A/N - Okey dokey, figured I'd work on a chapter for this story. Someone's been asking me to update this one for a while now and I kinda took pity on the poor guy. I just hope this chapter is worth the wait.
Anywho, there IS a lemon in this chapter. A bunch of things happen, lots of dialogue, not much action, yada yada. Hopefully you enjoy it regardless.
Kind of out of it right now. I finally recovered from whatever the hell I was sick with...only to come down with a cold or something. x.x It has NOT been a fun night. I haven't had any damn sleep. Hell, for three frigging days, I barely got any sleep. Between my cats, my sister, my damn body saying it hates me, etc., I just couldn't sleep! I was literally losing my damn mind. I started to hallucinate again and it was NOT fun.
Anyways, I'm going to shut up so you can read the chapter. Enjoy!
Chapter 3 – Conception
Kankuro blinked in confusion as he watched his siblings rise from a vast pool of darkness nearby. He had awakened an hour earlier, though he had yet to truly recover from his fight against Shino. When he came to, his arms and legs were bound to the bed and he had no way to escape. That's why he was both thankful and confused when his siblings appeared in the room. At first, he wanted to call out to them, only for his sister to put a finger to his mouth and mouth 'quiet' to him. Nodding to signify he got the message, he waited for them to come closer before saying anything. "Is it safe to assume everything went to hell out there?"
Temari scowled as she and Gaara went about freeing their brother. "You have NO idea. That rotten Uchiha killed me and nearly killed Gaara, too. Naruto saved both of us by making us like him, in a sense. He can give you the same powers if you're interested. But for now, he has given us orders to save you while he deals with his 'future bride'. Ugh."
Gaara frowned at her and said, "You do remember what he told us, don't you? He fully expects her to try and kill him. She won't just give herself to him so easily. At least, that's what he told us. People can be unpredictable, after all. I'm sure the same holds true for Lailah."
Temari scoffed before helping Kankuro onto his feet. "Yeah, I'll believe that when I see it. Don't know why I feel so freaking jealous, but I am. And it's kind of pissing me off. If he wants to fuck some seraph that has declared him her archenemy, then whatever. Fine!" Seeing the way Gaara was looking at her, she looked away and said, "I know, I know. It's all part of his plan. She and this shepherd person can actually hurt him, so he's trying to blah blah blah. I know. Still bugs me."
Poor Kankuro looked terribly confused, but he wasn't about to say anything. No, instead he felt like death was swallowing him whole as his siblings pulled him down into the darkness with them moments before Anko walked in, ready to drag the 'patient' to be interrogated.
When she saw that the prisoner had escaped, she scowled and barked orders at the idiots that had just let it happen under their watch. It was probably those siblings of his. There was absolutely no way he could have escaped on his own. I just wish I knew what the hell was really going on here. The invasion, Orochimaru and his bullshit, the Hokage dying, all of that makes sense. But Naruto's sudden change, Jiraiya's death, and everything else? Something's just not adding up here. What the hell is really going on? Sighing, she turned and left the room to go and report to her boss. Never expected Jiraiya to kill the brat. Sure, I didn't like him, but he wasn't a bad kid. Whatever happened, it's BIG. Dammit.
Tayuya
The redhead couldn't help but scowl as she looked into Ibiki's eyes. She recognized his game right away. Like Orochimaru, Ibiki seemed to enjoy getting into people's heads and really screwing with them. Her mental fortitude was better than most people and she was confident she wouldn't crack. Still, she had remained silent so far, but she knew that he might eventually change tactics to physical torture. She was NOT looking forward to that moment!
That's when something strange happened. The light began to flicker, and darkness literally began bubbling from the walls. Both she and Ibiki were bewildered by this, and Tayuya was trying dearly not to shit herself. Ibiki was putting on a strong front, but she was sure that inside, he was feeling the fear, too. What the fuck is this shit?!
Ibiki took a step closer to Tayuya, kunai in hand, and said, "If this is your doing, Uzumaki, then I'll kill her right here and now. Then you'll have nothing!"
Tayuya blinked in confusion before she remembered the change in that Naruto kid. What he had done scared the shit out of her, almost literally! If that crazy fucker is coming for me, what the hell should I do?! Is he here to kill me? Or…?
Cackling could be heard throughout the room before Naruto could be heard saying, "And lose your only chance at finding Orochimaru's hideouts? That's a lousy bluff, Ibiki, and you know it."
