As soon as Naruto passed out I jumped into their boat and pushed us toward land. Once we hit the river bank I pick Naruto up and carry him onto land, laying him in the soft dirt. Before I could remove the poison Naruto received from a fish biting him in the leg Amaru is already pushing up Naruto's pants leg and tying cloth above the bite. She pulls out her scalpel and a lighter, heating up the blade before slicing across the wound. She bends down and begins sucking out the poison, spiting in out of her mouth on the grass until it is removed from his system.
Hinata kneeled besides Naruto worried, while I sat behind Naruto, letting him lean up against me. Her master sat a few feet away on a rock, smiling as he watched her work. That look in his eye, it didn't sit right with me. There was something wrong about this doctor, but I couldn't put my finger on it.
He sees me eyeing him and stands up, his smirk only growing larger. "And so the infant who used to be the outcast of the village finally gains acceptance by using a blade to save people. Covered in wounds, you ran to alert people that the village was in a crisis. And now you're trying to save a ninja from another village who became a friend. You've really grown."
Amaru sprays a disinfected on Naruto's leg before placing a bandage on it. "There you should be fine now."
I push Naruto to a siting positon as I move to his side. My hands glow green as I examine the wound. Surprisingly all the poison was removed and the right amount of disinfect was applied. I looked at Amaru and smiled, "good job."
"Amaru" the doctor calls stepping even closer to us. The hair on the back of my neck start to stand up and my flight or fight instincts kick in. My gut told me not to let this man get any closer to me, to us, to Naruto. I closed my eyes trying to calm myself. I was just worked up over yesterday. I'm overacting because part of the seal broke and my vision is slightly blurry and my body is trying to make up for it. So I calm down and allow him to get closer, not telling my teammates I thought something was wrong.
The doctor kneels in front of Amaru placing on hand on her shoulder smiling. "I am very proud of you."
"Thank you, Doctor." They lock eyes and I notice a blush spread across her checks. Oh so that's what's going on?
I stand up breaking up their little moment. "Naruto are you okay to walk on your own?" I reach out my hand and he takes it.
I pull him up and he takes a couple of steps, but I can tell his left leg is still weak. "Yeah I should be fine, you better believe it."
I shake my head as I place Naruto's left arm around over my shoulder. "Unit you get your full strength back in your leg I am going to support you while we walk. Now everyone grab your things we cannot afford to waste any more time."
"Right!" Everyone called out and we made our way from the riverbank and into the forest.
Four hours passed since we left the river and by now we were deep inside of the forest. My leg was starting to feel better but it wasn't 100% so I was thankful Sakura was helping me. Ever since we left the water she hadn't taken her eyes off of the old man. Had something happened when I blacked out?
"Don't worry. There aren't many bugs or wild beasts around here. We're almost at Amaru 's village." The doctor increased his speed and so did Amaru and Hinata. Sakura gripped my arm tighten as she shift more of my weight on to her, as we increased our speed as well.
"How are you feeling Naruto?" Sakura asked as we jumped over a fallen tree.
"I'm okay. I'm more worried about you. Yesterday you were in the hospital."
"I work at the hospital Naruto I was doing my job."
"That's not what I mean. When I got there you weren't healing people, you were lying in a bed, hurt. What happened?"
Sakura goes to answer when Hinata starts yelling. "Look over there!" Sakura jumps in the air and we land right behind her. In the distance I can see black smoke rising. I glance at Amaru's face and she is in a panic. She rips out her backpack and tosses it against the ground, then spirts toward the smoke.
"Amaru!" I call out after her.
"Wait! Don't rush into this!" The doctor calls but she ignores both of us disappearing in the distance.
We chase after her hoping to stop her but she was too fast. Sakura was the fastest among us but I was slowing her down. Soon we see the walls of a village and fire is burning on the other side. Amaru disappears out of sight and we try to increase our speed when my left foot gets caught up under my right, not being able to keep up with the speed, and I trip both me and Sakura.
We fall hard, and roll down the hill until the hit the wall. "Naruto! Sakura!" Hinata cries.
"Ignore us! Follow Amaru!" Sakura calls out as she rolls off her back and onto her knees. I watch as Hinata looks at us one more time before running after the doctor. My eyes drat back to Sakura as I struggle to get up. Her eyes are bouncing all around as if she's trying to find something.
She closes her eyes and stands up shaking. I go to ask if she is okay when I notice black marking spreading across her neck. What the hell? I go to question but her eyes shot open and once they do the markings are gone. Maybe I still have some poison in me and I am seeing things. "I'm sorry Sakura are you alright?" I quickly stand and walk over to her. She simply nods as she gets under my arm.
We take a few steps back and Sakura pushes off the ground, causing us to jump up and over the burning wall. We find the village completely destroyed. This village was bombed way harder than the Leaf. Black smoke rose from all around us and fire was spread across the village. Buildings had been burnt to the ground and the deeper we made our way into the village the worse it got.
I left Sakura's body tense. "What's wrong?"
"There is no living beings inside this village but us." Sakura increases our speed and soon we see Amaru and Shinnou walking up the steps of a collapsed building. "Stopppp!" Sakura screams.
I watch in honor as Amaru takes another step and breaks a hidden wirer. Weapons are launched from the trees toward her. The doctor drops his bag and rushes toward her knocking her down the steps and to the ground. He turns and smiles at her before his body is pierced by weapons. Blood leeks from his mouth as the weapons stop firing. "A-Amaru are you alright?" He drops to the ground, rolling down the steps. Amaru catches him before he hits the ground completely and leans him upright against the steps.
