Author's Note:
I'm so sorry that this chapter did not come out last week. It was ready to but I was never home and so busy so please forgive me.
And to all the narutards who are STILL trying to attack me, you're only making it worse XD
Enjoy!
Pirates vs Ninajs: Battles of Love and Will Chapter XI: Monkey vs Fox Part 2
Closing on the gates of Konoha, a group of ninjas were sprinting as fast as they could, hoping that they were not too late.
"We made it!" shouted Lee happily.
"But did we make it in time?" asked Neji noticing that the usual guards were not at their posts.
Shikamaru continued to sprint to the village gates and stopped dead in his tracks when he saw what lay before him.
"What's wrong? Is the village ok!?" asked Choji rushing to his friend's side despite being exhausted, along with the rest of the group. They too froze when they saw the state of their beloved village. The buildings were damaged to varying degrees. Some were only damaged on the outside while some were completely leveled. But what bothered the Nara heir most was the eerie silence that covered the entire village. There was not a single sound that could be heard from the largest town in the world. No lunch time chatter in the restaurants, no bickering of wives with local merchants over the price of salt and rice, no shouts of joy from young children playing ninja in the playground, nothing.
It was then that Shikamaru's eyes landed on the rows of what looked like dead fellow ninjas lying side by side with their heads pointed in the same direction. Every muscle in his body tensed fearing the worst, but he then noticed that many were bandaged with care and had their heads resting on their vests. Was the battle won and their own medic nins were taking care of their wounded? Or was something else happened?
Suddenly something moved from behind one of the damaged building making Shikamaru and the others dart behind the walls of the village. They watched as a figure moved slowly carrying something in its arms. On further inspection the object in its arms was another wounded ninja which was now being laid alongside the others. The figure was not a normal man. He seemed to be wearing a strange pink hat, maroon shorts, and some kind of odd brown fur scarf. His skin was strangely coloured and it was only after a good long stare than the young shogi prodigy realize that the large man's "skin" was actually fur. What the Hel was he and what was he doing to the wounded?
Then, the sound of a lawn yawn made them all snap to attention as they saw a tall young man with green hair who was sleeping right under their noses, stretching and cracking his neck. He turned his head slowly, allow his eyes that should have been drowsy from sleep, to focus on the ninja with a sharp piercing look.
"Tch. More of 'em" he said. "Oi mina, more ninjas are here. Of this village from the looks of it."
From behind the buildings, more of the pirate crew began to immerge, carrying more wounded. A man with blond hair, a woman with orange hair, and the skeleton that had now become legend making the ninjas ready themselves for battle.
But it was another voice that affected Shikamaru the most.
"Ho. Well look who it is" a woman's voice said. The Nara heir stiffened recognizing the voice and saw the woman who had bested him walking from behind the skeleton with her arms folded and the same bewitching smile on her face. "You seem to be doing well."
"Same to you" replied Shikamaru forcing himself. "Did you do all this?"
"Part of it yes. My crewmates did their fair share. Speaking of with, would you mind giving us a hand with treating your wounded?"
"You destroy our village and then you want our help?!" shouted Ino, "Especially after what you did to us?"
"Onegai!" cried a soft voice making the ninja look at the large animal man in mid transformation back into his small form. "Are any of you doctors? The hospital won't let us in and we're running out of clean bandages and sutures."
They all looked at Chopper with wide eyes, extremely confused by his mere existence.
"I-Isn't that the Tanuki we saw before?" asked the blond medic nin.
"He's not a tanuki, he's a reindeer" answered Shikamaru.
"And how would you know?"
"Baka. I'm a deer herder. If I couldn't tell what a deer looked like just by looking at one then I have no right to call myself a Nara."
Chopper, would had been preparing himself to yell at the ninjas for calling him a Tanuki, blinked with confusion that for once, someone called him a reindeer. He looked up at the lazy ninja with a mix of wonder and it seemed that he was about to burst with joy.
"U-Urusai you dumb humans!~" he shouted bouncing to and fro. "I'm not happy at all!~"
"Hoo. I thought he was actually gonna be honest for once" comment Sanji looking over at his friend.
"Sanji-san! Are you alright?" asked Lee happy to see the cook once again.
"In worse shape than the last time we met but I'll live. Guess you survived the fall?"
"Fall?"
"LEE!" shouted Gai, managing to raise himself into a form of sitting position. "Neji! Tenten! Are you all alright!?"
"We're fine Gai-sensei! I'm sorry, we lost!"
"I'm sorry too Lee, I lost too!"
"GAI-SENSEI!"
"LEE!"
"GAI-SENSEI!"
"LEE!"
"Should have kicked them both harder" muttered Sanji.
"Yes, you should have" replied Tenten rubbing her temples.
"Please...are any of you doctors?" asked Chopper once again.
"Ino-san, go with him" persuaded Lee.
"A-Are you sure? I mean, they just…"
"They are helping the wounded. Is that not proof enough?"
