Bang for your Buck Chapter 16: Life on the Line, a naruto fanfic

Alright here is the next chapter hope you enjoy it. I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.

Juubi no Okami: Sorry there's not going to be a female Akatsuki in the harem, but your suggestion gives me an idea and thanks for straightening that Shiki/Shini thing.

"Speech"

'Thought'

"Demonic Voice"

'Bijuu thoughts'

Justu

(A/N: Author Note)

Flashback

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Chapter 16: Life on the Line

"I can smell chakra, it's up ahead and it stinks something foul," Kiba said, "were getting close."

"Neji can you see what's up ahead?" Shikamaru said.

"Barely, but there is large one that I recognize as Naruto, four chakra sources most likely the enemy, but there is something off about their chakra…" Neji said unnerved by what he saw.

"What do ya mean?" Shikamaru asked a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"Their chakra is dark, foul even, I've never seen anything like it," Neji replied.

"Troublesome," Shikamaru muttered, "but none of those can be our prisoner, she's a cripple from what I was told, do you see her?"

"Yes a small chakra source away from the fight," Neji reported.

"Good, now what can you tell me about the battle?" Shikamaru asked he really needed to know what was going on.

As they got closer Neji could see more of the battle, "The enemies—wait Uzumaki's been trapped!" at this distance Neji could actually make out the people.

"Damn it!" Kiba muttered, "What else could go wrong?"

"One of the enemies is draining his chakra," Neji reported, "and now I see what's wrong with their chakra."

Shikamaru and his squad cleared the tree line and saw what they were up against, "Demons…troublesome."

"Shikamaru," Couji asked quietly, "what do we do?"

"Cower if you want," Tomoko said as she notched an arrow, "I'm going to save my master."

Shikamaru grabbed her arm stopping Tomoko from firing, "Damn it woman wait," Shikamaru stared her down, "There's only three enemies down there, one's unaccounted for—"

"He's up in the trees to the northeast a ways from here," Neji stepped in, "and he's taken out Naruto's clones with a bow."

"Alright Neji go after him and take her with you."

"No I—"

"You wanna save Naruto?" Shikamru asked, "then I need you to take out their ranged fighter so none of us get an arrow in the back, understand."

Tomoko and Shikamaru stared each other down but Tomoko blinked first, "Alright, Hyuga lets go."

"Uhh…Shikamaru somethings happening to that one," Kiba said as Jirobo feel to the ground screaming in pain, "but at least it looks like he won't be a problem anymore."

"Don't speak so soon," Tomoko spoke, "that doesn't look like a dead man." They all watched with sick fascination as Jirobo's skin boiled and stretched, and his horns grow long, and black, how he shot up like a tree into a giant of a man. They saw the dome crumble, heard the beast roar and stand over Naruto and raise his massive fist.

"Shit, he's gonna crush him!" Shikamaru turned to his friend, "Chouji!"

"G-Got it!" Leaping into the air Chouji burst into smoke.

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"Meat Tank Bullet!" and true to its name the giant meat bullet slammed into Jirobo's shoulder, but the beast stood its ground and with a great heave threw the human bullet into the ground. Before Shikamaru and his squad could rush to help Chouji, Tomoko stepped in front of them and caught an arrow before in skewered Shikamaru's skull.

"Neji, Tomoko—"

"We're on it, Hyuga come on!" Tomoko shouted trying not to worry about her friend, while Neji followed her into the forest pinpointed the position of their enemy and relayed it to her. They leapt through the trees both using their eyes to avoid the arrows flying at them, "How did he know where we were?"

"He got closer, now he's running into the woods trying to keep his distance."

"Split up, keep going straight, I'll flank him," Tomoko changed directions leaving Neji alone to close in on his target. Neji quickly dropped to the ground to avoid an arrow that cleaved through the tree behind him.

"So more Konoha rats have come out to play," Kidomaru snarled hiding in the trees, but Neji had already spotted him, "Fine I'll just play with you for a while."

"Then stop talking and fight," Neji shouted trying to stall.

"Oh someone's in a hurry," Kidomaru smirked, "or are you trying to buy time for your friend."

"Friend?"

"Oh, playing dumb," Kidomaru chuckled, "don't worry my friend will keep your friend company."

