Magnus: Well, here is the update, I tried to make this battle as epic as possible, also, to all of you who wanted Sasuke to die during this part of the story, I'm sorry, but due to plot interest, he will be allowed to get to the stadium, don't worry, he will get some better treatment there, I promise, so enjoy, and remember, Read and Review!
Disclaimer: We don't own Naruto or anything you believe is being mentioned in this fanfic, Reiko Zonbolt, Arashi Uzumaki and Yukina Hyuga are owned by Kage Bijuu, the Haresters are co-owned by Kage Biju and Me, the rest of the OCs belong to me
Chapter 44
Battle Tower Part 4
On the tower, a spectral silence took place, everyone thought that this was a joke... a mistake... something that just couldn't be right, Naraku, while nothing short of a genius and great strategist, he had a major disadvantage, his blindness, he may be able to beat most typical genins without any kind of aid, but unless the Hokage decides to make use of some merciful commons sense, the blind genius will be facing... the Yokai King... the rumors that Kakashi and Sasuke spread after the mission in wave did nothing but to make him more feared, in the eyes of many, Naruto no longer had a chance to become the Kyuubi... he was the Kyuubi already... or something worse
"Hayate, don't make the genins wait, and call them down already", Sarutobi voiced, much to the shock of everyone, Hayate turned to call for the genins, and found that Naraku already leaped at the center of the arena, his always present soft smile on his face, while Naruto seemed to simply have appeared there
"You are fast and gracile, it'll be an honor to fight you, Naraku", Naruto said with utmost respect, which was meaningless due to the grin on his face
"Don't give me that, Naruto, I can easily see that you think I won't be a match for you", Naraku replied, still smiling, yet his comment was not funny
"Maybe, but even then, I would like to battle you to your full potential, because I know, that you are stronger than you look", Naruto stated, his grin growing more, by this point, most spectators were already prying that the blind boy decides to forfeit, for the idea of only one genin, genius or not, against Naruto...
"Humm... ok... cough, remember that killing is not a must, cough, you can forfeit at any moment, and, cough, begin!", Hayate called, and jumped away farther than usual, and for a start, Naraku did something strange
"Father!, I want you to look at me!, I dare you to think that I'm still a failure after this battle!", Naraku shouted, then he took his staff, swinging it with uncanny expertise, and then slamming one of the ends on the floor, burring a part of it, one of the hidden spectators looked at the blind shinobi intently as if recognizing him
"Ah!, so you want to be accepted, to be respected by the person who made it possible your birth!, such a nice purpose, and it's so good you have one, because it's the purpose what brought us here...", Naruto replied in a voice that was both dead serious, and yet it was somehow wicked
"The Purpose connect us", a second Naruto spoke, coming out of nowhere, scaring almost every shinobi in the area, for they felt no chakra spike, no hand seals, nothing
"The Purpose pull us", a third Naruto said, escalating the tension in the spectators, yet Naraku remained unfazed
"It Guide us", the fourth Naruto appeared
"It Drive us", the fifth added
"It's the Purposes what define us", the sixth stated
"It's the Purpose what unite us", the seventh said, all of them surrounding the blind genin, Hayate turned to face the Hokage, his eyes pleading for mercy at the poor kid, but Sarutobi shook his head no
"This battle is going to take place, and NONE of them should be underestimated", Sarutobi softly said, for he knew that there was more to the eye in this battle, much more
"And now, Naraku, I REALLY hope, that you can entertain me, because we all know, that in this moment, I'll strip you of your purpose", Naruto said the last part with evil delight, his hand instantly reached for Naraku's chest, finding it's mark with unholy easiness, and then a pitch black shadow started to engulf the blind boy
"You should forfeit before I engulf you completely, or else you won't be able to see another dawn... oops!, sorry, wasn't my intention to hurt you!", Naruto wickedly said, but then noticed that Naraku was holding his arm, pulling it away, along with the darkness
"It won't be that easy, Naruto, and don't worry, I'm used to the jokes!", Naraku replied, successfully taking away Naruto's attack, and sending him flying backwards
Meanwhile with the spectators...
