It's a two chapter day! I was too excited to wait to introduce a main enemy, so I wrote this real quickly to get some action going.
disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any other big name series (you'll know why I didn't name names when you read on)
WARNING: VERY VERY COLORFUL LANGUAGE HERE (especially at the end.)
The easterners had left the merchant country several days ago and were currently en route to their next destination: the vampire households to the east. They planned to hit up red-eye outposts for rest on the way, seeing as how the crimson-eyed rebels were becoming better entrenched these days. They were about to pass through a town with a friendly safe house when a speeding motorbike passed them and suddenly slowed while turning to face them.
"Uzi!" The rider called as he whipped off his helmet. "So glad I found you!"
"You look familiar…" The blonde red-eye started.
"Trench!" Hinata was surprised to see the soldier again.
"White Eyes of Death! I see you found him!" He turned to her and smiled before addressing Naruto again. "Listen; there's been a string of attacks lately on a bunch of our outposts and safe houses!"
The blonde red-eye and his Hyuuga companion suddenly stiffened and became alert. "Who's responsible?" He asked.
"That's the thing," Trench had a look of fright on his face. "We haven't the slightest idea. We think he might be from the capital, but…"
"Shit! Really?!" The blonde red-eye tensed even further. "Where is he now?!"
"We don't know. We honestly don't know." He moved to place his helmet back on his head. "But I had to get this news to you. We're all going into hiding as of now. It'll set us back, but at least we'll be alive in the end."
"I'll take the bastard down…" Uzi was rather melancholic about the situation. His promise was noted and met with a nod as the red-eyed soldier started up his bike again and rode back the way he came.
The Hyuuga looked worriedly at Uzi. His fists were clenched so tight that his fingernails were drawing blood. "Naruto," she said as soothingly as possible, "Don't worry. We'll be okay…"
"It's not that," he replied calmly. She knew this was a bad sign. "This asshole is killing my friends and comrades. He will die!! I swear it!!"
The group continued in silence towards the town and was shocked upon their arrival. The safe house, along with the entire town, was in utter ruin. Bodies of red-eyes and normal civilians alike were strewn across the rubble as if a tornado had thrown them against the hard earth. Some of the fires hadn't even died yet, their whispy smoke wafting apathetically in the air.
But what really got their attention wasn't who was dead; rather, it was who was still alive. Sitting on top of a stack of corpses was a middle-aged man with shortly trimmed wild red hair and dull blue eyes. He had a scar running over his right eye to his chin and was donned in clothing similar to that of a priest. He never looked up at the easterners from a book bound in solid iron plating sitting in his lap. He held the text closely, scribbling something into it. Behind him was a cross made of metal containers that had been welded together to form their unique shape.
"So you are the heathen Uzi," the man finally spoke in a thick accent akin to the native peoples of the highlands.
"Yeah," Naruto was deadly calm. "Who're you?"
"My name is irrelevant in this mortal life, but I am commonly known as the Priest."
"Did you do all this, Priest?"
The man finally tore his gaze away from the ironclad book and regarded the crimson-eyed blonde with a small grin. "Yes."
Naruto disappeared from Hinata's side. She realized he was on the attack and activated her bloodline just in time to see a chakra tail appear and impale the priest in the neck. The man's disturbing grin never faded, even in death.
Naruto gave an unhappy grunt and turned to leave the devastated town. As the group followed, Hinata noted that all the bodies were actually nailed to the partially standing buildings and burnt ground with six-inch long needles that each had a small steel marble in the center. She turned on her Byakugan to examine the marbles and was alarmed when she saw a chakra signature charging towards them.
"Shit! Behind us!" She pulled out her pistol and let loose a round against… the priest? "He's not dead?!"
"He will be!" Suigetsu grabbed his massive sword from its holster and prepared to bring it down onto the charging madman. The sword, however, didn't make its way past his head as he was suddenly sliced into two watery pieces by a heavy cutlass.