The blond teenager looked at the injured for a brief moment before nodding and followed the man-reindeer to put her medical skills to good use. From the rear of the group, Temari had her eyes locked on Robin and was inspecting her head to toe. She was a remarkably beautiful woman with a great aura of mystery to her. Despite the situation, she couldn't help be wonder what sort of relationship she had with Shikamaru, giving the way she was looking at him. She then felt someone nudge her side and saw that is was Matsuri with a reassuring smile.
"Don't worry Temari-san, I highly doubt that a woman her age would be interested in Shikamaru-san" she whispered. "And I doubt that he would be interested in a woman who beat him and could be the enemy." Temari nodded realizing that she was being ridiculous to be jealous of the older woman. "But then again, at least we known he likes older women…just much older women."
Matsuri meant the comment as a joke, but instead was greeted with the look. The look that Temari gave right before she would pummel some unfortunate soul with her heavy metal fan and it gave the younger kunoichi a shiver down her spine. "I-I'm just kidding Temari-san!"
"Oh ya ya! It is you four! Are you all alright?" chimed Brook leaning over his crewmates to look at the Suna nin. Immediately they snapped to attention along with Shikamaru as they were much less trusting of the skeleton who had beaten them effortlessly. "N-Nani? Why are you angry?"
"Because you nearly killed us, ya freak!" shouted Kankuro.
"Please everyone, stop!" said Lee strongly. "I told you they are good people."
"I'm going to have to agree to disagree, Lee" replied the Nara heir.
"He's right. Especially after he knows that I defeated his father as well" added Robin with a smirk on her.
"Nani!?"
"Robin! You're just making it worse" scolded Nami.
"Oops" said the archaeologist with false regret.
"Where is the Hokage?" said Gaara calmly, bringing the entire group back on track.
"Luffy, our captain, defeated her" answered Nami folding her arms.
"Masaka! You're lying!" accused the Chunin who had been against returning to the village, hiding behind the others out of fear.
"Would we be standing here if he hadn't?"
"You said you beat Shikamaru's father," cut in Choji with a very worried look on his face. "What about my father? And Ino's father?"
"I defeated them as well, as well as their warriors, though Chopper-san defeated the larger man" answered Robin making the remainder of Team Asuma stiffen in fear for the worst.
"What about the Hyuuga?" asked Neji, also worried.
"I took care of them" said Nami.
"I took out Maito Gai" added Sanji.
"I beat the one-eyed one" said Zoro.
"Usopp-san defeated the ones that used dogs and then he, Franky-san and I defeated the ones that used insects" finished Brook using his fingers to count off.
The ninjas stood there stunned. Never had they been crushed in battle so badly since the attack of the Kyuubi, and it seemed impossible that they would ever be beaten to that degree again. It appeared that these unknowns were the big reality check for the ninjas as they stood before them with a complete steamroll of a victory.
"Masaka…" managed Tenten, swallowing audibly.
"Is the Hokage dead?" asked Gaara, with a look in his eyes that suggested his next move would be made solely on the answer they gave him.
"Of course not. Luffy just knocked him out" answered the cartographer.
"Damn you…" came a low voice. Both the pirates and the ninjas turned their heads to see that the speaker was Tsunade, who was limping slowly towards them holding her injured side.
"Hokage-sama!" shouted the ninjas running past the Mugiwara, minus the Suna nins, and made sure their leader was alright. She was using her medical ninjutsu to heal her wound which the others assumed were several broken ribs.
"Save your breath" said Zoro with his sharp eyes locking with hers, "If you think that you'll beat us in that state, then you're dumber than that blond kid dressed in a orange jumpsuit."
This caught Tsunade completely off guard. "What? Naruto? Oh no, what has he done now?"
"He got pissed that Luffy beating you so easily and chased after him. Probably wants to fight him and he's going to get the shit kicked out of him" said Sanji. "Do any of you have cigarettes by the way?"
"Fuck…" cursed the Sennin balling her hands into very tight fists. "Fuck, fuck, fuck, FUCK! That stupid boy! Why does he always make the same damn mistakes?!"
"Relax, Luffy isn't going to kill him" said Nami reassuringly, though confused by the Godaime Hokage's intense reaction to the news. "He'll throw a few punches and let him nap in the dirt."
"You don't understand…it's not his life that's in danger, but all of ours."
This caught everyone's attention. The Straw Hats began to examine the ninjas around them and saw how most of them had become very edgy and were sweating profusely.
"That boy…has some kind of ability he cannot control, correct?" asked Robin seriously. Tsunade and the Suna nin all looked at her with surprise that she was able to deduce the truth, at least to a certain extent, so quickly. "Whatever secrets you are hiding it would be best if you tell us now. Especially if it does, as you say, puts all of our lives in danger."
Tsunade's eyes darted from left to right, unsure of whether revealing S-ranked village secrets to foreigners was right, but given the circumstances she didn't have many options.
"Uzumaki Naruto is a very special child" she began at last, standing up a little straighter. "Since his birth he has possessed powers that he cannot control. The reason for this is mostly due to our inability to train him on how to use them. What's followed is that due to the nature of his abilities they induce great amounts of self harm, and are triggered by his emotions. We teach our ninjas to hide their emotions and do their job. Naruto has never been able to control his emotions and jumps into things head first without thinking."
