Hey guys, how's it goin'? So, this chapter is out a little later than I had wished for, but, hey, what can you do? You need to take into account that this is my longest chapter thus far… again. Either way, five long nights, three big gulps, roughly 16 total man hours, two chapters of Rosario to Vampire to review, 53 repeats of my special iTunes play list, 27 pages on Microsoft Word, 12,000 plus words, two beta samples (technically) sent to my wonderful beta Lykaos, and a final edit, and I can now present you chapter 13 of Mistakes In Blood. After a disclaimer from yours truly, of course. Also, before I forget, there is an important note regarding this story at the bottom of this chapter for you. Don't worry, it's nothing bad, but please take a look at it would you?
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Disclaimer: At this point, I'm giving up on my usual disclaimer style, due to the fact that it takes up too much space and gets no recognition. Hell, a few people even said that they hated it. Instead, I shall just say that I own nothing in relation to the two mangas in question. I don't have nearly enough talent for that.
/
Chapter 13: The Downfall of Anti-thesisA surprise blow from seemingly nowhere sent Naruto tumbling across the room until he finally came to a rest against a wall. With his head still spinning, the young Jashinist struggled to rise to his feet, propping himself against the wall as he did so. Blearily, he opened his eyes, stumbling forward a bit.
"Fuck," was all he could say. The blow had sent him further away from his friends than he had initially thought, much further. Hell, the room was bigger than he thought too. At least three times the size he originally guessed. The darkness of the large room cut off most visual contact, the only light a tiny pinpoint against the pitch-black backdrop of everything.
Idly reaching up to his cheek, he tenderly touched the area of impact. He winced, knowing that the wound was already a bruise, despite it not being inflicted even fifteen seconds ago. Quite frankly, he was surprised that the whole right side of his face hadn't caved in on itself.
With a slight burning sensation, the bruise quickly disappeared, leaving only unmarred skin in its wake. His thoughts, however, were broken when he felt the release of a dark power; one that he didn't fully recognize, but knew was coming from the direction of the light. That could only mean trouble in this situation. Throwing caution to the wind, the blonde began his journey to the light as fast as he could, not willing to leave his friends alone for long.
Unfortunately for Naruto, he had yet to reach a state of equilibrium, even with Kyuubi working to help, thus causing much stumbling on the shinobi's part. Not one to be deterred, the blonde trekked onwards, determination burning from the core of his very being.
However, determination is only worth so much, especially in the face of a wrecking ball. At least, that's what it felt like to Naruto as said wreaking ball landed itself right into his midsection. The blonde just slumped forward as the offending object was removed from him, his eyes wide with shock in pain, his mouth open in a silent gasp.
The blow seemingly sucked any willpower the blonde had left out of him. Now content to just lie there on the floor, a foot came into view, if only barely. While Kyuubi may have slightly augmented his senses, he could still only see a little better than an average shinobi in the dark. Naruto didn't really care anymore. He figured let the bastard try to end him, he would endure, even if he didn't want to. It would take a while for him to pass out from the pain, time he could use to think of a way out of this.
A far off scream seemed to snap Naruto out of his funk, coming form the battle area, the light, where he was supposed to be, standing with his friends as he defended them. Revitalized, he got up onto his feet, even with his body's protest. A voice spoke then, an intimately familiar one, causing Naruto to almost slip. The blonde could have sworn that he could hear a smirk in the voice.
"Well, you certainly have a higher tolerance to abuse than I initially thought, especially to get up after that. I thought that I had at least ruptured something. Then again, I should have expected that it wouldn't be this easy. Regardless, I'm actually impressed." Naruto's eyes widened. It couldn't be! Why now? Reluctantly, but filled with a morbid curiosity that made him need to know, Naruto looked up, only for his stomach to drop at the sight of his adversary. He had hoped that he was wrong; that it wasn't who he thought it was, but he knew that there was no denying it. Idly, he thought back onto what had set all of this into motion, how he got here, and why he was facing this man.
/
One week ago:
In the halls of the hospital walked Naruto and Mizore, who had finally decided to leave the bench and just wander the halls, as bleak as they may be. The former of the two still had a reluctance to return to everybody in the room, so they were just passing time. However, as much as she cared for her blonde friend, Mizore was getting tired of going nowhere.
"You do realize that we need to go back eventually, right?" there was silence from Naruto. Just as Mizore was going to attempt to get through to him again, he spoke.
"I know, but for now, I think I can stand to not give the others a reason to feel uncomfortable. You can go back if you want."
The purple-haired girl just shook her head. "I'm not leaving you alone." Naruto gave her a look, one she didn't quite know the meaning of, but he kept quiet. The duo continued, before Mizore came to a conclusion. "This is about Tsukune, isn't it?"
Naruto stopped walking as that was said, only serving to confirm the girl's suspicions. "What do you mean?" he asked, trying to play the truth off and keep the girl guessing, or at least plant seeds of doubt in her. Neither happened.
"You know what I mean. You see Tsukune as a friend, and you're afraid that when he finds out the truth of what happened he'll hate you." At this time, Mizore moved around to be in front of her friend as she grabbed him by the shoulders and forced him to look her in the eye. "Naruto, don't worry. Yes, Tsukune will probably be mad at first, but he'll get over it quickly. He's not the kind of person to hold a grudge with his friends."
"I know that!" Naruto quickly cut in. He never liked people dissecting his personality, his decisions in life, his reasoning, especially right in front of him. However, he quickly calmed down, refusing to let his frustration get a hold on him. Mizore was his friend, his best friend, and he never wanted less. He knew she meant wall and was only trying to help. Had it been anyone else, he would have smacked them for grabbing onto him. "It's just… it will be awkward if I were to show up right after someone were to tell him, you know? I need to give him some time to cool down."
Mizore may have agreed with the boys reasoning, releasing him as she returned to his side as they resumed walking, but she was still going to try to convince him to go back to everyone else. Not everyone disliked him for his decisions. She knew Yukari was an understanding girl, Moka, too, and everybody else had no reason to be cross with the boy, knowing that he had little choice in what he did. Kurumu was the only real problem, but she also knew the girl. She was very protective of her friends, and if she were put in the same situation, she would have acted the same way Naruto had, and she would figure that out soon enough, Mizore knew. She would never admit it out loud, but Kurumu was actually a rather sensible person who only had good intentions at heart.
"That's true, but how do we even know he's awake yet? We can still go back. The others have probably realized by now that you didn't have much of a choice, despite whatever is said."
Naruto just gave a decisive snort at that. "That still remains to be seen, Mizore-chan. Besides, with my luck, we'll probably walk in either just as Tsukune's waking up, or right after he's been told everything." As soon as he mentioned his luck, Naruto idly let a hand reach up towards his neck, rubbing were his head had been severed. Mizore noticed the action and became slightly worried.
"Hey, are you okay? Does your neck still hurt or something?" Naruto turned his head toward the girl, dropping his hand after being called out on the action. Blue eyes locked, Naruto's confused, Mizore's more questioning. Naruto turned his head back to the front.
"No, I'm fine. But let me tell you, being decapitated is a feeling you never forget, and the tingle of having your head reattached tends to linger."
"I see," the girl said speculatively. She highly doubted that she would ever understand what the blonde was talking about. Despite wanting to further question the boy on the matter, she let it go. There would be time later to ask, and, right now, she was content to just enjoy the semi-tranquil walk. However, her curiosity peaked when she heard a stifled chuckle from her companion. "What's so funny?"