"And all sinners shall face divine judgment!" Priest called out as he temporarily took down the swordsman. He continued his bum rush without missing a beat and moved his head to the right, making Hinata's bullet blow through his cheek rather than his skull.
Naruto pulled his Uzi from his side and began firing at the crazed enemy. When the man started dodging too much for accurate fire, the blonde red-eye put his left hand over his gun and inserted a needle that had been affixed to the side of the weapon into the implant in his wrist. He began pumping energy into his bullets, which caused them to fly faster, straighter, and farther. The energy surrounding the loosed ammo had a partial affect against the redheaded specialist, as the spinning chakra surrounding the bullets tore off small chunks of flesh and cloth as they whizzed by.
"You will never escape eternal punishment, Uzi!" Priest taunted him. His smile had grown maniacal and he began to laugh equally as malignantly. "Reflect on your sins in the pit of flames!"
Uzi became enraged at the madman's insults and threw his gun to the ground and leapt to meet the redheaded priest face to face. As soon as he did so, the Hyuuga noticed something was wrong.
"Naruto!" She called as she ran to try and flank the sword-wielding priest. "His chakra's changing! He's gonna try something else!"
"Smart little girl!" Priest exclaimed as he brought his curved, thick sword to bear. Naruto grabbed the sword with his left hand which was charged with enough energy to hold the blade in place without the need for physical contact. His right arm was pulsing with energy that slowly began to form some kind of blade. Just as he was about to thrust the energy into the man, the priest countered him by lightly throwing a handful of needles that spun their way into Uzi's chest.
"Naruto!" Hinata called as he winced in pain and jumped backwards. She saw the needles still spinning into his body, somehow aided by the marbles. The chakra on the marbles suddenly spiked. "Get those out of you!" She yelled as she yanked them out of him and tossed them away before they exploded in small bursts.
"That chakra's not his!" Karin called from behind a wall. "It's technology based!"
The easterners who stood their ground saw that the gaping hole in the man's cheek was beginning close as muscle and fiber tissue started growing and reconnecting. It was gruesome yet effective.
"So I have more heathens to lead towards the light?" The regenerating priest asked no one as he stared down Naruto, Hinata, and Sasuke. "And what about the cowards who run from the truth?" He eyed the various hiding places of Karin, Suigetsu, and Juugo. "Shall they not suffer divine punishment as well?"
"You'll fight us," Sasuke proclaimed calmly. "And you shall die today."
The madman broke into a fit of insane laughter. As the tears of joy died from his eyes and he came up for breath, he said, "Boy, I have died several times over in the last few moments! Yet the light of truth has brought me back each time to complete my task upon this earth!"
"Killing people?" Hinata added her thoughts.
"Nay, girl, punishment for all heathens and salvation for all believers!"
"Well, your religion's fucked up," Naruto grunted as the miniscule holes in his chest healed easily from the fox's energy. "You're gonna meet your maker today."
The priest's smile reduced itself to a grin as he pulled on some wires and his metal cross flew towards him. He intercepted the heavy metal object in midair and firmly planted it into the ground next to him. "Well then, heathen, let us do battle on holy ground."
The three easterners broke off and charged the stationary mad priest from three separate directions. "And let this battle be blessed," the man muttered with a grin before the trio reached him.
Now let me take a quick moment to say something before you freak out: Priest is based on another character from another series who is equally as insane (and even more awesome!). Also, I never said what "religion" Priest belongs to, you'll find out later (seriously, it ties in with other things). If you're still offended by the guy, I apologize. If it's any consolation, I am religious as well, so I'm treading lightly here myself.
On a less serious note, who can tell me which character Priest is based off of and what other manga (well, and anime too, I guess) series he comes from? The first person to correctly get this will get the chance to grant him a special power in addition to his current arsenal (as long as that power is reasonable, or I'll just make you come up with another one). If you get the answer right, I'll send you a reply telling you you're right and asking what you think his new power should be.
