or another, they would be seeing each other again, the only question was if it would be as enemies or allies. The thought hung in the air as all of the Vine village scientists watched the glasses-wearing man and his cohorts, six in total, stand together in a circle. Only the group's leader looked at them all with a smile before holding his hands up in a sign. There was a massive puff of smoke then the lot was gone, the white smoke fanning out.

"I really wish we didn't have to work with those people." Grumbled one of the junior workers, a look of clear disdain on her face. She was far from alone.

"Still, it's hard to deny it. I mean, they crippled the Hidden Leaf and from what I hear, Orochimaru was able to kill the Third Hokage, not an easy feat." Echoed another.

"It is when the big shot was a senile old man." Snorted another. "How hard could it have been to put down one old geezer?"

Motomune shot the scientist an aside glare, one he quickly shrunk from. "We live in a world where 'old geezers' are often more dangerous than the young-bloods running around, proclaiming their greatness to the world. Unlike them, the old have already achieved greatness, it's only a question of if they enjoy it or not and what fortune it brings them, if any. Besides," With their "allies" gone, he could now speak more freely. "The Third Hokage at least managed to cripple Orochimaru before dying. That by itself can be seen as a boon for us, the more restricted that snake is, the better for the rest of us."

There was a rolling muttering of agreement throughout the chamber. It was quickly broken by the sound of rumbling, heavy rumbling. Teeth gnashed, eyes glanced back and forth before settling on the door. It'd been sealed shut and reinforced with several ninjutsu barriers, the likes of which could only be unlocked by Vine Village ninja. That should have been reassuring, but it wasn't. Whatever was shaking the central tree had enough power to shake the entire structure, with every occupant feeling the tremors. It had power, power that could likely break through the barrier. If that happened then all hope would be lost. Knowing that, everyone got back to work as quickly as they could.

Light was now burning bright from the pod, a number of grotesque and mind-numbing sounds resounding from the container. The figure inside, the man, was now completely obscured by the light and liquid. This had gone from a mere "power-up" as some of the rank and file had called it to something else, it was now a metamorphosis. Without a doubt, what was going to emerge would not be a human being, it would be something stronger than human.

That's exactly what Motomune and the others wanted, what they needed. For their dream to come true, strength beyond humanity was needed. Through clawing and scratching, that's what they had achieved.

Extra icing on the cake went to the possible hope that though they were creating something inhuman, a human spirit and mind would remain to control the body.

Boom! Boom! BOOM!

The smell made their hair stand up on end, even those were bald felt their chest hair and back hair stick right up. Sweat, which had already begun to pour down some of their brows, were now rolling down like a waterfall. Almost simultaneously, fear gripped the hearts of every scientist and researcher. No one had to think hard about where the feeling had come from.

Every passing second felt like an eternity, all of which blurred together into a hideous beast that trudged along. The pressure seemed to grow on the necks and in the stomach of the men and women, but none more so than Motomune.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Honestly though…who exactly did the rebels get to-

BOOM!

Teeth were rattled and clothes, and in some cases hair, were blown clean off as the massive door finally came undone. Naturally, it was like a bomb had gone off, then another in short succession. Everyone was sucker punched, if you could call it that. The ground disappeared, then came back via a painful crunch for most of them. Pain and agony rung in their skulls like echoes in a dark cave, one they all couldn't help but descend deeper and deeper into. Their ears heard nothing but a horrid combination of blaring alarms and collective groaning. Blood leaked from mouths, ears, and open wounds all over the body. Those closest to the doors were lying in puddles of their own life essence. Some of them were still alive.

SNAPPP!

THUDDD!

SQUISSSH!

Formerly thanks to doors were snapped off from their hinges and crushed them like grapes.

Death came for them fast, perhaps a little too fast for the woman's liking. Still, she'd had her fill with killing on the way up, not to mention if she got too into her bloodlust then she'd potentially begin losing herself. Cold copper-colored eyes scanned the room as the smoke and flames persisted around the hinges of the massive double-doors she'd blown through. A number of men and women were doing their best to recover from the shock. A dark grin spread upon her face as her eyes eventually found her target.

Whereas seconds ago, he was resolute in the presence of a snake, Motomune now felt cold-white fear seize him. The intruder was looking at him; she was going to kill him.

A wicked smile formed on her eerily beautiful face. "I'm assuming that you're Motomune Ishitsugu, the man behind the wonderful dreadful fruits and plant life that this village is tearing itself apart over?" Her cold and detached tone made him jump out of his skin. "Ah, I see am I correct, you're just the man that I was looking for."

His mouth opened to scream, but before the words could leave his mouth, an invisible force suddenly wrapped itself around his body and froze him in place. Barely a minute later and the bindings were real-black chains that dug into his skin with their spikes. Immediately, his eyes widened as he realized he was being infected with a chemical agent, a poison.

