Naruto felt odd after a few days, well, odd besides him, Hinata, and Haku finding several new types of foreplay. He was really tired but what concerned him now was the missing Kyuubi and his symbiont. Where ever Carnage was, he was keeping a low profile. No massacres, no pointless murders, nothing that could be used to trace him had happen. Which was a good thing, but it also made Naruto edgy. He had no idea where the demon was now and that made him nervous. And he still had to figure out how to get Akatsuki on what little trail he left. "Heavy thoughts, councilman," Shadow asked as he sat next to him in Icharuka.
"...Yeah, very heavy. Akatsuki is after him but doesn't even know that he isn't here."
"Well, I doubt that you can just go to the door and knock. What do you have in mind?"
Naruto sighed. "We've got nothing. Why would they believe us or anyone from this village?" He was about to take another bite of ramen when something dawned over the both of them.
"We don't need to tell them, one of their own can."
—oo000oo—
Oboro lifted his head a little when heard the voices. "Aoi is dead," the woman from the second exam told some one. "You really did a number over him, Ibiki."
"Yeah... But that right there was true art. Seven full days without him passing out from the pain," Ibiki commented. "I obviously haven't been to town lately, what is the news?"
"SHIT, you don't know!? The Kyuubi escaped," Anko told him. "It forced his container to create a Kage Bunshin and possessed it!"
"What is the Hokage doing about it!?"
"There is nothing she can do. He is one of our most powerful ninja without drawing on the fox's chakra! Plus with Akatsuki hunting it, it might be better to let them handle it."
'Akatsuki...? Lord Pein? One of the nine was here?' Oboro shook his head. They hadn't only been working Aoi over the time there, him and his teammates had been tortured to talking as well. They just didn't last like Aoi did.
"...Think one of the brats is awake," Anko asked. Oboro dropped his head and pretended to still be unconscious. The door to his cell opened and she walked in. She grabbed him by the hair and lifted his head. Still he pretended. She preceded to punched him a few times, breaking his nose. As blood filled his mouth and few from his nose, he forced himself to remain silent. He had found out when she was eager for them to be awake, she was worst than the one with the scars. "Guess it won't be this one." She walked out and Oboro sighed in relief, spitting the blood up. He needed to get out of here or he would die. And Lord Pein needed to know the Kyuubi was gone.
—oo000oo—
He waited until he was to be taken to the shower room. They were going to chain him to the ceiling and hose him down with scalding hot water. As he was dragged out, he pulled on his last reserve of strength and kicked against the wall, driving him and the two behind him into the wall behind them. He must have surprised them because they didn't brace themselves in time and struck their heads against the wall, stunning them.
Forcing himself to stand, he ran and hid in near by shadows. Soon the alarms went off and still he hid their. He knew they expected him to try to get so the obvious thing to do was wait there until it calmed. Once it did, he would sneak somewhere to change his cloths and get a mask.
Just like he planned, they soon abandoned search inside the ANBU base and most ran out of it in search of him. He had about free reign of the base to search for a locker room. They left enough ANBU to keep the guard but he was able to move easier. When finally he found a locker room, he began to search for for something, anything, to hide his identity. He was almost out of lockers when he found one that made him widen his eyes. It was the locker of the Venom of Konoha. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he looked at the door one last time before he grabbed it. The others were too big to fit him so he had to take it. He discarded his clothes and threw them in a hamper and buried them with others. He pulled on under shirt on and tucked it into the pants before pulling the boots on and tying them. He tucked the strings inside them and grabbed the boot bands. He then tucked the pant legs under them like he saw Venom have. Taking the shirt, he pulled the long sleeve on and pulled the mask over his face. The final touch was the gloves.
As he finished changing, a blond chunin no older than him walked in. "Venom-san, we have good news for you. The reward for the capture of Aoi has been deposited into your account."
"Good," Oboro said in his best imitation of the Hunter. Which was almost identical. "Has my next target been assigned?"
"Yes, you are to find the escaped prisoner. It is believed he is heading to Ame so you should make your way there." The chunin turned and walked out. But he stopped before he did. "Are you alright, sir? You have never said 'my' before that anyone here had heard."
Oboro began to sweat, "We have a lot on our mind."
"Then should Truth or Serum go with you?"
"No, we will handle it." The chunin nodded and walked out. Breathing harder than if he had been running, Oboro leaned against the wall. He was sure that he was going to be discovered for a moment. He didn't know how he could forget that Venom spoke of himself in plural. Wishing he had a sword to use to help make it more believable that he was Venom, he began to walk out. He noticed right away that people steered clear of him as he walked. Apparently, Venom had a scary reputation even in his own village. He was able to walk out of the village with little trouble.
A half hour after he left it behind, he began to run as best he could. He didn't know how long he had but he didn't think that they would believe he was Venom for long. He ran until he felt his chest would burst and still he ran. He ran until the ninja that were after 'Venom' came. But he was lucky, it was one boy with white hair. "You, surrender, I know you are not Venom-sama."
