Here's the next installment of The Legend of Uzumaki Naruto!
They were lost.
Kira and Kylia, being led by the headstrong spirit fox of Naruto's, Tsuwabuki, were completely and utterly lost.
And it could not have been in a worse place, or at a worse time.
It had been only a few minutes or so ago, but already it felt like hours since she had sent her people off, away from the monastery and hopefully to safety in the folds of the Argent Dawn. They had met up with Tsuwabuki soon after, and the silvery fox had taken them, not into the monastery, as Kira had expected (and wanted), but along the towering walls that surrounded it. She had led them, eventually, to a small opening, once protected by a large grate, which Tsuwabuki had torn off. The small opening was just wide enough to let Kira, Kylia, and Tsuwabuki slip in. They spent the next few minutes, Kira and Kylia in a state of constant, and extreme, discomfort, as they crawled at a painfully slow rate through the disgusting, dirty, and extremely wet tunnel.
Finally, they had emerged in a larger tunnel, or rather, set of tunnels. They appeared to be sewers, which was slightly surprising to Kira. The Crusaders that had built this place had done quite a thorough job of it. The sewers had low ceilings, meaning even the two girls had to hunch over so that they did not crack their heads on the hard, slimy stone above them. Tsuwabuki, upon emerging from the small, cramped tunnel, led them right down another. They stayed on the sides, avoiding touching the putrid sewage water that flowed beside them in a shallow canal. At the end of that tunnel, Tsuwabuki turned again; then again, and soon, Kira began to question whether the fox knew where she was going or not.
It wasn't that she didn't trust Tsuwabuki, because from what Naruto said, she was quite sensible, and did nothing without reason. From what it looked like, Tsuwabuki was doing something purposeful, but Kira wondered whether the nigh toxic fumes of the sewers were not getting to her. Kira herself was beginning to feel slightly light-headed, and she had a mere human nose. She shuddered to think what it would smell like to Tsuwabuki.
But on they went, Kira right behind Tsuwabuki, and Kylia behind her. They went through more long tunnels; some were small and tight, with ceilings so low that they had to crawl. Some of these, even, had damp, even outright sodden floors, where the sewage water had overflowed. It made Kira shudder to think what she was crawling in, and made note that the instant she got out of this place, she'd take a bath. Even if it were in Sylvanas' odorless green sludge, anything would be better than being covered in Crusader filth.
She wished she could ask Tsuwabuki, somehow, how long it would be until they got to wherever she was leading them. She was getting anxious. How was Naruto fairing? Had he escaped, or stayed and fought the army of Crusaders that would no doubt attack him? Was he even still alive?
'Of course he is,' she thought, shaking her head to clear those depressing thoughts from her mind. Naruto wouldn't let himself die like that. And besides, Tsuwabuki would have reacted by now if that were the case. She had Naruto were bound by the most primordial and powerful of bonds.
She watched as Tsuwabuki suddenly stopped, whipping her head about, looking to her left, and then to her right, down a tunnel that they had come to. It was by far the largest they had seen. There was enough room to stand up fully in, and its canal was wide enough to let both her and Kylia walk side by side in (not that they would, of course). Tsuwabuki gave a nod of satisfaction, and turning briefly to Kira, she jerked head to the right.
"Right?" Kira said.
Tsuwabuki nodded.
"That's where the exit is?"
Tsuwabuki nodded again.
Kira gave a sigh of relief. She hurried down the tunnel, Kylia fast on her heels, and but a moment later, they arrived at a massive circular pool with half a dozen other passages like her own branched off of. All of the tunnels were lit with a single torch, which did well to illuminate the gloomy room. The pool itself was dark green in color, and smelled worse than any of the passages that they had gone through before.
She looked around. Aside from the passages, there wasn't really anything noticeable that suggested an exit. She looked at Tsuwabuki; the fox was staring up, however, and seemed to be ignoring her. She looked up as well, and spotted what had caught the fox's attention.
There was a ladder, suspended at least fifteen feet above the pool. It led up to the ceiling, where there was a hatch, recognizable even in the gloom. So that was their exit.
Then she frowned. What on earth would a ladder be doing so far up? It looked as if it was merely for observing the room below, rather than getting down to it. But what on earth was there to observe, but a cesspool and a couple of dark passageways?
But, it didn't matter much. She looked at Kylia.
"Any ideas on how to get up?"
The girl shook her head, biting her lip. Kira looked around, trying to find a lever, or perhaps a panel of some sort that would make the ladder descend. It seemed that unless the Crusaders had somehow mastered their chakra in a way like Naruto, and were able to stick to walls, then the ladder itself was rather pointless.
Kylia looked around too. She was standing a little ways away from the edge, which was covered in damp sludge. As she began to poke around, tapping specific bricks on the ground and walls, she stepped upon one of these wet patches of sludge, and slipped. She gave a shout, stumbling backwards, her arms flailing. She grabbed onto the nearest thing: the torch, using it to steady herself.
But as soon as she put her weight on it, the torch handle and the section of the wall that it had been fastened came out, causing Kylia to squeak again in surprise and fall on her butt. There was a sudden, loud, clanking sound from all around them, from within the walls and ceiling. Kira grasped on to Kylia, pulling her to her feet. She looked back into the poolroom, her eyes widening.
From the cesspool, another ladder had begun to rise. It grew longer and longer, stretching out towards the ladder hanging above, moving a rung higher every second with a loud clinking sound. It was covered in sewage, and was quite rusted, but nevertheless, Kira rejoiced (for once) in Kylia's clumsiness. The ladder continued to rise, eventually touching the ladder hanging from the ceiling. As the final rungs emerged from the pool, so did a small, narrow stone path, connecting to Kira's tunnel.
