For those people (myself included) who like to listen to music while reading, I suggest "Counting Bodies like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drums" by A Perfect Circle or "Coming Undone" by Korn ^_^

Chapter 8

Kakashi was no stranger to battles. He'd fought in the wars years ago, watched friends die, killed many people. But still he felt fear. It was as though nothing could possibly prepare anyone for such torments. Looking around, he saw no sign of living enemies. His recently dispatched opponent lay at his feet, eyes not quite shut. He avoided looking at it. 'Mustn't feel regret. Mustn't feel regret,' he repeated over and over in his mind. To regret would mean guilt and his mind couldn't take any more of that. Nobody's could. War was a terrible thing.

A short scream of terror was suddenly cut off. He turned in the direction the sound had come from and sprinted across the roofs towards it, a fresh kunai in his hand. If he couldn't save the person, the least he could do was avenge them.

He dropped down to the street and stared down at the bodies on the ground. All of them sand ninja. Obviously the screams had come from them. 'Odd,' he thought, as he crouched down to get a better look. It was almost as if they'd been killed by some wild animal. Bite marks and scratches had ripped them to pieces. He frowned as he felt something nag at the back of his mind. 'It can't be...'

Turning, he surveyed the ground properly. Dust from the ruined buildings coated the entire street, except for the multitude of footprints. All the tracks from shoes apart from one. A series of four; that of a person walking barefooted on all fours.

The nagging was growing stronger, pulling at him. He took off, following the tracks. They were leading towards Shukaku.

'I have to get there before he does!' he dreaded to think what might happen if the boy came across his classmates.

'Naruto!'

Shikamaru paused for a moment to catch his breath. Leaning against what was left of a wooden wall, he wiped the sweat from his brow with a sooty arm and surveyed the situation. Usually his mind would be alive with ideas; exploring every possibility, every course of action, every consequence. Plans would line up in their hundreds. But this time he was at a loss.

They'd tried everything. Attacked from every angle, used every jutsu known to each of them, and yet the creature seemed unaffected. It barely flicked an eyelid at them as it went about its destructive business. Their weapons rebounding harmlessly off its thick hide.

Time was running out. He needed to come with something fast. Soon, they would all be too exhausted to do anything.

He sneaked a look round the edge of the wall. Sakura, Sasuke and Hinata were crouched behind an overturned cart not far away. On the other side of the road he caught a wave from Kiba, who was standing guard over a wounded Ino. She didn't appear badly injured, there was still colour in her face. Akamaru gave her knee a quick nuzzle and she scratched behind his ears.

The rest were scattered haphazardly about the area, some still attempting unsuccessfully to stop the towering beast. Its attention seemed fixed on the building in front of it. Taking this as his chance, Shikamaru jogged over to the group behind the cart and crouched next to Sakura. They nodded to acknowledge his presence, then turned back to the gap through which they were watching the monster tear a roof apart in unconcealed delight.

Just then a warm breeze hit the back of his neck. But it wasn't a nice warm breeze, it was bitter and uncomfortable, like it contained pure malice. Even the little hairs on his arms were standing on end.

The others felt it too. They shifted and looked back over their shoulders; then stopped still as if in shock, their eyes wide. Wondering what had surprised them so much, Shikamaru also turned and had to do a double-take.

The creature in the middle of the road was stood on all fours, its nails scratching deep gouges in the brickwork. Its eyes were glowing a blood red and narrowed to slits and its large, furry ears lay back in anger. Three tails swung behind in vicious circles. Its entire body was encased in crimson chakra that swirled around and gave off such a heat that Shikamaru was surprised the street wasn't melting.

It growled softly in its throat and he shivered uncontrollably. Nothing, not even the giant racoon behind him, was this scary. 'If bloodlust and malevolence had a physical form, this would be it' he thought to himself as he fought to regain control of his limbs.

Beside him, Sakura was as white as a sheet and sweating visibly. He sympathised entirely, this new creature was...

He was cut off when Sakura suddenly whispered, "he looks so familiar..."

Frowning, he looked again.

He was sure he would have remembered seeing something like that and shook his head, "no, you're imagining it".

"I'm sure of it..." she bit her lip and regained some of her composure. Enough to lean forward slightly, as though that could help in any way.

They were not the only ones to notice the newcomer. Kiba and Ino looked on with expressions similar to their own, and Akamaru growled warningly, hackles raised.

Shukaku, had also reacted.

Shuffling his massive bulk, the boy-turned-demon racoon turned fully to scrutinize the new arrival. Sneering down at it from its towering height.

The red creature appeared unfazed by this and proceeded to crouch down further as though preparing to spring, its tails dragging along the ground and whipping up blocks of the road into the air that literally disintegrated as they met the chakra barrier.

Shukaku growled then, deep and menacing in his throat. The red creature retaliated with a bursting roar of his own, easily matching the earth-trembling roar that Shukaku had previously used. What was left of the buildings around them shook but held firm. Shikamaru breathed a sigh of relief.

It was then that Kakashi leapt onto the scene.

Seizing a broken pole from the ground the masked jounin skidded to a halt a little way behind the red creature, breathing heavily. Ignoring the immense beast facing him, Kakashi drew in a deep breath and yelled, "STOP NARUTO!"

The shock was so much, time appeared to actually slow down and his heart to stop beating for just a second. Naruto? Shikamaru looked at him. Then properly looked at him. It was Naruto!

Even under all the crimson chakra and bizarre features... it was still the blond idiot. Shikamaru couldn't think of a time where he'd been more stunned than he was right then. It was a similar story with his friends. A mix of horror, disbelief and astonishment showed on their faces. He couldn't quite believe it himself. 'Naruto? But he's no monster...'

At Kakashi's words, Naruto rose to sit up on his haunches and look back at him. His teeth bared in a feral snarl, he glared threateningly at him. The masked jounin took a step back, then rallied his determination and beckoned to him. "That's enough, Naruto. Come back."

Naruto snorted, which erupted as smoke as the air hit the chakra surrounding him and turned back to Shukaku, who was watching the exchange with some amusement.

"Do NOT fight that demon, do you understand me? Your seal can't handle it"

Naruto ignored him.

"Look at yourself! What you're doing to yourself. Stop it NOW!"

Naruto cast a last look over his shoulder, but that was all he was allowed to have as Shukaku finally acted and slammed a large fist into the ground where he'd just been standing.

Springing from a wall, Naruto launched himself at Shukaku's head and sank his inches long fangs into his nose.

Shukaku screeched in pain and batted the boy off. He landed on all fours and took off for another attack. Shukaku tried in vain to land a good hit, but Naruto was just too small and fast. He ducked through his legs and up his arms, biting and clawing as he went.

Roaring in frustration, Shukaku healed the more painful wounds with his sand and whipped his tail around. It happened too fast for Naruto to dodge. He was slammed into the ground and skidded for a good few paces. The crater was deep enough to have cracked the water pipes beneath the road and water was seeping around him. It hissed and turned to steam as his chakra erupted around him, stronger than before. An even more concentrated mass of rage and malevolence that grew bigger and bigger until there was no sign of Naruto at all in the swirling tempest.

Shukaku licked his lips in triumph and took a step forward to claim his prey.

Kakashi, Kiba, Ino and the others chose that moment to join them behind the cart. As poor a defence as it was, the cart was the ideal place to watch while remaining undetected.

The massive racoon stepped closer and reached a clawed hand towards the crater.