True Path of a Jinchuuriki Ch 11: Reflection
(Italics: Thoughts/Flashbacks/Dream sequence. Bold: Title and Kyubi's / Demon's / Inner Characters's Speech. Underline: Time Skips)
Naruto awoke with a sudden start, sunlight shining onto his eyes, as he got to his feet he found himself in the clearing he had been training in the night before, dressed in the same clothes as the night before: A black pair of ANBU pants, Kunai and Shurikin holders attached to his sides, and a simple black t-shirt covered by a black traveling cloak. He took a deep breathe and in a burst of chakra-enhanced speed he sped off toward the village, jumping swiftly from tree to tree. As the village came into view the usual mid-day traffic of the business was in full swing, as Naruto realized this he gathered chakra into the soles of his feet, launching himself upward in a burst of chakra-enhanced speed toward the nearest rooftop, gathering energy quickly as he jumped toward the next one.
A golden blur of light darting from one building to the next faster than the eye could see. As Naruto slowed down he came to a sudden halt in front of his apartment complex, strangely enough the door was left unlocked and Naruto entered, coming to find he was the only presence in his home... There's something missing but what is it? Naruto thought to himself silently. His eyes widened. Where was Hinata? Naruto thought as he began to look around, calling out her name. But it was no use. He had driven her away... Naruto's facial expression reflected rage, some red chakra leaking out of his body as he smashed one of his chairs to pieces, slamming his chakra-enveloped fist down into the furniture. "Damn it!" Naruto yelled, a single tear escaping one of his eyes.
Naruto got back to his feet, a dark and angry look embedded into his facial expression. "I don't need her... I don't need anybody... I grew up without anybody and I'll die alone!" As Naruto said those words an aura of black chakra began to cloak his body. And with those words Naruto vanished in a cloud of black smoke. As we wondered aimlessly through the streets of Konoha he couldn't help but feel hallow, as if he were an empty shell that was once a person. After fifteen minutes of travel he found himself in rosemary park... Dark and violent memories playing before his very eyes, reminding him once again of the darkness that lives within humanity. Naruto was interrupted from his thoughts as a familiar voice called out his name. "Hey Naruto!" Naruto shifted his gaze and turned around as Rock Lee came running toward him, a strong look of excitement written across his facial expression. "Hey Lee what do you want?" Naruto asked in an annoyed and demanding tone. Lee looked at him confused. Is this what Hinata was talking to Tenten about?
Flashback:
Lee had just finished one of Gai's inhuman training sessions, fatigue and hunger influencing his ever step as he journeyed toward Ichirakus for a bowl of beef ramen. As he entered he found it surprisingly empty as he sat down at the front counter. A moment later the beautiful daughter of the owner, Ayame Ichiraku appeared with a smile on her face and a pen and pad in hand. "What can I get you Lee?" She asked in an innocent, sexy tone. Lee could feel his face shift to a slight shade of crimson in reaction. "I-I'll take a bowl of beef ramen please..." Lee finished. She giggled slightly at his reaction. "Coming right up." She said with a wink, and just as fast as she had come she disappeared. As Lee waited for his order he noticed he wasn't the only one in the restaurant.
In the corner Tenten and Hinata sat across from each other, eating slowly as they sat in an uncomfortable silence. Lee wasn't the type to eavesdrop but from what he could tell Hinata appeared very depressed. "I don't understand what happened, it was like he had become an entirely different person. One minute he's saying romantic things to me the next he talks to me as if I'm only a distraction from getting stronger..." Hinata said, appearing as though she were holding back tears as she spoke. Tenten sighed, she wanted desperately to cheer her friend up but she knew it was a hopeless gesture. Naruto had become like Neji, cold and calculating, what she couldn't figure out was what could have possibly happened to trigger such a drastic change in the boy's character?
"I'm sorry Hinata, I really don't know what to tell you, is there something that triggered this sudden change? Something you're not telling me?" Tenten asked. Hinata pushed her forefingers together nervously in response. "Well... You can't tell anyone this but ever since he lost to Sasuke on our last mission he's been so dark and angry, as things are he would resort to desperate measures to even get the power he needs to prove his superiority to his rival... Even after unlocking his Kekei Genkai..." Lee couldn't believe his ears, he needed confirmation though. Lee wasn't the type for words, instead he communicated with his fists.
Flashback End.
