Helpful note: Disclaimer & warnings are in the first chapter.
~o0o~
Iruka stands next to Gai and pierced his thumb against his fang once again. He squeezed out a drop of blood and lets it fall inside Gai's mouth. Iruka's right hand softly glowed before it's consumed with his flowing black-blue power. He placed his palm on Gai's chest and Iruka becomes worried. Gai's body feels a lot colder than before.
'Please, don't let it be too late…' Iruka's power induced hand zap's the Green Beast sending an array of shockwaves throughout Gai's body.
"Anyone who drinks Iruka's blood will be healed?" Ibiki asked the demon cat as they all watch the wolf-eared chuunin.
Maneki shook her head, "No, it's not that simple. Iruka's master has to willingly concede and offer Iruka's blood. If Iruka were to do it of his own accord he would suffer a great deal of pain and probably die. It will never work if it's taken by force either. Secondly, Iruka must activate his blood within the other in order for it to spread and begin its healing. Other than that, Iruka's blood is no different than yours."
Iruka suddenly yelped in pain when he is attacked by his own power and lurches back. He falls to his hands and knees vomiting blood.
"Iruka!" Maneki and Kakashi run to the chuunin's side.
At the same time, Gai's back arched and released a strangled gasp before his body starts to spasm violently.
"Gai!" Shizune cried out and hurries to her love's side.
"He's going into shock!" Tsunade exclaimed. She quickly injects Gai with a sedative while Ibiki holds Gai down.
"Iruka! Hang on, Iruka!" Maneki cried as she held onto her chuunin.
Iruka continues to cry out in agony feeling his insides burning and deteriorating. His own power and blood are painfully killing him and Gai. Iruka looks up, tears streaming down his cheeks as he watched Tsunade trying to resuscitate Gai while Shizune desperately feeds him the last of her healing chakra.
"I'm sorry, Gai…" Iruka choked out. He turns to his longtime friend and guarding, "I'm sorry, Maneki…" Iruka took in one last breath before his heart stops and goes limp.
"No… No, no, no! No! Iruka!" Maneki cried.
"Let him go!" Kakashi takes Iruka away from the demon cat and lays him out on the floor. He lowers his mask and quickly performs CPR on the chuunin. Kakashi feels for a pulse – nothing, "Dammit!" he repeats the procedure again, but seconds are ticking by with no results.
"Iruka, don't go!" Maneki cried, "Don't leave me behind!"
"Gai, stay with me!" Shizune cried.
Everyone is a hysterical mess in the white room trying to save their most beloved people. Seconds – a minute goes by like a tortures eternity. All of their lifesaving attempts are proving futile. Time was running out and everyone's desperate cries grow louder at a complete and utter loss.
Tsunade holds on tightly to a weeping Shizune. Ibiki bows his head in silence. Maneki is on the floor next to Iruka, clinging to the chuunin and soaking through his vest with her never-ending tears.
To Kakashi... the world disappears from the jounin leaving him alone in a silent darkness. His single eye watched Iruka's motionless body. He can see Iruka's beautiful light slowly leaving him. That light… that light Kakashi loves so much in the chuunin. That light that has always lit his darkness and helped him endure the hardships of his own life without the chuunin even knowing about it.
'What will I do now…?' Kakashi leans down, his hitai-ate touching the chuunin's forehead and his gloved hands cup the chuunin's cheeks. His gloveless fingers idly caress the teacher's cheek. He can feel Iruka beginning to lose his warmth. Kakashi closed his single eye, finding it hard to breathe. 'I don't want you to leave, Iruka…'
'Eh…?' Maneki pulls back from the chuunin feeling something pulse within him. She sees Kakashi leaning over her chuunin. 'What is he - ?'
'You can't leave, Iruka… Not now… Naruto still needs you. Konoha needs you.' Kakashi opened his eye and looks at Iruka's closed ones, 'I need you…'
Maneki pulls further back watching the pair while wiping her tears away. She looks at Kakashi's woeful expression and wonders what is going on, because… She looks at her chuunin and feels something continuously stirring within Iruka.