The blonde shook his head, a smile on his face, the first real one in a long time. "Nothing, it's just that… well, back in my world, I could count my friends on one hand. When I arrived here, I never expected to make friends, quality ones at that. Now I have more friends than I did back then. Hell, turns out some of them are from my world, too. And we've been through it all."
Naruto let out a dry chuckle, finding some irony in the whole situation. Mizore just gave a slight smile, glad her friend realized that he wasn't alone, and never would be, if she could help it. Sure, he had his quirks, but so did everyone. The thing was, he didn't try to hide anything, like Naruto had nothing to prove to the world, he was just himself, like all of her friends. That's why Mizore liked to be around them, the blonde especially. He was honest about himself and had even opened up to her, even if it took some prodding. He trusted her, and she felt the same.
Her train of thought was broken, the blonde finally continuing. "But, you know the strange thing? When I first met Tsukune on the bus here all those months ago, I didn't think much of him, and I certainly never expected to become his friend. I thought he was just a spineless dumbass that didn't know his place in the world. But now, he's the reason I'm out in this hallway, to give him time to understand what I did, because I care for our friendship. Who would have guessed?"
"That is strange," Mizore admitted. However, Naruto still wasn't done yet.
"And you know what else. Throughout my time here, you were there beside me from the beginning, whether it seemed like it or not. You encouraged me, always offered to be a sympathetic ear for my problems. You were my first friend here, when I thought I didn't have a chance. I thought that my heart had died that day three years ago, but you stuck around, wanted to be my friend. Thank you, Mizore-chan, you really helped me, and I don't think I can ever repay you."
Although he couldn't see it, Mizore was blushing at the praise, before she, too, smiled a full smile. "Don't mention it. I feel the same way, Naruto-kun. You were my first real friend, and you don't owe me anything." The two continued their walk for a little while longer, prolonging the good mood, both generally happy.
/
It was a while before the two finally returned to the room, Naruto eventually getting comfortable enough that he had given Tsukune the time needed to absorb the news. As Naruto opened the door and walked into the room, he found it quiet. All eyes turned to them.
The blonde noticed, however, that two individuals quickly averted their gazes, seeming to find their own feet more interesting to look at. Yes, it seemed as if Kurumu and Tsukune couldn't bear to look at him.
Mizore moved passed Naruto as he continued to stand in the doorway, away from most people. The awkward silence hung in the air, as no one could really think of anything to say, and not wanting themselves to break the silence. Though, it seem it would be Gin who would free everyone from the oppressiveness of the situation.
"So… looks like you found him," the boy said, his comment aimed at Mizore.
"Yes, I guess I did." There was more silence before the boy tried again.
"You two were gone for a while."
Mizore just shrugged. "We decided to take a walk, you know, talk about some things."
"Oh, that sounds nice."
"What about you guys? What have you been doing?" it was now Mizore's turn to question the others.
"Not much. You know, explain some stuff to Tsukune here, wait for you to come back, it was rather boring." The conversation wasn't destined to go on any longer, unfortunately, as a certain blue-haired girl finally snapped.
"That's enough! Please, just stop!" all eyes turned to Kurumu as she stood up, almost knocking the chair she was sitting in over in the process. She looked over to Naruto as she continued speaking. "Look, I said some things I shouldn't have and took my anger out on you. That was wrong."
Naruto just narrowed his eyes at the girl, generally confused. "What are you talking abo-" he didn't get to finish.
"No, let me explain. In the end, you were really just trying to protect us the best you could, and when you explained it, I misunderstood and thought you had betrayed us. I yelled at you and made you leave. I'm sorry."
Naruto took a little time to take all that was said in, before he finally answered. "You don't have to apologize. You were right, I could have gone about the situation better, but I chose not to. Either way, thanks for understanding." Kurumu just gave a small smile.
"You know, if I were in your shoes, I probably would have done the same thing you did."
"I also understand why you did what you did." Now, it was Tsukune's turn to be under everyone's scrutiny. He didn't seem particularly bothered by it. "Anti-thesis forced you into your situation. You didn't know what they would have you do, you just tried to protect us. And you couldn't go against them, or they would directly harm us. If anything, it just shows that they are a bigger threat than we first thought and need to be taken down. We could really use your help."
Naruto just smiled. "Thank you. And don't worry, I'll find a way to get out so I can better help you."
"I'm sorry, but I don't think you'll be leaving Anti-thesis quite yet."
Everyone turned to the chairman, his ever present grin plastered on his face. His comment was met with a collective, "What?" from most everyone in the room. If anything, his smile just got bigger.
"You see, we still don't know much about Anti-thesis, and you're the only one who we trust who has ever gotten on the inside. You also seem to be the one they go to in order to get your friends in harm's way. I don't know why, for surely they know everything I've just said, but they seem to trust you enough. You need to stay in so you can tell us any new developments in their group, so we can finally stop them." It was quiet after the chairman finished.
The more Naruto thought about it, the more Naruto disliked it, and the more Naruto realized that the chairman was right. He was the only double agent in Anti-thesis, trusted or not. He was the only one who could truly help his friends, even if it meant he would potentially have to harm them. With a sigh, Naruto gave his answer. "Fine, I'll do it." the chairman just smiled and left, leaving everyone in a somber silence.
/
The next few days certainly were… different, to say the least. That didn't mean that Naruto was enjoying himself, not in the least. Different didn't mean good or enjoyable, just out of the norm. The days following the battle with Midou followed a similar pattern.
Naruto would get up, do his morning routines, and then go to class. After that was done with, there was a meeting with the committee that involved planning for the festival and how they would work to stop Anti-thesis from promoting their beliefs.
When Naruto could finally get away from all that, he would usually be given orders to help lower-ranking Anti-thesis find his friends, sometimes even contributing ideas on how to draw them out. When he could, he would help his friends beat the one harassing them. However, there were times when he couldn't assist his friends. Naruto recounted an instance that happened not too long ago.
Kiria himself had finally stepped in at one point, bringing with him two trolls who were ordered to attack Moka. Luckily for the pink-haired girl, Kurumu soon showed up and helped defeat the trolls. The point is, Kiria kept watch over the entire battle, and if he really wanted to win, he could have, Naruto also couldn't interfere.
Either way, after the battle, Naruto would just hang with his friends in their clubroom. When he had enough, he would go to his spot in the woods, do a prayer, train a bit. Then the blonde would return to his dorm, have a quick meal, and then go to bed. The same thing, day in and day out. The only good thing was the end of the day. However, today was a bit different.
The school was filled with the hustle and bustle of excitement and anticipation, eagerly waiting the upcoming festival. Both clubs and individual classes were preparing attractions for the event, despite the fact that it was more than a week away, and the newspaper club was no different.
Most everyone who was supposed to be there was, working on their own activity and cataloging the entertainment of other clubs in their paper. However, they weren't expecting a certain someone to drop in. they all looked up when the door opened.
"Hey everybody!" everyone saw Naruto's blonde head peaking through the open door. They were all surprised to see him, expecting him to be at a meeting or something. Mizore was the first to call him on it.
"Naruto-kun? What are you doing here?" she got up from her spot on the floor and approached the boy. She was happy to see him, but confused. Naruto just smiled as he fully entered the room.
"Heh, Hokuto gave me the day off, said I was working hard and that I deserved a break. So, since I had nothing better to do, I decided to visit my friends. So how's it going?"
"Oh, just lovely, can't you tell?" Naruto looked up and saw Gin walk past, a stack of papers in his arms. He set them down on his desk and fully regarded the blonde. "Quite frankly, I'm surprised that you bothered to show up while we're actually working. Now get over here and help me sort through these papers."
