Shattered Destiny:
Chapter 23: Incomplete Avatar
Eleven translucent gems appear around Keiki, Ichiyo backs off, wary of this unknown phenomenon. Keiki was terrified of whoever 'Alduin' is.
Two of the gems plunge themselves into the boy's heart, he staggers to his feet as chakra tears his skin apart, his arms have dragonbone inside of the chakra flesh going from the gauntlets to his shoulders, a dragonbone spine materializes partway into his back with ribs growing around his chest.
It's rumored that when a Bijuu's jinchuuriki loses control of the beast's power, it's chakra tears at their body, changing and distorting it into the image of the beast in question. They turn blood red and gain chakra tails according to how much power is being released. He turned an eerie blue and his tail is of bone.
Keiki lets out a roar before clutching his head in pain, being overwhelmed by the dragon's rage and confusion.
Not a great combo for a terrified child. Alduin's avatar jumps onto the crate they were hiding behind before howling at the sky.
In response cracks of red spider web out, turning the sky from black to dusk as meteors start falling all around. A kunai strikes his shoulder, bouncing off of a plate of chakra dragon scales.
Alduin's Avatar spins towards his aggressor. "Yor Tol Shul." With each word his throat glows brighter until a raging fireball far larger than anything Keiki could conjure blasts out, ripping apart the wooden structure the shinobi was on.
Another shinobi attempts to cross to the structure, keeping an eye on the Avatar. "Wuld Nah Kest." There is a shockwave as Alduin's Avatar is propelled forward at breakneck speeds, pinning the shinobi to the wall with a claw through the shoulder.
A meteor spears through the lighthouse and it collapses. The Water and Frost shinobi decided then that it was best to fall back to the other end of the island.
"What is that thing?" Koi asks, looking at the avatar through binoculars.
"Keiki, and something called 'Alduin'." Ichiyo pants.
"What happened?" Koi demands, tearing her eyes away from the sight. "Last I saw you were saving Keiki from an explosion."
"Gaan Lah Haas." Even from this distance the shouts can be heard.
"When he came to his senses he had a panic attack, saying how he refused to call… That." He simply points in the direction of the Avatar.
Koi puts down the binoculars. He seemed so distressed when they found him unconscious in the crypt so she didn't pry, but she should have. Koi turns her attention back towards the creature.
What happened down there, what beast now inhabits the poor boy's body? Nothing that Koi's heard of.
"Fus Ro Dah." Koi's eyes widen as she watches the sheer power of the shout rips a shinobi apart. The unfolding carnage matches the description of the savagery the tailed beasts can force their jinchuuriki to carry out… But something deep down says that this isn't a bijuu, this is something far more savage, and consumed with rage.
Another meteor strikes the ground, and once the dust settles Alduin stands, eyes sweeping the area looking for more amidst the bodies of the Lightning shinobi that were left behind to defend the camp.
"Koi-sama." Ai taps her shoulder, gesturing out to the water.
Three ships are coming back.
"I think we did what we came here for." Koi jokes humorlessly. But how're they going to extract Keiki? One thing's for certain, they're going back to Kirigakure. A newly made jinchuuriki is far too important to risk on a mission like this.
The sky returns to normal and meteors stop falling. Alduin looks around, searching for more to kill and coming close to the hiding places of what few civilians there are.
There is a blurr and Alduin's arm is sheared off, it roars in pain and clutches the stump, the remaining claw glowing a soft white light as the missing arm starts to regrow.
"You are one ugly Bakayarō! Konoyarō!" The new contender turns to face Alduin.
"You dare challenge the First Born of Akatosh!?" He flexes his regerown hand.
The newcomer pulls out a book and starts writing in it, mumbling. "'Taking the heir out like Akatrash'."
"ZII LOS DII DU!" Alduin's shout is filled with pure rage. The shout hits him and you can see his soul being partially pulled out of his body before returning.
"What, was that?" He puts his book away and pulls out a pair of thin blades.
"WULD NAH KEST!" Alduin is propelled forward, but a tentacle coming from the jinchuuriki's body blocks the attack.
"Thanks Eights." He uses the tentacle to push Alduin back and slam him into the ground.
"STRUN BAH QO!" Alduin shouts at Killer Bee, jinchuuriki of the land of Lightning, and the sky crackles with electricity as lightning starts striking with incredible accuracy.
"I've become the universe's sole attention, I'm flattered." Killer Bee takes a bow before rolling out of the way of a lightning strike.
A tentacle blocks Alduin's charge. "YOR TOL SHUL!" A raging point blank firebolt rips the tentacle apart. Killer Bee slashes at Alduin as more blades start appearing across his person, becoming increasingly more erratic as he holds blades where it should be impossible.
Every one of Alduin's swipes is countered by several blades. The dragonbone keeps alduin's limbs attached to his body and the raw chakra coming off of him mends the superficial wounds.
One blade goes into Alduin's heart, then two and three. He staggers back gasping for breath before breaking the blades and holding a glowing hand over the fatal wound, it heals within moments. "Looks like if I want to finish a Bakayarō, I'll have to Take his head off, yo." Away goes the blades, impossible to tell where he keeps them.