Kakashi smirked remembering all those times the stubborn and determined Academy teacher never backed out of a fight. Never took shit from anyone, not even from the infamous Copy-nin. 'You are not weak, Iruka. You are stronger than this. Wake up and show me how stubborn you can be!'
Kakashi suddenly had to pull away from the chuunin when Iruka and Gai simultaneously gasped for air when their bodies bolted back to life.
"Iruka! Gai!" everyone cried out.
The moment Iruka's illuminated brown-amber eyes opened; shimmering strips of veils of Iruka's black-blue power wrap and cover Gai's body like a cocoon. The veils quickly sink into his body making Gai's body glow for a few seconds before miraculously healing every inch of his body from the inside out. Not a single cut or bruise is to be seen. Even Gai's right hand had been restored. It was disturbing yet miraculous to see his arm grow out every bone, vein, muscle, skin, and nail until it was fully completed.
Tsunade quickly checked Gai's vital signs and deemed him stable before Shizune could tackle her Green Beast and cry out his name.
Maneki helped her chuunin sit-up and leaned his body to rest against her own. She wrapped her arms around the chuunin, "Ru, are you ok?"
Iruka closed his eyes tiredly, "I don't… feel s-so good…" a thin stream of blood leaked out of his mouth. The chuunin winced with pain. "… It hurts..."
"Sssh... Don't talk," Maneki holds her chuunin closer, "Rest, Ru… rest..."
Kakashi bowed his head and pulls up his mask to hide his relief, 'Thank goodness…'
Naruto finally knocks away his last opponent. He breathes heavily as he readjusts his hitai-ate and looks around himself to make sure everyone was out cold. He sees many nins from his village and others from neighboring villages as well. Naruto was very careful not to gravely injure any of them.
"Impressive, Uzumaki-sama, very impressive indeed."
Naruto looks up at the voice and sees a cloaked person. He glowered, "Who are you?"
They unbutton their cloak, pull back their hood, and let it fall. A lovely looking woman, tall and slender is revealed. She has long straight black hair with dark orange tips. Her eyes are dark brown with white pupils. Light skin and a foreign tattoo symbol on her forehead. She wears a tight fitting custom made ninja outfit but bears no hitai-ate.
"My name is Nami," she introduced herself as four more cloaked strangers emerge out of the forest like dark woodland spirits. The four cloaked strangers stand behind Nami like statues – all of them emanating a precarious aura. Each of them pulled back their hoods to reveal three young females and one young man, all about the same age as Naruto.
"He is strong, mother," the female with the shortest black hair said as she eyed the Jinchuuriki up and down.
"But not that strong," the young man scoffed.
"Hush you two. Uzumaki-sama will soon be complete for me," Nami's eyes twinkled with mirth.
Naruto took out a kunai and held it out in warningly. He glared at them, "Where is Sasuke?"
Nami smirked, "What makes you think I have him?"
Naruto glared harder, "I recognize your voice in Sasuke. Now where is he?!" he demanded.
"No need to get all worked up, Uzumaki-sama. The Uchiha is right here with us," the young female with the black wavy hair said. She slipped her right arm out of her cloak and waved her hand idly.
A rustling was heard and Naruto's eyes grow wide when he sees Sasuke stepping out of the foliage. To add more to Naruto's concern, he sees Sasuke cradling Kurama in his arms. But the little demon fox looked unconscious and ill. Naruto can hear Kurama's little wheezes trying to breathe.
"What did you do to Kyu?!" Naruto yelled.
Sasuke stood next to Nami and handed over the little demon fox to her. Nami runs her hand over Kurama, petting his luxurious soft red fur like some pet. "He could be a nice pair of warm mittens."
Within a blink of an eye, Naruto attacked. "Give them back!"
The third young female with the high black ponytail moved faster than Naruto. She sped through some hand-signs that created a shield around her party and blasted the blond ninja back with a sonic boom.
Naruto cried out as he was thrown back and crashed on the ground. His face, his hands, his hair, and clothes fizzled and fumed from that powerful jutsu.
Nami watched with interest while her four companions laughed hearing Naruto groan in pain. Sasuke's expression remained blank, but his fingers twitched just barely when the blond was hit.
