Inari Blessed: Chapter 19

The Sacred Seven(II)

Naruto screamed as pain assaulted him from all sides.

It was unimaginable and Itachi was standing before him smiling gleefully.

Itachi, smiling like that... Even being tortured, Naruto couldn't believe the sight.

"It-Itachi..." He tried speaking but soon it was cut off by another scream.

Naruto was lying on the grass unrestricted but he couldn't even crawl due to the pain. He could feel the pain of weapons and fists and feet assaulting his body but he couldn't see anything around him.

The confusing inputs were disorienting.

The sky was red Naruto noticed. And the moon in the sky reflected a Mangekyo Sharingan.

He guessed that this was the infamous time dilation technique of the Uchiha.

But why? Why is Itachi doing this? Why do I feel nothing but happiness from him?

Naruto grit his teeth. He had to get out of Tsukuyomi.

He concentrated on calling forth all the chakra he could manage. But concentrating while in excruciating pain was not his forte. So he lost his focus again and again.

Naruto looked at Itachi pleadingly but the Uchiha just stood there looking like a lost but happy puppy.

Then the pain lessened to bearable levels but when he looked around he was alone in the woods.

Naruto stumbled to his feets gritting his teeth against the pain.

"Now what are you doing here?"

Naruto whipped around at the sound of the voice.

Behind him the masked man stood, the one that attacked them in the woods months ago.

Naruto tried to move back, he was in no state to fight him.

But his body wouldn't move. Instead he straightened and his posture relaxed despite the pain he was feeling.

Then Naruto was speaking against his will. He felt like he was acting a part in a script because the words were not what he wanted to say.

The masked man who called himself Toby didn't react to Naruto's struggles.

As the conversation continued Naruto felt even more confused.

The scene played out like this, Toby was offering a chance for Naruto to join him and Naruto was accepting. But then Naruto felt something was wrong moments before a sealing array lit up beneath his feet.

Naruto tried to escape but the array just trapped him and the seals began climbing up his body.

Then pain again. Naruto screamed out loud with no restraint because that kind of pain was impossible to ignore.

But he still heard Toby say,

"From now on you are mine, Itachi."

Naruto was even more confused.

What the hell is-

His thoughts halted abruptly as he understood what just happened

A memory! That was a memory... Itachi's memory. So that is why Itachi is acting like this.

When Naruto opened his eyes again it was to see that he was back in the clearing with Itachi who was looking at him curiously.

Naruto looked at the Uchiha straight in the eyes as he said,

"I understand Itachi. I will save you. I promise."

And for a moment Itachi's expression flickered and a grateful look appeared before it disappeared again under confusion. But that was enough for Naruto to understand that Itachi's mind was still salvageable.

Naruto closed his eyes.

This time his chakra raged and exploded as soon as he called. Because he had his best friend's brother to save.

The pain he was feeling vanished leaving no reminder.

Naruto looked at Itachi, who just stood there, and stood up.

Golden chakra formed a brilliant cloak of fire around Naruto and Naruto felt the Tsukuyomi bending to his will.

Itachi's eyes widened and he fell to his knees as Naruto projected every memory of Mikoto, Sasuke and Shin he had.

Itachi was in pain and Naruto could feel the Tsukuyomi shattering. But before he could do more, Itachi vanished from the Tsukuyomi world.

Naruto blinked. Itachi was gone?

"Well I wasn't expecting this..."

Naruto turned around.

Is this another memory?

Toby was standing there behind him. When he looked to the side he saw that the Tsukuyomi had been re-established but this time the Sharingan on the moon was a different one. Toby's Sharingan.

Naruto concluded that this was no memory but the other had taken control of Itachi's Tsukuyomi.

Where did Itachi go? What happened to him?

"What did you do to Itachi?"

Toby tilted his head to the side and giggled, "Toby and Ita-chan are best friends now."

Naruto glared.

"Aw, don't be jealous Naru-chan, after I am done with you we will be best friends too."

Naruto understood the threat even if the man spoke childishly.

"And then the three of us can go and play with that Konoha nin. What do you say, Naru-chan?"

Naruto smiled mockingly, "Go to hell."

