I live! Barely, and consistently in a state of mild drunkenness since the end of my semester, but still! New chapter!
"There are three kinds of secrets. Something that you hide at the bottom of your heart because you don't want it to be mentioned. Something that you can't say even if you want to. Something that you hope someone asks about even though you're hiding it."
~ Kazuhiko Yukimi (Nabari No Ou)
Naruto woke up in a dark, wet hallway. He stared up at the ceiling for a moment before slowly pushing himself to his feet. He didn't really understand how he got here or even where here was. He blinked at the dreary world around him in confusion.
"Am I dreaming?"
A warm red light beckoned him from down the corridor. He looked around one more time before walking towards it.
As he walked he glanced around. The corridor was wide, and it looked like there was piping running along the ceiling. The pipes themselves looked old and rusted. They dripped periodically as Naruto passed. He was walking on top of the water without using chakra to keep him on the surface and every step created a splash, but his feet weren't wet. He glanced down curiously and watched in fascination as ripples were created by each step. When he tried to stay still to see how deep the water was; however, all he found was a disturbing darkness below the surface.
He swallowed and focused his attention on moving towards the red light.
The corridor ended abruptly, and he suddenly found himself in a large room. Naruto looked around warily. His eyes were drawn to the giant gates across from him. Ripples of water ghosted out from beneath them like someone was moving around in the darkness behind them. Or something.
He moved closer, but the darkness was impenetrable.
Naruto felt a chill go down his spine as the ripple grew into small waves.
The darkness gave way to huge teeth and the room seemed to shake with the rumbles of low growls. He stumbled away from the bars and fell back onto his butt.
Teeth, claws, and burning red eyes filled his vision.
"T-the Kyuubi." He whispered hoarsely. "But, h-how?"
He glanced around frantically for an exit, but the corridor he had entered through had vanished.
"How? I'll tell you how. I brought you here." A voice boomed from behind the gate. It took Naruto a moment to realize it was from the monster himself. "You were stupid enough to get hit by another seal! So, I took advantage and dragged your consciousness in here to have a talk. One my other half seems insistent on not having."
The last sentence was softer and seemed to be directed more to itself, but Naruto heard it all the same. Not that it made any sense to him. He slowly climbed to his feet when it became clear that the beast couldn't get past the gate.
His fear gave way to anger.
"You wanna talk?" Naruto snapped, trying not to let the monster see how hard his hands were shaking. "Fine let's talk! Starting with why you decided to try and destroy the village! So many people died because of you! Iruka-sensei's parents, probably Natsu and my parents and so, so many other people! Innocent people! Why'd you have to do that!? Huh?! Because of you Natsu and I are looked down on and feared by the other villagers! Because of you, we grew up alone! And you have the gall to drag me here to talk!? After all these years!"
He was panting at the end of the tirade. His hands were shaking for an entirely different reason now. He didn't care how big the monster was, he wanted to hit it. So many of his brother and his problems stemmed from this monster and it wanted to drag him in here and act like he did something wrong!? When he was trying to protect his brother. When it was its chakra making him go crazy to begin with!?
He glared up at the silent beast.
But, it only looked quietly back at him. It had settled down with it huge forearms folded and chin resting on top of them. He couldn't see how far it went, but Naruto could just image him lounging all stretched out in the darkness of the cage. He scowled.
"Well!? You said you wanted to talk! Now talk!" He exclaimed.
The beast blinked slowly.
(He felt a trickle of dread at the movement. He didn't know why, but it seemed so familiar…)
"I wonder, how could my other half have come to like you? You are very much like your mother." The beast rumbled lowly. "She was cruel. Forwent the tiny cage and used her chains instead. They were agony."
"M-my mother…what?" Naruto stuttered taking a few steps back in shock.
"Hm," The beast glanced over him. "Perhaps he is simply mixing his joy at being free with affection for humans around him? Surely he hasn't completely forgotten why we are in this situation? Surely he hasn't forgotten what humans have done?"
"What are you talking about!?" Naruto cried out in confusion and mounting anger. "You're going off on some random tangent without answering my questions!"
The beast tilted his head.
(Why was that so familiar? Why did the sight make his stomach drop?)
"Are you sure you want to know that answer? My other half seems absolutely determined not to tell you. He's terrified. What will you do, Naruto? Once you know the truth? I know the answer, but do you?"
(Why does it sound so sad?)
"I…" He hesitated.
(Why was he hesitating? He had wanted to get answers out of the damn fox for years. Now was his chance! Why…why was his stomach filling with dread?)
"Wha-what do you mean your other half? You mean the half that's in Natsu? You can talk to one another?"
That was a disturbing thought, but he almost found himself wishing it was true. The way the beast talked…
"Natsuki…" The beast let out a rumble that shook the room again.
Naruto blinked. Was it laughing?
Before he had time to process that, the beast began to change and shift. He took a step back as flames circled the beast and he winced at the popping and cracking of bones, but he couldn't look away. His eyes seemed to be stuck as his hands began to tremble again.