"Doc-doctor Shinnou?" Amaru questions as her hand hover above his body not knowing how she should start treating him.
"Talk about close calls. I got there just in time to get you out of harm's way." He sucks in deep breaths in-between each word. Within seconds we appear behind Amaru. When the doctor was struck I couldn't rip my eyes off of him and it hadn't registered that Sakura had kept running, pulling me along with her.
"What happened?" Hinata questions rounding the corner, seeing the doctor cough up blood.
"Why? Why did you jump in front of me?' Amaru cries, tearing falling down her checks.
He smiled back at her. "Because I recognize you as my apprentice." He reached up took of his bandana and handed it to her. "It's all up to you know. Work with our new friends and find the villagers. You must hurry! Find them, save them!" He sucks in another deep breath and then stops breathing.
"Doctor, doctor! Please don't die!" Amaru begins screaming. Sakura lets go of me and knells by the doctor, her hands glowing green, trying to repair the damage. But it doesn't work and he closes his eyes. Amaru turns her attention to Sakura but she just closes her eyes, shakes her head and stops healing.
"He's gone." I whisper as tears burn my eyes and threaten to spill down my face.
Amaru becomes more hysterical. "Noooooooooo!" She cries throwing herself on the doctor's chest sobbing.
She stayed like that for twenty minutes before Sakura was able to couch her off of him so we could bury his body. I made a cross and stuck it in his grave, hanging his blood stained vest over it, allowing it dance in the wind. Sakura, Hinata and I stood at a distance, allowing Amaru to have privacy to say good bye. She falls to her knees and begins praying in front of his grave.
"Umm I think since there aren't any bodies of the villagers, they must have taken shelter somewhere else." Hinata whispers.
Sakura was leaning against a tree with her eyes closed. "You're right. Let's search for the villagers, just the three of us. Naruto are you okay to get around by yourself?" She opens her eyes and looks and me. I nodded. "Then let's span out." We all turn and jump to different directions hoping to find the villagers, or at least a clue to where they went.
I had been searching for the last hour but I hadn't been able to find any clues. If the villagers fled somewhere there should have been clues as to where. It's as if they had evaporated into thin air. If they aren't inside the village, and they didn't flew for cover, then the enemy must have them. But why? This village is incredibly small and insignificant. If the enemy was trying to get ransomed this village wouldn't go for much. So what was their plan?
I went to turn back and go back to Amaru when I stopped Naruto walking in the fog. I jumped down from the trees and landed next to him. "Naruto" I call out to him. He turns to me, a puzzled look on his face.
"Oh hey Sakura. You're not with Hinata?"
"No we spilt up to cover more ground. What are you doing this far out? I thought you were supposed to be searching inside the village for clues." Leave it to Naruto to never follow the plan.
"Sakura check it out." He pointed to something in the distance but I couldn't make it out. Everything was still blurry and fuzzy, I could only see well close up and it was starting to piss me off. "My guess is it's the ruins that Old Man Shinnou was talking about."
"Let's go check it out. The villagers might be there."
Naruto agreed and we made our way over to the ruins. The closer we got the stranger the feeling I had earlier grew stronger. The fog was heavier in this area, which wasn't helping me see. Rocks were all over the place and the structures that had been built so long ago had broken down into almost nothing. As we walked deeper into the ruins the air around us became heavy and the wind blew harder at our backs. I stepped closer to Naruto and he stopped walking.
"Amaru…?" He calls out and I strain my eyes trying to make out the new shapes a few yards in front of us. Someone was there but it didn't feel like Amaru's charka signature. "Hey what are you doing all the way out here?"
Amaru looked up and her eyes glowed red. Both Naruto and I got into a defensive stance as Naruto flew his arm out sideways signaling me to stay back. "I am the zero tails." She spoke coldly. The zero tails? But that impossible, that creature was destroyed back during the first great ninja war. "When conflicts rises in the world and people's hearts are overtaken with darkness, I am born anew."
"Amaru, what's wrong with you?" Naruto relaxed from a fighting stance.
"Naruto keep your guard up. Something is very wrong here." The seal he gave me started burning my stomach. It felt as if all my internal organs were slowly being engulfed by flames.
"I consume on the darkness of dead souls, I raise up and gather unlimited strength." A black monster appears out of nowhere and wraps around Amaru before being absorbed into her body. "In order for this world to be ruled by darkness." Her voice changes tones. It becomes harasser, even deeper, darker.
This can't be good. I take a deep breath and when I exhale my eyes glow green ready for the nasty fight that was sure to come…
Meanwhile back at the beach Sai attack the forging enemy, taking down another airmen, slicing through their wings before landing on his bird. "Only one more left." He bit his lip frustrated he had told them he wasn't good at these things. Shikamaru, I think this is about as much time as I can buy you. The enemy shot weapon after weapon at Sai as the two fighters danced in the sky.
Kakashi watched from his position, hidden from the enemy's line of sight. "Sai's reaching his limit." He goes to jump out to help his teammate when Shikamaru grabs his arms.
"No Kakashi Sensei, you stay here." He ordered. "We need to buy a little more time. I'll distract them for now." Shikamaru jumps from the hiding spot and lands on the beach. He takes out a flare guns and points it to the sky, releasing the flare, signaling Sai he could stop.
Sai changes his course and flight and flies back to the beach and over Shikamaru. "I leave the rest to you" Sai mutters before disappearing and joining back up with Kakashi.