"What?, I thought he was done for!", Temari shouted, whatever that jutsu was, she was sure it was deadly
"To pull away the hand of the death... that genin must have an Iron Will like no other...", Gaara said, and Kankuro couldn't help but to be speechless, both kids looked actually dangerous
"That wasn't a jutsu...", Kakashi muttered, he just couldn't believe how the Hokage wasn't stopping the fight already, it was obvious that Naruto was nothing else than a demon
Back with the battlers...
As soon as Naraku repelled Naruto, two others took a hold at his shoulders, both quickly found that Narku's hands were charged with chakra, just as he used them hit both Narutos, with almost enough strength to break their arms, for hence, forcing them to let go, at this move, the third Naruto was already at his back, but he leaned forward, rising one foot to kick that Naruto in the face, then, while straightening him up, he jumped, spinning, and then giving a kick to the next Naruto, who was already attacking
With the spectators...
"Neji, isn't he fighting as if he had...", Tenten tried to ask, but Neji replied faster
"As if he had the Byakugan?, it seems so, but that's impossible, for he doesn't have eyes to begin with... but I also doubt that this style is based only on hearing...", Neji replied, he was just so amazed, and frightened
"That kiddo... is fighting off Naruto-sama?... this just cannot be...", Anko muttered
"Naruto-kun is having a lot of fun, he is going to sleep very well tonight", Hinata stated with a soft giggle
"Don't be so sure of your boyfriend, Naraku has a lot of tricks to pull out, he may not look like it, but he is very strong", Matsukaze said, defending his good friend
"Yes, I'm sure of it, and with all the healing I did to him, he is even stronger", Hinata replied, looking at her boyfriend with glee, making Matsukaze to look at her with a shocked expression
Back with the battlers...
Two Narutos tried to surprise Naraku from his back, but he received them with his elbows, one for each face, then he turned to finish his job, giving a swift and fast punch combo to the offending Narutos, pushing them back, soon four Narutos swarmed the blind boy, in a rain of punches and kicks, but Naraku kept evading and attacking, without missing, there was no need for him to turn at his opponent or target, he just moved as he needed, which made it look like some kind of dance, until he managed to knock out two Narutos, then two of the others quickly grabbed him from behind, one at each arm, while two more headed straight for him, however, he countered this move, by moving his arms behind the arms of the Narutos, and used them as support to rise his feet, kicking the two incoming Narutos, and quickly making them collide with each other, Naraku completed this move, by back flipping, still holding the other two, making them spin, and fall on their heads
With the spectators...
"Kurenai-sensei, isn't this battle a little beyond the chunin skill?", Shino asked, his trembling voice was a clear signal that this was the kind of battle that he will NOT take part on
"Kurenai-sensei?", Shino asked, for Kurenai was not replying
"Shino... I... I can't... fight at that level...", Kurenai said, her hands shaking, and her eyes wide, Shino paled at this, she, a jounin, felt unfitted
"He is just toying with the blind boy", Shikamaru suddenly said, still rubbing his wound
"Why are you saying that, Shika?", Asuma asked, without taking away his eyes from the battle
"I can sense it, Naruto is just going to push him to his limits, and then, when Naraku has given his all, Naruto will crush him, just to show that he is indeed the Yokai King", Shikamaru explained, and Asuma couldn't help but to look at him in true horror
Back with the battlers...
More and more Narutos started to swarm over Naraku, but the blind boy never allowed Naruto to land a hit, until in a sudden and sneaky move, one of the Narutos managed to hug him from behind, allowing another Naruto to land a heavy hit on Naraku's face, but the boy never staggered, he responded with a heavy kick on the attacking Naruto, and with great mastery, he grabbed the one who was holding him by the neck, and with a Judo like throw, he sent him into some incoming Narutos, some of them were hit, others easily avoided their brother clone
With the spectators...
"It's just my imagination, or there are more orange calds guys with every passing second?", Black Star asked, he was able to create non solid clones and after images... he even knew about the Kage Bushin... but this?