"Hate. That was all I could do in the small, dark cage with bars that burned and silence that stretched. I had tried, in the beginning, to dive into my memories. Tried to think about the happier times, but it grew too painful. It reminded me of what I had lost. What I might never have again. The warmth of the sun. The gentle touch of the moon. The breeze that carried a variety of scents. My siblings. Hagoromo…Even the humans and their odd ways that had always fascinated me. The memories began to hurt. So, I hated instead. That was much easier…And less painful."
Naruto took another step back as the transformation finished.
"Then something out of the ordinary happened. After I was stuck watching, once again, as my body was used as a puppet for the goals of another, I was ripped in half in the most painful way imaginable. I was stuck once again in the seal, but…my other half he woke up. Not in a cage. But, in a crib."
He froze.
(No. Natsuki's face shouldn't twist like that. Natsuki was kind. Natsuki definitely didn't make expressions like that. It was wrong.)
"He was shocked at first. You know? Being able to breathe and feel the natural chakra once more was wonderful, but being stuck in a weak human body? It was difficult to adjust. He didn't understand what exactly had happened, but decided to bid his time and wait until he could escape."
Burning red eyes looked at him with a hint of curiosity in their swirling depths. He tilted his head to the side in a familiar gesture that made Naruto feel like crying.
"Then something changed. I'm still not quite sure what it was. I can see more of the world through him, but it still comes to me in fractured bits and pieces through the seal." He paused. "I don't think it was one moment or event. He probably didn't even notice the slow build of emotions, until one day he had to face the fact that he cared about you. But, I noticed. And no matter how much I screamed at him to stop. To separate himself. He continued. Soon it wasn't just you. But, others as well. Precious people."
He looked down and touched his chest as if puzzled over something. When he looked up it was with a broken little smile, that made Naruto's breathe stutter.
"You know, he comes here sometimes. In his dreams." He blinked. "It's always like this. He's in the cage and you're standing outside."
His face twisted.
"Tell me, Naruto. What do you think you do in those dreams?"
"I…"
It felt like his chest was caving in. He didn't know what to think. Everything seemed wrong. It was wrong to see his brother on the other side of that cage. His kind, smart, brave brother was not a monster! He didn't belong over there!
"What's the matter Naruto? Are you shock that the monster inside of you, is actually your brother? The demon that almost destroyed the village that killed your parents is, in fact, your precious. Little. Brother?"
Naruto clutching at his chest as a sharp pain tore through him and he stumbled back some more.
(No, no, no.)
This wasn't right!
"No, you're an imposter!" Naruto snapped. "You're lying!"
Yes! That was it! He remembered the Hokage telling them about the demon. He said to always be wary and never trust the demon. The Kyuubi was old and cunning and would try to trick them into using his power and setting him free.
He leveled the demon wearing his brother's skin with a triumphant look.
He was ready for the demon to get angry or scared that Naruto was smart enough to recognize his lie. He was prepared for the demon to change into his true form and try and snap at him like he did in his nightmares sometimes.
But, the imposter was still. He merely watched Naruto with that broken little smile that made Naruto's heartache at the sight of his brother's face twisted in such a way. The imposter was silent for a little while.
Then he laughed.
A terribly broken laugh.
"Yes, you're right. It's a beautiful, amazing, fantastic lie." Naruto felt his stomach twist as the broken smile on the imposter's lips fell abruptly. He wasn't sure which was worse, the smile or the dead look he now supported. "And he'll have to realize that soon."
The imposter tilted his head up as if listening for something. It was such a Natsuki move, like everything else he had done, that Naruto felt his chest give another stab of pain at the sight.
(No. It had to be a lie. It couldn't be true. It definitely wasn't true. His brother was sweet and brave, and definitely not the demon they had heard tales about all their lives. He was not the demon that almost destroyed the village and killed so many people. He couldn't be. Could he? No. He couldn't. After all, Natsuki always looked so sad when the subject was brought up and sometimes he looked like he wanted to say something, but then he'd avert his eyes and close himself off...)
He sucked in a breathe.
"Nats-"
"It's time for you to go." The imposter stated calmly. All of the former torment and sorrow was gone from his voice as well. It was flat and cold now. When he grinned at Naruto it looked more like a threat. "Go help your brother, Naruto. It looks like Shukaku has fully awakened, but be aware that you won't be able to use my power."
The world around him started to crumble and fade.
"Hey!" He shouted in a panicked voice. "What do you mean! Is Natsuki in trouble!?"
The imposter merely smiled in a softer, sadder way.
"He's always in trouble for a long as he remains as he is." The imposter turned away from him, his form shifting into the monster he truly was. "Tell him Kurama said hello."
Naruto tried to speak, tried to take a step forward, but he found himself falling into the dark nothingness beneath his feet as the ground faded. He reached out towards the light above him, but there was nothing to stop his fall. He cried out for help. But, no sound came from his lips only bubbles as he was sucked down into a whirlpool of darkness.
As he fell the rumbling voice of the demon echoed in the darkness around him.