And The jinchuuriki starts crackling with electrical chakra, the charge is immediately interrupted as lightning strikes him. "Uh, Eights?" He simply asks himself.
"WULD-"
"Hold that thought."
"-NAH KEST!" Killer Bee sidesteps Alduin's charge.
"His lightning stole all of my chakra, going to need some of yours to deal with Akatrash." Killer Bee casually says.
Another lightning strike, this time a surge of chakra erupts post strike. Killer Bee starts crackling with electricity and gets ready to charge.
"Tiid-" The electricity flares to a maximum.
"Klo-" Killer Bee charges with an arm outstretched.
"Ul" And time slows down as Killer Bee's arm collides with Alduin's neck.
Alduin reels back and heals the gash in his neck before looping around Killer Bee, who's slowly tracking him. Dragonbone erupts from Alduin's arms and he plunges them into Killer Bee's back, forcing him to the ground.
"Zii Los-" Several chakra tentacles erupt, pushing Alduin off. He roars in rage as again he's forced to back off.
Meteors fall as the storm wanes.
Chakra consumes Killer Bee, becoming opposite of Alduin, the bones of the Bijuu within being worn like ornaments whereas the Bones of Alduin are within him.
"W-we should get out of here." Satu tugs on Koi's shirt.
"But we can't leave him!" Zabuza argues.
"Ai." Koi calls.
"Yes, Koi-sama?"
"Take Satu-chan and Zabuza-kun and get them out of here, I'm staying." Her eyes turn towards the ships that're docking. Alduin destroyed the camp with the meteors so there's no reason for them to stay.
Actually, there is one.
Alduin and the Jinchuuriki clash, and Alduin is shoved back. "LIZ SLEN NUS!" He shouts, a wave of ice pulses out and freezes the Jinchuuriki frozen solid.
And then the raw chakra shatters the ice, but it gave Alduin time to back off. The two roar at one another.
Alduin's hands crackle with flames and he begins channeling. The Jinchuuriki charges once again, and Alduin releases the Firestorm, burning away at the chakra beast's flesh as fast as it heals.
Alduin is pinned to the ground. "FUS RO-" A claw strikes the dragon's jaw, breaking it. But the words were spoken, and so the power comes forth.
The Jinchuuriki is thrown off of Alduin as he scrambles to his feet, healing his jaw. The two circle one another, deciding the next move.
Only one of them is consumed with rage.
The jinchuuriki shoves a claw into the ground and it erupts out under Alduin, who's dragonbone ribs protect him from most of the strike. While he's recovering, the Jinchuuriki pulls his hand back and charges, crackling with electricity.
"TIID KLO UI!" Alduin shouts, but not fast enough to avoid his neck getting clipped by the Lariat. He reels back, healing his throat. The jinchuuriki is moving at a snail's pace as time slows to a crawl.
"KRII LUN AUS!" A strange energy washes over the jinchuuriki's body and Alduin rams his arm spikes into the Jinchuuriki's back. Time resumes as Alduin is repeatedly using his arm spikes.
One of the tails hits Alduin, knocking him away. Followed up with a solid strike to the gut, knocking him farther away and into a wall.
It takes Alduin a moment to get up, his body having been pushed to its limit upon his awakening. This moment of sluggishness lets the Jinchuuriki pounce, beating into him. "Gaan Lah Haas." So he steals some of The Jinchuuriki's stamina, but it's not enough as he's thrown away to end the drain.
Alduin collapses, and doesn't get up. The ethereal gems that entered him pop out, the chakra vanishing as does the Dragonbone.
As Alduin fades away, back where he came from, he shrinks down back to his original size, leaving Keiki unconscious on the ground. The Jinchuuriki freezes for just a moment before walking towards the child.
Suddenly Koi appears, making hand signs. "Hidden in the Mist Jutsu!" A bunch of mist explodes out, covering their escape.
At least it would have, had the sheer strength of the Jinchuuriki's shout didn't instantly blow the expanding mist away.
The Raikage appears opposite Koi from Killer Bee, who drops out of his chakra form. Koi holds Keiki in her arms. "My duty is to learn what you can do and above all else, keep you safe." She whispers to the unconscious boy.
Koi tosses a smoke bomb to the ground and creates a water clone. The water clone immediately takes a Double Lariat, having shoved Koi and Keiki aside.
The plan was to use the clone to get Keiki out of there, but that's no longer an option.
Plan B.
Killer Bee and the Raikage leap back as an explosive note detonates, by the time the smoke clears they're gone. "Killed the both of them, the Bakayarō." Killer bee shakes his head solemnly. And then the Raikage's palm grips Bee's head and starts crushing, but not enough to leave any lasting damage.
"What do you think you're doing out of Kumo?"
Everything hurts, but my health is full, so why am I in pain?
Might of Alduin(3) has been removed from Active effects.
Might of Alduin is ready.
Quest Complete: Team Four
I ignore the notifications for now. Where am I? There's an IV going into my arm, I pull it out and get to my feet.
