Chapter 2: The Gathering
Summary: Nightmare and Shen head to Konoha to find the powerful charka/soul source that they felted and decided to infiltrate the Chunin Exams.
Nightmare and Shen came on to a cliff that overlooked Konoha, "My, my, what a peaceful looking place." Shen said then turned to his master, "Too peaceful, it's disturbing." Nightmare said with disgust.
"Completely. But there is a lot of souls down there, and a handful of strong ones." Shen stated.
"Ripe for the taking. Let's go, let's see what this place has to offer." Nightmare said and they jumped down to Konoha.
Meanwhile in the Hokage's tower...
Sarutobi was filling out papers when he sensed a incredible power, an evil one."Impossible! I never felted a power like this! Not even Orochimaru's charka is this evil!"The Hokage thought as he went to his crystal ball to find the source.
However...
"So, someone trying to find us. eh?" Shen said under his voice, and he and Nightmare reduced their aura and Sarutobi couldn't find them and was baffled.
Nightmare and Shen came to the outskirts of Konoha and stopped before going in. Shen cast a genjutsu on Nightmare making him look 'normal,' he had the basic Jounin outfit of the Mist with a headband and a full ninja mask.
Shen took out his old headband and put it on and they both entered Konoha. As soon as they got into Konoha, they sensed many souls with power! "Soon all of these souls will be apart of Soul Edge! With these souls, I can make a more powerful Soul Edge than before!" Nightmare thought as he and Shen went to the building to enter the Exams.
When they got there, they went to the registration desk and the Chunin that was sitting there was confused that Shen was a one man team. The ninja questioned Shen and Nightmare, but then Nightmare used Soul Edge's power to posses the ninja to allow Shen to enter and forget about them, and the ninja did what he was told.
"Now that you've been entered Shen, search this village for worthy souls. Then kill them in the Exams." Nightmare ordered and Shen obeyed and left in a blur.
Shen wandered around Konoha and came upon a team, Team Gai.
Shen moved in closer as he examined the ninjas, two of them were good, but not great, he saw them as source of blood, but he still consider them as targets.
The two things that Shen sought in battle was souls, and blood. His quest for souls gave him a taste for blood. He sometimes killed weak warriors with weak souls, a soul was a soul he just didn't bother with weak souls sometimes.
He saw the ninja in a green spandex train hard, Shen saw his sprit and it was strong! He saw that the ninja trained day and night, which meant he was persistent. Although Shen hated souls that were persistent, they were powerful.
Shen also saw the kunoichi was hitting targets with perfect aim. He saw the last ninja with white eyes just sitting there.
After watching for a while Shen left to find more souls.
(Shen finds Team 6 and Team 8 and nothing happens)
Shen left the training fields and headed back to town to look for more ninjas, and came across three ninjas that had a Sand headband.
Shen instantly noticed the power that the shortest ninja with red hair had, his soul was more stronger than the other two!
The boy noticed that Shen was in the distance and smelt the scent of blood he had on him.
"You, what's you name?" he asked causing the other ninjas to look at him.
"Shen Hashigane. And what is your's?" Shen asked in return.
"I am Gaara of the Sand. You have the scent of blood on you. How many did you kill to get that much blood on you?" Gaara asked.
"So much...that I lost count. Perhaps about...a thousand or higher." Shen said with a bone chilling smile that scared the other two ninjas but seemed to please Gaara.
"You're killing intent...if I kill you I will prove to myself that I am truly alive!" Gaara said as he uncorked his gourd but his teammates stopped him.
"Gaara, you can't fight here! Not now!" The ninja with a heavily warped object on his back.
"Out of my way Kankuro." Gaara said scaring Kankuro as he backed off.
"Please Gaara, listen to Kankuro we can't afford this!" said the kunoichi with a giant fan on her back, and Gaara shot a killer look at her.
"Get in my way and I'll kill you." Gaara warned both of his siblings, and Shen laughed!
"Killer mind, blood lust, and a demon. You're one rare ninja, I will take pleasure of killing you!" Shen shouted shocking everyone there.
"Ho-how do you know I demon inside me?" Gaara asked.
"Your eyes. The eyes are the windows to the soul, I can see everything about you from your eyes." Shen explained.
Shen was about to draw his sword when he got a sharp headache, he instantly grabbed his head with his left hand and fell to one knee.
