Chapter 2 - The Element of FIST!
I like writing now, I feel like I'm going somewhere with this
Well enjoy a new chapter courtesy of me :D
'Thought'
"Human Dialogue"
"Demon/Creature Dialogue"
"Unknown"
"Celestial Dialogue"
"Technique"
Loiosh311 and stormingnight: Thank you. I know it's a bit weird but enjoy, this chapter is for you guys :D
Disclaimer: Oh! Oh! Oh! I own nothing. You know the drill. :(
Konoha: 10 years ago
Ranbou Kirite: the Leaf Dancer. An epithet he earned because of the way he fought, dancing with the elements like a whirling dervish, leaving nothing but battered corpses and broken wills in his wake. His appearance meant death to anyone who would dare stand against him and his presence empowered allies. His charisma was such that he could make even the most cowardly of soldiers stand valiantly against a horde of vicious enemies.
Strong Taijutsu and Perfect Ninjutsu and Weapons use, these abilities made him the perfect fighter, able to engage enemies at any range and in any terrain. Completely at home in the battlefield, one would not find any trace of fear or panic in this man. Hailed for the extraordinary ability to expand his chakra out in a branch-like fashion, this unique skill lets him use devastating jutsus with a large Area-of-Effect like Katon: Kogasuyari no Jutsu.
He used to be the Captain of the Queen Division, a special group comprising of the cream of the crop. A group who takes orders only from the Hokage. Since its inception, only fifteen people have been deemed worthy of joining this division of the elite of the elite.
It was even rumored that he would be next in line for the position of Hokage. This would have been reality if he didn't disappear one day without any say. No trace of any kind was left, not even the best trackers can find a trail. Rumors of an abduction floated around for some time but none could prove this. Though he was a promising young Shinobi, the Council had no choice but to label him as a missing nin. Hunters were dispatched to find him and bring him back; alive or in a body bag.
Two years after his disappearance though, he returned but the Ranbou Kirite everyone knew and loved was gone. In his stead was a cold, calculating monster that lusted for blood; a pitiless, barbaric man without any sense of humanity or remorse. What used to be an elegant dancer of the elements is now reduced to a predatory butcher.
It was then that some of the worst murders to ever grace Konoha happened. It was still fresh in people's minds, gore everywhere, bloodcurdling screams and then, an eerie silence.
The killer would first intentionally injure himself and seek help or shelter. When accepted into a home, he would act decent and normal around them, even helping out at times as recalled by a survivor. Then when the victims slept for the night, his work began. A quick club on the head to incapacitate the unfortunate victims then ropes to tie them up securely.
The killing style was consistent; first he would flay the victims alive and then would wear the skins like some sort of grotesque jacket. Next, he would gouge out the eyes and pull out a few hairs.
Then he would season and cook select parts of the body and then eat it (The Main Course as he recalled with delight). The liver, pubic area and the thigh are his favorite parts as evidenced by the missing flesh in almost all of the bodies. The macabre sight along with the terrible stench in the scene of the murders caused even the most hardened Shinobi to gag on arrival.
Before Kirite could be apprehended, he hit five houses and killed more than seventy people, civilians and Shinobi alike. The events of the past two years seemed to have broken him, a grim slayer with absolutely no sense of sympathy is all that remains.
After capture, he would recall fondly how he would slowly cook the choicest parts and baste it with blood seasoned with salt and pepper with a bit of chili. He recalled with pleasure how he made soup out the gouged out eyes, onion, ginger and stock from the bones. The way he told it was what set the interrogators on edge. It was not like a serial killer just enjoying the thrill of the kill. No...it was more like a cook telling people about his favorite recipe.
His fall was a sad case indeed. Konoha has lost one of it's most elite to Kami knows what.
He was restrained and put in captivity to be studied and hopefully healed. In the following years, his condition improved mildly and his aggression lessened to the point where people can approach him without fear of being mauled. The moments of lucidity were few and far between and in those times all he talked about was the Snake-man; fear and panic clearly etched in his voice.
"I was a bad subject...gonna execute me...just escaped...NNNGGGG!" he usually says amid sobs and moans
"He said I was his favorite..."
"He said he was going ta fill me up with lights and pretty things" he sobbed
"I HATE HIM! GRAAGHHH!" he roared more that a few times
The people handling Kirite eventually found out what happened to him when they deciphered what the compounds scattered in his body were. Put simply, he was experimented on. Various animal DNA were spliced onto his, completely rewriting his programming and erasing all sense of self. This also changed his physical make-up, his lithe and agile frame turned beefy and cumbersome. Fluid motions turned rigid and clumsy.
His brain was opened and injected with some kind of serum that increased brain efficiency, letting the brain perform at a rate that could keep up with a supercomputer. Unfortunately this had the side-effect of inducing uncontrollable rage and aggression. Said snake-man also harvested some body parts: a chunk of liver, a kidney and both of the testicles. Finally as some sort of cruel, twisted joke, the man replaced part of the skull that was removed with a metal plate that said blood.