"To demonstrate my…respect for your craft, I'll save you for last. And give you quite a show while I'm at it. Sit back and enjoy, Motomune-san."

All it took was a single second for him to understand what she meant. Not a minute later and the black-haired woman was following through on her statement.

Death was fast, but the mysterious attacker stopped long enough between kills so his compatriots could see the aftermath. As the horror sunk in, she inflicted a similar fate upon them, mercilessly slaughtering them without a shred of remorse. Those were the lucky ones, strangely enough. Atop the strange woman's palms were a set of golden spikes. Quick as viper's fangs, they were plunged into the bodies of his coworkers. None of the strikes were fatal as a one-hit kill wasn't the intent. No, they merely injecting the poison into their bodies, directly into their bloodstreams. No one could suppress the cries of agony and misery as the toxins began to eat away at their bodies, causing all manner of effects.

Motomune had seen a great many things, some of them were horrible things, some of them he'd tried hard to forget. What he'd never forgotten were the horrible growths and veins and boils that formed on his colleagues, his friends, as the poisons worked their way through their bodies. One glance at each of them was all he needed to tell what sort of terrible pain they were going through: blood poisoning, organ failure, asphyxiation, heat exhaustion, hyperthermia, and symptoms of the common cold. It was as surreal as it was horrifying to watch.

And he couldn't do a thing about it.

His mouth opened once more to scream, but the air in his lungs was frozen. He could breathe, but he could not speak, not shout out in defiance or horror at what he was being forced to watch. Motomune realized his eyes hadn't been frozen as tears welled up and began to roll down his cheeks as the massacre continued before him. This woman wanted him to suffer, and she was getting her wish.

A handful managed to find some semblance of courage and get to their feet. Instead of running for their lives like any normal creature, they ran straight for her.

THUNK! THUNK! THUNK! THUNK! THUNK!

Motomune could have sworn that the chain was moving in slow-motion. Every body, every friend, it punched through, it did so like tissue paper. Somewhat faintly, he realized that such a chain was wrapped around his arms keeping him restrained; if he tried to move, it could constrict and cut or crush him as easily as it'd done his friends.

The thought failed to stop him from struggling.

"Stop! Stop! STOP IT NOW!" Screeched the blue-eyed man, managing to get to his feet. The spikes dug even deeper into his skin injecting more of the paralyzing agent into his body; in response, his body's own defenses began fighting it off. Inside of him, a biological battle was waged. Motomune coughed out blood and vomit, his bloodstream becoming a toxic mixture, and yet he still found the strength to rise to his feet. Murderous anger burned in his eyes as they fell upon the black-haired woman he charged for. His skin shifted from pale to pitch-black in a heartbeat.

THUNK!

Watching the blood splatter in slow motion, the woman chuckled. "Now, now, be patient and wait your turn. I was going to save you for last because there are some questions I wanted to ask you about your precious blood grapes. Not that I couldn't get answers for them my-"

It happened in the blink of an eye, quite literally.

Though the pain was immense, Motomune managed to remain conscious just long enough to see the aftermath, or rather, the fruits of his and his comrades' labor. Naturally, the figure was large, larger than it had originally been. Hundreds of black and red tree roots were twisting around the body, shaping into armor-like wrappings and muscles that faintly reminded Motomune of the garbs of samurai. A visible aura of blood-red chakra pulsated from the body, super-charging the air like an electric battery. To enemies, it was a harbinger of dread, but to those like him, it was a beacon of hope. That beacon of light was his one solace as his vision began to fade.

We…we did it. Lord…Juntoku…please…you must…you must advance, advance onward…for the village, for us…all.

Pain overrode his ability to remain conscious, thus Motomune slipped from the realm of the waking into the realm of darkness.

Normally, the Wise Queen was a very composed woman. Unfortunately for her, this new world seemed intent on testing that composure at every possible turn, likely for no other reason than for giggles. Speaking of giggles, she was sure that somewhere out there, a Wizard Marshal was laughing his old butt off. What other reaction could there have been in seeing one such as her in such a state?

She was never a physically strong Servant, though the mana supply of her new Master was a nice boost. In this case though, it wasn't enough; she was completely helpless in the grasp of the eight-foot-tall humanoid abomination that had her by the throat. Making matters worse was that it wasn't looking at her, it was looking back, at the carnage she'd left behind. Though she clawed at the creature's steel-like wrists, her efforts were all in vain, though not for her lack of trying. Steam rose and crackled as her poisoned nails dug into the armored skin, but the grip on her remained strong. It was too strong for her to fight back against. And it was growing tighter by the second.

