-Set at the beginning of Shippuden, Naruto comes back from training, only to find that Sakura has to leave on a mission of her own. In need of a team, he gets stuck with Hinata and Sai. How will this affect the whole series? And will Naruto ever love Hinata?
Yay, another chapter! It's not my favorite part of the story, but I had to put it in… So please enjoy, kay?
Episode Seven
~His Lost of Control, The Kyuubi's Power~
"Guinea pig?" Kabuto asked, staring at Yamato. "Just who is this person?"
"Well, you see…" Orochimaru started as he fixed his face. "The first Hokage was a shinobi possessing the most unique of abilities… The wood style ninjutsu… What's more, he was also able to bend the tailed beasts to his own will. Oh, how I coveted those gifts of his… Having obtained data on the Shodai's genomes from his remains, I carried out an experiment in which his genetic traits were sliced into the cells of sixty different children, my test subjects. But their bodies didn't seem to like the foreign DNA, to say the least… They died by the dozens, one after another… And here I thought they all shared the same fate. To think that there was a lone survivor!"
Hinata stared at her team leader, shocked. Yamato-taichou . . . he used to be Orochimaru's experiment?
Kabuto smirked. "Well then, it seems you'll be able to get your hands on what one might call a long overdue research sample."
Orochimaru chuckled. "Yes… But before that,"—he turned his attention back to Naruto—"I would wish to see our Sasuke-kun fight the Kyuubi boy once. I wonder which has gotten stronger…"
"He isn't yours…" And suddenly, from his chakra shroud, Naruto sprouted two extra tails in just a blink of the eye. "IN MY PRESENCE, DON'T YOU DARE TALK OF SASUKE OF IF HE BELONGS TO YOU!" An explosion of chakra, threads of it, flew into the air like whips.
Yamato's eyes widened. "That's…!"
Hinata shifted her eyes at her teammate, her eyes now filled with worry. What is that . . . that chakra?
Sai held his hand in front of his face. This air… It hurts!
As Orochimaru stared down at Naruto—no, the Kyuubi—he couldn't help but smile at his fortune. How amusing… he thought.
No doubt about it, Yamato thought, cursing. That's the demon-fox shroud… And three tails already…
This chakra . . . it's terrifying… Hinata thought, Goosebumps all over her. I can tell by just how it feels on my skin… This isn't any type of chakra that can be controlled!
So . . . Sai thought, his eyes narrowing. This is Uzumaki Naruto with the power of the Kyuubi…
Kabuto focused his chakra into his palm and charged at Naruto while his back was turned. But with the Kyuubi's chakra in the air, Naruto felt the vibrations as Kabuto moved and turned around. He let out a horrifying roar, and another explosion of chakra erupted. It was so powerful that Kabuto was sent all the way across the bridge and into the forest. But Kabuto wasn't the only one hit; Hinata was sent back, and the bridge was cut in half and was now collapsing.
Moving quickly, Yamato hurried with his hand signs and used his jutsu to support his half of the bridge.
Orochimaru quickly moved back, but a large chakra hand reached out and uppercut him. And Naruto went after him.
As Yamato tried to sustain the bridge, he finally noticed Hinata's unconscious form. Did she hit her head when she fell just a second ago? She sure picked a Hell of a time to lose consciousness!
Sai, on the other side of the bridge, quickly took out a scroll. This is it! he thought. This is where my top-secret mission begins! He painted a bird, "Ninja Art: Super Beasts Scroll!" And it was in enormous proportions.
Yamato saw as Sai got on his painting. "Sai!" he yelled. "Help Hinata!"
But as the Hyuga began falling down in the gorge, Sai did not do as he was told. He just simply passed her on the way.
"Oh, please…" Yamato prayed as he created another flexible root of wood. It shot out to grab Hinata, and luckily it caught her.
Boom!
Another chakra explosion… And this time, it was so far in the forest. Sai could see it all from his view. Orochimaru seemed to have lost an arm. However, two hands came out of his mouth and pulled off his skin. Another Orochimaru? No, he was just recovering from his lost arm and shedding his outer skin.
"You're using the power of the jinchūriki, and that's all you have to show…?" he asked Naruto. "I can see why even your Sakura-chan left you… You still have a ways to go before you catch up with Sasuke-kun…"
And as Orochimaru taunted him, Naruto's fourth tail began to sprout. His skin began to peel until he was only covered in his own blood.
Orochimaru chuckled. This sensation . . . is quite different from what I've seen so far…
✿｡.:**:.｡✿
As Hinata woke up, she found herself back on the bridge, Yamato watching over her.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
Hinata sat up. "Y-yeah… I'm fine. I'm sorry for the trouble I caused." Her eyes widened when she caught sight of Naruto's evil chakra shooting into the sky.