After thanking a blushing Kylia, Kira tentatively stepped onto the path, and slowly made her way to the center of the pool. Kylia followed slowly, with Tsuwabuki bringing up the rear. The silver fox, not being able to use the ladder anyways, leapt onto the wall, fastening herself there with chakra. Kira resolved to get Naruto to teach her that technique.
Suddenly, Kylia gave a shout from behind Kira, startling the young princess. Turning as swiftly as she could without falling, she saw Kylia staring at the water, eyes wide, face white and sickly.
"M—K-Kira! There's something in there!"
Kira frowned, staring into the pool. She could see nothing. Hoping that what Kylia had seen was just a figment of her overactive imagination, Kira bent slowly down and peered even closer into the water.
She was greeted with a pair of milky, dead eyes, accompanying the engorged, rotten, green face of a dead man. Kira lurched upwards, giving a scream at the sight. As soon as she saw it, she saw more. Hundreds. They bobbed up from the green sludgy water, some mere skeletons, others as fresh and recently dead as poor Paul. Kira could not stop herself from vomiting at this point, and for a moment she sat there upon the walkway, retching until she couldn't anymore.
When she finally finished, she stood shakily to her feet. The dead bodies remained; all of them seemed to be staring at her.
They were her people.
So this was where they sent those that had confessed, after they were tortured to death. Kira couldn't believe it. How could people be this horrible? What madness could possess people to commit an atrocity such as this?
She was crying, she realized. Instead of being buried, surrounded by their loved ones, these people were rotting in a pool beneath a monastery full of insane monsters. She felt Kylia's arms on her shoulders, holding her carefully as she sobbed for those she had been unable to protect.
But the sobbing passed. Kira wiped her eyes, watching the dead bodies for a moment longer. She said a soft prayer, to send them on their ways. Such people deserved a proper burial, and she told them that one day she'd return, and give them one. But right now, she had something to do.
She had to find the one who had done this to them, and make her pay.
She turned and started up the ladder. She did not look back, for she did not need to. Their faces, each and every one of them, were affixed in her mind along with the others that she had seen taken by the Crusaders. She would carry their memory until she died.
When she reached the top, now covered in even more grime, Tsuwabuki was there, standing upside down, watching her calmly. She stood just in front of the hatch, which was bound a heavy looking iron lever.
Though it took a while, she finally managed to pull the lever, and pushed open the heavy hatch. She was greeted by more darkness. Tsuwabuki slid up the passage first, Kira and Kylia following soon after.
The room they entered was cramped, and extremely dark. No torches lit this one, so the only light they now had was from the room below. It smelt only a little better, and was quite a bit dustier. Wrinkling her nose at the musty stench, Kira stood up and looked around. She could see only black.
Then, she heard the slow shuffling of feet against stone. Her eyes widening, she backed away, as the darkness in front of her seemed to gain form and shape. It was a human shape, only a head taller than herself, and it was moving very slowly towards her. She stopped herself from screaming in surprise, but just barely. It still came out as a slight gasp, causing the figure to stop.
"Who's there?" it croaked. The voice sounded ancient, and was as dry and raspy as dead air of the chamber. The figure it belonged to remained still, waiting for an answer.
Kira didn't say anything. She held her breath, hoping whoever or whatever it was, it would not see or hear them.
"I can smell you, human," the voice said. "I can tell you are not the High Bitch, so I am confused as to what you are doing here…with an animal, no less. Speak up!"
Kira swallowed. The creature had called her human. Therefore, it wasn't. What could it be doing here?
She saw Kylia, in the darkness, moving. The girl was drawing out her knives, readying to let them fly, even in the darkness. Tsuwabuki was sniffing the air, but did not move from Kira's side. Finally, Kira decided to break the silence. With Kylia and Tsuwabuki here, as well as her own abilities, she decided that they'd be able to face whatever this creature was.
"I am here," she said, boldly. "But who are you? What are you doing in this place?"
There was a cackling laugh. "It is I who should be asking that question. From your voice, you sound quite young. What is a little bird like you doing in this unholy place?"
Kira paused. What could she tell this stranger? For a moment, she debated on whether to tell it the truth or not. Eventually, she decided that information could not be used against her, so she answered.
"I was here to save my people. I did so, and I now I have returned to make the one that harmed them pay."
There was silence for a moment. "You came from below…then you saw the bodies, eh? They have been dumping many for the past few months. I have heard of the many humans that came here, from Stormwind. Fools, the lot of them."
Kira felt anger rise within her, and she was quick to defend her people. "They were lost! They had only lies spoken to them, for a while, and they didn't know what they were doing!"
"But if a man steals a fruit, yet doesn't know that he is stealing, it is still stealing, yes?" the voice said, softly.
Kira deflated. Her anger still simmering, she spoke hotly.
"And who are you?"
"I was once the leader of this place…I am High Inquisitor Fairbanks, or at least I was in life."
Kira's eyes widened. She stepped back quickly, nearly tripping over Tsuwabuki, in order to back away from the High Inquisitor.
"Y-you're a Scarlet Crusader!" she cried.
The cackle came again. "I am undead, child. The Scarlet Crusade has no place for undead. I am merely a tool to be used by them, now."
Oddly, the words comforted Kira slightly, and she took a step back to her original position. She watched the hunched figure, who seemed as still as a statue in the darkness. "A tool?" she managed to say.
