Didn't do disclaimer for the prologue and chapter 1… so I'll go back and redo all of them…
Disclaimer: I don't own Masashi Kishimoto or Eushully, and by extension both Naruto and the Battle Goddess series as well. (The Battle Goddess series are 18+ games)
People under 15 shoo, shoo…
Blood, Body and Soul
Chapter 2
"The first test."
Naruto tensed his body for anything that might come.
Instead of numbing electricity, burning flame or intense weight, what came was quite unexpected. A brief flash tore through his memories, every single one of them. For the first time in years, he felt truly exposed. Having no other choice, he was forced to watch every single one of his memories as they flooded his mind. From embraces to beatings, from saving to killing… there seemed to be no end to them.
Memories:
He walked around in the streets, aware of the fact that there was an ANBU tracking him even as he was spat on by a villager. He turned and memorized the man's face. Another one to add to his unending list of 'demon haters'.
Flash
She held him in her arms like it was a cradle. He felt snug and warm. She sang to him as he fell asleep.
Flash
"I am your guide."
Flash
"You're the child of prophecy, destined to become one with the gods."
Flash
"Their pain shall never exceed yours. Remember everything. And cherish them. For once they are lost, there's slight chance of getting them back."
Flash
"I am a mere reincarnation of her spirits. Find the real me."
Flash
…
After what seemed like an eternity, he felt the memories coming to a stop with the brief episode of him shouting at the Hokage and flying out here with Itachi.
He opened his eyes and felt the sudden urge to throw up. His mind is like a washing machine on high spin cycle. The only thing that stopped him was 'his' voice.
"You pass." The voice that surely should belong to a goddess. It was weird to know that the spirit residing within it is male, and his ancestor.
"I strive to do better." He replied, calming his stomach and slowing down the blood flow to his brain. It would help dumb the pain, if only a little.
"Your second test is here." He said, pointing to the broken down wall that covered most of the clearing's sun light.
Naruto stood up and turned towards the wall. Sure enough, there were three chakra signatures behind it, slowly approaching but nonetheless there. His eyes hardened. "I shall serve."
He dashed past the wall quickly and readied himself for combat. A Kage level ninja with two Tokubetsu Jounins… if they see me, they mustn't be allowed to escape… He thought, closing and opening his eyes as the Sharingans swirled into life, quickly warping into the shape of a flower with nine petals, crimson red and unwavering. This is no longer about justice… I shall carve my own path.
Just then, the three shinobis jumped out into the clearing. All three of them completed the hand signs exactly on time as they appeared from above the stone structure.
Tiger seal. "Doton: Doryu Taiga!"
Dragon seal. "Doton: Doryuudan no Jutsu!"
Rat seal. "Jinton: Genkai Hakuri no Jutsu!"
The Earth under Naruto's feet quickly turned to mud just as he jumped, dodging a muddy dragon in the air. The small cube that had appeared on top of him was quickly expanding in size and crushed down on him immediately after he dodged the dragon. He narrowed his eyes.
Izanagi!
He phased out and the cube continued on its path to the ground. The old man is the leader, he will have to go down first. He thought, calling his wind to him and launching the invisible blades at the still dropping cube, cutting it into four pieces which collided with the ground and forced the two support ninjas away.
Amatarasu!
He yelled in his mind. His eyes became blood shot red and strained on the figure of the Tsuchikage even as the old geezer levitated himself off the ground.
The black flame caught on Onoki's cloak and Naruto winced at his miss.
The Tsuchikage's eyes widened as he spotted the black flame climbing up his cloak. With agility unknown to most old man, he shrugged out of his cloak and threw it to the ground. The only other Uchiha that he'd seen use that move was Madara… but that can't be him. That was also the time when he realized that they had no chance against the blonde kid and signaled Akatsuchi and Kurotsuchi to retreat.
You're not getting away. Naruto strained his eyes even more, blood started to ooze out the corners, but he ignored them and concentrated on the leader, the Mangekyo Sharingans started distorting the space/time continuum around the retreating ninjas.
Kamui!
A black hole emerged right next to the Onoki and before he could even show his surprise, he was sucked in, followed by his two trusted subordinates.
Naruto fell to his knees and panted for breath. He wiped the blood from his left eye and closed them. I didn't kill them… they're just somewhere else now… somewhere far away…
Indeed he didn't kill them, he dropped them in the middle of the ocean in Nami no Kuni. Three Iwa nins that never learned how to swim in their entire lives suddenly appeared in the middle of the ocean…
After a minute or so, the he got up and headed back where he came from, not daring to waste another moment.