A fitting word as to what Kirite has become, a pitiless machine that could only be sated with blood and death.
A few years after his capture, he escaped and that was when he crossed paths with Naruto which was what eventually caused his untimely demise. They are still searching for the Snake-man. Fearing that one day he will strike again, that one day he will deal another crippling blow to Konoha's elite.
Forest of Death: Present Time
Ah, what a fine day to be in the Forest of Death. Don't let the name fool you, it's really pretty nice inside this sprawling little piece of hell. Trees hundreds of years old clawed up toward the sky, their green canopy blocking out most of the light, bathing the forest floor in an ethereal glow. The dense woodland abounded with strange creatures, gracefully pouncing and killing each other. Most of them were just bigger and enhanced versions of local flora and fauna, mutating and evolving in order to cope up with the harsh environs.
A prime example of this is the Terra Worm which was simply a gigantic, bus-sized worm. It uses its razor sharp fangs which are curved inward to hold onto its prey and rip out large pieces of flesh. The spiky protrusions running along the length of it's gelatinous body acting as a defense to deter potential attackers.
Others like the Shoomba were the epitome of the word aberration; an apex predator of his accursed wood, they hunt with no quarter until the target is ripped to shreds. The species usually have a sickly green coloration to better blend in with the foliage. They feature a robustly built humanoid torso covered with metallic, interlocking plates giving ample protection whilst not hindering movement. The lower torso connects to four broad and powerful legs that taper to a point. These legs are covered in the same material as the plates. Connected to its frame are four heavily muscled arms ending in curved claws which they use to capture prey. These defining characteristics give it an arachnid-like visage that commands fear and dread in anything that dare face it.
They feature large humanoid faces adorned with huge mouths filled to the brim with conical fangs, which upon closer inspection, constantly drip out a potent venom. Once injected into the prey, the venom first causes paralysis followed by the destruction of soft tissue, the venom is so strong that it overtakes the immune system and the victim succumbs to blood loss due to internal bleeding soon after the venom is injected. The venom's potency was such that recorded history accounts that ancient shinobi did at one time use the Shoomba's venom in battle. Though still used, it has lost it's popularity due to the difficulty of obtaining it besides, newer fabricated poisons have stronger effects.
Mouths with flickering tongues replace the eyes. Since they are effectively blind, they use the tongues to taste chemical movements in the air so they can locate their prey. Though they have no vision of their surroundings, make no mistake, they make their attacks with frightening precision and sense any threat before it even comes close.
A lone Shoomba stalked it's prey, a large centipede gnawing on a rotting tree when a huge explosion rocked the clearing and alerted the centipede to the Shoomba's presence. It quickly scuttled away, leaving a hungry and pissed off Shoomba. It snarled as it made it's way to the source of the disturbance.
More explosions echoed out from a part of the forest, disturbing the local wildlife and causing quite a few birds to fly away in alarm.
Naruto charged at Lee, delivering a powerful hook aimed at the young beast's temple. The green-clad youth fluidly deflected the extended limb using a circular motion of one arm and then countered with a drilling jab targeted at the boy's solar plexus. Naruto sidestepped the punch and quickly surged forwards, striking Lee square on the jaw with a gazelle uppercut. It hit but then Lee used the momentum to perform a lightning fast back flip, walloping Naruto's chin as a counter. Both combatants moved back to gauge each other before resuming.
"Excellent use of Ishihada Naruto-kun" commended Lee as he resumed his stance
Naruto popped the kinks in his neck and smiled at the boy opposite him. "You're not so bad at it yourself"
A moment later, the orange boy blurred from existence and appeared in front of Lee and unloaded a chin-crushing upper kick that sent Lee flying. Naruto followed the boy skyward and delivered a series of blindingly fast punches and kicks before ending with a brutal double axe handle that sent Lee plummeting toward the forest floor. The smug boy landed nimbly in front of the small crater Lee was buried in, grinning like a loon all the while.
Lee just rose up nonchalantly from the ruined earth and dusted himself off, seemingly unfazed from the assault. Then...
"NARUTO-KUN, LET US BURN BRIGHTLY WITH THE FLAMES OF YOUTH" Lee proclaimed out loud, aforementioned flames burning passionately in his determined orbs.
"I may have hit him too hard" Naruto muttered, sweatdropping "Well, can't complain, here's when the fun starts" he added
With that, both boys released the cumbersome iron weights attached to their legs and forearms, effectively reducing mobility and striking power.
CRASH!
A veritable dust cloud billowed out as the insanely heavy weights hit Terra Firma.
Both boys were nowhere to be found until a resonating crash echoed out, the two opposing forces blowing the dust cloud outward. The two boys collided with each other, the pressure generated from each strike and hit creating shockwaves that rippled outward. Large gashes on the ground were torn and some trees were uprooted, the pure physical energy emanating from both combatants was so immense that it appeared as faint auras surrounding them. They moved with such fervor that their movements blurred, their bodies cutting through the very air. Another explosion resounded as both boy's fists met, a moment later, they blurred out.
