Do I Have A Purpose Anymore?
Chapter 4: Painful Reunions
An icy breeze swept through the air and Shikamaru gulped, as he stared at the menacing mask Naruto now wore upon his face. The fearsome cover bore the look of a bone-like narrow skull with 10 red stripes spread across the top, middle, and bottom left side of his mask. The mouth of the mask appeared as a top and bottom row of elongated teeth. However, the slanted eyes of the mask are what sent a shiver down Shikamaru's back. What had formerly been the white of Naruto's eyes were now obsidian black, while in the center instead of the normal cerulean blue color now were blood red and staring back at the Nara male who asked with trepidation.
"Naruto, what have you done? Why do you look like that?"
The missing-nin gave his friend a cold stare and he stopped spinning his sword before he twisted it to the right and slammed the blade deep into the ground causing the road they were standing on to shake momentarily from the impact. Naruto then ceased the chakra pressure he was emitting that was rendering the Ino-Shika-Cho ANBU squad motionless and answered in a metallic echo of a voice.
"I haven't done anything…..yet. And I won't if you don't force me to Shikamaru. As for why I look the way I do, I figured I needed an appearance to match how I feel. It's also a warning to everyone that Naruto Uzumaki is no longer to be fucked with anymore!"
"We don't want to force you to do anything Naruto. If you'll just return to the Leaf village with us then everything will be less troublesome. We don't want to have to fight you."
"I'm going to give you and your team a chance to walk away and leave me alone. That's all I want is to be left alone. If you don't take this chance to leave and try to force me to return to the village, then we will fight! And if that happens, then I cannot guarantee any of you your safety."
Shikamaru let out a sigh, but there was a small albeit regretful look on his face that was hiding the worry and concern growing within him, as he somberly stated.
"You always were troublesome."
"I suppose, but before we begin our little dance, I'd like to know how you found me so quickly and here of all places?"
"It was troublesome, trying to figure out where you might have gone? The logical choices would have been Suna or the Land of Spring or any of the other places you've become a hero in the past few years. However, I know you're smart and would have already figured out those would be the first places Konoha would look. So I took a chance that you would return to the first land you ever became a hero in. No one would ever consider you returning to a land you hadn't seen in over 12 years."
"Smart Shikamaru, very smart."
"I'm not that smart Naruto, I just got lucky."
"Don't sell yourself short; after all you were smart enough to get the girl from me."
Shikamaru winced slightly upon hearing this and Ino's breath hitched in her throat and she felt tears begin to well in her eyes. For his part, Naruto remained impassive, as he watched the reactions of his former comrades. A moment later, Shikamaru pulled out a paper scroll and placed his hands onto it.
Naruto's crimson eyes narrowed, as he saw the scroll begin to glow bright white and he brusquely commented.
"A sealing scroll, it would seem that you are serious about capturing me."
Naruto's words were cold and harsh, but they also held a tinge of regret and for just a second, one crucial moment in time the Nara youth hesitated, as he saw the infinite pain and sorrow in the eyes of his friend and asked.
"Naruto, why did you leave?"
Naruto instantly took full advantage of his friend's hesitation and felt he had nothing to hold him back after hearing that question. In a blur of black, Naruto disappeared from everyone's sight and much like Zabuza's voice had done in the past, Naruto's voice echoed all around them as he shouted with fury and determined where to strike them from.
"Don't ask stupid questions to which you already know the answer, some of you more than others! My soul was already dead there. It just took my mind and body awhile to realize the same. I have no place there and no desire to return to the village…..ever!"
Then his voice took on a more malevolent tone and seconds later his chakra pressure spiked tenfold rooting the entire ANBU team in place for the second time.
In an instant Naruto appeared in front of his friend crouched down the air rippling around him from his high speed and time seemed to slow, as Shikamaru's eyes widened in horror, whilst he watched the masked nin drawing back his blade for a massive swing and he thought to himself.
'I guess this is it.'