It was at this point that Tayuya saw a pool of darkness slither along the floor until it settled between her and the interrogator. If that freak doesn't turn around and do something, Naruto's gonna kill him for sure.
Ibiki finally sensed Naruto's presence, but it was too late. A disfigured arm shot out of the rising darkness and latched onto Ibiki's head. "U-Uzumaki! What do you think you're doing?!"
Naruto's head poked out of the darkness, although, to Tayuya, it looked as if the back of a lion's head had emerged, ready to bite Ibiki's head clean off. It was a weird thought, but she quickly shook it off in favor of watching what he would do next.
"I'm taking the girl with me. The clans have betrayed my trust, so I might as well gather all the allies I can and leave this wretched cesspit of a village behind. Although, I think I will try and find Tsunade, after all. Might behoove me to make a powerful ally like her. Who knows? Maybe I'll make her mine and have her scream my name each night. Might be kind of fun." Naruto said before twisting his arm and ripping Ibiki's head clean off, his spine being ripped out right along with it.
Tayuya watched in morbid fascination as her savior turned the head around to face him before casually tossing it aside. When he turned to free her, she asked, "Why help me? How did you even know I was here?"
Naruto looked calmly into her eyes as he worked to free her from her bindings. "I'm simply a clone. The boss created hundreds of us before even entering the arena today. He knew something big was going to happen, so I figured I'd go ahead and spy on things from the shadows. It was amusing, watching the boss kill Danzo and Hiashi. I figured that, if Boss was leaving, having an ally like you might benefit him. Besides, you know where Orochimaru's hideouts are. You can easily help him reach said hideouts and recruit more people to his side. Boss will need reliable, powerful allies to help him save this wretched world. But, when you see him, do be sure not to insult him. Boss likely wouldn't take too kindly to it. And, FYI, Boss will notice the fragment of Orochimaru's soul buried inside that curse seal of yours. If you'd like, he could remove it and the seal with his powers. It would be a simple matter for someone of his power to do."
Tayuya blinked a couple of times before saying, "Wait, wait, wait. What?! A soul fragment?! Of that fucking snake pedo?! I have a piece of that fucker inside of me?! You're damn right I want that out! Hurry the fuck up and get me out of here! I want this thing gone and I want to get as far away from this village as possible as soon as possible!"
The clone narrowed his eyes and glared hard into Tayuya's eyes. "If you try to order the boss around like that, you'd best be prepared for some pain. He will not take as kindly to it as I have. And before you go making any assumptions about him, Boss is not like Orochimaru. Unlike him, Boss cares about people. The boss could ensure you stay happy, so long as you treat him kindly."
Tayuya felt a chill shoot down her spine and she gulped nervously. "S-Sorry. After what you told me, I just freaked out a little. It won't happen again."
The clone nodded once and helped her up. Afterwards, he took her hand and said, "Might want to brace yourself. I'm not quite sure how this feels for normal people. Just, try to remain calm." And with that, before Tayuya could reply in any way, the two of them began sinking into the pool of darkness on the floor.
The entire time she was sinking, Tayuya's eyes were wide and she was shivering. It feels like death is creeping up on me! This shit's insane! He really travels like this?!
As soon as they were gone, the room returned to normal and the door burst open, Anko and a few Anbu looking around frantically. When they saw Ibiki's body and what had happened to him, Anko clenched her fists angrily and shouted, "Somebody find whoever the hell is responsible for all of this! I need to inform the council of what's happened. Whoever did all of this is going to pay for it!"
Naruto
Naruto looked sadly into Lailah's eyes and said, "I knew you would try and kill me to try and save yourself. I had hoped otherwise, but I am disappointed, nonetheless. As I said before, I do not wish to be enemies. I would gladly free you from your burden and give you happiness beyond compare. But, I understand. You are scared. What I have done to you is unfamiliar, thrilling, and terrifying all in one neat, little package. Sadly, I am afraid that you cannot strike me down on your own. You know that. So why fight? I just do not understand."
Despite Naruto's words, Lailah had barely done much actual fighting. She was still warring with herself internally, trying desperately to control herself and do whatever it took to defend herself, at the very least! But, she recognized that Naruto's words rang true. Slowly, she stepped back until her back was to a tree and put away her talismans. Taking a few breaths to steady herself, she looked hard into Naruto's eyes and said, "You're right. Fighting you is pointless. But, you haven't tried to hurt me even once. You could have killed me at any time, yet you chose not to. You…really don't want to be enemies, do you?"