"Indeed they are!, seven at first, but now there are more than a dozen!", Chrona replied, amazed by the show of skill, and admiring the valor of the blind shinobi
"No, there is only one, these we are seeing here are only a mixture of darkness and other kind of matter, Naruto impressed his soul wave length on them, so all of them are an extension of his self, what actually make me impressed, it's that he can control all of them without being part of the fight", Maka stated, and both of her friends were shocked at that
Back with the battlers...
The group of Narutos kept battling like rampaging demons, fast and strong, they landed a few more hits on Naraku, but the Blind boy kept repelling the clones, and after what felt like hours of endless battle, the last of the Narutos fell
"Well, that was a great fight, wasn't it?", Naraku stated, he did the impossible, fighting alone against a small army, and up to now, he was winning...
CLAP! CLAP! CLAP! CLAP! CLAP! CLAP!
A slow paced applause broke into the scene, the harmless and calm sound washed over the spectators, as a horror filling omen
"Bravo! Bravo!, Most impressive show of skill and strength, of intelligence and wisdom, I bow to your unmatchable performance!", Naruto voice sounded, and everyone turned to the source of the voice, Naruto, sitting on his bone-like throne, which was placed at the top of the hands on he arena, his face, even when it was shielded by his orange sunglasses and wide brim hat, showed a wicked grin, and for the first time, Naraku showed uneasiness, and he showed it, by not saying anything at all, no smart remarks, no jokes, nothing, just a deadly silence
"But I have to wonder, if you did so well against the first wave of Yokai clones... how well you'll do against then next one?", Naruto remarked, and as if previously hidden by a genjutsu, hundreds of Yokai clones appeared, and charged against Naraku
"One dozen or one million, I WON'T GIVE UP!", Naraku shouted, just as he started to defend himself, and despite the massive numbers, he was doing well, but not without getting hit
Again and again, one or another Naruto was able to grab him, only to be used as support to kick several clones, and then hit the support, however, his tactic came to a fault, he repeated one move, and for hence, one Naruto was able to land a powerful palm strike on his chest, sending him flying, just to slam against one of the wall, leaving a good impression of his body
"Still not giving up?, come on, you already showed a GREAT performance, enough to put to shame many ANBUs, why do you have to keep going until I severely hurt you?", Naruto asked, no ANBU flinched, the speed of the combat was a true testament of skill, wisdom, intelligence, power and tactics, half of them would have forfeit long time ago if faced against this kind foe
"Naruto, my friend, I can't stop now, not until I can fight with the true you, I knew I was fighting clones from the very start, is just that I was expecting you to fight me after the first wave, I know that this kind of tactic is valid, and very useful, to tire your opponent with endless clones, but I think it's a little coward from the Yokai King to hide behind lesser copies... and I know that you, the one in that chair, is the true one, because your guns makes a special sound, a fine vibration, and that it's only coming from you", Naraku said, while rising to his feet, and Naruto couldn't help but to chuckle at this
"No, no, no, and no, I don't say that you are unworthy, but there is no need to fight the 'true' me, come on, play a little more with my shadows, and tell me when you get tired", Naruto mocked, and for once, Naraku's face turned serious
"You will regret that", Naraku coldly said, maybe it was coincidence, but he fell just at the side of the staff he impaled on the floor, he took it with easiness, and swung it with mastery, making a fine sound while moving it, making it glow
With the spectators
"What the?, not only the little bastard got the finest staff I've ever seen, he is infusing it with enough chakra to be visible!", Tenten shouted in disbelief
"Impossible!, his way of fighting, the chakra reserves, the chakra control, that is not a genius, that's THE genius!", Kakashi nearly shouted, his sharingan eye showing him every once of chakra moved, and he felt very jealous, there was no need to copy his movements, he will never be able to pull out his prowess
"No I understand... he may not have eyes, but he is NOT blind, he may not have a kekke genkai, but if you ask me, he is by far superior than the byakugan and sharingan together", Neji suddenly said
"What do you mean?", Kakashi asked, recognizing him as part of the team for the first time
"He uses his other senses to see, he has a heightened hearing, which allows him to see through the echo, pretty much like a bat would do, but that kind of system can be fooled, so, he adds his tact, by having his feet naked, he is in contact with the ground the whole time, it's so sensible that he can feel the vibrations coming from anything that moves by touching the ground, and to make it worst, thanks to the byakugan, I can see him expanding a massive amount of chakra in the same way as a spider web... he is not blind, HE CAN SEE EVERYTHING!", Neji shouted in total distress, he has just seen a 'disabled man' besting his praised kekke genkai
"He... is good...", Orochimaru, from his hidden spot, muttered, his hands were trembling, not of fear, not of heat, not even of excitement for finding a possible guinea pig... he felt, remorse...
