Jinchuriki of the Shadowkhan
Chapter 1
This fic is based on The Chi Wizard Ninja by ChaosMagemon and is created with the author's permission with some modifications to the plot on my end. I hope you enjoy.
This fic features a nicer Kyuubi than in canon. Also, there will be Sasuke bashing here. This is mainly because future plot plans require him to have a negative personality.
Disclaimer: I do not own either series and the original idea for this came from ChaosMagemon.
It was a dark night in Konohagakure, lit only by the moon and stars overhead, as several dozen teams of trained Shinobi combed through the village, looking for a target. The reason for the high alert, was that a dangerous item of great importance had been stolen from the Hokage Tower: The Scroll of Seals. Contained within this scroll were some of the Villages most dangerous Jutsu and some of its greatest secrets, secrets that, in the wrong hands, could lay waste to Konoha and even the entire Shinobi World.
Who had stolen such a dangerous item you may ask? Some Elite Missing-nin skilled in infiltration perhaps? Nope! The culprit was a young Uzumaki Naruto, a 12-year-old student from the Konoha Shinobi Academy that had just failed his graduation exam and had stolen the scroll due to a misguided belief that he could graduate if he proved himself by stealing said scroll, and learning a Jutsu from within its contents.
Yeah, Konoha really needed to up its security. The Hokage was definitely planning to bring that up during the next Council Meeting.
xXsceneXx
"Alright," said Naruto eagerly as he unrolled the Scroll of Seals, "let's see what kinds of cool Jutsu I can learn, then Iruka-sensei will finally let me graduate!"
As Naruto looked through the contents of the scroll though, his excitement slowly started to fade away as he saw the various Jutsu contained within it and how difficult they seemed to be to cast.
"Argh!" groaned Naruto, "Why do these Jutsu have to be so hard?"
Looking through the scroll further, he saw one that caught his eye, "Taju Kage Bunshin no Jutsu? Lame. If I can't even do a simple Bunshin, why would this be any better?"
Suddenly, his eyes caught sight of a sealing array, similar to the ones the Academy taught them that Shinobi used to contain tools and such. Luckily, he had actually been paying attention that day. But what kind of item would be sealed in the Scroll of Seals?
Well, only one way to find out.
"Let's see," said Naruto as he recalled what Iruka had taught the class that day, "just have to add a little Chakra like this and…"
There was a poof of smoke from the seal and suddenly a red mask was sitting there on the ground. It was an odd thing, being made of a red material and depicting a snarling demon's face with long bushy white hair forming large eyebrows, a mustache and a beard.
"What the hell is this?" wondered Naruto in confusion as he looked over the mask, "A mask? Why was this sealed in the scroll?"
Curious about the strange mask, Naruto raised it to his head and placed it on his face, and suddenly Naruto felt himself falling, before splashing down in a pool of shallow water.
"What just happened?" he muttered as he looked around. It seemed like he was in a large sewer with pipes running across the walls and ceiling that was dimly lit by some unseen source. He also noted a set of large bars separating one end of the tunnel from the other, "Where am I?"
"Well," said an unfamiliar voice, "this is quite unexpected."
Naruto turned to see who had spoken, and to his surprise, he saw a floating head that resembled a living version of the mask he had found, hovering in the air behind him.
"Who are you?" asked Naruto in surprise as he took a few startled steps back.
"I am Tarakudo, King of the Shadowkhan and Lord of all Oni," declared the floating head in a voice filled with power, before adding in a normal, if not slightly confused tone, "and I believe we're in your mind."
"My mind's a giant sewer?" said Naruto incredulously.
"So it seems," said Tarakudo as he seemed to shrug without having any shoulders, "though it seems more like a mindscape than your mind in general."
"Why are we here?" pressed Naruto.
"I'm as curious as you are," said Tarakudo, "this wasn't my doing."
"It was mine."
Both Naruto and Tarakudo spun towards the source of the voice, and came face to face with a massive orange fox looming over them from behind the bars that separated the tunnel's sections.
"Lord Kyuubi!" said Tarakudo in nervous surprise, "What an unexpected pleasure."