"Whether you believe me or not, doesn't matter. You'll find out the truth soon enough. And when you find out... What will you do? My other half should know the answer, but he is still busy suffering under his own disillusions, trying to frantically uphold his lie while cutting himself on the broken shards of truth at his feet. But, I know the answer…do you?"
Naruto thrashed and yelled, but all of his words were lost in the strange water-like darkness that swirled and sucked him down further into its depths.
"You'll break him."
The voice sounded so sad. So, tired.
When he opened his eyes, he found himself staring at a cave wall. He heard the sounds of fighting and felt the ground rumble ominously. Then a scream resounded through the forest, making a chill go down his spine.
His eyes roved over the city. It was nearly noon and on any other day, the city would be as busy as a beehive. Civilians and shinobi alike would be wandering the streets and leaping across rooftops. Today; however, the streets were empty and the silence oppressive. A state of emergency had been called and the citizens were shuffled into the designated safe zones. Hiruzen's gaze drifted to the sky.
It was such a shame.
The sky shouldn't be so bright, nor the weather so ideal on a day like this.
Not when a loyal shinobi had been killed so brutally within their walls. His eyes followed the drifting clouds for a moment and a deep aching sorrow filled his heart.
Another one lost.
Another failure.
They had found his body as the first rays of sunlight peaked over the village, but it was already too late. Any clues to who his murders were had been completely removed, including the murder weapon itself. There was one damning piece of evidence left; however, a single note written on torn cloth in his own blood and seal in the hilt of his katana. Hidden away from the culprits. It was short, only containing three words, but it was enough to bring his perpetrators to justice.
Hayate Gekkō's last act of loyalty toward his village.
The same village that allowed his murder to happen.
Suna. Kabuto. Traitors.
He turned away from the window when he felt a shift in the air.
"What news do you bring?"
"We have taken all Sunagakure shinobi into custody. They fought initially but went quietly after Baki gave the stand down order."
He nodded slowly. "What of the Kabuto Yakushi?"
The anbu member lowered his head in shame. "We were unable to locate him in the village or surrounding area. It is likely that he re-entered the forest once the deed was done."
"I see. Thank you for your efforts." He glanced at Ibiki. "I leave the Sunagakure shinobi in your capable hands, my friend."
The man nodded, the severe expression on his face never changing as he swept out of the room. Hiruzen turned to the door as Shikaku Nara entered just as the door was sweeping shut after Ibiki's exit.
"Hokage-sama, everyone is in position to seal the 44th training grounds and begin the operation." There was a hard look in his eye that Hiruzen rarely saw from the normally laid-back man. It reminded him abruptly that his son and friends children were in the forest now. In the middle of what was about to be a miniature war zone.
"Good. Thank you, Shikaku."
With his mind still on the children, he finally turned to the sensei lined up silently. He took in the solemn expressions and sighed softly. This was likely their worst nightmares come to reality. Their students trapped in a dangerous situation that was completely out of a genin skill range. He was sure the majority of them, the new sensei especially, had only allowed their students to participate because the exam was in the village. And now…
(Another failure to add to his list.)
"As our other shinobi are sealing and begin combating the traitors in the forest, your job as jounin sensei is to find your teams and escort them out. We have given each of you a headset that it wired into the central control where sensors will be on hand to guide you. Once we have the cameras back in operation we will be able to give you even more accurate information. Be aware that it is likely that at least some of them have encountered the enemy. I will send a medic as back-up with all of you and there will be more on hand in the designated medic camp outside of the forest. If you run into Hayate Gekko's team, please escort them out as-"
An anbu member, Eagle, entered the room through the window like an arrow and knelt before him in an almost ungraceful move, that belayed just how much the man was flustered.
"Hokage-sama, we have received reports from our sensors that the Kyuubi's chakra has risen beyond expected levels and... well it appears as though Sunagakure brought their own jinchuuriki and their chakra has spiked as well. They are in the same vicinity, along with a large group of genin. The sensors say the rise in chakra means they are engaged in battle."
He took a breath and nodded. "Thank you for the information."
The masked man bowed his head and disappeared as quickly as he had entered.
He turned back to the sensei. "Go. Find your teams and get them out of there. If you must engage than do so, but your priority is getting the genin away from the battle."
He had barely finished the sentence before the group was gone. He met Shikaku's eyes and nodded.
"Proceed with the operation."
The man swept out of the room barking orders into his headset, undoubtedly going to the designated central command several floors down to oversee and give the necessary orders to the shinobi entering the forest. He turned to the window once more. In the distance, he could almost make out the shimmer of the barrier as the members of the Seals and Barriers division sealed off the 44th training ground.
(Though, knowing his student, that wouldn't stop the man for very long.)
He sighed and rubbed his temples, where he felt a migraine slowly rear its ugly head.
He was entirely too old for this. He should have retired a long time ago, but after the tragedy that occurred after his first resignation and his successor's subsequent death…well, he had been nervous to leave the hat to anyone else. Those he thought were worthy and strong enough to succeed him were not interested in the position and he didn't have the heart to force such a burden onto them. So, he continued to push off choice to another day, another week, another year.