"I am not going back," Oboro told him. "I will not fail in this as well." He reached into the one thing he could find before he left. A kunai and a shuriken pouch. The ninja watched him for a moment before he pulled his sword from the sheath behind him. Swallowing, Oboro knew he wouldn't be able to take him in a straight forward fight. He threw several shurikens at him and started a series of handsigns. The ninja blocked them and ran at him, sword leading. But as the blade pierced Oboro, he faded out. Then several of him appeared and they began to attack him. The real Oboro moved in behind him and stabbed him in the back. Even as the blade found his heart, he turned around and slashed Oboro across the chest, ruining the clothes, and tearing it off as he fell.
Oboro began to roar in pain as the poison on the blade began to burn a little. He knew that it was shallow thanks to it skidding along his rib cage and he would survive, if barely. He turned and began to run again.
—oo000oo—
Kimimaro grimaced and pulled the kunai from his back. He had encased his heart in bone to protect it but that didn't mean it didn't hurt. As he stood, he looked in the direction of the Rain nin. "Lord Naruto, are you sure this will work?"
"Mostly," Naruto replied. "There are the random things that can happen but now it will look like anything but that we let him escape. You did a great job, Kimimaro-san."
"Thank you, Lord Naruto. What is the next play?"
"Next...we follow him and make sure they get the message."
—oo000oo—
Oboro stumbled and fell before getting back up and running. He knew they were still coming, it was only a matter of time before they caught up to him. But if he could just come across one of the Ame patrols, then he would be alright. His head was pounding like the anvil at a blacksmith but he ignored it. He needed to get back. He tripped again and looked at the object, a root. His vision was narrowing. "Damn..." He rubbed his eyes, comforted that he still at least had his headband. He got up again and tried to run but hit something else, a human. "Help... Must tell...Lord Pein."
The guard looked shocked at that and turned to the others. "We need to return immediately!"
—oo000oo—
Pein looked at him, he was so close to dying before he got there, he probably would have if he fell one more time. He had so many burns, slashes, and gouges that it was amazing that he was still alive. "What is it you wanted to tell me?"
"...The Kyuubi, Lord. It... It..."
"What about it?"
"It... Konoha no... Kyuubi..." Oboro tried to swallow to wet his throat to more clearly say it but he didn't need to.
"The jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi left Konoha?"
He shook his head. "Escaped...jinchuu...riki. In it's own body."
"Are you sure? How do you know?"
"Overheard while...being tortured. Aoi is dead and the others..."
"Don't worry, just recover," Pein told him before walking out. He turned to the medic. "Do whatever it takes to see that he recovers. I want the full story."
"Even if it takes forbidden jutsus," the medic told him, "the boy will survive." Pein started to walk away. He paused for a moment and looked around. "Something wrong, lord?"
"...No, its nothing." Pein continued on. Not a foot from where he had stood, Naruto smiled under his mask. He walked over to Oboro and left a sliver of Venom behind. Not enough to heal him immediately nor too little to be unable to help him before it died. He walked out and headed back to where he left Kimimaro.
"Done, let's head back."
"Will he survive?"
"At least long enough to tell them everything. All we need to confirm it would be a few crumbs to send them after Kyuubi instead of us."
"Now why would I do that," a cold voice from the shadows stated. Both boys froze when they heard it. Neither had an idea that he was there before. From the darkness, a man wearing an orange and black spiral mask that only revealed his right eye.
"How did you do that," Naruto asked. "Very few gets close to us without us knowing."
"...Uzumaki Naruto, I won't lie, I can teliport."
"Then you are Akatsuki then," Kimimaro stated. "But not one of those I know of. That means you are..."
"Uchiha Madara," all three said at once. Kimimaro gripped the Kusanagi as his Bone Blade formed in the other hand. At the same time, Naruto gripped the Samehada and the Kage Keiri. "As for why you would stop hunting us, we will tell you," Naruto told him. "In exchange for telling us why you are after the nine, we will tell you why it would be pointless to hunt us at all."
Under his mask, Madara arched an eyebrow. "You know I am after the nine but hunting you is pointless?"
"That's right."
"...You first, and if I believe you, I will do better than tell you, I will show you."
"I don't trust him, Venom," Kimimaro stated.
"Neither do we," Naruto replied. "But we have no choice right now but to talk. The Kyuubi escaped from the seal."
"Bull shit," Madara called, making Naruto laugh. He lifted his shirt and showed him the seal, it was barely there anymore, looking more like a scar than what it had been. "...You are telling the truth."
"And now your end of the deal?"
"...Ah, yes, of course," He appeared by them and they all three vanished.
—oo000oo—
Carnage looked up at the stars and breathed in the air. He loved it, the fresh air, the feel of the grass behind him, the blood on his claws and blades. Life was good now. He bit and pulled off the last bits of flesh from the rib and tossed it aside. It tasted wonderful, heaven couldn't have made something better. The best part, if Naruto knew he just ate a human, raw no less, he would never stop puking. Yeah, Carnage was happy.