"Indeed," said the massive fox in a dry tone.
"Wait," said Naruto, "Kyuubi? As in the Kyuubi no Kitsune? The Bijuu that attacked Konoha and was defeated by the Yondaime? That Kyuubi?"
"Indeed," said the Kitsune again, before continuing in an amused tone, "though I am surprised you remember that much, considering how often you don't pay attention in class."
A tic mark formed on the teen's head in response to the jab before he faced the massive fox with a scowl on his face, "But you can't be the Kyuubi," he said as he pointed at the massive Kitsune, "the Kyuubi was killed by the Yondaime when he gave his life to protect the village!"
"HA!" laughed the massive fox, his voice echoing through Naruto's mindscape tunnel, the volume causing Naruto and Tarakudo to wince, "As if a mere human could kill the mighty Kyuubi no Kitsune, the mightiest of the Bijuu. No, I was merely sealed away, imprisoned within the body of a human child thanks to a Seal fueled by the power of the Shinigami in exchange for the man's soul."
"Wait," said Naruto, "then if you're here, then that means…"
"Yes," said the Kyuubi, "you are the child that was chosen to be my prison. You are the jailor that keeps me at bay. But enough about that. Tarakudo, what business do you have attempting to possess my host?"
"I meant no offense Lord Kyuubi," said Tarakudo, "I had no knowledge of your presence."
"Wait," interrupted Naruto, "what do you mean possess? Were you trying to take control of my body?"
"Yes," said the Kyuubi as he shot a glare at Tarakudo, "that is what typically happens when one wears the mask of the Oni King. Seriously, you didn't even try to check if it was safe before putting it on."
Naruto blushed and looked away, embarrassed but unable to refute the Kitsune's point.
"In any case," said the Kyuubi, "my influence keeps that from happening, so I would propose a deal. Tarakudo, you give Naruto access to your powers and your armies, and train him in the ways of the Ninja."
"And what do I get out of this?" asked Tarakudo with a raised eyebrow.
The Kyuubi bared his fangs and leaned closer to the bars of his cage, snarling down at the Lord of all Oni menacingly, "I'll consider not eating you."
The floating head blinked before moving back slightly with a slightly nervous expression on his face, "…yes, that is a good tradeoff," he said a tad nervously, "I agree to your terms."
"Good," growled the Kyuubi, "Gaki, come here."
Naruto nervously regarded the massive Kitsune and carefully approached the two beings. Nodding to Tarakudo, the Kyuubi moved to tower over the young blond.
"We shall begin," announced the Kyuubi, "Naruto, Tarakudo shall place his mark upon you, granting you access to his power, while my influence will protect your mind from any negative effects. All you must do is remain still and trust us."
"I don't know," said Naruto hesitantly, "how can I be sure I can trust you?"
"He has a point," acknowledged Tarakudo, "I'm the spirit of an Oni that sought to possess his body and you're a demon fox that is sealed within him."
The Kyuubi leveled a sideways glare at the floating Oni Mask, causing Tarakudo to sweat nervously, "And I mean that in the most respectful way possible, Lord Kyuubi."
The Kyuubi huffed in annoyance before flicking his claw and causing a scroll to appear in a burst of foxfire.
"Gaki, this is called a Blood Contract," explained the Kyuubi as the scroll unfurled and floated in the air in front of them, "it is highly respected among Demons and Oni, and most importantly, it is binding. If either of us are to violate the terms of our agreement, then our powers and very existence is forfeit."
"It's true," agreed Tarakudo, "due to the combination of Fuinjutsu and Magic that goes into making them, there is no way to circumvent the Contract without invoking the consequences."
"We shall both sign it," said the Kyuubi, "thus binding us to our promise to aid you, right Tarakudo?"
"As you say, Lord Kyuubi," agreed Tarakudo nervously.
The massive Demon Fox then raised a claw as the scroll unfurled, channeling a minute amount of its power to infuse the Contract with his signature at the very bottom before leveling a pointed glare at Tarakudo, prompting the Oni King to gulp and do the same via a beam of energy from his eyes.