Naturally, the cause was the bloody scene she'd left behind her. As the long-haired woman struggled against the entity's grasp, the newly awakened man-beast looked back at the dozens of bodies that littered the chamber it had been born into. It made no sound as its eyes examined every corpse, and the faces. Without a doubt, the faces were of interest, twisted in all manners of fear and horror where they froze as death had claimed them. Their bodies were just as disgusting to look at, some have liquefied and even begun to rot. The smell of decomposing flesh was quickly rising and filling up the room. A lone, visible nose wrinkled as it took in the foul odor.

Then the entity turned back to the golden-eyed woman.

It-no, he was not happy. Not in the least.

The face was surprisingly more humanoid than she'd been expecting; she could actually tell that it was a human face. Easily discernable were the nose, teeth, eyebrows, and eyes. All four of the latter, all of them burning orange like flames. Black lips pulled back, revealing a set of sharp canines that looked ready to bite into her skin and tear the flesh from her bones. The look in his eyes showed he was most certainly thinking of doing that.

"Those…were…my…people…my family." Growled the transformed ninja. His breath reeked of blood and oddly fruity scents such as strawberries and bananas. It was a profoundly arousing yet nauseating smell. Somehow, it seemed to make the bestial voice all the more twisted.

At the back, a set of thruster-like growths rose up. Orange-red light exploded from the reborn man's body. The glow resembled fire, which meant that the growths on the back could only be one thing.

The Wise Queen had a split second to curse her own dark nature before the roar of fury came and she was passing through the walls of the great tree, her body no more than a ragdoll being tossed aside. She vowed she would make the man pain for the affront to her dignity. As soon as she was able to break free.

And her head stopped ringing.

And she saw an opening to attack.

And she could concoct a poison capable of eating through Juntoku's enhanced dermal armor.

But first, she had to stay alive long enough to do any of those things.

There were two things that told Naruto that their success was about to hit a stonewall - a shiver running up his spine originating from his stomach and a sharp jolt of pain running through his hand. Both of which froze him where he stood, something that didn't go unnoticed by his more watchful allies. That said, there were still other things going on, like a civil war in which they were all fighting.

Semiramis…Semiramis, something has…something has happened to her, I can feel it!

Yes, it seems the witch has gotten in over her head. Normally, I'd take the time to enjoy such a thing, but we've got bigger problems to deal with. We're going to have to worry about staying alive before we can even think about going to aid her.

The words honestly caught Naruto off-guard. If he wasn't mistaken, the Nine-Tails almost sounded…concerned. Again, he would have pressed him on the issue, but he knew they had other things to worry about. More important things. Hey, furball, don't make me guess on what we're in for! What's coming?! We've already gone through a pretty big list of freaky and scary!

Hearing the nine-tailed demon laugh was like hearing the howling of the reaper. Freaky and scary? Kit, you haven't seen anything yet, but you're about to. I can feel it…they're coming for you, not them. My advice to you is if you don't want to put any of those precious civilians or new friends of yours in danger, start running. Now.

Naruto winced as he felt an even stronger jolt of pain run through him, coming from his stomach and hand, it felt like the ground beneath him was being pulled out. Between the two of them, the pain in his hand was worse, which was what he was afraid of. It could only mean one thing - his Servant was in danger, great danger.

The demon in his head told him to focus on himself, which as much as he hated to, he did do. All of his senses were roaring at him, more so than usual. As a ninja, the feeling was all too familiar. As a person, it was like a subtle reminder of his childhood, a childhood filled with fear and contempt from all sides.

All around him, the flames of war were being fanned. Fire was eating away at buildings and giant tree trunks, blood had splattered across the ground, the walls, and upon clothing, including his own. He'd been pursuing Sasuke and Gaara when the joint attack on the village happened so he hadn't seen the full effects of the carnage until the fighting was over. Naruto had seen his home died red and ruined, but he'd never seen how it got that way. Now, he was getting a pretty good idea of how the devastation became so.

He didn't like it at all. Twisting the knife further was the fact that the people he was watching kill each other at one point were neighbors, friends.

In the recesses of his mind, Naruto wondered if he was being given a sneak peek of his own fate. Having to fight and potentially kill someone he once knew. Someone he cared for. Someone he called a-

BRAT!

Acting quickly, Naruto managed to avoid the underground attack just in time, the jaw-like appendage clapping down on nothing but empty air. Letting instinct take over, he slashed at it with his blades, watching as the organic attack went up in a storm of blue and purple flames as poison ate away at it. Naruto did the same to the next coming vines and spikes that burst through the bloody and shattered ground. They were coming in greater numbers, showing Naruto that he needed a plan. He came up with one in an instant. Both of his Kitsune-ken were placed together, red-colored lightning swirling around the blades as they hummed with energy. Suddenly, the lightning faded as both weapons became completely cloaked in an orange and red-tinted miasma.