He sat up and picked up the Kage Samehada. "...Where to first? Someplace populated, someplace where we can have fun... Wave... No, no, not enough people. Though Venom would never forgive himself for it." He picked of a leg bone and bit into it and began to lap up the marrow on the inside. "No, not somewhere sparsely populated. It needs to be somewhere that when it is destroyed, people will notice." He crunched the bone and began to swallow the pieces. "Hmm. Suna? Not there either. Gaara could be trouble. Don't want that yet, better to savor that coming battle." He was about to walk off when something suddenly hit his mind. "Venom isn't going to wait around for me. But he can't beat me either. So what is he doing? ...What would I do?" He didn't think about it for a moment longer. "I would send those that can deal with me after me. Looks like I am going to Ame."
He scooped down and picked up the head. He ripped her face off and ate it and the muscles underneath. "So... Most likely he has gotten Pein or someone there by now to know I am free. Which means that they will send their strongest after me. No, Naruto already killed four of them that he fought. So they won't make that same mistake with me. No, if they know I have all his skills, they will all come after me. Pein, Kohan, Hidan, Kakuzu, and Madara." He frowned after a moment, he didn't have all of Naruto's skills. He couldn't summon. Not that he needed them though.
"They will all come after me. But as only have of me is here, I can't be sealed, same thing with my good 'half'. Pft. As if that weak thing was half... But the damn fucker kept half my power. I know..." He ripped the tongue out and began to chew on it. "That also means they can't kill us. I am not an idiot, symbiont. Now, where was I? Oh yes, the preemptive strike on Ame. It would make the most sense. But even you and I can't fight a full village of ninja, I learned my lesson the last time. We have to draw them away from reinforcements..." He swallowed the eyes and riped the front of the skull off to reach the brains inside. "They are after Bijuu, yes? Then why not give them one. Nami is back in Mist. Yugito and Kiraa is in Kumo. Roushi is in Konoha with Naruto. Gogyou is somewhere around the ports. Gaara is in Suna. Sebun is in Waterfall. And Kemuri is in east Fire..." He looked at the skull. "I hope that wasn't the Jinchuuriki. No help for it now if she was." He finished his meal and pointed his nose into the wind. He stood there for several minutes before he found it. "Gotcha!" He started running the jinchuuriki of the Five Tailed Dog.
—oo000oo—
Kemuri knew he was being hunted, he could feel it in the hairs on the back of his neck. "...I tire of this, come out so we can end this."
"Hello, Gobi-kun," Carnage said as he walked into the open. "How long has it been, five hundred years, hasn't it?"
Kemuri felt dread coming from his demon. "Who... What are you?"
"Oh, pardon me, boy, where are my manners? I was the Kyuubi but I am Carnage now. I have need of your prisoner."
"...Kyuubi, Carnage, whatever you call yourself now, you should know better than anything that demons lack the means to break the seal."
"Ah, but you are wrong. His hands, bind them."
Kemuri was confused when suddenly, he felt his hands go out to his side and refused to move. "Nani!? You have mind control!?"
"Not mind Control, my control," Carnage corrected. "Gobi, Gobi, Gobi, you lost to me in a battle once and I spared your life. I have come to collect on it."
"Wh-What are you going to do!?"
Carnage ignored the question and raised his hand. A blue and orange mass grew there. "But I only want half of you, Gobi, the evil half." He pressed the thing to Kemuri's head and it began to wrap around his head before entering his mouth. He thrashed for several seconds before his hand were released and they formed a cross shaped handsign. A clone of Kemuri appeared and that orange and blue thing jumped from the original to it. As Kemuri dropped to the ground, the clone was covered by the Symbiont as three tails appeared behind him and wolf ears on his head.
"...Breath it in, because soon the smell of clean air will be replaced by the blood of thousands of humans, brother."
"It will," Carnage agreed. "But first, we need to eliminate one of the few threats we have. Akatsuki."
"Yes...We do need to do that. This wonderful creature says that we are now War, named after one of the four Horsemen. How many of the others will we free?"
"Just Raijuu, the others are in places where we cannot easily reach. And it is not yet time to reveal our presence." Carnage looked down at Kemuri. "He is coming to. Hello, weakling."
Kemuri jumped back to his feet and growled at them. "I will stop you too," the good half of Gobi growled. "I will be made whole and this time, I will remain."
War laughed at his weaker self. "What can you do to stop us!? True, we can't kill our originals without killing ourselves. But we are still stronger. You may have half my power, but I have the will to use."
The two glared at each other, knowing that he was right. "In time, I will eat your soul, just wait."
War smiled, his fanged mask looking evil. "That's right, hate me, desire to kill me, feed your evil self. Because in the end, you only give me strength. But even if that doesn't happen, then know this. I want you to get stronger. Fight, kill, whatever you have to do. Because when this is over, we will fight, and the winner will take the other's power. And I don't want to be bored to death. Now leave like the whipped dog you are." Kemuri/Gobi turned and left. While his contact with the symbiont had been brief, he had gotten it's memories. Naruto would be needed for him to win this fight. He began to run.
