Naruto was starting to get annoyed. At first, he thought that Kiba would have put up some semblance of a challenge that Naruto could pity as he squashed his hopes of victory. He was surprised by this new power that Kiba had somehow attained. It was supposed to offer a fresh challenge at best. But, now it was turning into something quite irritating. Naruto hadn't expected this sudden growth in Kiba's power. He had thought of him as a helpless victim to terrorize with thoughts of his long-time crush being with another man. So, this shift in dynamics irked Naruto.
All these thoughts crossed his mind as he blasted the rushing Kiba through another mountain of rock for the umpteenth time. Deep down, he felt Kurama begin to stir from his constant slumber, sensing his partner using some of his power to augment his physical capabilities.
Even after striking his opponent with a blow powerful to shatter his ribcage and pierce right through his flesh, Naruto could tell that Kiba was going to get up and charge at him once again. He let out a groan, the frustration almost materialised through his bored tone. He dug his heels into the water's surface, becoming the epicentre of a swarm of ripples that clashed against the vibrations that the raining chunks of rocks made as they crashed into the lake.
Desperate for some fun, Naruto began wondering about what else was going on. From what he could remember hearing, it sounded as if Sasuke and Kakashi were locked in a battle one-on-one. Well, they were but the crackling of thunder carried the message of Kakashi's defeat, signalling another round of teasing for the broken Kiba. Naruto grinned at the recent memory, but that was soon quashed by the recollection of the others present whilst he picked on the Inuzuka. Kurenai's incessant whining was enough to earn her an early grave. He would have crushed her throat in one effortless blow, if not for Shikamaru's intervention. His defiance was beginning to grate on Naruto's patience. It had been Naruto who had suggested to Sasuke that they should recruit the help of the Nara clan's greatest shinobi. Naruto admitted that the strategies he suggested had turned out to be very useful. That fact still didn't make Shikamaru's reluctance to help in the Akatsuki's more brutal endeavours any less noticeable.
Sasuke had his reservations at first due to Shikamaru's perceived lack of loyalty to the Hidden Leaf Village, but Naruto managed to convince the Uchiha of the benefits of allying with Shikamaru. It took some time, but Naruto discovered the respect that Sasuke had for Shikamaru, albeit begrudged. It had happened after they witnessed his genius in full force, predicting the Five Great Nations' next moves with an almost perfect accuracy. However, the same could not be said for Temari. Sasuke had treated the Sand kunoichi with what could be described as cold indifference alone. To be blunt, she was no more than a frequent nuisance for the anti-social Uchiha.
Naruto couldn't help but chuckle at the image of Sasuke's constant moody nature. On the other hand, he himself didn't mind Temari's involvement in their mission. It was amusing to witness her grow more frustrated with every remark he made. And, her faithful loyalty to Shikamaru was admirable but still it proved teasing to the jinchuriki.
He ducked under a sharp swing that arced over him, missing by an inch or so. His attention refocused on his current challenge, if he could label it as such. He opened his mouth to pester his opponent with a sarcastic word or two, but he stopped when he took in Kiba's face through bored eyes.
Bared teeth forced his facial muscles to twitch and deform into a primal scowl, conveying the entirety of Kiba's thought process. Every sense, every image, every dream was all channelled into the addicting urge to kill Naruto, whatever it took. That much was clear to the rogue shinobi who decided to abstain from any conversation. It would be no use with Kiba, now that his ability to think in a rational manner had long since devolved due to this new power of his.
As he prowled around in front of him, Naruto felt the energy reverberate through the early morning air, buffeting him with an unfamiliar chakra. He didn't even have to use his sage mode to detect it, but something told him he should. It took all of a second for him to perish that same thought, wishing to keep this fight as level as it could be, estimating that Kiba's strength at the moment was akin to Naruto as he faced him now. Although, there were certain clues that gave the impression that this new power had the potential to be something more.
The mark that Naruto had branded Kiba with glowed in response to all the power that poured out in waves. Watching it pulsate, Naruto remembered when Hinata had revealed her plan for her old teammate to him. It was very well thought out, and the way she seemed to enjoy his infatuation with her brought a sadistic grin to Naruto's lips. He was intrigued, although he didn't know if it was worth the effort to keep him alive whilst he grew even more incensed with the feral need to tear Naruto limb from limb.