Luckily, he was just far enough away that the poisonous cloud didn't affect any of his allies, but it certainly hit those trying to kill him. So many of them came bursting from the underground and the flaming buildings like a pack of wild animals. Eyes-shut, Naruto couldn't see them, but he could hear them, hear the sound of flesh sizzling and melting as chemical agents interacted in explosive and outright violent ways. Death was instant for them, but that didn't make Naruto feel any better.

The glow faded and Naruto looked up, what he saw was a collection of corpses in various states surrounding him. He felt his stomach churn in disgust, but not enough to dissuade him from acting.

"Naruto! Naruto!" Shouted Han from a couple of yards over.

Snapping his head in the armored man's direction, he saw his "group". While he could have done without the blood and mayhem, Naruto couldn't deny that freeing people and rescuing them was a plus. It's what he came to the Hidden Vine Village to do. Starting from the underground "feeding chamber" and working their way up and around, he liked to think they'd dealt a serious blow to the radicals and their operations. Based on the truly massive pushback they were getting, he might have been right. After their destruction of the subterranean facility, they'd certainly gotten their feel of enemies, big and small, but all incredibly driven coming at them from all directions. Not one member of their group had made any progress without getting blood on themselves, either their own or those of their enemies.

He looked at them all with a mixture of happiness and anxiety. Han was handling himself well, extremely well; which honestly wasn't that much of a surprise. From what Naruto had seen, the man truly lived up to his title of "Steamroller". Next was Tsukino, who was holding herself better than he ever could have thought. Naruto had to admit, there was something…darkly enchanting in watching her hack, slash, and twirl her way through countless ninja. Her previous fear and reservations about fighting had seemingly evaporated, which was a good thing as they only would have held her back. In the midst of her latest attack, she stopped to look back at him. She was worried.

"I'll draw them away!" Shouted back the blond ninja. "You guys focus on getting the others back to base! I'll-"

It wasn't like he hated flying, he'd just had some very bad experiences with the air. Preferably being pulled into the air then dropped like a rock with the intent being his head splitting open. That was one memory he could have done without.

Even with his Kitsune-ken, he was helpless against the vice-like grip of the talons that latched onto him then carried him into the smoke-covered skies, the sharpened points digging into his skin causing him to yelp in pain. Glancing upward, he got a look at the feathered fiend that had snatched him away, some sort of mutated bird, no doubt an attack animal as he'd seen before. It let out a positively annoying cry before beating its wings and lifting him even higher, much to his annoyance.

THUNK! THUNK!

"H-Hey! W-Wait a second!" Screamed the genin as he realized that his avian kidnapper had been struck by something, or someone. He searched the skies, and found who that someone was. "T-Tsukino! What the hell are you doing?!"

The silver-haired girl gave him a smile, which in her position was quite a sight. She seemed to be enjoying herself. "Helping you like I said! You're still a guest of my village, and we pride ourselves on our hospitality!" The kunai she'd struck the bird with was connected to her wrist via a line of black wire that glistened in the sunlight and smoke. How it was supporting her, he didn't know, what Naruto feared was how long it would support her. Apparently, Tsukino knew that risk as well since she pulled on the wire which began to reel her towards the main body. "Naruto, hang on, I'm going to get you out of this!"

"W-W-Wait a minute! T-Think about how high up we-"

Again, he was interrupted. This time, it was because the bird suddenly began to dive downward. For Naruto, the experience was worse than expected as it brought back uncomfortable memories.

Wait a second…is this thing some kind of falcon?!

Wonder if this time your head really will crack open.

Hey! A little help here would be nice!

There was a momentary chuckle. The moon princess is already on it, you just might wanna brace for the impact.

Actually listening to his unlikely and often unwanted companion, Naruto did his best to look back. The downward dive hadn't detoured Tsukino one bit as she was not atop the monster bird's back, stabbing at it with everything she had. Strangled death cries fell from the bird's beaked mouth as life began to drain out of it. Seeing his chest, Naruto swung his body forward, both his feet connected with the creature's chin and throat. Both teens came loose, the mutant bird free-falling with a trail of blood in its wake. Spotting the barely composed Tsukino, Naruto reached out, taking solace in his ability to feel the lingering warmth of her hand. Not a moment later and he pulled her against his chest while putting his fingers together.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

The bird hit the ground with a thunderous crash, the clones puffed into existence with a myriad of grunts, even those who knew they would hit the bottom first. It continued as they all formed into a massive pile that was used as a cushion for the descending genin and kunoichi.

"Naruto, I think you've mastered this jutsu." Giggled the tan-skinned girl as she realized that Naruto still had a tight hold on her.

He hadn't noticed it yet. "You really think so?"

"Well, I've heard it's a hard technique to master, but you use it as commonly as if it were a transformation or substitution! If I didn't know any better, I'd almost say that you're a natural at it!"