Back with the battlers...
The fight changed into a one sided match, Naruto after Naruto, everyone of hem received a crippling impact by Naraku's staff, either the head, the ribs, arms or legs, all of them with a sickening crunch, whenever a wide swing was made, a Naruto was sent flying, and brutally slammed against a wall, whenever a group swarmed the blind shinobi, he just made a fast swept to make them fall, but the quantity of Narutos just kept rising, and even the great agility and mastery of the blind boy, paled against the sheer numbers
"GOTCHA!", one of the Narutos shouted, as he fell with a hammer fist on Naraku's staff, finally fell from his hands, and with another palm strike, he was sent far away from his weapon
"GET HIM!", another Naruto shouted, by now, the entire arena was filled with Narutos, no one knew how much chakra was required to create one Yokai bushin, but it was obvious that it required MUCH more than a kage bushin... but to make this many?...
"Not yet!", Naraku said, evading the first Naruto, and using him to jump into the head of another, from there he started to jump from head to head, avoiding to the best of his skill the other Narutos that were almost flying to get him, while he was heading to the true Naruto, who up to now, was still sitting there, drinking some red juice from a crystal goblet, simply enjoying the show, thing that infuriated the blind Shinobi, but in his fury, he missed a random Naruto, who quickly tackled him down, stopping his advancement
"DOG PILE HIM!", one of the Narutos shouted, and a great quantity of them dog piled the boy, by the end of it, Naruto gave a soft laugh
"Well, you clearly surpassed my expectations, you are by far the best in this village, I certainly wish for you to have the Hokage hat one day, Naraku, now please, forfeit, you know you lose", Naruto said, his friendly voice was that, just friendly, he truly wanted no more harm on Naraku
"It's inevitable", the entire army of Narutos stated, their voices a little less friendly
"FUUTON: TATSUMAKI-SHARIN!", Narku screamed from below the Narutos, creating a small tornado, but it's wind was truly powerful enough to send flying the entire army of Narutos, and to help him jump toward the original, on his way, he unsealed his bow and arrows, which he had sealed on his monk robe
"You are dead wrong if you think I'm going down this easily, I'll fight to the last of my...", Naraku tried to shout, but two massive hands made of pure darkness got him, in the same way someone would try to trap a fly
"Oh, sorry, were you saying something?", Naruto mocked, the spectators gasped, or shouted Naraku's name, this was not good, the hit was obviously hard, and maybe the damage will be irreversible, suddenly, the hands were opened, with Naraku in the middle of them, making a perfect split to keep them from crushing him, he was now aiming at Naruto, his arrows charged with so much chakra, and then, he shot
"NOW FEEL THE STRENGTH OF MY WILL POWER!", Naraku shouted, Naruto didn't reacted in time, and got hit
BBOOOOOOMMMMMMM!
The arrow exploded upon contact, and the light of it blinded for a moment all the spectators, but Naraku was sure of something, he just hit Naruto, because the hands dispelled, allowing Naraku to fall safely
"Sorry for hurting you, Naruto, but you should have taken me seriously", Naraku said, and when the spectators recovered their vision, they saw a most gruesome sight, Naruto, standing over his own throne, his hat and glasses destroyed by the explosion, and his right hand was clutching his left shoulder, which showed the absence of his entire left arm
With the spectators...