"I challenge you to a spar Naruto, show me the results of your training." Lee said with a smirk, getting in a solid Taijutsu stance. "Don't take this the wrong way Lee but I think you better spar with someone your own level..." This remark seemed to trigger something in Rock Lee, vanishing in a burst of chakra-enhanced speed, appearing above Naruto as he slammed his leg downward diagonally, calling out: "Leaf Hurricane!" The incantation echoing around him as Lee's chakra manifested into an explosive quantity of physical energy.
Naruto not expecting the blow gets send crashing into a nearby tree, standing up from a fresh crater in the ground in front of the newly destroyed tree. Brushing some dust off his body. "Sucker punching me like that, and you have the nerve to call yourself a shinobi!" Naruto roared a layer of pulsating, black chakra enveloping his entire body, his eyes glowing a bright crimson as the power of the Kyubi and Darkness Naruto flowed through him.
As he stood his ground three replications manifested around him without the use of any hand signs. One representing the power of Light and Darkness, the darkness within him controlling that fragment of his consciousness at the moment. The second represented his true potential as a strategic genius, and the third and final fragment of his consciousness represented his reliance on the use of the demonic energy from the powerful demon sealed within his body. Lee narrowed his gaze as he landed gracefully about fifteen feet away from Naruto and his clones. I see so this is his Kekei Genkai... I always knew there was more to Naruto than meets the eye...
"Haha and I should be ashamed to call myself a shinobi? I don't have any Kekei Genkai ninjutsu to use on you, if I'm the weakling why use your triumph care at the beginning of the fight!?" Rock Lee taunted. Naruto glared daggers at Rock Lee, all his power extinguishing as he reverted back to his original form. His ego clones vanishing in clouds of smoke, leaving no trace they had ever been there to begin with. "Now this is what I call a fight!" Rock Lee roared, appearing in front of Naruto as he slammed his fist forward in a sharp blow. Naruto merely ducked, a smirk on his face only to receive the full force of a powerful kick to the face, wiping that arrogant smirk from his face, sending him skidding across the dirt onto the ground. "Come on Naruto get up, are you truly that weak without the use of your natural talent!?"
Naruto rose up from the ground and wiped some blood from his lip. Before Lee could even blink Naruto appeared in front of him, slamming his fist into his face, sending him skidding across the ground, crashing into the trunk of a nearby tree. Rock Lee got to his feet and charged forward as he and Naruto exchanged blow, matching each other with equal force, as Lee's fists made contact with Naruto's he almost felt as if he could sense an enormous desperation in the way he fought. After fatigue caught up with the two Ninja they both jumped backward, opposite of one another as they stare off, breathing heavily. "Believe it or not Lee I'm quite adept at Taijutsu as the results of training, if I combine it with my Kekei Genkai I'll be able to obtain near limitless power!"
Naruto declared enthusiastically. "Then what?" Lee asked as he stood on his feet. "Then I'll have the power to defeat Sasuke once and for all!" Naruto declared once again. "Then what? After you kill Sasuke and become as powerful as you say what will you do with that power?" Lee asked. "Isn't it obvious? I'll use my power to become Hokage!" Naruto practically yelled. "Do you honestly believe they'd allow someone so desperate for power to become Hokage!? Don't make me laugh, you want that title so bad than you'll have to earn it, as it stands now you're no different than the Uchiha!" This comment enraged Naruto, charging forward recklessly. "SHUT UP!" Naruto roared, a fraction of the fox's demonic energy flowing through him as his eyes glowed a bright crimson.
Lee released the first chakra gate, charging forward with inhuman speed, slamming a concentration of physical energy stored within his fist toward Naruto. "If I'm wrong prove it to me! Show me that resolve of the Naruto I met at the Chunin exams!" A bright light filled their vision as an explosion of chakra erupted around them. As the dust settled a bright crimson figure taking Naruto's form stood in front of him, a bright crimson barrier surrounding both himself and Lee. The glowing crimson figure of Naruto turned around and frowned at his alternate self. "I'm very disappointed in you, you've become so drunk with your own power you lost your reason to obtain such power in the first place, are you really going to let that emo bastard get to you!? Even when he was part of the team that's how he's always been, defeat him with your own power, but if you sell your soul to the darkness for power you're no different. Remember Naruto... All the power in the world is meaningless if there's nothing to protect..."And with those words the projection from his alternate self faded, and became a ball of crimson light, flying toward him suddenly as it merged with himself. Naruto seemed to struggle internally for a few minutes, running toward the lake in the center of the park, as he gazed downward instead of his own reflection Sasuke's appeared before him, demonstrating his smug, arrogant smirk. Naruto's eyes widened. "What have I become?" He asked himself aloud.
