Hey fools. Chapter 8. I really don't get why anyone likes this…Lol. Dookey. Whatever. Read and enjoy…or I'll kill you.
Oh by the way. There will be NO Naruto on Hinata action in this fic. So if you're just reading this hoping that there WILL be, I'll save you some disappointment and tell you that there will be NONE!
Chapter 8:
It was already dark out. Traces of the crimson sunset could still be seen in the sky. Kakashi, Kaoshi, Lee, and Tenten sat around the crackling fire.
"I still don't get it." Kakashi said scratching his head. "When did Mr. Immature become a smoothe operator?"
"He probably did it by accident…" Kaoshi said, and then added, "Couldn't be your doing."
"Hey fuck you."
"Hehe."
Kakashi and Kaoshi were the last two awake. Lee and Tenten had both fallen asleep a few minutes before, bored by the silence. Kakashi looked at his old friend. He hadn't seen him in almost ten years. Not since that fateful mission nine years and four months before. Kakashi remembered it down to the minute.
"So…" he said snapping himself out of his daydreams. "How've you been these last 9 years?"
Kaoshi looked at him. Eyes intently locked on Kakashi. "I went to Hell." Kakashi snapped his head up in surprise. "It took me six years to get out."
"H-Hell!" Kaoshi nodded gravely. The swordsman took off his trench coat revealing a series of black metal bands wrapped around his right arm. On every single band, was a seal. He snapped the top band and let it hang. Doing so revealed a faded, but still oh-so-vivid mark.
"Orochimaru…" Kakashi said recognizing the cursed seal. His heart sank. In his absence, one of the few men he had absolute trust in had been cursed for life. "That bastard…"
Kaoshi snapped his bands back on. "For nearly three years I've had these bands on." He said looking away. "Three years of absolute torture. To go with the six of a living Hell." Kakashi looked at his friend. Kakashi felt something he only seldom felt. Remorse.
INSIDE NARUTO'S SUBCONCIOUS
"Hey kid…" said a familiar voice. Naruto groaned. He knew this place all too well. A giant cage with two glowing red eyes and dripping fangs looked at the wild-haired boy.
"What the hell do you want?" He rolled over away from the giant cage in front of him.
"Just to chat…" Kyubi snickered. "I haven't seen you for a while so I thought…"
"You know…" Naruto said looking over his shoulder at the hulking beast. "There's a REASON for that." The Nine tailed fox made a mocking cry.
"Aww…Why don't you like me Naruto-kun?" it said mocking him once again. "I've saved you a fair amount of times. You could at LEAST show a little gratitude."
"You saved YOURSELF a fair amount of times." Naruto glared at the beast once again. "Or did you think I forgot that when I die, you go with me?" Kyubi chuckled.
"You're not as dumb as you look." Naruto shook off the insult. "But you know you love how strong I make you."
"Phht." Naruto scoffed at the idea. "What makes you think that?"
"If I remember correctly…" the fox retorted, "Without me…you wouldn't have been able to save Hinata-chan…"
"Shutup and leave me alone." Naruto rolled over once again, and then added, "Baka."
"Hehe." The fox laughed. "You always find a way to amuse me little one." Naruto ignored him trying to get back into the real world. "But I can assure you THIS Naruto." The demon paused. "You WILL need me soon…"
"We'll see…" Naruto snapped back into reality. The last thing he remembered was the Kyubi's laughter. Naruto thought to himself. "If he wasn't sealed inside me…I'd kick his ass…" Naruto opened his eyes, depressed from his chat with the fox. If it weren't for the fact that Hinata was asleep on his shoulder, he might have considered closing his eyes and going back to sleep.
It was late. The only people up were Kakashi and Kaoshi. Naruto yawned loudly.
"Hey kid." Said Kakashi throwing him some leftover Chinese takeout. "Eat up." Naruto looked at it. Cold shrimp fried rice and some weird dumplings. Great. No matter how cold and gross it was. He was still hungry. With a reluctant sigh he said,
"Thanks Kakashi-sensei." Naruto started to eat the cold food.
"You may want to finish that quickly." Said Kakashi. Naruto looked at him with a confused face. "And when you're done, wake the others." Kakashi said shifting his Konoha headband that had returned to its usual place. Naruto saw the Sharingan and started to snarf down the remaining food.
When he had finished he gently woke up Hinata. "Hey…Hina-chan." He said gently rocking her by the shoulder.
"N-Naruto…kun?" She rubbed her eyes. "W-What time is it?" Naruto looked at the sky. There was no moon.
"Don't know, moon's covered." He said. "Anyways. There's not much time. Wake up Tenten." She looked over to Kakashi, seeing his Sharingan. She caught the drift fairly quickly and proceeded to wake up Tenten.