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"Damn spiders!" Tomoko yelled as she dodged the webs of the giant spider, a horrible surprise that had been waiting for her. To make matters worse the spider had brought her kids along, keeping her from a clear shot and when she did get a shot off they threw themselves in front of their mother.

The spider lunged at her again its legs trying to pin her down with its claws, but she was too quick for it. Unfortunately, she was so focused on the big threat that the small ones went unnoticed, so it was a surprise when something heavy landed on her back.

Tomoko looked back only to come face to face with the dripping fangs of a spider. And being a trained warrior she acted in the most logical manner.

She shrieked, and then stabbed the spider in the face, but spider burst it innards sticking to her. Disgusted she wiped the gunk off her shoulder, or at least tried to.

"What the hell?" she tried to pull her hand away but it was stuck, "These aren't guts."

HISS

Tomoko looked up to see dozens of falling spiders, fangs bared. She reached for her bow but her hand just snapped back to her shoulder.

"Damnit!" Tomoko shouted as spider after spider began to land on her, reaching up she tore away her eye patch and the world slowed to a crawl. Quickly, she shook the monsters from her body and rolled away from them. Still trapped in the webbing she could only dodge and swipe at any spider that got to close. Just as she was cutting down another spiderling she was hit with a flash of inspiration.

Waiting for a spiderling to lunge she didn't have to wait long. Grabbing a spider by leg she gutted the spiderling and tossed it at the spider beast. The result, a living grenade that splattered webbing on the monster's claws gluing it to the ground. The beast hissed and screeched as it tugged and yanked its leg trying to free itself. Weaving around the spiderlings Tomoko moved in for the kill, forgetting that when faced with death an animal will bite its own leg off. The spider was no different as it tore it leg of and lashed out again, ignoring its self-amputation. At the speed she was going Tomoko could barely dodge the impaling thrust of the beast and it cost her as the spider lashed out once more, this time striking her in the back.

Tomoko tumbled along the ground, the spiderling chasing after her. As she slowed to a stop they pounced but she managed to roll to her feet and leap away from the horde as the landed on the ground in a heap of tangled limbs. She could feel the bruise forming on her back as she waited for more spiderling to attack. Now that she had a way to stop the spider it was only a matter of lather, rinse, and repeat. In deadly display of acrobatics and speed she gutted the spiderlings pouncing on her, and tossing them the spider beast. The beast tried it's best to avoid becoming trapped once more, but missing a leg is hampering to any creature, even one with eight.

Covered in the innards of its children the spider writhed and wriggled trying to break free but to no avail. Strolled over to the exposed head Tomoko pulled a shaft with an arrowhead decorated with a seal formula. "Not so fun is it," she spat out raising the arrow above her head and plunging it into the spider's skull. Leaving the beast to its end Tomoko sauntered into the woods and with one last howl the spider's head exploded.

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"Time to stop messing around," Kidomaru muttered as he missed another shot. Gather chakra in his throat Kidomaru hocked up a golden arrow with a drill bit shaped tip. "Now that I know your secret Hyuga, that'll be the last arrow you dodge."

Exhausted but still able bodied Neji scanned the tree line for any hint of the next attack. The fight had been more poking and prodding than an actual fight, each side trying to find any advantage they could exploit. At this point Neji knew he had one last move, for the duration of the fight he had been on the defensive but his opponent's last moved had shown him an opening, one that he intended to take despite the risk.

Kidomaru attached a web line his arrow and notched it. A sadistic smile played on his lips as he took aim, "Goodbye Konoha scum."

Neji almost missed the arrow traveling in his blind spot, almost. By a stroke of luck he managed to catch sight of the chakra coursing through the web and took off running, 'Have to make this convincing.'

The arrow tracked him as he raced closer to where the web line led, until he reached the right spot. He turned to face his fate, waiting for the blow, but in a flash the arrow whizzed by him. He eyes caught a prong tipped arrow that threw the arrow off course. "Lack of survival instincts Hyuga?"

Neji looked up and spotted Tomoko, bow in hand, looking out for another attack, "I had the situation under control."

"Seemed like it," Tomoko said as she hopped down

"How did you even fire an arrow," Neji said noticing her trapped arm, "Here."

"I used my teeth," She answered as Neji cut the spider webbing, "I'll thank you later, first lets squash the spider."

"I have a plan but he's out of my field of vision, think you can figure out his position?" Neji asked scanning the tree line for any more attacks.