Taking a few steps closer, Naruto frowned when he saw her reaching for her talismans again. Sighing softly, he smiled kindly at her and said, "That IS what I've been saying to you. I am NOT evil, Lailah. I do not want to plunge the world into an age of darkness. I do not want to kill thousands. I do not want to destroy all the villages. I just want to bring peace to the world in my own way. Sadly, people WILL die. That is unavoidable. There will be battles and bloodshed. Grief and heartbreak. But, I do not wish harm upon you and your fellow spirits. Your fellow seraphs. I will do things that will make you question me, I am sure. But I want you and your friends to be happy in the new world I will create."
Sighing softly, Naruto glanced in the direction of the village and said, "I will admit to you here and now that I killed some of the people here. Jiraiya of the Sannin. Hiashi Hyuga. Neji Hyuga. Danzo Shimura. But, more will likely die before I am able to bring peace to this world and the villages." Looking back into Lailah's eyes, he smiled sadly at her again and said, "Jiraiya wronged me in many ways. But, one of the reason I killed him was because he is the one that killed me and allowed me to be reborn as the new Lord of Calamity. Had I stayed dead, it would have been all right with me. I was not happy here. I was hurt in a number of ways by the people of the village. The Hokage wanted to manipulate me and use me for his own devices. I was a weapon to be used until I had served my purpose. Then, I would breed and my children would be used. The cycle would simply continue until they had what they wanted from me." Sitting on the ground, Naruto looked into Lailah's eyes and continued. "I would continue with that line of thought, but I'm afraid we simply do not have the time."
Lailah frowned sadly and asked, "They are hunting for you, aren't they?"
Naruto nodded. "Yes. But I will not leave until I have finished here, with you. So, moving on to Hiashi. Hiashi abused his daughter and tore down her self-esteem and self-confidence. She became too timid and afraid. She was scared to do anything, for fear of reprisal and worse. Neji was her cousin and he attempted to kill her for a rather foolish reason. I will explain that when next we meet, if I can." When Lailah's mouth dropped open slightly, he nodded and said, "They were cruel monsters. Hinata did not deserve what happened to her, so I did what was needed to protect her. She may have her problems, and she may be obsessed with me to a disturbing degree, but I wish her no ill will."
Shrugging his shoulders, Naruto soon hardened his gaze and looked deep into Lailah's eyes. "Danzo. Danzo was a warmonger and an evil scumbag. Danzo wanted to conquer the other nations and cement Konoha as the supreme village. If he had his way, the other villages would be destroyed and their people slaughtered. All for the 'greatness and glory of Konoha'. He did so many terrible things and hurt so many people. I could go into a long list of his many, MANY crimes, but again, we simply do not have the time."
Glancing towards the village again, he said, "I have set up a barrier to ward off detection for as long as needed. However, they will find me eventually. Not for some time, but I would rather not risk it for any longer than necessary." Looking back into Lailah's eyes, he said, "I refused to leave you without an explanation, at the very least. I would not leave you without saying goodbye. I WILL find someone pure enough to take up the sword. Someone that will set you free. But, as I said, I do not want to be enemies. I still want to make you my bride, Lailah. I want you to bear my children. I want us to be happy together. Which is why, before I leave, I will ask you again: will you give yourself to me? Heart, body, and soul. Will you share with me your love and adoration? If you desire it, I will make love to you here and now and help ensure you become pregnant with my child. If you do not wish it, I will leave. You must simply let me know. Even if you want me to leave, I will return with someone pure of heart. Someone that will be able to see you and the other spirits. They will take up the sword, and, if you so wish it, they will train to one day kill me. But…" Sighing again, he said, "I do not want that. But, it is entirely up to you, Lailah."
Lailah frowned sadly at him before walking over to him. Reaching down, she helped him to his feet and said, "I believe you, Naruto. I think that I would like to see the world you plan to create. I want to work together. I…I want to trust in you. But, how do I know I can? I don't want to be hurt in the end…"
Reaching up a hand, Naruto moved it closer slowly, so as to gauge her reaction. When she didn't shy away, he placed his hand on her cheek before leaning in and kissing her sweetly on the lips. "Lailah, I will never hurt you. I will not leave you for another. But…"
Lailah nodded and smiled slightly as she leaned into his touch. "I know. Other women will likely demand your time and your love. I…I may not be comfortable with it at first, but I do not want to take away their happiness. Just…so long as I get to be your bride and bear your first child. Can you promise me that?"