His hand drifted down from his temple to his chest.
It was too late now.
He could feel death calling out to him. It edged closer with every weak beat of his old, regret burdened heart.
(Sometimes it took the form of a snake ready to fight. Other times it was something else entirely. He was never sure which one worried him the most.)
There was a knock at the door, but before he could say a word it opened. He chuckled dryly to himself as he turned to face the man who hobbled in leaning heavily on his cane. Danzo had always been too impatient for his own good. He'd get himself wrapped up in his complicated plots and plans, only to rush when he saw an opening unweaving his own webs.
"Ah, Danzo, I was just about to walk down to the control room. Walk with me and we'll discuss your concerns."
Despite what his mother and teammates thought, Shikamaru had prepared for the chunin exam. In his own way, of course. He had considered and planned for multiple situations. He had a plan for every type of weather and had worked out battle strategies against everyone he knew from the academy. When he figured out the true goal of the first part of the exam, instead of taking a nap like he normally would he observed the other genin around him to get a feel for their personalities, abilities, and possible weaknesses. Upon being told about the second part of the exam he had devised a simple strategy that would allow them to succeed while also limiting exposure to their specific abilities for later battles.
Ino thought that sneaking around and finding weak or unobservant teams to steal strolls from was distasteful, but as far as Shikamaru was concerned if it got the job done, any strategy work.
Of course, despite all his strategizing, he was completely unprepared for this situation.
Then again, the Uzumaki twins were involved so he wasn't surprised he had no plan. They were frustrating like that. He could never plan around them, only react when something insane happened with them at the center of it all. They'd been like that since they were kids and he had decided to accept it. It was less troublesome that way. Usually.
His eyes roved the clearing. Taking in the situation. It felt like a dream or a nightmare.
(He didn't want to be involved in this.)
He looked around taking in the way everyone's attention was on the redhead.
(He could run if he was quick. With everyone's attention on the Suna shinobi, he could grab his team and get away. Orochimaru and the Suna shinobi weren't after them, they probably wouldn't even notice if they ran.)
If that boy was what he was starting to dread he was, then it would be an intelligent course of action.
(And yet.)
He glanced at the people around him. The other genin, rooted in place from their own fear and uncertainty.
"Hey, what's your goal?"
"Eh? I don't really have one. I just want to live an unremarkable life. Nothing too good, nothing too bad."
"What?" The boy laughed in an almost startled manner, his purple eyes glittering with amusement. "That's all?"
"Yeah."
"Well I can't say I blame you, but…I think I'd get bored." Purple eyes drifted over to where Naruto was dangling upside down from a branch trying to get Choji to join him. "There's a certain thrill in the unknown, you know."
"I'd rather take the safe route."
"But, running through the forest is more fun." Another laugh. "You get to feel the wind on your face, the branches tugging at your clothes, and the chakra burning in your veins as you push yourself to the limit."
He shook his head. No. It was better to just leave. Stay safe.
"We're not going to lose."
(I keep saying I just want an unremarkable life…but that's a lie, isn't it? Dammit. Naruto, Natsuki I'm blaming you.)
He gritted his teeth and forced trembling hands into a familiar position that worked like a balm on his frazzled mind. He wished he had more time to think things through, but it looked like no one here was going to allow that, so he went over the details the best he could in the limited time he had.
(There were two big enemies, two smaller ones, and three unconscious or in too much pain to move.)
His eyes drifted over his allies.
(There are twelve of us in total. One is still unconscious, three are varying degrees of injured, and everyone is freaking out. Natsuki currently has some sort of fire-like chakra surrounding him but looks relatively sane otherwise.)
He took a breath.
(Big enemy number one, Orochimaru, was in combat with Natsuki, but Orochimaru seems to want Sasuke. Big enemy number two, Suna kid, is still screaming, but his eyes were focused on Natsuki when he charged in. He is leaking a bunch of chakra and generally looks insane. Not a good combination.)
He took another breath.
(Smaller enemy number 3 and 4 are looking extremely frazzled. Things probably aren't going according to plan for them. They are scared of big enemy number 2, but are still in a loose guard formation around him.)
He closed his eyes slowly.
When he opened them again his heart had calmed to a steady beat.
He glanced at their enemies one more time.
Orochimaru was hanging from a tree branch eyeing the redhaired Suna with consideration, mixed with a larger dose of annoyance. The redhead himself was on his knees clutching his head and muttering quietly to himself, a possible step up from the screaming but he wasn't sure. Particles of sand were floating around him ominously.
He glanced at his allies.
They were generally in the same area. The older team was to his left. The girl had snagged their injured teammate, who seemed to have recovered enough to stand on his own. The Hyuuga had his eyes on the redhead, Byakugan activated and face pale even for a Hyuuga. Choji was by his side with Ino slightly behind him, propping up an injured but still determined looking Sakura. Her own team was beside her looking ready to bolt. He glanced to his right. Sasuke was still kneeling glaring defiantly up at the Snake Sanin.