Naruto just gave the shit-eating grin that he pulls off oh-so well. "What, you mean doing work isn't fun? Welcome to the real world, where you can't just relax all day." Gin just stared at him, looking more than slightly irked.
"Don't make me kick you through a window again." The blonde gave a weak chuckle as he approached the older boy, deciding not to tempt fate. After a few seconds of sifting through papers, a question was asked.
"Hey, Naruto-san," said blonde looked up to see Moka. The girl seemed pensive, he noticed. "If you're here, where's Tsukune?"
"Well, I would imagine that Hokuto would've given him the day off, too. But, knowing him, he's still probably helping out with the planning."
"Oh. Hey, can I go look for Tsukune?" the girl asked Gin. The boy stopped and seemed to ponder the question over. After a while, he gave an answer.
"You know what, yeah, go wrangle up his ass and get him to come and help us." Moka gave a bow to Gin in respect.
"Thank you, I'll go find him." and with that, she left. It was then that Naruto noticed the distinct lack of people.
"Hey, where's Zetsu and Kurumu?" surprisingly, it was Yukari who answered his question. Naruto thought it strange, considering the girl never really spoke to him. In fact, he thought she was actually afraid of him.
"Oh, they went out to gather information on the other club activities so we can compile them for the next issue of the paper. They should be back soon."
Speak of the devil, the two walked in the room not a second later. They both noticed the blonde head next to Gin. Zetsu smiled a bit, and so did Kurumu. Yes, over the past few days, everyone had got to talking to learn more about each other. After getting to know him, Kurumu had become more civil towards Naruto, who found a friend in everyone in the club.
"Hey, what are you doing here?" Gin just sighed and called for a break, giving his underlings time to talk. Sure, he himself had no problem taking a rest, but they had a deadline to meet. After a while, though, Moka returned to the room, nearly busting down the door and looking like she had just run a few miles, scared for her life. Naruto just eyed her.
"Hey, where's Tsukune? And what happened to you?"
"No time for that! I… I just saw something bad!" she said panting. She began to make her way over to the group, Mizore and Kurumu helping her when she almost tripped over herself. After she was seated, Naruto probed her for more information.
"What did you see?"
Moka attempted to take a breath before she continued. "I-… it was Kiria!" all eyes turned to Naruto, who had his own eyes widen at that.
"He didn't tell me anything! Why, did he attack you?"
"You don't think he found out, do you?" asked Mizore, who was worried herself.
"That's not the point!" everyone's attention returned to Moka. "I saw him talking to Hokuto. I couldn't really hear what they were talking about, but I know I heard one of them say leader, and they seemed to be getting along." There was silence as everyone began to put the pieces together. Moka spoke what they were all thinking. "I think Hokuto is Anti-thesis."
"What?" everyone turned around, hearing a voice in the doorway. It was Tsukune, looking shocked, almost disbelieving. "Is what you said true?" Moka looked down.
"I'm sorry, Tsukune-kun. I know that you really admired Hokuto-san, but I thi-" she was cut of by a stifled laugh. Then, there was another one. It was obvious it was coming from Tsukune, even before he had burst out laughing like someone had just told a funny joke.
"I-I'm sorry, but you must have heard wrong! Hokuto-san would never ally himself with a group like Anti-thesis. He's against everything they stand for!"
Everyone just stared. Naruto was the first to snap. "Are you fucking serious?" Tsukune just stared. "I never trusted the guy, but even I didn't expect this. Nobody did. Face it, we were fooled. Hokuto's not the person we thoug-" Naruto didn't get to finish.
"No, you're wrong!" Tsukune yelled as he ran out of the room. Naruto just growled at his friend's inability to accept the truth. Though, he really didn't have a right to talk; he had the same problem not too long ago.
"I'll go after him. Someone go get help, and don't leave anyone by themselves. I want you all in groups of three at least. I don't know what's going on, but I don't want there to be the possibility that one of you gets caught alone." With those words of wisdom, he was off. Or, he tried to be, when a voice stopped him.
"Hey, wait up!" the blonde turned, only to see Mizore there behind him, determination in her eyes. Naruto wasn't in the mood to play games and, as such, growled.
"What are you doing? Get back in the room! It's dangerous right now! We don't know what Anti-thesis is planning, and you're all in potential danger!"
"So are you!" Mizore shouted back. Sure, she found it sweet that Naruto wanted to protect them all and cared for their safety, but it annoyed her that the boy thought that he needed to do everything by himself. They could take care of themselves most times. But, he was right; they needed to stay together, but that included him.
"So what? I can take them, but you could die! Do you want to die?"
"I will if it means I can watch your back!" Naruto froze. He truly wasn't expecting that. Then, he saw the look in her blue eyes. Sheer determination and will, matching his own. She was serious about this, and he knew he couldn't stop her. "Tsukune is our friend too. We should help." Mizore's voice was softer, seeing the effect she already had on her friend.
There was silence, before Naruto reluctantly nodded. "Fine, come on. But if things get out of hand, or we get ambushed, you run! Okay?"
"No promises." Despite himself, Naruto grinned a bit at that, even if he knew she was serious. With a nod he turned, but before they could go, another voice stopped them.
"Hang on, you said groups of three! I'm coming too!" turning, Naruto saw Yukari running up to them. With a sigh, not really wanting to fight and waste more time, Naruto just gave in.
"Fine, but try to keep up! We've already wasted enough time! And the rest of you!" Naruto yelled back at the room, getting the other's attention, "Get over to the chairman's office, and tell him what's going on! And stay together!" and with that, the three were off, racing around the corner past a very surprised, very confused Ruby. Shrugging, the girl continued onto the newspaper room.
/
When Tsukune entered the committee room, he thought that he was going to be sick. Everyone was dead or dying, bodies strewn haphazardly across the room, blood leaking from them all. The ones that weren't dead had labored breathing and were obviously going to die if they didn't get treatment in the next couple of minutes. Everyone was going to die, except for the one person standing in the middle of the room, not a scratch on his person.
"Hmm, nice of you to join us, Tsukune-kun. Looks like I was overheard after all. Pity. I didn't actually want to harm you."
"I-it can't be true." Tsukune's whole body was shaking in fear. If one person had done this to all these people, what was going to happen to him? What chance did he have? He just watched as the much taller boy picked up a splintered piece of wood as he finally collapsed to the ground.
"Unfortunately for you, it is," Hokuto said, testing his makeshift weapon by stabbing it into the wall. He then looked over to the wall, light glinting off of his glasses in an evil way. "And do you want to know something else. Kiria isn't the leader of Anti-thesis," he let that factoid hang in the air for a bit before dropping the real bombshell, "I am."
"I… I don't believe it. I trusted you, we all did. We thought that we could really make a difference if we followed you." Tsukune began to tear up, not wanting to face the truth. "I thought that I would be able to become stronger, better, if I followed you, Hokuto-san, even if it was a nobody like me."
The critical and calculating gaze that Hokuto fixed on Tsukune dismissed any thoughts he may have of him being wrong. The look held no warmth in it. "Don't be stupid. Your sentimental speeches mean nothing to me, Tsukune-san. However, I know that you are not completely helpless. How about this; show me how you defeated my underlings. I know you had a hand in at least some of their demises."
Hokuto continued to approach, stepping over the body of one of the former committee members. He continued to convey no emotion whatsoever, even as he raised his impromptu weapon, ready to strike.