You know, I'm thinking maybe you should let me take over. Promise, I won't do anything TOO awful.

It took a good deal of his willpower to keep from vocally lashing out, which he wanted to do thanks to his inner beast's wisecracks. Still not noticing the light blush on his companion's cheeks, he began to dismount from his pile of clones, which the grumbling of complains and curses sounded out when they been stepped on by the original, Tsukino following shortly after. Once their feet touched the ground, the living mountain disappeared in a giant puff of smoke.

"You shouldn't have done that." Naruto bemoaned. "Something's after me, I can feel it."

Tsukino gave him a worried look. While she knew Naruto could be a bit odd and dense, his senses were usually right on the nose. Still, she'd made her choice, and she was going to follow through on it. "Whatever it is, we're going to face it together. Besides, we've come this far so how much worse could things-"

The roar stopped the blood in their veins cold. In unison, their hearts stopped beating, only Naruto's resumed its original pace a minute later while Tsukino's took a second longer. She faintly recognized the sound. It was animalistic, almost like that of a tiger, yet she could tell it was no tiger. The roar had been bigger, meaner, and most of all, she could tell it had come from beneath the earth they now stood over.

Almost ten feet from them, a skyscraper-like structure began to rumble, then collapse throwing dust and debris in all directions. Naruto jumped in front of Tsukino with his blades raised and his eyes focused. He knew something was coming.

And a second later, he was proven right as a shadow burst forth from the darkness. Some silver caught his eyes, he responded by pouring chakra into his blades. The sound of metal clanging against metal hurt his ears, Tsukino's too. Granted, she was more flabbergasted by the humanoid-animal creature that Naruto was currently holding at bay, barely.

Eight feet of rippling black muscle with red, near web-like markings that spread across the body. On the arms and exposed legs and face were a number of tiger-like strips that glowed crimson with power. They flashed brighter as the man-beast attempted to press down on Naruto, causing the ground beneath his feet to crack under the pressure. The genin's blood eyes stared back into the murderous and slitted red orbs of his adversary. Mutual disdain filled the air and words they shot at each other.

"You know," grunted Naruto. "I thought I was done fighting weird human-tiger freaks, especially freaks that grab more power because they're not satisfied with their own."

There was a snort from the man-beast. "Fuck off, you rat-faced bastard! You messed with me and my village, now it's time to pay the price!"

"You guys were killing your own villagers!" Shouted back the blond. "We came here to help!"

"Nobody asked for your help, you little shit bag!" Barked back the animal-human hybrid. "You…how could someone like you know what it feels like to be us?! Powerless?! Weak?! Treated like trash! You can't, not shut up and become nutrients for our village!" The right claw was raised, a massive shovel-like weapon that would rip him in half if the chance arises. Rather than wait, the man-beast struck, the five claws flashing like eerie streaks of light.

SWOOSH!

Naruto saw his chance and acted on it, aggressively pushing away the clawed hand that had been bearing down on him. As he did so, Tsukino skidded to a stop, her twin short blades dripping with fresh blood. Violent hatred flashes in the eyes of the hybrid as he diverted his attention from Naruto to her. In the blink of an eye, his body was twisted around and his clawed were coming at her in full force.

POOF!

His expression didn't change as the pieces of the log dropped to the ground. They didn't move even as the white-haired girl descended on him from the air, a pair of poison-tipped tantos in each hand.

CLINCH!

"T-TSUKINO!"

At first, it was hard for her to focus on anything but the blinding pain in her shoulders, it felt as if her arms were going to fall off any second. In no time later she felt herself moving-no, flying through the air. There was no doubt in Tsukino's mind that she was out of the fight, without her arms she wasn't going to be of much use to Naruto or Han or the villagers. That thought seemed to hurt her more than the physical agony in her arms, or the pain she felt as she crashed through a mound of debris and rolled along the ground like a ragdoll. It was enough to put her on the edge of consciousness though.

Naruto had little time to worry about her as the altered human went on the attack against him next. Defending against two claws was troublesome enough, but a pair of barbed tentacles that could pierce him like tissue paper was close to outright cheating in his mind. He knew that he needed to put some distance between him and his opponent to create some sort of strategy; his enemy knew that too and was hellbent ensuring he didn't get that with the rapid-fire attacks.

Dammit, this guy is even stronger and faster than Mizuki! Thought the blond as the attacks became faster and harder. His arms were beginning to hurt, and the pain was growing minute by minute.

Giving up, runt?

"Like hell I am!" The man-tiger was so caught up in his attack, he failed to comment on the genin's sudden outburst. Fueled by a mixture of righteous anger and adrenaline, Naruto spotted the opening he'd been waiting for and went for it with all the ruthlessness he could muster. A mixture of blue and green light exploded from the blade, just faintly taking the same outline. It cleaved through the blackened skin of the man-tiger, creating a short spurt of blood. A second one was opened up along the man's backside which Naruto was now facing. He rushed in for a slash at the base of the spine, where he knew death would be instantaneous.