"What a drag. But someone's gotta do it." Shikamaru smirked, knowing it was his time to play. "Now then.." He looked up but the sun's rays hide the enemy flying above. "Attacking with the sun behind you? Huh? That's clever." The enemy released his weapons and they shot up the beach making their way closer to Shikamaru. "You've been trained well, but that will prove to be your fatal mistake!"
His smirk grew wider as he formed his hand signs. "Ninja Art: Shadow Paralysis Jutsu!" the enemy above frozen and quickly lost control of his flying. He hit the water hard and continued to roll on the ground onto the sand, stopping right in front of Shikamaru. The enemy tried raising his head to make eye contact but quickly gave up and lost conscious. Shika raised his hand to his hip and looked onward to the battle ships. "I think it's just about time for the counterattack. Alright we're counting on you, the fourth member of the four-man squad."
Amaru had completely transformed into the zero tails. The monster was snake like and had a white mask as a face. We had been fighting it for nearly half an hour. Trying to fight the zero tails was hard enough, but trying to take it down with enough force without killing Amaru was proving to be almost impossible. Sakura's fighting style seemed different than what she was used to. Inside of her normal calculated movements she was all over the place. She tried to land punch, after punch, but she kept missing.
The zero tails lunged up into the air and came down with great force trying to hit Sakura. She jumped backed and avoided the attack. She then pushed charka into her feet and propelled herself in the air toward the beast, her fist glowed a bright green, ready to make a deadly punch.
Right before it made contact an arm grew from its side and grabbed Sakura's hand. It took hold and threw her flying through the air. Her body hit the rocky ground and she bounced several times, creating creators in the ground each time she bounced. Finally her body slide against the ground and stopped when she hit a large rock. I waited for a second for Sakura to stand up, but she didn't. She just laid on her stomach, her head resting on her arm passed out.
"Sakura!" I ran to her but she didn't answer. Her body remained lifeless. "Why you…?!" The zero tails circled around me, suddenly reaching out with several newly formed arms trying to punch me. Before I had a chance to dodge it the arms wrapped around me, trapping me. My eyes snapped closed and I could feel the nine tails stirring within me. How…? What is happening…?
"You have something interesting within you." The zero tail says as I feel the nine tail's charka start to take over my body. "Why won't you submit and release that power?" I struggled to break free and suppress the nine tail's charka, but I was slowly losing both battles. "I want that power you hide!"
The arms wrapped tighter around me. "AHHH!" I screamed out in pain as I felt my ribs begin to crack. I could feel the veins pop out on my forehead and my teeth begin to sharpen. My eyes changed to the fox's as I bend over not being able to withstand the pain. "Never! I can't rely on this power! It's powerful, too dangerous. I can rely on something that almost killed Sakura, Prevy Sage and everyone else!"
It enclosed closer to me, bringing his face to mine. "Expose your evil power before me. Show me the darkness you hold inside your heart."
"No way! I'm going to save Amaru with my own power!" I spat.
"That's impossible. You of all people should know that by now."
"What you say?!"
"Sasuke, was it? You may have tired but your light was no match to the darkness in his heart. The truth is you can't say anyone!" He lifted me up and began dragging me through the ground, crashing me into some of the broken down structures. As soon as my body hit the broken down building I lost control.
The nine tails chakra took control and shot out from my body burning the arms around me off. I was crouched down on my hands and knees and I could feel three tails from behind me. I wanted to stop. To take a breath and suppress my powers but I no longer had control. All I could do was watch as another force took over my body and actions. "Grrrrrrr" a growl escape me as I became more and more demon like.
"Good. Yes, that's it. Rage…show me more rage!" New arms sprung the zero tail and shot toward me once again. But before I made contact I jump off the ground and toward the demon. The nine tail's charka form two of the tails together brings them down hard on the middle of the beast. It crashed hard into the ground and smoke fills the air.
Before he has time to recover I am on top of him throwing punch and punch his way. After I through a couple punches I jump backwards several yards believing the zero tails is down and that the threat is over. But I was wrong.
The zero tails was up and moving the moment my feet touched the ground. He sends more arms my way but this time instead of being wrapped around me, they pierce through me, paralyzing me. "You can't do anything." He hissed. My clothes began breaking away and my skin was transformed into the final stage. Black charka balls began forming around me and soon I am engulfed by the black ball.
The bubble pops as I launch forward, fully engulfed by the nine tail's energy. I lash and yanked on it arms, ripping them out one by one. I let go of its arm and reach for its head when it pulls away, retreating yards back. A hand emerges from my stomach, chasing after it. I grab the middle of its body and pull myself toward it. My hands dig into its skin and send it plummeting toward the ground. Once it hits the ground I rip it in two, but the head moves backwards, slowly reattaching itself to the body.
The anger that was boiling inside of my chest threatens to explode as a take a step closer to the beast. Somehow this monster was related to the attack on the village. Somehow this monster was related to what happened to Amaru's village. But most of all this monster hurt Sakura-chan, and I was going to make him pay. I go to launch toward the beast once more when my chest starts glowing a bright gold. A ball falls from my chest, landing only a few inches from me. The glow fades, revealing a tiny bag. Go to reach out to touch it when the bag quickly burns away, revealing a seal on the ground.
"SUPPRESS"
My eyes widened reading the seal. Then the nine tails' charka disappears into thin air. "Prevy Sage" I whisper as I been down and grab the seal. "That's right, I swore I was going to bring Sasuke back using my own power. "I crumble the paper in my hand, finally having control over my body. I look up at Amaru and the dark charka that was surrounding her is starting to fade. "Amaru!" She stood standing with her eyes closed in the middle of the faded beast, not moving. "Amaru, come on, open your eyes!" I run to her screaming. "Come on! Weren't you Old Man Shinnou's apprentice? An apprentice has to honor their master's teachings! Didn't he teach you to save lives! Didn't Shinnou tell you he was proud of you!"