"...That's right, run right to Naruto," Carnage said, already knowing where he would go. "In time...the Nine will be free once again. And with these symbionts, there is no limit to our power once we reclaim our other selves." He was looking at his claws as he spoke and grit his fist as he finished.
—oo000oo—
"Whoa," Naruto said as he and Kimimaro fell to the ground. Looking at the stars in the sky, he knew they were not in the Elemental continent anymore. Because it was midday. As he stood, he re-oriented himself and looked around. He was in the ruins of a once great city. But unlike ruins he knew, these buildings still stood for the most part and reached up into the sky. "What... Where are will?"
"I don't know," Kimimaro said.
"This," Madara said, spreading his arms out to take in the whole city, "is one of the last remnants of the old world. A city so big, populated by a race so powerful, they had the world in their grasp and traveled to the stars! So advance, even a hundred thousand ears after their deaths, it still stands, and in some places, still works."
Naruto looked up at the sky scraper next to him and saw a plaque was above what remained of the door. He jumped up to it and began to removed the thousands of years of grime. 'E...M...P...I...R...E S...T...A...T...E...' Naruto widened his eyes before quickly cleaning the rest. "It can't be... Empire State Building." He looked around and swallowed, he was in New York. "What happened here? How did they all die?"
"Ah...thus the reason why I am trying to collect the Nine. This way." The three began to walk down the road and Naruto saw other things that confirmed that this was the place from Venom's memories. "There it is." He pointed as something in the park. As Naruto ran to see what it was, he saw a statue that looked like a demon with nine eyes, though they were scorched out. In front of it was two hand. In between the hands was a skeleton that had survived time. "Something happened here that destroyed their whole civilization, turning the bones of this one and others into something that can't be destroyed. When I first came here, I was amazed as I tried to grasp what it was. And then, I realized I was standing in it the whole time."
"In what," Kimimaro asked.
Naruto narrowed his eyes and jumped up onto the statue and looked down. "...Kimimaro, you are standing in a foot print. One of nine sets."
"That is right, the Nine Bijuu were sealed away in this statue and were released, likely by this person here. With them free and the knowledge of how they were sealed in the first place lost, this world was quickly destroyed. The race either left or was destroyed."
'No, they survived, they turned into us.' Naruto could barely believe this even as he looked around. He saw something off to the side and swung over to it. It was a shield that was covered in soot. He wiped it off and saw three stripes of red, white, and red again with the center having a blue circle in the center with a white star. Captain America died here. Holding the shield, he looked around and saw a mace. He looked at it and picked it up. It was mighty Mjolnir, the weapon of the hero Thor. Not far away was the remains of Iron-Man.
"The Bijuu destroyed our world and we grew from the ashes," Kimimaro asked.
"Yes," Madara told them bluntly. Naruto saw the adamantium skeleton of Wolverine. "Here, despite all their might, they could not stop them." Juggernaut. "I know not who these warriors were but no doubt they were their best." ...Spider-man. "Tossed aside and killed like they were nothing. And I can control them."
"...You want to bring the nine beings that nearly destroyed the world together so you can have them under your thumb," Naruto growled. He still had Mjolnir and the shield. "How do you even know you can control one, much less all nine!? Unless...you have."
"You are right. I sent Kyuubi to Konoha that night. Now, with it free, I need only have to wait a few years until I can seal them up again."
"For what purpose," Kimimaro asked. Naruto tensed, he didn't like where this was going.
"Look at the destruction caused by them released right here," Madara said, waving around. "The Statue of the Nine Dragon Gods can be summoned anywhere. They can be released anywhere. No place on earth would be safe. And when I have them, all of them, with my ability to go anywhere... Hahaha HAHAHA! The world will have no choice but to surrender itself to me!"
"Great, another take over the world or destroy it scheme," Naruto muttered. "And what happens if they don't go willingly?"
"It won't matter, they will. I am grateful you told me Kyuubi was free, by the way. You see, they are often very intelligent animals but at times, they go into a rage that makes them nothing but beast."
"That is why you waited for not instead of when you had the Kyuubi, he is supposed to be an animal now."
"As long as they are in a jinchuuriki, they are smart but hold no control of their power. As long as they are free, they hold their power but are blind and made stupid by rage. Now...I am afraid I will have to kill you."
"What," Kimimaro asked, backing away.
"You see, I can't let you interfere, not now that you know the plan."
"Thought so," Naruto said as he slid the shield on his back and tucked Mjolnir into his belt. He grabbed Kimimaro by a web and swung off.
"Useless," Madara said, shaking his head. "You won't get away." He watched as they vanished bu knew they couldn't get far.
—oo000oo—
"Naruto, what will we do," Kimimaro asked. "Fight or try to run?"