Naruto smiled kindly at her and said, "I promise you that you will be my first bride and first mother of my children. You will be my queen. You have my word on that."
Hugging him, she leaned in and kissed him lovingly on the lips. Afterwards, she fidgeted slightly and had a deep blush on her face. Looking into his eyes, she asked, "Will…will you please…?"
Holding her close, Naruto nodded and said, "Of course. We shall consummate our love, and I will ensure you will bear my child. I will not keep you waiting long. You will not have to give birth on your own. A new shepherd will be found before then. We will be happy together, as husband and wife."
Lemon Begins! (Skip if you want)
Lailah kissed him again before she began to disrobe. When she was nude before him, she had a deep blush on her face and was fidgeting nervously. Then, she realized something. "W-What if…?"
Removing his clothes, Naruto smiled at her and said, "My allies know to meet me at another location. We will not be disturbed. I did not want your first time to be sullied in any way. You deserve to feel loved. You deserve to feel special and beautiful."
Before Lailah could reply, she let out a throaty moan as Naruto's fingers spread her nether lips apart and began to rub against her. Gasping when his fingers entered her, she pressed herself against him and said, "I…I…"
"I know. It may be soon into this relationship, but I recognize how you feel. I love you, as well, my dear Lailah." Kissing her, he continued to probe her nether region with his fingers until she was well and truly wet and dripping for him. When she was, he kissed her passionately to stifle her cry as he buried his cock inside of her.
When the pain finally ebbed, Lailah slowly began to grind her hips against his. Getting the message, Naruto grasped Lailah's butt firmly and lifted her up before pinning her to a nearby tree. When she wrapped her legs around him to steady herself, he leaned in close and nipped at her ear for a moment. "Tell me how much you want it, Lailah-chan. I want to hear you beg for me."
Lailah's eyes widened as she looked at him. When she opened her mouth to say something, he kissed her hungrily and moved a hand up, gently massaging her left breast and running his thumb over her nipple teasingly. Whimpering under his gentle ministrations, she whispered, "W-Why do this? Why…why can't you just make love to me?"
Naruto smirked and placed a kiss on the tip of her nose. "Because I like hearing you beg me for more. We could always wait until another time, I suppose." He teased as he slowly began to pull out of her until only the tip was left inside.
Frantic now, Lailah shouted, "Please! Don't pull out! Make me yours, my love! Fill me with your seed! I want all of you! I…I want to bear your children. I want to be married! Just don't…don't leave me like this."
Naruto kissed her sweetly on the lips before slowly burying himself inside of her again. When she let out a long, throaty moan, he whispered to her, "I love you, my darling Lailah. I'll gladly give you everything you want. We'll be together forever. Nothing will tear us apart. I'll make sure of it."
Naruto began to slowly slide his tool back and forth inside of her, trying to prolong her pleasure and make her feel as loved as possible. She continued to cling to him, desperate to feel more pleasure. After a while of this, she whimpered and bit her bottom lip as she could feel something drawing closer. After about a minute of this, she kissed her lover passionately as she climaxed, her juices spraying against him.
When Lailah pulled back and gasped loudly, he began to nibble and suck on her neck, leaving a few hickeys, just to mark her. Afterwards, he slowly lowered her to the ground and began to gently squeeze her breasts. Leaning in close, he whispered, "Are you ready for more? We're not quite done yet, my love."
Lailah wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed herself against him again. "I want more. So much more. I haven't even received your seed, yet. I need to be pregnant with your child. I desire it. I…I…"
Naruto smiled as he pressed a finger to Lailah's lips. Turning her around, he pressed her gently against the tree again before burying his cock back inside of her burning pussy. Beginning a slow pace, he said, "It's okay, sweetheart. I promise."
Lailah leaned back against him and looked into his eyes. "I…I need to say this, though. Mmmm. Ohhh, that feels sooo good." Moaning again, she soon shook it off and said, "I don't even mind if you find someone to take up the sword. A new shepherd isn't needed in this day and age. I just want to be free. Free to be with you. That's all I want. That's all I need."
Kissing and nibbling on her neck for a moment, Naruto picked up the pace until he was moving at a nice pace for the both of them, increasing their pleasure to a wonderful degree. Without saying a word, he soon buried himself inside of her and began to release his seed into her waiting womb. When he felt her pussy squeezing him tight again, as if she was trying to milk him for all he was worth, he grinned and whispered to her, "I love you."