Naruto woke Lee, who was a very, VERY sound sleeper. Naruto had to punch him in the head to wake him up.
"What's wrong comrade?" Lee asked rubbing his head.
"Shh." Narut placed his hand over Lee's mouth. "We got trouble." Kakashi looked over towards Hinata.
"Hinata…If you would."
"Y-Yes Kakashi-sensei." She activated her Byakugan. What she saw almost made her feint. There were at least fifty chakra signatures around them. She let out a frightened gasp before looking at Kakashi.
"So?" Kakashi said seriously. "What's the damage?"
"…F-fifty…" Hinata said nervously. "…A-at least."
"Fuckin…" Kakashi started, "Of all the…" Kaoshi stood up, hand on his blade.
"Come now Kakashi." He said with a wild smile. "Think of old times. We've handled worse."
It was true. But back then they didn't have young, still green, ninja to protect.
"Yeah…" he said. "But…"
"I know." Kaoshi said. "Lee. Naruto." The two boys snapped to attention. "I want you and the girls to stay in a group. It'll increase your overall chances." They all gave a slight nod. "Kakashi and I will stay near you and provide backup when needed."
Everyone stood ready. Waiting for the worst. It seemed like an eternity. Sweat rolled down Naruto's back. He shifted his weight so he could move on a moment's notice. He was in deep concentration. Nothing could-
"Hey kid." Kyubi said from inside him.
"Can this wait?" Naruto said angrily. "I'm not in the best of situations."
"Duh." The fox said. "That's why I'm giving you a present."
"Huh?" Naruto was shocked. Kyubi? Give HIM a present? There had to be a catch. Kyubi sensed his doubt.
"Don't worry kid, there's no catch" Kyubi smiled giving Naruto a bad case of nausea. "It's a stronger version of you favorite jutsu."
"W-what!" Naruto was even more shocked. "W-why?"
"Think of it as a 'thank-you' for letting me live in your body."
"Whatever…" The Fox chuckled. Suddenly three seals appeared in Naruto's mind. The first was dragon, the second was boar, and the third was the Kage Bunshin seal. "What's it do?" Naruto asked curiously.
"Use it and find out." The demon fox said with a grin. Naruto spit on the ground.
As if that was what they had been waiting for, eight nin burst into view, charging the kids.
"Here goes nothing…" Naruto said to himself. "I hope this doesn't give me diarrhea…" He ran of the seals. Eight clones appeared and rushed the oncoming shinobi.
"Just a Kage Bunshin?" said one of the approaching ninja, "too easy." He cut through the clone with a kunai and started to run again. However, before he could do anything, the remains of the clone exploded causing the ninja to collapse from the burns.
"Hot." Said Naruto grinning. "Hey Kyubi." Naruto said to the fox sealed in his stomach. "Thanks." The Nine tailed demon laughed.
"It was a one time deal. Don't expect anything else from me."
"Duly noted." He redirected his attention to the startled shinobi in front of him. They didn't seem as confident now that they were dealing with exploding clones.
"What WAS that!" One of them yelled. Naruto smirked.
"THAT was a move I've been working on." He pointed to himself. "I call it the Hokage Bunshin no Jutsu." He liked that name, especially since it reminded him of Baa-chan back home. "What do you think?"
"Way to take all the credit…"
"Neheh. I can't let them know that YOU made it." Kyubi just remained silent.
"I THINK," said one of them. "That a jutsu of that caliber takes up QUITE a bit of chakra."
"Damn." Naruto said to himself. "He's right. I'm already out of breath."
"AND," the cocky ninja continued. "We still outnumber you. What say you to THAT!"
Four more of them charged.
"I SAY…" Naruto said. Naruto did the seal for Kage Bunshin. "That you guys are outta your league." Four Narutos appeared and kicked the closest ninja into the air. "U!" "ZU!" "MA!" "KI!" The real Naruto appeared above the already unconscious shinobi. "NARUTO RENDAN!" He yelled as he delivered the last kick.
Lee had already defeated his attacker with the Primary Lotus, Tenten had impaled hers with several kunai, and Hinata, with some help from Naruto, who distracted him with his clones, had sealed her attacker's chakra points.
The remaining two shinobi looked on in awe as their companions fell. In the past few weeks the ragtag team had become a fairly effective fighting unit.
"You know Naruto." Said Lee. "You should use something other than that Naruto Rendan of yours. You should try other Taijutsu combos."
Naruto grumbled. That was the only Taijutsu combo he knew. However, his spirits boosted when he saw the faces of the last two ninja.
"So." Naruto said grinning. "Who's next?" The remaining two ninja ran only to be cut down in a rain of kunai. Four Ninja leapt from the trees above, surrounding the Konoha Nin. Each of them wore a Sound Village Jounin vest.