"It is done," said the Kyuubi, "our loyalty to you is bound by the Contract. Are you satisfied with our intentions now?"
Naruto nodded hesitantly and walked closer to the two beings as the Kyuubi had commanded, prompting Tarakudo to float down closer to him.
"Don't worry," said the Oni King, "this will only sting for a moment."
Before Naruto could react, Tarakudo's eyes glowed with energy and shot a pair of beams onto Naruto's chest, directly over his heart, where he used his power to place his mark on the boy's skin, in the form of a tattoo. As he had assured Naruto, it only lasted a moment before the floating Oni head moved back and nodded, "It is done."
"I don't feel any different," said Naruto.
"You will learn to use this new power," said the Kyuubi, "but for now, it is time for you to wake. Someone is approaching in the real world."
xXsceneXx
Naruto's eyes suddenly snapped open as he found himself back in the forest surrounding the village with a person's shadow being cast over him. Looking up, he saw his sensei, Iruka Umino standing in the branches of a nearby tree before jumping down to land in front of the blond teen. As he got a closer look, Naruto had to gulp in trepidation, as the expression on Iruka's face showed that he was pissed.
"A-ah," said Naruto nervously, "Iruka-sensei. Are you here to check if I pass the make-up exam?"
"Naruto," said Iruka angrily, "what the hell were you thinking stealing the Scroll of Seals?! Do you have any idea how much trouble you're in?"
"What are you talking about?" asked a confused Naruto, "Mizuki-sensei said that if I learn a Jutsu from the Scroll of Seals, then I would pass the secret make-up-exam and I could become a Genin."
"Wait," said Iruka, now more confused than angry now, "Mizuki told you what?"
"Interesting," said a voice, causing Naruto to start as Tarakudo's floating head appeared out of the shadows next to Naruto.
"Wh-what's going on?" stammered Naruto upon seeing the Oni-king appear.
"Remain calm," said Tarakudo, "I cannot be seen by anyone other than yourself. A side effect of our connection. And to explain, it seems you were being deceived by your sensei, Mizuki. Based on the reaction of Iruka here, it seems that the exam was a trick to have you steal the Scroll."
"Mizuki-sensei was lying to me?" Naruto said to himself, causing Iruka to stop short.
"Naruto," said Iruka urgently, "give me the scroll. Hurry, before…"
"Don't be too hasty there Naruto," said Mizuki as he appeared on a branch of one of the trees in a swirl of leaves, two large shuriken strapped to his back, "you want to become a Genin, don't you? Give me the Scroll, and I'll take care of everything."
"Naruto," said Iruka seriously, "take the Scroll and run. Run and hide. You cannot let him get his hands on it."
"You're really going to protect that brat?" sneered Mizuki, "You know what he did to your parents!"
"What are you talking about, Mizuki-sensei?" asked Naruto.
"Don't you know?" taunted the treacherous Shinobi, "The reason that everyone hates your very existence? You killed so many people! You're the monster that murdered Iruka's parents years ago! You're…"
"Shut up!" Yelled Iruka as he threw a Kunai at Mizuki, forcing him to stop speaking and dodge out of the way, "Run Naruto!"
"Listen to him, Naruto," said Tarakudo urgently, "Run!"
Naruto jumped to his feet and bolted off into the woods, the Scroll of Seals strapped securely to his back. Mizuki made to give chase, but Iruka jumped in his way and made a quick hand-seal.
"Isshi Tōjin!" yelled Iruka, causing a sealing array to appear beneath their feet, trapping them within its confines.
"A Barrier Jutsu?" said Mizuki with a scoff, "Not a bad choice, but you forget one thing…"
Quick as a wink, Mizuki pulled out a Kunai and stabbed it into Iruka, who couldn't dodge due to him maintaining the Jutsu, "Now you're stuck in here with me."
Iruka's only response was to smirk as the barrier dispelled, before vanishing in a poof of smoke with a log taking his place.