The two warriors clashed again, they traded punches but then Lee got the upper hand and a spinning back kick hit home, sending Naruto crashing onto some trees. Said trees groaned as they fell to earth, their trunks demolished. The fallen timber caused a sizeable dust cloud which obscured Naruto from Lee's vision.
Without warning, a huge trunk section blasted out of the dust cloud and made a beeline toward Lee. The emerald fighter quickly reacted with a well timed roundhouse kick that deflected the projectile. A few more of the freakishly fast logs shot out, seemingly thrown haphazardly. Naruto, feeling the distraction sufficient enough, snuck up on Lee and grabbed the youthful boy around the waist, catching him off guard. The blonde boy then lifted and slammed Lee onto the ground as hard as he can, performing a perfect textbook German Suplex sending up a plume of dust and burying Lee's head up to the shoulders.
Naruto felt satisfied as he let go of Lee and stood up, snickering at the boy whose head was still planted firmly on the ground. Lee quickly recovered from the attack and pushed hard, freeing himself from the crater, at the same time he spun with his legs outstretched, performing an inverted Hurricane Kick.
It hit multiple times causing Naruto to stagger back, Lee used this momentary loss of balance to right himself and perform a double palm thrust that hit Naruto on the chest, causing the orange blot to skid back a few feet.
Said orange blot just smirked and disappeared again. He appeared behind Lee with a vicious axe kick, it appeared to have hit but Naruto felt his foot connect with nothing.
"Hmph... Chō onsoku kaihi" Naruto muttered as he surveyed his surroundings, wary of where the green clad powerhouse might come from.
Without warning, the earth below trembled and a moment later, Lee exploded out with a powerful uppercut that sent Naruto airborne, Lee then followed up with a series of blinding kicks, each strike having enough power to pulverize bedrock.
Before the ending heel drop could smash onto him, Naruto regained his composure and roughly pulled on Lee's leg, getting the opposing boy off balance, the orange boy then mounted Lee and jumped off, using the spandex clad boy as a springboard to land safely. Lee on the other hand didn't have such a graceful landing as he crashed yet again onto the ground due to Naruto kicking off of him.
Lee stood up and gazed intently at the boy before him.
"NARUTO-KUN! I HAVE TRULY ENJOYED THIS SPAR OF OURS! I YOUTHFULLY PRAY TO THE YOUTHFUL GODS THAT THIS NEVER ENDS!" Lee bellowed out pumping his fist, eyes sparkling due to sheer rapture.
"Uuhh, Lee we have ten minutes till class begins" Naruto said matter-of-factly
"THEN WE SHALL FINISH THIS IN ONE BLOW! IF I FAIL TO DEFEAT YOU, I SHALL MAKE MY WAY TO SCHOOL USING ONE HAND!" Lee bellowed yet again
Naruto was covering his ears at this point, it's a miracle that he survived this long hanging around with two loud...no, scratch that, REALLY loud people.
He remembered those first few days he spent with these monsters, he couldn't get the ringing out of his ears after the first week. Body battered and ears reeling, painful could not even begin to describe what he was feeling then. Gai was an absolute sadist when it came to training, if Naruto didn't or couldn't do what was told of him, he was forced to do something HARDER. And if he didn't do it, they sparred and sparring with Gai equals suicide. It was like defending yourself against a tank that could teleport anywhere without warning and deliver a whole world of pain.
After three pain-filled months of intense training (Read: Train till you bleed training) with Lee and Gai, he grew to appreciate their loyalty, dedication and iron-bound resolve. Honestly, these two are some of the best people he had ever met in his life.
Ever since he found out about that, his world was ruined, his dreams were dashed. He couldn't even find it in him to get out of bed let alone do other things. He shut other people out, and lost his usual cheer.
Those two restored his faith, rejuvenated his spirit and gave him hope to look into the future with a smile on his face. Hell, one day he might even wear those evil spandex things and shout about youthfulness all around town.
Flashback
After the ANBU were done cleaning up, Sarutobi sent a few Yamanakas to perform Memory Wipe Jutsus on the children (Read: He wanted mentally sane people not emotionally scarred wrecks) and everything went without incident for the rest of the year. Well if you didn't count the supposedly dead Naruto waltzing in to school the next week like nothing happened, it was pretty normal.
To say that the people at The Morgue were traumatized was a bit of an understatement. Most of them panicked and considered a change in career. A lot thought of Naruto as a Harbinger of Doom sent by Kami to cleanse the land of its taint. Most of them grovelled in front of him and discussed among themselves who would be sacrificed to quell Kami's rage.
