Don't own Witchblade or Naruto.
Chapter 6
Shiori's Humbling and The Dream of Memories
Standing between Shiori and Masane is Naruto blade drawn and a shocked Masane staring up at him.
"When? How?" Masane ask as Naruto glances at her with a rather annoyed expression.
"I should ask you that Masane," Naruto replies rather coldly as he turns back to Shiori, "Is this your job for Dohji?"
"Naruto," Masane tries to think of an explanation before realizing lying to him is pointless, "Yes."
"We'll talk later Vixen," Naruto tells her calmly as he slips into a stance, "You, Shiori," he says glaring at Shiori his eyes cold, "Will regret touching Masane."
'His eyes are so cold,' Shiori thinks as her light blue eyes meet his red, 'Like all the emotion has been drained from them.'
'Shiori,' Reina thinks wide eyed, 'You crossed something in him.'
"You wanted a fight," Naruto says calmly yet a rage hidden in the underling tone, "Well get ready." He tells her charging as his blade comes down on her barely made defense, "That won't be enough Sweet cheeks," Naruto says as he keeps swinging down sending her flying back into another pillar.
'Such raw power,' Shiori thinks as she forces herself up against the pillar, "Is that it…" She taunts before dropping down as Naruto slash at her horizontally.
'What power,' Reina thinks as the pillar slides off its pedestal to the ground leaving Naruto to look down at Shiori lowering the blade near the ground the tip several inches from the ground yet cutting into the ground, 'Something is surrounding his blade.'
"Get up," Naruto orders Shiori who can only look up at him, "Get up and fight like a warrior, not crawl on the ground like a snake."
Masane can only watch as Naruto's personality does a 180 from what it normally is, 'He's pissed,' she thinks watching Shiori stand putting her blade in front of her just as Naruto's clashes with it, 'He always gets like this when Riko or me is in danger.'
"Pathetic defense," Naruto tells Shiori as the fist of his left arm flies into the her stomach, "Don't just rely on your blade to protect you." Shiori coughs up white liquid as he spins around back handing her with his left hand.
"Bastard," Shiori mutters catching herself and attacking him again only for him to catch the blade with his right hand and spin her around and put his foot on her ass and push her forward into the debrie of the pillar, "Mother fucker." Shiori says using the pillar to stand, "I won't…"
"Your skills are pathetic," Naruto tells her angrily as he grabs her by the back of the neck and tosses her back into the pillar, "Like a child trying to play in the big leagues."
"I'll show you," Shiori shouts spinning around swinging the bow like blade and managing to get a gash across Naruto's chest that he ignores, "Got you," She says smugly, before Naruto smacks her across the side of the face and sending her to the ground again with his right hand.
"Only a novice would give a damn about a small cut," Naruto tells her before picking her up and tossing her into a near by wall, "You have the mindset of inexperienced fighter," he lectures grabbing her by the throat with his left hand, "You lack the discipline of a real warrior," His fist is a blur as it flies into Shiori's stomach repeatedly causing cracks to form in the wall, "You rely way to much on your blade that you fail to train yourself to attain power." Shiori coughs up some white liquid as Naruto releases her and she skids down the wall, "You have no real strength," he informs her turning away and walking towards Masane who has a white liquid coming from her x like gash, "Not even worth going all out on till you learn how to really fight."
Reina who had watched the whole fight can only stare at the defeated Shiori, 'He completely overpowered her in everyway,' she then turns to Naruto who's picked up Masane bridal style, 'he is on a whole new level then us.'
With Naruto
"So," Naruto says calmly as he holds the transformed Masane in his arms, "So any idea on how we can get out of here and explain the injuries?" Masane just looks at him before they both get blinded by a set of headlights coming at them before a black unmarked van skids to a stop in front of them, "Guess that answers that."
"We'll take it from here," Segawa says guiding a crash cart towards Naruto who's glaring at the man, "Your welcome to come too."