Instantaneous was how one would have described the spikes that jetted outward, fast and deadly. Had Naruto not stopped, he would have been run through completely. For a split second, the spikes froze, then they began to grow, forcing him backward. Spinning on his heel, the man-tiger caught his eye, twisted joy coloring his face.

Naruto coughed up blood, feeling the steel-like fist plowing into his gut and sending him skidding across the ground.

"Still on your feet? I'd say I'm impressed…but I hate you too much for that, you rat-faced brat!" The fist came down, but not in his direction.

"No! NO!" Throwing his arms out, Naruto hoped that somehow, his Kitsune-ken would be able to intercept the wave of thorn-like spikes that erupted from the man-tiger's fist. The target of the attack was the barely-conscious Tsukino.

Neither of the attacks reached their destination on account of the meteor-like crash that shook the block little over a second later. With it came a blistering wave of steam that made the two combatants feel like they were standing in the middle of a volcano. The heat was strong enough to completely vaporize the thorn wave that had been heading in Tsukino's direction, as well as cause the tiger-man to hiss in pain as most of the blast was directed his way.

"Damn you to hell, you giant freak!" Snapped the transformed ninja.

Han rose amidst the steam, his eyes glowing with subdued anger as he eyed his opponent. "Big talk coming from a man who's literally ingested the bodies of his dead comrades. Several of whom he murdered in cold-blood just for an increase in power. It's guys like you that make me sick." Standing up, Naruto could have sworn he saw flakes of crimson energy escaping the vents on his armor.

"You wanna know what makes me sick? Elitist village bastards like you!" Barked the man-tiger, breaking the ground as he leaped at Han.

Naruto jumped as his ears picked up the thunder-like explosion of air, yet his eyes failed to see it until it had already happened. He could see that between the two combatants, Han still possessed the upper hand in physical strength. Narrowing his eyes, he realized what he'd seen earlier wasn't just a trick, the man really was beginning to leak out flakes of crimson-colored energy. His breath caught in his throat as he realized the flakes were condensing into the liquid-like matter. It looked quite familiar. "W-What the…"

"Take Tsukino and run, you're not gonna wanna be around for when I cut loose. You're not strong enough." Came the voice of the armored-ninja. Naruto nearly jumped out of his skin in turning to his right and finding a second Han standing before him, Tsukino in his arms. Based on her barely audible moans, she was just barely holding onto consciousness. Somewhat nervously, the younger male opened his arms out and took the village princess into them. "Hey, Naruto, in your village…do you have horror stories of a big scary monster?"

An uncomfortable knot began to form in his stomach as he nodded his head. "Y-Y-Y-Y-Yeah, w-w-we do. A-A-A n-n-nine-"

"-Tailed Fox? Heh, well, we of the Hidden Stone have monsters of our own. The lava-spewing gorilla with four tails…and the five-tailed horse that tramples mountains." Cracks were forming in the clone's body which began to give away piece by piece. "There are nine of these monsters…and guys like us…we're the unlucky bastards who have to hold them inside. Sure, it may seem like a curse…" The clone crumbled to pieces from the shockwave that came after his pause.

Turning away, Naruto did his best to cover Tsukino from the storm of debris and steam that was expunged from the latest clash. His ears ring with the sound of pain-filled screaming from the man-tiger hybrid. From the sound alone he could tell the ground was being torn apart like it was nothing. As the sounds of rock and metal cracking rose above the dust clouds, he finally managed to look back at the battlefield. Naruto's mouth dropped at what he saw.

He'd been told that his…chakra cloak, the boon granted to him by the Nine-Tails' chakra looked unnatural and monstrous. Having never seen what it truly looked like he'd only been able to go on word of mouth. Finally, he was able to see it for himself, the cloak was worn by another. One who was able to stay in perfect control of it unlike him.

"H-H-H-Han…you're…you're…you're…" Gaped the blond ninja.

Though cloaked by the malevolent energy, the look in the Stone ninja's eyes were as cool as ever. Such duality literally took his breath away. "But what may seem like a curse to some, it can be a blessing to others. As jinchūriki, it's up to us to decide which is which!" With that, his clawed feet shattered the ground he was standing on; like a bullet, he zoomed across it, smacking hard into the man-tiger and sending the two of them crashing through even more buildings like a human…steamroller.

Naruto would have stood there continued to gape like a fish if not for the sudden flare-up of pain in his hand. It served to remind him of something else. Out there, his Servant was in danger. As much as he wanted to go search for her, he had to see to the barely conscious girl in his arms first. He'd made a promise to her father that he'd get her back home safe and sound, him and Semiramis.