"OR maybe it was just from too much coffee?" a veteran medic pondered
"Nonsense! One can never have too much coffee! This delusion was caused by too LITTLE coffee!" another medic refuted the claim
"EVERYONE! ON TO THE COFFEE MACHINES!" and with that battle charge, many of the staff went to sate their caffeine fix
"Maybe they put narcotics in the coffee?" a young medic thought out loud as he drank his coffee
"Silence! Thou Shalt Not Blaspheme COFFEE!" shrieked a senior medic as she smacked the coffee mug off the blasphemous medic's hands
"THOU SHALL BE SACRIFICED TO QUELL THE HARBINGER'S RAGE!" she shrieked yet again
The medics gathered then began to chant "Sacrifice!" in a grim tone. The room went eerily dark and the surrounding medics suddenly gained torches and pitchforks...Where the hell did those come from?
The more sane (Read: Non-Caffeine Addicted) medics then moved in to save the poor guy before something out of hand happened and moved him away saying something about dressing him up so the Harbinger would be pleased. The rookie medic then began to claw at the floor, unaware that he was being saved.
After that, an orgy of Caffeine binging ensued
Ooooh! Swirling colors! Trippy! Said one medic as she began to spin around
Look! A Buttrape! Said a medic, apparently high on the stimulant
What's that? Asked another whilst drinking her coffee
A fusion of a Butterfly and an Ape! Yelled another
I see it too! Pointed the janitor who was apparently a caffeine addict himself
"Beautiful" they all chorused, eyes glassed over
After they have sufficiently calmed down from their caffeine induced delusion, they contacted the Hokage to bring him the news, it was just impossible, nothing like this has ever happened before, but there they were casually talking to a boy who was dead just a few hours ago. The little guy was pretty cool, making jokes and talking about really complicated stuff like unique chakra theories and applications. (They did not cover subjects THAT complicated in the Academy) So as they talked, the medics were learning new things to apply in their line of work and Naruto was just soaking up everything the medics were saying.
Upon arriving, the old man talked to the receptionist people usually go to to get cold, dead corpses, this is the first (And probably last) time a healthy person is to be discharged from The Morgue. The place was clean to a fault, white tiles covered every inch of the place and soft, calming music played in the background. Weirdly, the place did not smell strongly of alcohol or bleach as he had anticipated.
As the wizened man waited, he thought about how this could have happened but scrapped it, he didn't care how or why but Naruto was alive and that's all that mattered. When Naruto appeared, the old man gave his surrogate grandson a hug, thanked the medics and took the boy home to celebrate.
The Prep Academy was over and the remaining participants were being screened out in a special room in the small academy. Each one being checked up for any physical deformities or any other abnormality that would be detrimental to being a Ninja. It has been said that a Ninja is the perfect combination of physical and mental conditioning coupled with perfect technique usage. Konoha would burn to the ground before it would let useless mongrels join it's elite.
"Hokage-sama! I regret to inform you that Naruto-san cannot use chakra! I sense no chakra at all in him" exclaimed a Medic Nin as he checked up on a sedated Naruto
"Impossible! Check again" said the aged leader, worry clearly evident in his voice
"As you wish sir!" said the unnamed Medic Nin as he pumped chakra into the boy, hoping for a response "...There really is nothing, I'm sorry sir"
"...But...but that would mean, he is dead, but he is alive...isn't he?" Sarutobi asked calmly
"Yes sir and his vital signs are perfectly fine, how could this be?" said the Med Nin, clearly perplexed
"I don't know, usually even civilians can exercise a bit of chakra. It's freakin' life essence for Kami's sake" a burly Medic Nin said
As the senior Ninja in the room discussed things among themselves, they sensed something HUGE. As Naruto lay there, a delicate shroud of light danced around his form.
'This light...it feels strangely familiar' pondered the elder fire shadow as he approached the sleeping kid
A moment later, it suddenly stopped and then without warning, it hurtled upward; forming a pillar of a soft purple light.
The light pillar carrying with it so much power that even the Hokage himself had difficulty breathing due to the sheer pressure it radiated.
...And then...nothing. The strange energy disappeared as quick as it had shown up. The room was in complete silence as everyone tried to catch their breaths and then...
"Maybe he really IS the Harbinger of Doom sent by Kami to engulf us all in destruction and despair" A Medic Nin shouted hysterically
"Oh no! We must offer sacrifices in order to appease his wrath!" screamed out quite a few
The old man massaged his temples in a swirling motion, hoping to suppress the headache he knew was coming 'This boy really is something' he thought
"Silence! Can you really believe what you are saying?" The old man boomed in his Hokage voice.
The room suddenly fell quiet. 'I love being able to do that'
"You all, no one will know the what happened in this room. This will be an S-class secret for you, should word of this ever get out..." the Hokage paused for effect "...the Queen will come to collect." the aged man finished grimly
The room went cold as ice. Everyone knew that what the Hokage said was law and anyone who would dare to break it would never be heard of again.
"Do I make myself clear?" the old man said, snapping the medics out of their reverie
The people in the room saluted "Hai Hokage-sama!"
"Now...check him again" the old man motioned the young medic
"Still nothing sir" said the medic, half expecting the old man to strike him down due to frustration
The Hokage however just sighed 'Still nothing...'