Her eyes shout open after hearing his man. "Doctor Shinnou." She whispers and the remaining charka that was surrounding her dissipated into thin air. She slowly falls on her knees, and losses consensus, before falling completely on the ground.
Crying. I hear crying in the background. What's going on? Why does my head hurt so bad? Why is everything dark?
"Amaru!" That voice, it's Naruto. "Are you alright? You did real good. I'm glad you're back with us. And I beat Old Man Shinnou would have said the same thing."
"You're right, I'm sorry."
My eyes flutter open. I am being held in Naruto's arms, my head rest against his chest. He doesn't seem hurt, he actually seemed clam. Wait! We were in a middle of a fight! I shoot up out of his grasp and look around. Nothing was there expect Naruto, Amaru and I. What happened? I go to ask Naruto when a pounding sensation starts in my head, finally catching up with my sudden movement.
"Sakura-chan are you okay?" Naruto rubs my back as I message my temples.
"Yeah. Sorry, what happened?" I take in a deep breath and my chest burns. I move slightly and realize that one of my ribs have either been broken, fractured or severally bruised.
"I don't really understand what happened back there." Naruto stops rubbing my back and stands in front of me, checking for injuries. I look around and notice all the heavy fog is now gone. "But I guess we wrapped it up nice and quick." Amaru goes to stand when the ground begins shaking, knocking her back down. "What the hell?"
"Maybe nothing's finished at all!" Amaru cried.
My eyes glow green and I notice the ground itself isn't shaking, but the ruins behind us. "Could Hinata and the missing villagers be inside the ruins?"
"Sakura, go back to the Leaf Village and take Amaru with you." Naruto orders. "Leave Hinata and the others to me! I'll find them for sure!"
"Like hell I will. I'm not leaving you to fight whatever this is on your own Naruto." I look at Amaru, she is clearly hurt and at this point she would only slow us down if she continued. "Amaru go back to the Leaf, we will handle this."
"I won't!" She screams. "I want to honor Doctor Shinnou's teachings. I have to save my people!"
"I totally understand," Naruto walks in front of the girl and offers his hand. She takes it and he pulls her up. I can see a fire in her eyes that wasn't there before. I had no choice but to agree with Naruto, this was something she had to do, in order to get the closer she needed. I sigh and started bringing out a small scroll. "Oye, Sakura-chan what are you doing?"
"Sending a massager bird, letting Lady Tsunade know that we need reinforcements." They both nod and wait for me to finish trying a note to one of my birds. The bird flies away and all three of us develop smirks.
"Follow me kid!" Naruto starts bolting toward the ruins.
"Right!" She takes off after him.
I shake my head and chase after them both. So much for developing a plan and not rushing into anything.
As soon as I step inside of the ruins, all three of us are knock down by forceful shakes. "Naruto!"
"Don't worry I got her!" I look over my shoulder, Naruto was on top of Amaru shielding her from the falling derby inside.
Once I know she is safe I am quick to my feet, moving back toward the entrance. With every second the shakes got stronger and stronger. I reach the doorway but before I have a chance to pass through it, the whole building is being jerked upward. "What the fuck?" I mutter as I send charka to my feet, keeping me in place. Slowly, I make my way to the doorway and look out. I could believe my eyes. The entree forest surrounding the main ruins had been destroyed. New building had sprung out over no aware, and it appeared to be as if we were flying. "Naruto get up, we need to get moving now!" I order as I turn my back toward the door and make my way back to my team.
Once the man fell unconscious before Shikamaru, Kakashi and Sai joined his side. Their time was now, they just had to wait a little while longer. On top of one the carriers a Sky ninja with binoculars watched the three very closely.
"What do you think should we send more men?" The second in command asked.
"No, there is no need for that." The commander lowered his binoculars. "Just hurry up with the refueling!" He barked.
"Yes sir!" The second in commander turned and began yelling orders for his men to hurry up and not to waste any more time.
The commander returned his focus to the beach, "I'll finish you off some other day. Perhaps when we come back to destroy the Lead, that is!"
Back on the beach the three men stared ahead. "It's about time." Kakashi commented calmly.
"It seems like the enemy has finished refueling." Sai turned toward Kakashi waiting for instruction. Kakashi hadn't been the only one who wanted to get this whole thing over with and return as fast as possible back home to talk with a certain pink hair kunoichi. "Soon we'll be facing another attack."
"You need not worry about that." All three men wipe their heads to the left and watch as Shino makes his way out of the water. "Why you ask? Simple, because there is no way I failed." Behind Shino pieces of the ships began breaking off and falling into the water.
The whole structures of the ships began crumbling down on top of one another. The Sky Ninja were sent in a panic, being thrown up in the air, into the water, there was no where they could go without being in danger. Their screams filled the air as their bodies made contact with the water or got stuck under the falling ship. As their flying vessels were crushed, it sent off explosions. Within a matter of minutes all the ships had caught on fire.
The ninja that did try to escape using their wings were sent plummeting into the water. Shino's bugs had eaten away at the machinery, preventing flight. There was no were the Sky ninja could run to. They had messed with the wrong village and they are starting to feel the repercussion of their terrible decision.
"Now that was something else." Shikamaru smiled grubbing the back on his head, as the last remaining ship sank into the water.
