Disclaimer: Knick-Knack-Patty-whack give a dog a bone, this whole thing is getting old…………… WHERE THE HELL DID I COME UP WITH THAT!
Through Crimson Eyes
Chapter 13: Schemes Borne in the Dark.
"I see… that's interesting."
Nine figures stood perched upon nine massive fingers of a gigantic statue, its horrific visage dominated by the massive mouth and nine eyes upon its face. Further away, a figure floated in the air, the body held aloft by a beam of chakra. They lay writhing, their mouth open in an agonized scream as red energy poured out of their eyes and mouth, flowing in large globs into the gapping mouth of the statue.
The nine figures were currently in discussion, nonchalantly ignoring the writhing figure behind them. One of them, a man of average build and height, turned his steely gaze upon another member, this one with red eyes with three marks in the pupils.
"So then Itachi… if what you have related to us is accurate, it would seem that our plans have suffered a rather unfortunate setback." The figure intoned smoothly, his voice mild.
Itachi simply nodded.
"Well then…" He intoned out loud, turning to regard the gathered host before him "any suggestions?"
"I say we just go after the Kyuubi brat now, yeah." One figure said. It clenched and unclenched one of its hands absently, occasionally whispering something to it.
"There is no need to be so hasty Deidara. We do not know what it may be capable of at this point." Spoke another, a large hunched over figure. A massive tail swung back and forth behind it.
"Oh come on boss…" The other figure whined, "even if the kid was that powerful, there is no way that it could stand up to all of us. I say we simply go and take it by force!"
"Deidara might have a point Sasori…" Stated another. He was roughly the same height as Itachi, yet he seemed taller due to the two protrusions coming up from the neckline of his cloak, like the jaws of a Venus flytrap. His body seemed to be painted as well, with half his body painted black. "Transformed or not, the Kyuubi jinchuuriki will probably not be able to access his full power just yet. Waiting will simply give it time to adapt to its new capabilities."
"See, yeah? The brat just recently transformed, yeah. So it's probably not up to full potential yet. If we wait too long, then it might really become too tough for us to take down, yeah."
"While that may be true, the fact remains that we have no real method of separating a jinchuuriki and it's bijuu when they have merged so completely. Taking it now would be useless, and who knows what kind of damage it could cause while we are attempting to determine just what process to use."
"I say we should wait." Grunted another, a giant of a man, its broad shoulders completely filling out the dark cloak it wore.
"That might be the wiser course of action for right now." The apparent leader stated softly, his voice immediately quieting the other members.
"Oh come on!" Deidara whined.
"Stop whining, little man." This from a figure standing next to Itachi, idly bouncing his massive swords against his shoulder.
"Shut your gills shark boy." Deidara replied sharply.
"Enough." Came the leaders voice, soft and even, yet carrying an authority which quickly left the two squabbling ninjas silent. They bowed their heads slightly in acknowledgement.
The captured jinchuuriki's scream increased in pitch. The cloaked figures cast an irritated glance in its direction.
"Geeze, are they all going to be so damn loud?" muttered Deidara irritably.
"It's irritating but necessary. Just try to ignore it." Sasori said.
"Anyway… for now I would suggest caution. There is still six other jinchuuriki to acquire, not including the one we already have here. Surveillance would be the best course of action at this point."
The other eight nodded their agreement.
"Itachi."
"Hai…"
"You are still in charge of the capture of the Kyuubi. But refrain from making any moves against it until we are able to determine just what must be done."
Itachi nodded silently before his form dissolved into mist. The taller figure next to him, Kisame, vanished as well.
"Deidara."
"Yep."
"The Shukaku is currently en-route with others from Konoha to retrieve the Kyuubi. Retrieve him, and eliminate the others as you see fit. We do not need any competion for the Kyuubi; it will be problamatic enough as it is."
"Yes! Will do." Deidara crowed. With an elaborate bow, he diaspeared.
"Go ahead and follow him Sasori."
Sasori bowed as well, then vanished.
"As for the rest of you, continue to gather the jinchuuriki's as instructed. Dismissed."