"Of course, if you won't do even that… you can die!" however, just as he was brining the weapon down, it was cut in half and knocked out of Hokuto's hand. "What the? Tarot cards?"
The next thing he knew, he was stuck to the ground, unable to lift his feet. Looking down, his eyes, narrowed, noticing that the blood had frozen and had trapped his leg. Realizing something, he looked up, eyes wide, only to gat kicked in the face and get sent tumbling across the ground, the ice breaking. Tsukune just watched, eyes wide, before he felt someone grab his wrist and yank him to his feet.
"C'mon, move! We need to leave now!" the brunette quickly realized it was Naruto by his side, getting him to move. He also noticed Yukari and Mizore there with them standing by their side. He didn't have much more time to think before he was being shoved toward the door.
"Wait, some of these guys are still alive! We need to help!" Naruto just stared, but quickly decided that now wasn't the time to argue. He created a few clones to quickly sort through the bodies. In the end, three came out, each with a survivor, if just barely. He quickly sent them out ahead of them towards the hospital, rushing to get them stabilized.
"Happy? Now we need to move!"
"My, Naruto-san, I didn't expect you to be here." Naruto along with everyone else froze. Turning, the blonde saw Hokuto, not even looking injured. "I'm more surprised that you brought help, though."
Naruto gave his signature frustrated growl. "They followed me." everyone got ready to fight, Naruto unsheathing his wakizashi and preparing for the worst. Hokuto chuckled, pushing his glasses further up his nose.
"You know, I'm disappointed that you didn't side with us, actually. But, you were useful to us for a while." Naruto tensed, preparing to lunge, before someone else entered the room.
"Wait! Moka-san's been captured! Kiria got her!" Naruto turned, seeing Ruby, bloodied and weak.
"What happened!" really, the blonde wanted to know what Moka was doing with the girl in the first place, but he needed to get his priorities straight. That question could wait.
"She left Zetsu, Gin, And Kurumu to come find me. She wanted information on Hokuto and to inform the chairman. Before we could go, I was attacked from behind and Kiria took Moka. Oh god, this is all my fault." Yukari went over to help the older witch as Naruto contemplated what was said. Tsukune had to get something out, though.
"Was this your doing?" he asked Hokuto. The boy said nothing. Why would you do such a thing? I thought you hated violence, that you really wanted peace! I thought we were similar in that regard! Why are you doing this to us?" there was silence, before a smirk appeared on Hokuto's face.
"Similar, really? Heh, don't make me laugh. All you have are your speeches and friends, and if the latter of which left you, you couldn't do anything. We are nothing alike, and none of you will ever be able to fully understand my plan, let alone stop it. Really, the only one of you who actually stands a chance against me is Naruto-kun. However, as it stands…"
Before anyone could say anything, Hokuto just seemed to disappear. He materialized in front of Naruto, and before he could even try to defend himself a fist found its way into his stomach. He was sent flying by the blow before hitting the ground. "Naruto-kun!" he didn't know who yelled his name, but as he tried to get up, he was overcome by an unimaginable pain, causing him to shout out in agony.
'Don't move! That blow ruptured your stomach, and I'm trying to make sure your other organs don't dissolve in the leaking acid. I don't know how long this will take, but hang in there.'
Barley able to move, Naruto shouted out to his friends, voice filled with obvious pain. "We don't have any chance of escape! You need to fight together to even have a chance at defeating him! Ugh!" Naruto could barely make out Hokuto's form frozen in ice, but he was quickly escaping. Laying his head down, Naruto let Kyuubi do his job.
'I may need to use some of your chakra after this.'
'Let's not get ahead of ourselves, you're in pretty bad shape.' Naruto kept silent, waiting as the sounds of battle continued on, hoping that his friends were okay. He couldn't make out anything that was being said, but was only too glad when he heard Kyuubi. 'Okay, you're good!'
"Thanks," Naruto said out loud as he sat up. He was forced to wince at the pain, though. At least it was bearable this time. He focused, until he felt a pleasant warmth cover him, and his blade once again returned to its seal. His now red eyes snapped open, and with a grin, he was gone in a burst of speed.
His fist impacted rather nicely into Hokuto's chest, sending the boy into a wall as he spat out some blood, even more so as he slid down the now cracked wall. Naruto idly noticed that his friends were bleeding as he approached Hokuto's downed form, tail swishing behind him.
He grabbed Hokuto by his collar, the material quickly singeing as he looked into the boy's shocked eyes. "Tell us where Moka-san is before I have to do something… unpleasant." Naruto raised his fist in warning, more of a shimmering red claw than anything.
"Wait." Naruto turned, surprised as he let his concentration slip and the cloak vanish. Tsukune moved Naruto as he took his place.
The blonde narrowed his eyes. "What the hell are you doing?" it didn't seem he was heard.
"When you said that you wanted to bring peace to this school, you had conviction in your voice. I know that you meant it. I don't like seeing people I trust to get hurt." Everyone kept quiet, surprised that Tsukune still trusted this guy. Even Hokuto was shocked. "But I don't want to see you hurt anyone else. Your plan has failed. Please tell me where Moka-san is."
"Dumbass," Naruto said, more to himself than anyone. He was surprised when Mizore lightly elbowed him in the ribs and decided to keep quiet then, even as a piece of rubble hit the ground.
Hokuto began to get up, even as he said nothing. Tsukune clenched his hands before he stood up. "It's obvious you're not going to talk, so I have no choice. I wanted to end this privately, but it looks like we need to take Hokuto-san to the chairman."
/
Everyone walked into the chairman's private housing with Hokuto at the front, the boy bound with Ruby's wings acting like rope. The chairman smiled at the sight of them. "Good job everybody. You've all been a great help." The man descended the stairs, men clothed in black on either side of him. Naruto also noticed that Gin, Zetsu, and Kurumu were with him. "Just as I thought, it was Hokuto-san." That being said, he pulled a rosary from his robes and said something under his breath as he held it in front of him. The reaction was instantaneous.
A giant glowing seal appeared on the floor causing Naruto to wince at its brightness. "What the fuck?"
"It's a barrier, used to seal Hokuto's power!" Yukari said in realization. Surprisingly, Hokuto grinned as his confines disappeared.
"You were prepared. I now see why you kept yourself hidden. You really suspected me from the very beginning, is that it?" the chairman smiled, and everyone jumped away as a sphere of energy surrounded Hokuto. The boy punched it, only to quickly pull his hand back, knuckles bleeding. "Damn it." Naruto just stared as the crazed grin never left the boy's face. "Everything was a trap, wasn't it? Naruto and Tsukune joining the committee, even Naruto joining and betraying Anti-thesis, you planed it all out to fool me. You even sent people after Tsukune to make him stronger. Well played."
Everyone was shocked at the last bit, though, there minds latching onto the information. "What?" Tsukune asked.
"I'm right, aren't I? You calculated every detail!" everyone was speechless as this continued. The chairman didn't even attempt to deny anything, he just stood there. Naruto's eyes narrowed as his glanced between the chairman and Hokuto. What was the man really capable of? Finally, the chairman spoke.
"You truly are outstanding, Hokuto-san. I had great expectations for you. A pity that things turned out the way they did." With that, he turned up the stairs, robes swishing behind him. "Escort the children to my office and take Hokuto-san to the dungeon." None of the children made to move, even Zetsu was shocked.
"Heh… kuhihi…" Naruto turned as he heard the laugh. Hokuto was pressed against the barrier, crazed look in his eyes. "Kuhihi… hahaha… kuhahahahahaha! Hahahah! Hahihihihi!"