When they came down from their highs, Naruto didn't pull out. Instead, he began to thrust back and forth inside of her again. He would pull out until only the tip was left inside before giving one quick, powerful thrust back inside of her. This pattern continued as he spoke. "Lailah. I'll find someone to take up the sword, regardless. At least until I can free you from your burden. I want our love to flourish. I promise I'll find a way to free you. I promise we will be together for the rest of time. We'll have many wonderful, beautiful children together. We will be happy. That is my promise to you. You will never have to feel lonely again. Not so long as you stay with me."
Lailah whimpered and moaned as her lover continued to pound her pussy. Her knees gave out on her a while ago, and she knew that, were it not for Naruto supporting her, she'd have fallen to the ground while her lover just continued to take her again and again. As it was, she had a goofy smile on her face, which only broadened when she felt his hot cum splashing inside of her once more. Giggling happily to herself, she said, "I love you, my wonderful Naruto-sama."
Naruto quirked a brow before he gently laid his future bride upon the ground. Leaning in close, his lips mere centimeters from touching hers, he asked, "-sama? Where'd that come from?"
The fire seraph blinked and said, "I…I don't know. It just felt so right to say. I couldn't help myself. Why? Do you not like it?" Looking almost pleadingly into his eyes, she blushed a bit when he smiled kindly at her and claimed her lips with his once more.
Slowly grinding his hips against hers, his cock still buried inside of her cum-filled pussy, he said, "It's fine. It feels kind of nice, actually. If it makes you happy to call me that, then please do so. But, regardless of what you choose to call me, I want you to know that we are equals in this relationship. Your opinion, your feelings, matter to me just as much as your loyalty to me does. Lailah, I will cherish you for the rest of time. I will love you and make you laugh and smile every day we are together. When we are husband and wife, I want you to feel proud to call me your lover. Your husband. I never want you to regret your decision to be with me. To lay with me here, in this moment. This moment is all about you, my dear Lailah-chan. I want to make you feel beautiful. I want you to see yourself as I see you. The most beautiful woman I'll ever know."
Blushing prettily, Lailah couldn't stop the radiant smile that spread across her face. Placing her hands on his cheeks, she ran her fingers over his lengthy whisker marks before leaning up and kissing him, pouring all of her love for him into their kiss. Then, when he picked up the pace of their lovemaking again, she moaned into the kiss and simply clung to him. Lailah never wanted to let him go.
Running his hands over his lover's body, relishing in the feel of her skin, her breasts, butt, hips, thighs, her everything, Naruto promised himself that he would remember this moment with her for the rest of time. Picking up the pace of his thrusting and grinding inside of her, he positioned her legs against his shoulders and began to really pound his cock inside of her. "Oh Kami, Lailah. This feels too good! Nngh!" And with that, he began to cum inside of her for the third time.
As her lover filled her womb and pussy with his cum to the point it began to overflow, Lailah began to sob, bringing her hands to her face as she cried. Seeing this, Naruto paused what he was doing and laid himself against her again, simply holding her close and gently running his fingers through her long, silky hair. "Sweetheart, what's wrong? Do…do you regret being with me?"
Lailah giggled sadly and shook her head. Blubbering a bit, she lowered her hands to her sides and smiled at him. "N-No. I'm just…I'm just so happy right now. I'm going to be your bride. I'm going to be a mother. I'm all yours, and you're mine. I've never felt like this before. And you're going to be gone for months probably and I'm going to miss you so much and…"
Before she could say anything more, Naruto pressed a finger to her lips and kissed her forehead. "Lailah, I will be sure to visit you as often as I am able. I refuse to leave you all alone. I won't stop until I have freed you of your burden. I will not stop until a new shepherd has been chosen. No matter what it takes, we will be together. Nothing will stop that from happening. Okay?" Seeing her smiling radiantly at him again, he smiled back before kissing her lovingly on the lips again. "I love you, Lailah. Please, do not doubt that. Sadly, it would seem our time together, making love like this, is about to be interrupted. If you want more, I can put up a true barrier and keep them out for as long as we need. Is that what you would like?"
The beautiful spirit giggled and kissed her future husband once more. "It's okay, my love. I'm quite stuffed as it is." She joked. "I want to be free as soon as possible. I don't want to be apart from you ever again. Once we are free, I'll be extra sure I'm always clinging to you." She teased.
Chuckling softly, he helped Lailah to her feet before gathering their clothes. Helping her to redress herself, Naruto then slipped his clothes back on and gave her another kiss. "Be safe and be well, my darling Lailah. I am looking forward to seeing our children. I will be back for you."