Then unexpectedly, Naruto smashed the blunt end of the swords hilt into the face of his former comrade, but he tempered his blow controlling the damage so that it was just enough, to knock the master strategist out. But it still hurt and to Shikamaru it felt like a paper bomb had just gone off in his head, as his ear rang from the massive hit and he just had enough time for one thought before the blackness rushed in to claim him.
'He wasn't trying to kill me...'
Then the Jounin fell like a sack of potatoes hitting the dirt face-first with a soft thud. Naruto seemingly watched the whole thing with disinterest, his face still hidden behind his devilish mask. But in reality, he was concerned for the Nara, which he made evident by kneeling down to place two fingers on the neck of the unconscious Leaf Jounin.
He felt a strong and steady pulse a second later, Shikamaru would live. The Nara heir would have a headache for a day or two, but he would live and come away from this little encounter all the wiser for it. But it still saddened Naruto to hurt his friends even if in some small way some of them deserved it.
He now rose to his feet, and strapped his blade to his back and he absently commented out loud.
"He's done."
Unfortunately, from a distance Chouji misheard what Naruto had said and thought the blonde missing-nin had said he's dead. Instantly, the Akimichi heir exploded in a rage at the thought of his best friend being killed right before his eyes and screamed with malevolence and vengeance.
"Naruto you bastard, I'll kill you! Bubun Baika no Jutsu! (Partial Multi-Size Technique)"
Naruto gasped in surprise, but he had no time to move, as he felt a pair of hands from Chouji's outstretched arms grab him around his throat choking him. Naruto struggled to pry the vice-like grip away from his throat, but soon found it futile, as the hands squeezed him harder constricting his airway and making it difficult to breathe.
A deep voice thundered into his mind dripping with disdain, as the Kyuubi no Youko spoke to his host.
"Foolish mortal, see what your mercy towards your pathetic comrades has wrought you! You'll die at this rate, if you don't use some of my power."
Despite the fact that he was about to black out, Naruto managed a small grin as some blood began to leak out of his mouth. He had long ago accepted the fact that the Kyuubi would be with him until his death, and now the two had formed an uneasy alliance. The demon fox would give Naruto some of his power in exchange for his vessel allowing him later on to assume some control and satiate the demons bloodlust in killing. The agreement had served Naruto well over the past few years especially on his Hunter-nin ANBU missions where his targets were wanted dead or alive. It had earned the young man the codename Bloody Kitsune within the Hunter-nin ranks of the ANBU. For if you were a dangerous missing-nin and Naruto was assigned to hunt you, he never brought anyone back alive.
'Damn it, fine give me some power!' Naruto silently spat within his mind.
The deep resonating laugh of the Kyuubi echoed in his mind, while he received a huge influx of chakra.
Naruto immediately felt the rush of the Kyuubi no Youko's power course through his body. It almost felt as if he were drowning in a sea of raw chakra, as the glorious rush of adrenaline filled his mind and body.
Chouji frowned when he saw a red aura begin to leak out from between his tightly clenched fingers scorching them slightly, as Naruto began to snicker then laugh. Soon, the scorching sensation went from being irritating to all out burningand the Akimichi heir was forced to let go, as he felt like his hands would be burned off.
"Arrgh, damn it!"
Chouji cried out in distress, as he yanked back his hands and fell to one knee while looking at the palms of his hands revealing the skin to be slightly singed with burn marks about them. He waved the burning palms up and down hissing in pain, as the air cooled the seared skin and he thought to himself.
'His chakra would've eaten right through my hands if I hadn't let go!'
Then a deep voice boomed out at him and the mere sound of it sent shivers down the spine of the muscular nin.
"Hello Chouji."
Now he heard the dark and ominous laughter and he slowly looked up from where he crouched, and he paled as he saw the masked blazing red eyes of Naruto glaring down at him. It was then Chouji heard a crackling sound behind Naruto and noticed that three tails of red chakra had bubbled out, as his former friend loomed over him with malice in his eyes and fury in his soul.
"So, you thought you could strangle the life out of me old friend!"
The word friend he added with spiteful emphasis, before he snapped his knee up and rammed it into the face of Chouji. A crunching sound the moment the knee hit signified that Naruto had broken the Akimichi heir's nose causing him to shout in pain, as blood began to leak out.
