Back again with another update for you all, let me know what you all think of this chapter and sorry for the wait.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything Naruto or The Owl House related, all ownership goes to their rightful owners.
-Chapter Begin-
"I think I'm starting to hear it!"
"Shh, you're going to give us away human!"
"Can't it just smell us anyways?!"
The three were moving through the cavern fast, yet as they did the area seemed to be getting smaller and smaller as they continued in one direction yet luckily they appeared to be going upwards. Amity and Luz were leading the way while Naruto was behind them, being carried by the abomination with the blood no longer leaking yet he still had a deep cut above his right eye while his leg appeared to be looking normal again. In his right hand, he held a ball of fire yet it was flickering nonstop.
"Guys…" As he called, it was at this point they had stopped as well, finding themselves at a crossroads that took the form of a multitude of pathways breaking off into different directions with one going upwards. This sight unnerved the two girls who looked at each other with Naruto frowning as he watched from where he was held before looking back worriedly.
"Let's just continue upwards, soon enough we'll make it to the top." Luz said with a smile despite the fact it wasn't all too confident with the fact that 'something' is chasing them. Naruto watches her start to make her way toward the obvious choice until her friend spoke up.
"Amity, how long can you keep your golem up for while not nearby?" This question got her attention as she stared at him in confusion.
"For about ten minutes if I fo—" Amity's eyes widen in realization. "Wait, you can't be serious!"
"I still can't walk by myself, at this point, it's better if you continue forwards. I'll do my best to distract it, besides I—" He was abruptly cut off by Luz stepping towards him with a look of disbelief on her face.
"No!" Her sudden outburst stopped them with Amity looking back and glaring at the girl for speaking too loudly yet found at a loss of words from the girl looking now determined.
"I'm not just gonna leave you with whatever that thing is, Naruto I may not have magic but I can still help in other ways as well!" As Luz finished speaking, she noticed her light was dimming again and turned the light to its lowest setting.
"Luz, you already know what our position is at the moment, if I draw them—"
"NO!" This time, he noticed tears forming in her eyes. "You're my first true friend, I don't want to take the chance of losing you." At that point, Amity and Naruto just stared at her yet the blonde's eyes widen.
"Luz—" At that point, Naruto froze as his ears started twitching and his expression turned shocked.
"We need to move, now!" Seeing his expression, Luz turned to Amity with a pleasing look which in turn caused her expression to harden, and with a wave of her hand the abomination places Naruto in front of them which Luz runs to his side, helping him stand with Amity getting to the other as they hurry up the pathway heading upwards with Naruto's fire almost gone.
"It will try drawing its attention towards another direction but it won't last long—" Amity stops upon them turning a corner to find once more a massive cavern but this time appears to be an old mine with barely any light in the room thanks to very small cracks on the ceiling.
"Great, another cavern—" Amity stopped as her eyes widen and turned back from where they came, the expression she had was disbelief while Naruto's eyes widen as he too realized something.
"The abomination is gone?"
"I can't hear its movement?"
And with that, they felt it as the earth below their feet began to shake and start to crack enough for the three to realize what was happening and in the seconds to follow, Naruto had transformed into his fox form that shoved both girls aside as the ground burst to reveal three grotesque tongue tendrils tipped with mouths that bit down on Naruto, this gained a painful shout from the boy much to Luz's horror.
"Naruto!" Luz points her dim light on what was doing it while Amity prepares herself, both of the girls being met with horror at what was slowly rising from the ground.
What it looked like was a large misshapen worm creature of sorts before the two girls, its mouth had rows of sharp teeth while three tongues were sticking out, wrapped around the fox with its large black pupils focused on the boy, too.
"RAAAAAAAOOOWWWWRRRRR!" Its roar was deafening as Luz and Amity grabbed their ears with Naruto using his paws, trying to block out the sound he was then picked up by the large creature and dangled above its head while its mouth opened wide. This sight just horrified Luz while Amity thought fast, she got to her feet yet upon doing so it jerked its head towards her and tilted it before one of the tongues retract from Naruto and shot out towards Amity who wasn't fast enough as the mouth on the tongue bit down on her arm yet she quickly uses her magic to create a sort of an Abomination that hits the worm creature, gaining a roar as the tongue retreats from Amity to attack the abomination but at this point Amity hit the ground, shaking while it focuses on Naruto again yet that was enough of a distraction.
The fox was now gone, gaining a confused tilt as it lost its hold on the boy before feeling movement yet it couldn't react fast enough as something massive bit down on the creature, gaining a shriek as it was thrown across the room the massive beast that bursts with smoke to reveal Naruto laying on the ground, hurt once again and shaking as he had several deep bite marks on his skin. At this point, Luz was terrified as she watched the monster rolling in pain as a deep bite mark was seen on its body.