One by one the other figures bowed before they too vanished. This left the last figure standing alone upon the giant statue. Behind him, the last bit of red energy surged out of the figure and the beam of chakra holding it aloft vanished. The body dropped roughly to the ground below and lay still. The mouth of the statue closed slowly, a loud inhuman groan sounding from the depths of its stone throat. Its nine eyes, two of which bore noticeable pupils, closed as well.
He watched the drained jinchuuriki breathe its last breath, watching dispassionately as they expired.
"Two down, seven to go." He whispered before he too vanished into the shadows.
"A-Asuna-neechan" Kisa whimpered softly behind her elder sister, backing off hesitantly as the creature growled at them. Asuna seemed to get the hint and began to back off as well, though her expression was a mix of fear and curiosity.
For his part, Naruto stood to his full height, towering over the girls before him. His lips drawing back in a growl he took a step forward, his clawed hands flexing eagerly. His tails lashed about behind him, leaving destruction in all directions.
'Youkai'
That one word rang through his mind, over and over again.
'Youkai'
His eyes closed tightly, as if he could some how shut out that mocking word as it sounded in his mind.
'Youkai'
"S-stop it!" He growled out suddenly. He shook his head violently, his large hands coming up to clutch at his ears.
The two girls looked on in shock as he suddenly dropped to his knees, his large bestial hands clutching at his head. He let out an agonized scream, the sheer power of it knocking the two off their feet, causing the ground beneath him to almost ripple from the intensity.
'I-I'm not a youkai! I'm NOT!'
He honestly didn't know anymore. Images of blood and death flooded through his mind, the faces of the terrified villagers as he tore into them. It had been so easy, effortless even. He remembered the fear, the terror he saw in their expressions as he descended upon them. He remembered how much he had enjoyed it, even though he had known that he shouldn't.
He had felt powerless for nearly his entire life, even though he was good at not showing it. Hinata had described him as a proud failure, one who always got up and tried again even if he failed time and time again. But that wasn't really true, not really. Deep down he had always felt insecure about his potential, especially when compared to others like Neji or… or Sasuke.
Oh, he did a good job covering it up, so good in fact that he even found himself believing his own hype. Becoming Hokage had begun to seem like a possible dream, one that he may eventually attain if he simply worked hard enough, fought hard enough. And it had been getting more and more possible as time went by. The cold stares had become less frequent; he had finally found friends, and even someone whom he could refer to as family. Everything seemed to be going so well, and he truly found himself believing in a dream that had, originally, been nothing more than a mask to cover up his own uncertainty and loneliness.
And it was suddenly all ripped out from under him. In no more than a single night all his hard work, all his battles and victories, all his attempts to prove himself in the eyes of everyone were suddenly stripped away, rendered worthless. When he felt that surge of power, that sensation of being so much greater than all those who stood there before him, it felt as if his very humanity had simply burned away. It was accompanied by a feeling of utter freedom, the complete removal of all human limitations. The feeling was amazingly addictive, and despite his better judgment, he had found himself letting go to it. It had all been in self-defense, or at least that had been the base reasoning at the time. That and one of his comrades, his friends, had been in danger. He had been perfectly justified.
But when he found himself facing people he knew, his friends and comrades, he hadn't been able to stop. They had seemed no more significant than the rabble that he had killed just a few moments prior. He knew them, he recognized them, but at the same time it was as if they were complete strangers. There had been no attachment, no feeling of closeness. He had managed, just barely, to restrain his desire for blood when he had Sakura pinned down. And even then it had been a struggle to turn aside his killing stroke at the last instant.
And that was what scared him more than anything, that if that situation were to happen again, he might not be able to rein himself in again. That he might kill those he cared about… and even worse was the chilling knowledge that he might actually enjoy it.
'Youkai'
He wasn't. Was he…?
A flutter of leaves in the night was the only indication of the two passing ninjas as they made their way north, flitting through the trees like shadows. Their features were completely masked by the large collars of the cowls and the large straw hats they wore. The larger figure turned towards his companion, the large bound sword on his back jostling as he moved.
"So… what is your plan Itachi?" Kisame asked silently, his voice carried by a thin string of chakra to his companion. It was a simple jutsu, but one that was certainly useful for situations such as this which required silence.
