Normal speech
Thought
Kyuubi/Nine-tails/Other big voices
InnerSakura
A/N: It's been a while since the last update. Between being busy and writer's block, and a bit of laziness, I had a little trouble finishing this chapter up. Hopefully everyone likes it, even though you're all probably a little put off by my constant changes. I'm still struggling to find the exact way I want to do things, but I feel that I'm progressing. Anyway... ON WITH THE STORY!!!
Disclaimer
I do not own Naruto in any way, shape, or form, but I do own the OCs in this story… :-) This is merely for my, and hopefully everyone else's, enjoyment. Thank you!
Recap:
Narutos: …… DRAGON WAVE!!
This time two blasts of chakra streaked from the smoke and through the sky towards Ayane. Seeing it, she began to worry. It was coming pretty fast right for her. She didn't have time to think, only…
Ayane: WING BLADE!!!
Her attack collided with the Narutos' and exploded right in front of her…
Ayane: AHH…!! MY EYES…!!
The blinding light from the explosion was only part of the distraction. She had no visual of her targets and the sound of the explosion was ringing in her ears, making it difficult for her to detect anyone… like the incoming enemy…
Naruto: TAKE THIS…!! "PULSING WAVE"!!!
Naruto had his shoulder in her back and other than his warmth Ayane could feel a wave of sensation wash over her body. Naruto's chakra exploded from his body and into Ayane's chakra system, shutting it down. The two fell through the still standing smoke and crashed to the ground.
As he turned to leave, Ayane began to stir. She sat up and set her gaze on Naruto…
He looked behind himself and watched as a few kunais and shuriken stuck into her. Ayane's body went limp. The boys looked to where they had come from and saw…
"That… That… That…!"
Naruto: Uh… Sakura…? Are you ok?
Sakura: … She… She… She hurt Sasuke! And then she was gonna hurt you! I couldn't let that happen!
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Ryuubi finally arrived at the site where Naruto and Connor's battle took place… and she did not like what she saw…
Ryuubi: What did you do?! Where is Naruto?!!
Connor: … Oh… Ryuubi… This… This isn't what it looks like…
Ryuubi: Then what is it…? 'Cause it looks like you killed him… *tears forming* … You idiot…!! You weren't supposed to kill him!! You've ruined everything!
Connor: It… It couldn't be helped… He was being difficult and if I didn't finish him, I would be dead…
Ryuubi: Then you should have died! Things would have been better if you did!
Connor: C-Come on now… You can't mean that… we've been friends for years now… I know my brother has a soft spot for you, but… he wouldn't stand for his little brother "kicking the bucket".
Ryuubi just glared at him…
Ryuubi: We are not, nor have we ever been friends…! The only reason I've put up with you all this time is because of your brother!
Connor: Come on… don't be mad, Conall will probably rip my tail off and shove it down my throat for making the princess angry…
Ryuubi: Then I'll save him some time and do it myself…
Connor: Wa-Wa-Wait! Don't blame me… the only reason why all this happened was because he put up a struggle to save his comrades…
Ryuubi: … His… comrades… *eyes turning red & exhaling smoke* … It is their fault! Naruto would be with me right now if it wasn't for them… If they weren't here, we could have convinced Naruto to come along with very little trouble. It's all their fault…!
Connor: … Y-Yeah… So what are you gonna do now?
Ryuubi: The rest of them… are as good as dead…!
Connor: Y-Yeah… You do that! As a matter of fact, we should do it together! Afterward, we can have a good time like we used to. Maybe rekindle our friendship…
Ryuubi: You shouldn't even think of celebrating because I still haven't decided whether I should let you live or kill you myself… *flapping wings and flying off*
Connor: …… Oh, come on Ryuubi… You don't have to go that far… You shouldn't be so sensitive, it was only one runt who probably wouldn't have been much use to you anyway… *watching as she flies off* … I'll tell you what, I'll make it up to you and help in finishing off those guys from the Leaf… *limping after her*
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Hinata: This is my fight and I must finish it…!
Yumi: So you want to continue our fight… That's good because I'd hate to have to make an unnecessary kill to get to my prey… *licking her lips*
Hinata: I'm the only person you have to worry about…!
Tsubame: Yeah… well, too bad the same doesn't apply to you… *preparing to fan her giant feather*
Hiashi grabbed Hinata to protect her when, suddenly, an arrow penetrated the top of Tsubame's head…
Yumi: Stay out of this… you filth…! *with bow in hand*
Hinata and Hiashi were shocked at this…
Suzume: WHA… WHAT THE HELL, YUMI!!? YOU'RE TAKING THINGS TOO FAR…! HOW COULD YOU KILL YOUR OWN COMRADE THAT WAS ONLY TRYING TO HELP YOU BY GETTING RID OF THAT PE(pest)…!
Yumi: You as well… *drawing back* … you pathetic piece of garbage… *firing*
The Hyuugas watched in horror as Yumi killed her own comrades. Suzume's head was ripped off her shoulders in the very way Hinata's would have. Blood began to gush from her neck and sprinkled the ground below…
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Suddenly, from out of nowhere, a blast destroyed the arrows. Both Hinata and Yumi (just the one) were shocked at this. Who could it have been…?