"If push comes to shove, save Tsukino." The Assassin had told him after she'd pulled him aside for a moment. "The girl has spirit, but where we're going that may well be the death of her. Protect her, get her to safety should the need arise. Do that before anything else, even aiding me."

She'd tried to hide it, but Naruto could tell that Semiramis was looking out for Tsukino. It further proved what he'd originally thought, the Wise Queen held the compassion of a queen.

As he ran through the streets and along rooftops, Naruto's thoughts turned inward, almost literally. Hey! Hey! I know you can hear me! Furball! Nine-Tails! Han had a chakra cloak like mine! How the hell is that possible?!

…Because…he has something in me like you do, you…and Gaara. Came the detached and borderline irritated voice of the nine-tailed demon.

Me…and Gaara?! Repeated the genin, his mind racing. Looking back through his memories, he recalled the short descriptions he'd had with his redheaded counterpart about the "monsters" they carried inside of them. Most importantly, he remembered the near-violent tug in his gut when he first laid eyes on the giant sand monster that Gaara carried inside of him. At first, he thought it was merely fear, but after what he'd just seen, he was beginning to think it was something more. Something…deeper. Nine…nine people…what did he call us? Jin…jin…

Jinchūriki, honestly, sometimes it surprises me you're even able to remember your own name, runt.

Hey! I just learned the word for the first time! Hell, I'm thinking I should have learned it from you! Shouted back the pre-teen with a face brimming with anger. Why didn't you tell me!?

The whisker-faced youth was forced to come to a stop as the seal on his stomach flared up, literally. Falling to his knees, he did his best not to drop Tsukino, who seemed to have broken out into a nervous sweat in his arms. She was hyperventilating from nothing but the pressure alone. Naruto prepared to speak to calm down his inner demon, but said demon was not in the mood for talking. More like ranting.

You think I like that label anymore than you do?! Do you even know what it is?! That armored bastard was lying to you, just like everyone from your precious Third Hokage to your own teachers have lied to you! It's a curse! An issue of damnation for you AND for me! A Jinchūriki is a sacrificial lamb village create to hold one of us Tailed Beast! To use our power as weapons! When one dies, another takes their place! Just like your m-LEFT!

Jerking his head in said direction, Naruto saw a series of explosions literally rocking their way towards him. Not wasting any more time, he bolted across the rooftops; just barely getting out of the way as something came barreling through the buildings causing them to collapse into piles of rubble.

I must say, it's nice to see that arrogant wretch finally eating some dirt. Maybe this day isn't such a waste after all. It was amazing how quickly the fox's voice had gone from venomous to an outright whimsical.

It heavily contrasted to Naruto's mood as he registered the words he'd spoken. He knew he could only have been referring to one person. His mouth opened to scream, but again, the person he was referring to beat him to the punch.

"Something about this is wrong." Pain sprinkled Semiramis' voice, as did a tinge of annoyance. Turning around to face her, Naruto found that remarkable as he saw blood trickling down her forehead over her face, her right arm, and her left leg. No longer did Semiramis look the picture of beauty and regal pride, she looked more like she'd just ran through a jungle filled with dangerous animals, coming out with more than a few cuts and injuries. What really stood out was the quite look of anger on her face. Whatever had left her in such a state, she planned on tearing it apart. Her golden eyes looked at him, then moved down toward the unconscious girl in his arms. "Please tell me you were trying to get her to safety?"

"I-I was! B-But then you came in out of nowhere and I sorta…"

"My apologies. I thought that I would have things wrapped up by the time you got to the central tree, but things have gone…off-script. This village's ruler has proven to be more trouble than I thought." Holding a single bloodied hand, she snapped her fingers. There was a soft breeze that carried with it, a salty smell almost like seawater. Naruto looked back and found a giant dove sitting behind them. "Take this familiar and flee."

"I got a better idea." Answered the blond, moving over to place Tsukino atop the familiar's back. "Hey, be careful with her, alright? And try not to get shot down on your way back to HQ, alright?"

Apparently, the blond was growing on her as the giant bird nodded its head in understanding before taking off. All without giving a single glance for confirmation to the woman who'd summoned it. Said woman looked at him with a displeased look.

Semiramis was doing her best to cow him into submission, all he did was smile back at her. "You are a very irritating Master, do you know that?"

"I thought I told you to see me as your partner?"

"Fine then, you're an irritating p-! Move, now!" Grabbing him, she summoned another familiar that quickly took to the skies, carrying both of them. From the ground came a number of wooden spikes that shot upward like arrows from a bow. Eventually, one such thorn hit the dove's left-wing. Tightening her grip on Naruto, Semiramis jumped forward, sweat and blood mixing together as they raced down her brow. Her heart slowed a she felt a familiar presence enter her mental eyesight, above them came a shadow that obscured the sun. "Shit-!"