He had hoped that that sudden surge of energy somehow released Naruto's dormant chakra. Well, no luck there.
As they went home for the day, Sarutobi pondered on how to tell the young boy of his condition. It would break his young heart for sure, but it had to be done. The aged man figured that not telling him would do more harm in the long run.
As they entered the house, the smell of a grand feast made it's way to their noses. 'Looks like Biwako pulled out the stops on this one' Sarutobi thought, still wracking his mind on ways to tell Naruto of his condition without sounding too harsh.
As they entered the dining area, they saw rows upon rows of the most delicious food they can ever imagine. A petite woman in her early sixties greeted them, she had chestnut brown hair with green eyes along with a face with strong features.
"Welcome boys, you're just in time for dinner. I knew today is Naru-tan's graduation so I did something special tonight" said the woman as she motioned them to their seats
"Your food is always good Gammy!" Naruto chirped as he shovelled food into his mouth, this was already his tenth serving.
"Nothing but the best for our Naru-tan" smiled the aforementioned Gammy as she pinched Naruto's cheek
"Aye, Biwako is the best cook this side of Konoha" Sarutobi said contently as he cut up his steak
"That's why you love me so much, don't you Saru-chaaan" the lady teased
Sarutobi's cheeks reddened at the mention of his pet name, the redness deepened when his wife scratched his chin lightly
"Geez, get a room you guys" Asuma said as he looked away
After the sumptuous dinner, Sarutobi called the family for a brief meeting. 'Hoo Boy' the man thought
Naruto thought it was a reward of some sort for his achievement. Maybe his Gran-Gran was finally going to teach him a jutsu! He was so giddy with excitement.
"Ha! I'll catch up to you and Gran-Gran one day Asu-nii" Naruto gloated
Asuma just ruffled the boy's hair, smiling "You do that little bro, then we'll spar one day" he chuckled, he already knew of Naruto's condition and tried his best not to patronize the kid, Naruto hates being treated that way.
"Yeah! And I'll kick your butt!" Naruto rang, pumping his fist
"Language Naru-tan" snapped Biwako
Asuma snickered at this as he got out a cigarette, he was about ready to light it up when he saw his mother's ice-cold stare along with a shit-load of killing intent
"Sorry mom" Asuma said quickly as he pocketed the cancer stick
"Sorry Gammy" Naruto apologized sheepishly
"As long as you both understand" She smiled and returned to her usual cheery self
"You know, mom's not just a master cook, I heard she killed an entire enemy division single-handedly in the last war" Asuma whispered to his Lil' Bro
"Scary" Naruto murmured
Sarutobi cleared his throat, he had to do this, it was for Naruto's own good.
"Naruto, I have something to tell you..."
The news struck Naruto hard, he ran to his room crying, locked the doors and windows and refused to come out. Even the offer of Biwako's special ramen didn't make him budge. Sarutobi finally let the boy think it out, the issue was something Naruto had to sort out himself.
"If you need something, we are just here Naruto" the old man said as he passed by Naruto's room
He had told Naruto that Jutsus that required Chakra are out of his reach. The old man left the strange energy part out, he still had to figure it out.
What was it and Where did it come from? The old man has yet to figure the mystery out.
The boy eventually opened the door the next day, looking for food. He ate but not like he used to, the light left his eyes, his spirit was gone. When talked to, he spoke in a hollow tone. He appeared totally melancholic, you could slit his throat right then and there and he wouldn't care any.
This behavior continued on for a few days until the elder got an idea, maybe there still was a chance that Naruto could enter the ranks of the elite. It would be equal to torture but this was the only chance Naruto had at the moment. The (Dashingly Handsome?) Green Beast, the captain of the Knight Division. A man that could decimate any Ninja using purely Taijutsu. Word is that he can beat anyone lower than Jounin with only one handed finger flicks. If there was someone who can whip Naruto into shape, this is the guy.
If he can convince the others that a Ninja could also be efficient without the use of Jutsus, the plan would go without a hitch.
The very next day The Green Beast was called to the Hokage's residence. A small puff of smoke from the Green Beast's shunshin signaled his arrival.
"Maito Gai reporting Hoakge-sama" the man said as he bowed respectfully
"At ease" the Hokage answered
"YOSH HOKAGE-SAMA! Where is the honored, impressionable young one?" Gai asked
The Hokage then motioned Naruto to come forward.
"THIS SHYNESS AND INSECURITY! I FEEL YOUR PAIN YOUNG NARUTO! LET ME GIVE YOU A MANLY HUG TO SHARE IN YOUR PAIN!" Gai screamed as he hugged Naruto, tears streaming down his face.
"Naruto, training will start tomorrow, is that fine with you?" the elder leader asked the boy gently
Naruto just nodded silently.
The boy was a bit apprehensive at first but he just went with it, what else could he do? He had a rocky start the first few days but he eventually warmed up. That was when Naruto's Taijutsu career started.