"You wanted to kill me did you!"
Naruto blurred away when he saw the incoming punch from Chouji, whose left hand passed through nothing but air where the missing-nin had been standing mere moments before. The Akimichi blinked, as he thought the obvious distress.
'Where did he go?'
The Leaf ANBU soon got his answer when he felt an elbow slam into the back of his head sending a shot of intense pain flaring through his skull.
"Looking for me?" Naruto deviously cackled while he watched his former friend eat dirt before groaning in pain, as his nose was broken further.
"Get up old buddy; you still want to kill me now don't you?" Naruto hissed, but Chouji made no move to rise, as he felt too weak to even move.
"Stand up and fight!" Naruto screamed at his fallen comrade lying at his feet, but Chouji could only make a feeble attempt to rise. Try as he might the young Akimichi pushed off the ground as hard as he could, but to no avail. He was just too dazed and couldn't move properly anymore after only two Kyuubi powered hits.
Angered, the masked nin began to reach down for Chouji again to continue his attack, but a voice from behind stopped him and he looked over his shoulder.
"Naruto stop, that's enough, your fight is with me not them!"
Naruto saw Ino standing several feet behind him, her hands thrust forward in a familiar pattern. The blonde kunoichi's blue eyes were narrowed and her mouth was set with grim determination, as she spoke with as much courage and authority she could muster.
"You're coming back to the village Naruto, whether you want to or not!"
Naruto forgot about Chouji and turned his attention to Ino before lifting his head and coldly laughing out loud. Her statement didn't scare him in the least and he could hear the tinge of hesitation and fear ringing within it. Nor did Naruto fear Ino's family trademark attack of the Shintenshin no Jutsu (Mind Body Change Technique) she was threatening to unleash. Naruto knew with his speed he could easily dodge the slow moving spirit exchange technique. However, the blonde missing-nin decided why bother to dodge the attack if she chose to use it on him and mockingly said to the girl.
"Go ahead Ino, use that technique. Jump into my mind and see what you and the others helped to create up close and personal."
The blonde kunoichi stared at Naruto with tears streaming down her face and her arms shaking before they finally fell limp to her sides and she pleaded in a choked voice.
"Pl-please Naruto, don't do this. I'm, I'm sorry about what happened. Please just return to the village, I, I promise…"
Before Ino could even blink or finish her sentence Naruto appeared in front of her and grabbing her Jounin vest with both hands pulled her up to look directly into his glaring crimson eyes and shouted at her with fury.
"I would think you of all people would have learned your lesson about promising me anything!"
"Pl-please Naruto-kun, I know you're angry with me because of what I did, I, I mean about my decision, but if you give me a chance I…."
"I gave you a chance once, I listened to your words and promises just like the other two and took them to heart. And once again I paid the price for my faith and love, but never again Ino, NEVER AGAIN!"
A moment later a large fist impacted Naruto from behind and sent the blonde Jinchuuriki flying into a tree. Ino looked over to see Chouji panting heavily and standing shakily with his arm outstretched using his Bubun Baika no Jutsuonce again. However, before she could say or do anything a stinging laughter filled the air before she heard Naruto spat sarcastically.
"Not very sporting of you pal to hit me from behind. So, you want to dance with me some more Chouji? That's fine, you want to kill me, then go for it!"
Ino let out a shriek of both pain and fear, as she saw Naruto disappear and then reappear driving a fist into her teammate's gut. Naruto then began running circles around Chouji who was holding his bleeding nose with one hand and wildly lashing out with the other in a futile attempt to hit the speedy Jinchuuriki. Naruto was laughing like a madman and seemed to take enjoyment at Chouji's pointless attempts to hit him, as he made no effort to attack for with his speed he did not need to.
Shaking her head the Yamanaka girl immediately ran to the side of Shikamaru who was still out cold and showed no signs of waking anytime soon, as thought to herself.
'This is bad, we're one of the top ANBU teams and Naruto still has us totally outclassed here.'
Chouji looked to his left and then his right trying to get a bearing on the blurred streak of black swirling all around him moving faster and faster by the second. It was then Naruto mockingly asked.