"That'd be us." One of them said.
"You HAD to ask, DIDN'T you Naruto?" Tenten said angrily.
"Don't worry," another retorted. "This'll be over fast."
Naruto spit. Kakashi and Kaoshi were nowhere to be found. They probably were taking on two elite sound jounin each.
"Dammit." Naruto said as the Sound Jounin approached, weapons drawn. They were approaching slowly. They didn't expect the group to put up much of a fight. That pissed Naruto off.
One of the Jounin walked up to Naruto. He looked up. This jounin was a woman. In her twenties, Naruto estimated. She whispered in a sexy voice,
"I'll make sure that your death is painfully slow." She drew a resonating katana, standard issue to sound jounin, for a deathblow. "Any last words?"
Naruto smiled. "Yeah." Naruto lunged... The sound jounin slashed down and sliced him in half.
"N-NARUTO-KUN!" Hinata yelled as tears streaked down her face.
The Sound Jounin laughed triumphantly. Her revelry however, was short lived, as Naruto, who had just been sliced in half, tuned into a log. She spit at where he had stood only seconds before.
Four Naruto clones jumped up from underground. "U!"
"Not again…" said Lee.
"ZU!"
"Looks like it…" said Tenten.
"MA!" "KI!" She flew into the air. "NA!" "RU!" "TO!" three more clones came from the sky and punched her towards the ground. "SU!" "PER!" two more clones came from the ground kicking her back up. "RA!" "SEN!" "GAN!" The three clones in the air kicked her back down. The real Naruto erupted from the earth holding a giant rasengan. "RENDAN!" he yelled as he smashed it into her face causing it to warp, rip apart, and eventually come off.
The headless body of the jounin flew into the air and landed by her comrades. Naruto grinned, his light blue eyes glowing in the darkness.
Lee and Tenten stared at Naruto.
"Naruto?" asked Lee. "Did you just make that up?"
Naruto scratched his head. "Maybe…"
"Naome?" the remaining sound jounin looked at the decapitated corpse of their fallen comrade.
"Who's next?" he said playfully.
"After an attack like that," on of the three said. "You're totally wasted." There were two grunts of agreement from the other two.
Naruto smiled again. "That may be so…" he pointed to himself, "but I'm only a Genin." The three jounin stepped back.
"Wh-what!"
"That's right." Naruto said, lying through his teeth. "You don't WANT to know what these guys can do. They're all at least FOUR TIMES as strong as me." The three Jounin stepped even more.
"H-he's bluffing." One of them said.
"Y-yeah! Konoha Ninjas are weak!"
"If we're so weak…" Hinata said catching on to Naruto's plan quickly. "How come one of our WEAKEST genin was able to kill one of your jounin?" She said with uncharacteristic confidence.
"Nice Hinata…"
"You're just bluffing! I know it!"
"Yeah!"
"We can take them!"
"Damnit…"Naruto said to himself "Almost had them too…" The three jounin rushed the four leaf nin. "This doesn't look good…"
All of a sudden, a streak of light sliced through the three jounin. Blood started to spew from gashes that appeared from nowhere. They were dead in a matter of seconds.
"What the…?" said Naruto. He noticed a figure walking from the direction the streak of light had gone. Naruto and company got ready for another fight.
"Hey guys," said Kaoshi walking out of the bushes sheathing his sword. A huge sigh of relief washed among the young shinobi. Kaoshi had taken a few hits, but it was nothing serious. His trench coat was gone, lost somewhere.
"Thank GOD it's you." Tenten said relieved.
"Hehe, yeah." Kaoshi said scratching his head. "I got a little tied up. Two elite sound jounin and all."
"Same here." Kakashi said as he came into the clearing. "Good everyone's still okay." Kakashi walked over towards the group. None of them had sustained any damage. "Not bad." Kakashi said. "It seems like we're all okay."
"I'm kinda tired Kakashi-sensei…" Naruto said slightly dizzy from his Super Rasengan Rendan. A familiar voice came from the shadows around them.
"Aww. Naruto's sleepy?" it said mockingly. "Well, I'll see what I can do for you." Without warning, darts rained from the heavens. Kakashi tried to dodge them but there were too many. He was hit. He started to get lightheaded.
"Tranquiliz…er…" he said as he collapsed.
"Ugh…" Naruto was the last one standing however; it was only a matter of seconds before he fell. "Wh-Who a-are you?"
"Who am I?" The voice said again. "I'm hurt Naruto-kun." He stepped out into the clearing, glaring at Naruto with the glowing red eyes of the Sharingan.
"Sa…suke?" Naruto said with his last ounce of strength as he collapsed.