I don't own Naruto, or any references to Lovecraft's work that I make.

Bold=Demon/supernatural

Italics=Thoughts/flashbacks/stuff like that

A/N: A funny thing, Alhazred is actually a loose Arabic translation for "To serve a Greater Lord". Anyway, if this chapter gets weird, blame the Meteors(Band), Lovecraft and my severe lack of sleep.

-Chapter Twelve: Leng, the mountain of horror-

Naruto, Arima, Okin and Alhazred had traveled for three days, and now before them stood the wretched mountain Leng. The summit was obscured by a large plateau, for it was a clear day, and one could see for miles around. The plateau itself stood atop quite a long hike, a day's trip for anyone but the most experienced climbers. To those that stood before the mountains as the only humans for several miles around, it would take half a day, perhaps three quarters of the day.

They made camp at the base of the mountain, and stayed there until dawn, before packing up and moving upwards into higher elevation. Naruto stood behind Alhazred, in front of Arima, and Okin stood farthest back.

The landscape was split by crevices, the ground strangely clear of much snow, as if someone had swept it into large piles at no particular interval.

"The cave we're searching for is about two hundred feet short of the summit." Alhazred said, he possessed a great knowledge of the mountain Leng, and many other forbidden places in the world.

Okin was apprehensive. Something didn't feel right about the mountain, he felt as if he was being watched. Never one to pay too much attention to his surroundings, he wondered why he felt this way. It seemed as if one hundred pairs of eyes were watching him from the crevices around him.

Naruto's senses were extended to their limits, he sensed presences all around, beneath him, in front of him. It seemed as if the very mountain was alive, it's own soul projecting terror upon any who could sense it. Naruto could feel behind him, Okin's fear. "Okin." He heard the man jump. "It's fine. The mountain has it's own presence it seems. Nothing will be jumping from the snow to harm you." The ANBU ninja was right in a sense, nothing did jump from the snow, but rather it burst from the crevice that they stepped over, a gigantic amorphous blob, with pseudopodia like tendrils, it gripped onto Okin's massive trunk. Naruto began running through hand signs.

"Fire Arts: Fireball!" It was a very similar jutsu to the Uchiha's infamous Grand Fireball technique, but on a much smaller scale. The blaze was closer to the size of a large dog, and hit the amorphous being with a sizzling sound and the smell of burning flesh.

"He was right Okin, nothing came from the snow, instead it jumped from the crevice." Alhazred smiled. "That's a Shoggoth, definitely would've put you in a world of hurt." He walked over to the large, burning mass of flesh-like substance. "There's definitely going to be more of them. We need to be more careful." The group continued on, the smell of burnt flesh still heavy in their nostrils for nearly a mile.

A half a day later, camp was being made, a simple camp of a pair of tents, and a fire pit. The camp was placed at the foot of the massive plateau, which looked to have a foot path about a foot and a half wide, winding it's way up the side. Naruto sat near the fire, embracing the warmth. Temperatures in the mountains fell to -45 degrees Fahrenheit, some of the coldest that man could stand for any extended length of time. The fire was quite large, enough for all four people to stay warm around the fire.

Naruto stared into the cold, black night around him, and felt more determined than ever to save his friend's life. He was the only one who was assigned to the mission, and as such, he was the only one to keep watch. Staying up for days on end was no problem. It was the fact that it would only get more and more dangerous as he got higher, the cliffs more precarious, and the beasts more dangerous, his nerves would fray, his reflexes would dull, and his sword would slow. Naruto knew he could catch a moment of sleep when Alhazred woke up, which he was relying on to guide their mission.

"This man is strangely helpful, don't you think?"

I think that he doesn't want to see Cthulhu rise again. I would hate for such a damnable beast like that to tear apart my village.

"You mean like I did?" The Fox sounded neither offended nor proud, but both. "I won't say I don't regret it, but I can't say I do either."

I won't say I don't regret having you sealed in me either. But I can't say I like it either.

Naruto was suddenly made aware of a dark presence, several of them in fact. When he looked around, he saw nearly a dozen emaciated and winged forms. The humanoid forms all carried claws and sharp fangs rather than normal teeth and nails. The skin that covered their bodies was black and dark. The Dark Young was their name. Naruto rose, his knives already drawn.

In a burst of movement, the first of the Dark Young was slashed through the throat. The other nine all lunged, but the chaos of nine bodies trying to heap themselves on one caused an opening to allow Naruto to escape.

"Clearly you guys aren't very smart." Naruto smirked beneath his mask. He saw two of the beasts lunge at him, he jumped over one, and landed behind it. Turning, he kicked it across the head, the bones of it's head were crushed beneath Naruto's metal shin armor.

With a step forward and a push kick, he knocked the other attacker away. Another step forward and a slash of a knife, and a single head rolled.

It was at that moment that he realized that three of the dark beasts had taken flight. He had no bow to shoot them down, and kunai flew too slow to hit them in the air. Naruto focused on the three on the ground, throwing both of his knives, hitting two of the Dark Young, before he reached the third one, his sword came around and cut the arm from a beast from the sky.

The third of the ground borne assailants attempted to use it's comrades loss of limb as a distraction to attack their meal. Naruto promptly lodged his boot heel into the beast's face. Pulling his knives from the faces of two beasts, he jumped into the air, meeting his aggressor head on, he lodged his knives in the back of the beast as he collided with it.