Hinata knew that it most likely couldn't have come from any of her family, but she had a hunch that she knew exactly who it was. She and Yumi looked around the forest and saw a figure in the trees. They were both surprised to see that it was…
Yumi: WHO TOLD YOU TO BUTT-IN!? *looking at the quiet figure* … What is it with dragons and their superiority complex…? *again, nothing* … WELL…! AREN'T YOU GOING TO SAY ANYTHING!? *silence* … Very well then… we'll finish this when I'm done with…
As she turned around to find her prey, an arrow penetrated her body… and exploded. Hinata had placed an explosive note around the arrow before firing. Parts of Yumi's body disintegrated in the blast. With her foe vanquished it was finally over…
Hinata: Thank you for helping me…
Cutting Off The Head
Everyone was faced with adversity but they knew that they would have to get through it. With their pride and their comrades' lives on the line… THEY FIGHT!!!
The entire area was decimated. The trees had been splintered and the ground had been scorched. On opposite sides stood the two responsible… Yuuki and Ryuuri. They huffed and puffed, trying to catch their breaths, shooting a smile at the other…
"[Chuckles]… I had no idea you would be this tough. I thought that all you had was a large supply of chakra, but… you've proven me wrong, you've been putting it to good use. You've got a lot of heart," Ryuuri stated while trying to catch her breath.
"Same to you… You've given me a great fight so far… but I no longer have time to play around."
She placed her hands together to focus chakra…
"I have to save my brother from your witch of a sister…!"
"DON'T TALK ABOUT MY SISTER THAT WAY…!! I'LL SHOW YOU!!"
She too began focusing her chakra…
"Calling my sister a witch… She isn't a witch, she's… What is she doing?"
She noticed that something was strange. She could feel a great amount of her sister's chakra. Ryuubi was normally the peaceful kind of person that preferred not to fight, but if she had to then look out. She also wasn't any weakling but Ryuuri knew that if she could "feel" this much chakra coming from her, then Ryuubi was either showing no mercy, which would be bizarre, or someone was really forcing her to go all out. This began to worry Ryuuri…
"This isn't right," she whispered as she began to sprout wings.
"What are you doing…?" Yuuki questioned. "We aren't finished here…!"
"We'll have to finish this some other time… I have to make sure that my sister is alright," she answered as she flew off over the trees.
"Her sister…?"
It then dawned on her…
"Naruto…!"
Ryuubi was in the air holding an unconscious Hinata by the throat just leering at her. Hiashi and the other Hyuugas couldn't do anything to save her because of the distance and the flames she used to keep them back as well as the ice that blocked them off that was too slippery to climb over.
Hanabi was worried. Her sister was being held hostage and there was nothing that anyone could do.
"RELEASE MY DAUGHTER THIS INSTANT!!" Hiashi commanded.
Ryuubi gave him a cold stare…
"You're worried about her, right, 'Papa'?"
"Yes, I don't want any harm to come to her… She isn't even capable of defending herself now, so please… let her go," a worried look on his face.
"Why would I do that…? Would you like to take her place, 'Papa'?"
"If it means that she is safe, then yes…!"
"That's good… That's good to hear, 'Papa'… You can be next after I take her life for taking away something precious to me…!!"
"NO!! DON'T DO THIS…!" Hiashi pleaded.
She flew higher into the sky…
"YEAH…!! DO IT RYUUBI!!" Connor encouraged.
She flew up so high that those on the ground could hardly make them out. That would soon change as she and Hinata flew towards the earth in a screaming fireball…
"NO!!"
"LADY HINATA!!" the two guards yelled.
"SHE'S GONE MAD!!?" Neji declared.
"SISTER!!" Hanabi cried with tears streaming down her face.
The two rocketed towards the earth, Hinata out of it and Ryuubi with a crazed look in her eyes…
"WHAT'S GOING ON HERE…?! RYUUBI!!"
She heard Naruto's voice and pulled up just in time to avoid a surely fatal crash. As she did, she lost control and did her best to keep from smashing into a tree or anything else that would definitely cause excruciating pain. She managed to maintain herself enough before she could no longer and crashed into a tree.
The others ran up quickly to assess any possible damage that either could have obtained. They came upon a bloody Ryuubi with both wings torn and broken. It was amazing that she was alive. It was even more amazing that just a minute ago she was completely homicidal, but now… she was cradling Hinata in her arms, protecting her during the impact.
Ryuubi began to stir and opened her eyes to see the Hyuugas looking at her and to her surprise, Naruto, with Sakura on his back, was there as well…
"… Na… Naruto…? Is it… Is it really you?"
"Yeah, it's me… What were you thinking just now…? You could have killed both you and Hinata…!"
"… I… I was so upset…"
"You were upset…?"
"I… I thought… that I had lost you forever," a tear rolled down her cheek.
"That still isn't a reason to take it out on Hinata…"
"… You're right… I shouldn't have… but I just wanted someone to blame… someone that I could take my wrath out on," a sad expression crossed her face.
"Well then you should have gone after that Connor guy, he was the one that nearly killed me…"
Connor approached, "Yeah, I nearly killed you… Wait, that can't be right… I saw you crumble to a million pieces with my own eyes... How could you have survived, you damn pest…!?"
"Simple… Shadow clone… The one that attacked you was a Shadow clone while I was the last one in the back, the one furthest away from the action and when you two collided. I slipped away because I figured that that was the end but if you survived then maybe you wouldn't be able to track my scent…"
"So you ran away… I guess I was too much for you to handle," Connor snidely remarked.
