Anko sat in her favorite Dango restaurant, casually sipping her green tea as she read one of the scrolls her Gaki-sama left. This one was called Binding Snake Glare Spell. It was an interesting jutsu that summoned rather large snakes from the user's sleeves to restrain someone. There were no hand seals, but one needed to specify which summons they wanted and have the blood sacrifice at the ready if they wanted it to be used instantly. Anko had an amicable relationship with the Ryuchi Cave serpents, so she figured this jutsu would be a piece of cake. If anything, she could just get the summoning seal tattooed on her shoulders to bypass the middle man.
The next scroll she looked at was for the jutsu called Hidden Shadow Wild Snake Hands. It was yet another jutsu that she could use thanks to her relationship with the snakes. Apparently, this technique summoned snakes underground that would then burst forth and attack. It seemed like an ultimately terrifying jutsu to combat if the user decided to summon some of the grander serpents. A frankly sinister smile curved Anko's lips, scaring the other patrons.
After another sip of tea, she picked up the last of the six scrolls she brought with her. It was called Lightning Release: Snake Lightning and it was a justu which, after performing the hand seal, allowed the user to generate and discharge yellow lightning in the shape of a serpent. Anko cursed. Of course, there was a jutsu amongst her newest arsenal that was in the chakra nature she hadn't an affinity for. Lightning release was one of the more difficult chakra natures to learn. She would need help.
Finishing off her tea and Dango, she was about to stand and leave when she noticed that the seat beside her was occupied. Crimson ringed eyes stared at her expectantly. Kurenai sat beside her and she had been none the wiser. Had this been a mission, she would have been killed easily. Not a way she would want to go out.
"Oh. Hey Nai-chan," Anko said casually. "When did you get here?"
The genjutsu specialist raised a perfectly arched brow. "Almost ten minutes ago."
Brows furrowed in confusion, Anko frowned. "Really?"
"Really."
Anko turned to face the source of the feminine voice in front of her and came face-to-face with Cirucci Sanderwicci and Hana Inuzuka. Only Yugao appeared to be missing, but that was per usual with the violet-haired Anbu. When did she end up surrounded by the other Ice Queens? Was she that invested in the scrolls? That was a terrifying thought; for someone that wasn't a sensor-nin, it was all but impossible to sneak up on Anko, and thus far only two men have done such.
"I can't say that I've ever seen you so caught up in reading." Kurenai teased. "Even in the Academy, you were the type to ignore the books in favor of the physical part of the curriculum."
Anko sniffed as she put away her scroll. "I was given these scrolls as a gift."
"Oh yeah?" Hana challenged with an almost feral smile that showed her fangs. "From who?"
'None of your damn business!' was the first thought that flitted through Anko's mind, but it would only make her subject to further interrogation. "Ga- er, Naruto-kun. Naruto-kun gave them to me. Figured I'd like them since they were techniques that happened to be snake related."
"Oho!" shouted Hana. "Hear that, Kurenai-chan? Our darling Anko-chan finally refers to a man as -kun! A glorious day this is turning out to be."
Cirucci let out a derisive snort. Anko turned to glare at her. It was deftly ignored.
"Hold on," Kurenai interrupted. "You mean Genin Uzumaki Naruto?"
Anko and Cirucci turned their suddenly cold eyes to the red-eyed beauty. "That a problem, Nai-chan?"
The girlfriend of Asuma Sarutobi flinched, put off by the sudden frostiness of Anko's voice and the chill of her glare. Cirucci was unnaturally protective of the young redhead, all shinobi had known that. But Anko? To her knowledge, and Anko told Kurenai everything, she hadn't ever had any kind of contact with the genin, nevermind any kind of relationship.
"N-No, Anko."
She sighed. "Sorry, but I owe the brat a lot. He managed to get rid of it and took care of me afterward."