I stuck my head slowly around the corner checking to see if the ghost was clear. I held my breath as I spotted two Sky ninja rounding the corner. Once they were out of slight I let out my breath and turned back to the two girls besides me. Amaru was still shaken up. That determination I saw in her earlier was wearing thin. And Sakura, well something about her was still off. The way she was walking told me she was hurt. When that monster threw her that is when the damage had to have been caused. But she hadn't said anything about it and I knew better than to question it, at least for the moment that is.
"Naruto? Is these real? I mean, these ruins are flying in the sky!" Amaru had her arms wrapped around her body, she was clearly panicking.
"Man, I have no idea what's going on here. But I promise everything will be alight." I tried to reassure her but it didn't work.
"Amaru." Sakura's voice caught her attention. "Naruto and I won't let anything happen to you, but we are going to need your help." Amaru nodded her head. "At some point Naruto and I are going to have to fight, and when that happens I need you to take off running and go find the missing villagers. Okay?"
"Wait there here?!"
"I can weakly sense their presence, Hinata's too, but it's not strong enough for me to track. So I am going to need your help. Okay?"
"You can count on me." That spark flashed through her eyes again and I gave Sakura a node understanding her plan.
I peeked once more around the corner before I signaled for them to follow me. As we ran down the corridors a creepy feeling began developing in my stomach. "If this ruins was built by humans, than someone has to be controlling it." Sakura explained. "Whoever is controlling it has to be a strong shinobi, that amount of charka control it would take to pull something off like this is astonishing."
"So all we have to do is stop the bad guy and their plan will be ruined then those villagers would be as good as saved! Alright no problem!" Sakura shock her head, but it didn't discourage the new firer that had erupted within me.
"Look up ahead!" Amaru shouted as we rounded a corner and a bright room came into view. I double timed it when I saw a number of Sky ninja standing in our way.
"Multiple Shadow Clone Justus!" I shouted as I sent ten clones their ways. "Sorry guys but you're in our way!" My clones took them down easily and we produced to run further into the bright light room. We passed there the opening and we quickly realized it wasn't a room at all. It look to be the center of the ship where multiple corrodes lead to this wide opening. At the far end of the room was a large blue structure and at the base of it was a throne. "It can't be…" My blood boils when I see who is sitting in the throne.
As soon as I spot him, I move in front of Amaru. Something isn't right. There is no possible way he could be here.
"I'm so very proud of you three."
I can hear Amaru behind me begin to cry. "It's you….I knew it!" She blots out from behind me and before I can stop her she is running to him. "I knew it! I knew it!" He stands from the throne. He expends his arms out and she rushes into him, laughing and crying. The impact makes him fall backwards into the throne, but a chuckle escapes his lip as he hugs the child in his arms. He strokes her head as she buries her face in his chest. "I believed! I believed in you! I knew you weren't dead, Doctor! I knew you were still alive. I knew you wouldn't leave me!"
Naruto takes a couple steps forward but I raise my arm telling him not to come closer. My eyes glow green and I widen my stance a little. This isn't right.
"Old man? What is going on?" I quickly glance at Naruto and see confusion written all over his face. "What's the meaning of all this?" His faces changes from confusion to anger and I refocus my attention back on the Doctor, knowing Naruto knows to keep his guard up.
The doctor shock his head. "Even if I explain it, I doubt your small minds would understand it."
"Try us." I spat.
"We're insides a flying fortress named Ancor Vantian. It looks like accent ruins but it has been studies and rebuilt by ninja from the Land of Sky for a number of decades. It's the ultimate weapon of destruction."
"Ancor Vantian?" Naruto questions looking around, taking is his surroundings. Naruto's guard wasn't up all the way and it worried me. My eyes remained looked on the doctor.
"It means the fortress of the king."
"What are you doing here?" I question taking a step closer showing I wasn't going to back down, no matter the answer.
When he didn't answer right away Naruto became pissed. "What are you doing sitting on the throne? Didn't those kunai hurt you at all?"
"Ah yes. Well it was child's play fooling you three to believe I had actually died. Once you four left I simply revived my systems that were destroyed, using my Body Activation Jutsu." Amaru head jerks upward to make eye contact with her master.
"Jutsu?" Naruto questions. So that's what happened? How did I not see that? How could I have been so stupid to have ignored my gut feeling? "Hey! You're talking pretty strange and I don't think I like it! You better tell us what you are doing here old man! You did come to the ruins to whop these guys, didn't you?!"
"Oh you still haven't caught on have you? Sad. It seems your friend had a suspicion from the beginning and never told you. What a teammate?"
"Doctor what-Ahhh!" The man stops stroking her hair and grips her head, pulling her away from him.
He stands gripping down on her harder. "Obviously, I'm not going to beat up my dear allies." Amaru begins struggling in his grasp.
"Amaru!" Naruto yells as he sprints toward them. The doctor tosses Amaru at Naruto hard. Naruto catches her, but is sent backwards several yards, falling down on his back. I am quick to their side, standing in front of them in a protective stance ready to fight.
The doctor kept his arm raised with the bandana her had given to Amaru when he 'died.' "Fourteen years ago, I posed as a wandering doctor, all the while infiltrating villages all over the country, collecting information in order to obtain the method of controlling the Zero-Tails." As soon as he said that name I feel sick to my stomach. No! No it couldn't be. I bite down on my lip…it had to be true my seal wouldn't have reacted that way if it wasn't.
Naruto was on his knees, holding Amaru's shoulders so she was upright. "You mean all this time you have been lying to us!"