"Where you going," Shiori shouts forcing her up causing everyone to look at her, "Our fight isn't over yet."
Naruto just shakes his head as he lays Masane on the crash cart, "I'll be right their," Naruto tells them as he walks back towards Shiori.
With Reina
'He'd stop any approach towards the Witchblade,' Reina thinks as she eyes Shiori, "Shiori," she yells, "Don't do anything foolish."
Naruto and Shiori
"You think you can still fight," Naruto ask her calmly as stops in front of her, "That you can stand before me without a fear of facing death."
"Of course I can," Shiori replies as stands looking him in the eye the white liquid coming from either corner of her lips, "I will not lose."
Naruto just smirks and runs his left hand under chin, "I like the attitude on not giving up," he tells her before grasping her chin and looking her in the eye his pupils becoming slited, "But you're far from ready to take me in actual combat again." Shiori glares at him as he smirks and leans in close to her left ear, "Train yourself to get stronger and stop relying on your cloneblade so much and you might actually stand a chance against me Sweet cheeks."
"Bastard," Shiori spits out as Naruto turns away his outfit returning to normal and his hoari flapping in the wind as me moves.
"Later Shiori," Naruto tells her giving her a slight wave as he walks to the van, "Look forward to beating that sweet ass of your again another time."
"Shiori," Reina questions as Shiori turns back to normal before collapsing to the ground.
"That bastard," Shiori mutters as Reina moves towards her quickly, "I am so going to kick his ass."
In the van
"Nice to meet you again Mr. Naruto," Segawa says happily as he is pinned to the wall.
"Tell me everything now," Naruto shouts holding a kunai to Segawa's neck, "Or you start breathing from a straw."
Gulping Segawa eyes the blade then Naruto's eyes to see them crimson with slited pupils, "Where would you like me to start?" Segawa ask calmly as Naruto pushes the kunai closer to his throat.
"From the beginning," Naruto answers barely controlling his anger.
Unknown location
"Die demon," a voice yells angrily causing Masane to look around, "You'll pay for what you did to those people."
"Where I'm I," Masane ask herself looking around to see buildings all around her, "This is not Tokyo."
"You're here too," a female voice shouts causing Masane to turn around and see Shiori, "SO where are we Witchblade?"
"Don't look at me," Masane replies looking around, "I've never been here be…."
"Ahh!!!" a four year old crimson haired child like voice screams causing both women to turn down an alley to see a blond boy grasping his left side as blood pours out of it as several people appear behind him.
"It's over demon," the close one says raising a short sword over his head, "We'll finish what the fourth started."
"Hey stop it," Masane shouts as the people ignore her and drive their weapons into the child causing both Shiori and Masane to go wide eyed as they stab repeatedly, "Leave him alone." Masane yells raising her right arm to have nothing happen.
Shiori eyes her as she tries to transform as well, "We can't transform," Shiori tells her as she eyes her cloneblade.
"Of course you can't," a voice of a man tells them causing them to turn around and see a old man in red and white robes and a large red hat, "This is a place where neither of you exist."
"What do you mean old man," Shiori shouts angrily as she glares at the man.
"Please child if you couldn't take Naruto," the man says calmly as he pulls out a wooden pipe, "There is no chance you can take me."
"How do you know Naruto," Masane ask curiously walking up to the old man.
The man only looks to the injured boy and walks over, "Naruto," he ask causing both women to looks at the child as the man flips him over to reveal the small whisker marks on his cheeks, "Naruto answer me, are you alright?"
"Old man," Naruto replies weakly as he is lifted up by the old man, "I think I did something bad and didn't know it."
"You did nothing wrong Naruto," the old man informs the boy as everything vanishes, "nothing at all wrong." The old man tells the boy as he runs a hand through his hair to show the boys blond hair covered in blood.
"That was Naruto," Masane says covering her mouth as Shiori looks around as the darkness around them turns to white halls.