"What the fuck?" Naruto said under his breath, confused beyond imagination. What was going on? Had the boy finally cracked?
"Hyahihi! Bwahahahahahahaha! Bwahihi!" Naruto's eyes continually narrowed as the boy laughed. However, they shot open and he jumped away as a giant crack appeared on the dome.
Then, the barrier burst, sending shards everywhere. "Shit!" Naruto yelled everyone thought's as he shielded himself the best he could. In the end, Hokuto stood, hair whipping about as the energy expanded outwards with a rush, knocking most everyone over.
"You were wrong!" the boy yelled. "I calculated everything, this included!" faster than his eyes could track, Hokuto moved, pushing everyone down the stairs as he went to the chairman. Then next thing he saw, Hokuto was covered in blood, his hand morphed into some sick, branching bone spear, running the chairman through in multiple places, even stabbing two of his bodyguards. "I've waited so long… so long for this moment! One of the three dark lords, Mikogami, the chairman, has fallen by my hand.
No on dared to move, it seemed, entranced by the display before them. It was so brutal, so out of what everyone expected, that they could do nothing but see where this was going. The chairman, Mikogami, finally dropped, the rosary falling from his grasp.
"How? My barrier…that's it… You can control barriers." Hokuto ignored the chairman as he stepped over him, snatching the fallen cross.
"That's what I want. The key to dispel the Grand Barrier. I must have this." He juggled it in his mutated hand, smirk on his face.
"Dispel the Grand Barrier? You can't!" the chairman struggled to get up, to grab the rosary, anything. "The consequences of doing so are unfathomable!"
"What are you doing, Hokuto-san?" Tsukune was the first to snap out of it, apparently, as he started up the stairs. Hokuto turned to him.
"You still don't get it? I allowed myself to be captured. It was the only way to get myself close enough to the overly cautious chairman. I've been awaiting the day the chairman planted someone into the committee to test me. You were the more trusting individual, far more so than Naruto-san. I approached you and let myself get caught. Kiria kidnapping Moka was just to add pressure, just like the threat on Mizore's life was leverage to get Naruto to join us. I'll admit, I never expected a mole in our organization so soon, even if we brought him in knowing the risk, but it became obvious soon enough, and I soon factored him in, too. The chairman shouldn't have hung around you guys."
Naruto tensed, being reminded of how he was forced to join Hokuto's ranks. The memory seemed to get him to do something else other than watch. As he looked back, he also noticed Zetsu was tensed, in a fighting stance. He was ready to protect their friends. The subtle nod confirmed Naruto's suspicions as the blonde joined Tsukune. Hokuto just laughed some more.
"I knew you would crack under the pressure and seek help from your friends, just like I knew Uzumaki-kun would never betray you. You would seek help from the chairman as you got information from Naruto. All you actions were taken into consideration and were exactly as I predicted. Thanks to you, my plan went perfectly! You really are unable to do anything on your own, Tsukune-kun!"
Tsukune just looked down at his feet, seeming like a beaten puppy ready to accept death. Looking back, he noticed his other friends also looking rather down. Not knowing what to do, and unwilling to leave his friend's side, he just put a hand on the boy's shoulder. Tsukune didn't react to it at all. Hokuto smirked, and then said something that made Naruto's blood run cold.
"Then again, I shouldn't be taking all the credit. I did have some help, after all. Help from someone you know quite well, Naruto-kun." Naruto looked up, shocked, before his eyes narrowed. "Or, at least, he seems to know you. It was his idea to accept you into Anti-thesis to give you a false sense of security, like you had the upper hand."
Naruto growled as he stepped forward a bit. "Who?" he asked, although he had a faint idea. He needed to be sure, though. He knew that if it came down to blows, he would probably lose. He was willing to risk it, though. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his friends regrouping, preparing to jump into the battle. Naruto wouldn't have any of that, as he turned to yell at them. "Stay out of this! He's too strong for you and you'll just get in the way!" Hokuto seemed to ignore the blonde's outburst.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" Hokuto said in a mocking voice. He turned and began up the stairs. "You are all weak fools. People like you have no say in these matters. No stop hindering me. It's about time I brought about the end of this academy."
Naruto just stood there, and was rather shocked as Tsukune moved past him. By the look on his face, he knew something was wrong. He watched as the boy placed a hand on Hokuto's shoulder, causing the boy to turn, an annoyed look on his face.
"What now? I have no use for you anymore." He saw as Tsukune raised his fist, but Hokuto paid it no mind. Naruto just tensed further, having a good idea of what was about to happen. If he was right, this might be their chance.
Naruto kept an eye on his hand, more importantly, the locket on his wrist, the one that controlled his vampire blood. Just as he thought, it glowed a bit as a crack appeared on one of the links. Hokuto noticed to late, and got the full powered punch to his face.
The boy was sent flying up the stairs as everyone's eyes widened. However, Naruto's mind was working. Knowing it was dangerous to get involved, but also thinking that it looked like Tsukune wasn't about to press the advantage, Naruto moved. 'Now!' he thought as Hokuto reached a good spot. Using chakra to increase his speed, Naruto bolted up the stairs, sliding as he reached the top.
He maneuvered under Hokuto's falling form and kicked up, hitting Hokuto in the back and sending him further in the air. Getting up, Naruto jumped, shooting past his enemy and going to the ceiling, sticking to it before he rocketed off the surface. Naruto started to spin to build up more power before giving an axe kick into Hokuto's stomach, launching the boy back down and Naruto flipped back near Tsukune.
Dust was kicked up as Hokuto landed, so everyone was forced to wait for a result. They were all surprised as Hokuto stood up, making a 'tsk'ing noise. "Was that really the best you could do? Your still trying and failing to hurt me." Hokuto rotated his shoulder, relieving the slight discomfort there. Naruto looked to his side, only to see Tsukune back to normal, a tear rolling down his cheek, but otherwise looking fine. Then, he spoke.
"I've said it before, Hokuto-san, I don't want you to hurt anyone." Everyone stared, but Naruto was left wondering why he was still trying, his thoughts following Hokuto's. Tsukune bent down to the chairman, checking on him before standing again. "But if violence is the only solution…" Naruto felt the power reappear as Tsukune's eyes changed, "I will defeat you!"
Hokuto just stared, his hand morphing back to normal as he once again began to toss the rosary around. Then, he began to laugh again. "Ku… kukukukukukuku. What… are you serious? Defeat me? Did I mishear you?" he began to move down the stairs, Naruto moving closer to Tsukune to better protect the boy, though it wasn't likely he needed it.
"Hokuto-san…" Tsukune left his name hanging, almost in a warning like way. Naruto just looked over to him.
"Hey, are you sure this is a good idea? I think you're just pissing him off, and I really doubt that we could take him. Our attacks don't seem to have much effect." Tsukune didn't even spare him a glance.
"Don't think to highly of yourself," Hokuto said, also not seeming to hear Naruto. "DO you think trash like you really stands a chance against me?" everyone tensed further, as they could feel a pure, dark energy emanating from the boy. Naruto just swore to himself. From the corner of his eye, he finally saw the others begin to move. Unfortunately, Hokuto also noticed. "Where do you think your going? Just hold still."
Using the rosary, Hokuto created a seal under them, causing them to freeze in place. They were shocked as a dome of energy appeared around them, just like the one that Hokuto broke out of. Naruto saw them press against the barrier, before he heard Hokuto's voice again.