"It took thirteen years to find the scroll that enabled me to revive the Zero Tails. But find it I did. Hidden in the Leaf Village. And now I have finally obtained the power of the Zero-Tails and the power of dark chakra!"
"Dark chakra?" Naruto questions. I can feel his charka slowly spiking. He too had to be feeling something within the seal.
"Wait Naruto!" Amaru shifts out of his arms and hugs him, tears running down her face. "This isn't right! Something isn't right about the doctor! He has to be sick? Right! Maybe we can cure him somehow! Please!" Before I can tell her to calm down, a ripping sound is heard throughout the room.
The doctor stood with an evil smile, laughing, as he ripped the fabric of the bandana. "Wrong diagnosis Amaru. If you think I've lost my mind, you're sadly mistaken. In fact if anything is crazy its how I've been acting up until now." He rips the last piece of the fabric and it falls to the ground. "When darkness is born in people's hearts, they become possessed by the Zero-Tails and it turns the darkness emitted from their hearts into actual chakra. Once I understood that it was quite simple. Although it took me fourteen years."
"Darkness of the heart?" Naruto grips Amaru tighten and I feel my own charka beginning to react.
"People fall into despair, when sadness washes over them. People focus great anger and hatred toward the source of their misery, and in doing so create the darkest of charka. I order the attack on your village, so the zero-tails would process you.
"The attack? You're lying…..right Doctor...Doctor! You have to be lying!" Amaru shouts are tears run down her face. I ball my fists this isn't good. All three of us have dark pasts and at any moment all of our hatred can be used against us.
"Master? Apprentice?" Shinnou questions laughing. "Who cares about such stupid relationships? Too me you were nothing more than a convenient pawn in my plan."
"NOOOOOOOO!" She begins screaming and the black charka begins slowly forming around her.
"Trust me, once you save someone's life they will never doubt you about anything at all."
Naruto encircles his arms around her trying to comfort her. "Amaru! Amaru, hey! Snap out of it will you." But she is too emotional. Her hands cover her ears as the tear stream down her face. Her body shakes slightly as she rocks back in forth.
"Naruto you need to calm her down before-"
"Ohhh, there it is. I can feel it." My head snaps back to the doctor and the black charka is forming around his fingertips. "Dark chakra coursing through my veins."
"Shit-"
"You're going to pay!" Naruto shouts getting up. "I'll never forgive you for what you have done!" Naruto lungs for him before I can stop him.
The doctor quickly signs something and I am barley able to understand what he is trying to do before it is too late. A gush of wind is start at Naruto and he is sent flying backwards. I catch him but the force sends both of us in the wall. I bit down on my lip suppressing a scream as Naruto's weight crushes into my rib cage. Naruto's weight gives out and we both fall to our knees to the floor.
"The power of the dark chakra isn't just for resurrecting the Zero-Tails. It has other uses to! For example it can do this." The black charka begins spinning around him, gulfing him in a circle. It glows bright and as the charka fades away his body is reveled to be completely changed. He is even stronger than before, all of his muscles increased as much as possible and his height increased by at least two feet. "That was the body activation jutsu. In this form, with this ultimate body, I can open up all eight inner gates, including the gate of death."
Naruto and I rise to our feet, this was getting serious and we needed to stop it before it got any worse. Naruto looks at me once before nodding and then he takes off sprinting toward the doctor creating ten clones. The doctor jumps backwards and assess the situation before quickly striking back against the clones. One by one he kicked and punched through the crowd before every clone was destroyed but one. He lunged toward Naruto and caught him in an uppercut in the stomach. Naruto bends over his arm, taken back by the impact.
I use this moment of distraction to appear behind Shinnou and send a charka filled punch to this head. He dodges last minute and lifts Naruto's body up in the air, sending him flying in the other direction. I am forced to change my focus as I once again brace Naruto from hitting the wall. Once I caught Naruto in my arms I send charka to my feet to prevent us from crashing into the wall, however that was a terrible mistake. The impact was much rougher this time and the wind is knocked completely out of me.
"Do you understand what this ultimate body born from the Body Activation Jutsu can actually do?" As soon as Naruto stands on his own two feet, he coughs up blood. I place my hand on his back and allow my charka to follow through him, trying to heal any damage that had just been done. "Opps sorry, I'm still having trouble getting used to all this power!" He smirks as Naruto wipes his mouth.
I dash out from behind Naruto, my fists amid at the doctor's heart. In a flash I am in front of him ready to land my hit. I pull my arm back to pick up momentum, but when I go to launch forward the doctor vanishes into thin air. I quickly sense him behind me but before I have enough time to turn around and redirect my attack he is kicking me into my side with such a force that I am sent flying into the broken stone.
Sakura hits the wall, hard. I hear her cruse under her breath and the sound of rumble shifting, tells me she is still conscious. The doctor calmly walks back to the throne and takes a seat. "Now I see. This thorn was meant for someone who holds the ultimate body. It's a fine throne that was fit for someone that was meant to be King."
"An't gonna happen!" I jump up in the air, creating 30 shadows clones. They all begin to race toward the doctor when he stands. A black charka beam comes out of his forehead and as soon as that touches my clone, my clone is destroyed. Within a matter of seconds all of my clones are gone, but while he was forced on my clones he forgot about me. I knock into him hard, sending him falling backward. I climb on top of him and start pummeling him. "You think you are a king?!" I shout punching his face from one side to the next. "I think you are nothing!" I jump upwards and summon a rasengan. "I'm not going to let you do this!" I aim for his chest and barrel down towards him.