"We have a feeling try would be the key word here. Only Madara knows exactly where we are and that teliport jutsu of his is trouble. We need to get to one of the towers, now."
"Which one?"
Naruto pointed to a tower with the work 'Stark' over the door. "That one." Inside he led him through several floors to the top. "Here it is." He dusted off the keypad and pressed the start up button.
"Systems re-activated."
"Good, still works."
"Scanning now... Identity: Venom. Security level, alpha."
"Open the door to the Main Frame."
"Granted."
"Naruto, how did you know that? What is it for that matter."
"Remember those games you see in stores?"
"Yeah."
"Those are kind of like a primitive version of this. It is a computer. And how we can open it is complicated. Step inside now." When they were inside, he said, "Lock all doors, condition black." As they groaned before doing it, he turned to the mainframe. He started it up and a few sparks flew before activating.
"Venom, what is it you want to know," a feminine voice asked.
"Can you bring up a current world map and one from before the destruction of New York?"
"Processing...connecting to Stark satellites... Bring up now." Two screens turned on and, after wiping the dust away, they looked at two maps that were reminiscent of each other.
"Kimimaro, that is what the world looks like right now, the one on the left is what it looked like before the nine were released. Bring up current location on each and mark where it is night and day. There, that is home."
"What is going on?"
"Cannot answer that question," the computer replied, "not enough information."
"Computer, do you have a recording of the Nine Bijuu being released?"
"Yes."
"Play it." A third screen turned on and played it. An insane woman stood there before summoning the statue.
"Soon, every life on this planet will be dead!"
"She's human," Kimimaro stated. The video kept playing. Around her, several heroes and villains of the age stood, ready for anything. They tried to stop her but a magical barrier stopped their attacks. A yellow and red gauntlet was held up and shot a laser at her, but to no more affect.
"Iron Man," Naruto stated, "the recording is his last view."
The woman pressed her hands to the statue and the nine eyes caught on fire. Then, one by one, chakra came out of them and began to form the nine Bijuu. They breathed in the fresh air and then focused on the summoner. "...Lunch," the seven tails stated as he looked out across all those gathered. "And for once, there is enough for all of us." Iron Man flew into the air as they jumped and began tearing apart those there. They fought valiantly but it did nothing but slow the nine of them down. The Juggernaut and the Hulk ran at the Eight tails and punched it, knocking it down. But it stood back up, licking its lips. "Oh, goody, magic and an energy I have never tasted before."
Before much else could happen, Nekomata focused on Iron Man, jumped into the air, and bit down on his midsection. The camera went dead but not the sound of his screaming. That sound was cut off as well. "Video ended," the computer stated.
"...They had that kind of power and still they could do nothing to stop them?"
"Nothing," Naruto confirmed. "We've been thinking, maybe our weapons are not something made by a great smith. Maybe they are from then, back when such things were more common."
"But how does this help up," Kimimaro asked.
"Computer, is there any suits left still operational?"
"...Iron Man suits are non functional. War Machine suits... One suit partial functional."
"Better than..."
"Anti-Venom still contained."
"What," Naruto and Kimimaro asked.
"Symbiont life form, known as Anti-Venom, is in cryo-genic freeze. Produced from the Venom cells still in Eddie Brock during his separation from the symbiont Venom to cure his cancer."
"...Why don't we remember that," Naruto wondered.
"Lord Naruto, it isn't a coincidence that that 'symbiont' and you are called Venom, is it?"
"No, it is not. Computer, can Anti-Venom be brought here?"
"Yes."
"Do it. Venom is a symbiont, like it said. It is a creature that can't survive on its own. But with a host, some animal or other, it is nearly unstoppable. Normally, they control their host but Venom became a symbiote and lived with them. That host was first a man named Peter Parker. Bring up Parker's picture. Next was Eddie Brock, the first Venom. For a time, he was almost dead, he separated from Venom and it was passed to a man named Gargan, but even with Venom, he was so useless, Venom barely remembers him. He was reclaimed by Eddie Brock at a later date."
"Anti-Venom 'cured' Gargan of Venom and preceded to cure others of their 'diseases', heroes and villains. Needing to be stopped before he 'cured' Captain America, he was convinced by Spider-Man to stop and think about what he was doing. In his attempt to help others, less heroes were there to stop crime. Crime rate had gone up as well as murder rate. Understanding that he was doing more harm than help, the symbiont separated from Brock and was put into cryo-sleep. Eddie Brock then, after losing his memories of Anti-Venom, reclaimed the title of Venom and became a hero. Before dying in a battle with Portal Man."
"But he didn't die yet," Naruto said. "Eight years ago, we came across a dying man in Konoha. His name was Eddie Brock and he gave us the symbiont Venom."
"So you don't actually have a bloodline, you have a partner."
"One that, if given to just anyone, would become as dangerous as the Bijuu. And Kyuubi has one as well by the name of Carnage."
"Carnage, also known as Cassady..."