"Hmm, as I thought, this rosary can create barriers. As expected from Mikogami's Rosary of Judgment."
'Shit, we need to get that thing away from him.' Naruro glanced at Tsukune, trying to form a plan. However, this was a bit hard for him. He usually exploited the openings enemies left when they were surprised by what he could do. Shock and awe, that's how it worked. But, this guy seemed to know everything about him. 'We can't beat him, but we need that cross.'
"Not good…" Naruto averted his gaze, seeing the chairman trying to crawl towards Tsukune and him. "Hokuto… can control barriers… and has the rosary, the key used to create the Grand Barrier surrounding the school… You guys need to stop him… he's serious about exposing the school and plunging the world into chaos… everyone will be doomed."
"Fuck, this just keeps getting better, doesn't it?" despite himself, Naruto couldn't help but be sarcastic. In his mind, Naruto could imagine open warfare between humans with superior technology and supernatural beings with natural weapons. It wasn't just him; everyone but Hokuto looked scared.
"Heh, I don't see a problem. Youkai and humans were originally enemies, right? Why not return the world to its natural state. Everyone will be able to kill others to their heart's content. Besides, my… beneficiary wants to test an invention of his on a large scale. Open combat is the only good field test." Hokuto chuckled, regarding the rosary.
'Shit! If it's really is him… what is he planning? What more could he do? This is bad, we need to stop him.' apparently, Tsukune agreed.
"No! We won't let you accomplish your goals! We will stop you! Your conflict will never happen!" Hokuto continued to smirk as he bean to twirl the rosary by its chain.
"What do you plan to do, kill me? Can you really do that, or are you just all talk?"
"I'll kill you myself if I have to." Naruto said, causing everyone to turn to him. "But first, I'll make you tell me where you helper is. You will tell me how to find him."
Hokuto smirked, directing most of his attention on the blonde. Tsukune noticed this, and took his chance, diving for the rosary. Hokuto just flicked his fingers, tossing it into the air as Tsukune aimed a punch at him, which was blocked. Seeing the chance he needed, Naruto quickly caught the cross as he examined it as the other two were occupied. "Shit, how does this work?"
"Focus your energy into it." Naruto glanced at the chairman, following his instructions. In a second, the barrier shattered, releasing his friends. Naruto sighed, before hearing Hokuto's voice.
"Oh well, it's only a small victory for you. Now, hand the rosary back over." Naruto watched as Hokuto held his hand in front of his face, his fingers growing and hand splitting the bones apart.
His hand continued to grow and sharpen before he smacked Tsukune out of the way, stabbing at Naruto. Naruto bent and twisted, the arm grazing his cheek as it found a home in a pillar behind him. Unfortunately, the blonde unwillingly dropped the cross, allowing Hokuto to scoop it up.
"Fool." Hokuto's hand shrank back down, even as Tsukune tried to get the rosary back. Hokuto just bobbed and weaved around the blows effortlessly. "What a poor performance. You're only fighting on instinct, and, as such, are full of openings. Like this!" Hokuto morphed his hand again, going for a stab on Tsukune. However, Naruto was faster this time.
Jumping in, Naruto pushed his friend out of the way, taking the brunt of the attack and getting stabbed in multiple places. Naruto almost yelled at the pain, but held on.
"How noble, protecting your friend. However, was it worth it? The pain? I wonder, what's your limit before giving in?" Hokuto laughed as he brought his hand out. Or, he tried to. He stopped, his smirk vanishing as Naruto began to chuckle.
"This, this is nothing compared to some of the things I've been through. This will pass." Naruto grinned, grabbing Hokuto's hand and pushing it further into him, causing his enemy to lurch forward, surprised. "However, now you're at a disadvantage. You're an arm down, and you're outnumbered."
"Naruto!" his friends cried out in shock. Naruto just growled.
"Stay out of this! He's too much for you!" Naruto turned back, impaling himself further as he used Kyuubi's chakra to augment his muscles, making it so Hokuto couldn't pull out. "Now, Tsukune! This is your chance!" Tsukune just nodded, going in for a blow.
He was only swatted away by Hokuto's other hand. "I'm still more than a match for you two. Now, let go!" Hokuto then began hitting him with his other hand. With each blow, Naruto's grip weakened. The abuse soon became too much, blood dripping from his face and body, obscuring his vision a bit, and his grip disappearing completely, leaving the blonde standing limply. Hokuto laughed as he threw Naruto off his hand, his body impacting the ground with a wet smack. He didn't move for a while, letting himself heal, even as a few people approached him. In this time, Hokuto focused on Tsukune, his friends unable to really help. What could they do?
"This isn't good," said a voice, one he recognized a Ruby, "His body is covered in lacerations, and he's losing a lot of blood."
"Will he be okay?" asked another voice, Mizore. Why was she asking that? Hadn't he already explained his immortality to her?
"I don't know, but it looks like his wounds are slowly knitting themselves back together."
"I'll be fine," Naruto groaned out, "I just need time. Get back over to everyone else and watch each other's back." The blonde could sense the reluctance, but, before long, the two had moved away, leaving him alone.
Tsukune soon fell, and Naruto still couldn't move. Hokuto's smirk returned. "Are you two dead? Finally." He turned and began to walk away again. "Now, I have a barrier to dispel." However, he suddenly stopped, turning as Tsukune stood. "What?"
Energy burst forth from the boy, like a dam on his power had just been demolished. Naruto didn't know how long it would last, but it bought him valuable time. 'Hurry up Kyuubi. We need to stop him. We need that information.'
/
Naruto wasn't the only one looking for information on this mysterious person, however. There was another individual with the same goal in mind, though he was using different means to go about it.
Kiria was in a broken heap on the ground. His left arm was at an unnatural angle, his back hurt, and his jaw was most likely dislocated. However those were just the consequences of forcing Moka to remove the seal herself and taking her on. In his head though, he thought it was worth it. It definitely was interesting, if not quick.
"I still can't believe she broke the seal…" he said to himself, still excited. That is, until a shadow fell over him. Looking up, his eyes widened as he saw the figure. "You!" he said, shocked.
"Hmm, the fact that you know who I am only furthers my belief that you were warned of my presence by someone. You also seem to know what I'm capable of."
There was silence as Kiria took the information in. then, he grinned. "You put up the front of being an unassuming individual, despite the evidence of a… colourful past. You really are an interesting individual, eh, Konjyoyaki-san?" Kiria spoke, referencing the signs of conflict covering the taller man's body.
The scarred man kept silent, eyeing the boy as he struggled to get up. He finally got to his feet and dusted off his jacket with his good hand. He chuckled some.
"You were here the whole time, weren't you? Why didn't you help the girl? Why didn't you help the witch earlier?"
"Moka-san's fate is of little consequence to me. Besides, if I helped, it would be even more obvious that I was on to him. As for Ruby-san… it was obvious you wouldn't kill her. You weren't aware of my presence and needed someone to pass on the information of Moka's capture. In the end, I was right. So, why don't you tell me everything you know?"
"Now, why would I do that?" Konjyoyaki's eye narrowed. Before Kiria understood what was happening, the man was behind him, twisting his good arm to the point that the bones were creaking. Kiria winced.
"I believe you are in no position to question me. Now, you know there are a few ways this could play out, only one benefits us both. Your lucky I'm being generous and that I need you alive. Now, you know what I'm looking for. Where is he, and what is he having Hokuto-san do?" the grip loosened, and Kiria just smirked. This was interesting.
