Chapter 5! I'm so excited! (Sorry it took so long.)
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Hinata searched frantically among the brush and thickets. The wicked thorns snagged at her clothes leaving jagged cuts behind but she didn't care. The only thought running through her mind was of finding Naruto. She clutched her head in her hands, moaning. She knew that Naruto was in a delicate condition, so why did she drop her guard?
'What will you do now that you've seen me like this?' Hinata shivered. Bad memories. This only made her panic even more.
'Wait a minute…' Hinata blinked in stupid realization. She was a Hyuga for crying out loud!
"Byakugan!" with her clan's brilliant ability, she quickly located the hunched form of Naruto. He was near another pool of water and it looked like he had something in his hand. Hinata squinted for a better look. What was that thing? She shook her head.
'I'll figure it out when I get there.' she thought and made off in Naruto's direction.
***
Kyuubi toyed with the dead rabbit in his hands. Its life had been short and its death swift. Not that he cared anyway. Kyuubi sighed. It would seem that all the larger game had moved deeper into the forest. How boring.
'If I want to catch anything worthwhile, I had better move on.' he thought and stood. His stomach growled again.
'And fast.'
***
Naruto rubbed his eyes sleepily. When had he fallen asleep?
'I was with Hinata in the glade and then…?' he took a while to gather his thoughts until he realized where he was.
"What?! Where am I?!" he leapt to his feet. His surroundings were dark and forbidding. Panicked, he began to run hoping to see the light. Instead he crashed into a set of bars.
'Prison?' he clutched them tightly and called out into the darkness.
"What did I do? Why am I in here? Answer me!" Only silence returned his call. Naruto sighed miserably. Then a fluttering piece of dusty paper caught his eye. It was attached to the front of the prison cell. He reached out through the bars and turned it over. A strange design was scrawled on the front. Something nagged in the back of Naruto's head. He had seen that somewhere before. He thought back to the afternoon in the clearing.
'The picture of Kyuubi! There was a drawing of a seal on it!'
"No…That can't be." but the more he stared, the more obvious it became. As much as he wished it weren't true, he somehow landed up in his own sub conscience and now he was locked behind Minato's seal. Naruto groaned. This day could not get any worse…
"Awake already kit?" Oh look, it just did.
"Kyuubi?! How the hell did this happen?! Let me out now! He looked around nervously. Despite his bravado, the nine tailed demon fox scared him to no end.
"Don't bother looking kit, you won't find me in that hell hole." Kyuubi's silky voice purred down to him from apparently nowhere. Naruto looked confused.
"Wh-where are you exactly?" he asked cautiously.
"What, you mean you still haven't figured it out? You really are stupid, kit."
"Stop taunting and tell me what's going on here!" Naruto was beginning to get sick of Kyuubi's attitude.
"Okay, let's start with some general knowledge. Where are you right now?" he teased. Naruto groaned but he realized that Kyuubi wasn't going to give him a straight answer so he decided to go along with it.
"Well, I'm in my own sub conscience, locked behind the seal that was meant for you." he replied icily.
"Correct. And who was supposed to be there?"
"Like I said before, you! What are you getting at stupid fox?"
"Bravo, kit! Now, fill in the blank. If you're in my place then I'm in?" Naruto's eyes widened in horrified understanding.
"My place…" he muttered absentmindedly. This…this THING had taken over his body! Kyuubi laughed, sending shivers down his spine.
"Oh look," Naruto looked up to where he imagined the voice was coming from.
"Your mate is here. She looks worried about you." said Kyuubi casually.
'Mate? What is he talking about?' he thought for a minute. Naruto hated the feeling of not knowing what was going on. He was in his own body and yet he couldn't control it. He hated that feeling too.
"Oh, I forgot my manners. You'll want to see her right? After all, this may be the last time you see her alive!" Kyuubi chuckled ominously.
The air in front of Naruto's cage shimmered for a few moments and suddenly sharpened forming something like a screen. Naruto could see the forest again and he guessed that this was what Kyuubi was seeing. Then he saw her.
"Hinata!" he cried.
"Is that what she's called? Hinata…You know what, kit? Something tells me this will be fun." Naruto could not answer. He willed her to leave.
***
Hinata stared at it. Naruto couldn't do something like that, could he? Finding the rabbit was bad enough but this just made her stomach turn. She had been following Naruto but then he began to move deeper into the forest. Hinata had kept good pace but she kind of wished she hadn't now.