"That arrow took a lot of twists and turns," despite the answer she notched another explosive arrow, "but I'll be able to hit him with this."

"Good, on three."

"Three!" The arrow tore through the air before it sunk into the bark near Kidomaru's head, but he paid it no mind and notched another arrow to take out the new threat. What he did pay attention to was the arrow blinking faster and faster, "Oh crap!"

By a second and some luck Kidomaru managed to drop himself off the tree before the fireball cooked him, and managed to stop his fall by attaching a web to tree. Swing down he caught sight of Neji heading straight toward him, "That's one fly that I can drop." Taking aim he let loose an arrow that cut straight through Neji, but instead of blood he just faded away.

"What?"

"Eight Trigrams: 64 Palm!" Neji pounded blow after furious blow into Kidomaru, "32…64 Palms!" The last shot blasted Kidomaru into the ground, wheezing and gasping. Neji stood above him surprised that the spider ninja had survived the onslaught.

"Can't believe…I got caught…by such a simple ruse," Kidomaru spat, grunting as he tried to sit up, "and killed…by weak fools from…Konoha no less."

"Fate determined your death," Negi said dispassionately, "and no one can ever escape it."

"Really…" Blood dribbled down Kidomaru's chin, a smile slowly spreading across his face, "then at least I get this!"

SHUNK!

The golden kunai that had been gripped tightly in his hands fell as did the smile on his face, the last thing Kidomaru's eyes saw was the shaft of the arrow that had impaled his third eye.

"Try to be more careful Hyuga, my Master still needs help," While Neji couldn't fault the scolding tone he didn't like being talked down to.

"I had it under control."

"Sounds familiar," Tomoko said, "Why do you seem to have a death wish?"

"Fate will decide my end."

"Really, you knew that arrow was going to kill you but you still tried to take Kidomaru down with you," Tomoko said as she pulled her arrow out Kidomaru's head, "Seems like you were trying to make your own end."

"Enough," The look in his eyes demanded that she stop, "there's still a mission to complete."

"A falcon with broken wings will always try to fly until it dies," The way she looked at him, it was infuriating, as if he couldn't see something grand right before his eyes, "but your right, we still have a mission to complete."

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"Kiba get Naruto out of there, Chouji you're with me," A quick 'roger' was all he needed before heading in to assist. Kiba dropped down next to Naruto hefting him onto his shoulder, while Shikamaru landed next to Chouji. Jirobu charged them roaring like a mad beast, but Shikamaru had other plans as his shadow lashed out, "Shadow Possesion Justu success." The beast struggled against the justu but Chouji put a stop to that, "Partial Expansion Justu!" Chouji's boulder of a fist knocked the demon to the ground while Sakon and Ukon to advantage of the distraction to land behind Shikamaru.

"Should keep your eyes on the enemy," Sakon laughed metal fist cocked alongside his brother's.

"I always do," Though they couldn't see it, they could hear the smirk on his face, what they could see where two little balls hooked into the back of his vest that started to glow.

BANG!

"My eyes you goddamn bastard!"

"Damn flashbangs!"

"Shadow Possesion Justu success," Shikamaru check on Kiba's position and saw him lay the injured Naruto next to their target, "Kiba now!"

"Come on Akamaru," The dog nin dive bombed with his clone spinning into twin cyclones, "Fang over Fang!" Both crashed into the ground grinding the dirt under the claws, but nothing else, "We missed?"

"Yeah you did," Twin Kibas looked up and received twin fists to the face that knocked them across the ground, "but we didn't." Kiba and Akamaru wiped the blood the blood from their chins as they rose to face the demon twins.

"I was hoping this would be," Kiba muttered and spit out some blood, "but at least will get some action right, Akamaru?"

Akamaru grunted as Shikamaru, and Chouji landed next to him, "Looks like my shadows won't work until we give them a good beating, Kiba, Chouji stay on your toes looks like the big guy's getting up." An artist couldn't have painted a better picture of heroes and villains on one side stood Shikamaru and his squad on the other a monstrous Jirobo with the demonic Sakon and Ukon.

"Hmph, those fuckers actually look kind of cool," muttered Tayuya from up above while Naruto laid on his side wheezing as his ribs healed themselves, "Are you alright shithead?"