Back to the fight
"Fine then" Naruto said as he closed his eyes
The young warrior concentrated for a second, he took calming breaths and let his arms hang loose. A moment later, an explosion of energy rocketed through the boy's system. His heart rumbled inside his chest, beating at two times the normal rate and delivering blood at a rate far exceeding that of a normal human. Outside, his very skin turned to a light shade of scarlet due to the extreme speed of the blood coursing through him. Steam billowed out, the sweat evaporating due to the intense heat the boy was emanating.
This feat is possible without the rupturing of the heart and blood vessels because Naruto has an advanced physical structure, a kind of Kekkei Genkai. This allows him to consciously control the otherwise automatic beating of his heart and the life-or-death only response of the Adrenal Glands. His heart and blood vessels are also tougher than normal so as to withstand the drastic increase in blood flow.
The epinephrine secreted by the adrenal glands acts like a key to unlock the stockpiled energy and nutrients for use, with the increased heart rate, the nutrients along with oxygen are quickly and efficiently circulated around the body. In addition, synapses fire faster which results in better reactions and awareness. The result is a short burst of power and speed which lasts until the body's reserves are depleted, at which point, the body must recharge it's energy reservoirs. The instant power surge at this level is similar to the opening of the third celestial gate: The Gate of Life. (1)
With the burst of power, Naruto rubbed both his hands together and refined the electrical charge building up inside of him. A moment later, sparks flashed about and without warning, vicious electricity struck out like tentacles. He further focused the building electricity in his right hand, increasing its striking power. (2)
Lee then took on a distinct stance, suddenly his skin reddened and a green energy enveloped him. "THIRD GATE, LIFE GATE, OPEN!" the green boy announced
As the energy danced around him, Lee clenched his fists and spun his right hand so fast it became a blur. Intensifying the heat building up in his body, he focused it in his right hand which burst into a furious fire. (3) "NARUTO-KUN! YOU HONOR ME WITH THIS BATTLE"
Both boys cocked their arms, ready for the final charge.
Without warning, both boys kicked off, leaving sizeable craters in their wake.
Both fists met, unleashing a terrible pressure wave that whooshed outward, decimating anything within ten meters of the boys. The clash for power continued for a few seconds before it fizzled out, it seems that the boys were too evenly matched.
As the dust settled, we see both combatants lying on the ground, apparently burnt out.
Naruto weakly got up to his feet "Uuugh...Five minutes...left" he managed to utter out weakly
"That was a great match Naruto-kun" Lee said in his normal voice as he got up and did his signature nice guy pose, complete with the twinkling choppers.
Both boys laughed as they dusted themselves off and began to make their way to the Academy. Before they could leave however, they were disturbed when a hiss sounded behind them, it was the Shoomba and it just found two little morsels.
The two boys almost pissed themselves when the aberration lunged at them, teeth bared and claws ready to lop their heads clean off. They jumped off, narrowly avoiding the furiously fast beast. It made an angry hissing sound before a fleshy blade tipped tongue shot out of it's mouth and attempted to impale Naruto.
With his whole body protesting in pain, the boy sidestepped the whip-like projectile and pulled on it sending the monster lurching forward.
Meanwhile, Lee jumped on high and delivered a spinning heel drop directed at the base of the creature's neck, capitalizing on the momentary distraction caused by his comrade. The move backfired however as the monster's carapace proved too tough to penetrate.
The monster shrieked as it swiped at Lee who dodged the outstretched limb. With all of it's attention at Lee, it didn't notice the times three (4) powered Naruto barrelling toward it with a Tsunade-grade flying kick.
Heavy boot outsole met thick armor plating as Naruto's kick connected with a dull 'dwug'.
The monster's chest plate, an area where the armor is at it's strongest shattered much like delicate glass. The force of the kick propelling the jagged fragments inward, tearing into the beast's exposed chest. The brutish abomination hissed in pain as it swiped at Naruto leaving a rather nasty gash on the boy's chest.
A piercing shriek rang out of the monstrosity and as it flailed about, poisoned blood rushed out of it's mouth, drenching Naruto like a geyser.
The Shoomba quickly retreated, seems like these morsels aren't such easy food after all.
As Lee recovered, he saw Naruto lying down on the ground, a dull red liquid blossoming from his chest in torrents; the monster's light green colored blood mixing with it.
His enhanced regeneration should have sealed the wound by now, leaving no trace of the injury but his body is dangerously low on energy so the cells can't replicate as fast.
Lee, thinking quickly, threw a small brown pill into Naruto's mouth. The heavily bleeding boy chewed and swallowed as quick as he can. He had precious little time left before he bled to death.
As the pill ended up in his stomach, his enhanced metabolism quickly processed the pill, releasing and absorbing the desperately needed nutrients. The body then used the received nutrients to stitch up the wound.
With his energy partially restored, Naruto sat up straight and shot a thumbs up at Lee who returned it complete with matching eye twinkle.
The two boys just looked at each other still in the ridiculous poses...until a smile made its way to Naruto's face.