"Naruto…wh-why?" she whispered. Kyuubi knew she was talking about the doe. He had killed it a couple minutes ago. He could have made a fine meal out of it if only the vessel hadn't woken up and now there was this puny kunoichi. The ninjas of Konoha sure knew how to get on his nerves.
"Look, I'm feeling generous today, so I'll give you three seconds to get out of my sight and as far away as possible." he said, with an air of contempt. For a moment, Hinata wanted to take up that offer but then she caught the glassy eye of the mutilated doe. She squeezed her eyes shut. No. She had to stop this here and now. Who knew? That doe could be her tomorrow.
"N-Naruto, s-snap out o-o-of it! Kyuubi's controlling you!" cried Hinata.
"Three." Kyuubi was beginning to tire of this charade. He took a step toward her. Hinata took a terrified step away.
"Naruto! F-fight h-him!"
"Two" Kyuubi's countdown carried on. He crouched in a hunting position.
"Naruto…" Hinata looked into Kyuubi's blood red eyes. She could see no trace of the boy she loved.
"One!" Hinata knew it was coming; she braced herself for the impact as Kyuubi pounced.
***
"Kyuubi, stay away from her!" Naruto shouted up, but he knew Kyuubi was no longer listening. Kyuubi had Hinata pinned to the ground while the latter thrashed helplessly.
"Byakugan!" Hinata activated her ability and aimed a sudden punch at Kyuubi.
'That's right! Fight and you could still win!' Naruto cheered mentally. Kyuubi leapt off with a half amused smile.
"You didn't tell me you netted a Hyuga, kit! Very good…you may have some potential in you after all." his voice echoed down. Naruto decided to ignore that impertinent statement.
Meanwhile, Hinata proceeded to charge furiously at Kyuubi, aiming for any major chakra point in her way. Kyuubi, on the other hand, continuously sidled away every time she neared his proximity, that arrogant, overconfident smirk plastered to his face. This was just a game to him. A futile, childish game.
***
Kakashi stared at the thick grey book in his hand. It had the musty smell a book that has been attacked by silverfish and had seen many generations of sweaty fingers. Asuma gave his friend a concerned look. They were currently inside one of the oldest and shadiest bookstores in all of Konoha.
Asuma would never have given it a second look if it weren't for Kakashi and his seemingly fanatic longing for some book in the display case. At first, he thought Kakashi was after the ancient promo edition of Icha Icha Paradise but was in for a shock when he plucked up the dusty grey one beside it.
"Something on your mind Kakashi?" asked Asuma in a good natured way.
"Hm? What makes you say that?" Asuma pointed to the ignored Icha Icha Paradise.
"Oh, that…" Kakashi barely acknowledged its existence and flipped open the book in his hand. Frowning, Asuma snatched it away from him.
"What is this? A History of Broken Seals? Kind of a dark topic isn't it?" he turned a couple of pages, filled mostly with morbid pictures of dying human vessels joined with exact descriptions of the beast that escaped, why the seals had loosened and where the unfortunate shinobi died in painfully small print. Asuma gave an exasperated sigh and threw the book back at Kakashi.
"Didn't we talk about this Kakashi? There is absolutely nothing wrong with Naruto!" he yelled.
"Something has gone wrong, Asuma… It's a gut feeling." Kakashi said in low tones. Just then, the cashier noticed the two ninjas having a staring contest in his shop.
"Sir? This is a non smoking area…" he piped up timidly. Asuma and was hardly listening.
"Yeah? Well all my gut tells me is when it's hungry!" growled Asuma. Kakashi replied with a cold expression.
"L-look…These books burn very easily, you see they're really old…" the cashier made another pathetic attempt to assert himself.
"Asuma, every time I see that boy I just know that something has gone wrong! I can sense it and I can't just allow things to happen!"
"So, all jokes aside, where's your proof Kakashi?" Asuma smashed the burning end of his cigarette against the wall, startling the perspiring cashier. Asuma meant well but sometimes he just worried about his friend. Kakashi seemed to be losing his mind the more he thought about it.
"You want proof? I'll give you proof all right." said Kakashi. The men whirled around to face the cashier (who had had quite enough of them by now.). Kakashi slammed 'A History of Broken Seals' onto the table with a mutter of 'I'll take it.'
Then he looked back at the display case and snatched up the Icha Icha Promo Edition.
"This one too."