"Luz…run!" As she heard her friend say that, Luz started to get up and runs to Naruto's side.
"NO… RUN—" He couldn't finish as he was shaking again with Luz staring in horror before she heard the deafening roar of the monster, both turning to see it charging in anger towards them yet she didn't run but held Naruto in her arms protectively with her phone falling from her pocket and in turn creating a flash, resulting in the monster suddenly slithered back. The sight just shocked the two and Luz realized something.
"Light…" Her eyes widen at recalling King's teachings and quickly try's doing it again yet found it would turn on completely but flashing due to the screens cracks.
"Work, work, work, work, oh dios por favor!" As the tears were already built up in her eyes with the monster calming down now while Naruto could just stare at Luz while she held him, seeing she was on edge. Luz was staring at her staticing screen in fear until she finally noticed something on her phone cracked screen, a symbol that was glowing. Quickly she dug into her pockets and pulled out a crumpled notebook that was torn and a broken pen with ink leaking and quickly she drew the symbol with what light she had left as her phone was dead with the monster looking in their direction.
"Lu…z!" He barely was able to say her name while it slithered right for them while opening its mouth just as Luz tapped it, causing an orb of light to form from the paper and in turn causing the monster's eyes to widen as it abruptly came to a stop, screeching at them and not getting close as it started moving around wildly again from the mere sight of the bright light in the darkness. Seeing this, Luz took her chance and started to pull Naruto towards Amity who was still incapacitated, laying him next to her as both were shaking before she turns towards the monster that was extremely agitated as it moved around erotically while trying to avoid the light.
"Naruto, we need light! Can you summon any fire?!" Her question couldn't gain a response from the teen yet he tried to breathe to release fire from his mouth yet he instead coughed badly as small amounts of blood came from it, his gaze looking at the steaming wound in his side that was healing before they heard the deafening roar once more with Amity only able to watch in horror, the three only able to look as it was charging right for them with Luz moving fast as she takes out another paper to draw another light yet realized it was too late as it opens its mouth wide, threatening to devour all three of them. That was until the abrupt involvement of another in the form of owls, owls erupting from the earth and entangling the monster that has begun to move wildly, much to her shock.
"NARUTO!" The girl turns to see the arrival of Eda on her staff and the Butler, the Witch flew down at their side with her eyes widening at seeing the condition Naruto was and all he could do was form a weak smile which caused Eda to turn in rage as she starts spinning her staff just as a large circle was lit in the room and from it rises a massive owl head like a cylinder that heads right for the worm monster who couldn't escape as it was slammed into and through the floor that collapsed with it falling through.
"Whoa…" That was all Luz could say before she snapped out of it and looks down at Naruto who was shaking along with Amity with the Butler crouching to get a closer look, his single viewable eye looking over Naruto.
"We were being chased—" She was cut off by the man making a 'shh' with his hand before opening his jacket and pulling out a book with a particular design of nine magatama's on it. The sight of it surprised both Luz and Eda as he opens it and instantly it starts flipping pages by itself before stopping on one page which immediately the Butler took out his violin bow and cuts his finger on it before placing his thumb on the page before tapping twice, gaining a puff of smoke to reveal two vials. He extends one to Luz while he lifts the weak Naruto by his head.
"Give this to the girl, it will counteract the Corpse Worm's venom." With that said, she took it while the man proceeds to pour it into his mouth yet almost immediately the teen makes a discomforted expression.
"You will need this if you don't want to die." That was all he said as the last bit of it was drank by the heir yet in the moments that passed he appeared to relax.
"How did you know what it was and have the cure?" Eda's suspicion rose as she was staring at the Butler who had pocketed the book.
"The book can sense any illness and reveal a cure if it's been cataloged, I was given it when I was sent to retrieve the Prince, tho any new illness that has appeared since the last time the author had come here will not have a cure in the book." Hearing that, Eda just still stares at him with her untrusting gaze but she turns away to focus on Naruto, it was at this point Luz approached him.
"Thanks, if it wasn't for you…" Liz looked quite scared at the thought yet the Butler stared at her.
"You must be quite lucky." This got her attention as she looked up. "As you can see, if not for them you would have been long dead—" He stops when he found Eda's staff at his chin.
"That's enough!" The woman stood in front of the two unconscious ones.
"Why should I, it was obvious that she was the weakest link." Slowly the human looked down at her feet guiltily. "This is why humans have no place—" He was cut off by the words of one fox.