"Language! I have to teach you some manners first."

Toby vanished from sight.

Naruto tensed and looked around. He anxiously waited for some kind of attack but nothing came.

But when he turned around there was a mob behind him.

Naruto stepped back startled.

"Demon," the man standing in front sneered at him.

"I am not a demon," Naruto said.

"You killed my family," someone was yelling.

"You killed our Hokage!" Another voice.

"Murderer!"

"Scum!"

"Demon spawn!"

Naruto took a step back with each word. He felt trapped.

He shouldn't have come out tonight. It was the Kyuubi festival. The villagers are always angrier on this day.

He shouldn't have come out of his dilapidated apartment but he was hungry. There was no food and he was so hungry.

Naruto shuddered when one woman threw something sharp and metal at him.

A kitchen knife.

They're going to kill me tonight.

"We'll finish what the fourth started."

"You're wrong," Naruto yelled and ran. He was too young to outrun the mob and soon they caught him.

"Demon,"

"Everyone hates you even your parents. Your mother must have been a demon whore and even she didn't want to keep filth like you!"

Naruto was shaking and sobbing as insults and weapons were hurled at him.

They're lying. They're lying.

Naruto prayed weakly for someone to save him.

"Please..."

Then they began tying him to a wooden post.

They're going to burn me alive!

Naruto sobbed.

At least I'll finally get to meet my parents... He thought dejectedly.

That thought sparked something inside him. There was something wrong here.

But I already met them... on the day of the re-sealing. That's the same day I met Inari-tousan.

What's going on? Why am I five?

Naruto blinked as his memories began to come back.

He looked to the side and saw the orange mask of Toby.

Naruto didn't react as the villagers set fire to him. But instead of the flames hurting him, they turned golden and reformed the cloak and his appearance changed back to his twelve-year-old self.

"Impressive," Tobi said, "Breaking out of my illusion like that but you're still inside the Tsukuyomi Naru-chan."

Naruto glared at the man.

Tobi, even as he was taunting Naruto, felt something strange. The Tsukuyomi was getting harder to control and his chakra drain was too high. Whatever was this kid doing Tobi had to end it fast.

Naruto changed his stance ready to fight but suddenly the flames around him expanded and spread into the sky taking both of them by surprise.

Naruto felt drained and fell on to his knees.

Both of them watched, one in confusion and other in horror, as the flames converged on the moon representing Tobi's mangekyo and began burning right through it.

Tobi screamed clutching his one Sharingan eye and the Tsukuyomi shattered like fine glass.

Naruto is roused by the sound of screams. He blinks open his eyes and looks to the side from where the screams were coming. His vision was slightly blurred but he could make out Tobi kneeling there clutching his eye and screaming in agony.

Naruto had never felt this tired in life. He couldn't even move the slightest bit.

"You brat!" Tobi screeched, "what did you do to me?"

Naruto was half-conscious as he looked at Tobi who had stopped screaming and let go of his eye.

Tobi was kneeling on top of Naruto with his face so close to Naruto that he would have reeled back if not for the fact that he was lying prone on the cold stone floor.

"I will end you for this," Tobi promised.

Naruto's muddled mind couldn't figure out what was happening and when Tobi started strangling him Naruto couldn't even struggle.

Soon the lack of air caught up with Naruto and darkness began invading his sight.

"Oh my! that won't do. We just got you and we're not going to let you go to Shinigami that easily now," a voice announced startling a barely conscious Naruto.

Only Naruto was able to hear those words but Tobi reared back and looked around for the presence he felt just then. There was nobody there and when he looked back down at Naruto he was just clutching at air.

Naruto was gone.

Itachi looked down at the little boy; Shin, who was tied up on top of the Hokage mountain.

Itachi would have to torture him now. But how would he torture him? He tried to search his fractured memory to find out what he was supposed to do now. Unsurprisingly his memory failed him.

'I can tell you how to torture him.'

Itachi was confused and looked down at Shin to see is he was the one that spoke but Shin was still unconscious.

He looked around and behind him but no one but they were there.

'You can't see me,' the voice said again.

"Why?" Itachi asked out loud.