"What's wrong? Can't hit what you can't see?"
As Ino cradled her boyfriend in her lap, she looked on in dismay, as a red claw of chakra slammed Chouji off his feet and into the air. The Akimichi youth blearily opened his eyes, and what he saw sent a chill down his spine. Naruto suddenly appeared above him, his figure outlined against the light of the sun, as he had his left leg raised up high. Then time seemed to slow, as Naruto brought his leg down and delivered a bone jarring axe-kick onto Chouji's chest that sent the Leaf Jounin rocketing down to the earth.
The Akimichi fell like a streaking comet and slammed right into the hard and unforgiving earth kicking up a large cloud of dust that covered him from view. Seconds later, Naruto descended into the dust and another loud thud was heard followed by an agonizing howl from Chouji.
Ino was shivering now, as she heard the sounds of a fight in the dust and by the way Chouji was crying out and the laughter from Naruto, the Akimichi heir was losing badly. Naruto was showing no mercy now and it was as if they were facing an entirely different person than the one they all once knew.
'Why won't he stop?'
Ino thought as new tears began to stream from her eyes when she heard a loud crack followed by an agonizing scream for Chouji. A moment later, he staggered out of the dust for just a second holding his right arm limp at his side. The look on his face was one of pure terror and for a second his eyes met Ino's.
"Help..."
Chouji uttered just that one word, before a claw of red chakra lashed out and pulled him back into the cloud of dirt and debris to continue his beating. Every time he cried out Ino felt like she was going to die and still he yelled louder and louder.
'Stop...Stop...Stop!' Ino was silently screaming to herself.
It soon became too much and she screamed.
"STOP IT NARUTO!" She shrieked, at the top of her lungs, her anguished cry piercing the air and silencing his laughter.
"If you still have any feelings left for me, please stop it!"
As if on cue, Chouji was thrown out of the dust and the bloodied and battered Akimichi skidded to a halt right in front of her still breathing, but just barely. As the dust finally settled, it revealed Naruto who had a hand on his mask and in one swift motion removed it revealing the stern chiseled features of his face.
"Take them and leave!" Naruto harshly ordered.
"Nar- Naruto-kun?"
"Because of you and what we once had even if it was a lie, I will spare them. Now go before I change my mind."
Naruto's voice was full of pain as he spoke and he slipped his mask back on, his eyes now reverting back to their cerulean blue color, as they stared briefly at Ino while the power of the Kyuubi faded away.
"Naruto-kun, please come back with me, I, I still lov…."
"Don't say it, I've heard that lie said to me three times before and I refuse to fall for it ever again! Just leave me alone Ino, it should be easy enough for you to do. You did it two years ago, so just do it again. And tell baa-chan the same when you get back, just leave me alone, that's all I want is to be left alone." Naruto somberly stated, before turning on his heels and walking away.
As Ino watched his figure slowly disappear down the dirt road she exhaled a heavy sob and said to herself.
"It's not a lie Naruto-kun; I do still love you, even if you'll never believe me again."
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Authors Note: Well, there's chapter four, an exciting yet also emotional chapter. I do hope all of you enjoyed it. I have to say that I'm simply blown away by so many people adding this story into their fav or story alerts categories in such a short time. Over 150+ of you so far and I want to say thank you to all the readers for doing that. I'm pleased that this revised story seems to be a hit with most people. I also want to thank those readers who took the time to leave a review for the tale. They're very helpful in letting me know how the story is progressing with all of you. And they really do assist an author out in knowing what people like about a story.
If you enjoy my work, then I humbly urge you to checkout my main Naruto fictional story called "Naruto vs. Sasuke: The Aftermath" If you're a fan of the angst, drama, suspense, surprises, and romance I've done with this story. Then you should really enjoy reading that tale as well. It's a long read, as it's the first story I have ever written and continue to write, but it's definitely worth it if I'm to believe the reviews I've gotten on it. So please check it out when you have the chance and let me know what you think via review. Thanks again to everyone for all of your support.
Take it easy and be good!
Kingkakashi