"I would have stayed to finish things, but I had something more important… my friends…"
"Tch! Riiight…"
"It makes sense, Neji spoke up as he looked in Connor's direction. "You're right; he is quite the pest…"
"Hey!!"
"He's never done when you expect him to be," he continued. "He always has to fight so hard… That is why… I will do the same…"
He turns to Naruto…
"Is there anyone else that you haven't come into contact with?"
"Yeah… Kakashi sensei and Kurenai sensei, and Yuuki is out there somewhere as well," Naruto replied.
"You go help the others… Leave this to me…"
Kiba walked up and said, "Just leave Sakura here… we'll see about her while you round-up everyone else."
He and Shino had just caught up while carrying an unconscious Sasuke. Along with Hinata, they moved the injured to a safer area.
"Got it…!" He then turned to Hiashi and asked him to please look after Ryuubi while he was gone.
Ryuubi didn't want this however, "No…! I'm coming along with you!"
"But you aren't in any condition to be moving around…"
"I have to come with you… I should be able to convince Conall to put an end to this disaster…"
Naruto looked unsure but agreed to bring Ryuubi along. He helped her up and onto his back with the help of Hiashi. Ryuubi didn't expect Hiashi of all people to be helping her… not after what she had put him and his daughter and family through. He was nothing like the father-figure she was used to. She apologized for causing him any kind of grief and he accepted it, sincerely.
A/N: Do to the stress of fearing that it was the end of Naruto, Ryuubi couldn't focus enough to accurately sense whether he was alive or not. Like most shinobi, Naruto managed to lower his chakra signature in order to escape detection. Ryuubi's state of mind also played a big role in her not being able to sense his presence.
"Take good care of everyone until I get back!" he told no one specific. "Be careful Neji… Good luck," he shouted as he ran off into the forest with Ryuubi on his back.
"Wait a minute, you coward!! We aren't…" Connor yelled as he was cut off by Neji.
"No! I will be your opponent!"
Kakashi and Kurenai were hiding from Conall's search party for a moment to catch their breaths. They took a deep breath and held it as one of the patrols roamed into the area and out. Safe for the moment, the two decided to discuss strategy.
"What do we do? He's too strong and fast to fight head on," Kurenai asked trying to keep calm and collected.
"If I could just get him to drop his guard for even a moment I could probably end things once and for all… Traps won't work well unless we can snare him by his tail. I can't cast a strong enough genjutsu to immobilize him because he won't even glance at my sharingan…"
"Genjutsu…? If it's genjutsu you want, then I'm your woman," a smirk appearing on her face.
"Yeah, I figured as much, but the question is… how do we create an opening on him without risking a potentially fatal blow?"
"That's simple," a voice bellowed from out of nowhere.
The ground underneath the two cracked and crumbled and from it exploded Conall forcing the two back. Out of the shadows appeared the other six as they surrounded the two…
"…you can't," he finished while smiling fiercely.
They all lunged at the two in the center and dog-piled on them. They pinned them down and…
"Any last words?"
Kakashi and Kurenai were horrified when all seven raised their clawed hands into the air and plunged them into their bodies…
The Conalls could feel as cold liquid from their bodies gushed and flowed onto their hands…
"Wait…! It's cold… This isn't right!" one of the Conalls pointed out.
"Heh, you got that right boys…"
They looked up as Kurenai dropped in right in front of them just an arm's length away. She cycled through her seals as their gazes were fixed on her and…
She stopped and jumped back, disappearing into the brush. The Conalls quickly chased after her further into the forest. They searched and sniffed the air for any trace of their prey when they heard a scream from behind them. One of the Conalls had disappeared. They continued on only to hear the screams of another. This time they could see exactly what had happened…
"It's an imposter!!"
As the one that was stabbed disappeared, the others rushed the imposter and slashed him to bits. As they did, they could hear more familiar screams of agony… but it had come from the one they had recently eliminated. Following directly was another…
The remaining three were on edge. They didn't know whether or not they could trust the others and stick close or run off and leave it as every wolf for himself. They heard the breaking of twigs and looked behind them. There they saw many more impostors with red glowing eyes.
"This has to be some kind of illusion…!" one said shakily. "We've been caught in genjutsu!!"
He and the remaining two focused their chakra in order to break free of this illusion. They closed their eyes and heard as the army of clones marched towards them. The one further back listened as the others screamed as they were slaughtered…
"This is it…! 'Lightning Edge'!!" Kakashi noted as he closed in.
Neji was having a hard time with Connor. Any attempt he made to get closer was thwarted by his desire not to be frozen solid.
Neji charged again and as he drew near, Connor began cycling through hand seals…
"Ice Style: Ice Fortress"!!
Neji stopped immediately and watched as Connor surrounded himself with walls of ice on every side. Neji used his Byakugan and carefully scanned for any signs of getting to Connor inside of his box of ice.
He figured that he could try and cause it to break and crumble on top of Connor in hopes of crushing him… but he knew that he didn't have the necessary force to accomplish this alone. He then noticed…
Thinking to himself, Neji calculated a way to defeat his opponent, "The walls… there's chakra flowing through them. He must be trying to reinforce them that way…"
Neji looked for the point in the wall with the least amount of chakra and focused himself. He took a deep breath before running right at the ice box. He smashed his palm into the wall and watched as the chakra flow in the wall became distorted. He quickly placed a few explosive tags and jumped back as they went off.
The ice box began to crack and crumble. Not wanting to die this way, Connor bolted from inside, barely escaping being flattened by the debris.