Hinata sat on Tenten's porch, sipping a glass of Sake hoping she could forget about Naruto if even just for a moment. But it was hopeless. She had always fantasized about Naruto and how when they were older they would be hopeless romantics madly in love with one another. Back then she was so young and naive, how could she possibly believe any love they could have for each other would come so easily? She had never been in a relationship before so of course her expectations were those of childish fantasy. She loved Naruto with all of her heart and she knew their separation was only temporary, as long as the Naruto she fell in love with came back to her she'd be by his side always. As she finished her glass she headed inside as she felt the heat getting to her.
Later that Night...
Since there were only two seals in the shinobi world intact security for the remaining temples were on high alert. Nearly every Jounin and skilled Chunin the Hidden Mist Village had to offer was positioned in either the temple's exterior or interior. The crescent moon's twilight illuminated the darkness surrounding a squad of six Chunin and two Jounin. Suddenly the sound of footsteps echoed as a lone, shadowed figure approached. From what they could tell from the form the figure was no larger than the average man. "Halt! Identify yourself!" A Chunin up front called out into the proceeding darkness. The shadowed figure raised his hands upward into the sky slowly. "Are you going to kill me all-powerful shinobi?" The man asked in an amused and mocking tone. "Why you!" The Chunin roared, enraged as he charged forward. One of the Jounin extended him arm outward to stop him. "Stop it Koji!" But it was too late.
Tactless fool...
The shadowed figure thought with a sinister, satisfied grin. With a simple flick of his wrist the Chunin charging toward him came to a sudden halt. Turning around as he hesitantly unsheathed his katana and held it in front of him. "What the hell is happening!? I can't control my body!" With a simple motion the Chunin referred to as Koji shifted his katana so the blade was facing him and stabbed himself in the chest, crying out in agony as he fell to the ground dead, a pool of spilled carnage forming beneath the Chunin's corpse. "Koji! That was my son you bastard I'll make you pay!" One of the Jounin in the group announced, unsheathing his blade and pointing it at their attacker threateningly. The shadowed figure stepped into the pale twilight, a cross-shaped scar across an otherwise flawlessly face of a shinobi who looked as femininely beautiful as he did deadly.
Dressed in a full-body outfit of black leather, and strangely enough he appeared to be unarmed, but then again concealed weapons were rather common in the shinobi world. As the Jounin pointed his blade at the man who killed his own son before his very eyes he let out a small sigh. "Such insolence..." He muttered as he simply extended his hand forward, the Jounin suddenly turning around and slashing the throats of three Chunin instantly. As their lifeless bodies fell to the ground the survivors cried out in agony and despair as a strange force overcame their senses, forcing them to kill one another. As the small battle ensued the man merely walked past them an proceeded inside to take care of the rest of the insignificant fools who protected one of the last seals to the Legendary Frozen Flame.
After enjoying the suffering of his victims he proceeded past their corpses toward the altar with an orb of pale blue light hovering above it. A moment later the orb became a neon blue as an enormous humanoid figure of solidified mist manifested in front of the altar, charging forward toward the attacker. The man smirking and pulled off one of his sleeves as a strange rune tattooed down his forearm began to glow a bright crimson. Well it looks like I have to resort to 'that' jutsu in order to finish the job here...
Ten Minutes Later...
The tattoo running down the mysterious man's forearm faded as he pulled up his sleeve. A pile of dust behind him were the only remains of the elemental guardian as he proceeded toward the altar. He gazed at the glowing orb of light for a moment then proceeded to perform a few quick hand-signs. "Earth Style! Razor whip Jutsu!" A whip of razor-sharp chakra extended from his pointer fingertip and he lashed it toward the element, the orb of chakra was cleanly sliced in half and fell to the ground, shattering to pieces as if it were fragile glass. A split-second later an uncomprehensible seal appeared beneath the altar as a neon-blue light shot upward, parting the clouds as it connected the earth to the heavens. One more to go... The man thought with a sinister, satisfied grin. And with those words he vanished without a trace, other than the destruction and carnage he left in his wake.