***
Hinata found herself at the feet and mercy of Kyuubi. Her whole body ached with fatigue. Kyuubi had not been easy on her. He was completely untouched despite the girl's best efforts. Hinata felt his gaze.
"Pathetic." he spat. Hinata craned her neck to look at his face. It was full of malice and hatred, a complete contrast to the Naruto she knew. Within Kyuubi, Naruto pleaded with him, not that Hinata could hear anyway. Naruto could only speak in the imposter's head.
"Kyuubi stop this! You've done enough!" he quailed. Kyuubi pretended not to notice and instead pulled out a convenient kunai from his pocket. Hinata shivered visibly, whether from fear or the cold, she could not tell.
"You are weak." he said. Hinata's face fell. She had heard that before. Many times.
"But you know what's even more pathetic?" Kyuubi's voice was like ice.
"Kyuubi!" Naruto sounded desperate but the demon fox seemed to be enjoying this.
"Besides being one of the most useless shinobi I have ever fought, you are holding back." Hinata stiffened at this comment.
"Is it because of this form? You can't bear to hurt my vessel?" Kyuubi held her face in his hand in a false gesture of care. Hinata wished she could deny this but found that she could not. It was true. She could not bring herself to land even one good shot at him. Well sure it was Kyuubi but he still had the form of Naruto. Every time she got close to dealing a major blow she found herself pulling back at the last moment. Kyuubi knew it and he had made the fullest advantage of her feelings.
"But don't worry dear kunoichi…" he murmured, flourishing the kunai. "It will end soon." he thrust her face down, neck exposed, and held the blade high above his head.
For the first time, Hinata was faced with the fact that she would soon die.
"P-Please! Just let her live! She hasn't done anything to you!" Naruto was practically begging with the demon. Kyuubi heard him give a choked sob and rattle the bars of his cage. Briefly, Kyuubi wondered at the emotions of human beings. And then there was that other thing…Love. He shook his head in disgust.
'Love makes the humans weak.' he thought and swung the blade down.
"Nooooooooo!"
***
Hinata knew that she would die one day. Everyone knows that. She just never imagined that it would happen this soon…at the hands of the one she loved. But she accepted this with a cold resignation. There was nothing she could do and she was weak. Kyuubi had been right. Hinata saw him lift the kunai. She heard the kunai swing toward her neck. 100% fatal. She closed her eyes and waited for the pain.
But it never came. There was a blinding flash of light that illuminated even the inky darkness of the deep forest. Then Hinata heard something that sounded like a crack of thunder mingled with Kyuubi's howling. Hinata was almost afraid to look up.
"K-Kyuubi?" she forced herself to see.
"He's gone." said Naruto numbly. He backed away from her and dropped the kunai.
"Naruto!" she smiled at him, relief coursing inside her even through her pain. Naruto smiled back weakly as she embraced him in joy. She had no idea how it happened but she was overjoyed to see him again, his blue eyes in place of those hateful red ones.
'I somehow overcame Kyuubi and regained control of myself. But how did that happen? That could be useful to know in the future.' he was already trying to prepare himself for Kyuubi's next attack. He knew it would happen eventually. He glanced at Hinata. Naruto just hoped she wouldn't be around the next time. Today had been a close shave.
"I th-think w-w-we should g-get out of h-here." she said, interrupting Naruto's thoughts. He nodded briefly and they were about to make their way to the clearing to collect Naruto's clothing and eventually back to Konoha when Naruto was attacked by migraines. He groaned and fell to his knees. Hinata knelt down beside him in concern.
"You think you've won but don't celebrate just yet, kit. I assure you I will be back. I can't say when but in the meantime, the transformation will continue. You haven't won kit!" a demonic laugh echoed in his head.
"N-Naruto wh-what happened?" Naruto grasped her wrist tightly, the pain beginning to fade away with Kyuubi's voice.
"Hinata, if I ever, EVER look like I'm going to hurt someone, you take me down… take me down, do you understand?!" he cried, fear apparent in his eyes.
***
When Hinata and Naruto were long gone, a figure leapt down from a tree. He had seen everything from Hinata's confession to Kyuubi's outburst. Neji sighed in disbelief. Naruto had nearly killed Hinata. Hinata loved him. Neji wanted to protect her. The more he thought, the more complicated it seemed. But most of all, he had been right.
Naruto was a monster.
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WOOT! Finally! Anyway, I was thinking of adding in SasuxSaku or would that be too weird? Reviews are always nice!
Kira