"Damnit," swore Mizuki before taking off into the woods to find his prey.
xXsceneXx
After a lengthy chase, Mizuki located his target as the boy sat huddled by a tree, the Scroll wrapped tightly in his arms. Smirking to himself, Mizuki used a quick Henge to transform himself into a copy of Iruka, before jumping down and approach the young blonde.
"Naruto," said the disguised Mizuki, "it's alright. Mizuki's gone now. Give me the scroll. I'll take it back to the Hokage and we can get this whole thing straightened out."
As he reached out towards Naruto, the blonde's expression hardened and the boy lashed out, with Mizuki's training and physical prowess as a Chunin being the only thing that kept him from taking a thrown shuriken to the face as his Henge dispelled.
"How did you know I wasn't Iruka?" growled Mizuki.
"Easy," said the blonde before he dispelled his own henge, revealing his true identity, "I'm Iruka."
"Ha!" scoffed Mizuki, "A clever trick, but it won't save him! The Demon brat will die and I'll take the Scroll."
"Not if I can help it," said Iruka as he made to form a hand-seal, but Mizuki was faster and he quickly stabbed Iruka's hand with a Kunai, pinning it to the tree as Iruka cried out in pain.
"Not this time," growled Mizuki, "hell, I'll be doing the Village a favor killing the Demon Brat off. I'll be praised as a hero for doing what nobody else could. You should be thankful, Iruka. I'm killing the monster that murdered your parents!"
"Naruto is not responsible!" growled Iruka through the pain from his hand, "He is a proud member of Konoha, and my precious student, and I will not let you hurt him."
"Really now?" said Mizuki with a smirk as he leapt back and removed one of the large Shuriken from his back, "How will you be able to help him, if I kill you right here?"
"I can see it now," said the traitor as he made to throw the large weapon, "Iruka betrayed Konoha and collaborated with the Demon brat to steal the Scroll of Seals. Luckily, I was able to kill them both, but the Scroll was lost in the process. It's almost tragic. Almost."
"Hey! Mizuki-sensei!" yelled out a voice, causing the traitor to stop short. Turning, he saw Naruto standing in one of the trees, the Scroll at his side.
"You said if I learned something from the Scroll, I'd be able to pass, right?" asked Naruto with a smirk, "Well, now I'm gonna show you just what I picked up!"
"Ha!" laughed Mizuki, "You're just a dead-last failure. You couldn't have learned anything useful from the Scroll, so quit trying to act tough. I'll take you down with ease."
"Oh really?" countered Naruto with a smirk as he made a half-ram-seal with his hand, "Kuchiyose: Shadowkhan!"
Mizuki's eyes widened as the shadows in the forest around him seemed do darken, before coalescing into several different groups of figures that had very different forms. A group of black clad figures that resemble stereotypical ninja, another black clad group with a slender build, razor sharp claws and sharp points on their legs where feet would be, a group with claws and bat wings, a large, rotund and muscular group standing on the ground, another clad in obsidian samurai armor, a group of black tentacled monsters, a group of ebony crustaceans, a tiny group of black creatures that, while seeming weak, gave off a sinister vibe, and a group that resembled black insectoid mantises.
"Well, what do you think?" asked Naruto with a smirk, "Still think you can take me?"
"Wh-what the hell?" exclaimed Mizuki in shock, "What are you?"
"I'm Naruto Uzumaki," said Naruto confidently, "future Hokage of Konoha. Get him!"
At the blonde's command, the assembled groups of Shadowkhan charged at Mizuki, intent on beating him black and blue. Mizuki tried to defend himself, but the Chunin Shinobi was no match for the power of the Shadow Warriors and he was soon reduced to a groaning pile of lumps and bruises tied up with several spools of ninja wire.
With the threat taken care of, Naruto dismissed the Shadowkhan, allowing them to return to the Shadow Realm as he went to check on Iruka, who had just managed to remove the Kunai pinning his hand to the tree.
"Naruto," gasped Iruka as he tried to process all of this through the pain from his injury, "how…"
"Heh," said Naruto with a sheepish chuckle, "I guess I have some explaining to do."
To be continued…