'Because I am invisible. No one can see me and no one but you can hear me either.'

"Oh," Itachi thought that made sense but Itachi was still confused, "Who are you?"

'Weasel,' the voice now named Weasel answered.

Itachi thought that Weasel had a funny name.

'Itachi means Weasel too,' this time it was another voice.

"Huh?" Itachi was confused again and looked around for the second speaker but like earlier there was no one there.

"Weasel, your voice changed," Itachi said out loud in conclusion.

'That wasn't me,' Weasel answered.

"Oh, who is it then?" Itachi questioned.

'You can call me Asahi,' the other voice was now named Asahi.

"Are you like Weasel?" Itachi asked.

'Yes,' Asahi answered.

'Now listen Itachi,' Weasel began, 'You cannot tell anyone about us.'

"Why?" Itachi questioned out loud.

'Because we're your secret friends,' Asahi said.

"Oh okay," Itachi smiled because that made perfect sense to him. Secret friends had to be kept secret.

"But can I tell Tobi?"

'No.'

'No.'

Itachi frowned but shrugged he was okay with that too.

He heard a sound and looked down. Shin was waking up. Itachi had forgotten about Shin.

"Weasel you said you can tell me how to torture him," Itachi said suddenly remembering.

'I did,' Weasel answers.

'But before we start,' Asahi interrupts, 'You should knock him out again.'

"Why?" Itachi asks.

'Because that would be better,' Asahi answers back.

'Do it,' Weasel prompts.

With a shrug Itachi knocks out Shin again.

'Now let's begin,' Weasel says calmly to an excited Itachi.

'We're going to make this into a game,' Asahi says, 'We're going to torture him without waking him up. If he wakes up, we lose. If we can do everything and he remains unconscious, we win.'

Itachi was having fun with Weasel and Asahi when Tobi interrupts them. Itachi had won the game, not once did Shin wake up from the multitudes of small cuts he received nor did Shin feel much of the pain but that was a fact that Itachi missed in his state, so he was excited.

Tobi hides a smile when he sees all the fresh blood covering Shin but the boy was passed out from the pain. At least Itachi knew how to torture still.

"Come on its time to leave," Tobi says.

Itachi looks down at Shin mournfully because the game was over but Tobi says they have to go so they have to go.

"Where are we going?" Itachi asks as they sneak out of Konoha.

"We're going to pay a visit to a certain snake."

Tobi said through gritted teeth. He was still reeling from what that brat had done to him.

His mangekyo sharingan was gone.

Sasuke watches Kyoshiro pace the hospital room like a caged lion. His agitation and fear were visible to everyone even Sakura who joined them sometime after they found Shin and brought him to the hospital.

They had found Shin on top of the Hokage mountain covered in so much blood that Sasuke thought that he had lost one more family. They brought him to the hospital immediately. The doctors said that he was healing nicely but he would heal faster if the suppression seal was removed but despite popular opinion the Hokage didn't let them remove the suppression seal stating that whatever mental state Shin was in might weaken the Kyuubi's seal without the suppression seal.

Mikoto, thankfully, wasn't missing or injured and was in fact in the grocery store when the attack happened. Now she was here waiting for her son to wake up while comforting her other son.

Sakura came by after that.

Naruto was still missing and Itachi had gone crazy. Sasuke wondered if that was part of the cover for his mission, he hoped that was just part of the cover.

The Hokage was doing a very good job of containing the mess. Sasuke had to applaud the man for the ability to keep calm like this while Sasuke felt like he was going to explode.

Yumiko was sitting on the floor cross-legged and meditating, slowly expanding her sensory range, to find Naruto's unique chakra signature anywhere in the village. As time passed all of them were becoming hopeless.

All of them were waiting on Shin to wake up but Kyoshiro kept sending out a magnitude of clones every hour to search for Naruto.

Sakura was silent as she sat next to him and Sasuke thanked every god available for stopping her from fawning over what happened to Shin.

Shin might be his brother but Sasuke cared more about Naruto right now.

Hours had passed with no sign of Naruto and the despair was creeping up on everyone. The Hokage and Kakashi and Uzume were there with them now.