"The injuries are bad," a doctor tells the old man, "He had several organs pierced along with several fractured bones, sir"
This causes Masane to go wide eyed along with Shiori who looks disbelievingly, "How is he now," the old man ask.
"Warn out and resting," the doctor informs turning towards a window leading into a room with a bandaged blond in it and a nurse doing something to an IV.
"Hey that's," Shiori tries to tell before Naruto starts to thrash about.
"What are you doing," the doctor shouts running in and grabbing her trying to pull her away as the old man goes for Naruto.
"IT DESERVES TO DIE," the women shouts hysterically thrashing about, "FOR ALL THOSE HE KILLED FOUR YEARS AGO."
"That bitch," Masane shouts as she rushes to Naruto, "Whats going on here," She ask running a hand through Naruto's hair.
The old man looks to Masane with a sad look, "These are memories," he answers sadly as his stand straight as Naruto stops thrashing.
"Memories," Shiori questions as she walks forward, "Are you telling me this really happened?"
"Yes," the man responds weakly as he looks to Naruto, "and even after all of it he remains strong and pushes through it all."
"Who are you," Masane ask not leaving young Naruto's side.
"I am Sarutobi," the old man says introducing himself, "The old fool that tried and failed to protect Naruto when he was a child."
"How did he survive those wounds," Shiori questions walking towards to the boy as she sleeps.
"I can't answer because he doesn't know at this current time," Sarutobi replies getting curious looks from the two women, "I myself am a memory as well," before the women can ask he gives a gentle smile, "and the reason we can communicate with each other is because of the bond created between Excalibur and the two of you."
"Bond," Shiori says confused as Sarutobi points to her cloneblade.
"The bond made between your cloneblade and Excalibur is what I speak of," Sarutobi answers calmly as Masane looks towards the Witchblade, "You have a similar bond with him as well Mrs. Masane, but it was your Witchblade that created Excalibur." Suddenly the man turns with a small smile on his face, "Seem young Riko found her way to one of Naruto's happier memories."
"Riko's here," Masane shouts wide eyed, "If she see…"
"She is fine," Sarutobi says calming her, "Naruto has subconsciously kept her away from the memories you two have seen."
"There are more of these type of memories," Shiori questions looking around as she watches the medical staff walk by ignoring Naruto, 'he has several sever wounds and cuts and they walk right by uncaringly.'
"To many to count," he tells them as he looks to Masane, "They come off as Nightmares to him and they haunt him constantly," he informs them looks at the sleeping child, "he is only ever at peace with you and Riko near."
Masane looks at the sleeping Naruto before leaning down kissing her forehead, "I'll never leave him alone again then," she says calmly giving him a loving smile.
"Alright," Shiori says calmly showing she is annoyed though," Why is I here then?"
"Simple," Sarutobi tells her as he walks towards Shiori, "You reminded him of someone and it dragged you here," the old man then looks back to Naruto with a smile, "He's only ever made friends by fighting them first and earning their respect."
"So he considers me a friend," Shiori questions calmly.
"Who knows," Sarutobi answers smugly as he starts to vanish, "I am just one of his memories of the past after all."
'Useless old coot,' both Shiori and Masane think together as everything goes black.
Unknown Location
Slowly opening her eyes Masane finds herself looking at a brown ceiling thinking, 'Was it all a dream?'
Hospital room
Shiori sits up on her bed a dull look in her eyes, 'Was it real, or just a simple dream?'
Arthur notes:
I know Naruto and Shiori's fight was pretty one sided, but you got to take into account the fact Naruto was trained to fight and his body moves on instinct already, while he keeps his cool. (most of the time) This and Shiori lost her temper with Naruto when she couldn't hit him.
I will give an opponent can't defeat out right when father realizes how strong Naruto really is with his ability to drain the power from cloneblade's for short times.
Also I have chosen to add one addition and that's who it would be that challenges Naruto on Farther's side, you'll find out later.