He glanced at the orange haired Uzumaki, clinging to the branch above his head. His face was pale as a ghost and his eyes wide as he stared silently at the redhead. The flames that had been roaring around him when he exploded from the cave to attack the Sanin, flickered weakly.
He let out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding.
"Ok."
"Finally decided to get serious, eh?" Ino's snarking voice made his eyebrow twitched involuntarily, but he held back a comment.
He needed everyone's cooperation and bickering with his teammates wouldn't give him much authority.
"Hyuuga." Pale eyes snapped to him in narrow defiance. He tried not to sigh. "Your team has the most experience out of all of us. I think you should take on the redhead. It looks like he is good at long-range, but based on his build and from what I saw of his movements he's probably not good with taijutsu. However, I'd be careful of those sand particles. Whatever he can do with them is probably not good. Sasuke, you join them."
He ignored an irate glare from the Uchiha and instead focused on the Hyuuga's unimpressed look.
"Why should we get involved? We have our two scrolls. What's stopping us from just leaving and completing this section of the exam."
Shikamaru met his stare evenly, fully aware that all the genin had their eyes on him. "Because, as I'm sure you noticed, this isn't about the exam anymore. These people are a threat to the village and we're the only ones here to stop them."
(That was an exaggeration. He doubted they'd be able to do much in the face of these opponents, if his theory was correct the redhead was a jinchuuriki and there was no way in hell anyone or even all of them combined could beat a Sanin at their level. But, if they all could work together to just hang on for a little bit…then maybe…)
A slow blink and barely discernible nod was all the answer he got, and for once he thought he understood when his dad came home muttering under his breath about annoying Hyuuga's. His eyes flickered to Sasuke who was still scowling and had decidedly not moved. This time he did sigh.
"Orochimaru is after you. I don't think anyone wants him to get what he wants." He glanced briefly up at Natsuki. "We'll watch your back until help arrives."
The Uchiha followed his gaze and narrow his eye further. He seemed to struggle internally for longer than Shikamaru was strictly comfortable with before turning an even fiercer glare towards him.
"Make sure he doesn't get himself even more injured." He growled before he took off after the older team.
Shikamaru decided not to laugh. He didn't have the time for such lightheartedness, even if he really wanted too. He settled for a rolling his eyes.
(So much for being a friendless loner, huh.)
(At least those two didn't put up much of a fight. They must realize how serious the situation is.)
He turned his gaze back to the rest. "Ok, you guys need to focus on the other Suna shinobi. Make sure you don't underestimate them. I get the feeling no one on that team is your usual run of the mill genin."
"The guy with the purple face paint can control puppets," Sakura muttered in a nasally voice. "Met 'em during the first exam."
"Hey, Sakura-chan…" Ino started. "You should stay out of this, you're already…"
The pink haired girl ignored the words and shoved herself into a standing position, flexing her hands determinedly. He shook his head. If she thought she was still able to fight, he supposed that was up to her.
"Watch it, those two look like they're about to attack the other group."
He received four nods before they took off after the other two Suna shinobi. He sighed and glanced up at the orange haired Uzumaki.
"Hey."
No response. Was he trembling?
His eyes drifted over the other boy. Noting the bandages, dried blood, and the torn clothing. He could guess what happened judging from Sasuke's reaction to Orochimaru, but it didn't seem like Natsuki was all that afraid of the Sanin. Rather his eyes were focused on the redhead.
(Dammit. They didn't have time for this.)
He tossed a rock up and was mildly surprised when it actually hit the boy in the forehead. Bloody red eyes snapped to him and he found himself holding back an automatic flinch. He scowled instead.
"Hey, Orochimaru looks like he's still debating about trying to get Sasuke. Let's make sure he doesn't reach him."
Red eyes blinked slowly as if the boy was struggling to focus.
"Natsuki!" He snapped, ready to throw another rock if he had too.
That seemed to snap him out of whatever it was. The boy took a long breath, the red in his eyes faded and purple bled into them.
"Right." With a nod, the other boy was off at a ridiculous speed towards the Sanin.
Shikamaru shook his head, glancing over at the others. The Hyuuga's team along with Sasuke were circling the redhead, who was now focusing on them rather than muttering to himself. His and Sakura's teammates, on the other hand, were already engaged with the other Suna shinobi. The blond apparently had a strong Wind Release that made it difficult to get close, but he had suspected as much with the fan she carried and knew that Choji should be able to barrel through and Ino could nab her with her specialized Body Switch jutsu.
He sighed.
Those two would be the easiest ones out of their enemies. Overwhelming with superior numbers should work, but the other two…
He glanced at the group trying to get close to the redhead only to be blocked by waves of sand.
(He could only hope that there was back-up on the way.)
He directed his shadow towards the Sanin as the man leaped out of the way Natsuki's rapid taijutsu attack. Goldeyes flashed to him briefly before he dodged easily, the smirk never leaving his face.
Shikamaru didn't even see the attack coming.