All of them had come to one conclusion, Naruto wasn't in Konoha.

Someone clears their throat rather impatiently and all of them look at the source of the sound ready for an attack but the intruder was a small... dragon?

Sasuke wasn't sure what he was seeing. A genjutsu maybe?

Clearly all the others except Kyoshiro were thinking the same because there were several muttered 'kai's.

"My name is Regal," the dragon speaks again surprising them all.

"Are you summon?" The Hokage asks suspiciously.

The dragon nods, "I am part of the Dragon Summons. Please put away the weapons, I am here to simply deliver a message."

Some of them try to appear a little less threatening but it didn't work all that well. The dragon didn't seem to mind though.

"Regal?" Kyoshiro speaks softly.

The dragon turns to look at Kyoshiro with a critical eye before bowing in recognition, "Lord Kyoshiro, I was told that you would be here as well. I extend greetings from My Lord Natsu."

Some of them are confused by the dragon's words while Kyoshiro nods in acceptance. The dragons turn back to look at them without missing a beat and say, "My Lord wishes to let you know that young Naruto; heir to the Sora, Uzumaki, and Namikaze, is currently in the summon's realm under our care."

Most of them do not know how to respond, mostly confused and relieved, to this but Kyoshiro is the one that sags in relief.

"Is he okay?" Yumiko asks worried.

"He was injured when we found him but he is recovering very well and is currently resting," Regal says much to the relief of everyone even Sakura who is still most parts confused.

"When will he be returning?" Kyoshiro asks.

"Once he wakes up and meets with the Council of Elders," the dragon finishes with a bow, "Good day to you all."

Everyone watches as the dragon disappears.

Nobody breaks the silence until Sakura asks, "You all saw that right? I just want to make sure I am not going crazy."

Yumiko huffs out a laugh, "No Sakura, you're not."

Naruto wakes up with a slight headache. Looking around he didn't recognize the room he was resting in.

"Am I still in the genjutsu?" he wonders out loud.

"No young one you are not in an illusion."

Startled Naruto looks to the door. A tall elderly man was standing there in stark white robes. The man possessed equally white hair and a long beard but it was his eyes that stood out among the paleness of his skin, there were glowing emerald eyes and they froze Naruto with the power they held.

Seeing the state Naruto was in the man smiled softly, "No need to be frightened young one. You're a guest of the Clans and no one in this realm shall ever harm you."

Naruto frowned a little but nodded anyway before asking, "Where am I?"

The man chuckles, "You are in the realm of the Dragon Summons young one. This is the land of the Seven Seas where the power of the Seven is at its peak."

"The Seven..." Naruto repeated confused before the memory of the Seven summoning contracts from the Namikaze clan came to his mind and his eyes widened.

The man nods, "My name is Idris, son of Homa and I am the chief advisor of the Dragon clan. As you were about to die your link to us had been opened and we were able to save you."

Naruto bows to the dragon in respect, "Thank you for saving my life and allowing me in this realm."

Idris just smiles.

"Come along now, the Council will convene soon and I must get you to the chamber before then. You had slept for three days and the Council is starting to get restless," Idris says shortly and turns around with gesture at Naruto to follow him.

"Three days?"

"Three days in this realm young one. Only hours have passed in your realm. We also took the liberty of informing your family of your stay here. Come now we have no time to waste. I can already feel them trying to destroy the place," Idris says in a hurry and Naruto feels a bit apprehensive.

Naruto jumps up from the bed he was resting in and follows after him. Looking over himself he notices that all his wounds are healed and his chakra level was back up to its peak.

All along the way Naruto notes the grand halls and beautiful architecture that made up the place. Naruto's musings were cut short when Idris began speaking,

"This is the place where the Leaders of the Seven Clans come to when there is a Council meeting. When there are no meetings this place is very much abandoned. All of the Seven Clans prefer wilderness to walls. The last council meeting was two hundred years ago when your father had not awakened his memory transfer."

Naruto nods at the information not knowing what to say.

"When your father died we thought that it would be the end of the Namikaze bloodline."

Naruto feels a little offended at that but Idris explains.