"Cancel that file. Status on Anti-Venom?"
"De-freezing commenced. Estimated thirty seconds until complete, arrival in forty-five."
"And Hinata-sama and Haku-sama?"
"Their symbiont is Truth and Serum. Truth has the ability to see all around her thanks to her Byakugan, and for a far greater range. She controls wood thanks to the symbiont as well. Serum has almost unmatched healing abilities. She controls ice thanks to her real bloodline. All of us can make weapons as we see fit though Truth does not because she fights hand to hand."
"And your ability?"
"We are hunters, Kimimaro. We vanish and appear as we wish. No one can find us without a spider-sense." He pulled Mjolnir out of his belt and looked at it. If what he remembered is right, he shouldn't be able to wield it. "Can you hold this?"
Kimimaro reached for it but couldn't close his hand around it. "What?"
"This is Mjolnir, the weapon of a God by the name of Thor. We thought he was a god... Maybe it was his mortal counterpart. Either way, only those that are deemed by Odin, the King of the Norse Gods, may pick it up and wield it."
"...This is a lot to take in."
"And speaking of taking in, here he it." Anti-Venom appeared in a glass jar. Naruto looked at it before opening the lid and touching it to let the two talk. "...He is surprised that so much has changed in the world. And that he has little left to cure."
"Sounds like he should go to a medic ninja."
"Probably," Naruto agreed. "Hmm, while Serum can heal wounds and some diseases, Anti-Venom heals all things foreign to the body. Viruses, bugs...radioactive spider venom."
"Tuberculosis?"
"...Yes. Something wrong?"
"I had it at one time. I guess I am afraid to get it again."
"He also doesn't have the weaknesses other symbionts have to high pitched sounds and to fire. Hmm. A symbiont needs a partner, Kimimaro. You and Madara are the only ones alive here without one."
"...But that is your bloodline," Kimimaro said. "I understand why you just don't want anyone to have them. Giving your strength, abilities to someone like Madara or the other Akatsuki would cost thousands of lives."
"We know. And we would trust you with those lives," Naruto said to him. "In the short time we have known each other, you have proven a friend to us. There is no one else we would trust with this and something else."
He looked from him to the symbiont. "I would be honored. But in the end, it is his choice. In reality, all you have to do is summon a raven and fly us back to Konoha."
Naruto smiled under the mask. "And that is why he will choose you," Naruto stated. To which Anti-Venom agreed. Holding the symbiont in hand, he held it out. "You need only take him now." When he held out his hand, Anti-Venom flowed over his arm and around his clothing. It was dissolved away and Anti-Venom replaced it. Kimimaro shivered at the sudden rush he felt.
"Now, what to do about Madara?" He glanced at the weapons he still had. "No...maybe. Computer, is it possible to make a complete suit out of the others that would work?"
"Processing... Yes."
"Do it."
"Affirmative."
"Naruto, what are you doing?"
"You saw the video, they were the most powerful beings alive. Maybe some help from them is what we need right now." He slid the shield from his back. "Take this and go to the training room down the hall. It is a great defensive and offensive weapon. Throw it." He nodded and ran. "We need another person... Summoning no Jutsu!" A Raven the size of a dog appeared.
"What can I help you with, Naruto?"
"I need you to go Konoha and bring my wives here as fast as you can."
"It will take ten minutes." He vanished in a puff of smoke.
"I pray that it will be fast enough. Status on the suit?"
"Putting parts together now. Warning, likely hood of suit surviving conflict with a B class criminal or higher is at five percent."
"No choice but to use it at that. Likely the opponent is A or higher. Most likely higher."
"...I will get it in better fighting condition." Naruto laughed, he never imagined he was talking to something that would understand that.
"Thank you. Are you capable of monitoring the city?"
"Yes. One human life form detected. Is this the criminal?"
"Yes. Uchiha Madara. Location?"
"Walking down Broadway in a search pattern."
"Monitor him." Naruto knew how Kimimaro felt about it being a lot to take in. His thoughts were almost overflowing as well. Key point, homo superior, mutants. Were they human or mutants? Maybe that was all bloodlines really were, stabilized mutations... Naruto agreed when he felt Venom ask him what did it matter. Hinata was still Hinata, Haku was Haku, and Kimimaro was Kimimaro. It made no difference if they were homo superior or homo sapient.
He jumped when something shook the tower a little. Turning around, he saw a bone spike jutting into the room a little. "Warning: Damage to tower. Please tell Anti-Venom not to use same skill again."
"Alright." He walked into the training room and found Kimimaro staring at the hole created by the bone he shot from his arm. "Impressive, isn't it?"
He took a moment to answer. "Anti-Venom told us that he increased our natural abilities. So we tried one of our basic skills. Basic! And it tore a hole in the wall!"
"It almost hit us," Naruto told him. He saw the bone in his arm had already reformed. "Create a weapon."