Kurenai and Hana felt their jaws slacken. The Cursed Seal of Heaven was a burden that, to their knowledge, was impossible for the illustrious Jiraiya-sama to remove. A curse that plagued all aspects of Anko's daily life. But a fresh out of the Academy genin removed what a sannin couldn't with his year of experience? That didn't make any sense.
"Anyway, I have to go. I want to try and figure out these jutsu. Later, babes."
The finite patience of the red-haired Espada was being tried, the beings he was forced to be around taking it and stretching it to the utmost. The single fact that no one had died as of yet was to be viewed as a testament to his willpower. The call of blood was there, never fading or becoming a less tempting siren's call. He needed to shed blood. He needed to taste the robust flavors of the life-giving fluid of the body, the nectar that cried out to him. As it stood, he just might kill his teammates and Inari.
Sasuke and his confusing, tsundere-like advances. Sakura and her probing inquiries. Inari's constant sermons and prophecies of futility and the inevitability of failure. The general sickness that afflicted the Land of Waves. It was all becoming too much for Naruto. Not that it would break him, but it would make him snap.
To counter this seeming inevitability, he would spend his time in a clearing some feet to the south of the house after creating a dozen blood clones to act as his proxies; building with Tazuna or guarding Tsunami when she decided to leave the house. It was in this clearing that he met Haku. It was rather interesting to him, that she thought she could deceive him. He felt her when she claimed the so-called corpse of Momochi Zabuza. But he allowed her to live if only to put her down proper when the time came. Besides that, she made a decent companion; the passionate conversations they had were a welcome reprieve from the soul-rending monotony of the mission. Perhaps this was the reason he didn't just rip her heart out. Her heart. He could tell that, despite lying to him, she was a truly rare and gentle soul. It was a shame that such a soul would soon flee to Yomi.
Eventually, the day of the fated showdown arrived, and not a moment too soon. All Naruto could do by this point was seclude himself from the others. He could literally see each of the veins and the arteries which carried blood to and fro within the body, as well as the heart pumping. So he was grateful to whichever god or goddess was listening when his team left for the bridge. He opted to stay with the mother and son, having the gut feeling that Gato would try to use them as leverage. Not even a full hour after the other three members of Team Seven left, two idiots thought they had what it took to even show up on Naruto's radar.
"Outta the way, brat." the taller of the two insects commanded. "Or we'll cut through you."
"Insects would do well to remember their place." was Naruto's only response.
It was a response that the henchmen didn't seem to appreciate. Not that Naruto cared. But it caused the shorter of the two to make a fatal mistake. He lunged forward, swinging his sword in an unrefined manner. It disgusted the young Espada. The moment the blade made contact with him, a scream sounded out from Tsunami. But the blade snapped cleanly in two. Shock only registered on his face for but a millisecond before, faster than the human mind could process, the young man tore his heart from his chest.
He drained the organ of its blood and crushed it into powder. As the corpse of the thug fell, Naruto was already in front of the taller man. A horizontal swipe of his hand caused the top half of the man's body to explode in a shower of blood, bone fragments, and gristle. It was lucky the door was open. The gruesome spray flew through the open entrance, decorating the foliage outside. On an impulse, Naruto created a clone to watch over the horror-stricken mother-son duo as he left in a visible static.
"You can't lie to me and expect to live."
Those were the words spoken to Haku as she rushed the downed Uchiha. Her intent hadn't been to kill him but incapacitate him until her and Zabuza's business was concluded. The last Yuki shot from her mirror, a precision bullet about to do her master's bidding. But mere inches from him, visible static appeared and revealed the Uzumaki she spent hours conversing with. His eyes, redder than even the blood in her veins, were as cold and as beautiful as she remembered. She didn't mind that he was the silent, stoic type who was content with just listening to her speak. But he listened to her speak. He'd even helped her. This was her first time hearing his alluring voice, colder than even his eyes. In the space of a few heartbeats, he pointed to the center of her chest and all she knew was darkness.