Another strike flew towards him, aimed for his head. He reacted fast, raising his hand to block it. He almost stumbled as his forearm was assaulted by the incredible force that emanated from Kiba's attack. He couldn't help but let out a cackle. Maybe this wasn't going to be so boring after all.
A barrage of rapid claws followed, forcing Naruto use both his speed and some acrobatics to dodge or block each swing of Kiba's claws. With every attack that Kiba threw at him, Naruto jabbed or swung his leg at him, earning a few grunts and howls with each hit, bruising and battering Kiba's skeleton.
When Kiba pounced at him once more, his body arching in full stretch, Naruto let his trained instincts takeover. As this beast flew through the air towards him, Naruto sidestepped. He leaned back before throwing his strongest cross straight into Kiba's ribs, maximising the use of all of his muscles' potential strength. Kiba's body went limp, shooting across the lake, skipping along the water's surface with the rare ripple waving through the liquid with each bounce.
"Come on, Kiba!" Naruto threw his head back, exasperated. "Can you not fight any harder?" he asked. "You're boring me here!"
In response, a bark as loud as an explosion rocked the cliffs, sending a few rocks to drop from its peak to crash into the lake. As the Inuzuka rushed towards him, galloping towards him on all fours, Naruto took notice of his paws that glowed with a vibrant energy.
That same energy seemed to be identical to the power that had clawed through Hinata's chest during their previous encounter. He scowled at the memory. But, it did spark the knowledge of the poisonous property that this strange chakra carried. The vicious power seemed animated around his fists, licking the air like a torrent of flames, the deep azure shade was hypnotising. Naruto recalled that same fire scarring his precious Hinata's beautiful body with a disgusting imprint of Kiba's paw.
He was caught by surprise, stuck in his angered thoughts whilst Kiba took another swipe at his head. Naruto tried to step away, but it was too late. All he could do was raise arm once more to block.
On impact, Naruto let out a pained groan. Numbing pain flared through his wrist, throbbing in tandem with his excited heartbeat. A satisfied growl rumbled in the back of Kiba's throat. Naruto switched his attention to the point of impact, finding his robe torn to shreds, along with the skin underneath. Raw flesh began to drip with blood like wine, intoxicating in smell. And, much like wine, it was almost the perfect instrument to poison a target. His breathing became sharper after noticing the bluish tinge that his fresh blood took on. Around the edges of his wounds, that same colour seemed to infect each drop that ebbed out from the cuts.
He fended Kiba off again, although he took specific notice of how slowed his movement were becoming. He laboured to create some distance between them and the strong blow to Kiba's jaw aided by stunning his opponent for an extra moment or two. He supported his arm by using his other hand to hold up his limp limb.
Naruto felt his head throb with a violent ache as the poisonous chakra spread throughout his body via the pumping of his blood. All his trouble was summarised by the drops of blood that splattered his dark robes after a life-threatening cough, hacking his insides into the water and watching as it dissipated as soon as the droplets hit the surface, wiping his lips with his billowing sleeve.
Hungry for more, Kiba charged again. As he bounded towards him, Naruto pondered over his options for a moment that seemed to pass in slow motion. He would have liked to keep their fight at an even level, Kiba's new power against Naruto base strength, but with the development of this vile toxin that was debilitating him, Naruto wondered if he should utilise another of his powers in order to level the playing field. In the forefront of his mind, he debated whether his sage mode would be too much for Kiba to handle or not. He found himself shrugging before he began to concentrate. Kiba's movements slowed even further. Naruto allowed his eyelids to shut, yet soon after his vision returned, albeit in accurate outlines of chakra signatures.
He tried to focus on everyone's chakra, but he found himself straining against the mass of nature chakra that was charging towards him, weighing down on his sensory abilities and clouding his mind. Naruto felt a surge of energy flood his body, his limbs becoming lighter than a feather whilst feeling denser with the power that rushed into his muscles. He flexed his fingers with caution, still wary of the poisonous effect that Kiba's chakra seemed to have, but it didn't feel as if it would slow him down anymore. When Kiba came within a few feet away, Naruto didn't see any reason to delay.