"Shen!" A booming voice came into Shen's head, "What are you doing?! I said to search for ninjas with worthy soul and to kill them in the Exams! Not to kill them on sight!" The voice continue revealing the voice belonged to Nightmare.
"I'm sorry Master, I got too excited! Don't use that on me!" Shen pleaded, confusing everyone.
"I don't tolerate insubordination, Shen! Nightmare Madness!" Nightmare shouted and Shen released his sword and grabbed his head as he screamed!
Shen continued to scream as hellish visions came into Shen's mind! After about a minute,(which seemed like hours for Shen) the visions stopped and Shen was breathing hard.
Then Shen got to his feet and started to walk away, before he left he turned to Gaara, "Your lucky my Master intervene, or you be dead." Shen said and walked off.
Gaara was shocked by the event that just happened in front of him, but wasn't intimidated by Shen threat, in fact he welcomed it!
"So, let us see Shen, who's blood lust is more powerful." Gaara thought as he turned around to leave, and his siblings followed.
In the forest...
Shen found an tree to rest in after his ordeal with his Master's Nightmare Madness. It was a power that Shen feared, it was the reason he never dares to disobey his master, but his emotions can get the better of him and results into an experience with the dreaded move.
Shen had that power used on him a few times, all of them terrifying.
Nightmare Madness forces images that are consider from hell itself into the victim's mind and fear overwhelms the victim.
Shen rested for a while when he heard a some people screamed, "YOU'RE LATE!!" Shen moved his head to the direction and moved in the same direction.
Shen walked closed to a bridge over water, he saw three ninjas that looked like Genins and a silver haired jounin, and he knew it was the team that defeated Zabuza.
He observed all of them and didn't find genins interesting, but found the Jounin's (Kakashi) soul to be powerful. (It was his first time seeing a Konoha jounin, his other scouting on other teams didn't have their Jounin teacher with them)
Shen also noticed something weird with the genin with orange, his charka was different, because he had two! His normal one he could sense fine, but the other was very faint.
He remember his name from Tazuna, "Naruto Uzumaki. Interesting I shall keep my eye on him." Shen thought as he left to report to his Master.
Nightmare was standing on the balcony of one of the hotel room he got staring at the village that was soon to be plunged into chaos when he heard the door open from behind him, he turned to see Shen bowing on one knee.
"Master Nightmare, I completed me search of Konoha and it's ninjas." Shen reported.
"Is there anyone we should keep on?" Nightmare asked.
"The Jounins and two genins, Gaara of the Sand and Naruto Uzumaki." Shen explained
"Why those two?" Nightmare asked.
"Because Gaara has a demon inside him and is a killer. And Naruto has two charka sources which means he has a demon as well in him." Shen explained.
"Two demons in one village? This will surely be interesting." said Nightmare "Now that's all for today. Do whatever you want." Nightmare said.
With that said, Nightmare tossed a key to Shen for the room next to the one he was in. Shen left the room and went next door to his room and laid down on his bed, "I shall meet this Naruto kid tomorrow to see his soul and find out what demon he has. This bed is comfy" Shen thought before dozing off because of the soft bed he was in.
With Nightmare...
Nightmare was staring at the village like he was before Shen came, he was looking for the power he felt a few days ago and years ago. "That power is here! Where is it?! Which soul harbors it?!" Nightmare angrily as his eyes looked from one place to another when he heard a familiar voice in his head.
"The power you seek belongs to the Nine Tailed Fox Demon." Said Phantom awaking.
"The Nine Tailed Fox? How do you know?" Nightmare asked.
"During my slumber, I traveled across the spiritual plane and found beings that spoke of it's power." Phantom explained.
"Where is this demon?" Nightmare asked.
"It is sealed in a human." Phantom answered.
"Which human has it?!" Nightmare demanded to know.
"Alas, the beings did not have that information. Now I must return to my slumber, I shall return if I find out anything else." Phantom said before going back to it's deep sleep.
Nightmare was angered that Phantom didn't give the information he wanted, but remembered that Shen spoke of two boys with demons, odds are that one of them had it!
As night fell Nightmare continued to stand on the balcony and stare at the moon, while next door Shen was passed out.
Next Day...
Shen awoke and headed to Nightmare's room to receive his next orders.
As he entered Nightmare was still standing on the balcony and turned around and Shen bowed to one knee again.
"Ah Shen, you're awake. You next mission is to find out which one of those boys you've met has the Nine Tail Fox in him." Nightmare ordered and Shen nodded and left.