His feet were kicked out from beneath him, his ankle yanked, and he suddenly found himself flying. He twisted mid-air to try and control his sudden flight, but he slammed into a tree trunk roughly anyway. He winced as his shoulder flared in pain causing him to slide down a few feet before he had the sense to control his chakra.
(Natsuki, you didn't tell me running through the forest was so painful.)
The boy in question landed slightly above him, crouching vertically on the trunk.
Purple eyes flickered down to the redhead, snarling and directing sand at his opponents before meeting his own eyes.
"Plan."
He blinked and nodded. "If I can touch my shadow to his, I can immobilize him."
(Maybe. He had never tried it on such a powerful opponent before.)
Natsuki nodded and took off again, blocking Orochimaru from making a move towards Sasuke with a barrage of kunai and flames. Shikamaru took off after him, eyes roving their makeshift battlefield for potential tools. They didn't have the time to fully plan out a strategy, the Sanin wouldn't allow that, they could only improvise with what they had.
(Though he wasn't sure how long that would last before the Sanin got tired of their attempts to block him from his goal. He had realized the moment Natsuki exploded from the cave to tackle him, that Orochimaru was merely allowing them to distract him. Had he been serious about getting to Sasuke, to either kill or take his eyes, then there would be no way for genin like them to stop him. Shikamaru didn't know why, he'd more time to think before he could even come up with a solid theory, but he recognized that their lives and Sasuke by extension rested in the man's amusement with their antics.)
The sky suddenly became an eerie red, stopping all movement as everyone's eyes turned upward.
(Right on time.)
He used the distraction to his advantage by bouncing his shadow off several stray kunai to edge around the Sanin. The man flipped out of range without even glancing at him.
He gritted his teeth as an unusual burst of frustration washed over him.
Shikamaru took a breath, glancing up at the red dome that blocked out the sky.
(They've sealed off the forest. The official countdown starts now. Let's see how well we fair.)
It was suffocating.
He clung to the branch, nails digging into the bark as he tried not to curl into himself from the sheer force of the rage.
Rage directed towards him.
(Well deserved rage. He abandoned them. He left them. Didn't bother protecting them. And now look at them. All trapped. All suffering. He deserved every drop of that acidic, boiling fury.)
Kurama flinched and tugged his chakra into himself as more chakra saturated emotions washed over him from the redhead who just entered the clearing. He wasn't screaming now at least, but the mutters didn't sound good.
Was he communicating with Shukaku? Or was this merely an episode of insanity derived from a faulty seal?
He could feel Shukaku closer to the surface than any other interaction he had with the boy since he had entered the village.
(It made his blood run cold. What if…what if Shukaku breaks the seal? His biju brother would be free, but…everyone in the vicinity would be in terrible danger. Everyone…including Naruto…)
He should have been more careful. He knew that Shukaku and his host were still in the forest, but he had hoped they had been far enough away so that he could fight the ridiculously strong shinobi without alerting the other biju of his position. It seemed like it had been fine during the first fight, but he knew the moment he had collided with the newly dubbed Orochimaru after waking up that he had made a mistake.
A very grave mistake that led to this very situation.
His eyes darted between the older shinobi and the redheaded host, Gaara, as he frantically tried to get his mind to reboot itself.
(He could almost hear the screaming from the emotions leaking out. Screams of rage. Screams of pain. It hurt. It cut deep because he knew. He knew. That this was all his fault. If he had just kept them together, then, then…)
(Would he have met Naruto?)
He dug his nails into the bark harder, ignoring the way splinters dug into the tender skin under his nails. However, his grip didn't stop his hands from trembling.
(How do humans deal with guilt? Out of all the emotions, he had come to know, it was the most agonizing one of them all.)
He vaguely heard Shikamaru talking with the other genin, but couldn't force himself to concentrate on them.
No, all he could focus on what the tortured figure that housed his most erratic biju sibling. He clutched himself, fingers digging into his thin, pale arms as he continued to mumble incoherently. His glassy pale green eyes wandered the clearing until he found Kurama's own.
(There was so much pain in those eyes. They screamed, begged for Kurama to help him. To free him from the torment.)
Kurama froze as his breath caught in his throat.
Then something hit him in the forehead. His gaze dropped down to Shikamaru in surprise. It took him longer than it should have to understand what exactly the boy wanted him to do and to remember the other dangerous shinobi in the area.
He glanced at the redhead one last time. The boy's attention was no longer on him, instead, those glassy eyes were tracking his new opponents, mouth twisted into a snarl. He looked like a cornered animal.
(If he had kept them together. Kept them safe, then neither biju nor their hosts would have had to suffer.)
Kurama turned away and shot towards the older shinobi.
He ignored the pain, his movement brought.
He ignored the blinding headache pounding behind his eyes.
And ignored the way those glassy green eyes reminded him of Naruto on the night Mizuki died.
(Coward.)
He slammed into Orochimaru with a kick that the man grabbed with seemingly minimal effort despite the force behind it. He snarled and twisted, bringing his other foot up to kick at his chin and jumped away when the man let go to block.