He would have to quickly turn things around and jump back on the offensive now that he was out. As soon as he turned around, he saw Neji only a few feet away. Neji connected with his "Gentle Fist" to the center of Connor's chest, but it wasn't enough…
"Why you…!" he said choking on his own blood.
A blade of ice formed on his arm as he raised it into the air to strike. Neji was surprised that the opponent could still continue. As Connor moved to strike Neji, he was stopped by a sudden surge of pain.
Neji looked to his side, "… Lord Hiashi?"
"I see that you still haven't fully recovered from your fight in the Chunin Exams… You have a ways to go, Neji…"
Hiashi struck to the right of where Neji had. With his "Gentle Fist" style, Hiashi attacked and ruptured Connor's heart…
Connor coughed up more blood as he couldn't continue on. As he fell, he said one final thing, "Tch! Da… Damn you…!"
"… Is… Is it over…?" Hanabi asked with a glimmer of hope in her eyes.
"Yes, we are done here," Hiashi said as he slightly relaxed and deactivated his Byakugan.
Neji was deep in thought about what his next move should be. He finally came to a decision and informed the others, "We should hurry. We have to get the injured out of this forest. I would like to go and help the others, but… right now, the most important thing is to save those we can."
Conall had stopped Kakashi short of victory. He caught him by the arm and was holding on tightly…
Kakashi was surprised, "What!? How…?!"
"Since out of all the bodies you didn't kill the original, I had time to counter you. I know your scent and with my blood on your hands… it was easy enough to sense you…"
Kurenai was biting her nails, pondering, "What does it take to beat this guy?"
"With this… you're done," his voice straining as it deepened and his form began changing…
"Ninja Art: Werewolf Transformation Jutsu!"
Naruto and Ryuubi were making their way through the forest, leaping tree to tree, as they searched for anyone else from his group.
"So, Ryuubi… you say that this Conall guy is the one behind this…"
"Ye-Yes… more or less. I had something to do with this, but… I didn't mean for it to turn out like this. I just wanted you to stay with me… but I didn't know how to go about it." She looked sad as she continued, "That's when Conall suggested that we just harmlessly kidnap you. He said that in time you would learn to enjoy being with us. He hired the bandits because they would serve as a good distraction and since they weren't all that strong, they posed no serious threat to your comrades. While they kept them busy, we would swoop in and grab you. Someone set off an explosion and things just started going downhill from there."
"I get that you wanted to separate us, but didn't you think that my friends would've done all they could to get me back after being kidnapped?"
"That's just the thing… We figured that you all were nothing more than comrades… if one of you disappeared and couldn't be found, then that would be the end of that. Our kind isn't really that appreciated in a village full of other different clans other than for our remarkable power. With this, a strong clan like ours is welcomed…"
"Is that why you wanted me to come with you? To create a strong clan…?"
She took a second before responding, "Yes… My sister and I haven't been accepted or trusted by any village for a long time now. I was raised to believe that this was because we weren't seen as strong or had anything to offer…"
"That can't be true…! Why would…?"
"They didn't see us as weak, but because it was just the two of us, I don't think that any of the other villages wanted us around. My father taught us that we're seen as nothing but tools to a village and the more the better. They wanted a bunch of powerful tools that could be used how they pleased…"
"That isn't true!!" he interjected.
"What?"
"That isn't true! Not everyone sees us as nothing but things… there are people that understand that we're actual people. You shouldn't give up so easily!"
"… But…"
"But nothing…!" he exclaimed. "You're just looking for a place to call home… I can assure you that there's a place like that if you don't give up. I think, if you came along with us, you'd finally have a place like that. The Leaf Village is a great place!"
"... Naruto…"
She thought about it for a while. How great it would be to finally have a place to belong and get along happily with others. A place where she and her sisters could make comrades and friends and be glad to contribute to its well-being. Soon, a blush began to creep onto her face…
Ryuubi hesitated as something popped into her mind, "… Um… Naruto…… Do you think… it would be alright to raise a clan there?"
"Huh? Sure… I don't see why not…"
A smile appeared on her face as she let on a little more about what she was thinking, "That's good to hear. I can't wait until this is all over so you and I can get started on that."
"Yeah, good luck with that. I hope you and your sister will be very happy." He obviously hadn't noticed what she had just said. He soon realized it however as he frantically tried to clarify this, "Wait! Did you say you and me!? I'm too…"
He stopped speaking as he picked up on something…
"You felt it too, right? Conall is fighting someone and is going all out."
"He's fighting Kakashi and Kurenai sensei!"
"If we don't hurry…"
"Yeah… Hold on tight!" he said as he began to pick up the pace.
Kakashi and Kurenai had been forced back as they skidded to a stop. They now reflected the tough battle they had endured. Their clothes had been torn and fresh blood was dripping from exposed wounds on their bodies.
"Well, that didn't work… Things just get worse by the minute… I've got nothing… Tell me you've come up with a way to beat this guy," Kurenai stated as she struggled to catch her breath.
Kakashi replied, "No, sorry… I'm starting to run out of ideas. The only thing that I can think of is getting help from the others and outnumbering him."
"That sounds like a good plan to me."
"Yeah… but the only problem with it is that the others may be preoccupied as well. We'll either have to hope for the best and wait for them to come to us or…"
"We go to them," she added.
