Lurking Within
(Part 1 of the trilogy)
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Chapter 06: Hell? Meet Shadow
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She felt, rather than see, the bloodlusty demon residing in the girl's mind. Turning around and throwing a kunai at the same time, she was met with thin air. Scrunching her eyebrows together in confusion, Akane whipped around to face the lone figure on the ground. "Tell that demon of yours to leave us. If I die, so will you." She warned, kunai still out and in front of her as protection. The girl on the ground chuckled darkly and a pair of hybrid emerald-amber eyes peeked at her from behind pink locks.
"Now where's the fun in killing? Surely you know," Sakura smirked, "that demons love torture more."
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From outside, the Jounin and ANBU continued to hold their guard. Naruto huffed impatiently and his paces were starting to annoy even the ever patient Hinata. "Naruto-kun, I'm sure..." A heart-gripping shriek had cut off her sentence, and all eyes turned to the ANBU writhing in pain. The first to move was Kakashi, his hands already performing the jutsu to cancel Akane's. The seal underneath Sakura darkened and dispelled, leaving a burnt mark on the wood. Pulling the harmed girl out of the way, Kakashi turned just in time to block a blow. Eyes, as cool and poisonous as vodka, peeked out from beneath pink locks.
"Hello, mortal."
Six tails unfold from behind her to accompany the one that attacked Kakashi and, as they touched the chains binding her, the chains disappeared into what seemed like a black void. Rubbing her sore wrists, Sakura gave a disapproving click. Sniffing the raw skin, she gave a swift lick to both wrists and before many eyes, the wounds healed. Laughing at their amazed stares, Sakura turned towards the exit.
"Well mortals, it has been fun but, I'm due for a long nap."
A weak cough sounded from behind her and the demon-wielder turned to meet frighten amethyst eyes. Tilting her head to the side, Sakura took steps towards the frighten girl. No one stopped her, as if they could, and she basked in the power status. On the same eye level as Akane, Sakura wiped the trickle of blood off of Akane's face. "My dear girl, I assume you learned your place?" Not even waiting for a reply, she made her way to the exit; but this time, a kunai came out and blocked the doorway. "I cannot let you pass, demon."
"My name is Itzal, you damn pup. It would do you well to show me some respect."
Sakura's body seem to melt away and in her place stood the might demon. "Where is Sakura-chan?" Naruto demanded. "A defense mechanism, I am afraid. Any danger caused to my mistress and I will appear in her place. Do not worry, she is safely slumbering in her mind." Grasping the kunai, Itzal in a matter of seconds shattered the weapon. Blood dripped on to the already damaged wooden floor but he paid no heed to it. "Do you have a death wish?" Facing him, Itzal cornered Neji to the wall and stared. Licking his lips, Itzal pondered on the many different ways one can filet a human.
"A slumbering mistress is a dead mistress, so they say." Itzal breathed excitingly, "There is no one to answer to."
As if on cue, everyone had their weapons out and were on the defense. None had want to meet with the demon in a combat just yet, not when they were still unsure of the limit of his powers.
He basked in all of his glory, he was such an attention-whore. Backing up from cornering the Hyuuga ANBU, Itzal took long calculating looks at each and every human in the room. He was determined to find one who would keep him entertained for a long time; a weak human would not provide as much fun. Amber eyes stopped cold on Naruto. There was something about his chakra that Itzal found, familiar. "You, the blond pup!" Itzal called, "Come with me. I believe we have much to talk about, especially that familiar presence in you."
All eyes shifted to Naruto and Itzal found himself growl at the loss; he was really an attention-whore. Naruto puffed up his chest and gave a determined stare back at the demon, "Do you promise no bloodshed?" Itzal took a step back. This human dare try to bargain with him? He was Itzal, the Shadow Wolf demon! Humans were definitely something. Pondering his options over, Itzal wondered how much blood would bleed for the protection of his human pup if he wanted to just take him. Not interested in the trouble at the moment, Itzal leaned in closer. "Promise", Itzal breathed out.
"Then I will go w-" Naruto stated, only to be interuppted by the Shadow Wolf's jaws around his shirt. "Hey watch it! This is my favorite shirt!" Itzal gave a growl as a warning before leaping into the wall and into the shadows.
"Troublesome."
"Godiame?" "Leave them." She could feel a heavy headache coming and she wasn't happy about it; where was her precious sake when she needed it? Waving away her subordinates, Tsunade opted for some privacy where she can have her own party. Her sake wasn't known to be patient.
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"Sakura-chan, does he talk to you?"
Sakura turned to Naruto and smiled. As soon as they had landed, the demon had vanished and Sakura was in its place. The threat was gone, Sakura had explained. However, there were still more questions Naruto had in mind. "He? Do you mean Itzal?" The blonde had stopped in his tracks so suddenly that Sakura had to take a few paces to be next to him. "You mean, there's more than one of them?!"
"Haha, it would seem that the Kyuubi had been trapped inside an idiot."
Ignoring the Shadow Wolf's smart remarks, Sakura shook her head and pointed a finger to her head before coolly replying, "There's only Itzal in there. Don't worry Naruto, there's no one else."
"Do they talk to you, Naruto?" Looking towards the horizon, Naruto took a second or two before nodding his reply. "They all communicate with us, Sakura-chan, but it is our choice to respond or not." Rubbing his spikes sheepishly, Naruto chuckled. "Though it is hard to ignore them, I tend to talk to Kyuubi more than I should."
Sitting atop the Hokage mountain, both teammates tried to take in the scene of the village below them. While Sakura seemed to be relaxing, Naruto looked to be struggling with himself. "Naruto, do you have something to say?" Eyes still closed, Sakura took one deep inhale before opening her eyes in question.
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"Tsunade, we have to find them! Naruto is with that.. that thing!"
Waving the ANBU captain off dismissively, Tsunade returned back to her sake. Her eyes remained glued to the window and sighed. "Hyuuga, do you find me stupid?" Not even bothering to wait for a response, the Godiame shook her head in response. "Sakura, no matter what she becomes, will never hurt Naruto. Haven't you noticed that it's always Naruto who brings her back to this world?" Turning around finally, Tsunade locked eyes with the Byukagen wielder's and smirked, as if she knew a private joke.
"Ironically, the Kyuubi is probably unconsciously protecting us."
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"I want to see him again, Sakura-chan. I want to see Itzal without his bloodlust."
Looking at him in surprise, Sakura glanced around unsure. The sun had just begun to set and deeming the place safe enough, Sakura agreed. She found herself unable to deny Naruto this simple wish.
Standing up, Sakura gestured for them to move into a clearing before she cleared her throat. "Come forth, I command thee, Itzal!"
At first, only the sounds of birds twittering were heard. Naruto scratched his head and laughed a little, "It's okay Sakura-chan. I can see-" He froze as strange writings began to etch itself on to the ground, forming a circle. It glowed and then spiraled into the center. The ground began to open up and darkness was the only thing that greeted Naruto's searching gaze. Suddenly, a paw came out from the shadows and a body soon followed. A pair of haunting amber eyes glowed in the dark and moved towards him. It was the smirk nor the looming form of Sakura's demon that caught his attention, it was the look behind those damn eyes; pure bloodlust.
"I am Itzal, Shadow Wolf of the Void Domain."
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