/
Naruto's feelings were… conflicted, to say the least. Here he was, lying on the ground with multiple stab wounds, watching a person who he thought he could beat effortlessly any day of the week take on a guy who he couldn't seem to injure. To be fair, Tsukune couldn't really seem to hit the guy to begin with, but he kept getting up after every hit.
Now, Naruto was appreciative that someone was delaying Hokuto while he healed, but Tsukune injuries were more numerous, blood covering him and matting down his hair, yet he didn't take a break. He kept fighting. Why did he seem so much weaker? Was it the vampire blood Tsukune had? But, hadn't he defeated him while he used his powers?
'While that's true, you were also using four tails of chakra, and almost killed your friends.'
'Kyuubi? Shouldn't you be healing me? And, while that's true, I also took him out easily.'
'That's not the point. Either way, I don't know why, but this guy's attacks are affecting you like nothing I've seen before. Don't worry though, this won't take much longer.'
'That's not good enough.' With that, Naruto struggled to sit up, his body screaming at him to stop along with the Kyuubi.
'What are you doing? If you force yourself like this, you'll end up harming yourself even more! Don't be stupid a wait until I'm done!'
'No! I need to help!' by this time, Naruto got to his feet, swaying heavily. He almost screamed. Everything ached. 'Fight through the pain! C'mon!' the blonde's urgency only increased as he heard some conversation going on between his friends.
"At this rate, Tsukune's demonic energy will consume him and he'll turn into a ghoul!"
"Well we can't just stand around and do nothing! We need to help!" Naruto quickly rounded on them, wincing at the motion.
"No! I told you to stay out of this! Do you want to die?"
"Your willing to risk your life to stop this guy, why shouldn't we? You need help!"
"I'm willing to risk my life because I can't die, okay! I'll be forced to watch everyone I care for pass me by because of a choice I made! I can give it all, but I don't want to see you all die this soon! Is that what you wanted to hear! I shouldn't have to justify myself!" everyone was quiet as Naruto yelled at them. He realized it was wrong, but they needed to understand that they had no place in this fight." Now, if you want to help, go find Moka!" and that was that as he began to limp to the fight. He knew he might just get in the way, but he needed to try and help.
He only got a little ways to the fight before he heard the door open behind him. In fact, everyone looked. "You can stop now, I'll take it from here." Naruto only saw a shadow, but he recognized the voice.
"Impossible! What are you doing here?" the figure stepped into the light, revealing Moka's vampire form.
'But how is that possible. Nobody removed the rosar-" Naruto stopped, noticing the object in question hanging broken from its chain. 'So that's it. She broke it to help us. She really is something else.' Naruto could have collapsed in joy right there, but refused to. He remained standing as Kyuubi continued to work to heal him.
"Moka-san!" a few people said collectively, surprised. Tsukune also seemed to notice the strangeness of the situation. The vampire just said that she would explain after the fight.
"What happened to Kiria?" that was all Hokuto said. "He was supposed to be with you, so where is he now?"
"Hmm, he's probably unconscious on a grave somewhere on that hill, maybe waiting to be buried. You're the only one left now, Kageshiro-san." Hokuto just stared at Moka, tilting his head a bit. However, this exposed something to Naruto.
'Wait, what's that on his neck? Is that a vein? How long has that been there? And it looks like the one that appears when Tsukune goes into ghoul form. But, why would that happen to him? Unless… he wasn't originally a monster, like Tsukune!' Hokuto also seemed to notice the vein, 'tsk'ing a bit.
"Why do you keep opposing me?" the boy asked. "Especially you, Tsukune-kun. Weren't you originally human?" Tsukune's eyes widened at that. Hokuto continued as he held the chairman's rosary in front of his face. "Therefore, what reason do you have to protect this academy? Sure, the following conflict may effect you, but that may still be a ways off."
That being said, a seal appeared under the boy's feet, glowing brightly as he began to sink into the ground. Everyone's eyes widened. "How do you know how to…" Tsukune didn't finish, Hokuto cutting him off.
"I have my own reasons to risk everything, just to destroy this school. You could never understand." As he said that, Hokuto shot a glance to Naruto, one that told the blonde that the man knew something. What, he didn't know. "Stop trying to hinder me, you're only delaying the inevitable."
Soon, only his head was visible, and Naruto decided to speak up. "Um, he's escaping. Shouldn't we stop him?"
"He's right!" Moka dived after him, jumping into the light as he disappeared.
"Moka, wait!" Tsukune, despite his injured form, followed her, grabbing on as she went into the floor. Naruto wasn't far behind, grabbing onto the boy's ankle as he was sucked into the ground. After that, he couldn't really hear or see anything, but he felt something grab onto his own ankle.
The only thing Naruto really knew was that it was dark after that. He stood up slowly, and when he was confidently that he wasn't going to fall over, he stood up completely. Now that he thought about it, his body felt almost good as new. He was only slightly tired.
Eye's adjusting to the darkness, he quickly looked around. He saw numerous pillars first off, stretching high into the darkness. Turning around, he saw everyone else. They apparently had gotten a hold of each other after grabbing him.
"What is this place?" asked one of them in awe. No one answered. However, Naruto had more pressing matters to attend to.
"Why are you here? I told you to stay out of this fight."
Kurumu turned to him, this time he could actually make out who said what. "I don't recall anyone putting you in charge. Why would we listen to you? Besides, we're sick of sitting around. We can fight, too, so let us help our friends!"
Naruto growled at thee girl. "I'm giving order because I know what I'm doing. I've been fighting for my life since I was four, and I know how dangerous this can be." For a while, Naruto was silent, letting everyone absorb the information. In the end, he just sighed though. "But you're right, I can see we need help. Just try not to die! Now, let's go!"
"One problem," Naruto turned, seeing Moka with her arms crossed over her chest, "Where is Hokuto?"
"You guys actually followed me. I'm amazed, to tell you the truth. And you're all here." Everyone turned, seeing Hokuto emerging from the darkness. "To clear up any questions, this is the Everlasting Alter of Darkness, located in the basement of Youkai Academy." Despite himself, Naruto couldn't stop himself from thinking Hokuto sounded just a bit like a tour guide. "It's the heart of the school."
As he said that, light appeared around him, showing several consoles, veins of electricity glowing bright as it banished the shadows as best they could. Soon, lights on the floor also showed themselves, increasing the visibility. However, it was obvious that the room stretched for quite a bit more, way more than he had any hope of seeing.
"My plan is perfect you know. Forming Anti-thesis, using you all, stealing the rosary. All for the destruction of this wretched academy! You were the only real miscalculation, Tsukune-kun. I never thought you would get here. I also never thought Kiria would be defeated. Truthfully, I never wanted you to know that this place existed. However, none of that matters now. The results will be the same." Hokuto grinned, showing the rosary to everyone as he held it up in preparation. "All I need to do is insert this key… and the Grand Barrier will disappear, allowing Youkai Academy to be summoned to the human world!"
"You were buying time by telling all of us this, weren't you?" Moka screamed. Hokuto's superior smirk told the girl that she was right.
"It's too late! I've won!" with that, Hokuto slammed the rosary down into the consol in front of him.
"Shit!" Naruto screamed, noticing the energy flux in the chamber. "Come on! We might still have a chance to reverse this, but we need to hurry!" with that, Naruto burst forward, the others following close behind. However, everyone's eyes widened as they saw the blonde rocket sideways, an object impacting his face.
"Naruto-kun!" Mizore yelled, attempting to go after him. However, she was grabbed by Zetsu.