I've got a bad feeling about this… Yamato thought as he quickly made a clone and sent it off to where Naruto was.
"Wh-what . . . what happened here?" Hinata asked, glancing at the now destroyed bridge.
"It was all Naruto's doing…"
"Where is he?" Hinata asked, worried now.
"On the other side of the bridge," Yamato answer. "Along with Orochimaru."
✿｡.:**:.｡✿
Naruto's going to be a problem… Sai thought, still watching from his bird.
Suddenly, a whole orb of chakra shot up and disintegrated every tree within a ten-mile radius of Naruto.
"Honestly," Orochimaru who was sprawled onto the ground said. "This boy… He simply amuses me to no end."
And as Yamato's clone watched on, he cursed. The fourth tail was now fully completed.
Orochimaru threw up a whole army of snakes then, and they all charged—or rather, slithered as quickly as possible—towards the miniature Kyuubi. Naruto slammed down his hand, and a whole shockwave went through the area, destroying the snakes.
Yamato was almost knocked down. A shockwave this big with the wave of one hand? This can't be real!
Naruto slammed himself into the earth and, just when he was to grab the Sanin, Orochimaru quickly jumped out of the way as Naruto's arms shot out of the ground. But his hand continued to snake after the Sanin. And as Orochimaru shot a large snake at Naruto's hand, the snake turned ablaze at first touch. Another Orochimaru came out of the Sanin's mouth and punched Naruto right in the kisser. But Naruto returned the favor and sliced him in half. However, Orochimaru reconnected himself, a smile on his face.
✿｡.:**:.｡✿
"I can't say that I was expecting to see the fourth tail here…"
"Yamato-taichou…" Hinata said, realizing something. "You know something about Naruto-kun that you're not saying, aren't you? Just what's happening to him?"
"Hinata, there's no need for you to worry," Yamato replied. "It's for this reason in particular that I was chosen for this mission."
"Well, then…"
The two turned around. Kabuto was still alive?
"It would seem that Sasori won't be showing up, after all…" the freak said. "His decision to tell you of this bridge was, in all likelihood, made with the intent of having you take care of Orochimaru-sama since he's been a thorn in the side for the Akatsuki. If the Sasori I knew chose to send you here then that means he was impressed by your strength. Sasori harbored much ill-will towards Orochimaru-sama and was always talking of how he intended to finish him with his own hands. If he went back on those words and sent you to do the job then he's already been reduced to a state where he can't do it himself… In other words, he's either been taken captive or he's no longer counted among the living."
"Sorry to disappoint you," Hinata said. "But it's the latter. His grandmother and Sakura made sure of it."
Kabuto smiled. "Well, that's wonderful news."
✿｡.:**:.｡✿
Orochimaru moved back as he saw Naruto charging up for his next jutsu. This is getting rather troublesome… he thought. Even for me to be hit by such highly concentrated chakra would spend out unavoidable death…
Yamato's clone looked on with anxious eyes. So, in search of stability, the chakra that leaked out is attempting a form even closer to the Kyuubi… Then that is truly a miniature form of the demon-fox with Naruto's body acting more like a skeleton… The Kyuubi chakra here is different than what I saw before both in terms of its quantity and character. Most notably, it reeks of malice. How can he still be able to move with that kind of chakra around him? Naruto, just what's happening to you?
Just then, Naruto fell to the ground, almost paralyzed.
Orochimaru laughed at the sight. So you ingest that kind of chakra, making it harder for you to move… But how do you plan on fighting then?
Naruto's body bloated up and then Boom! He shot this . . . this laser out of his mouth.
So that's how it is? But even with that kind of jutsu pitted against him, Orochimaru was not going down without a fight.
✿｡.:**:.｡✿
"He's become more like the Kyuubi than he was minutes before…" Kabuto said.
Hinata, shocked at these words, didn't know how to respond. "Naruto-kun…"
"You'd be better off calling this a battle between demons rather than ninja."
Boom!
"Naruto's been thrown over here…" Yamato said.
And as Orochimaru went in for the kill, Naruto slammed his arm against the bridge—Orochimaru going down with it.
"Not good!" Yamato yelled as he carried Hinata to safer ground.
"Take a look at that…" Kabuto said. "He's willing to become that just to save Sasuke-kun."
Tears came to Hinata's eyes.
"By now, his own senses are leaving him… What a sad boy…"
And with that, Hinata's legs moved of their own accord. She ran . . . towards Naruto.
"No, Hinata!" Yamato yelled after her. "Don't go near him when he's in that state!"