Conall coldly stared at the two as he waited for them to make a move. As he was about to take a step closer, Kakashi hurled a kunai at him. He dodged it as the two made a run for it…
"That's it… run… make this a little more fun for me, my prey," he said to himself as he gave chase.
He followed them through the forest as they fled. He quickly caught up and just as he was close enough to grab one of them, they went their split up. He immediately stopped as he tried to decide which one he wanted to go after most…
"Too easy..."
He began cycling through seals and created a double of himself. They exchanged a toothy grin and continued with the hunt.
Kakashi hurried through the brush of the forest as he searched for any sign of any of his comrades in the area. He had to scan the area quickly because he knew that he wouldn't be alone for much longer. Conall had come after him and was gaining ground.
He kept on through the forest but, before he knew it, Conall had appeared right beside him. With one swing of his big furry arm, Conall sent Kakashi reeling into a tree. Kakashi shook off the pain and discomfort of crashing into a tree trunk as he stood to his feet. He was horrified to see a second show up. It wasn't just that a second had appeared but that he was dragging Kurenai along.
Kakashi began to worry because he couldn't tell whether or not she was alive from where he stood. He would have to get closer to reassure himself that things hadn't gone from bad to terrible. He prepared to put his body through just for a sliver of hope.
A thudding sound rang in his ears as Kakashi bolted for the two Conalls. The one still holding Kurenai released her and took a defensive position. Kakashi swung his kunai a slashed deep into his arm. Focusing only on Kurenai's fallen frame, Kakashi didn't notice the devastating kick that was coming his way. This time, he completely smashed through a couple of trees.
The fight had definitely taken its toll on Kakashi as he couldn't seem to move his body. All he could do was watch as the Conalls slowly made their way over to him. Saliva dripped from their canine jaws as they flashed their menacingly sharp teeth.
"It's all over for you, 'Kakashi of the Sharingan'," one spoke as he cracked his knuckles. The two loomed over Kakashi as they cycled through seals. Kakashi looked on helplessly as their sharp claws began to glow as electricity seemed to be jumping from tip to tip. They prepared to finish things… but a sour look crossed their face.
They both turned in time to see a few shuriken coming at them. They quickly dodged and moved away from Kakashi. From the trees to right in front of him appeared Naruto and Ryuubi. Kakashi was relieved to see them but was soon disappointed to find out that it was just the two.
"You're in over your head. You… you should go and get help."
"Don't worry Kakashi sensei; Ryuubi says that she knows this guy and that she should be able to talk him out of all this."
"Is… is that so…?"
Ryuubi nodded as Naruto let her off his back. She turned to Kakashi, and with a somber look on her face said, "I'm sorry for all of this. It's all my fault. I didn't want it to go this way… but I'll do what I can to resolve this now so that you and your friends can return safely to your village."
"Really now…? Just like that, the fun is over…?" the Conalls spoke with sullen looks on their faces.
"I don't want this to go on. I don't want anyone else to get hurt because I was so stupid," she said as she limped over to them. "Please… for me… stop this…"
They looked down at her face and could see that she sincerely meant what she had said. They continued to look straight into her teary eyes as she pleaded for this all to end. A smile crossed their lips as the three chuckled to themselves. The mood lightened, but not for long…
One of the Conalls grabbed a hold of Ryuubi while the other ran right past her. He was going right for Naruto who was shocked by this sudden change in atmosphere. Conall slashed at Naruto and smashed the ground as Naruto retreated to a safer distance.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING, YOU IDIOT?!" Naruto yelled at the big bad wolf.
"Conall stop…! You don't have to do this! It isn't what I want!"
Signs of irritation were shown as Conall growled, "I don't have to do this… But I do… This is what you wanted, a little pet dragon so that your clan wouldn't dwindle down to nothing. I told you that I would do whatever it took to solve your problem, so let me handle this. Before you know it, there'll be a few more little dragons running around… even if we have to strap the kid down and force him."
"But I don't want Naruto to be hurt!!" she cried.
"As long as he isn't dead things'll work out. Just leave everything to me," he said as a wicked smile appeared on his face.
He casually walked over to the tree Naruto was in and effortlessly hacked it down. He did this again and again driving Naruto further and further into the forest. Ryuubi began to feel scared for Naruto's sake as she could only hear the sounds of tumbling trees in the distance.
She frantically wanted to help Naruto as she struggled to free herself from Conall's powerful grip. In her current condition she couldn't do much but squirm. She heard more trees crash to the ground and it drove her crazy.
"What do you think you're doing Ryuubi…? You've never been able to escape my grasp even when you weren't injured. You can't possibly think that you can now of all times…"
Ryuubi continued to squirm. Conall could hear a low growl coming from her as she slowly transformed. He watched her horns grow and mocked her with a big smile on his face. That smile would soon change to a frown as he began to feel weak in the knees. He began to hunch over and released his hold on Ryuubi as she removed her hard, scaly tail from his crotch.
As Conall crumpled to the ground, Ryuubi began flapping her wings in an attempt to take flight. She immediately fell to the ground as her wings were still damaged. She would have to hoof it and hope that Naruto could stay away from Conall for as long as possible.
"R… Ry… Ryuubi… you… you'll regret this," he managed to spit as he watched her hobble off into the forest.