"And what exactly are his abilities?" questioned Robin further.
Tsunade took a breath before speaking once again. "On the tenth of October 15 year ago, this village was attacked by the demon known as the Kyuubi no Yoko and was sealed inside his body by the Yondaime Hokage Namikaze Minato."
To the ninja present who did not know that the Kyuubi was still alive, it was a terrifying reveal. Those who already knew said nothing as they had been keeping that information secret on the behalf of Naruto himself. For the pirates however, it made very little sense.
"The Kyuubi no Yoko?" repeated Nami confused.
"The Kyuubi no Yoko, also known as the nine-tailed demon fox, is one of the most powerful beings in Shinto faith" explained Robin. "He is the lord of all foxes who has lived for at least a thousand years and serves Inari Okami, the god of Rice and Fertility, and even Buddha himself. In fact, due to his wisdom and power, he is a kami that can reach enlightenment. You would not want to have someone such as him as your enemy."
"I'm not sure about most of that but you're right, he is very powerful and Minato was only able to seal him inside Naruto. But a demon lord can only be held back for so long and the seal that binds him weakens every day. It's only a matter of time before he's free" continued Tsunade looking down. "And knowing Naruto, he'll quickly lose control."
The group was silent for a moment as they processed this new information.
"So he's just like Killer B" said Zoro making everyone look at him.
"Yes, but he has a level of control that I've never seen before" answered the Hokage. "Sabaku no Gaara, the Godaime Kazekage is a former jinchuriki and had even less control than Naruto does now."
"Who, this guy?" said Sanji jabbing his thumb at Gaara. "He looks as emotionless as a boulder."
"I was forbidden to sleep for most of my life. For if I did, the demon known as Shukaku would be set free" explained Gaara in his usual monotone self. The eyes of the Straw Hats widened by the former jinchuriki's answer just as Sanji spoke up once again.
"Could you possible teach Marimo how to do that so he'll stop falling asleep on watch duty?" he asked.
"OI!" cried Zoro the first mate shouted, slapping the air with his left hand. "That's not funny! I'd rather go for a month without eating again then live without sleeping."
"Why would you imprison powerful demons inside children?" asked Robin who had not taken her eyes off the Sanin. Tsunade looked up at the young woman fearing that question since she began telling them one of Konoha's most guarded secret.
"Minato did it to save the village...most did it to create weapons after the carnage and power vacuum born by the Third World War" she explained. "As far as I know, they were all treated like monsters and were hated by all, with assassination attempts made on their lives ever since they were newborns. Minato never wanted his son to be treated this way..."
The entire group gasped at her words, but not all did for the same reason.
"You sealed demons inside newborns?" echoed Nami covering her mouth with disgust and horror
"Naruto's father was the Yondaime!?" shouted Shikamaru. "The Yondaime never married."
"We had to keep that a secret, all of it" explained Tsunade. "With Iwa and our other enemies wanting to seek revenge on Minato, we gave Naruto his mother's maiden name and tried to have him live a normal life."
"By taking away his birthright and being treated as a monster?" said Temari with disgust. "Didn't you just say that the Yondaime didn't want that to happen?"
"I wasn't here when the decision was made nor was I ever informed until I met Naruto three years ago" she said in her defense. "It was Sarutobi-sensei who made the final decision to make Naruto's true identity a secret, along with most of the council. Fugaku wanted Naruto dead of course but that's just how the Uchiha are."
"My uncle knew about Naruto's bloodline...and did nothing?" said Neji, clenching his fists. His whole life he had hated the Soke (Main House) for what they did to his father and other members of the Bunke (Branch House), as he felt that they had been cheated from their own legacy. Now he learned that they had done it to other clans.
"Fuck!" cursed Shikamaru slapping his right palm into his forehead. "How could I have been so stupid? It was so damn obvious that Naruto was the Yondaime's son. How did I not piece it together?" He looked up the Hokage monument and stared at the cold stone face of the late Yondaime. "My father would always talk about him when he was drunk. He'd go on and on about how close they were, how he had failed him, his legacy, and that the Yondaime was going to get his revenge on us all. This is what he meant."
The Nara had to sit down as he felt the weight of realization that unearthed from the memories of his childhood. "As kids, we were all told to stay clear of Naruto and not talk to him. My dad never said that. He said to be friends with him, that he was alone and needed companionship. I thought it was such a troublesome thing to do but I always liked how despite Naruto being a terrible ninja who was annoying at times, broke up the monotony of routines. What did my dad do to make him act so differently?"
Tsunade paused for a moment before telling the genius more classified information. "I read over secret files when I took over as Hokage years ago that when Minato died, Shikaku wanted to take Naruto in despite most of Nara being against it. Since Jiraiya was Naruto's godfather it fell onto him to look after Naruto, but he had no idea how to look after a child let alone a new born so he never did take responsibility. Either way, Sarutobi-sensei denied anyone other than the state to look after him. I guess Shikaku felt guilty for not doing enough."
A sickening silence covered the group as no one was able to speak. It was then that Robin broke the silence.