"Yes…" Fairbanks said. "I am an advisor to the High Bitch, that accursed fool Whitemane. I provide her with all the wisdom that she does not possess. I give her my counsel on every matter that has to do with the war against the Scourge. But my efforts are useless. Everything that is done only benefits our enemies. The Scarlet Crusade is nothing what it used to be…what it could be."
Kira's curiosity was slowly getting the better of her. Though desperate to help Naruto, and face Whitemane, this man seemed to know a lot about the Crusade. That, in the long run, could only help her in fighting them.
"What do you mean?"
Fairbanks laughed. "The corruption, girl! Surely you do not think that there is not a reason for why they destroy uninfected humans? They are not as incompetent as that…. They are insane. Ever since the death of the Highlord Mograine, they have been slowly spiraling towards complete madness. Whitemane is a victim of this corruption."
"Victim?" Kira said, incredulously. She could not for the life of her picture such a vile woman as a victim.
"Oh yes. She was raised with nothing but the beliefs of the Crusaders firmly etched into her mind. She has known nothing else, and it was their corrupted beliefs—destroy all those who have the potential to be infected—and do whatever possible to annihilate the Scourge and its minions. She is merely a puppet, a slave to their ideals. I would find it sad if I did not hate her so."
'Just like Maya…' Kira thought, stunned. But despite her best efforts, Kira could not wrap her mind around the fact that Whitemane had done all she had based on those beliefs. Kira knew that Whitemane was a wicked woman, and no matter how she tried, she could not find a shred of pity for her. Whitemane would truly pay for killing her father, and no matter what state of mind she had been in, that did not change what she had done.
Meanwhile, Fairbanks had continued. His raspy laugh filled the room again.
"But the High Bitch is not the one you should be wary of."
Kira blinked. "What?"
Though he was still shrouded in darkness, Kira had a pretty good idea of what Fairbanks was doing as he spoke. His grin, though unseen by her, nonetheless showed through the gloom.
"The corruption begins with Highlord Mograine's death…by the hand of his own son, the fool Commander, the lesser Mograine. His greed and desire for the mighty weapon that made the Highlord so famous—the Ashbringer, is what led him down the path to corruption."
Kira's eyes widened. The Highlord, killed by his own son? It was that single act that bred the corruption that she knew today? Was it all because of one man that the Crusade was full of the zealots she had seen destroying themselves earlier? She didn't buy it, and let Fairbanks know as such.
The undead laughed in response. "No, it was merely the beginning. I have not been around for the past few years, but I know that something has changed, and that change began with the lesser Mograine slaying his father. It is I who witnessed this; and when I revealed it to the rest of the Crusade, I saw that the corruption had spread already. But some believed me. They fled the Crusade, and it was they who established the Argent Dawn—the group who fights the Scourge, uncorrupted and for the good of the world," Fairbanks continued.
"The lesser Mograine did not see his ambitions realized. The weapon he sought, Ashbringer, was lost. I do not remember how, or where it now lies, only that losing it drove the lesser Mograine insane. He remained Scarlet Commander, and when the High bitch arrived, he became her willing champion—nothing but a dog. And it is because I revealed this information, that I know lie in this place—undead, broken, and alone. They left me in this place, believing I was dead for many years. It was only when the High Bitch came, by accident, and discovered this place that my presence was known again. The lesser Mograine does not know of my presence here. Only the High Bitch, who uses me for advice."
Kira was breathing heavily by now. Her head was packed full of information. If what Fairbanks said was true, then the true corruption of the Crusade was Mograine's fault? She looked through the gloom, trying to see Fairbanks.
"Why are you telling me this?" she asked, softly.
"Why not?" he responded, cackling. "It is but a small revenge against those that did this to me. I held hate in my breast for a long time, but now I simply wish for freedom. You say you are going to avenge an injustice against the High Bitch and that slavering dog Mograine? Then do it for me, as well."
Kira swallowed. "But how do we get out?"
Fairbanks responded by extending a hand, and grasping something on the wall. Seconds later, the room was flooded with light. Kira got her first glimpse of the man that she had been speaking to all this time.
Fairbanks' eyes had long rotted away, as had much of his skin. White bone was visible over the majority of his body, and his lower jaw hung limply from his head. Several strands of whitish hair fell from his head from beneath the faded Inquisitor's chapeau. He wore red robes, also faded.
Fairbanks grinned crookedly at them. "Such a pretty one. I wish you luck, child. Take my words to heart—you are now the only living person who knows that information. Perhaps you can do some good with it."
Kira stared at the undead for a while, feeling a slight tendril of pity well up in her for him. He was one of the few, it seems, whose intentions had been pure. She respected that. Giving him a slight bow, she hurried through the door. Kylia followed, but Tsuwabuki stared at the former man a little longer.
Fairbanks grinned. "You'd best go and help, fox. The lesser Mograine is nothing to his father, but his corruption is second to one. It is only the Grand Crusader himself who equals that fool in his desires, and the only difference between them is power. The little girl, and her companions, may need you."
Tsuwabuki stared at him a little longer, before following the two girls out the door. It closed soon after, shrouding Fairbanks in darkness once more.
Naruto couldn't believe it.
Having just spent almost all his energy fighting and defeating Mograine, he just couldn't believe that in barely an instant the white-haired High Inquisitor had undone all he had worked for. Mograine was alive, unharmed, and seemed stronger than ever. He watched as the huge Crusader crossed the room and stood a few feet in front of Whitemane, who was smirking at Naruto, her green eyes glinting with madness.
"At your side, milady," he thundered, lifting the war mace.
Whitemane barely looked at him. Her attention was solely on Naruto, who was staring with wide eyes at the scene.