"Just...peachy," Naruto said transforming his Fox Mask to its hidden nose mark as his breathing started to come easier, "I'm going to beat the shit out of that walking wart."

"Give the fat fuck one for me," Not for the first time Tayuya wished her legs hadn't been damaged by the removal of the curse seal, most who knew what happened to those who lost their curse seals would call her lucky, but she wondered if being a crippled ninja was better than being a dead ninja. While she was having these inner musings Naruto was having a conversation with his furry friend.

"Why would I pump her full of chakra you saw what happened to Jirobo and she doesn't even have her curse mark anymore."

"It seems that the curse seal can convert my chakra into something safer but still quite volatile, as for the girl she might need a new power source not a new seal."

"This is going to be a pain in the ass," Naruto thought to himself as moved over to Tayuya, "Tayuya you mind if I check something out?"

"What, why?" Tayuya said eyeing him oddly, "Shouldn't you be down there helping your buddies, they look like they need it," Tayuya winced as a boulder sized Chouji was slammed into a tree while Kiba drilled into one of the demon brothers while Akamaru was kicked in the face.

"Well if I'm right then you might not have actually lost your curse seal," Naruto said as he moved her hair aside to get a look at her seal.

"What, of course it's gone I can't use it and my legs are shot to shit," Tayuya said as Naruto examined her seal, while conversing with the demon, "What the hell are you doing?"

"Sometimes you just need to switch out the batteries to make something work," Naruto said as Kyuubi confirmed their suspicions, "Tayuya do you trust me?"

"Wh-What why the hell do you need to know that?"

"Because what I'm about to do may or may not work, so do. you. trust. me," Naruto looked her dead in the eye.

"...You're the kind of guy who has people backs right?" Naruto smiled and nodded, "Then I trust you with mine."

"Alright, just grit your teeth," Channeling chakra into his palm Naruto placed it on the mark, and with one great mental heave he blasted a portion of demonic chakra into her system. The effect was immediate as Tayuya's skin began to redden and give off steam, the girl tried to bite back her screams but it was a lost cause. Naruto stepped back as Tayuya began to thrash about as her body began to stretch and grow. After a few minutes the steam stopped rising, she stopped thrashing, and Naruto moved to her side, "Tayuya are you alright?"

"...Yeah I feel pretty good," Tayuya said as she stood up looking at her new body. She could already feel the differences in her body it felt stronger, her skin was darker, her teeth were sharper, she touched her horns noticing her new claws as well as her new crown of curved horns, and her hair felt different, heavier. "Better than good I feel fucking amazing!"

"Good because Jirobu is going to be a lot harder to take down," Naruto said as he pulled out his claws, and checked Tayuya over. Her body had grown taller, more muscle, she had gotten whisker marks similar to his, and there was something about her that caught his eye. Shaking his head of those thoughts he focused below, where his comrades where putting up a decent fight. "Ready for a fight?"

"Yeah but I'd feel better with my flute," Her reply was met with an odd reaction from her new body. Her hair began to wrap itself around her center horn, "What the fuck is happening!?"

"Tell her to calm down, I am commanding my chakra to help the girl," said Kyuubi, "and tell her to let the chakra direct her."

"Tayuya calm down I'm controlling the chakra to help, just let the it guide you and you'll be fine," Naruto watched as she took moment to collect herself, and then he watched as Tayuya took ahold of her hair wrapped horn and start to pull. With great effort the bone began to bend and with one last yank she broke the bone.

"Hmm didn't even hurt," Tayuya ran her fingers over the horn which she noticed looked like a harp, lifting a clawed hand she plucked a few notes, then she shot a smirk at Naruto, "Just follow the chakra, right?"

"Yeah, so let's get down there," Naruto said his fox mask coming back on, as he got ready to pounce on Jirobu, but Tayuya placed a hand on his shoulder, "Let me take the lead Naruto I owe these bastards some payback."

"Ladies first."

Lifting her harp Tayuya began to play a tune letting her new chakra guide her, slowly intoxicating her, "First Song: Sound of Blood and Bone." The music flew through the forest finding the ear of everyone and everything catching their attention with its haunting sound, a low deep tune that rose higher and higher only to die back down.

"Now Jirobu, Sakon, Ukon dance to my tune."

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Sorry if this chapter was shorter than my others but I've decided to release shorter chapters in the hopes that I can release them quicker.