"You heard our orders, we are to keep an eye on the Kyuubi vessel and wait for further instruction to proceed." Itachi answered.
"Yeah yeah, I heard him loud and clear. I know what the plan is. But I do believe that I asked what your plan is." Kisame shot back irritably.
Itachi merely looked at him. The hidden mist ninja could be surprisingly astute when he wished to be, despite his outward appearance. It was a quality that many opponents failed to realize when facing him in the past, and it always ended in the same result. Even he, who was in all modesty, an expert in seeing every aspect of a person, found himself mildly surprised at the shark man's intellect. He recovered quickly however.
"Not answering Itachi?" Kisame growled softly.
"Just wait and see." Itachi responded.
The two girls watched as the large youkai suddenly slumped down to the ground, clutching at its head pitifully as it emitted something between a whine and a growl from deep within it's throat. It mumbled something, a denial of some sort. Its fiery red tails curled about it as if to provide a comforting embrace, or perhaps a shield against the outside world.
"I'm not a youkai…"
Swallowing the hard lump of fear that had gathered in her throat, Asuna walked hesitantly forward, gently disengaging Kisa's hand as it sought to hold her back.
"Neechan?"
Curiosity and pity combined to beat down her fear as she approached. What ever this creature was, it was hardly a mindless monster. She reached out.
A soft touch on his arm instantly drew Naruto back to reality. Whipping his head up, he growled at the interloper. The older girl stepped back slightly, but then came forward again, her expression tense but determined. Two of his tails waved about warningly.
"It's ok…" He heard her say, though her voice, like most other noises, sounded garbled and indistinct. Her voice was trembling, barely kept in control. Despite her brave front, she was utterly terrified. He could smell it, and it was driving him crazy. The burning urge was still pounding within him, teasing him with memories of just how satisfying it had been the last time he had slaked it. It just made him want to…
No!
He couldn't let this control him!
He was Uzumaki Naruto damnit! Not some damn demon!
He never gave up! He wouldn't lose! Even against himself!
His new resolve helping to partially dispel the haze around his mind, his vision cleared, the surging of his blood calming to a low boil. Sounds suddenly became clearer, more distinct. However the effort also seemed to exhaust him, his pounding adrenaline and raw youki abating, leaving him feeling weak. His legs began to tremble.
He felt so tired…
And, with that, he pitched forward, landing with a loud thud on the forest floor.
"…"
Gaara's head rose slightly, a soft, the soft, almost imperceptible hum sounding from his throat giving any indication of his drawn attention. Hinata, who was walking rather subdued a few paces behind, took note. She opened her mouth a few times, each followed by a slight squeak, before she managed a questioning "Ano…?"
Gaara turned to look over his right shoulder, regarding her quietly.
"Wh—what is… what I mean is, did you… ummm." She stumbled over her words, her hands clenching tightly at her sides in a desperate attempt to keep from fidgeting. It was amazingly hard to talk when he looked at her like that. His right eyebrow rose alarmingly, a single, simple gesture with an unmistakable meaning. He was irritated. She swallowed hard.
"D-did you sense something?" She yelled out loudly, rushing out her sentence in a single breath. The rest of the group all turned to stare at her with varying degrees of amazement, causing her whole face to light up from her neck to the very tips of her ears.
"Yes… I believe that I felt a strong surge of chakra from this direction." Gaara stated, pointing in a direction slightly westward from the direction that they were walking "But then… it disappeared…" He finished.
"Disappeared! What do you mean disappeared?" Sakura shouted. Her head turned in the direction Gaara pointed, her face set with determination.
"I'm not entirely sure… it could mean a couple of things. Though, given the state Naruto was in, I doubt it was the worst case scenario."
Jiraiya merely observed the direction, his face set and serious.
Also looking off to the west, Neji re-situated his pack on his shoulder and set off "Well then, it looks as though we have our direction." The others nodded in agreement as they followed close behind, their pace quickening.
"What the hell!" Kisame shouted, his shock causing him to completely ignore the need for silence.
Itachi looked mildly disturbed, coming to an abrupt halt on one of the braches. His red eyes, the only visible portion of his face, narrowed in thought.