I feel it make contact and the room fills with smoke. I jump back toward Amaru, who is still on her knees balling, her head hung low. I quickly turn toward the rumble Sakura crashed into and see her leaning against the wall bent over. Her left hand glowed and clutched her side. A small amount of blood trickled down the side of her face from a cut on her forehead. This isn't good, she is hurt, and Amaru can't even stand on her own two feet.
"Saku-"
"In the human body a muscle is strengthen through damage and recovery. I need only to apply the basic regeneration mechanism from Medical Ninjutsu through this process my body will become massively powerful." The smoke clears and the asswhole is standing upright with no signs that I made any damage. "Capable of nearly anything!"
Angry boils within me. This man has hurt my village, my friends, and worst of all Sakura! I feel my power begin to increase with my rage. "Monster!" I shout. I blink and he disappears.
I feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and sense he is right behind me. I can't move, it happens to fast. "And when my ultimate body releases chakra, it creates this ultimate attack!" I feel powerful charka gathering behind me. "Super Activation Fist!" I feel him press into my back and then an intense burning sensation before I am sent flying across the room.
"Ahhhhhhhhh!" The sound of Naruto screaming fills the air. My eyes bounce all around but I can't make out any of the blurry shapes. I try to push off the wall but the burning pain in my side screams out and stops me in my tracks. When I hit the stone I heard a loud cracking sound and the pain that followed told me I had broken a couple ribs. My breath was stuck in my throat and I couldn't take in air. But that shouldn't matter! Naruto is in danger! I need to do something!
"I'm surprised to see you can still move after taking a hit like that, but you're going to pay for damaging my throne. This is going to hurt"
Come on! It doesn't matter that it hurts! Naruto needs me! I need to do something! Anything but stand back and let the enemy have him! I have no choice...I need this power...
I quickly forgot about the pain from my side when my cruse mark takes over. I can feel it spreading all over my body as I allow it to take over. My pain disappears quickly and now all I can feel is the power running through my body. I gather my charka and my eyes glow a bright pink. The blurry shapes now come into focus and I can see the doctor reach down and grab ahold of Naruto's hair.
I push off the wall and my fists glow pink as I transport behind the doctor. I grab the hand that was holding Naruto and squeeze it cracking several bones in his hand causing him to release Naruto. Once Naruto is release my other hand glows a brighter pink and I make contact with his rib cage, sending him flying across the room.
"Sakura?" Naruto looks up as I kneel besides him. I place my hand on his back and begin healing his injury as fast as I could.
"You okay?" Naruto sits up and wipes the blood from his mouth and nodes. My attention refocus on the doctor who is starting to stand up and repair the damage I just caused. I can see Naruto from the corning of my eye staring at me.
"Sakura-chan...what are those markings on you?"
I releases my hand from his back, it seems that was all the time I was able to buy us. The doctor finishes healing and stares at me with amusement. I ignore Naruto's questions as I stand in front of him, shielding him from whatever the doctor was about to throw at us. I knew Naruto needed more time to get his bearings. That hit he took was bad, and though he was a quick healer, he need time, so I was going to have to find some way to buy it for him.
"My my, why didn't I feel this power the last time we fought?" I balled my fists tighter, this was going to lead to no good. "The zero tails tells me, you have something sleeping deep inside you that would entertain me. So why don't you come at me with that dark power of yours?"
"Sakura what is he talking about?" Naruto stands up by is still shaky. This isn't good, if Naruto finds out it will put him to much at risk.
"Oh it seems your teammate sure likes to keep secrets. What a powerful team you two must make to have those dark powers of yours."
I lung forward not waiting him to talk anymore. I aim for his chest but his hand stops my fist. I side step and send my leg flying toward his midsection when his other hand catches it. We stand there grid locked, glaring at one another.
"My power I must test it! I want to know how powerful this dark chakra is!" I push backwards and his loses his grip. I jump forward and my hand makes contact with his check, but it does nothing.
His head doesn't even turn. I see his check begin to turn a dark shaded showing signs of the impact but nothing else. Before I can retract my hand he is grabbing it with both hands. I try and pull away am stuck in front of him. The doctor toward over me by at least three feet.
"How disappointing. Now listen to me you are done. This is it, this is how strong you will ever be. No matter how hard you try or how hard you believe this is how strong you will ever be. In the end this is all you got."
I try and pull out of his grip but it doesn't work. My hand is stuck. I go to try and land a punch with my other arm when he applies more pressure to my wrist. Instantly I feel a sharp pain and I bite my lip to suppress a scream. I bring my leg back to hit him when he squeezes even harder and I fall to me knees overcome by the pain. "AHHHHHHH!" I feel my wrist splitter.
"Sakura-chan!" I see Naruto start to run toward me.
"STAY BACK!" I scream trying to keep Naruto away. I feel myself begging to lose control. Naruto can't be there, he needs to leave. He needs to run far away from me. Naruto stops and looks at me. "Protect Amaru!"
"Humans are weak. They have no fangs or claws. While their only unique skill is crying. And yet, somehow they were able to conquer the enterer world. Do know why?" Shinnou pulls me off my knees and brings me inches from his face. "That's because among all living things on the planet humans are the most cruel!" He slams his fists in my chest several times in the matter of seconds and I stumble backward trying to regain my footing, regain my control. But he isn't done.
He sent a wave of dark charka at me and knocks me off my feet, flying backward into the rumble a few feet from Naruto and Amaru. Pain...pain is the only clear thing I am able to register as I lay on my back. The seal, it's begging to break...I can feel it.