"Race?..." Naruto left the question hanging
Without warning Lee blurred out
"HEY! No fair!" said Naruto as he gave chase
As he jumped away, he felt that something was just not right with him, he couldn't pin point it but something was definitely off with his body.
After frantic racing...
"We made it. Yeah!" Naruto said, just then his side burst into a burning pain. He winced a bit but kept his composure
"Indeed Naruto-kun, we made it" Lee said, sounding like the ten mile sprint was nothing
The duo then walked toward their room assignment, people giving them strange looks. It wasn't really strange that people were looking at them like that because they looked like shit. The once orange shirt (5) of Naruto turned green from the Shoomba blood, it also had a lot of tears...no, scratch that, it looked more like wet tissue paper ready to give way at the slightest touch. His black shorts and steel toed boots remained miraculously intact.
Lee? Well his spandex thing is way more durable, almost no damage except for some cuts here and there. He just looks...dirty. And by dirty I mean walking-shit-pile dirty.
They then went to their respective lockers where they thankfully had extra clothes. They got changed and met up outside the classroom.
...Outside the room assignment
"...Now if you just want to go for the shock factor. Guillotine traps are what you'd want." a familiar voice said inside. "Simply position a large blade or cutting implement above or anywhere near your target, couple it with a well hidden trigger and you are set to go. "
Naruto carefully opened the door and snuck in, Lee following. Both controlled their muscles and timed their movements so that no one noticed their entry, this was working nicely for them until two pieces of chalk hit them both on the forehead.
"Your Kagenami needs work" said the voice
Naruto looked up..."Oh shit...Gai-sensei"
"YOSHA! AS PUNISHMENT, BOTH OF YOU WILL DO 50,000 CLAP PUSHUPS BEFORE TRAINING LATER!"
Naruto just shut up, he knew it would be worse if he complained. 'Where's the other loudmouth?'
"HAI SENSEI WE SHALL BASK IN THE ETERNAL SPRINGTIME OF YOUTH!" Lee screamed as if on cue
'Ah there he is' he breathed out internally
Both of them resumed their seats and Gai returned to lecture mode.
"We shall have practicals later on the basics of trap making and survival in harsh climates. For your final exam later on in the year, you will be deployed in the Hoegleigh Dunes and be "hunted" by select chunin and jounin"
"Understood sir" the class said en masse
'Cool!' Naruto thought, he just loved survival training, that is why Lee and him always hung out in practically unforgiving areas like the Forest of Death. The both of them practically knew how to survive in any climate, with gear or no.
"Moving on...Deadfall traps..." Gai paused as he drew some schematics on the board "...As a general rule the weight must be at least five times heavier than that of your mark."
"Naruto!" Gai said without looking "...Incapacitate with as little physical injury as possible. What is the best trap setting to be used to meet the following requirements" Gai monologued as he finished with his trap illustrations and schematics.
As Naruto rose up to answer the question, he felt a sudden pull in his chest which went away as fast as it had come.
"Sir, the best trap would be..." there it went again but this time the pull didn't go away. He clutched his chest as he rasped in breaths.
"Sir..." he breathed in hard but no air came in. Suffocating, he clutched his throat, hoping to dislodge whatever it was that was preventing him from breathing.
He collapsed and started clawing at his throat like an animal. This left his throat with large, heavily bleeding gashes, they tried to stitch themselves back but more kept on coming.
Some students who were present started freaking out and inched away from him. Those with some medical training approached him carefully. Gai got to him first and tied back his hands with some ninja wire before he could damage himself more. The senior shinobi tried to carry him off to the hospital but before he could do that, a viscous green goo escaped from Naruto's mouth as the boy made choking sounds.
The boy coughed violently and started shaking like he's having an epileptic fit. Then, he screamed out. His stomach was afire with pain and his mouth burned, like his salivary glands suddenly decided to change it's mind and spew out acid instead instead of the oral fluid.
Everything went dark, though he could still hear the screams of a few girls from his class. He felt the wind as Gai-sensei launched off to the hospital and then...nothing, an all-consuming blackness enveloped him, refusing to let go.
?
Naruto awoke with a start. What the hell happened to him?
"Last thing I remember was spewing that green liquid on Ino. Man...will she be miffed at me when I come back" he chuckled
But the pain wasn't there. No throbbing head. No burning pain in the pit of his stomach.
He moved his tongue around his mouth and it felt fine. 'Something goes here...' he thought
Then, for the first time in quite a while, he took in his surroundings. He was in some sort of dead canyon or rather, floating above it. Overhead were dark clouds that constantly churned out unnaturally large lightning bolts. Violent winds also whipped about in intervals and what seemed to be angry roars could he heard from a distance. This whole place seemed to be steeped in some kind of dark energy; even he could feel it.
'Is this a dream?' he thought
He lifted his right arm and punched himself on the face. It hurt.
'Oooohh...That smarts. Nope, not a dream' he monologued and he pondered where he is and what had happened.