Amegakure:
Madara stopped outside the raining town. Just then... I'm pretty sure it was… He narrowed his eyes. But who… in those good for nothing ruins? I did feel that chakra spike just yesterday… that makes things complicated… No matter, I'll take care of it when the business here is finished. Coming to a decision, he walked through the gates, to convince Hanzo that he no longer needed Yahiko and his group. (Nagato isn't recognized as leader yet~)
Konohagakure:
Uchiha district, secret shrine:
"He knows about the plans! Why isn't he here!"
"Could he have betrayed us?"
"Nonsense, Itachi would never betray us!"
"What about Shisui's suspicious death?"
"He has already provided proof for his innocence."
"Fugaku, what is your opinion on the matter?"
As everyone turned towards him, the clan leader of the Uchiha sat cross-legged, deep in thought. "He was forced on a mission by the Hokage yesterday." He said. He had seen his son leave, floating in the air behind the blonde village pariah.
"What! That's outrageous! He could have declined!"
"Itachi knows what he's doing. It would seem suspicious for him to put off any job… especially at this point in time."
A moment of silence fell.
"So what shall we do?"
"Wait until he returns… I have a feeling that he won't return alone."
"And the plans?"
"Delay them… we may need to reformulate the plans."
"… Understood."
Thus, the meeting was adjourned. The candle flame was blown out as they exited through the hidden staircase.
Village Archives:
Uzuki Yuugao yawned. Hayate was going to be pissed that she didn't go back again. Oh well, at least this time she's actually got an excuse. She finished writing the last line and placed the quill back into its leather case. She rolled up the scroll and placed the documents back onto their respective shelves. With everything done, she took off the comfy jacket and immediately suffered from the cold of the room. Suppressing a shiver, she sealed the jacket away and double checked everything.
It was in this room that she learned the biggest secret the village held… and she intended to keep it that way. With a small sigh, she placed a small blood seal on the scroll she was writing on so that only the Sandaime and she can open it. She blew out the candle and left level 7 of Konoha Village Archive, silently wondering that if something that big was hidden in level 7, what could be in level 8 and 9?
Tsuchi no Kuni:
Outside of the sacred ruins:
The reinforcements of Iwagakure were waiting anxiously outside of the ruins, a total of 31 shinobis ranging from Chunins to Tokubetsu Jounins. The message they received was written by the Tsuchikage's personal aide, Akatsuchi. And for the Tsuchikage himself to request aid, well, let's just say that tension is high and leave it at that. But at the moment, the thought that swarmed the collective ninjas' mind was: what do we do? They couldn't just go back to the village empty hands, but if the unknown enemy had taken care of the top three ninjas of their village without letting one of them escaping, it's unlikely that they'll have much of a chance against that person.
"Akihito-taichou, what do we do next?" The kunoichi on the left asked.
The captain named Akihito gritted his teeth. "Have them split up into three teams, one search specialist on each. When you find the enemy or Onoki-sama, call for assistance immediately. We still haven't determined their number yet, so don't engage them foolishly." He tried his best to remain calm. He wasn't a patient man. You could tell that by just looking at his appearance, standing past 6'3 and the gruff appearance consisting of scars across his face and arms. He's the sort of die-hard ninja that fights for his village no matter where, when or how.
"Understood!"
And he just unknowingly led his men onto the path of death.
Inside the ruins:
Naruto looked at him in the eyes. The same cerulean blue eyes as him, identical, both having no real purpose in life. One's purpose is to serve when the other one's purpose is to pass on the legacy and fulfill a forgotten promise.
"The next test?" Naruto stated more than asked.
"There is no other test." The other replied in that odd tone of voice again.
"Pardon me, but she told me that there would be three tests." Naruto furrowed his eyebrows. He didn't like unplanned situations. And that was the 3rd time something like that happened in the same day. First with the Tsuchikage's interference, then the large group of shinobis out there that's steadily approaching.
"I have forgotten my own memories but now have yours from the first test. The second test proved your ability to combat. The third test is the fusion process itself."
Naruto visibly relaxed. "I see."
"Are you ready?"
"I was born ready."
"No you weren't. No one is, but that is beside the point. Take my sword and stab me." He said calmly and held out the long sword by its sheath.
Naruto eyed the weapon wearily but took it nonetheless. If that's what I'm supposed to do… then… He unsheathed the blade and stared at his own reflection. There was no doubt that this sword holds significant meaning to the supposed ceremony. But he would rather find that out later.
With the grace of a dancer, he took the sword in both hands and rammed its blade into the other's stomach.
Flames spread from the sword and encircled both men.