He nodded and first thought to create a bone blade but instead reached a hand for the spot above his spine. When a bone came out, he grabbed it and removed his own spinal column. Even as it left, it was replaced. The bone whip in his hand was, unlike normal, very flexible. He flicked his wrist, and it hit the floor. A bladed edge carved a deep gouge into it. "...Even the curse seal couldn't do that... We can help Juugo with this."
"Who is Juugo," Naruto asked.
"Something like our brother. He is what the curse seal is based off of, and is very sick. He suffers from massive mood swings that gives him an uncontrollable urge to kill people. It is because of his ability to transform that he is like that."
"Hopefully you can help him. But remember, Anti-Venom can only heal what isn't natural. How can you handle the shield?"
"Like it is part of us," Kimimaro stated. He picked it up, motioned to three points int the room, and threw it. The shield hit each point before coming back to him. "Anti-Venom just...understands how to throw it. And our reflexes can catch it."
"That is impressive, even Captain America couldn't do that when he lost his shield and had another one made. He was so used to that one, even the imperfections in it, that he could use no other... Kimimaro, block with the shield." Even as he said it, his hands were moving. A tiger made of ice ran at him and Kimimaro just moved the shield to block it. The tiger shattered on hitting it and Kimimaro was pushed back several feet. But that was it.
"...We're alive," Kimimaro asked, surprised. He honestly thought that he wouldn't be.
"Are you hurt?"
"No, the shield held against it." Naruto smiled as Kimimaro slipped his arms through the straps, and placed the shield on his back. "This feels like it would be a good balance for he Kusanagi."
"Computer, has Madara changed Direction?"
"Yes, he is heading to the Stark building. At current pace, he will be here in five minutes."
"...Kimimaro, we are going to go stall for time."
"Not alone, you're not."
"Yes, we are. In about four minutes, Hinata and Haku are going to arrive. You need to stay here so the three of you can come rescue us. Make sure that one of them gets in the Iron Man suit, we are going to need it." When finally Kimimaro nodded, Naruto turned and walked out. "Computer, once it is ready, have the suit waiting for a person to use."
"Yes, sir."
—oo000oo—
Madara took his time, why should he not? They had no where they could run, really. He stopped when he heard this sound. At first it was like gears straining to move. Then it became a roar. He looked to his right just in time to see one of the metal things on the road running at him at a speed any shinobi would envy. He let it pass right through him. "Interesting... How ever did you do that, Naruto?"
"When we are working, we go by Venom," Venom told him. "Welcome to our play ground."
Madara looked around trying to find where the voice came from. He heard one of his webs hitting something and tried to focus on where. He almost didn't roll out of the way fast enough when one of those things was thrown down on where he was standing. "Okay, that is getting annoying. Come out and fight!"
"Why," Venom asked. His voice was accompanied by the sound of something being swung around. Above Madara, Venom let go of Mjolnir and it flew at the ninja. When it hit hit, he was forced through the street and into the sewers below. "...That had to of hurt. Cool." Mjolnir had reappeared in his hand.
"It did hurt," Madara said behind him. Venom ducked under the fist that almost took his head off and jumped up onto the wall. He jumped side to side, climbing steadily higher with each. "You are just wasting time, boy. And now I have another reason to kill you. I didn't want that hammer to hit me and it still did."
"Consider yourself lucky you are still alive. Most probably wouldn't be." Venom reached the roof and ran to the edge, even as Madara reached it, Naruto was already swinging around to the next point. Despite fighting someone that could likely kill him if he caught him even for a second, he felt great. Moving through the air like this. Now he understood when Parker and Brock really felt. Naruto stopped and stood on the lighting rod of one of the towers. He was several thousand feet up from the ground. "...Impressive view, no?"
"Is that why you are running," Madara asked, to sight-see before dying?"
"Maybe yes, maybe no," Venom replied before leaning back and pushing off from the rod. 'One hundred...two hundred...three hundred... One thousand feet.' He shot a web at a building and nearly dislocated his shoulder as he swung around. As he flew through the air, he saw Madara 'jumping' from roof to roof to follow him. "Will you lay off!?" He threw Mjolnir again and it hit the ground where Madara was going to appear next. With no longer a roof there, he fell to the ground. "Much better."
—oo000oo—
Madara sat up before a piece of the roof fell and hit his head. "...I am going to tear him apart." He ported back to the roof and tried to find him. He wasn't in sight anymore and he realized that taking Naruto to this place might not have been such a good idea after all.
—oo000oo—
"Ladies Uzumaki," Kimimaro said when they appeared. "Lord Naruto is fighting the Leader of Akatsuki!"
"Damn it," they said before glaring at the raven.
"He didn't tell me!"
"Find him," Hinata ordered the bird.
"Why are you not fighting with him, Kimimaro," Haku asked.
"He wanted me to stay and tell you and to get one of you in that." He motioned to the suit that stood open.
"What on earth," the two asked.
"That is the Iron Man," the computer told them. "Build and designed by Tony Stark before the Calamity as it became known. Designed to give the wearing strength, flight, and the ability to fight at a distance."