The concentrated blast of onyx and crimson reiryoku was enough to make the fighting stop for the briefest of moments. The dome of crystallized mirrors shattered at once. Amongst the falling remnants of the jutsu, all could see a still airborne Naruto pointing at the dead girl. She flew toward Zabuza and landed in a boneless heap. Blood fell from the hole in her chest, her sightless eyes had been on the sky. The Demon of the Hidden Mist had not but a moment to comprehend his loss. In the moment it took, Naruto's arm was already through his chest, gripping his still-beating heart.
His crimson, slitted eyes were as cold as ever. Naruto ripped his arm free of Zabuza's chest. Kakashi flinched. He was mere centimeters away from his sensei's son. The boy spoke, his voice a dispassionate tenor.
"I do believe our business is finished here."
Another voice cut in as the sound of clapping closed in. "I wouldn't quite say that."
"Pity," Naruto mused. He moved over to Sakura and Tazuna, deliberately making sure they were all behind him; he may have wanted to kill them over the past month, but they didn't deserve what he was about to do. Gato and his small army on the other hand were a different story. "Zorro Carmesí: Caza de Zorros."
Spilled blood rose in accordance with its new master's will, coalescing into a familiar shape that seemed to multiply. Each standing as tall as Zabuza once did, twelve nine-tailed foxes rose. He had to smile. Fox Hunt was one of his favorite original abilities.
"Go." And what followed could only be described as a literal bloodbath.
Sakura, Tazuna, and even Kakashi had to look away from the carnage. But the screams of agony were there. They would never forget the sounds; the gurgling, the ripping and tearing. Gato was last, too afraid to even think about running away. His scream was the loudest.
This is what happened to those insects that forget themselves.
Without a word, Naruto walked to the edge of the ocean of blood and placed his palms into it. Jagged crimson veins raced up his hands and arms, reaching up over his face. Kakashi, who had finally turned his eyes to the scene, was gobsmacked. He watched his pupil absorb the blood. After what seemed like a very long time, the blood was gone as were the foxes and bodies. Naruto stood and went to helo Sasuke up. This was his good deed for the next month. As he passed Kakashi, he reiterated his previous declarative.
"I do believe our business is finished here."
Tier Harribel was most confused.
The last thing she remembered was being tortured by the Quincy scum. She had been alone in the world since the Captain Commander of the Gotei Thirteen destroyed her subordinates. But a flash of crimson overtook her vision when she was sure she was about to succumb to death. A lone thought crossed her mind as she opened her eyes. The thought that somehow, Uzumaki-san was in some way responsible for her second chance at life. But the question remained. Where was she?
"Harribel-sama?"
Tier turned around so quickly that if she were a human, she would have gotten whiplash. It should not have been possible. But looking about as confused as she felt were Tres Bestias, the call sign of her three Fraccion; Emilou Apacci, Franceska Mila Rose, and Cyan Sung-Sun. But she still had no idea how this was possible. But the embodiment of sacrifice did not care. In a movement of pure speed unseen to the human eye, she captured her beloved subordinates into a hug. They were back; her friends. Her sisters.
Apacci looked as though she might faint from the attention of her master. Mila Rose smiled. Sung-Sun returned the affections of her master but noticed that they weren't alone. It appeared that her companions noticed it as well. They didn't tense, but the tender moment seemed to fade. As the master released the underlings, they each made a point of looking around. They were surrounded, both by mist and by others.
"Harribel-sama," Sung-Sun said with her sleeve in front of her mouth. "Shall I deal with them?"
Harribel looked around, still unable to see anything because of the mist. "No."
At that moment, the surrounding mist dispersed to reveal that the four Arrancar had been standing in the middle of what looked like a camp. A woman with ankle-length red hair and lovely green eyes stepped forward. Harribel could sense the power the fair-skinned woman held. While it was nowhere near her own, she might be one of the most powerful amongst her own people. Yet it seemed quite pathetic that such an elegant and powerful woman be stationed in the woods.