And nearly fall to the ground, exhaustion pulls me down as if I were tied to a sinking anchor.
The monitor starts beeping as the IV is removed and a pair of nurses rush in, they freeze upon seeing me awake. Once the sight sinks in they rush me, checking for injuries.
I freeze upon seeing my right arm, it's normal, not dragonbone and chakra. Did my arm revert when Might of Alduin faded? "How're you standing so soon? You were in the center of a grade three explosive note." One of the nurses asks me.
"I was, where's my team!?" besides the nurses, I'm alone in the room.
"You should be in bed." One of the nurses insists.
"Let go of me, I need to find my teammates!"
"You need to-"
-12 chakra. +16 Elemental Ninjutsu XP (175/275)
"LET GO OF ME!" The force of the flames makes the door open, and the nurses fleeing in fear. What have I done? Shaking I walk to the door and grip the frame. I'm in a hospital of some sort.
"Keiki-kun?" My blood runs cold, I recognize that voice.
Goro. "I didn't know you were here." His arm is in a cast.
"What happened, Goro?" I ask coldly. I'm not telling him anything about what happened.
"Kirigakure was a battlezone for most of yesterday."
Sit, I keep being out of commission for entire days. "Where's sensei?" I ask him.
"Intensive care, her shinobi days are most likely over." Goro says sadly.
"I don't believe you." I sneer.
"Go see for yourself, I need to check up on my team." Goro keeps his cool and walks past me, I keep my eye on him and he glances over his shoulder for just a moment before entering a room farther down the hall.
I wouldn't draw this much attention if I wasn't wearing this hospital garb. "Where's Koi-sensei?" I asked several people.
"You shouldn't be up." Is the usual reply.
I heal through most wounds, I've gotten used to it. "Where's Koi Serizawa, where's Zabuza Momochi, where's Satu Matsuo?" I return with a flat voice.
"Serizawa-san is in intensive care, I'm not assigned to Momochi-san so I don't know off the top of my head." The doctor points down the hall. "But you really should be in bed."
He hasn't made a move to touch me, so I ignore him and march my way towards intensive care, preparing myself for the worst.
Doctor's rush past me, too focused to notice the shinobi who should be in bed recovering. I peek through several doors and I won't forget the sights, they've been burned into my mind.
Sneak has leveled to 20. +20 Character XP (88/200)
"Stable." A doctor breathes a sigh of relief.
"But for how long?" One of his assistants asks.
"For now."
I duck out of the way as medical staff with bags under bags under their eyes leave the room. Once the coast is clear I enter behind them.
I gingerly pick up the clipboard and read the name.
Koi Serizawa. I look up at the patient, covered from head to toe in bandages and an oxygen mask fastened tightly to her mouth and nose. "S-sensei?" I ask settling into the seat next to her.
She doesn't reply, probably still unconscious. Koi's missing an arm and part of a leg, and that's what I can see through the blanket. I can see skin grafts on what little's not bandaged. "I-I'm sorry, this is my fault." The tears come in full.
I want her to wake up and say that it was my fault, that I was stupid and did things that I shouldn't have but that my heart was in the right place, but this isn't a story where that stuff happens.
If sensei can't be a shinobi anymore… then what'll happen to us? "I know it's my fault, I shouldn't have called Al-him." I catch myself before making the same mistake again.
I did this, I won't do it again.
I watch Sensei's chest rise and fall. "If only I were stronger, then I wouldn't have panicked." I clench my now human right hand.
All remnants of Alduin have faded, but how long until he comes back? His memories remain within me and it scares me, but I'll need to get over that fear before-
"Keiki-san?" Zabuza enters the room with a crutch.
"Zabuza-san." I wipe the tears away before turning to face him.
"How're you holding up? I heard things got bad." He pulls up a chair and sits down, his leg in a cast.
"I look better than I feel."
"Satu-chan told me about Alduin." Zabuza says and the hairs on my neck stand on end. "You're a jinchuuriki?" He asks, completely emotionless.
"I think so? But Al-he's not a bijuu, he's a dragon." I say.
"How do you know that?"
"The two times I called him his memories flooded me, he's not even from this world!" I hold a hand up and pulse instinctively. It turns back into the dragonbone chakra hand in a flurry of blue flame. "He's from Tamriel."
"Does he let you do that?"
"I think? This feels natural, like my flames." It's not using my chakra bar, but I know it's using chakra. I've never been more confused in my life. "W-where's Satu-chan?"
"She was right behind me." Zabuza looks at the open door, nobody's there.
"I don't blame her if she doesn't want to see me… He's a monster, and he's dead."
Authors Notes: And another one done! Thank you to everyone who's read this and the previous bits and a bit of an update of the Skyrim run I said I was playing last chapter… the fights(unless they're oneshot) pretty much go the same way as Keiki's fights have gone, fighting without armor or Oak Flesh isn't easy and end up really close to death after every semi challenging fight, I thought I wasn't being true to the game system but it turns out that I was! Besides for block, but it's too late for that. Anyways I hope you enjoyed and hope you'll stick around for more!