Hinata turned to Kimimaro. "Okay, what is going on?"
"A long story, one we have no time for. One of you needs to get in it." Hinata nodded and got in. It began to close around her and adjust to her size.
"Running systems check. Flight, green. Lasers, green. Armor integrity, yellow. Suggest replacing right front leg panel."
"No time," Hinata told it.
"All other systems green. Iron Man is good to go."
"Then lets move it," Hinata said as Truth began to flow over the suit.
"Armor integrity: green." Hinata smirked as she ran to the closest window and punched it. It shattered.
"How do I fly?"
"Suit runs off mental commands," it told her.
"Nice." She picked up Haku and Kimimaro and focused on flying. The thrusters in her feet started and she flew through the air. It took several seconds to get it under control but she did. "Very nice."
—oo000oo—
Slash, stab, chop, spin. Venom moved through the steps, trying to cut Madara down. He was lest than happy that his Sharigan was ineffective against him. And with Samehada absorbing his chakra, he couldn't phase out for the attack to miss. Meaning he had to dodge the attack each and every time. But Venom wasn't happy either. Madara was every bit as strong as he thought and was pushing him for more than he was pushing Madara. Both him and Venom were pushing their limits to keep him from hitting them. The Kage Keiri dug into the concrete as it came up in a diagonal slash. Madara jumped back, knowing that the Samehada would be right behind it. "Annoying whelp," Madara growled.
Venom jumped back as well and flipped his weapons so they pointed down. "We've never really tried this before in combat so you will have to forgive us." He started in a handsign that reminded Madara of a yin-yang. He thought it was the Enmu no Jutsu but Naruto only used it to start from. He went through a series of handsigns and ended on a cross shaped one. "Kage Enmu: Dance of the Crescent Moon!" Dankness covered the area, blocking his Sharigan completely. He didn't understand it, it was just the Enmu no Jutsu, so what was with the name. Then it hit him, for him to know the Enmu, he would have read the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. Thus 'Kage Enmu'. He began to flip backwards as several blades started to slash at him. Another two descended on him from above, nearly taking his arm off.
"Impressive, you did the seals so fast, they merged as one jutsu. But what were those for in the center?"
"That was the Dance of the Crescent Moon. Those three are our signature attacks so it is only fitting that they be the same attack. But it isn't done yet. As you aren't dead, it still needs refining."
"Now why did you make that?"
"Kyuubi is, ultimately, our responsibility. It was our abilities that released him from our seal. When he escaped, we knew we would need an attack he can't counter."
"...You know, this seems very familiar. Ah, yes, Zabuza, I should have recognized that second blade as a shadow of his Keiri. You would fit right in as one of the Seven Swordsmen of Mist."
"We take that as a complement. Zabuza is our friend as is a few others of them. Haku, our wife, is his student. Auron is our teacher of sorts. We helped Suigetsu. The list goes on."
"...Zetsu is right. How would you like a position among Akatsuki?" The silence was deafening.
"WHAT!?" The darkness fell to reveal Naruto staring at him, his swords loose in his hands. But the cry came from someone else. Hinata landed right next to him, setting Haku and Kimimaro there next to him.
"You heard me, how would you like to join Akatsuki and be a member of the strongest group in the world. Be one of my lieutenants when I have taken over the world. I will make Konoha yours. Anything you want would be yours. I know you want to be the Hokage, it will be done. You fight to protect your people, they will be safe. The Fire country and all those that are within it will be under the protection of you, never to be harmed again."
"That...is what we always wanted," Venom said slowly. His offer was so tempting that he felt it on his chest on shoulders. He looked to those around him for help in this answer. All he had to do was say yes and he wouldn't be breaking his word. He would also be bringing the Kyuubi back under control. All he had to do was say yes... Except part of him was screaming for him to say no. The world seemed to freeze to wait to hear his answer. "We.."
—oo000oo—
Author's Notes. Sorry, all tapped out at the moment. If we make it a final show down between the jinchuuriki and their evil counterparts, we're thinking their names should be War, Death, Pestilence, Famine, Carnage, of course, Daemon, but we can't choose the others. Anyone willing to help us out on this? And should we even do it, obviously it will come down between War and Carnage against Naruto and the others.
As for adding Anti-Venom, while we were typing this chapter up, we read one of the latest Spider-man comics and there was Gargan as Venom being 'cured' by Brock as Anti-Venom. Who then tried to cure Spider-man. He wasn't doing it out of evil, he was doing it because of the pain they caused. Though, for Spider-man, it was more that he thought the spider venom inside of him was hurting him more than others.
And for any of you wondering why all that is still working. We believe that when they were released, a huge amount of chakra filled the air, preserving things like bones and some cloths and keeping metal from rusting. And although we didn't make it clear, there is almost no life in New York now, except them and some plant like.
Go ahead and comment on which you think he should choose. We would like to hear what you think.