Swinging a leg at him, Naruto grinned at the sight of his boot connecting with the feral Inuzuka's jaw. His smirk reached his ears whilst he watched Kiba soar through the sky. Playing along with his humorous nature, Naruto feigned a wince when his opponent landed, crashing into the side of one of the many cliff faces surrounding the lake.
Adding insult to injury, Naruto focused on his palm. A mass of chakra began to form, revolving in quick rotations. His fingers clenched to contain it in a giant orb that glowed with a sinister power. With each revolution, the energy swirled faster and faster, until it began to blur into the air. From its aftereffects, a ring of blades spun around it, but they looked as if they couldn't move due to the central orb's velocity. Heavier and heavier it became, until his muscled arm strained to hold any longer.
Winding his arm behind his back, Naruto took aim, using his instincts to guide him. With a mighty swing, Naruto threw his jutsu. Through the air, it soared, zipping towards the crater that was occupied by Kiba's somehow conscious body. A trail of steam hissed behind the path that the Rasenshuriken took, the air heating up against the rapid Wind Style jutsu.
A deafening howl rebounded all around the lake, discombobulating all those who had the displeasure of hearing all the torture that was conveyed in its tone. Each individual blade of the shuriken razed through Kiba's flesh before the jutsu activated its final stage. In the distance, Naruto watched the bright explosion with glee.
"You seem to be enjoying yourself" an icy voice remarked, sending a shiver down Naruto's spine.
Naruto spun on his heels, searching for the origin of the tone that conveyed an eternity's worth of constant brooding.
The familiar sight of dark hair that seemed to absorb the light that dared to touch it and shrouding its owner in further into the darkness. The shadows that the onyx locks casted onto his pale skin bent in order to follow the sharp contours of his facial structure. Each of those angles did well to accentuate his obsidian gaze, piercing the subject of his vision's skin as if it was made of the glass-like substance.
His billowing robes gave away his allegiance, aided by the crimson clouds that floated across the folds.
"Sasuke!" Naruto exclaimed. "Where have you been? I thought you had taken care of Kakashi-sensei ages ago!"
His line of questioning didn't offer much reward. Sasuke only glanced back at one of the many cave entrances that dotted the cliff faces. Seeking to match his focus, Naruto followed with his own pupils. He narrowed onto a particular opening as the dimness of the cave was filled with acute sparkles. Rubbing his eyes, he realised that he couldn't see them, it was more like he felt them. No matter how small they were, Naruto sensed a concerning amount of nature chakra radiating off them. It was this sensation that led to his discovery of his sensory ability becoming free of Kiba's restraint.
"Have you finished wasting time yet?" a raised eyebrow was all that followed Sasuke's annoyed query.
Naruto turned to see if Kiba was galloping towards him, but he was disappointed to find nothing but a pile of rocks marking where the ninja hound user had last been. "I guess so" he sighed.
"Then pinpoint the Eight Tails already, he's around here somewhere"
"A 'please' would be nice" Naruto shrunk away from the glare he was shot. He rerouted his mischievous nature to his new search. Miles were spanned under the unrivalled sensory powers of Naruto's sage mode. Signatures sparked into existence, drawing Naruto's attention. In response, he turned towards each of them one by one.
He felt Sasuke's unamused stare, locked on him as he danced around the surface of the lake. "Have you found it yet?"
With his eyes shut, Naruto smirked back at his rival. "Be patient" he sung, enjoying Sasuke's moody grumbling.
He returned to his mental map, pinpointing all the chakra signatures to specific locations. Their exact directions and intentions were known to Naruto, unable to escape the reach of the nature chakra that his sage mode harnessed.