Lemon Ends! (Safe to read again!)
Bracing herself against the tree so she wouldn't fall, Lailah smiled sweetly at him and said, "They'll be beautiful. Be safe, Naruto-sama. I'll miss you."
"I'll miss you as well." Giving her one final kiss, Naruto lowered his barrier before disappearing into a mass of darkness at his feet mere moments before Yugao and her fellow Anbu arrived on the scene.
"Did we miss him? Just where the hell is he?!" One of the Anbu questioned angrily. It was quite obvious that not one of them could see Lailah, which the seraph was grateful for.
Yugao removed her mask and shook her head. "Calm yourself. They're going to put him in the bingo book and put out a kill on sight order. The bounty will be high enough that it'll be impossible for people to ignore him. Naruto will have nowhere to go and nowhere to hide. He will be dealt with soon, I'm sure of it."
Lailah brought a hand to her mouth and gasped. Naruto-sama. I see what you mean about these people. Please, be safe out there. I don't want to see you hurt.
Naruto
When Naruto appeared a few miles away from the village of Konohagakure, he looked at his allies, as well as the girl known as Tayuya. A small, sad smile was on his face as he looked back towards the village. You ARE pregnant with my child now, Lailah-chan. I will not let ANYTHING happen to you. Please, stay safe.
Temari frowned as she walked up and placed a hand upon his shoulder. "Naruto? Will you be okay? She…really means that much to you, doesn't she?"
The new Lord of Calamity nodded and reached a hand up, gently patting his advisor's hand. "Heldalf respected her and Sorey both. I said I wanted to corrupt her and ensure we didn't remain enemies, but I do care for her. She is to birth my first child. I cannot help but worry for her now. I must find a way to free her from her burden. She deserves some happiness in her life."
Turning, Naruto smiled at Temari and said, "Thank you, Temari." Looking first at Kankuro and then to Tayuya, the tall immortal wanted to say something to the both of them. However, he knew that time was not on their side. So, with a sigh, he motioned for everyone to follow him. "Come. We can talk on the way. I want to go in search of Tsunade. I wish to make that woman my ally. I am sure that Konoha will send a team or two in search of her regardless of what they decided, so I would like to beat them to her. Besides, having a medic as skilled as her on our side would be quite the boon."
Tayuya blinked a couple of times and went to say something snarky, but she remembered the warning the clone had given her and quickly shut her mouth. Remember, no pissing off the new boss. Besides, he can get rid of the hickey of doom. Just gotta be patient. I just hope the guy's not some creep. Then again, he seems to really care for whoever it is we're leaving behind. Doesn't seem like too bad a guy.
Kankuro, on the other hand, looked at Naruto curiously and asked, "Who's this woman we're leaving behind? Why can't we just bring her with us if she's so important to you? What exactly happened while I was out?"
As they moved along at a quickened pace, trying to escape the Land of Fire as quickly as possible, Naruto glanced back towards the only Suna sibling he had yet to change. "In order: her name is Lailah. She is a spirit, or rather, the seraph of fire. Without changing you, I doubt you and, um…" Looking back at Tayuya, he frowned a moment and asked, "Who exactly are you? I don't think my clone ever learned your name. All I know is you have one of those curse seals on you, just like Anko."
The redhead looked into Naruto's eyes and said, "I'm Tayuya. I was one of Orochimaru's Sound Four. A guardian of his, kinda. Never did like the bastard, but I wasn't about to challenge him, knowing he could kick my ass." Shrugging her shoulders, she pointed her thumb at her curse mark and said, "That clone of yours told me you could remove this thing and get rid of Orochimaru's soul fragment residing inside. Please get rid of it for me as soon as possible. I don't like having a piece of that fucker inside of me like this."
Naruto nodded before looking forward again. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Tayuya. Once we stop for the night, I'll help you. Please remain patient until then."
Tayuya smiled in relief and said, "Thank you, Naruto-sama. Um, where exactly are we going? Do we have any idea where Tsunade could be?"
"I will answer your questions soon. Kankuro did ask his first, after all." Seeing Tayuya nod in understanding, Naruto looked forward again and said, "Anyways, as I was saying, it is unlikely that you two would be able to see Lailah without me changing you like I did Temari and Gaara. Most people are unable to see and/or communicate with spirits in this day and age. I need to find someone pure of heart AND able to see and talk to spirits. Someone that will be able to take up the sacred sword and help free Lailah."