"I hope you don't mind; I am not much of a fighter," she said, her amusement barely contained.
"H-how?" Naruto gasped, trying to stand upright. His wounded arm burned with each movement, and despite the Kyuubi's healing factor, he knew that it would take at least a few more minutes for it to heal enough to be of use.
Whitemane's smile grew. "It is a power that only the strongest of priestesses can use. So strong is it, in fact, that only one in a million are said to possess the ability to wield it. It allows me to heal those who have died, and bring them back, to fight for me once more. They will be as they were before they died, perhaps even stronger. It consumes so much chakra that if a regular person were to even try it, they would perish instantly." She walked forwards, placing her hands on Mograine's chest. The Scarlet Commander didn't react to his mistress' probing, his body harder and more unmovable than iron. Leaning upon her champion, Whitemane continued.
"I can wield it, because I am one of the few who are born with enough chakra to use it. I have so much chakra that only a demon's, or a god's, could compare. It is known as the Holy Light—and it is the reason I was made High Inquisitor."
Staring at the woman now, Naruto wondered how he could have missed it. There had been something extremely off about her since she had arrived. He could feel her chakra, but not just from her—it was all around him, seeping into the air like leaking gas. What was this Holy Light?
'I FIND IT STRANGE AS WELL. IT IS NO BLOODLINE; BUT SOMETHING FAR DIFFERENT.'
Though startled to here the demon speak again, Naruto couldn't help but appeal to the creature. 'Could it be something like you?'
The Kyuubi laughed. 'IT IS NOT DEMONIC. HOWEVER, IT IS SIMILAR; PERHAPS, BRAT, SHE IS LIKE YOU.'
Naruto was stunned. This woman had something like a demon in her? Instead of the kinship that he had felt when he had learned of Gaara's demon, however, he felt nothing for this woman. It was clear that she had not been cursed with a demon, but blessed with something that everyone revered. She had not grown up alone, but probably worshipped for her power.
Therefore, he felt nothing but contempt for this woman. Though she was in a way like him, she had still committed too many atrocities to be forgiven.
Naruto looked at his arm. It was mostly healed, but it still wouldn't be fully functional for some time. He didn't believe Mograine or Whitemane would give him a chance to wait for that.
And he was right. Whitemane released her hold on Mograine, and stepped away from him. "It is time to end this, I think. Mograine, my champion! Kill this abomination! We cannot allow him to spread his disgusting Plague!"
Mograine roared, lifting his weapon into the air, he pushed off the ground and came at Naruto with the abandon of a berserker. His war mace came down, once, twice, thrice; the floor of the Cathedral exploded beneath each strike, flinging hard stone into the air in three bright flashes of light. Each one, Naruto dodged, managing to stay just out of range with his Kazaashi. His sword came free at the last moment, and as before, it seemed to drag his arm into position, blocking Mograine's fourth strike. The force of the hit numbed Naruto's arm, and would have sent him sprawling were it not for his clever use of the Kongou to reinforce his footing.
Deflected, Mograine was forced to pull away, before preparing for another swing. His hands flying together, Naruto summoned five clones, which swooped into the Crusader's guard.
One clone kicked upwards at Mograine's face, striking his chin, knocking him upwards.
"U!"
Another kicked him in the gut, depriving him of air.
"ZU!"
Two more came at his sides, smashing their feet into his kidneys. Mograine, despite his huge body, was launched into the air.
"MA!"
"KI!"
Naruto himself leapt off one of his clone's backs, flying high above the now soaring Scarlet Commander. Twisting his body to face him, Naruto, as Mograine rushed to meet him in mid-air, launched the final part of his attack. He let fly dozens of punches, all faster than the eye could see. Each punch slammed into Mograine's unprotected chest, in the exact same spot as the last. Naruto then air-grasped backwards, and with a cry of "Naruto Ransoku Rendan (Rapid Storm Combo)!" Naruto smashed his foot into Mograine's weakened stomach, sending him to the stone floor with the force of a small meteor.
The blonde landed a few feet away, breathing heavily. Mograine lay still, half-buried by ruined stone, his eyes rolled into the back of his head. Triumphant, Naruto turned to face Whitemane, whose amused face hadn't changed in the slightest.
"It isn't over yet, infidel," she said, softly.
At her words, Mograine moved, and slowly picked himself up. Hunched over, his eyes still rolled into his head, blood dripping from his mouth, he appeared less a champion of the light, and more a slavering monster. He let loose an inhuman cry, which Naruto could just barely recognize.
"FAAAAATTTHHHHEEERRR!"
Belching out a few small sprays of blood, Mograine stood straight up, and smashed his weapon into the floor. He loosed another scream, this one totally incoherent. But it appeared to be not without purpose, for his body was suddenly surrounded in a sheen of light. Glowing markings appeared on the ground around him, formed a seal of a sort. When the glow faded, Mograine, his body once again protected by the Divine Shield, attacked.
Naruto's clones leapt forwards, heading to meet Mograine before he could reach Naruto himself. With a single, brutish swing, the clones were dispelled, Mograine never breaking step. His weapon came down again, and the Cathedral shook from when it smashed into the floor, pulverizing everything within a dozen feet of it. Columns crumbled, statues turned to dust, and Naruto was flung away, landing roughly on the ground, coughing.
'SO WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO, BRAT? HE IS CLEARLY STRONGER THAN YOU—WITH ME, YOU CAN BECOME STRONGER THAN HIM, AND THE FEMALE.'