Ryuubi made her way through the forest following the path of destruction. The more she saw the more she worried. She continued and could hear more mayhem as she drew closer. She tried to pick up the pace only to trip over herself. This wouldn't deter her as she just crawled the rest of the way. She reached the edge of what appeared to be a battlefield. She looked on as a number of fights were taking place. There were a few Conalls against a great number of Naruto clones. Ryuubi had never seen anything like this. Conall was tough enough to give both she and her sister a hard time in a fight, but what she was witnessing was unlike anything she had ever seen…
The number of Conalls began to wind down as the horde of Narutos found their mark with great efficiency. The first was defeated by a couple of point-blank Rasengans and impaled on a broken tree. The second had his body torn through as he received Rasengans to both his front and back. The third was defeated by a barrage of kunai and shuriken from all around, the fourth was batted around like a volleyball by a cluster of surrounding Rasengan attacks, and the fifth was incinerated by a mass attack from the Narutos' "Dragons' Wrath". There was now only one left…
Ryuubi was in shock. Never before had she seen the Horde technique performed with the makings of only one individual. Naruto was more amazing than she had thought. This feeling of amazement wouldn't last however as the Narutos all focused on the last standing wolf. The look in their eyes spelled certain doom for Conall and this scared Ryuubi. She tried to get up and stop this but was blindsided…
She fell to the ground and felt pressure from someone's body on her back. She could feel the hot breath of this person on the nape of her neck. She then recognized exactly who it was as he softly growled into her ear.
"C-Conall… you're hurting me," she strained.
"Shut up!!" he roared as he began grinding her face in the dirt.
The Narutos turned to see all the commotion. When they saw Conall pinning Ryuubi to the ground, they didn't like it one bit. Their focus shifted… a mistake. The remaining Conall began destroying the surrounding clones, but when they tried to do something about it they were put in an uncomfortable situation.
"Ah, ah, ah… I wouldn't try anything if I were the lot of you. That is… unless you don't mind seeing her pretty little face all scarred up," Conall said in a callous tone.
This stopped the Narutos in their tracks, making it easy for Conall to destroy them one by one without any trouble. Their numbers dramatically decreased as they could do nothing but take the beating for fear of what would happen to Ryuubi.
"Why are you doing this? I thought you were doing this for my sake," Ryuubi muffled as she tearfully watched countless Narutos wiped out.
"So you did notice, huh? You noticed that the only reason that I let you do whatever you want, that I let you tell me what to do on occasion, the only reason I go along with what you say and do whatever to give you what you want… what you deserve… is because I have an interest in you."
"So… So you planned on eliminating Naruto so that I'd have no choice but to turn to you. But why did you make it seem like you would allow me to get what I wanted… just to snatch it away?"
"You've got it all wrong. I was going to allow you to have what you wanted… but it wouldn't be you. I would see to it that the kid and your annoyingly clingy, brat of a sister would solve that little problem while you were exclusively mine. That way you could give me the strong pack I deserve to be leading and you can see a slight glimmer of hope for your clan… before I sell them off for a profit."
"N-No way… You can't…!"
"Can't I…? Your sister is such a pest. Anytime I've tried to get close to you, she's just gotten in the way. I'm sure that she and the rest of the runts would be an annoyance as well so the sooner I can get rid of them, the better."
"I knew that you were no good," a voice called out.
Before he knew it, Conall had been knocked off of Ryuubi. The culprit was revealed to be…
"You slime…! How dare you hurt my dear big sister!!" Ryuuri said as she landed next to Ryuubi.
"Why you-…!!" He stopped mid-sentence as he realized that the other Conall was being annihilated by multiple streams of chakra.
He then felt troubled as everyone seemed to be setting their sights on him. It was too late to run away since he was now surrounded on all sides. Could this be his end?
"Hell no…!" he thought. "There's no way I could let things end like this!"
He began throwing ninja tools all around and managed to take out a few unsuspecting clones. He then charged for the dragon sisters, taking out even more clones.
"He must be trying to take one of them hostage again," a Naruto stated.
"That coward! We have to stop him," another responded.
Naruto after Naruto tried to interfere in Conall's plan, but it seemed as if he was unstoppable. The horde of Narutos tried nailing him with Rasengans and ninja tools only for him to dodge and escape with minor cuts and bruises. He just kept coming as electricity began to jump from his claws. His target…
"Lightning Fang!!"
Blood splattered to the ground as Conall's strike found its mark. The sisters were in shock. They couldn't believe what had just happened.
"Now look what you made me do…!! This wasn't my intention… at least yet."
Blood dripped to the ground as Conall looked Naruto in his big blue eyes…
"Na… Naruto," Ryuuri stammered.
"Naruto…!... Why…?" Ryuubi tearfully questioned.
He grimaced and cringed from the surge of electricity shooting through his body before he said, "There's no way I can stand by and let someone else get hurt for me… I don't like it one bit, especially right in front of me… I won't allow it…!"
As Naruto was saying this, Yuuki arrived in time to see this horrible scene. Conall's clawed hand had been shoved into Naruto's gut. After a moment of violently shaking, he finally went limp in Conall's arms. The rest of his clones dispersed and filled the forest with smoke. The only thing that could be heard was the cries of Yuuki as she screamed for her brother.
Conall distanced himself by jumping out of the cloud of smoke and taking Naruto with him…
"I've got what you want… so what about you… Ryuubi…?"
"Please… I'll do whatever you want, just… just don't hurt Naruto anymore."
"Then get over here and take your place at my side!"