"Back again? You're very insistent on getting in my way." Orochimaru smirked. "It would be annoying if you weren't so interesting. Tell me little jinchuuriki what's inside that seal of yours?"
Kurama engaged him again with claws and fists this time. A swipe towards the face used as a distraction for a punch to the gut. The man grabbed both his wrists and twist them into a lock. Kurama bent his knees slightly and leaped into the air over the man's head, loosening his hold on his wrists, and attempted a kick to his back.
The movement created a spike of burning pain that ran up and down his leg, making him gasp and falter.
(Right. The burn on his thigh was still healing. Should be fine in another couple of hours, but he didn't have the time to wait it out.)
The man used his hesitation jumped away. Scowling fiercely, Kurama used his momentum to roll into a handstand kick, this time consciously using his other leg instead.
It landed.
But, his satisfaction was cut off by the man dissolving into mud.
"You're not using those flames of yours now. Why is that?" There was a hint of curiosity and amusement in the man's tone. "Is it perhaps because of Suna's jinchuuriki?"
Kurama twisted around to look behind him and glared. He charged in again for another taijutsu attack, but the man leaped away without warning and dove for something behind him. He jerked around, and hesitated, almost slipping off the branch when his vision wavered sharply.
He was too late to prevent Shikamaru from being slammed into a tree.
Kurama winced.
(Stupid. So, caught up in your own issues all of the time. Forget about the people you're supposed to look after.)
He leaped toward the other genin, landing slightly above him on the tree trunk.
"Plan."
His eyes tracked Orochimaru as he listened to Shikamaru's brief explanation. He took a breath and glanced at the redhead. His opponents were dancing around him, dodging sand, but seemingly unable to land a strike.
The rage was still there. It hung in the air, making it hard to breathe, but it was more scattered. Likely due to the host's distraction. However, Kurama knew that as soon as he used more than the bare minimum of chakra Shukaku would notice.
(Coward.)
He scowled.
(I'm always holding back, aren't I? When I think I've taken a step forward I'm always reminded of how far I've fallen. And how long the journey out of this pit is.)
He dove towards Orochimaru again with a barrage of kunai.
Great Fireball Jutsu.
He took a breath, regulating his chakra, before letting out a huge burst of flame from his lips. The flames surged around him. He could feel the moment that Shukaku noticed and he nearly got his head sliced off by Orochimaru's retaliatory wind jutsu because of the wave of sheer hatred washed over him. He dove to the side just in time, landing in the dirt and panting hard.
(The flames surrounding him flickered and he felt his skin itch ominously.)
He met the glaring eyes of a shinobi he didn't know laying on the ground near him, wearing the Oto symbol on his headband. Bandages covered his mouth and he clutched his arm to his chest. Kurama blinked at him for a moment before a spike of rage and chakra signaled him to leap out of the way.
He swallowed as he watched the Oto shinobi get crushed beneath a wave of sand.
Kurama wasn't sure who that was, but his death was surely a painful one.
"AAARRRRGGGG!" The redhead screamed.
"Gaara!" The blond-haired Suna shinobi cried out looking distraught and scared.
More sand flew towards him at an alarming rate. He flared the flames around him and leaped away. As he flew towards Orochimaru to intercept him from making a pass at Sasuke, he felt the rush of displaced air behind him. The sand continued to follow him.
He swerved to the side at the last minute, hoping the sand would hit Orochimaru, but the man leaped away with his annoying smirk still intact.
Kurama growled as he hit the ground and had to roll under another attack.
"Great Fireball Jutsu!" He heard Sasuke bellow.
When he pulled himself to his feet he found his back to his teammate.
"I have a lot of things to say to you." The Uchiha growled, panting just as harshly as Kurama. "So, you better not keel over before I can chew you out."
Kurama couldn't help the weak laugh that passed through his lips, eyes still on Orochimaru as Shikamaru attempted to immobilize him with his shadow jutsu once more. The other boy was getting closer and closer each try as Orochimaru got more distracted.
"You're the one who sounds like your at the end of your rope."
"Of course, I am!" Kurama felt him shift and they both leaped over another sand attack. "I had to take care of two unconscious injured teammates and now I'm back in a battle without resting at all!"
(It's always your fault isn't it? You were too weak to defeat Orochimaru and now Sasuke is paying the price. Too weak to defeat Mizuki and now Naruto still suffers from nightmares. Too weak to take on Zabuza and Haku and Sasuke had to save you not once, but twice.)
(He didn't have to be this weak.)
(He could feel the power broiling underneath his skin. It burned in veins still too weak to handle their full strength. It reached and flickered. Begging him silently to use it to his heart's content. It was his own power after all.)
(But, if they find out.)
He grimaced and tossed a handful of kunai to prevent Orochimaru from lashing out at Shikamaru again.
"Hand of Waves!" Sasuke shouted from behind him. The force of the jutsu pushed him further into Kurama's back. He winced and shifted his weight. He could feel the bandages become wet with blood, but could feel the tingle of chakra slowly healing the burn now that it had finally healed the internal wound. The fact that his chakra was taking so long to heal his wound was very telling.