"Naruto-kun!" she yelled. "Enough already! Even Sakura wouldn't want to see you like this! Please! I'll rescue Sasuke for you! So . . . so you don't have to—"
But Naruto didn't know friend from foe, and…
✿｡.:*Somewhere far away*:.｡✿
"He attacked Hinata!"
Sakura knew it was bad when she saw the orange color of the gem turn a bloody red but, when she saw the red shooting at a light sky-blue dot, she jumped from her seat and ran towards the exit.
✿｡.:**:.｡✿
Now's my chance… Sai thought as Orochimaru fixed himself up.
"It looks like it's almost time…" the Sanin said. As expected, this body is rejecting me… What a pity, the fun has to stop here… I just have to endure this for a little while longer… I still have Sasuke…
✿｡.:**:.｡✿
Hinata fell to the floor, clutching her bleeding arm. Luckily, it was only her arm that was injured. Yamato had restrained Naruto with his wood-styled jutsu.
Damn! he thought. I didn't make it in time! He turned his eyes back to Hinata.
Kabuto was walking towards her! A piece of wood shot out and grabbed the silver-haired ninja's arm.
"I won't let you touch her!" Yamato said.
"Hey, now, we have no reason to fight you guys anymore." the medic said. "On the contrary, it's just the opposite."
"What do you mean?" Yamato asked as Kabuto's chakra flew towards Hinata, healing the Hyuga as he had done so during the final part of the chunin exams years ago.
"We have the same objective…" he said. "The Akatsuki is in the way. If we let you guys live, you might be able to take out another Akatsuki member even if Sakura-san is not with you anymore.
Naruto-kun… Hinata thought as she watched him struggle in the wooden chains.
"Although, that is your companion, so you'll have to deal with him yourselves." Orochimaru's time is almost up. And with that, Kabuto disappeared from sight, and Yamato turned his full attention to Naruto.
It's now or never! he thought. He held out his hand. "Hokage Style Elder Jutsu: Tenth Edict on Enlightenment!"
✿｡.:**:.｡✿
"I'm a hand of Danzo-sama's," Sai explained to the Sanin. "I'm not your enemy. I have something I'd like to talk about."
"Danzo, huh?" Orochimaru asked. "So . . . that old senile man is still alive? What can this message be?"
"Actually, it's a message from him to you, Orochimaru-sama." Sai said, a smile on his face. "But before that—"
"Choose your words carefully," Orochimaru warned. "Otherwise, you'll die."
"I will only speak in the way Danzo-sama instructed me." Sai explained. "After that, if something displeases you then do as you please."
A sword shot out of the Sanin's mouth and hit Sai in the stomach.
"You kids really have no manners…" he said as Sai melted away into a puddle of paint. The sword turned into a snake and slithered up the Sanin's leg as Sai popped out of the ground. "When speaking to your superiors, it's polite not to use a clone."
✿｡.:**:.｡✿
As Hinata began to heal Naruto, she couldn't help but make an observation. His wounds are healing so much slower now… The recovery was faster before…
Jiraiya-sama spoke of the fourth tail, Yamato thought, But I wouldn't have thought it was so…
"!" Hinata's arm began to hurt, but she continued despite the pain. "Yamato-taichou… The technique you stopped Naruto with, could you teach it to me?" she asked.
"That's impossible," Yamato said with an apologetic face. "In Konoha, I'm the only one who can use it because I was compatible with the Shodai's cells. The power to control the Kyuubi . . . I can't use it as well as the original Shodai could since I'm just an experimental copy. The necklace around Naruto's neck, it's something the Shodai had. It's a chakra crystal that only responds to the Shodai's chakra. With that, I can control the power of a jinchūriki. It is said that the Shodai was made the first Hokage because of that power as I have been made leader of this team."
Hinata let out a wry laugh. "It's always like this…" she said, trying to smile. "The things I can do for him… They're always so small… I bet even Sakura-san could do more for him…"
"It's not a problem of big or small," Yamato explained. "What's important is the strength of the feelings you have for Naruto." He let out a small sigh. "Hinata, I can tell by just looking at you. You lov—"
"Hin . . . Hinata-chan…" Naruto started to stir. "Itai desu…" He sat up.
"Na . . . Naruto-kun!"
"Huh? What happened to me?" He saw the Hyuga's tears then. "Why . . . why are you crying, Hinata-chan?" And then he came up with an answer of his own. "Aha!" he yelled, jumping to his feet. "That forked-tongue Sai must have hurt you with his insults again! Daijōbu, Hinata-chan! I'll get him for you!" But then he realized the bastard wasn't there. "Anoo . . . Yamato-taichou, where's Sai?"
Yay! I'm done with the chapter! And I gotta say, I haven't typed up something I had ever hated this much. In my opinion, this chapter is just horrible! Sorry, you guys. I promise the next chapter will be so much better, kay?