Naruto's body quickly distorted and was absorbed into the sword, which then transferred it to the body of the goddess.
Serika…
That voice…
Flashback
"You will become him. He will become you. He would be the container of the nine-tailed fox… the strongest part of the Juubi. I shall be reincarnated as the fox… when the time comes…"
Flashback END
The flames receded and the sword fell to the ground. The body decreased in size until it looked like that of an eight years old child. The red hair flowed past his shoulders in a ponytail with two separate bangs flowing in the front and two more at the back of his head. (See profile picture…) The closed eyes opened once again. Still cerulean blue… and devoid of life…
Name… my name… His mind jammed at the thought. My name… can't remember… He tried to remember something, anything, only to find nothing, absolutely no memories. Why can't I remember? He thought with frustration. Looking around, he checked where he was. Ruins? I don't remember coming here… it's not like I remember much, but… He looked at the sword that's plunged into the ground and pulled it out by the handle. This feeling… so familiar… He sheathed the sword with practiced accuracy and and closed his eyes, sensing the chakra signatures of the dozens of shinobis instantly. He snapped his eyes open. Why do I remember how to fight… all the techniques… knowledge about fighting… sword arts… magic… elements… He emitted a sigh as he felt a lone chakra signature pasting through the ruins at towards him.
A brief memory flashed through his mind. The first since he opened his eyes.
Flashback:
Naruto looked across the horizon at the retreating forms of several ninjas and estimated his remaining chakra levels. Enough to go for approximately 1000 minutes. He looked to the side at the man he's taking with him. "We're stopping for a break in 965 minutes.
The other man remained silent.
He shrugged and felt a distress call from 'him' before narrowing his eyes and speeding up the winds.
Flashback END
That was… a memory. I was flying with the same person that's coming here… That makes him an ally, doesn't it? He thought to himself. But at the end of it, I heard my own distress call… except it was hundreds of miles away… How is that possible if I was… I? Is it possible to hear my own call from far away when I'm here? He shook his head. Gah… this is just getting more confusing by the second.
The figure emerged with a short sword in hand, looking at him weirdly.
He turned towards the figure. His name… his name was… Itachi! That's right! He's Itachi! "Itachi-san?" He called, his voice smooth and musical. What the! I don't remember my voice sounding like that! I'm sure my voice is deeper… slightly.
Itachi tensed at the person's voice. "How did you know my name?" He inquired with his short sword in hand. This may as well be a trap.
He furrowed his brows. "It was a memory… I think. I was flying… you were behind me."
Change perspective: Itachi
Itachi's mind was going into overdrive. Naruto had told him to remain outside the ruins, but after feeling the chakra outbursts that indicated an intense battle, he headed in the direction straight away. Now this… girly boy was standing in front of him telling him that he had a memory of Naruto's. The kid's unsure statement made sense to him. It sounded like he had a plastic surgery with a voice change, personality disorder and memory loss… He concluded. "What's your name?"
The kid frowned. "I… I don't remember…"
"Does the name Naruto ring any bells?" He tried.
Change perspective: Naruto
Naruto… Naruto! That's my name, isn't it? My name is Naruto… I think. Or at least that was my name… "Is that my name?"
"I don't know. Naruto had short spiky blonde hair. But you…" Itachi pointed at his hair. "… have long red hair."
Naruto pulled a few strands of hair off and placed them in his palm. Sure enough, they were crimson red in color. What… I'm pretty sure that my hair wasn't red or long before. He thought.
Another flash passed.
Flashback:
He looked at himself. "No you weren't. No one is, but that is beside the point. Take my sword and stab me." He said calmly and held out that same long sword out by its sheath.
Himself pulled out the sword and stabbed him with grace.
Flashback END
"What the FUCK!" Naruto screamed, clutching his head. "That doesn't make any FUCKING SENSE! It happened again! HOW CAN I BE TWO PEOPLE AT THE SAME TIME!"
Itachi sweat dropped at the sight. If that's Naruto, he's sure changed… "A flashback?"
Naruto nodded. His crimson tresses billowed as the wind made another pass.
"There's a couple dozen Iwa ninjas closing in to this location. I'll take you to the village that Naruto lived in before he… turned into you." It's best to take the matters to the Hokage after this.
Another flash.
Flashback:
Kamui!
A black hole emerged right next to the Onoki and before he could even show his surprise, he was sucked in, followed by his two trusted subordinates.
Naruto fell to his knees and panted for breath. He wiped the blood from his left eye and closed them. I didn't kill them… they're just somewhere else now… somewhere far away…
Flashback END
"Uh… Itachi-san, I don't think taking me back to the village is a good choice… I just remembered that I may have killed the Tsuchikage and his subordinates." He said, scratching the back of his head while smiling sheepishly.