Grumbling irritably, Naruto said, "So long as Lailah is bound to that sword and her destiny, she cannot leave that place. She has been trapped there for a very, very long time. She's been so lonely all this time. I cannot bear to leave her like that any longer, but I have to in order to free her. I promised her that I would take her as my first bride and she would bear my children first. She is that important to me."
"Anyways, a LOT happened while you were unconscious, Kankuro. You missed the invasion, for one thing. Konoha repelled the invaders and both the Hokage and Orochimaru perished. Sasuke Uchiha killed Temari and wounded Gaara, so I transformed them with my power. They are like me now. Temari has agreed to take up the role of my advisor and I destroyed the Ichibi. Gaara can now sleep, should he desire it. Then Kabuto Yakushi saved Sasuke's life and escaped with him before we could kill either of them. They will be annoying pests in the future, I am sure." Naruto explained.
"Moving on. Upon returning to the village proper, your siblings and I were accosted by the Anbu and taken to meet with the council of Konoha. I killed Danzo Shimura for his many, many crimes. Then I killed Hiashi Hyuga because he was a rotten scumbag that abused his daughter and dishonored his wife's memory. If you remember, Neji Hyuga tried to kill Hinata during the preliminary matches. Hiashi did not show any signs of worry for his daughter. Instead, he was furious with me for killing his nephew in my match with him. Hiashi deserved to die like he did." Shrugging, Naruto looked back at Kankuro again and said, "The council, in their infinite wisdom, decided I had to die. So I decided to take my allies and free the two of you and leave Konoha behind. I do not know where we will go after we have found Tsunade. I must find someone worthy of being the new shepherd. Or…devise a way to free Lailah from that blasted sword once and for all. I want to free her before she is to give birth to our children."
"Damn. Sorry to hear that boss man." Tayuya said. "That's not the kind of fate I'd wish on anyone. Poor lady. If I can help somehow, just let me know."
"Thank you, Tayuya." Naruto said. "Anyways, moving on to your questions. Right now, I want to head to the Land of Wind and take a look at the various taverns and casinos there. Tsunade is known as the Legendary Sucker throughout the world. The reason for this is simple: she is addicted to gambling…but she REALLY sucks at it. She has racked up a massive amount of debt and has no way of paying any of that money back. She is also a known alcoholic and drinks far, far too much. So, Temari, can you and your siblings lead us to towns and cities known for their great liquor and busiest casinos? Even if we cannot find her in the Land of Wind, I am hoping that we will find some clue as to her next destination."
Temari nodded and said, "Once we arrive in the Land of Wind, the closest city that matches that criteria is Tanabaru. It has a really popular casino that has a variety of slot machines, but its biggest draw is the poker tables. If Tsunade sucks at gambling that much, I'm willing to bet that she'd focus on those."
Naruto nodded and said, "Then that will be our first destination." Blinking, he held up a hand and motioned for everyone to stop. Looking into the distance, he soon scowled as he noticed two people walking in their direction. "The tall one smells of blood. And that thing strapped to his back…"
Gaara nodded and said, "I believe it's one of the seven swords belonging to Kirigakure's seven swordsmen, Naruto-sama. But I do not know which it could be."
Naruto looked at the shorter of the two men and said, "They are dangerous. Kankuro, Tayuya, I want you to be especially wary. You two are not immortals like we are. You can still be killed."
Tayuya nodded and said, "Noted. Don't worry, I have no intention of getting close to these guys. I know when I'm outmatched."
Naruto nodded back before looking forward again. When both men stopped a few meters from them, he looked first at the taller man before settling his gaze on the shorter of the two. "Who are you and why have you come here? What do you want with us?"
The men silently removed their straw hats, allowing the party of five to see their faces. "You should know me as Itachi Uchiha. Kin slayer of the mighty Uchiha clan, sparing only my brother. My partner is Kisame Hoshigaki." Looking calmly into Naruto's eyes for a time, he then turned his gaze onto Gaara and said, "You two may look different now, but you are most assuredly Gaara of Suna, and…" Returning his gaze to Naruto, he smirked knowingly and said, "Naruto Uzumaki. Jinchurikis of the Ichibi and the Kyuubi respectively."
Naruto smirked back at him and said, "I believe you mean former jinchurikis. The Kyuubi perished when Jiraiya killed me a few weeks ago. As for the Ichibi and my dear friend Gaara here, I decided to rid this world of such an annoying creature. In other words, I killed the mighty Ichibi. So sorry."