"Dos Fleur (Two Flowers)" she said coldly, summoning two arms to sprout from Tsunade's shoulders and latch onto her face. The ninjas stiffened from the archeologist's sudden act of aggression. However, it was more the Chunin rescue team who was worried for the Hokage's life, when the remaining natives of this world were more understanding of the pirate's actions. The Mugiwara neither moved nor spoke as they understood what their crewmate was doing, and were with her completely.
"Do you know what it is like to be truly hated?" she asked. "To live one's life knowing that you are not welcome no matter where you go...to hear the shouts of anger and hate day after day. To want to die and be through with the pain..."
"You can't be allowed to live in this world, Robin!"
"Your existence itself is an unforgivable sin, Robin!"
"The sea is vast. Someday, without any doubt, nakama who will protect you will appear!"
"I WANT TO LIVE! TAKE ME OUT TO THE SEA WITH YOU!"
"For 20 long years I lived not caring for my own life and wanting die alone" said Robin glaring at the older woman. "We may be the monsters, but you are the ones responsible for creating us."
Her words felt like a dagger being plunged into the chests of the ninja. Though Gaara was the only one who truly understood what it felt like to live as a monster, this was the first time that they could comprehend if just a little, what people like Naruto felt. Matsuri looked at her sensei and bit her bottom lip. Her entire upbringing had been filled with warnings about Gaara and what a monster he was. That he would kill and eat her if she even looked at him.
But instead of seeing a cruel monster, Matsuri saw a young boy who was entirely alone. She wanted to know more about him and make her own decision about who he was, as well as not making him feel he was alone. These past few years had confirmed that Gaara was not the monster everyone had said he was, but rather a confused young man who wanted to have control over his own life. She saw how much he dedicated himself into become the greatest Kazekage Suna ever had, and she could not help admiring him for that.
"I should kill you here and now, adding another political leader to my record..." continued Robin, "but that wouldn't make me any better than yourself. If you would excuse me, I have to rescue my captain." She canceled her Devil Fruit powers and began to walk past Tsaunde. The rest of the crew followed her in silence leaving the ninjas stunned and shocked. Gaara's eyes focused in on the former Baroque Works Vice President, and looked at her curiosity and an admiration that he had never felt before. When he had met Naruto, he had his eyes opened by someone who was like him. But this woman was different. In only a few sentences, she had explained exactly the pain he had felt living life as a jinchuriki. He had never heard it put into words before nor had he ever tried, but they were true and he could feel the pain was still lingering in her soul.
When the crew was near Chopper and Ino who were tending a wounded ninja, a monstrous roar cut through the silence that had been smoothing the village. Everyone froze from the unnatural sound while their eyes snapped to the top of the Hokage monument, quickly locating that the roar was coming from beyond the village boarder.
"What the fuck was that?" asked Zoro.
"Oh kami..." cried Tsunade forcing herself to walk towards the monument "He's already begun transforming."
"What is the furthest he's transformed?" asked Robin seriously.
"Four tails, which he is already at if he's roaring like that. Maybe even higher..."
"We need to go. Chopper, let's go!" said Nami.
"But I'm still looking after these ninjas!" he answered.
"We need to go back up our captain, leave the wounded to their own doctors."
"Tsunade-sama..." said Ino looking over at her sensei.
"Ino, get to the hospital and get all the staff to start transporting the wounded inside and treat them immediately. I'm going to help stop Naruto" ordered the Sennin.
"We're coming with you" added Temari taking a step forward. "You're going to need all the help you can get."
"No. We shall stay here" aid Gaara firmly.
"Gaara..."
"Naruto is my friend and I will always be there for him. But right now the village he cares for is defenceless. We will protect it in his place. We are the last line of defence" he ordered. His siblings and student nodded began to help transport the wounded to the hospital.
"Oi Madame, you're injured yourself. You'll probably die out there" said Sanji seriously.
Tsunade took a deep breath and looked at the Straw Hats. "I am the Godaime Hokage of Konoha. It is my duty to protect her and I will die protecting her just as my predecessors have. Don't try to stop me you brats." She straightened herself and walked past the young pirates without looking at them. They all looked at one another not understanding what had just happened exactly, but grasped that they were now fighting together and began to follow the older woman. Sanji walked with them until he remembered to confirm a question he had.
"So none of you have cigarettes on you?"
Shikamaru rolled his eyes at the cook's priorities and began to dig into his chunin vest. "Here" he said tossing his pack at the blond who caught them and gave the Nara heir an appreciative nod.
"Arigatou, if we live I'll buy you a pack."
"I'll take you up on that. Good luck" said Shikamaru as he watched the pirates and his Kage run to face their foe. When they were over the monument and out of sight, he and the remaining teams began to help with the injured.
xXx
Lying on the ground, Naruto growled as red chakra began to spread across his body. His skin began to peel revealing another layer of skin that was a mixture of black and red chakra that pulsed demonically. His whiskered grew on his cheeks as well as his fangs and claws, eyes glowing red like the flames of the underworld.
Luffy watched the transformation occurring before him not understanding what was happening. He had thought that he had seen all the tricks his opponent had to offer so he was naturally baffled by this new technique, whatever it was.