The four slowly drew quiet. Eyebrows rising with surprise when they saw the blond trying to get up. The young female with the high ponytail seethed watching the blond standing. She, being the oldest and strongest, her powerful jutsu has been known to take down an army with a single blast of her chakra. It enraged her to see this young ninja lifting himself up.
The girl dashed full speed toward Naruto, jabbing him on his stomach with her knee and releasing another sonic blast of her chakra at him. Naruto's body was forced back onto the ground. The dirt ground under Naruto dips and cracks underneath him. The girl smirked seeing the pain on the blonde's face and the trail of blood leaking out his mouth. No doubt she's probably damaged a few of his organs.
But her triumph didn't last long when she sees Naruto's eyes open and glare determinedly back at her. His hands grab hold of her legs trying to shove her off. The female grinds her teeth in anger and shoves the blond back down with another forceful push causing the ground to break and crack further. Regardless of the burning pain and powerful gravity, Naruto refused to release her legs and still tried to shove her off.
She slammed her palms against the blonde's chest and continued to blast the ninja with all she had, "Why won't you stay down?!" she roared.
The female with the black wavy hair suddenly felt the Uchiha's perception stirring. She looked at him with stupor, 'that's… impossible…' The Uchiha is supposed to be under her definite control, but he was reacting to the blonde ninja. She looks back to Nami, "mother…"
Nami continues to smile sadistically watching the future Hokage being plummeted repeatedly to the ground while petting Kurama's fur. "Yes?"
"Mother, the Uchiha is… fighting back."
Nami paused in her petting and looks at the Uchiha. She narrowed her eyes seeing Sasuke's sweaty brow and trembling hand. Though his expression still remained blank, the Uchiha was fighting for control over himself. "Take control, Akane," she hissed angrily.
"Yes!" Akane raised her right hand and made a fist. Her hand glowed with her red chakra, strengthening her power over the Uchiha.
"Yua!" Nami yelled at the young female holding down Naruto. "Enough!"
Yua blasted Naruto one last time before removing herself from the blonde and walking back to her other companions.
"Shun, bring him to me," Nami ordered the young man by her side.
"Yes, mother." Shun walked up to Naruto, grabbed him by his ankle, and drags him back. With one final pull, Shun tossed Naruto before Nami's feet.
Nami hands over the demon fox to her son. She looks down at the blonde ninja, "You and your partner-"
"Husband," Naruto corrected her while trying to sit up, which earned him a punch from the female with the short black hair.
"Thank you, Mayu," Nami said to the girl.
"My pleasure, mother," Mayu smiled while cracking her knuckles.
"As I was saying," Nami leans down and holds Naruto's chin up to look at his face. "You and your partner are very impressive. I didn't think my perfect creations would have flaws against you both." She shoves Naruto's face away and straightens herself up, "Nonetheless, what's done is done." She walks up to Yua and cups her cheeks. Her thumb slowly caresses her daughter's left cheek earning her a fond smile from Yua. Nami smiled in return before quickly twisting Yua's head and snapping her neck.
Naruto's eyes widened with shock and horror.
Mayu, Shun, nor Akane react to their mother killing their eldest sibling.
Nami released Yua's head and lets her lifeless body fall to the ground. "But flaws are flaws and they have no room within my perfect family."
"Lady…" Naruto looks up at Nami with revulsion, "you are insane. You just killed your own child!"
Nami crouched down in front of Naruto and laughed amusingly, "Why so angry, Uzumaki-sama? She caused you pain. She would've killed you too if I had allowed it. And I'm sure you were probably thinking of different ways to kill my daughter. So why bother feeling sympathy for someone like her?"
"Maybe you're right," Naruto narrowed his eyes at Nami, "but flaws are not imperfections. They are motives and reasons to improve. You do not just dispose of someone because they have flaws, especially your own child!"
Nami laughed and ruffled Naruto's hair, "You're too cute. Naïve, but cute."
Naruto slaps her hand away, "What do you want from me?"