As Itachi's eyes widened, his partner began to laugh. "Ha! Nice joke, kid. You can't kill a bijuu. They'll just reform in a few years if you try to kill the damn things."
Itachi frowned and shook his head. "No, Kisame. Naruto is correct. Neither of them hold a bijuu anymore. They are gone. The Kyuubi may have a chance at reforming, but I don't know about the Ichibi. Leader is not going to like this."
Before Kisame could reply, Naruto grinned evilly and said, "Ahh, so you follow a leader, hm? The cloaks are a symbol of sorts, aren't they? You're members of an organization of some kind, aren't you? If I had to guess, you're after the bijuu for some reason. Do tell me, what are you called? Where are you based out of? Why do you want the bijuu? I can already guess that you do not care that forcibly removing one's bijuu will kill its host. Such a shame. I have no intention of letting anything happen to my fellow jinchurikis."
Itachi frowned and gave a subtle nod to his partner. When Kisame gripped the Samehada's handle tight and prepared to take hold of his sword, Itachi looked into Naruto's eyes again and said, "We are members of the Akatsuki. There are currently nine of us in total. You do not need to know where we reside. And our reasons are our secret to keep. Now, answer a question of mine. We received news that Jiraiya has perished. Were you the one to kill him?"
Naruto, seeing no reason to lie, nodded once in confirmation. "I am. As I said, Jiraiya killed me. I do believe I was entitled to a little payback; do you not agree? I enjoyed slaughtering that swine quite a bit. It's just a shame he didn't put up more of a fight. And guess what." Seeing Itachi narrow his eyes at him, Naruto chuckled darkly and said, "I'm going to kill your brother too. I'm going to make him suffer and beg me for mercy. Only I will not grant it to him. I will remove his eyes. I will rip out his tongue. I will ensure he dies a most gruesome death. He will never be able to avenge his clan or learn the truth behind the Uchiha Clan Massacre. A truth you know from firsthand experience. Do tell me, Itachi: how many pieces should I leave your brother in for you to find? Perhaps we could even make a game of it. I hide all the pieces of your brother and you spend the next few years trying to find enough pieces to put him back together. Sounds fun, doesn't it?"
Itachi scowled at this and said, "You will not touch him, Naruto Uzumaki. You will never get the chance. You are far too dangerous to leave alive. Kisame, even if the bijuu are gone, they are a true threat to our goal. Prepare yourself."
Kisame grinned sadistically and said, "Oh, this is going to be fun. I'm going to enjoy making you brats suffer before you die!"
Naruto grinned right back and transformed his arms into grotesque-looking demonic arms with vicious claws at the tips. "Come then, you fools. We will destroy you. Temari! Gaara! Let's go wild!"
Tayuya leaned in close to Kankuro and whispered, "This isn't going to be pretty. Think we really wanna watch this?"
Kankuro nodded in response and said, "I want to see just what they're capable of now. I want to know if this power of theirs is something I want for myself. If it can help create a true connection with my puppets, then…"
Tayuya nodded in understanding and said, "Makes sense. I think I'll hold off on that until I'm damn sure I'm ready for that kind of thing. For now, I'll settle for having this fucking seal removed."
Temari giggled to herself as she, her brother, and her master prepared to do battle with Itachi and Kisame. Naruto, you are way too good to us. This is going to be fun!
A/N - Yep, that's how I chose to end the chapter. lol. Hopefully you enjoyed the chapter.
I'm curious to know what you all think should happen. Should Itachi and Kisame die? Or should they somehow escape before Naruto and his friends can kill them? Do share with the class! lol
Anyways, Lailah is definitely pregnant after that. lol. I'm sure some of you might be upset with me for doing that to her, but I kinda wanted to show that Lailah was lonely and Naruto isn't as evil as he might seem. In a sense, they need each other. They're perfect for each other. So, I hope you guys and gals can appreciate that for what it is.
Alrighty! I feel like crap, so I'm gonna say one last thing and then, uhhh...I dunno? lol
I'm thinking about working on a chapter for either Darkness Rising or When you Wish Upon a Star next. Whichever one I don't get to will get an update right after probably, soooo...does it really matter? lol. I'll try to work on a chapter soonish. Need to relax right now. Like I said before, I've caught a cold or something. Real pain in the ass. x.x
Okay, I think I've rambled on enough. Hope you enjoyed the chapter!