"Am I wrong?" He questions turning his attention to Amaru as I struggle to my feet. My eyes stop glowing pink and return to normal, no longer having to concentration needed to function. "Unlike every other creature humans try to improve their condition, they joined together and now they have achieved a higher status. And what power did they use to achieve it? It most certainly wasn't the power of love!"
That anger I was feeling earlier suddenly shifts. I don't know how to describe this feeling, I don't think there is a word for it. But everything was starting to make sense now. Sakura was still on her back. I could see her eyes were open but they weren't glowing anymore. I wanted to help her but I couldn't heal her like she healed me. He was going to pay for hurting her!
"You've got to be kidding me! Just because you've got some freaky jutsu that puffs up your muscles doesn't give you the right to be all high and mighty! Look I know I am going to sound a light cheesy here but all my senseis, all my friends who fight besides me, heck even Pervy Sage, I love them! You hear me, I love them with all my heart!" My feet begin picking up speed and I rush toward him. I was starting to feel the power, but it wasn't coming for the fox. Before I make contact Shinnou simply flicks my forehead sending me rolling backwards next to Amaru.
"Okay enough. I get it all ready. What was I even thinking? I tried to explain myself, but what could a fool like you possibly understand. Master? Love? Haha! Answer me this where did Amaru's so called love get you?" I see Amaru finally raise her head at his comment. "In the end that love is what created this whole mess."
"Shut up!" I lung at him once more, I wouldn't stop, I refuse to give up. But before I make it two feet he send another wave of dark chakra and I am knocked back to the ground.
"Naruto!" Amaru screams. "It's..my fault...my power did this." She chocks out between her sobs.
"That didn't work at all! It will take more than that!" I am quick to my feet, running at him again. That power, it was growing stronger now. I couldn't give up! Not when I was just getting started! I land a punch on his chest but he brings his knee up into my stomach. I lose my breath and he is quick to punch several times. Blood pours from my mouth and before I can catch his fist he is hitting me with another activation fist.
"Naruto!" Amaru breaks my fall his time, and I don't hit the ground.
"That's it Amaru, get a good look. Don't lose that hate of yours. Never forgive me or the evil I've done. Hahaha!"
Amaru lays me down and my world begins to spine and I can feel my eyelids closing. No! I can't pass out! I need to keep fighting. Sakura...and Hinata are in danger! Don't rely on the nine tails for power! I promised Prevy Sage I would protect everyone with my own two hands! I can't fail! I can't give up! That is not an option, the only option I have is to get back up and fight!
"Amaru," I can hear her crying harder. "I can... still fight." I slowly stand back up. "All the sadness you feel, all your pain, its okay, it's not your fault. You can't help it." I fall onto my knees shaking, my body wanting to give up. "Don't worry, your pain, I'll take it all on myself." I turn my head to look at her. Her eyes were wide and tear pooled from them endlessly. I refocused my attention on Shinnou. "You stay right there! Because I'm about to knock you out!"
"Naruto...I'm sorry...I'm so sorry.." I hear the sound of her scalpel being raised. Damnit! "Doctor..."
I appear behind me, encircling her from behind. The pain travels up arm from my hand but I say nothing, as the blood from my wound leaks onto the ground. I close my eyes as I allow the pain to wash over me.
"Huh?" I hear her gasp and I can feel her turn in my arms.
"You can't. That's not the way." I feel the blade shake behind my palm. "You have to live. That's why...that's why you have to say your goodbyes. You never told him. You never got the chance to express your feelings. Isn't the right? You have to tell him how you feel, right."
She drops the blade and I release my hold on her. She takes a deep breath and nodes her head. But before she starts talking she begins treating my wound. "The first time I was praised, he was the one who praised me." I look down at her softly, she was going to be okay, you better believe it. "The first time I was taught, he was the one to teach me. The first person to guide me."
She pulls gauze from her pouch and begins wrapping me. "Keep going" I encourage her as I look over to Sakura. She was now are her knees slowly regaining herself. Her eyes glowed a soft green, she had been able to repair some of the damage he had caused her. Hopefully it was going to be enough where she could continue to fight.
"The first time I wondered if I was pretty was the first time I cared what someone thought of me. He was my world. All I could think about was the doctor. It was the first time wanting someone's heart. I wanted to be loved! The truth...is that I'VE ALWAYS LOVED YOU DOCTOR!"
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" He throws his head back laughing. Now is my chance.
"Hey!" I shout as my fist hits his check, catching him off guard. He wasn't able to block the impact and is sent backwards from the force. "Shut it dirt bag!" But I wasn't going to let him have a chance to recover. My clone kicks him in the side and he is forced upward where around five clones await him. "Do me a favor, how about keeping your freaking ideas to yourself!" Higher and higher each punch and kick sends him into the air. "And quite forcing them on us!" The real me sucker punches him in the gut and he bends over around my fist. "Because you may believe that a person's love leads to darkness but your wrong! You can't destroy love! Never!" I disappear under him and appear above. My hands contact over my head and I bring them down with great force on his face, sending him falling.
His body hits the ground and bounces. Two of my clones kick her in the side before he even knows what hits him and his body is pushed backwards into the rumble of the ruins. But before his body touches the ground I encircle him with my clones, each one of them making direct hits, keeping his body bouncing back and forth in the air. "Because you are nothing but a worthless scum bag!" I land my last hit centered in his face, and he crashes through his thrown and stops only when his body hits the wall.
"Mm-y charka is getting-" He cuts himself off when he sees me standing before him with my rasengan in hand.
"I told you I will never forgive you." I force more chakra into it and it glows even brighter. "RASENGAN!"