Kurama was not pleased. 'You could have just gone to sleep and avoided making a mess of things. But no, you had to have inherited enough of my blood to keep you conscious' he growled from behind his cage. 'I don't know if you are strong enough to defeat this fraction of my power Mugiwara, but I hope that you can.'
Naruto's body was now completely covered by Kurama's chakra with four tails spreading behind him to demonstrate his power. His eyes, which had now turned to white without pupils, locked onto Luffy with a gaze filled with rage. He unleashed a mighty roar at him causing a powerful flash of energy and a massive gust of wind to wash over the black haired young man.
"So you got more tricks up your sleeves eh?" said Luffy grinning, cracking his hands without pressing them together. "Alright, let's see what you got."
Naruto roared at him and threw his right arm which stretched at Luffy. The pirate shouted in surprise and jumped out of the way, letting the attack crashing the ground.
"Nani!? You can stretch too?" he asked amazed. Naruto merely growled at him and began throwing his extendable chakra limbs at Luffy. He jumped and dodged the attacks one after the other, which only made Naruto even angrier. The jinchuriki roared as he retracted his arms, before driving them both into the ground. Luffy looked at the demon confused until he noticed the ground breaking and realized that his opponent was stretching his arm underground. He jumped to the left just in the nick of time but had to move quickly as more arms emerged from the original two and began to chase him.
Again Luffy dodged the attack jumped and flipping out of the way, but quickly noticed that Naruto was still standing in his original position.
"So you can't move when you do that..." said the captain grinning to himself. He began to sprint right for the immobile demonic ninja and began to stretch his arms behind him. "Gomu Gomu no...Bazooka!" Only a few feet from his opponent, the rubber man unleashed his powerful attack into Naruto's side sending him flying to the right. In a vain attempt to counter attack, a clone of Naruto emerged from the main body and tried to claw at Luffy, but the force of blow sent Naruto flying back too quickly for the counter to land. The ninja demon landed in a heap with Luffy a dozen or so yards away standing with a triumphant grin on his face.
"You might be a bit faster and stronger now, but you still can't land a hit on me" he said. From inside the blond demon, Kurama watched in amazement.
'Even with this fraction of my power he's still controlling the engagement' he said both stunned and amazed. 'Just how strong are you, man from another world?'
Naruto snarled menacingly as he stood one again on four legs. He then lifted himself on his hind legs and began to shake violently. From his body, orbs of both red and blue chakra emerged and began to float in the air as he roared. Luffy blinked at this new technique and immediately connected it with Nami's Clima-Tact. If he was going to create thunder and lightning then it was a waste of time as his rubber body was impervious to such attacks.
The orbs hung in the air as Naruto continued to make his low growling, making his body vibrate. He slowly drew his tails together making the chakra orbs float towards one another and merged into a large dark violet orb. It then shrunk in size making Naruto sink into the ground kicking dust into the air. Luffy continued to watch what was going on and was more confused with every passing second, which felt like minutes to the young pirate captain. Naruto's jaw began to crack open stretching farther than it would in his human form, and with and audible gulp, swallowed the orb.
Immediately, the demon's body expanded like a balloon making him look rather comical. However, instead of laughing, Luffy began to shout with joy.
"Beam?! Are you gonna fire a beam?!" he cried with a giant smile on his face and sparkles in his eyes.
Naruto's response was to demonstrate what he was about to do. He unleashed his demon chakra cannon, a bright ball of crimson energy, aimed right at the pirate and waited for the aftermath that would soon follow. The ball of energy crashed causing a massive explosion that swallowed the ground around where Luffy stood and continued through the forest. When the dust began to clear, Naruto smiled seeing the destruction he had caused and knowing that his prey was finally dead.
"Hiii that was close" said Luffy dusting off his shorts. "If I hadn't grabbed that tree at the end of the tree line and pulled myself out of the way I'd have been hurt there."
Naruto stared in confusion as the last time he used that attack, it had at least hit its target. But just like the last time, it had no effect. He growled in anger and stamped the ground like an enraged beast. Luffy looked at the thrashing ninja and then to the damage his attack did. He knew it was time to end it.
"Since you're fighting at full strength, so will I" continued the successor the pirate throne as he cracked his neck before spreading his legs into the horse stance and bowing his head. "Sorry but, you won't be able to keep up with me anymore." His legs began to shift with the skin bunching up and expanding slightly, before pumping back into his body. His skin began to shine with a pinkish red and steam began to rise from his body. "As of now...all my techniques are going to evolve by one step" he said, pressing his right fist into the dirt which amazingly began to sizzle as if something was being fried.
'Not only were you able to keep up with the boy in this form, but you managed to avoid the chakra cannon' said Kurama with admiration. 'And you did so without being at full power. Show me what else you've got, Mugiwara.'
"Gear Second" Luffy said, ending the transition and raising his arms so that his left palm was aimed at Naruto and his right first was held in the opposite direction aimed at the sky. Naruto looked at the Straw Hat captain confused and furious that he still wasn't dead and was about to attack him once again, when the switch was flipped.