Nami smiled wickedly, "Ah, now you see, this is where things become interesting for you, Uzumaki-sama. With your help, I can perfect Yua and remove her flaw."
Naruto was confused. He looked at Yua's lifeless body and back at Nami. Perfect Yua? Did this woman not realize she just killed her own daughter? "I stand corrected. Lady, you are insane."
Nami laughed and stood up, "Get him up," she ordered.
Akane and Mayu grabbed Naruto's arms and stood him up on his own two feet.
Nami walked up to Sasuke and draped her arm over his shoulders. Her fingers combed through his black hair like a smitten lover. "He's quite handsome, isn't he?"
Naruto growled under his breath.
Nami walked behind the Uchiha and wrapped her arms around his strong chest and leaned her chin against his shoulder. "Don't worry, Uzumaki-sama, he's not the one I need. The Uchiha bloodline may be strong, but it also possesses its own flaws. You, on the other hand, possess a bloodline that continues to excel and surpass its own limits. You are the missing piece to my perfect family. With your blood and chakra, my children will be flawless."
Naruto furrowed his brow, "Sorry, lady, but I have no intention of joining your team and becoming one of your children."
Nami laughed and approached the future Hokage. She wrapped her arms around Naruto's neck, "Silly, who said anything about you becoming my child?"
Naruto raised a confused eyebrow, "Meaning…?"
"You, Naruto Uzumaki, will be the father to my perfect children," Nami said before she gave the blonde a quick peck on the lips and pulled away.
Naruto's expression looked somewhere between shock and disgust. "W-what…?" he cringed as if he just swallowed his own vomit.
Sasuke's consciousness stirred and Akane once again had to tame the Uchiha.
Nami didn't fail to notice this and steps up her other daughter. "Akane here is my youngest. Her power to control everyone is supposed to be superb. That is… until she came across the Uchiha. Are we having trouble with him, Akane?" Nami asked a bit irritated.
"Yes, mother," she answered unafraid.
Naruto looked between the two and wondered if Nami was going to kill her as well. But that didn't matter to Naruto. What matters is that he just found out that it's Akane who has that powerful jutsu controlling Sasuke and the others. If he can only get Akane to release the jutsu or kill her if he has to. Her death would probably be his only option, considering the fact that she seems unconcerned that her own mother could kill her too because of her flaw.
"But alas, your imperfection will have to wait," Nami said. She looks back at Naruto, "Uzumaki-sama, with your help I can rid my – our children of these flaws." Nami steps up to Naruto and wraps her arms around him again, "We will create the perfect family. A perfect bloodline. With you by my side, this world will be ours." Nami leans in to kiss Naruto, but he quickly jerks his head away.
Naruto glares, "I don't know in what fantasy world you live in, but I am not having kids with you lady."
Nami looks pissed and backs away. "You are a dying breed, Uzumaki-sama. You are the last of your kind. You being with" she looks at the Uchiha and scoffed, "him will mean nothing in the end." She looks back at Naruto with sympathy, "He cannot give you what I can. Your legacy will live on through me. I can give you a family. I can give you every-"
"Nothing," Naruto interrupted. "You can give me nothing." The blond looks at his spouse, "I would give anything to have a family with Sasuke. To have children of our own, but…" He looks back at Nami with sincerity, "I would rather choose extinction than having a family with someone other than Sasuke."
Nami frowned at the blond ninja for a brief moment before she sighed and shook her head. "You are very stubborn, Uzumaki-sama. That's not cute at all."
"I'm glad to disappoint you," Naruto said.
"Either way, it's cute of you to think you actually have a choice in the matter. Akane! Shun!" Nami calls out to her kids.
Shun pulls out a dagger and holds it over Kurama's body. Akane used her controlling jutsu to make Sasuke hold his own katana against his throat.
Naruto's eyes widen as he holds his breath.
Nami circles around the blonde Jinchuuriki while touching him intimately with the tips of her fingers. "You see, Uzumaki-sama, I'm giving you a choice. Do as I say and no harm will come to the man you love and your demon fox. Don't follow my orders and they die. It's very simple."
Naruto clenched his fist and bows his head, "What must I do?"