As if he were watching a play unfold, the background seemed to shift with each character. Through forests faraway past the cliffs, Naruto watched Shikamaru's shadowy chakra flee along tree branches. His pattern of movements, like a deer who had sensed its hunter, suggested that he was trying to lose his chaser. And, lo and behold, at quite some distance, a multitude of tiny chakra signatures gave Naruto the impression that these hunters were shinobi from the Hidden Cloud Village. Although, for all intents and purposes, Naruto couldn't describe them as anything other than fodder.
Further away, it looked as if a group of them had split off as what seemed to be an entire squad surrounded a chakra signature that felt more potent than any other nearby. Its familiarity was pleasing to Naruto, but not as amusing as the way it was fading, like a dying star. One moment it was dimming, the next it brightened. Naruto found entertainment in the drama that was Kakashi's fight with death. Above him, a weaker chakra panicked and fussed over his broken body. It was clear that her motherly attention was split between worrying for her one of her oldest friends and her concern for her student's ninja hound, who she had witnessed grow from an adorable puppy to a monstrous beast who was still cute whenever he wasn't in a battle.
Focusing on Akamaru's chakra, Naruto found himself curious as to why it seemed so much more potent than it ever had been before. For some reason, it seemed familiar to him. He searched for a reason to find it so, but he couldn't say he was committed to the endeavour. Shrugging it off, Naruto took notice of another chakra signature that he knew why it was familiar to him. It wasn't the most substantial chakra, yet it was formidable nonetheless. Temari's forceful intent mixed well with her commanding personality, eloquence combined with passion to create the perfect personality of a warrior princess. He followed her chakra signature as she fled in a similar direction to Shikamaru.
She, on the other hand, was being pursued by Cloud shinobi who had slightly stronger signatures compared to those giving chase to Shikamaru. Naruto remembered the first time he had come into contact with the identities of these chakra signatures. The memory of allowing the one with scarlet hair to unleash their stored-up anger and anxiety for her master, who was missing due to Sasuke's previous actions. He remembered how the other just watched them as they bloodied their knuckles against Naruto's face. Maybe, Naruto would dish out some fair justice soon enough.
But that would have to wait. For now, Naruto centred his sensory ability around himself, considering the cruel chakra that began to simmer next to him, searing the air around them. And, what he found was exciting for him. Clear as day to him, he could identify the unique chakra signature of the Raikage himself. Rushing towards him, he was followed by two of his best shinobi, one with a strong sensory ability whilst the other had a strange, yet thunderous, chakra signature. Naruto felt as if it contained potential for a unique jutsu, so he noted to look out for it.
The nature chakra that spread, from the epicentre that was his body, came into contact with an enormous mass of chakra that seemed ancient when he focused on it. In that instant, Naruto understood that he had been sensed as well.
"On the other side of the lake, Gyuki and Bee are hiding on one of the islands" Naruto explained. Sasuke seemed satisfied with his answer, shifting his weight to begin moving in the direction of the Eight Tails. But he was stopped by Naruto's palm. "The Raikage should also be arriving soon too" he smiled at his rival with a knowing expression, his teeth beaming in the low moon's light.
"We'll deal with them all together, so let's go" Naruto couldn't help but grin at the sight of Sasuke's determined expression, his dark eyes filled with pure hatred. He imagined that the look in them was one of the few possible outcomes that occurred from the tortured life of tragedies that they had both lived. Spinning on his heel, Naruto caught up to Sasuke as they strolled towards their target.
All fell silent around the lake. The whistling of the wind being accompanied by the splashing of water under their soles. It wasn't long until they found themselves approaching the island that Naruto had pointed out.
It wasn't much in terms of size. But, the rocky outcrop provided a suitable space for a battle, allowing for better support underfoot instead of utilising extra chakra to create a worse platform on the water's surface. It didn't take long for them to find the second most powerful jinchuriki on the continent.
Sitting with his back to the both of them, the Hidden Clouds' jinchuriki of the Eight Tails rhymed and rapped to the silent rhythm in his mind.
Naruto and Sasuke shared a look, confused by his apparent lack of awareness. Deciding to correct that misstep, Naruto cleared his throat, the sound carrying on the wind.
The Cloud shinobi craned his neck, turning to glimpse at the source of the interruption to his flow. When he recognised the new arrivals, he smiled. "Naruto!" he exclaimed, with his arms wide.