There was a moment of silence as she thought over his proposal. She looked back at her sister whose eyes pleaded her not to give in…
"I don't have all day!! If you don't act quickly enough then I'll just have to get rid of the problem that's holding you up!" he impatiently howled. "Your sister will receive the same treatment as this kid and then I'm gonna sell whatever's left for whatever I can get for 'em. We'll see what chances your clan has of reviving when you're all in different parts of the world…
"You… you… can't…!"
"Oh but I will…! Then the only chance you'll have of reviving your clan will reside with me… If you come with me now at least I'll give your clan a chance by keeping the brats together…… So what do you say?" he asked with an outstretched hand.
Once again Ryuubi looked into her sister's eyes. She forced a smile and began making her way over to Conall.
"Sister, don't do this!" Ryuuri cried.
Still walking with her back to her sister, Ryuubi responded, "I have to… I don't want to see anyone else hurt."
"But we can take him together…!"
She shook her head before continuing, "I wouldn't be of much use. I'd just hinder you… I love you too much to risk letting anything happen to you. What's important is the clan. I'll do this so that you can finally have a little happiness and have the family you always wanted."
"RYUUBI, YOU IDIOT!! I don't care about the clan!! I never have! I don't want to start a new family. I only went along with it because you had your heart set on it. The only family I want is you. The only one I want is you."
Tears were streaming down her face. The same could be said for Ryuubi who was now standing in place, wiping tears from her eyes. It was a touching moment between the two but Conall reiterated his point and set Ryuubi on track. She kept on walking, not looking back at her sister no matter how much she pleaded and cried. She mere seconds away from taking his hand when he jerked it away…
Ryuubi and Ryuuri were surprised when they saw that someone tried to smash Conall into the ground.
With a shroud of dust concealing them, the person responsible began to speak. With a familiar voice full of emotion she said, "This is just a bunch of stupid bullshit! All this happened because you two gutless idiots are too blind to see what's in front of you."
With the dust finally cleared, it could be seen that the girl with red, animal-like eyes was pissed. Ryuubi and Ryuuri could tell that she was using some weird power. Even her appearance was different from before. Her canines had grown, as did her nails and the whisker-like markings on her cheeks.
"RYUUBI…!" she roared. "Your sister's telling you how she feels and you just turn your back on her…! How can you do something like that!? Can't you see how much she loves you!!? She would rather die trying to protect you then let this creep get his dirty paws on you!! I should know… I'd do the same for Naruto…! We're willing to put up a fight to protect those precious to us…! You should be too." She let it sink in before she set her sights on, "RYUURI…! It's foolish for you to want to take down the bastard that hurt my brother with just you sister… without my help, that is," she flashed a smile as Ryuuri did the same.
"Then let's do this! You and I'll put this bastard in his place. Ryuubi, you get to safety and leave this to us…"
"No…… I'll fight… I can't let this slide. We have to do what we can to stop Conall!"
"Yeah…! But can you really be of any use in your condition?" Yuuki questioned.
"Probably not much… but I'll do what I can to make sure that he doesn't hurt Naruto or you two anymore," she replied.
Their resolve pooled, the three angry kunoichi readied themselves. Conall watched as things began to turn sour in his favor. "Shit…! Ryuubi is bad enough but now she's got the help of her sister and some other annoying pest. Those two sisters compliment each other's style perfectly. I know to expect a combination of speed and strength… but that other one… I have no idea what she can contribute other than this unusually intimidating presence," he thought as he grinded his teeth.
Without warning, Yuuki and Ryuuri took off running to the sides, leaving Ryuubi in place cycling through hand seals. While focused on her, his left ear twitched. He turned in that direction to see that Ryuuri had stopped in place. His other ear soon did the same and he quickly spun around. He was shocked to see Yuuki's red eyes as she was barreling down on him.
Once again he managed to avoid being smashed into the ground. "Oh great…! She's fast too," he couldn't help but think. "Now, not only do I have to worry about being caught off-guard by Ryuubi, I have to…"
He paused that thought as he realized something. He quickly panned to see if Ryuubi was still in the same spot. He was horrified to see that she wasn't. He looked all around for any sign of her… but all he could hear was the ominous sound of flapping wings. His eyes narrowed as the sound completely stopped.
Like a deadly missile from above, Ryuubi dive-bombed and crashed into Conall. She had him pinned below her feet and noticed that he still hadn't let go of Naruto. Armor-like scales began to form on her hand as she lifted it. Like a pointed blade, she thrusted her sharp clawed hand at him.
Using Naruto as a shield, he managed to freeze Ryuubi long enough to force himself from under her. He had to move quickly because he knew that the next attack wouldn't be too far behind.
He looked up into the sky and caught a glimpse of a winged Ryuuri preparing to rain down on him like a hammer. Once again he raised Naruto's body as a shield. He soon realized that this wouldn't work because she showed no signs of slowing down or redirecting her attack. He immediately rolled out of harm's way as he barely escaped from being pulverized like the now gaping hole in the ground where he just lay.
He tried his best to hastily cycle through his seals, but Yuuki instantly converged on him. She kicked him across the face and grabbed onto Naruto. The two began a tug-of-war and neither was willing to give up the prize so easily.
Conall's hand became charged with electricity as he swiped at Yuuki. Reluctantly, Yuuki released her grip and distanced herself from Conall. He jumped to his feet and began making threats of using his technique to end Naruto's life. This kept the girls at bay. He ordered them to stay put as he decided which one would feel his "fangs" first.