(There's only so much this body can handle.)
"Nothing is working against this guy." Sasuke murmured.
(That's because, at this point, it's Shukaku handling the sand attacks. It's only a matter of time before he takes complete control of the boy.)
He glanced at the eerie red sky as they dodged another attack in tandem. Surely other shinobi would be here soon.
Gaara gasped and let out a small scream.
Kurama turned in surprise when he felt all the hatred suddenly disappear from the air. He blinked as his eyes focused on the girl on Lee's team standing several feet away from Gaara, hand still outstretched from her throw. The kunai in question was embedded in Gaara's shoulder.
'Shukaku was focusing on me,' Kurama thought distantly. 'So, he wasn't keeping up as good of a defense for his host.'
Everything seemed to freeze in that moment.
The redhead blinked down at the blood dripping from his wound with wide, almost childish eyes.
Then he felt it.
"Everyone get back!" He shouted frantically. "Get away from him now!"
Shukaku screamed.
"Since we were the first people here, do ya think we'll get a special prize or something?"
"The goal of this exam is to gain chunin status, not to win prizes."
"Well, ya, but I mean still. It'd be cool if we got some kind of recognition, you know? What do ya think, Hina-chan?"
Hinata didn't even twitch, her eyes were focused on the forest. She clutched her hands to her chest. Something felt wrong. She had activated her Byakugan, but she couldn't find anything amiss within her range of sight. She bit her lip.
(If she was stronger, like Neji, maybe she could see further.)
Still, even if she couldn't find anything, she couldn't shake the feeling.
She felt a hand on her shoulder, but as she turned back towards he teammates her eyes caught something above them.
"I-is that a-a barrier?" She gasped.
The three of them turned their faces towards the sky the colors warped and shifted leaving the scenery cast in an eerie red glow.
"Wow." Kiba's hand tightened slightly on her shoulder, but she didn't complain. She was too captivated by the chakra she could see weaving through the barrier. It looked like there were a lot of people involved in creating it. She's never seen anything like this
Even though the twisting chakra was captivating she still felt a sinking feeling in her gut. Her eyes drifted across the forest again. If she strained her eyes she could almost see an influx of chakra in the distance. It sent a shiver down her spine.
"So, does that mean we're trapped here?" Kiba stepped forward frowning at the red-tinted world around them. "Why?"
"The better question is with whom are we trapped with?" Shino murmured solemnly.
Hinata wrapped her arms around herself as his words sent more shivers through her.
After a few minutes of watching there was a sudden surge in chakra from the forest. It flared on the edge of her vision. She pushed herself, hands coming up in the snake seal position that her father said was unbefitting of a Hyuuga heiress but helped her concentrate when using her Byakugan, and could see the source of the strange chakra.
She gasped and stopped immediately Hinata stepped back and closed her eyes as she fought back a headache from the strain of pushing her kekkei genkai to far.
"Hinata!"
"Hinata-chan?"
"I-I'm o-okay." She whispered, waving off the concern of her teammates.
(But, whoever's chakra that was isn't. The way the chakra flared and whipped about looked painful. And for some reason it sort-of reminded her of Natsuki's strange chakra.)
"I hope everyone is ok."
Fun Fact: For each pov, I had a least a half a page in notes for what I wanted to happen and how the character was going to react, except for Kurama/Natsuki. All I had for him was literally 'He's freaking out'.
So, let's talk Yang Kurama for a moment since that was from Naruto's pov and Kurama is difficult to understand while he's Natsuki. Basically, he's the other half of Yin Kurama (Our lovable Natsuki), so I figured that they share a strong bond with one another. Two halves of one soul sort-of deal, you know? Meaning Yang Kurama can see/feel more than he normally could have, but the seal on Naruto is definitely more functional than Natsuki's so he gets a lot of the memories and emotions in peices. So, unlike Natsuki who has experienced all these scary emotions first hand, Yang Kurama is merely left with fragments of Natsuki experience leading him to be way, way more suspicious about this whole liking humans deal. On top of that, he feels a little jealous/annoyed that his other half gets to run around while he's still stuck in the seal, making him a bit surly and depressed. (He's also a bit weirded out by getting all these emotions.) Anywho, that'll definitely be expanded on later, so I won't get too much into it here.
Three more chapters left for the chunin arc! I'm so excited to see what yall say about this and future chapters. I've enjoyed all the reviews and the predictions yall have been making! They always put a smile on my face. So, thanks!
Next Chapter is the thrilling conclusion to this train wreck of a battle. Who will win? Who will lose? And will I kill off any more beloved characters?
Preview: "Sasuke! Sasuke, please listen to me! Things are probably going to get crazy after this. I don't know what's going to happen to me, but please. Promise me you'll protect Naruto. If I'm…If I can't…Please, just promise me you'll stay by his side. He needs someone…you both do. Promise me."
So, it's almost 2 in the morning here, so I'm going to go to be and worry about typos tomorrow. Lol.