Chapter 16: Encounter

(Italics: Thoughts/Flashbacks/Dream sequence. Bold: Title and Kyubi's / Demon's/Inner Naruto's / Inner Sakura's Speech.)

Naruto and Ino jumped from tree branch to tree branch with ease as they continued their mission, they were ordered to investigate an ally base that was taken over by the Akatsuki.

ANBU BLACK OPS reports suggest the facility is being used for illegal experiments of an unnatural source. Since Naruto was a Jinchuuriki it proved a risk to send him out on the battlefield but ever since his clan's training he's been able to do more than watch his own back.

And Tsunade knew this because she of course knew Naruto's parents, Minato and Kushina and the inhuman power of their Clan's bloodline Limit when fully awakened...

They stopped and gazed down through the trees as a military facility came into view. Ino took a pair of binoculars out of her pocket and gazed through them as she said:

"There are four Shinobi on guard and two on patrol around that building, based on this we can assume whatever they are ordered to protect must be very important, valuable, or dangerous."

Naruto nodded and made a quick hand sign as a small army of shadow clones appeared next to him, he motioned them to huddle as he whispered:

"Alright I know this isn't usually our style but we need a surveillance mission to be done discreetly without detection. So what I want you guys to do is sneak up on those guys guarding that building and take them out one by one quickly so they don't have time to report to their superiors."

All the shadow clones all nodded in understanding as they vanished, splitting in seven different directions. Naruto pulled out a pair of his own binoculars and gazed through them with a grin on his face as he witnessed all of the enemy guards taken out one by one without detection or defeat. As soon as all the guards were taken out Naruto dismissed all of his clones and Naruto and Ino sat off toward the Akatsuki Military Complex.

Naruto and Ino moved into the complex as swiftly as their bodies would allow them. Naruto made three shadow clones to watch their backs just to be safe as they entered the complex. Naruto and Ino took a look around and the facility was completely empty. A dark look appeared on Naruto's face and his eyes widened in shock. Ino saw this and asked:

"What is it Naruto?"

Naruto jumped into Ino, knocking her to the ground as he said: "Ino watch out!" A Barrage of Kunai missed the two shinobi by a fraction of an inch as Naruto rose up from the ground and called out: "Show yourselves you cowards!"

A dark laughter erupted from the darkness and two figures emerged, Itachi Uchiha and Kisame of the seven swordsman of the mist

Itachi pulled a night black katana from it's sheath and Kisame brought down his sword over his shoulder as he yelled:

"Prepare yourself Jinchuuriki!"

Ino who was horrified by this display of power closed her eyes and meditated for a moment as she gathered her resolve to help Naruto in anyway she could.

Ino gained some distance and began to launch barrages of Kunai at their enemies whenever she saw an opening which didn't hurt Naruto or direct it when he's in the line of fire.

Itachi threw three Kunai and a barrage of Shuriken in her direction as he said: "Die you annoying insect!"

Naruto closed his eyes and split all of his ego's into shadow clones and had light Naruto deflect Itachi's weapons with his sword as Naruto, Bloodlust Naruto, and Kyubi Naruto stood with their sword's unsheathed and ready for combat.

Naruto and Itachi glared at each other with blood lust in their eyes and disappeared in blinding flashes of light, the sound of clashing metal ringing in the air around them. Ino rolled explosive tags around her Kunai and launched a barrage of explosive Kunai in Kisame's direction. Kisame deflected her Kunai with his blade not realizing his mistake until after it was too late.

There were several simultanious explosions and the form of Kisame went flying through the air, a split second later his form was replaced with a log. Ino scanned her surroundings as she thought: Damn a replacement! Where did he go?!

Kisame appeared behind Ino and whispered in her ear in a dark, malicious, and sinister voice: "Looking for someone?" Ino's eyes widened in fear and delayed reaction as an earsplitting scream erupted from her hiding spot. Naruto quickly gathered chakra in his legs and sprinted toward Ino.

Red chakra began to pour over Naruto's body and envelope it in a chakra cloak resembling a fox. Naruto's eyes narrowed and his speed and power trippled as he moved at a speed so fast to protect Ino to the untrained eye it would seem he had vanished.

Ino put her arms in front of her desperately to block herself from harm as Kisame raised his sword and slashed down as he said: "This is the end shinobi of the leaf!" Ino closed her eyes hard as she waited for her inevitable death, but it never came. She slowly opened her eyes and Naruto was standing in front of her with his blade blocking Kisame's blade. Kisame kept pushing forward to no avail as he thought: Damn why can't I beat this kid?!

Naruto narrowed his eyes and his whisker-like birthmarks grew darker and more defined, his fingernails wrapped around the handle of his blade grew into razor sharp claws, his teeth were replaced with deadly fangs and he began to growl as an animalistic influece seemed to take him over.

Naruto roared in rage as he concentrated his demonic chakra into his sword to activate the runes as he slashed his sword sideways, causing a wave of razor sharp crimson chakra to form and erupt from the tip of his blade.