Naruto stood shakily, ignoring the demon. He would not use the Kyuubi! He shouted this within him, deafeningly loud inside the demon's cage. The creature chuckled in response. He knew, that if this continued, the brat would have no choice but to use him. The boy would not let himself die, not before he could keep his promises. It would only be a matter of time.
Mograine continued his assault. His eyes were clouded with such insanity now that Naruto wondered if the man even knew where he was. Each strike was aimed at Naruto's body, but he held the weapon in such a way that it as if he clutched a sword, not a mace. And each time he neared Naruto, the blonde shinobi could hear him whispering something under his breath.
Naruto's own blade took every blow it could. Naruto's arm was dragged back and forth by the magnificent weapon, deflecting each strike that he could not avoid. He was pushed across the Cathedral; it was nothing compared to its former glory. It was a battleground, ruined and stained with blood. There was nothing holy about it anymore.
Blocking another attack, Naruto, as he pulled back, thrust his hands together in a seal. A line of clones appeared behind him, all ready to attack. Shouting an order to them, the last clone leapt up, and the one in front of it grabbed its ankles, hurtling it forwards. Then that one leapt up, and was thrown too. The thrown clones sped through the air, tucking into balls as they did. They hardened their bodies with the Kongou as best they could. Mograine, seeing them coming, raised his weapon to deflect them. Naruto, seeing his chance, thrust forwards with his own blade with all his might. Though it struck the Divine Shield, Naruto managed to puncture it with the tip, just enough so the blade stuck. Mograine roared in surprise and pain, and mere seconds before Naruto's flying clone hit, Naruto himself jumped up and over Mograine, grabbing onto his weapon and pulling it back, using his entire weight.
Mograine, stunned from the strike, and thrown off by the added weight, was struck in rapid succession by the two clone balls. The first drove Naruto's blade up to the hilt within him, and the second knocked him off his feet. He landed on his back with a crash, his body going still once more.
Naruto landed, stumbling, on his feet a few yards away. At the sight of blood, dribbling out from the puncture wound on Mograine's chest, Naruto wondered if he was finally dead.
Whitemane's eyes, once full of amusement, were now full of an insane fury. She extended her hand and it began to glow.
"Stupid brat! As long as I live, my champion does too!"
Naruto turned, horrified, realizing what she was going to do. He rushed towards her, intent on stopping the technique from being performed.
But it did not need to be stopped.
Before he could reach the High Inquisitor, or even initiate a Kazaashi, Naruto found his feet swept out from under him. He landed flat on his face, hard enough to knock him a little senseless. Turning over, he saw Mograine looming over him. Naruto's sword remained in his chest; the blood had stopped flowing, for the protective energies of the Divine Shield had somehow plugged the wound. The man's eyes were bloodshot and clouded. He looked far away, even though he was staring straight at the blonde.
He was not there. He was not in the Scarlet Cathedral, staring down at the blonde boy Uzumaki Naruto. He was standing in the burning ruins of Stratholme, staring down at his father, the Highlord Mograine. He was grinning triumphantly. In his hands was not a war mace, but his father's mighty sword: Ashbringer.
"You see, father?" he whispered, confusing Naruto even more than he already was. "You see how it obeys me? Ashbringer is mine…it always has been!"
Naruto blinked. 'Ashbringer?' The name was familiar. It took Naruto a few seconds, but he finally realized where he had heard it. Maya. The girl had told him about Mograine's father, the Highlord, who wielded a sword strong enough to destroy armies of undead.
But what the hell was he talking about? Mograine seemed to be lost in his own memories, and was reenacting them as they fought. But the way he spoke: with such contempt and avarice, led Naruto to believe that his father's death had not been merely a tragedy of war.
But Naruto didn't really care. He was still going to beat this bastard. No matter how crazy he was.
Then, a sudden noise distracted Naruto. At the far end of the cathedral, where the altar lay, three very recognizable figures appeared. Kira, Kylia, and Tsuwabuki, all emerged from a side door, entering the ruined cathedral breathlessly.
"Naruto!" Kira cried, upon seeing him. It took but a glance to see that Naruto was in trouble. She made to run over to him, until she noticed the other figure in the room.
Whitemane was staring at Kira was bright, grinning eyes. She was immensely pleased that the girl had shown up. It would allow her to set some things straight. She started towards the girl, who backed up upon seeing the High Inquisitor. Kylia stepped protectively in front of Kira, while Tsuwabuki debated whether to stay and fight with Kylia, of rush off and help her partner. It didn't take her long, and soon she was streaking down the cathedral aisle, towards Mograine and Naruto, whose fight had yet to resume.
"So you came back?" Whitemane said, smiling at her.
"Yes," Kira responded, suddenly gaining her courage back. The moment the words had oozed from Whitemane's mouth, Kira's hatred of her quickly conquered her sudden fear. She looked at Kylia. Part of her wanted the girl to leave this fight to her, and send her to help Naruto, but another, much more vocal part, wanted her to stay. Kylia was doing as she always had done. Kira decided then to let her stay, and turned to Whitemane. Boiling up once more, her anger caused her fists to clench, and her feet to move forwards. She now stood only a few feet away from Whitemane.
Kira didn't intend to say much. There was nothing she could say, really, that her eyes and her posture did not already reveal. She was going to fight Whitemane, and she was going to do everything in her ability to make the woman pay. But she spoke anyways; the words tumbled forth, as hot as coals. "I'm going to kill you. For killing my father and for bringing so much pain to my people…you will pay."
Whitemane, at first, didn't respond. Then, she began to slowly laugh, beautifully, at first, but that laugh soon descended into a maddened cackle, and her whole body began to shake with her madness.