"Gomu Gomu no...Jet Pistol!" Luffy shouted sending an invisible punch across the clearing and into the face of his less than human opponent. The force of the attack made Naruto flip backwards and crash onto his side. He roared in pain and looked at Luffy baffled. But instead of seeing his attacker, he saw nothing but a small plum of dust. He blinked once before another punch clocked him in the right side of his face and sent him flying once again. He howled a second time trying to see his prey, but was met with another punch.
"Bullet!" shouted Luffy launching Naruto into a two hit combo where he knocked him further back before punching him into the ground and then jumping away. Again, Naruto cried out in both pain and frustration. For a moment he caught a glimpse of the pirate before he was punched again and set up for another combo.
"Stamp!" cried Luffy kicking the ninja in the back from above. "And Yari! (Lance)" He pressed his feet together forming a point and drove them again into Naruto's back, driving him further into the ground. The jinchuriki reeled back in genuine pain allowing his adversary grasp his enlarged ears as if they were a horsed bridle. "Rocket!" Luffy crashed his body into Naruto and in the blink of an eye was away again.
Naruto rolled around in agony and clawed at the ground blindly. Due to his enraged beast state, he wasn't able to realize how one sided the fight was. All that was going through his infuriated mind was that he wanted to sink his fangs into his prey. He roared ferociously and once again began to shake his body and summoned more chakra orbs.
Luffy, who had landed in front of Naruto, watched him with a frown on his face. "You don't get it do you? You're just way too slow" he said. "You keep trying the same things over and over expecting them to work. Since all you care about are numbers..." he said spreading his arms with clenched fists "then that is what you're gonna get."
The sea captain took a deep breath preparing use one of his most power techniques. "Gomu Gomu no..." he said in a strong but low voice. He began to punching the air at such an incredible speed that his fists cut the air creating vapor cones. However, they were moving so fast that they could no longer been seen by the naked eye. Only Luffy's biceps were visible as they rest of his arms were moving far too fast.
Before Naruto could even think of what was coming his way, he felt a dozen fists hit him simultaneously and strike deep into his body. Luffy roared and he unleashed his attack that amazingly could be heard over the barrage of punches that sounded like crashing thunder.
"JET GATLING!"
Wave after wave of punches pounded the ninja's demonic body with such force that he was being driven back. The ground bellow his feet began to break as his rear "paws" were unable to keep him anchored to one spot. He cried out in pain as he felt the punches not simply damaging the front of his body, but where continuing through his body and out the other side. It felt as if the punches were punching holes in him and making him feel pain like he never had before. The force of the attack was so great in fact, that inside Naruto's mindscape, the cage that held Kurama was shaking as if there was an earthquake.
'So...' said the giant demon fox lowering his head and clenching his jaws. 'is this the end? Dying to an opponent like you is far from dishonourable, even in this state. But...there is still more I must do. There are debts that need to be paid in full, lives that need to be avenged, evils that need to face justice.' Kurama raised his head and looked at the pirate who was fighting with the heaviest fists he had ever encountered. 'I cannot die here, Mugiwara!'
Luffy screamed to the heavens as he continued to bombard Naruto with his punches. He had punched the ninja so far back, that he was half way through the area that Naruto had cleared with his chakra cannon. Behind him, was a large pile of rocks, trees, earth forming a mound over a dozen meters tall and over 6 meters thick. His back crashed into it, allowing him to take the full force of the attack. Luffy could feel that Naruto was no longer moving and knew that he was now able to end the fight. He dug in his heels and increased the amount of punches he was throwing until he felt the "wall" his target was pressing up against started to give way.
The flip-flop wearing pirate stopped his shelling and sprinted at Naruto with his right fist left to stretch behind him. His arm began to twist counter clockwise and stopped when the entire arm was locked and loaded.
"You're really leaving this time?" asked Luffy.
"Yep. We've stayed here long enough. It's about time we move on. Are you upset?" asked Shanks.
"Yeah but...I won't force you to take me along anymore. I'll become a pirate by myself."
"Heh, I wouldn't take you even if you begged me. You don't have what it takes to become a pirate!" laughed Shanks as he pointed at the boy.
"Yes I do!" Luffy shouted with determination on his face. "One day, I'll find myself a crew that is as strong as yours! And then I'll find the world's biggest treasure, and become the king of the pirates!"
"Oh...so you want to be bigger than us. Huh? Well then...this hat is my gift to you. This is my favourite hat you know. When you become a great pirate in the future, you'll return that hat to me."
"RIFLE!" Luffy shouted, firing his attack square into Naruto's face. The force of the punch traveled through his head and into the mound blasting it apart. The sound of the impact was like an artillery piece that reverberated throughout the clearing where the battle had taken place and echoed beyond. Lufyy's fist drilled into Naruto and burned through the demonic skin until the cartridge had been spent. However, Luffy did not remove his fist from Naruto's face. Instead, he kept it pressed with his weight behind it, as he glared into his opponent's eyes.
From under his fist, Luffy began to feel something move. The red and black skin that covered Naruto's body began to recede and reveal the human that lay beneath. The blonds' eyes were white without pupils revealing that he was no longer conscious, and blood was flowing from his broken nose and jaw. The fiery skin continued to withdraw until at that was left was the Naruto that started the fight. Luffy removed his fist and let his beaten opponent fall to the ground.