Kisame laughed and slashed forward at Naruto's projected attack, absorbing the chakra based attack as he said: "My sword feeds off of chakra! You'll have to do better than that!"

Naruto took a deep breath and quickly performed a long series of hand signs as he said: "Uzumaki Style! Chakra lock release!"

The runes running down Naruto's blade glowed a bright red and Naruto's face turned blank for a moment as he entered the inner world of his clan's sword, Demon Naruto grinned maliciously as the lock on his seal faded and he said: "It's about time you released my full power, allow me to take over from here."

Naruto nodded as his demon counterpart walked into him, fusing with his body while Naruto's combine ego remained in a sleep-like state.

Naruto opened his eyes very suddenly and began to emit a chakra so destructive and Sinister Itachi and Kisame backed up a short distance as to not make the same mistake as last time. Demon Naruto grinned as two large demon wings sprouted from his shoulder blades and a Demon tail sprouted from his tail bone.

Naruto made a hand signal to his ego clones to tell them to protect Ino as he began to concentrate a sphere of spiraling black chakra in the palm of his hand. Ino watched with tears in her eyes as Naruto made a demonic transformation and began to glare at their enemies with more bloodlust and hatred than she had ever felt before.

Demon Naruto roared and a blood red chakra mixed with the black causing the sphere to almost double in size. Demon Naruto strained his body to it's limits as he concentrated and condenses the chakra ball into a smaller, compact sphere and began to charge at Itachi as he roared: "Demon Rasengan!"

There was an explosion of chakra and the force so powerful the forest around them was completely obliterated. The unconscious form of Itachi was on the ground with a wounded Kisame kneeling on the ground on one knee with his sword on the ground blade up, supporting him. Kisame spat blood on the ground as he thought: Damn I underestimated the Nine Tailed Brat again! If I had not put my blade in front of me when I did I would have been dead, killed by a mere Genin the absurdity of the thought!

Kisame began laughing darkly and grabbed Itachi's form as he took one last look at Naruto and said: "I underestimated you again Jinchuuriki but know this, even if we may not be able to kill you, more powerful enemies will take our place... Enjoy your life while it lasts..."

And with those words Kisame vanished. Naruto's face went blank again and his wings receded into his shoulders and the runes running down Naruto's blade returned to normal, Naruto sheathed his sword and dismissed his ego clones and ran in Ino's direction as he said: "Ino are you - ?" His face suddenly went blank and his eyes closed as he fell on the ground face first, the only thing he could remember before he lost consciousness was Ino running over to him and calling his name... Then only darkness...

A dark figure rose from it's throne and snapped his fingers three times then sat back down and waited. The figures emerged from the darkness and bowed down to the dark figure as they all said in unison: "What are your orders my lord?" A dark look appeared on the Lord's face as he said: "Your orders are to capture the Shinobi Uzumaki Naruto of the Hidden Leaf village. Under no circumstances are you to kill him." The three Assassins nodded in understanding as they disappeared in clouds of black smoke. The Dark Lord grinned maliciously as he thought: Uzumaki Naruto... You and you alone can free me from this wretched curse and I won't rest until I am free...
For a while Naruto felt cold but after what seemed like an eternity the coldness was replaced with a familiar warmth... Why do I feel so warm? Naruto slowly opened his eyes and found himself wrapped in a sleeping bag next to a campfire. He slowly rose from his bed as Ino's voice said behind him softly: "About time you woke up, how are you feeling?"

Naruto turned his head around and immediately threw his arms around Ino as he said: "Forget me! Are you okay Ino?"

Ino sighed and smiled as she thought: Always so selfless... Thinking of others before himself... She looked at Naruto and smiled sweelty as she said:

"I'm fine Naruto, you on the other hand have been sleeping for two days."

Naruto smiled and replied: "Sounds just like me.. Well I'm fine now when are we going to return?"

Ino looked at Naruto and replied:

"Tomorrow morning so just get some more sleep okay?"

Naruto smiled and said: "I've had two days of sleep, how about you take a rest now?" Ino nodded with a sly grin and lied down in his sleeping bag as he leaned against a tree on lookout duty. Naruto looked at Ino and asked:

"So Ino we sharing that sleeping bag or do you have another?"

Ino grinned and said: "We're sharing one.. I hope you don't mind..."

Naruto grinned slyly and looked up at the stars as he said: "Not at all Ino... Not at all..."

A/N: As requested I made this chapter longer than my last and I'm happy to say I didn't rush through it. In this chapter I had the mission that was coming up and the battle scene I had planned, I really like using Itachi and Kisame's characters but I may have to do some research on other Akatsuki members to use them in my story as well or I may just use my own original villans, anyway the story is moving along and I want to thank everybody who's supported me so far, to be honest I usually don't write stories this long without losing my vision on where the plot is headed so let's hope I don't get writer's block, reviews help me work through that just so you know, REVIEW if you care! Peace! - DemonicLove555