Kyuubi/ other demon /Tsubomi in her demon form
Thoughts
I'm dedicating this chapter to TheSneakyHobo, partly because they have an awesome penname, but mostly because they inspired me to write this chapter. I know you guys must have been getting really pissed with me, but I've been reviewing my writing style… Ok, I'm just being lazy.
Disclaimer: Still don't own Naruto. I do however own Tsubomi, who I prefer anyway, so life isn't all bad.
Chapter 8- Bad moods and a new Jinchuriki
I am in a bad mood.
A really bad mood.
The kind of bad mood that has dogs hiding behind their owners' legs and small children crying inconsolably. After all, what kind of demon would I be if my moods didn't affect everyone around me? I remember when I was a young kitling and my family was still alive, when my mother got into a bad mood even my father cowered before her. She had the shadow affinity too, and she was expert, so you couldn't even run away. If you did, as soon as you stopped to rest, you'd hear a voice or perhaps just growls depending on her mood, and there she'd be, stepping out of your own shadow. Even as a tiny kit, I recognized how useful that skill would be, and I'm proud to say, I can shadow walk, but not to my mother's level yet. I can transport my self instantly through any network of shadows, but I can't tag a shadow and teleport inside it if it isn't connected to my own shadow. Not like Kaa-san. There was no escape from her.
Thinking about this makes me even angrier. If those idiotic scum hadn't attacked when she was still weak from bearing kits, then she, and probably my brothers, would still be alive, my father wouldn't have been sealed, and I wouldn't have been walking around in this Kami-forsaken cesspit of a village, trying to contain my fury.
As I walk, my shadow contorts into gruesome shapes, the snarling face of a fox, dark claws trying to maim anything in reach, a tail for a moment shows up and lashes around, showing my annoyance. The reaction this provokes soothes me a little. I adore scaring people. A shadow capable of independent thought and movement creeps people out, even if it belongs to the so-called Nara prodigy.
Sensing my adoptive brother hiding in the darkness around the corner, I smirk and bend my shadow to mimic his. He sighs and walks out, hands in pockets.
"Troublesome." I roll my eyes at his catchphrase, but make no comment. "Wanted to make sure you didn't kill anybody. Why are you so pissed anyway?" He asks, looking at me curiously.
"Sensei made me get up early to meet with the rest of the team, and he says it's important so I couldn't just not go or send a shadow clone of Naruto's henged into me. So I go to the meeting and he sends one of his ninja hounds to say that he can't make it because he has to get something, so he rescheduled it. That's annoying on its own, but added to the fact that I had to rescue Naruto from drunken villagers AGAIN last night, I owe Sasuke money cause I borrowed some to pay for another hundred senbons and equipping my shoes with hidden daggers in the toes, and my new technique is still not working." I don't feel like including the fact that it's my "time of the month", but I can tell that he's worked that bit out for himself.
I sigh, draw my shadow into myself, and disappear.
The effect is kind of ruined when I have to re-emerge a few steps onwards to cross to another line of shadows.
"Hey Naruto." I smile half-heartedly at him. Bumping into him (literally I'm afraid, Naruto has a strange habit of running with his eyes shut) on my way to pick up my new senbons would normally be welcome, but I'm still in a bad mood and would rather not take it out on him.
We walk along side by side for a few minutes before a small perfectly rectangular box complete with eyeholes starts following us.
What an incredibly lame disguise. People that dumb deserve to die! Perhaps an exploding tag or two? I can always claim I thought they were enemy spies…
I am about to act on my thoughts when the box explodes on its own volition. Three children emerge, coughing from the smoke. The do some lame routine, but don't manage to finish it. I saw to that.
"You? You are the sexiest kunoichi in the Academy? Kami their standards have dropped. And as for you, "I like Algebra", what kind of an introduction is that? What sort of ninja are you, you could at least say you like weapons, or ninjutsu or something like that, but no, it just had to be algebra. You like math so much, become an accountant. And you! Why have you got such a ridiculously long scarf when that is just going to be a liability in our profession? It's not like it's cold. And as for the disguise, it sucks! Not only are there no square rocks, but also, last tome I checked, rocks don't have eyeholes and neither do they move. Either quit being a ninja, or get a lot better, very quickly. You people are a liability." I finish my rant, my stress slightly alleviated and prepare to shadow walk the rest of the way to the weapon shop, when the lead brat says something that makes me pause.
"Hey Boss? Your girlfriend is scary."
I turn around and snicker. "You think I'm his girlfriend? Sorry, that's Hinata. You should see them together. She blushes the second he enters the same room as her!"
Naruto stares at me. "There's no way Hinata likes me like that. You mean all those times she'd go all hot and red and start stuttering, it was because she likes me?" I nod and watch him.
This is the first time I've seen him completely speechless! It would be so KAWAII if they got together. Hinata might actually teach Naruto some manners.
I like Hinata. She's so much better than that bitch Sakura. Quiet, sure, but a nice person and a talented kunoichi. She just needs a confidence boost, and who's better at that kind of thing than Naruto? I watch the brats ask Naruto to play ninja with them and I smirk. Naruto's so childish. He agrees and the head brat runs off, only to hit a Suna nin.
Oops.
"Hey, watch it brat!" the Nin picks Konohamaru up by the collar and sneers at him. Naruto tries, and promptly fails to rescue him. I sigh.
Must I do EVERYTHING around here? Tch. I guess that's what happens if you are the only one with more than two brain cells in your group.
I throw a few senbons at him, only coated in a mild temporary paralysis-inducing concoction and he dodges all but one, which grazes his cheek. He starts to reach for the mummified thing on his back, but the poison acts before he can complete the movement. His friend stares for a moment, and then gets out her fan. It looks like we are about to have a full-scale battle right here in the street, but my other teammate throws a rock at the female nin, alerting us to his presence and she appears to realize she is outnumbered. Her eyes widen, but she isn't looking at either of us.
"Gaara! I'm sorry, Kankurou was being an idiot, but it's all sorted now!" She looks absolutely terrified.
I look at where she is pointing.
A hot red-head stands upside down on the same tree as Sasuke is sitting on. I gasp.
"Shukaku-nii?"