He wasn't sure why, but he stayed still for a moment and looked upon the younger teenager. From inside the blond, Kurama watched and waited for what fate had in store for both he and Naruto.
"I feel like I should say something" began Luffy. "But from how this fight went, words don't seem to matter to you. I don't know if you can hear me, but if you can, actually listen. Life isn't worth living if you don't dream or don't have nakama. You've said how much you want to be Hokage and how much your friends matter to you. But that isn't true. I can see how little they really matter to you." Luffy raised his right fist and turned it so that the back of his hand was facing Naruto.
"I put everything I had into that punch. My feelings, my happiness, my fears, my dream." He clenched his fist tightly and looked at the ninja with eyes burning like fire. "If my feelings didn't reach you with that punch, then there isn't any hope for you to accomplish your dreams." He turned his back to the son of the Yondaime and began to walk away. "Ja na...Uzumaki Naruto."
Kurama watched the aspiring pirate king with stunned eyes. 'Incredible. I haven't met a man with fists that heavy for a long time. Any other man would have killed us, but he let us live. Be grateful that he showed us this act of mercy Kit, because in this world, true mercy no longer exists. While I know you cannot hear me Mugiwara no Luffy, I have heard your words and felt your feelings. They have reached this poor fool and perhaps, they have changed him for the better. I thank you fighting us and letting us live so that he can remember the lessons he has learned. I wish you the best of luck."
And with that, the fight was over.
xXx
Not far from Luffy and Naruto, the rest of the Straw Hats with Tsunade in tow, stopped running when they heard the echoes.
"What was that?" asked Nami.
"It sounded like rife and cannon fire" said Sanji.
"Impossible. This place doesn't have rifles or cannons" corrected Zoro.
"I know what it is" spoke up Robin. "Do you remember Luffy's battle with Rob Lucci at Enies Lobby? He continuously used Gear Second to beat him."
"Aa. You could rear it even over the Navy ship's artillery" said Nami remembering that day. "Luffy only uses Gear Second for tough opponents. So if he's using it now..."
"It means that either Luffy has just ended the fight, or it's just getting started" finished Zoro.
"We need to hurry!" cried Chopper.
"Yes, we must help Luffy-san!" chimed in Brook.
"Move!" shouted Nami. And with that, the group began to run once again towards the battlefield.
xXx
Not far from both the battlefield and the reinforcements, a lone figure moved slowly through the trees. In his hand he carried a chukuto (straight sword) with the saya tucked into his waist band.
'I've been far from lucky in my life' thought Sasuke, 'but that truly was an incredible stroke of luck. Whatever caused that explosion was enough to cut through the straightjacket and set me free. Now I just need to get out of the village and regroup with the rest of Taka. With the village already at its knees it's the perfect time to get the answers I'm looking for as well as my revenge.'
The Uchiha continued to run through the forest until he reached the clearing where Luffy and Naruto had been fighting. He stopped in his tracks when he looked across the clearing and saw Luffy walking away from Naruto would was either dead or unconscious.
'Nanda? What happened? Did that bastard try to fight one of these foreign freaks? Fool. That simple looking one must be their missing leader. However, even though he looks like a simpleton, if he is their leader, then he must be stronger than that green haired bastard. I better stay clear of him.'
Sasuke turned to the right and was about to head back into the forest, when something jumped in front of him.
"Matte!" it shouted. The Missing Nin turned back to look at who was before him and was surprised to find it to be a female member of the Hyuuga.
"A Hyuuga? What do you want? Don't you have a beaten clan to look after?"
"Uchiha Sasuke...you are a wanted criminal and traitor of Konoha" she said, "Making sure that you do not escape is more important at the moment."
Sasuke frowned at the kunoichi. Partially because she was getting in his way, but also because she seemed familiar. Then it hit him.
"You're Hyuuga Hinata aren't you?"
"Hai. But I'm not surprised that you didn't recognize me" Hinata replied.
"Maybe I should have. You're the only one that wasn't trying to get on my dick." He began to look her up and down and surprising himself, grinned at her. "It would seem that puberty was very kind to you" he remarked, his cold eyes landing on her open jacket.
Hinata immediately covered her chest with her left hand and blushed. However, for the first time in her life, she did not blush because she was close to the man she loved, but because she was truly embarrassed. She felt sick with him look at her, making her for the first time speak opening about all the attention the Uchiha heir received.
"I-I never understood what the others saw in you. There is nothing about you that's appealing. You never smile, laugh, or make jokes. You don't socialize with others and do nothing but brood and focus on your dream of seeking revenge. No sane woman would ever want to be with you."
That made Sasuke's grin vanish quickly. "Bold words, but I still had a fan club including Sakura and Ino."
"With all due respect, I do not enjoy repeating myself" replied Hinata.
The Uchiha's eyes widened in shock, never expecting her to say such a thing. It was then Hinata's turn to be surprised as Sasuke began to laugh.