CLAAANG!

Realizing they were both still alive, Semiramis glanced to her right. Her mouth fell open as she saw the tendrils of crimson energy encircling Naruto's arms and the Kitsune-ken. With the added power of the Nine-Tails, he was holding back the massive zanbatō held in the arms of the massive twisted warrior that had once been the leader of the Hidden Vine Village. All four of his eyes twisted in annoyance and shock as his sword was held back by what looked to him to be an ant in a horrible-looking orange jumpsuit. Semiramis took the opportunity and held out her arms, a magical circle appearing between her palms. Seconds later and a beam of violet-colored magical energy exploded forth, hitting the Juntoku square in the chest. Finally reunited with her Master, she tipped into his own energy pool to fuel her attack; he had more than enough chakra to spare.

Considering the situation, I'll help YOU out…but only this time…your highness.

Juntoku's massive body vanished amidst the resulting explosion that blocked out the sky. Naruto and Semiramis fell to the ground surrounded by rubble and bodies, the remains of a vicious battle that had likely moved on. Both of them were breathing hard, a sign that fatigue was getting to them. Granted, they both still had some fight left in them. That fight was roused when their opponent came back down to earth. A giant warrior with twisted wood-like growths that vaguely resembled armor, a pair of demonic horns, and lastly four-eyes that glared at them as if they were stains upon the earth. A six-foot zanbatō was lodged into the ground as the modified ninja glared daggers at them.

"You two…will pay for what you've done to my village!" Roared Juntoku.

"All we're trying to do is help! Besides, you're the ones who've been feeding your own to monster plants!" Shouted back the blond with righteous anger coloring his face. He would have said more, but his hair rose as an old and familiar sensation entered his sensory field. Looking back, he saw the earth erupt and a still chakra cloaked-Han emerge, his hands filled with more struggling transformed ninja. Coming down, he mercilessly snapped their necks then tossed them to the side as if they were garbage. "Han!"

Hearing his voice, the armored ninja turned around. His eyes still held the same serene and cool edge they had before, even if some parts of his armor had been chipped away. He smirked beneath his mask seeing the state that Semiramis was in. "Had more trouble than you were expecting?"

Naturally, she turned her nose from him. "Only a momentary setback! Besides, I thought you would have dealt with all of the stranglers by now!?"

"I have," laughed the orange-eyed ninja, walking toward them. "I've just decided I want a piece of the big guy. Seems like there's more than enough of him to go around."

Everything around him told him that the situation was grave from the expressions of his allies to the hateful snarl on the giant transformed human before him. Around him, there was rubble cracking and twisted monstrosities rising from the remains. Their eyes were glowing the same orange-tinge as the village leader's, proof that he was somehow controlling them. They were outnumbered. But they weren't outmanned, not by a mile.

"Hehehehehe..."

Semiramis looked at the blond with a puzzled expression. "Why in the hell are you laughing?" Hearing another laughter, her eyes snapped to the hat-wearing ninja. "You too?! Have you both…ah, I see…" sighed the black-haired Servant. "Truly, you both are cut from the same cloth."

"We are, aren't we?" Echoed the Stone ninja, tipping his hat even with his cloak on.

"Hey, Han, when this is over, can you tell me more about being a Jinchūriki?" Questioned the blond ninja with an open smile on his face. Seeing it, Semiramis felt something tick in her heart. Her brain was telling her what she was seeing was an illusion, but in her heart, she knew it was real. This was the real Naruto Uzumaki. A knucklehead ninja to his core…but an honest one.

Beneath his mask, Han was no doubt smiling. "Only if you survive."

Turning his attention back to Juntoku, Naruto crossed his blades. There was a daring grin on his face, the likes of which he wore even when he knew the odds were against him-no, especially when the odds were stacked against him. "Oh, I'm gonna do more than just win. You just watch, you're going to see the Leaf Village's future Hokage in action!"

Semiramis heard the words…and somehow…just faintly, she believed them. A thin smile formed on her lips, even as Juntoku roared in anger. Surrounded by demons and abominations…she felt happy, happier than she had in quite some time.

So, a knucklehead, a dude in armor, and a queen from another world get together to fight a bunch of plant monsters and do some weed-whacking to save a village, does anyone else feel like that sounds like the start of a comic or something? Just me? Okay. Next chapter will wrap up the Hidden Vine arc as well as the "first quarter" of this story as it'll close the book on some things…and start-up SEVERAL future storylines that will go persist int this story and beyond. And do mean BEYOND. Until then, leave your thoughts in the reviews!

On a closing note…though a bit belated, congrats to the U.S. Women's Soccer Team for their second consecutive championship win!