Considering that Naruto was now one of, if not, the world's most wanted rogue shinobi, represented in his choice of attire, Bee didn't seem too concerned with the current predicament he was in. He didn't even make a move to reach for any of the eight sword handles in the eight-holster sheath on his back. Noticing Sasuke reach for a grip on his own sword, Naruto remembered when the Uchiha had told him about the jinchuriki's unique style of sword fighting that utilised every single blade that was stored on his back, and how erratic Sasuke had found it the first time he had fought him.
Sasuke's fingers scratched at the handle as he watched Naruto and Bee's greetings devolve into a what he couldn't describe as anything except torture. They went back and forth with each other, rapping whilst waving their hands around in front of them in a stupid dance, in Sasuke's eyes.
As they conversed, he noticed the figures approaching them from a distance, the famous speed of the Raikage seemed so slow in his Sharingan's view. Beside the mountainous shinobi, taller and wider than either Sasuke or Naruto, two other shinobi ran towards them. Both blond, but that was where their similarities ended beside their Hidden Cloud attire.
"Naruto" he urged his partner to get to the point of their mission.
The Uzumaki glanced over, taking a moment to process the constant annoyance that defined Sasuke's voice. Understanding, Naruto groaned. "Bee, we're here for Gyuki!"
The rapper raised his eyebrow, his goggles hiding any information they might have gleaned from his eyes.
"Give him over now or we can take him from you later!" he put forth his ultimatum.
Without moving his lips, a deep growl emanated from the jinchuriki. In response, Naruto felt his abdomen burn with a familiar wrath. But, it lasted for just a moment, as the stirring died down soon after.
"Are you ever bothered by anything?" Naruto asked, catching both Bee and Sasuke by surprise.
Naruto held his palm to his stomach. He stared down at his body, as if he were expecting a reply from his gut.
When he did not receive it, Naruto shook his head, laughing to himself in disbelief. "I can't this damn fox!" he gritted his teeth. "I think you might even be lazier than Shikamaru" his remark clarified the subject of his one-sided conversation.
"Bee! Are you okay?" a gruff voice boomed, marking the arrival of the Raikage. He raised his fist at Naruto and Sasuke. "Both of your companions are being hunted by Hidden Cloud shinobi and they'll be captured soon enough! So, surrender yourselves to the Hidden Cloud's custody and maybe I won't have you executed!" he barked his orders, seeking to command some respect from the both of them.
Sasuke recognised the two shinobi who stood beside him from the Five Kage Summit in the Land of Iron. The one who brandished a large, cleaver-like blade towards them, his face a mix of serious and boredom. Whilst the other, a shorter shinobi who wielded just a kunai had a sensory ability like Karin's.
When his eyes returned to the Raikage, they sharpened into an unimpressed glare, his Rinnegan burning a hole in his soon-to-be victim's soul. In his ear, Naruto cried out in a devilish cackle. He doubled over, stomping his feet like a child as he bounced up and down.
The two shinobi that guarded the Raikage looked at each other, unnerved by the reactions that their boss received. From behind the shoulder of the giant Kage, the Eight Tails' jinchuriki stepped out, dancing to his own unheard beat. He cracked his knuckles, looking ton ready himself for the coming fight. Although, neither Naruto nor Sasuke was sure of what he was doing, due to their misunderstanding of his unpredictable nature. Sasuke found his personality to bear a striking resemblance to Naruto's, unsure of what came next at all times.
Tired of overthinking, Sasuke drew his sword in a flash. Pointing it skywards, he focused on the steel. His left eye burned, droplets of blood beginning to pour out of his socket. An instant later, an abyssal shadow covered the metal in a blurry mass. With his right eye, he outlined the rest of the blade and soon after his Kusanagi was cloaked by the Amaterasu. He swung it downwards, arcing the fiery tip towards the Hidden Cloud shinobi.
"So, who wants to die first?" he asked with a cruel smirk.
A/N- Hey guys! How are you doing? Once again, I don't have much to say except I hope you enjoyed this chapter.
Yours truly,
Signing off