Before he could think further, a tingly, gripping sensation in his chest alerted him. It's as if something inside him was telling him to go somewhere. That there was something big going on somewhere nearby.
Without any destination in mind, he ambled forward, just letting the feeling in his chest guide him. Eventually, he happened upon a gorge and he could tell that this was no ordinary place. If most of the canyon he saw was dead and desolate then this place is the next level. It was more dead-er and desolate-er than the rest of the place. Its as if death itself called this area home sweet home. Geysers spewed out black jets of gasses that continued upward and further fueled the fierce lightning storm. A red miasma seeped from the ground along with a strange sound reminiscent of pained moans.
'Whoah. Creepy' rang the floating boy
Then as if on cue, the tingly sensation in his chest turned into a piercing pain. He took slow, calming breaths but this did little to abate the ache.
Naruto then saw a grim figure wreathed in a dark hooded coat (6), it was about his height, give or take a few inches. By this time the pain has lessened into a dull throb.
'Man, that coat looks so badass' Naruto thought
"Heeeey! Yooouuu!" Naruto screamed at the figure through cupped hands
'Hmmm...It's either he can't see me or he's just being a royal douche' Naruto thought as he put a finger on his chin
"Oh well, let's just see what happens here" Naruto said as he kicked back
It strode forward, straight toward the center of this unholy place. "What's it doing?" Naruto asked no one in particular
It stopped in front of some kind of crystal formation "Come on out Chaos-chan, I'm waiting" the cloaked man said in a teasing tone
Naruto looked on. "Who is he talking to? Must be one of those crazy types. Yeap, people sure are weird nowadays"
...
No answer
"Well if you're going to be all bitchy like that, then I'll have to punish you" it said in the same mocking tone
The hooded man crossed his arms and lightly tapped the ground with his foot. What happened next positively mind-fucked Naruto. An explosion radiated from the point of contact and decimated the entire area, the observing boy even expected to be charbroiled in the ensuing surge of energy. But he was unscathed, seems like all that originated from this realm could not interact with him and that probably vice versa.
From the ruins of the area, a humanoid figure shrouded in crimson flames flitted out.
"Must you destroy everything you lay your grubby little hands on, youngling?"a deep, raspy voice came from the figure as it shook it's head
"Well I though you forgot about me...you never called back" the black figure said in a whiny tone
"I grow weary of this conversation. I have more...pressing things to attend to." the voice came as if sighing
"Awww...don't you love me anymore" deadpanned the cloaked man with a fake sob
"Finish him, I will take care of the rebellion myself" it said as it turned around
As soon as the word was said, shadowy masses erupted from the ground and congregated at a single point.
A large four legged obsidian monster stood there snapping it's fang ridden mouth at the unfazed man. Barbed spikes covered it's heavily armored form and a multi-bladed tail completed the shielded creature's arsenal. (7)
The figure sighed and before the observer could blink, the creature was sliced into sushi bits.
"You underestimate me Chaosbringer." the cloaked man said grimly as he looked on
The cloaked man now sported a large scythe. It featured a long and wide blade with heavily jagged edges, it looked almost like a lump of unrefined metal. A glowing eye-like gem embedded on the point where blade met snaith. Said gem connected to a thin silver chain that floated about, as if suspended by some unseen force. The snaith twisted slightly to provide ease of use and fluidity of movement.
"Wha..? How?" sputtered Naruto, flabbergasted. He didn't even catch a glimpse of the attack. 'I've been training with some real speedfreaks but this guy...he's on a whole other level'
"Ah, yes. If you insist on being difficult then I shall dispose of you myself. Consider this an honor youngling. Not many have seen my Avatar and lived to tell of it." the Chaosbringer said as he let his energy spring forth and engulf this cretin that dared to disrupt his plans
"Well come on th-..." the figure stopped abruptly and surveyed the area behind him and focused on the point where our little observer has been for some time now.
'Oh, shit! Is he looking at me? Can he see me?' Naruto thought as he panicked
'Leave! You do not belong here.' came a booming voice inside Naruto's head as he saw the hooded man stretch out his arms toward him, palm facing the now discovered observer.
Without warning, a powerful force yanked him backwards and darkness engulfed everything.
(1): Is it too obvious where I derived this? Cookie to whoever guesses right. :)))
(2): A weaker Chidori. Pyroelectricity combined with bio-electricity produced by the body.
(3): Another cookie to whoever gets this
(4): Heart rate times three, in case you get confused
(5): Just an orange shirt, not that jacket thing he wears in the manga
(6): Organization XIII coat. If you don't know, Google is your best friend
(7): A really mean Ankylosaurus
Techniques:
Katon: Kogasuyari no Jutsu – Fire Release: Searing Spears Technique
Ishihada - Stoneskin
Chō onsoku kaihi - SuperSonic Evade
Kagenami - Shadow Step
Too cliche?
Comments? Suggestions? Violent Reactions?
Make sure to let me know what you think about this new chappie :D
kthxbai!