"Are you still on about that, girl? There is nothing that I am guilty of. The people that came to me were going to be spared a gruesome existence as a member of the Scourge. You have simply doomed them. As for your father…it was not my doing."
Kira shook with rage. Her chakra formed a visible aura around her, leaping and dancing. It was not a surging flame like Naruto's, but like electricity, fast and erratic. "You still say that? I know you are the one to blame!"
Whitemane shook her head. "No; it was undoubtedly that woman…the Scarlet Oracle, who ordered his death. I had nothing to do with it—it did not fit into any of my plans."
'Scarlet Oracle…?' thought Kira, momentarily put off. Who was that?
"But, this talk is at an end, isn't it? I now must do my duty, as Mograine is doing his. I must purge the Plague from this place; I must destroy you, who has brought the Plague here!"
Whitemane's hands made seals, then, so swiftly that she was already finished as Kira began hers. She swung her left arm in a wide arc, causing hundreds of golden glowing knives of all sizes to appear in mid-air, and with another sweep of her arm, they flew, as fast as arrows, across the room towards Kira.
"Holy Strike!"
As Kira backed away, Kylia moved forwards, flicking a series of small daggers at the High Inquisitor. They were but silver flashes in the air, but Whitemane moved behind a pillar before they struck, causing them to clink harmlessly off the stone.
Meanwhile, Kira stood shakily among a patch of glowing slivers of light, her Power Word: Shield still glowing around her. Her hands moved together in more seals.
"Hex of Darkness!" she cried.
Whitemane hissed as the Cathedral suddenly became shrouded in darkness. She could not see a thing, which left her quite open to attack from Kylia. But Whitemane didn't intend to let that happen. As dark as it was, there was always something that could light her way. Raising her hands into the air, Whitemane let loose an awesome scream, flooding the room with her chakra. She became a miniature sun, burning so bright that even the seemingly unbreakable darkness gave way.
Kira was stunned. The sheer amount of chakra that seemed to be flowing from the woman seemed impossible. It was enormous, larger than any she had ever felt. It was bright, strong, and pure.
Kira's technique defeated, Whitemane grinned triumphantly at the two stunned girls. "The Holy Light is on my side, girl. Its power is greater than you could ever imagine."
Kira was once again thrown. If what the woman had said was true, then this was going to be so much harder than she had ever imagined. She remembered everything her master had ever told her of the Holy Light, then. Many believed it wasn't a physical or spiritual or even magical entity at all. In fact, nowadays, it was merely a set of ideals, a philosophy that the people who joined the Church of Stormwind followed. Many years ago, people had believed it to be a god; an entity that people, not just humans, worshipped and believed it granted them great abilities.
But aside from this, few knew that the Holy Light was something tangible, or rather, something that had a direct effect of the lives of the mortals of this world. Benedictus had told her that it was something that, once every millennium, or century, or perhaps at totally random points, a human being was born with so much power within them that it seemed beyond normal. This power manifested itself as a golden chakra, aptly named the Holy Light. It granted them so much chakra that Benedictus had said, "not even death is unconquerable to them". It was always a gamble on how was gifted with the abilities. For they could be used for both good and bad—despite it being the Holy Light, it was merely a tool to the people it was granted to.
Whitemane had the Holy Light, or so she claimed. If that was true, then Kira knew she was out of her league. She shrunk back, as Whitemane seemed to loom over her, a towering giant of gold. This woman…how could she beat the Holy Light?
A sudden noise broke her from her fear however. Naruto and Mograine's fight had resumed. She saw Naruto's wounds, of which there were many, and the look on his face as he fought the Scarlet Commander with everything he had. Tsuwabuki had joined the fray, now, too.
Seeing Naruto fight emboldened her. The blonde didn't let anything stop him, and he would continue fighting until he was either dead, or he had defeated his opponent. He didn't things like odds get in his way. He just fought.
Whitemane was beginning her attack again. Her hands were glowing, and raising one she brought it down in a slashing motion. "Purifying Hammer!"
The High Inquisitor finished her shout, bringing a sphere of dense chakra down, directly on top of Kira. It destroyed the floor beneath her, sending tremors throughout the Cathedral once more. But Kira was not there. At the last moment she had leapt away, and so she only received minor damage from the slight earthquake caused by the force of the attack. She was on her feet a moment later breathing hard and fast.
It suddenly didn't matter to her whether or not Whitemane was stronger. She would still fight, and she would fight until the woman was defeated. That was how Naruto fought, and she realized that under the circumstances, it was the best way to. She didn't even bother readying a jutsu. She just rushed at Whitemane, as fast as her legs could carry her.
The woman laughed. She completed the seals for another of her holy jutsu, beginning to sweep her hand forwards, half forming the golden knives of light, before pain exploded in her back and side.
She had forgotten about Kylia.
Sticking from her back and side were six of the girl's daggers, all buried to the hilt in her body. She staggered, stunned. Turning, she swept her hand again, discharging the shards she had created at the handmaiden. Being so close, Kylia had little room to dodge, so several of the weapons grazed her, spilling her blood onto the ground. She screamed, and despite not being severely injured, stopped her assault anyways. It became clear only a second later, when Kira's fist crashed into Whitemane's jaw.
Whitemane went down, spitting blood across the floor. She was stunned. The brat had hit her! She stood, and struck back with a punch of her own. It knocked Kira back, but only for a moment. Using what knowledge of hand-to-hand fighting she had learned from watching Naruto train, she hauled off and punched again, and again, and again, until Whitemane's face was a mess of blood and bruises. The High Inquisitor screamed horribly, and thrust Kira off her. She kicked Kira hard in the stomach, and then clenched her hands together, making them glow intensely. She came forwards again, slashing a hand down at Kira's face. Kira scrambled away, the woman's hand just barely nicking her face. Where it grazed, a thin line in her flesh opened, spilling blood.