The tangle of limbs, wings, and steel hit the ground. The ANBU ninja smashed an elbow across the jaw of the grotesque beast. He stood, and dropped his boot on the face of the thing that had attacked him.

The final of the Dark Young took him by the side, slamming him to the ground, he caught the wrist of the beast before the ivory claws tore his mask from his face. Naruto used the ground to support him as he punched upward, his fist colliding with a rather solid jaw. A snap was heard as the bones of the beast's neck broke. Naruto pushed the beast from it's perch atop him and stood up. Around their camp lay ten bodies of a beast that technically didn't exist.

Gathering his blades, Naruto sheathed the weapons, and noticed the unbearable smell emanating from the dead bodies as they decayed faster than anything he'd seen. In a matter of mere minutes, the bodies of the ten beasts had decayed entirely. "Strange." Was all Naruto said, before returning to his post to watch for more enemies.

Alhazred exited his tent to smoke his pipe. He saw Naruto sitting there, in his previous spot. "Sounded like you had a bit of a scuffle before." Alhazred sat down. "Get some sleep, I'll wake you up an hour after dawn, when the other two get up.

Naruto woke up when Alhazred shouted, in a few short seconds, he was outside, and saw that nothing was wrong.

"Good, I figured that would wake you up." Alhazred was smoking his pipe and boiling off some snow to make tea.

After a quick breakfast, they continued their trek up the dangerously cold mountain. They movement, and a canteen full of a strange tea that Alhazred had made kept them from hypothermia. The four travelers continued on their way up the mountain trail, the narrow, spiraling trail that carried them all the way up to the top of the plateau.

"Kitsune, the Dark Young you fought, how many of them were there?" Alhazred asked. A trifle of an edge was in his voice.

"There was ten." Naruto answered. "Why?"

"Because the Dark Young travel in groups of fifteen to twenty usually. They've been called Night Gaunts because they only come out at night. So expect more of them tonight." Alhazred spoke almost carefully, as if each word was planned before he spoke it. "They'll likely be tracking us, since you undoubtedly have the smell of their clan on you."

"I killed ten yesterday, five or ten more won't be a problem."

"They're bringing friends, no doubt. If one Night Gaunt sees another tracking game, it'll follow. This happens until there's dozens of them." The old man spoke. "You and I will sleep in shifts tonight, you take the second half of the night. Since that's when they came last night." Alhazred saw Okin and Arima with their faces showing fear. "We're gonna get that plant for your friend, come hell or high water." Alhazred's words were a small comfort for everyone there.

The hike up the side of the plateau lasted for the entire day, all the way until night time. Naruto was set to take the second watch, he watched the fire as he ate his simple dinner when his senses picked up a noise.

"Alhazred, did you hear that?" Naruto picked up his sword. "I think we've got company, you two." He pointed at Okin and Arima. "Get in your tent. Yell if any of them try to get in."

Soon, lightning struck, and with the lightning, a great beast with red eyes, black skin, and claws as dark as it's skin appeared. With the thunder, it's roar. Naruto acted without thinking, and began hand seals 'Nine Tails Phantom! Release!" The Red mist enveloped him quickly. Nine ethereal tails formed behind him, the mist took the form of the fox.

"Well, I wish I could do that." Alhazred drew his sword, for he sensed a hundred different presences, each as evil as the next. "Well, I guess that I'm on my own then."

Naruto lunged at the dark beast, his hands shaped as the paws of the Kyuubi, the paws landed on the animal, and claws tore through skin like paper. Naruto landed on all fours, and swung his nine tails at the nameless beast.

Alhazred saw as dozens of the Night Gaunts surrounded him, he sighed, and in a flash of movement so fast, that a sonic boom was created, flew into action as he cut through a single body, then a second, and third before a single heart beat happened in any of the bodies. He saw several take flight, and threw his sword. Before the sword struck home, he'd finished his jutsu, and a massive fireball torched a dozen Night Gaunts in the air. He jumped forward, grabbing a single of the Dark Young, and swinging it at another, knocking it away as he pulled his sword out of a third one.

Naruto's aura flared, and the smell of burning flesh was elicited from the great dark beast as it fell to the ground, defeated. Naruto didn't stop there, he turned and in a massive leap, landed in the fray, and in a final move, flared his aura again. Alhazred sheathed his sword, and sat down and watched the spectacle as Naruto began to release the energy bound in the form of a nine tailed beast dissipated.

"Damn, I thought I was fast." Naruto chuckled, as he laughed, rolling his shoulders. "I'll be hard pressed to stay awake all night now."

"I'll take watch, you get your sleep." Alhazred pulled out his pipe. "You did good Naruto, the bigger beast was a different type of Dark Young, a much stronger kind."

"Well, I'm going to sleep. Wake me up if we have anymore guests." Naruto ducked inside his tent, and crawled into his sleeping bag.

-Chapter Twelve: End-

Author's Notes: Sorry for taking so long, and doing what I think might not be my best work, but I've been pretty stressed, add writer's block to the mix, and you have my reason for not having this out sooner.

Next Chapter: In The Caves of Leng