"Naruto...", Hinata muttered, really worried
"Master, shouldn't you intervene?", Kin asked, speaking for the first time
"No, I knew that my dear child needed something to take down his arrogance, and this was just perfect, besides, my little child is about to start to fight seriously", Ankiseth replied, his grin growing to psychotic levels
"My boy, against all calculations, you have grown to be a powerful shinobi...", Orochimaru muttered, a mix of pride and sorrow on his face
Back with the battlers...
"So, Naruto... ready to give up?", Naraku asked, he was about to smile, when Naruto started to growl
"That hurts!", Naruto shouted in rage, soon stairs of darkness were formed beneath him
"Naruto, that wound is dangerous...", Naraku tried to reason with him, but all the blood, flesh, and bone that were separated from Naruto's body, started to return to their place, all while he was descending the stairs
"And to add insult over injury, you damaged the suit that my dear father so lovingly made for me!", Naruto continued, his arm almost completely regenerated, and now even his clothes were getting fixed too
"I see, all the damage I did was for nothing... it does not matter, I won't...", Naraku started, but couldn't finish, Naruto darted against him with unholy speed, and hit him on the face with a wild punch, making Naraku fly for a long distance
"You wanted to fight the Yokai King, you will fight the Yokai King, now brace yourself, I'm not going to hold back anymore", Naruto stated, and all the clones dissolved, leaving him alone for a one-on-one fight
"Damn it!, I knew you would be stronger, but I miscalculated how much!... well, I guess you won't mind me using my weapon!", Naraku shouted, while creating a chakra wire to his staff, successfully bringing it to his hand, then, with the mastery he has, he started a series of movements at great speed, until he unleashed all the energy won, in a extremely fast attack to Naruto's head, which proved to be futile
"WHAT?", Naraku shouted, the black lines formed on the staff, aiming for Naraku's hand, he didn't had any choice but to let go of his weapon, as soon as he did this, the staff was reduced to splinters, for the dark lines destroyed it
"I can't track his movements!, what the hell is going on?", Naraku muttered, before, everything was clear to him, and now, it was as if Naruto disappeared while moving, but his shock was short lived, for Naruto soon punched him on his stomach, lifting him a few feet from the ground, Naraku had no chance to scream, for Naruto's other fist connected with his face, sending him back to the ground, soon, Naruto step on his chest, and started to punch him, again and again, until his body was nothing but a bloody motionless puppet, yet he was still conscious, so, Naruto grabbed him by the collar of his robe, and lifted him until he was now face to face
"Do you like it?, do you want more?, are you satisfied with me beating you to a pulp?, or do you want more?", Naruto shouted, his face distorted on rage and malice, but where an ANBU would be soiling his pants, Naraku only gave a soft laugh
"Huh?", Naruto was dumbstruck, either Naraku was incredible valiant, or he may have hit him a little too hard on the head
"You don't understand, do you?. I already won... you will pass to the next part of the exam... but tomorrow, everyone will be talking about the blind genin that forced the Yokai King to fight seriously, the little kid that made the invincible demon bleed, while no one will talk about how you won, so, I FORFEIT!", Naraku shouted at the end, making everyone felt relieved, soon another sound filled the arena, it was Naruto, laughing, his face turned into the one of a sweet child, one of a good friend, and Hayate couldn't help but to smile
"Participant Naraku has forfeit, Naruto is the winner", Hayate announced, and soon a group of med nins reached the arena, to take care of the blind shinobi
Hidden in the shadows, snake like eyes were looking at the beaten blind boy, with utmost concern and sorrow
"I'm sorry, I made a great mistake by throwing you into a trash can when you were born, I made a great mistake by thinking that you were a failure, I promise to speak with you soon... son", Orochimaru muttered, soon a massive light filled the arena, just as the battlers left it, and after it was gone, the arenas was good as new, again, and Orochimaru couldn't help but to swear to get such technique
"Huh?, what happened?, it's my turn?", Sasuke asked as he was just waking up, much to the displeasure of Neji and Tenten
"As a matter of a fact, yes, it's your turn", Kakashi said, just as the boards showed the next two names
Maka Albarn vs Sasuke Uchiha
Magnus: Well, I hope you liked it, and I promise to bring a lot of suffering and pain to the Uchiha brat in the next fight, until then, see ya!