Just the thought of losing to this guy this way was starting to get to Yuuki. Red chakra began to seep from her body and cover her. This startled Conall and he jumped back and reminded her of the situation. If she didn't cool it, it would be the end of Naruto. She did as she was told and all signs of her intimidating chakra began to disappear along with any minor transformation.
"Wise choice…! Now… which one of you should it be? Should I kill the manipulative she-witch that tried to use me to do her bidding? Should I kill her pestering little sister that always kept me from making any progress? Or maybe I should kill the new girl that is obviously more of a threat than she appears… That would be the wise choice… but I can't help but feel this animalistic urge to rip you to pieces!"
"Don't you dare lay a finger on my sister!!" she shouted.
Conall motioned his hand towards Naruto's chest in an effort to remind Ryuuri of what was happening.
"Like I give a damn!" she yelled as she took a step closer.
Conall was relieved to see that he wasn't about to come under attack again. Ryuuri looked as if she was going to charge right at him, but she was put back in her place by a punch to the face.
Rubbing her jaw, she looked up at Yuuki who said, "Don't you dare do something like that. If it were your sister being held captive you know you wouldn't even think about doing something so stupid!"
She continued rubbing her sore jaw as she gave it some thought. She stood to her feet and agreed to what Yuuki had said before apologizing.
"It's good to see that you all understand the situation, and that neither of you will try anything foolish. Now… you can all die! Starting with you Ryuubi…"
He tucked Naruto under his arm and went right for her. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Ryuuri jumping out front. It didn't really make a difference to him because he'd just rip through her and kill her sister as well. This just made things easier on him. He then noticed that Ryuubi had embraced Ryuuri in a hug and switched their places. They both closed their eyes and awaited their fate.
As if time had stopped, both Ryuubi and Ryuuri reflected on their lives up until this point. They remembered the good times like all the baths they shared or traveling together, and the bad times like all the arguments they had or when they were abandoned by their father. Even then, like now, they were there for each other.
It was dark but Ryuubi could hear a voice calling to her. She opened her eyes and saw a bright white light. The voice became clearer and clearer to the point that she could recognize who it belonged to. She looked and there in front of her was Yuuki trying to get her attention.
"Wha-… What's going on? Am I dead?" she questioned while checking herself for any real answer. She came to the conclusion that she must still be alive, but if she was then…
"Ryuuri…!!?"
She grabbed her and noticed that she had a weird look on her face. It wasn't one of a person that was dying… but of someone that looked confused. Ryuubi turned around to see what had caused this and just inches away was Conall with his hand outstretched.
He looked to be struggling as his attack dissipated and he kept changing forms. Conall was about to land the finishing blow… when he felt all his strength leave him…
"H-Huh…? Wha… What's… happening…?" he strained.
Everyone could see that Conall's attack had dispersed. The cause of it was…
Conall looked over his shoulder and in horror realized what was wrong. He had made an error. He had Naruto's tail in his hand, but Naruto also had a hold of his tail and it was sapping all of his strength…
"I… I made a grave mistake… The kid is like me so of course he would know my weakness… I thought that I had completely disabled him with my attack though," he thought as he dropped to his knees.
He tried to will himself back to his feet but it was useless. The sound of crackling electricity soon caught his ear. Before another thought could cross his mind he felt a mixture of sensations as his chest was punched through. Behind him he could hear the one responsible whisper to him, "'Lightning Edge'… It's a shame, but… your life ends here…!"
"How… How can this be?!" he asked as looked at a stirring Naruto.
Kakashi decided to give him an answer before his life came to an end, "You made the mistake of being too arrogant, you didn't know your opponent as well as you thought… the Leaf shinobi and Naruto. That boy… doesn't share your weakness… He's worked hard to improve himself so that he wouldn't be a burden to anyone… not even if someone thinks they know how to beat him."
"… He… He… strengthened his tail… How… did I not think of that…?" he faded as Kakashi removed his hand from his body.
His last thoughts were of how and why things ended up this way. How he was an arrogant fool that only left his clan because he wasn't appointed Alpha of his clan as he thought he deserved. If it wasn't for this, he wouldn't have been shunned by his clan and his brother wouldn't have followed him out of concern. He would mistreat him out of jealousy for being offered the title of Alpha but his brother was always there for him. All he had in this world was his family and he let them down. He ruined the future of his younger brother by leading him into this mess and possibly the future of his clan.
With Conall finished, Kakashi and Kurenai tended to Naruto's wounds while the rest of the party finally showed up. They looked around and were relieved to find that it was finally over. They could finally go home.
Ryuubi looked at the Leaf-nins and the shape they were in. She bowed to them and told them, "We're sorry for the trouble we've caused. It probably isn't enough but I assure you that we truly, sincerely apologize. I can understand that we've wronged you, but I beg you to spare us. We just want a fresh start."
As they turned to leave, Kakashi put a halt to their action. He looked at a now unconscious Naruto and said, "Actually… I think you'd better hold it. You said something about using Naruto to reestablish your clan. You'll probably want him in the future right…? I think that it'd be best if we settle things with the two of you…"
End of chapter...
Ryuubi and Ryuuri's group has been defeated with them as the exception...
With them bowing out with no intention of further fighting, what could Kakashi have in mind for the two?
Next chapter: The end of a long journey...
A/N: The next chapter may take a while to finish, but hoepefully I'll be ready to upload sometime next week.