"May I ask who you are?"
Harribel made a point to take note of each of the woman's forces. None could even stand to her Fraccion in their sleep, nevermind herself. "My name is Tier Harribel."
The other woman did not ask about her subordinates, and for once they remained silent. An interesting thought crossed the mind of Harribel. Meanwhile, Terumi Mei was wary of the four that appeared in the middle of the rebel camp so suddenly. She noticed their confusion, then the tender moment they shared. It was then that she decided they were not part of Yagura's forces; no shinobi could ever fake such tender emotions that played on the face of the dark-skinned blonde. Her name was Tier Harribel, a name as exotic as her appearance, both physically and attire-wise. A moment after she introduced herself, the woman in white gained a faraway look. It was as though she were going through a memory; a fond one, if the look in her eye was any indicator.
"You are… a shinobi?" she asked.
A strange question, given the main profession in this world. "I am."
Despite her high collared top, Mei could swear the blonde was smiling, if only a little. "Are you familiar with one called Uzumaki Naruto?"
The redhead in blue furrowed her brow, rifling through her memory. She shook her head in the negative. "I do not, unfortunately. But if you are willing to help us, I'll do everything in my power to help you."
Harribel's eyes narrowed slightly. "What do you need help with?"
Terumi Mei had only been this shocked once in her life.
Yagura's forces continued to attack the blonde-in-white but their kunai bounced harmlessly off of her skin, their jutsu touching her as a gentle caress. Even her clothes went unruffled. But the other terrifying thing was her subordinates; another beautiful dark-skinned woman, one who wielded a western-styled sword, a tomboyish girl with two chakrams, and the serpentine woman who wielded a sai. It scared her how they tore through the opposing forces, undeterred by what damage they may take.
Never had the leader of the rebel forces seen such a massacre. The leader, Harribel, had her own blade in her hand. Though the blade wasn't long, it was unusually wide and hollowed out in the middle. This distinction made the weapon nothing but the edges of the sword, which resembled the dorsal fin of a shark. Mei decided that she did not want to be on the receiving end of the blade.
The slaughter continued well into the evening and it was then that Yagura showed himself. Mei frowned. What cowardly Kage decided to send his forces to death instead of face a threat? It made her sick. The pink-eyed boy with the claw club stared at the blonde-in-white, who stood in front of him without fear. He could not sense and chakra from her, but he could feel the power she held.
Her blade began to glow with a golden light, one that grew brighter still until it looked like a flame of spun gold. Pulling the sword back, she thrust it toward the corrupted Mizukage. A blade of pure energy shot at her opponent. Yagura substituted with a water clone he prepared before but was unprepared for the taller woman to appear before him. Her sword buried itself in his forehead. He went still, before once again melting into a puddle. He began to glow with crimson chakra, the energy bubbling eerily. She didn't allow it. Appearing before him before he could react, she moved to decapitate him with one lateral strike. He ducked with a speed she hadn't expected and went to uppercut the blonde. The blow landed cleanly, but he heard a violent snap coming from his own wrist.
Harribel grabbed the man by his throat and threw him through a couple of buildings, firing another Ola Azul after him. The resulting explosion meant nothing to her. He appeared in her face, but he found his face being palmed by her left hand. Harribel slammed Yagura into the ground.
"Cero." Golden light erupted from the palm of her hand, blinding all who watched.
Yagura was suddenly behind her, having substituted with one of his still-living shinobi. The Tres Espada turned without warning, piercing his heart with her blade. Blood erupted from his lips. The red bubbling chakra faded. A morbid sensation crawled up Harribel's arm, the vibrations from the fading heartbeat resonating through the blade.
"T-Thank y-you," he whispered, closing his eyes as he fell into the darkness.
Rising after saying a quick prayer for the fallen warrior, Tier turned to Mei. "If you don't mind, I would prefer to find him quickly. We will remain nearby."