Itachi stared. "I'm sorry, I must have heard wrong. You were saying?"
"I said that I may have killed the Tsuchikage and his subordinates." Naruto repeated in a serious tone.
Seeing how the Hokage is so wary of him and how he took us here in the first place, I'm not too surprised. Itachi concluded. "Right. So how do you suggest we get out of here, they're already unto us."
Naruto shrugged. "We could just kill them… they've already seen our faces. And I doubt your... uh, our village will appreciate a war declaration from Iwa right now."
Itachi contemplated. He does make a good point. But the maximum number I can take on is eight… maybe ten. There's more than thirty of them here. "How many can you take?"
Naruto blinked. Their power levels are awfully low compared to mine. And I took care of their leader quite easily… before I changed… He opened his palm and stretched his fingers. His skin was milky white and felt like the finest silk. For some reason I get the feeling that this body is better than the one I had. "Uh… I'd say all of them."
Itachi nodded and adjusted his grip on the short sword so that one of his hand is available to make hand seals. "Here they come."
A dozen shinobis jumped out their cover behind boulders and launched multiple kunais and shurikens at the two.
The weapons impacted on an invisible wall before a sudden gust of wind threw them right back at the attackers, killing two and injuring five.
"Formation Beta-Foxtrot. Hammer them!" The leader spoke, followed by most of the team starting a sequence of hand seals.
Itachi himself finished his one handed seals and yelled out before them. "Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!"
The fireball flew at a random Iwa ninja and was soon powered by another helpful gust of wind, speeding it up and smashing it into the ninja's face, incinerating his body in the process.
"Doton: Dorou no Jutsu!"
Rocks started rising out of the ground and surrounded the duo before starting to compress in on them rapidly.
With his Sharingans spinning wildly behind the mask, Itachi bit out a curse while fending off more shurikens. These rocks are gonne crush us alive at this rate. No choice them… Before he could finish the thought, the rocks were set aflame and melted down in a matter of seconds. That wasn't the end, however, as the molten rocks flew back at the attackers, scoring a few burns every now and then. Or maybe not…
Another hail of kunais fell at the invisible wall and were sent right back at the throwers. Naruto closed his eyes. Ah… the feeling of battle, the blood… It all feels so… so good… His eyes opened again to reveal the Sharingans that were quickly morphing into the infamous Mangekyo.
Amaterasu!
His eyes strained against themselves as the blood vessels bulged painfully. This feeling… nice.
Itachi watched as all of the enemies were set aflame by the holy black flames. It would seem that I still have much to learn. He now had no doubt that the person standing in front of him is Naruto… or at least was, no matter how different he looks.
As the last scream muffled and the last body burned away, the black flames extinguished themselves from the lack of chakra.
Naruto turned his Sharingans off.
Flashback:
Mokuton Hijutsu: Jukai Kōtan. He said in his mind as new trees sprung up from the ground to replace the old ones. Success. Naruto smiled satisfied. His chakra level is getting dangerously low.
Flashback END
Naruto blinked before his hand automatically formed the tiger seal, followed by the snake seal and he placed them both on the ground. "Mokuton Hijutsu: Jukai Kōtan." Trees sprouted from the gaps in the ground and soon reached high above his head.
Itachi looked on from the side and kept his thoughts to himself. He has Hirashima's Mokuton attributes? There were just so much information to take in that day, and he ridded his mind of all inquiring thoughts. Later… maybe.
"Itachi-san, should we go back to your village?"
That voice again, it set off goose bumps all over his body, knowing that no matter how feminine that voice was, the person inside was Naruto. Eight years old Naruto in an eight years old girl's body. He wanted to smash his head against the tree trunk right now.
"Yes, we should."
And without further ado, the winds lifted them from the ground and headed towards Konohagakure.
Amegakure:
Madara walked out of the village the same way he entered. That feeling… I won't risk something of an unexpected accident this further along in my plans. And he turned towards the north-west. It was time he investigated that chakra spike.
Chapter 2 END
Jutsu Translations:
Jinton: Genkai Hakuri no Jutsu
Translation: Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique
Kanji: 塵遁・原界剥離の術
Doton: Doryuudan
Translation: Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet
Kanji: 土遁・土龍弾
Doton: Doryu Taiga
Translation: Earth Release: Earth Flow River
Kanji: 土遁・土流大河
Doton: Dorou no Jutsu
Translation: Earth Release: Earth Prison Technique
Kanji: 土遁・土牢之术
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