Shen decided to find Naruto first, judging on his looks Shen could easily sneak up on Naruto without much effort.
Shen looked for Naruto all over the town, but couldn't find him so he looked by the training areas, he found him and his teammates on the same bridge that they were on yesterday.
But instead of looking on from the shadows, Shen had to go close to look through Naruto's eyes and into his soul to find out what he had in him.
Shen walked up to Team 7 and Naruto turned around, "Who the heck are you?" Naruto said but allowed Shen to read his soul. (And by the way, he can do that pretty darn fast)
"I'm just passing through." Shen lied "So you have the Nine Tailed Fox." Shen thought as he saw the fox in Naruto's eyes. He also saw loneliness, and undying sprit. "Great, another persistent one. However, You will be the greatest victim to be absorbed into Soul Edge." Shen thought as he passed Team 7.
"Wait!" shouted Sasuke, the boy with the Sharingan. "Who exactly are you?" he asked.
"I don't give my name to strangers. And you're not worth my time." Shen said in a insulting tone.
"You shouldn't talk like that to an Uchiha." Sasuke shot back. "I could really care less about a dead clan. You're no exception." Shen responded and that flared up Sasuke and he dashed at Shen.
"No control, he is weaker than I thought." She thought as his left hand started to surge with electricity.
When Sasuke got close enough Shen lightly thrust his hand with his fingers extend into Sasuke's chest and sent a mild electric current through out his body, making his body numb.
"Wh-what did you do to me?" Sasuke asked
"I sent a electrical current through your body. Be grateful I didn't give a lethal volt." Shen said and walked off, while Sakura and Naruto went to help Sasuke.
"Sasuke! Are you okay?!" Sakura asked frantically.
"I'm fine, just numb. That's all." Sasuke assured. "Just who is that guy?" Sasuke thought as he looked at Shen walking away.
"Master will be pleased that I found the Nine Tailed Fox. Heh heh, and to top it off, it's carrier has a strong sprit! He will give Soul Edge enough power to even crush Soul Calibur!" Shen thought with excitement as he headed back to the hotel.
On the way to the hotel, Shen was thinking about the Exams in a few days. "Very soon, soon the Exams will start and I can begin to harvest souls!" Shen thought as he got a sadistic grin on his face as he imaged the screams and blood of his victims surrounding him as he absorbed their souls.
At Nightmare's hotel room...
Nightmare still on the balcony, waited for his servant to return with news. After waiting, Shen entered and greeted his master in the same manner as always.
"Master I have great news. I found the Nine Tailed Fox, and it's carrier has a strong sprit aside of the Fox itself." Shen explained and that interested Nightmare.
"Excellent, he shall be your first target. If need be, absorb other souls to increase your power to defeat him and take their souls." Nightmare ordered and Shen bowed.
With Team 7...
Kakashi had arrive a little after Shen's little 'jolt' "Sorry I'm late I had to... what happen here?" Kakashi asked as he saw Sasuke was trying to move his arms.
They filled Kakashi in on the events and he was wondering about the appearance they described, a ninja with azure armor under a black coat, azure armor on the legs and a warped sword on his back.
"He sounds familiar. I shall ask the Hokage about this." Kakashi thought as he gave his students Chunin Exams forms.
The rest of the day was uneventful and night came.
Shen was on the roof of the hotel, while Nightmare still didn't move from his spot. They both were thinking about the powerful souls that was in Konoha.
"This world is more productive with warriors, more efficient than my world." Nightmare thought thinking about his former world, then a image of Siegfried came into his mind.
"That bastard Siegfried! When I absorb that Fox, I'll return and wipe you from existence!" Nightmare vowed as his blood began to boil.
On the roof, Shen was staring into the stars, lost in thought.
"I should go to sleep now. The Exams are close, I can't disappoint my master." Shen thought as he remember to never disappoint or cross his master because of the Nightmare Madness. After shaking off the thought of the horrors of the illusion Shen returned to his room and went to sleep.
Hello there! SwordofMagus here, and I like to thank The Red Spiral for my only review! This story is new but with my other story: Dragon Of The Mist, I got 453 hits and not a single review! While this story got 21 hits and finally one person gave me a review! I welcome any type of review, I need to know how you like it or how you hate it! I don't care if it says you hate it with all of your gut, I need reviews! Please!