Her face now a mask of blood and fury, Whitemane attacked with all she had. She ignored the pain from Kylia's daggers, and focused everything on Kira. But there was nothing but blind rage in her attacks. The glow around her hands was expanding, making them even more wild and dangerous than ever before.
'No control…!' thought Kira, doing her best to stay out of the woman's range. 'She has no control over her chakra!'
It made sense; with so much of it, it would be fiercely hard to control. It was clear from the fact that she used so many of her Holy Strikes, and the power of the Purifying Hammer. The first attack required some control, but all it really took was will power and a direction to point them in. They hadn't been well controlled at all, either. A skilled priest could change the direction of their Holy Strikes, but Whitemane's had gone in a single direction their whole flight. Her Purifying Hammer, which was an attack that required power, not focus, seemed perfect for her. Whitemane, with her gift, was used to throwing around tons of chakra, and it seemed had learned very little control.
The other thing Kira realized was that Whitemane was not using any Shadow-type jutsu. They required the utmost control out of all of them, for they were far more dangerous than Holy-type jutsu. It was a chance, she knew, but she had to take it. If she was right, then the fight was over. She made two quick hand seals, and thrust out a tendril of her chakra. "Mind Flay!"
Kira only half-expected it to work. Being a priestess, and a powerful one too, Whitemane would have adequate protection on her mind. But to her surprise, her technique hit as hard as it would in any other circumstance.
Whitemane screamed, the glow on her hands fading as she clutched her head in agony from the attack. She stumbled back, tripping over a piece of rubble, and landing on her back. Her mind was tearing itself apart. Blood frothed from her mouth, and she convulsed a few times.
Then it stopped. The pain was gone, the technique dispelled. Whitemane sat up, and when she did, her forehead struck flesh. Her eyes wandered upwards, and she saw Kira, her hand outstretched, on Whitemane's brow. There was no pity or remorse in her eyes, and for a girl that age, it was quite a strange sight to see. Whitemane did not speak, or even show her surprise, as Kira spoke.
"Shadow Word: Seal."
Black markings suddenly appeared on Kira's forearm, all the way up to her elbow, twisting around her arm like vines. They began to move, then, spinning and unwrapping from Kira's arm, spreading across Whitemane's skin like ink on wet paper. They covered her face and chest completely, then spreading to her arms, and her legs, and finally forming a small circle around her. They were glowing blue, slightly, and when they finally stopped moving, there was a sudden flash, and Whitemane screamed. She fell back, writhing, as her chakra was sealed to a point where her body no longer recognized that she had it. It was as if her chakra was gone, and without chakra, a body cannot function, cannot live.
Whitemane and Kira knew this. As she felt her chakra, immense as it was, being bound and twisted and sealed away, Whitemane began to smile. But it was not an insane smile; it was a sad one. Tears pooled in her eyes.
"P-perhaps…w-wasn't lying…. D-did I l-love him? L-love…him…?"
Then, Whitemane's eyes went dead, and she slumped to the ground, her chakra totally spent.
Kira stared at the tears, still present in Whitemane's eyes. She found that there were tears in her own, too. She couldn't tell why. Joy, pity, and sadness, even anger—none of those touched her; for none seemed appropriate then.
Long before the death of Whitemane, when Kira had first entered the room, Naruto was glad to see her. It meant that she had succeeded in what she had set out to do, and had returned to help him. He grew even gladder when he spotted Tsuwabuki with her, dirty, wet, but unharmed.
Mograine drew his attention again, with his nearly silent whispers of times long past. He was staring at Naruto again, but he was still not there.
"You see?" he held his war mace out, grinning. "The Ashbringer obeys everything I do. Your time as Highlord is up, father. The blade and the title are both mine! It is I who will destroy the Scourge…me, yes, ME!"
Naruto stood shakily to his feet. His energy was returning, and his wounds healing, but not fast enough for him to be of much use yet. He figured the longer Mograine remained in his memories, the longer he had to recover. He then spotted Tsuwabuki, who was rushing towards him. The silver fox leapt up, attaching herself to Mograine's back. Her chakra-enforced claws, like iron, dug into his back, and her jaws tore at his neck. The Divine Shield absorbed much of the damage, but the pain and shock was enough to bring Mograine back to the present. He saw Naruto at his feet; he could see the Plague beginning to take hold of him, see the blonde's face rot and his eyes deflate, and his hair grow stringy and greasy. He could see his lips disappear, and his face twist into the grin of a skull.
"Scourge! Be gone!" he thundered. He swung his weapon laterally at Naruto's head, attempting to take it off. At the same time he reached back, trying to grab Tsuwabuki.
Naruto spun away from the giant Crusader, while Tsuwabuki abandoned her failed attempts to injure Mograine's neck. She had succeeded in doing nothing more than creating bruises on his neck, and several small puncture wounds on his back. Evidently, the Divine Shield protected softer flesh much better.
Tsuwabuki growled, appearing next to her spirit partner in a flash.
'What do we do?' she said.
Naruto said nothing. He saw, out of the corner of his eye, that Whitemane was distracted. If he were lucky, Kira would be able to beat the High Inquisitor despite her power. That would allow him to fight Mograine and beat him, hopefully for the last time.
He then glanced at Tsuwabuki, and said something over the bond. He had a plan.