"How is that possible…?" He mused, more to himself than anything. This shouldn't have been possible, nothing could possibly cloud the tracking jutsu that had been placed upon the boy when they had met. He had placed it upon him himself, and had been using it too keep tabs on him, and he kenw that it had not been discovered. Even the Sennin had not noticed it. Even when not using the tracking seal, the jinchuuriki's chakra was unmistakable and easy to track; it was simply too hard to conceal. There had been times when it had become difficult to sense, but it had always been there.
But now it was completely gone. Not a single trace of it. Only death, or a Kage level cloaking jutsu, could possibly hide a chakra that immense completely. Neither seemed likely. He was certain that the boy was not being aided in anyway, certainly not by anyone capable of using a jutsu of that level. Death was also unlikely, as there was almost nothing that could take on the Kyuubi, weakened or not, with any chance of survival, much less actually killing him. So what had happened? Had the boy discovered some new ability in his new state? Again, unlikely, though he did not doubt that the demon fox probably had some ability like that. For the kid to discover it in such a short period of time was nearly impossible.
"Hey, Itachi, what's up!" Kisame shouted again. He landed next to him, looking off in the direction his partner was currently gazing.
"…It appears that we might have a slight problem." Itachi answered. Now that they were hunting blind, they would have to proceed more cautiously. It would be best if they continued in the direction he had last sensed it, but things seemed to have become much more complicated. He leapt back into the trees once again, with Kisame in quick pursuit.
"Ah, shit." Kisame groaned.
"So what are we going to do?" Kisa asked, casting a suspicious look at the fallen youkai. Asuna answered by walking over and grabbing his shoulders.
"Help me move him."
Kisa's eyes widened impossibly "WHAT? Why? He's dangerous, and besides he is far too big and heavy for us to move…" Her voice trailed off as she stared at the body.
Asuna leapt back as if she had been burned when Naruto's form began to pulsate with a faint red light. Then, like a crimson mist, the demonic chakra spread over his form, concealing it for several moments. Then, it suddenly blew away as if caught on a breeze, leaving the form of a boy in tattered clothes, his blond hair disheveled and blowing lightly in the slight breeze.
Asuna stared for a few more moments before she gave Kisa an incredulous look "Well… I guess this might make things easier."
Kisa simply nodded before she moved over to grab his legs. As one they managed to pick his body up and slowly make their way through the forest.
It was slow going, Naruto not being particularly light for his age. Not to mention that all his weight was dead weight, thus making carrying him particularly tedious.
"What are we going to do now?"
Asuna looked back at her "I don't know, but I do know that we at least need to get home. There are still many hours until sunrise and we don't want to be out here for any longer than necessary."
Making their way through the forest, they were unaware of the many sets of eyes which followed them every step of the way.
"Is it him?"
"Yes… and no."
"Then it appears that everything has gone to plan."
"He has changed, that much is certain, but just how much I wonder."
"Not to mention that ugly form he is in."
"True enough, but just be patient. His awakening has only just begun."
"Those others are after him as well, two groups. Humans. What should be done about them?"
"They will not find him; we will make sure of it."
"Let me watch him. I will guard him until it is time."
"Are you certain? We all know that…"
"Please, allow me to do this."
"Very well, we leave him to you. Do not hesitate to do what is necessary should he be discovered."
"I understand."
AN: I am really, really sorry that this took so long to produce. I got about half way through it in the first week or so and then… all my inspiration and ideas just seemed to fly out the window. I could not, for the life of me, figure out just where I wanted this chapter to go. In desperation I sought to give myself a break and write some other works, and ended up getting caught up in those so much that I completely neglected this story. Again, my apologies. But hopefully the wait is worth it. I have a plan now, and hopefully things will begin to heat up for Naruto and the others. The plot itself is now back on track so hopefully my string of good inspiration continues. I can only hope.
As for next time, a little look back at Konoha and the aftermath. What are the other characters reactions to this whole situation when they find out? Additionally, we will see just what has become of our beloved ramen vacuum. And what is Itachi's goal. All will be revealed in the next chapter: Broken Dreams, Nightmares Rising.