Nami faced the blonde and lifts his chin making Naruto look her in the eyes. "First, a test. Let Akane infect you. Let her control you. And then, I will order you to destroy Konohagakure. If you succeed, I will let you keep the Uchiha and the fox as pets."
Naruto's eyes widen with horror. He felt his heart drop. His body felt cold. "Y-you… you can't ask me to..." his voice trembled. "How can I possibly…" He couldn't! He wouldn't! He will not attack and destroy his home. He will not hurt his friends, his comrades, the villagers. "No! I won't do that!" he yelled angrily at the young woman. He gasped into silence when he saw Nami standing next to Sasuke, seeing her scoop a drop of blood from Sasuke's sword with her fingertip.
Nami licked her finger and faked a pout, "What a shame. And here I thought this man meant more to you. Akane."
Akane's hand glowed red and Sasuke moved to slice his own throat.
Naruto held out his hand and yelled, "Wait!"
"Yes?" Nami innocently smiled.
"I'll…" a single tear rolled down Naruto's cheek, "I'll do it."
Nami smiled victoriously, "Good, very good." She held out a hand to Akane and Akane handed her two of her infected red needles. Nami handed one needle to Shun before walking up to Naruto, "Now, give me your hand, Naruto-love."
Naruto cringed at her sweet pet name but did as told and held out his hand for Nami. She turned his hand over and lifted his sleeve to reveal the blood vein on his wrist. Naruto looks at Sasuke's emotionless empty eyes, "Forgive me…"
Nami pierced Naruto's vein with the needle and at the same time, Shun stabbed Kurama with the second needle.
Maneki takes hold of Iruka in her arms and stands as if the chuunin didn't weigh a thing. "I must go now. The village isn't safe with Iruka here."
Kakashi stood, feeling distressed by the demon cat's words, "Go? Go where?" He felt a chill run down his back at the thought of Maneki taking Iruka away.
Tsunade stepped forward, "I understand. For how long?"
Maneki looked at Iruka's ill features, "I don't know. It's hard to tell. Using his Healing-blood took a great toll on him. I'd say… maybe a year."
Kakashi's eye widens, "You're taking Iruka-sensei away that long? Why?" His heart raced with frightening alarm. No, he can't lose Iruka now. He needs to know more of Iruka. Iruka has to stay. For fuck sake! Kakashi felt an indescribable need to keep Iruka near him.
"Jounin!" Tsunade spoke up with undeniable authority, "step down."
Kakashi wanted nothing more than to rip Iruka from Maneki's arms, but he couldn't. He exhaled quietly and shakily took a step back to stand next to Ibiki.
Maneki had watched the jounin cautiously when she sensed Kakashi's chakra stir restlessly and loosened her hold on Iruka when the jounin obey his Hokage. She looked back to Tsunade, "When Gai wakes up - when your village finds peace once again, send Gai to us. He'll know where to find us."
Tsunade stepped closer to Maneki. She gently petted Iruka's head, "I will." She frowned seeing at how sick Iruka looked. She looks back at Maneki, "Please take care of him."
Maneki smiled and bowed her head at the Hokage, "I will."
"Please…" Shizune spoke up. The demon cat turned to look at Shizune still by Gai's side. "Please, tell Iruka thank you for me."
Maneki smiled at the human female, "You can tell him yourself when he returns." Maneki faced the others, "I must go now."
Maneki stepped up to the large windows. She raised one hand toward the windows. Maneki chanted something in her foreign tongue. Her voice echoed. Her eyes glowed brightly. A beautiful sigil appeared out of thin air before the windows and transformed into a glossy liquefied portal.
Kakashi's heart wouldn't stop racing. His heart nearly shattered seeing Maneki bid farewell once more and take a step toward the portal. 'No… no… no…!'
The silver-head jounin was half a second away from jumping after them when the earth rumbled and exploded with great magnitude. The glass windows exploded into millions of shards. The ceiling, the walls were coming down. Dark smoke rushed past the windows shrouding everything in darkness and smog. The air smelled like fire. Everyone took cover as much they could. ANBU had instantly teleported in to protect the Hokage. Ibiki helped Shizune with Gai. The portal had closed when Maneki took shelter in a corner to shield Iruka from any falling debris and Kakashi quickly stood over them to further cover them.