"No time! He can handle himself, but we need to focus on the bigger threat right now!" Mizore just gazed into her friend's yellow eyes, before reluctantly nodding. She just hoped her other friend was okay.
/
The far off sounds of destruction were disturbing to Naruto, but there were more pressing matters to attend to at the moment, even if he did worry about his friends. He needed to worry for himself right now. Yeah, a foot on your throat does that to a guy.
Thinking quickly, Naruto brought up a leg, pushing his foot into the back of the guy's knee, causing him to stumble forward slightly. But it was enough. Naruto used the leverage, escaping from underneath the man and going under him, kicking him in the back on the way. His cloak billowed behind him from the sudden movement.
"What was the point of that? You're not going back over there, and you're not escaping me, so why can't you just accept that?"
Naruto growled. "Why can't you just make up your mind about whether or not I'm your enemy? I thought we could finally just be friends, so why did you have to attack me, Kon?" Naruto went in for another blow, but only caught the coat as the man dodged to the side.
The blonde wouldn't give up though, aiming a punch at the man's scarred face. He once again dodged. As per usual, he didn't speak, just stared. It was unnerving, that orange gaze.
"Say something, damnit!" another punch, another miss. So angered was Naruto that he didn't even think to draw a weapon, he used no jutsu. As he went in for another try, he found his wrist in a vice-like grip. The man flipped over his head, popping Naruto's arm out of place as he used his back as a springboard, sending Naruto stumbling.
Grabbing his shoulder, the blonde roughly set it back in place. This wasn't good, for some reason his recent injuries were acting up. His attention was drawn from that issue, however, as the man spoke. "We don't have to fight, you know. I just can't have you fighting Hokuto."
"What are you going on about now? I need to protect my friends, you know that!"
"Like you protected Haku?" the man raised an eyebrow. Naruto froze as he looked down, before his whole body started trembling. "Zetsu told me everything, don't worry, but I believe we have more pressing matters."
Naruto looked up, his eyes red as he unconsciously drew upon Kyuubi's chakra. "What do you mean? And why can't I help my friends."
"I talked to Kiria, you know," the man continued on, unperturbed by Naruto's outburst. "He told me some interesting things. You know, there's a reason that I can't have you attacking Hokuto, you'd probably kill him. I can't have that, for reasons that have no place being spoken here."
"Wait, what did Kiria tell you?" asked Naruto, annoyed with how this man constantly changed topics.
"Ahh, finally paying attention to the big picture, are we? Tell me, has Hokuto told you that he's had any help?"
Naruto was surprised by the question, before thinking back. "Yeah, he said he had a beneficiary." Quickly, Naruto grew angry.
"You no doubt have a suspicion on who it is, right? Hokuto probably taunted you with the information."
"Yes, well," at that moment, Naruto's eyes widened, a realization coming to him. "Wait, you know who he is? You've met him?"
"Naruto! Not now!" the blonde's mouth closed, watching as the man stepped forward, his features becoming more clear, like his goatee and eye patch. "However, you could say that I've met him, but, the point is that he's here, and he's been influencing Hokuto this whole time."
"I still don't see the point. Doesn't that give me more of a reason to kill him?"
"No, it doesn't. I have a better idea in mind, but it will take time. But that's not the point. Listen, this guy, he knows things. Many things. And he's always curious, wanting to learn more. He's been performing numerous experiments recently, but I don't know for how long, and I fear that he plans to bring about the end of the world. Not just this one, but all of them."
Naruto was quiet, trying to wrap his head around all of this information. The cloaked man, the one that killed Haku. He really was here? He was performing experiments? Is that what happened to Yakasu? Was that the reason the man died? And he wanted to destroy everything? But, how did Konjyoyaki know this? How did he know the man? He needed information.
"Wait, where is he? Maybe we can stop him!" Naruto watched as Konjyoyaki just shook his head.
"I'm afraid not. I already infiltrated his hideout on campus and found that he was gone. There was no evidence indicating where he went. Then again, I suppose that's a good thing. I doubt I could have fought him and won."
Now that was a shock. Someone Konjyoyaki couldn't effortlessly beat? Then what would happen to him if he tried to fight him? That didn't do anything to make Naruto feel better. It meant that he might never avenge Haku.
Idly, Naruto noticed that the sounds of battle had stopped and that the far off light had dimmed quite a bit. Konjyoyaki confirmed his thoughts. "Hmm, the fight's over, and it appears that your friends have come out on top. The only answer is that Tsukune-san managed to turn Hokuto off of his path. That's… good." the blonde wondered how he knew that and, for a second, Naruto thought that he saw a proud smile on the man's face. But when hr blinked, it was gone.
Naruto thought that it was an illusion, that his eyes were mistaken. Why would Konjyoyaki be proud? Before he could think on the subject, Konjyoyaki turned away. "Wait, what do we do now? Why did you tell me this if we can't do anything?"
"As I said, I needed to keep you distracted and out of the fight. Hokuto must live." Naruto opened his mouth, wondering if anything he hand been told was true. Konjyoyaki put his mind at ease. "What I told you was true, though. Keep in mind that there is something bigger than us in the works, something that threatens all life. You must prepare yourself, Naruto. You may be the only hope we have."
Before anymore could be said, Konjyoyaki vanished into the darkness. Naruto would never know how he did this, what with wearing mostly white and the light that his ever-present cigarette gave off. Regardless, Naruto made his way to his friends last know position. But, for some reason, Naruto couldn't shake the feeling that he hadn't been told everything, and that Konjyoyaki had a more intimate knowledge of this man and his plan than Naruto could ever hope to know.
/
And there you have it. What do you think, hmm? Truly, despite not wanting to admit it, your reviews are all that keep me going at times. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy writing, and I don't really care if it's not quite widely recognized, but sometimes I just find myself getting depressed at random times. Happens whenever I think about life. Fuck, life is depressing, isn't it? Ahh, screw it, no time to sit around acting like a whiny bitch, let's move onto that note I mention earlier, shall we?
'Kay, so, this is regarding next chapter. Basically, it will be what I call a 'bullshit sandwich', with a planned beginning and ending, but a middle that I will just play by ear. Although, I already have a rough idea of what it will entail. Now, what I need from you, the viewers of this joyous fanfiction (and at this point, I'm assuming that you derive some amount of joy from my writings), are song ideas.
Now, first let me give you some information. I really don't care what song it is, as I want you all to have a chance to participate in this, and you will be recognized if I pick your song, but keep in mind that it will be Konjyoyaki who will be singing your songs. Why Konjyoyaki? Because he has a tendency to get festive during celebrations, that's why! So, try to pick something you can imagine him singing if you participate. Remember, he enjoys annoying Naruto through blatancy with hidden meanings in it. If you can't think of an appropriate match, input your idea anyway, and I like your train of thought… I'll think of something. Maybe an omake. Believe it or not, this is actually to further the plot. Also, next chapter won't come out until at least two of you participate. Sure, I could think of songs myself, but I don't really wanna'. I'm being a douche; deal with it. So, the sooner you get in your opinions, the faster the chapter comes out. See how that works? Top five (if there are that many of you) get in.
What is Konjyoyaki planning for Hokuto? What is his relation to the cloaked man, and how does he know him so well? Will Naruto ever see the full picture, or has it been in front of him the whole time? And, with the school festival right around the bend, will anything else pop up to ruin Naruto's chance to finally relax a bit? All this and more answered… eventually. That being said, this has been another chapter from your fellow author, Acolyte of Truth! This chapter was 12,594 words long!