"Your mother was an Uzumaki and the Uzumaki bloodline would have dominated and suppressed the Namikaze bloodline. We had never thought the Blood of the Sora would reawaken nor did we think that you would possess the Sage sight. To be fair, the Dragon Sage had said that he saw something special in you but all else thought that you were a lost cause."

Before Naruto could say anything to that they reach the chamber.

Naruto felt very nervous because he was still mostly confused about what was happening.

Idris looked back Naruto with a gentle smile before opening the grand doors.

Kakashi walked out of Shin's room with a sigh.

"Is Shin alright Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked softly.

Kakashi nodded, "He is very much fine considering all that happened..."

Sasuke frowned at what Kakashi said while Sakura was relieved and a little confused.

Kyoshiro and Yumiko looked like they didn't care much but they wanted to know what happened after Naruto was kidnapped and how he ended up with the Dragons. The only person who could answer them was Shin who had been kidnapped along with Naruto.

Yumiko and Kyoshiro looked like they were ready to storm inside to question Shin but Kakashi and Uzume stopped them.

"Don't," Kakashi said while Uzume shook her head silently at the children.

"But we have to find out what happened to Naruto..." Kyoshiro said.

Yumiko frowned a little, "Does he not want to speak about it? His injuries... he looked like he had been tortured... It would be understandable if he didn't want to talk about it..."

Kyoshiro frowned at Yumiko when she said that but relented when the logic sunk in.

Kakashi sighs, "No that's not it. We already talked to him."

"What did he say?"Kyoshiro asks anxiously.

"He doesn't remember," Uzume says shortly.

"What?"

"The last thing he remembers is Itachi stabbing him and after that, he blacked out. He was unconscious the entire time after that until he woke up now," Kakashi explains.

Kyoshiro gaped at that, "But wasn't he tortured?"

"His body was," Uzume says, "But he was not awake to feel the pain..."

"How is that- Why would anyone torture someone and not make them feel it?" Yumiko asked confused.

Uzume looks at Kakashi critically.

Kakashi shakes his head at her, "We don't know exactly. But whoever did it wanted to make it look like torture without actually hurting him..."

"What happened to Itachi?"

Everyone turns to look at Sasuke at the near-silent question. Mikoto grips her son tight.

"We're not sure yet."

Whatever Naruto expected this wasn't it.

Inside the chamber there was chaos.

There were seven people in the room and six of them were kids only slightly older than Naruto and the remaining person was a man who looked to be in his twenties and was sitting in a chair in the corner while the six kids; four boys and two girls fought against each other destroying the room in the process.

Naruto cast a bewildered look at Idris.

Idris' face was becoming angrier by the second.

"I leave you alone for half an hour and you are trying to destroy the palace?" Idris shouts.

All action stops at the sound of the elder dragon's voice.

"Uh... Apologies Idris. I was trying to stop Natsu from burning down the palace... But then it got out of hand..." A young girl stepped forward apologizing. She had stark white hair with beautiful alabaster skin and mesmerizing lavender eyes.

"Hey!" a voice raised in protest, "Stop trying to blame me!"

The owner of the voice was one of the boys. He had fiery red hair with shades of orange and yellow making it look like his head was on fire almost. His eyes were a matching shade of glowing orange. His skin was inked with tribal patterns that looked like scales. Presumably he was the one called Natsu.

"It was all Tanya's fault anyway..." the boy grumbles.

Naruto didn't know what he was expecting but this wasn't it. He was confused about exactly what was going on but he was distracted again by another voice. This time one of the girls, he assumed that it was Tanya. She had bright green eyes and equally bright golden locks of hair cascading down her back. Her most noticeable feature however was the shimmering gossamer wings stretching out from her back.

"You foolish reptile, none of this was my fault-"

"ENOUGH!" Idris shouted, patience finally wearing thin.

"I don't care for any of your excuses! Is this impression you all wish to make on our summoner?"

That caught all of their attention. Now everyone was looking at Naruto and Naruto felt more than a little nervous.

"Uh... Hai?" Naruto said not knowing what else to say.

As if they got their invisible cue, the shouting match began again.

Beside Naruto Idris gave out a pained sigh. This was going to be a long day...