"Shut…up…" This caused the three to look at Naruto, barely staying awake as he was looking at the Butler.
"If not…for Luz…we wouldn't be here." This got a head tilt from the man. "She…blinded it…with some kind of ball of light…that appeared." At that point, the Butler's one eye widened before he looks at the human who in turn was running over to Naruto with Eda.
"That's not possible, that's inconceivable. A child, more so a human at that can't learn Glyph magic that fast, even for a natural born it would still take time yet she was able to see the sign after just coming here?!" The butler just stares at Luz, mixed thoughts on the Human before his attention returned to Naruto now resting.
(Happpy Birthday to you~~)
(Why was I born like this?)
(They wouldn't leave me alone, said I was a freak.)
Slowly, a pair of red sclera eyes open to reveal a faint pink glow to them that fades away as soon as it appears, what his eyes were greeted by was the sight of an all too familiar ceiling. The teen didn't react much but blinked in surprise before from the corner of his eye he noticed it, turning to his eighth he found one Luz sleeping on the floor with a pillow and blanket while sleeping on the bed with him was King. It was at this point he felt sleep trying to reclaim him once more yet he moves his head to look out the window, seeing as it was nighttime before his ears perk, and turn his head towards the other side of the room to find an awake Eda staring at him in shock before she smiles and got up to approach him.
"Ho—…?" His eyes widen in realization at how tired he was before noticing something slide off his head yet Eda picks it up, revealing it to be a wet rag she places back on his forehead.
"Sleep." That was all she said before turning her back to him, causing the boy to smile as his eyes start to close while Eda reaches the door and silently starts opening it until she heard it.
"Ok…Mom." Eda froze at the door, her eyes widening as she turns back to look at the sleeping child and the sight caused her to smile. In the end, she walked out the door to find the Butler standing there, arms crossed and frowning while Eda shut the door with her eyes locked with his.
"What's with you, you've been overly silent since we got back?" As she asked him that, the butler turns his back to her.
"It's nothing that concerns you, Witch." At this point he found himself leaning against the wall with Eda's staff at his throat.
"Don't think I trust you." Eda pokes the man on the chest with an untrustworthy gaze. "I've got my eye on you."
"And I have my eye on you," He grabs the staff. "after all the only threat to the prince I see was the one who attempted to maul him." At that point, her eyes narrow until he said something that caused her to stop.
"He froze up when he saw you in that state, acting like a scared little animal that's been traumatized. If not for me who knows what would have happened—" He stops mid-sentence upon her staff glowing.
"Watch what you say, they're stronger than you think." This got a tilt of the head before he realized it.
"Their? Oh, you're including that peculiar human girl that shares a friendship with the young master." The look he had in his single eye and the expression he held was more of disgust, causing Eda to grit her teeth.
"Don't think I'm clueless on the whole issue when it comes to humans in the Demon Empire so I'll warn you if you try anything that puts her in danger I'll put you six feet in the ground. Besides," their gazes continued to lock. "last I recall, you seemed pretty shocked when Luz was able to pull off that magic, did the act of doing that catch you off guard?" At this point, a vein started appearing on the butler's forehead who was now glaring at the woman but in the end, he breathes out and knocks the staff away so he could start walking away from Eda with his hands going in his pockets.
"I'm just gonna say this once so listen here, you weird-looking butler!" This got a raised eyebrow from the guy who stops and glances back at her. "Your shady, refusing to give your name but Butler, showing up out of the blue and declaring Naruto to be some prince that was lost and you want to take him home, I don't buy it or trust ya…trust you…but" She breaths out with his attention more focused as she was calming down
"If what you say is true then you know how to train Naruto." The butler looks away again. "He's only been able to do some things such as create a clone, transform, and create fire. If he doesn't know anything else, I want you to teach him his—" She was abruptly cut off while turning away.
"Pointless." He was about to walk away when Owlbert separates from the staff to float in front of him while Eda approaches.
"How is teaching him pointless?"
He looked back at her once more, clear annoyance on his face but he still spoke.
"—" As he finished speaking, Eda's eyes were wide and shocked with the Butler turning away yet Eda stepped forward.
"But if that's true, what about —" He didn't even bother to turn again but continued walking as he spoke.
"—" Eda just stood there, clearly shocked at what she had heard.
"I'll be making tea." That was all he said as he walked into the kitchen, leaving Eda by herself while Owlbert returns to her staff. It was at this time the two hadn't realized back in the room with the three sat a wide-eyed Luz who was laying against the door, looking as if she had overheard one of the worst things imaginable before looking up at the sleeping Naruto with clear worry.
CHAPTER END-Whatcha think? Good and bad, want to know what you all think.