"Out of all people, I never expected you to insult those annoying women" he said before returning to the sickening grin he had before. "But while we're judging our tastes in partners, you're calling the kettle black when you've had your eyes set on that fool Naruto" he said mockingly.
This time Hinata blushed more honestly and looked away from the glare of the traitorous ninja. "He's a better man than you are."
"Oh don't play that game with me 'princess of the Hyuuga'. We both know just how much of an idiot that brat is. He talks up a big game but is as useful as an untrained civilian. I don't how he got as far as he did or why he got all the 'special training', but in the end it did nothing to make him into a great ninja.
How does it feel knowing that he cares more for me, a traitor that nearly killed him, more than you Hyuuga Hinata? That must kindle your heart."
Those last words dug deep into the young woman, making her bite her bottom lip. She hated that he wasn't wrong and was unsure of how to respond. She wanted to defend Naruto especially in front of this man, but over the past few days, she had been thinking over what she actually felt.
"I...I don't understand Naruto-kun's feelings..."she finally admitted. "When I heard that you had been 'kidnapped' by Orochimaru, I didn't know how to feel. I wasn't happy nor was I sad. But when I saw what happened when everyone came home, I knew how I should feel. Neji-ni-san, Kiba-kun, and Akamaru were nearly killed, along with Choji-kun..." Tears began to form in the corners of her eyes as she remembered that fated day 3 years ago. "Naruto came back badly injured as well without successfully bringing you back. He then dedicated himself on getting stronger to bring you home without even having a second thought. I didn't understand why he would do that after what had happened, but I questioned it even more when I overheard Kiba-kun and Neji-ni-san talking with Shino-kun that you had nearly killed him.
Nande? Why would he keep chasing you after that? F-Friends don't do that to one another" she cried, tears rolling down her cheeks, remembering Luffy's words and feelings. "Friends...nakama, are there for one another. They look after each other and are willing to do anything for them. Listen to them, talk to them, help them, and protect them. But what you did...that ends friendships."
She looked up at the Uchiha and for the first time in her life, she raised her voice. "I hate you! I hate you, I hate you, I hate you! You betrayed your friends and your village for the sake of power with the man who killed the Sandaime. How could Naruto-kun forgive you so easily? He gets called a monster even when he tried to save his teammate, and you still get respect even when you turn into the man you wanted to kill? Naruto-kun isn't the monster, you are!"
Hinata then froze with her eyes wide. She swallowed loudly as she looked down and saw Sasuke's sword piercing into her stomach and could feel that it had passed though her back.
"Shut your mouth you Hyuuga whore!" shouted Sasuke grasping the hilt tightly and twisted the blade to the right. "Do not place me bellow that lab rat! He is only alive today because of that damned demon in his gut! You call me a monster? A fool? He is the king fool! He continues to be loyal to a village that tried to kill him his entire life and keep chasing after the girl who only gives him punches as a form of attention. Instead of getting revenge, go after the girl who likes him, and try to pay me back for piercing his heart twice, he just dug his own grave.
We both know how empty that dream of his is and we both know that it will never happen. Either the village would have killed him, I would have killed him, or Akatsuki would have killed him. But if we did learn something new today, we finally found the answer to that age old question" he snarled bringing his face close to Hinata's. "Who is more foolish? The fool, or the one that follows him?" He then pulled his sword free and let the indigo haired woman fall to the ground. He took a single step to the right before holding his sword near her throat with a low laugh coming out of his mouth.
"Who would have thought that I'd be the merciful one here today? You see that Hyuuga Hinata?" Sasuke asked pointing his bloodied sword at Naruto. "That is your dead beloved Hokage because he finally got what he deserved for biting more off than he could chew. But don't worry...you'll be joining him soon."
Luffy was still walking back to the village, when he finally saw Sasuke with his sword lifted above his head. His eyes widened when he saw Hinata on the ground and immediately jumped to action.
"Yamero!" he shouted reeling his right fist back and getting the Uchiha's attention. "Gomu Gomu no Pistol!" Luffy launched his fist at the ninja and hit him perfectly in the side of his head, knocking him unconscious. He ran to Hinata's side and saw the blood pouring from her wound. "Oi X-ray girl, don't die!" he shouted putting his hand on the wound and put pressure on it as he cradled her head. "You hear me? Keep your eyes open! Oi, Hinata!"
'Uchiha filth' growled Kurama from behind his cage. 'If only you understood and learned more of my power could you save your vixen. But lucky for you I sense allies are approaching so she will live.'
However things never go smoothly in the world of the ninja when to Kurama's horror, he felt Naruto stir. 'No...don't!" he shouted rising onto all four paws. 'Stay down Kit! Don't open your eyes! If you do then it will be the end for both of us. Don't!'
He began ramming his head into the cage that held him prisoner in a vain attempt to stop his host. But no matter how much he tried, Naruto was regaining consciousness and could here Hinata's name being called.
'DON'T!'
Naruto's eyes widened, as he saw Luffy standing over Hinata, with his hands covered in blood.
'NOOOO!' roared Kurama as the mindscape that had been his jail sentence began to shake and crumble.
Next Chapter: The Weight of Our Fists
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