"Get them out of here!" an ANBU ordered to the rest of the ANBU.
Two ANBU teleported away with the Hokage. The rest of the ANBU assisted Ibiki and the others and quickly took them away as well.
A short moment later Maneki blinked and coughed a few times before looking around a dimly lit room, "Where are we?"
"In a secret base outside of Konoha," Kakashi answered.
The earth continued to shake. The explosions were powerful. If this keeps going, Konoha will suffer another great loss.
"What's going on?" Ibiki questioned the ANBU as he helped Shizune lay Gai in an empty cot.
The ANBU leader faced his Hokage, "The enemy is attacking once again."
"Why aren't we stopping them?" Tsunade roared. Tsunade quickly turned to the demon cat, "Maneki! Leave with Iruka at once."
"Right!" Maneki agreed.
Kakashi helped the demon cat to her feet while she still held onto Iruka.
"Kakashi, Ibiki, come with me," Tsunade ordered.
Kakashi took one last look at Iruka and with a heavy heart walked away. He fought with everything he had not to look back when he heard Maneki reopen her portal.
"Wait!" the ANBU leader prevented his Hokage from leaving. "You can't go out there, Hokage-sama. The situation isn't the same anymore." The ground shook and roared violently once again.
"Why? What's going on?" Tsunade questioned.
"It's Uzumaki…" the ANBU continued slowly, "the one leading the attack is Naruto Uzumaki."
Before Tsunade or anyone could shockingly react, Maneki gasped and yelled, "No! Stop!"
Everyone turned around to see Iruka Umino standing on his own now. Wolf ears and tail exposed. His glowing brown-amber eyes staring intently at the ANBU leader.
"Take me to him," Iruka demanded.
Maneki quickly stood before Iruka and held him back, "No, please stop. Don't do this. Any more and you will die." Maneki shivered when Iruka's cold eyes looked down at her.
"Either you stand with me or leave my side forever…" Iruka said callously.
Maneki wanted to stop him. She needs to stop him. She's been strictly ordered to protect him at all cost. "No harm can come to Iruka. He cannot die. You will not fail or else…" – Maneki recalls Solora's words. Maneki looks pleadingly into Iruka's cold eyes, but all she sees is determination, anger, and apprehension. She knows she cannot stop him. She cannot reason with him. This is Naruto after all. Iruka could care less for his life if it meant saving Naruto's. "I understand…" Maneki said and stepped to Iruka's side.
"Wait a minute -" Tsunade wanted to protest, but she saw Maneki shaking her head vigorously at her, telling her not to stop Iruka.
Iruka stepped forward and nearly tipped over but Maneki held him up. Iruka held onto her shoulder as they both came up to the ANBU. "Where is he?" Iruka questioned the ANBU leader.
The ANBU looked at the ill Iruka skeptically. He wanted to question Iruka's unnatural appearance but held his tongue. He looked at his Hokage questioningly and Tsunade gave him an affirmative nod. The ANBU looks back at Iruka, "He's at the front gates."
Another earth-shattering explosion erupted around them. The walls of their secret base were starting to show cracks.
Maneki grew more concern when Iruka faced her and saw the wolf-eared chuunin wipe away a trail of blood from his lips. "Ru…"
"Take me to him," Iruka kindly ordered his demon cat.
Maneki wanted to cry but held back her emotions. She stood proudly and held Iruka's hand in hers, "Ok."
They both vanished into thin air.
Hi, everyone.
My sincere apologies to everyone. I'm so sorry it's been years since I last updated. If my old readers are still around – wow and thank you. To any new readers – wow and thank you. I wouldn't say I'm back, back. Well, I really haven't left. I've always been around reading everyone else's KakaIru fics. I just suddenly felt the urge to write again. I'm not making any promises, so don't wait for any new updates anytime soon. Tho I'm not sure if I should even continue. It's not like I've improved or anything with my writing and storytelling. Meh, who knows? xD