Mograine suddenly gave a roar, and plunged forwards. He swept his war-mace, which in his mind was still a sword, down onto the stone floor, just missing Naruto. The blonde flashed away, faster than the wind, Tsuwabuki by his side. The Cathedral shook, but none of them noticed or cared. Mograine turned, searching for his quarry with his fanatical eyes.
He found Naruto behind him, waiting. The blonde wasn't moving; he seemed to be waiting. Mograine didn't make him weight long. He shot forwards, and brought the weapon smashing down on Naruto's head. The blonde's hands shot up, grabbing the weapon as he reinforced his whole body with the Kongou. The shock of hit numbed his arms for a moment, before sending fire through them. His knees buckled, nearly breaking from the strain of the hit, but Naruto held fast. He stared deeply into Mograine's bloodshot eyes.
Something in them made the man seize up. A look he had seen in his memories. Defiance, disgust, perhaps even a bit disappointment. The eyes of his father.
Therefore, he hardly noticed Tsuwabuki, rushing up from behind. The fox, her claws sharpened with enough chakra to slice steel, drove them into the backs of Mograine's kneecaps. Mograine, in his reapplication of the technique, had focused the majority of its intensity on his upper body. Her claws easily pierced the thin shield of chakra protecting his tendons, slicing them apart.
Mograine went down instantly. As he fell, Naruto leapt atop his chest, forming a quick seal and then grabbing onto the hilt of his sword, still buried in the Scarlet Commander's chest. As he grasped it, he thrust all of the burning chakra he had created, the Kaenhira.
"Kasouken! (Immolation Blade)"
The fiery chakra exploded from the tip of Naruto's sword, igniting everything within Mograine's body. His natural fats and oils were heated to a point where they ignited, and in flash, the fire spread to his entire body. From the outside, Mograine's eyes grew wide, and smoke began to rise from his wounds and mouth.
Naruto leapt away, ripping Magni's Pride along with him. Fire sprayed from the wound, instead of blood, and Mograine let out a thunderous scream, and bellowed the last words he could before his voice box spontaneously combusted.
"The sword!" he wailed, his eyes suddenly bursting, and his chest exploding in fire. "W-where is it…going…? I-it's leaving…why…?"
And then, Mograine's body was totally consumed by fire, and he joined his mistress in death, the Ashbringer still out of his reach. Gone, long gone.
That should be it. It's a bit shorter, but I included all I wanted to.
Chapter would have been up Saturday, but FFN wouldn't let me post the chapter.
The next chapter is going to be Naruto and the rest's journey back to Sylvanas, and the little talk that you've all been waiting for.
How did everybody like the personalities of Mograine and Whitemane? Whitemane is easy to hate; but think about it, she really is a victim of the ideology of the Crusade. Her madness is just from ignorance, much like all of the rest. Her possible love for Kira's father was also a tragic element I wanted to put in. She loved him, yet her belief system didn't allow her to truly realize that.
Mograine was fun. He was just genuinely crazy, having lost what he most desire long ago. At first, I was just going to make him insane, and super-obedient to Whitemane, but when the real history of the Ashbringer, and why Fairbanks (who is really a character in the game, by the way) was in the back of the Cathedral, was given to me by a very helpful reviewer named Azrael Angel of Death I found that I couldn't resist making him even more crazy by placing in his desire for his father's sword in there too. There will be a lot more with Ashbringer, in times to come, and the true history of the Scarlet Crusade has yet to be revealed.
The Holy Light was a possible explanation of Whitemane's resurrection abilities. I saw no other way that that could be accurately explained, without her being a necromancer or something. The connection to the Kyuubi will probably come later. It is not a demon, by the way, or a Titan. And it doesn't need to be sealed, but as you know, chooses who becomes its vessel.
And finally, thank Frankto once again for his awesome Japanese translations of all of Naruto's attacks. If I had tried, they would have ended up something like Naruto Flying Kitten Flower Combo and Tax Deduction Blade.
Well, that should be it.
I graduated, by the way, and oddly enough, I was hypnotized too, during the after party. It was sweet, and I encourage you guys to try it. It's a riot for those who you are performing for, at least.
But, like Fen said, it only works if you submit to it.
Anyways. Seeya! Chapter will be out much sooner, because I no longer have school!
General Grievous
Spellbook-Crusader's Sacrifice- Using ones chakra, you gather it into a sphere within, and detonate it, destroying both yourself and anyone within twenty or so feet of you. Incredibly powerful, but suicidal as well.
Divine Shield- Used by Warriors of Light, the Divine Shield is an extremely useful technique. It protects a person's entire body from harm, making them a walking juggernaut, for as long as they have the will and the know-how, they can reinforce it whenever they wish. Otherwise, the technique, because it is spread out over the person's entire body, is easy to pierce with stronger techniques or weapons. Unless the person is skilled, and smart enough, to increase the power over the weak points, then they can easily be slain by a strong enough technique.
Holy Light- An entity that grants whoever it possesses immeasurable amounts of chakra (comparable to those of a demon's), and the ability to raise the dead. It is unknown how the entity chooses, or even if it does at all, but those who are gifted with this power can be some of the most helpful, or most terrible, people in history. It also makes the person who wields have little control over their chakra without extended training.
Uzumaki Naruto Ransoku Rendan (Uzumaki Naruto Rapid Storm Combo)- Much the same as a normal Naruto Rendan, but adds a lightning fast series of Kazaashi punches before the final kick.
Kasouken (Immolation Blade)- Thrusting one's weapon deep into their opponent's body, and then using the Kaenhira to ignite the blade, can cause a spontaneous combustion within the person. Extremely dangerous and deadly. Only works with piercing or slashing weapons.