DISCLAIMER: No matter how much I want it, I do not own Naruto. I am still only borrowing the characters and promise to return them in good condition – well, maybe slightly battered! Thanks to my beta THECOOKIEMONSTER77 for helping me out with this chapter - you are so awesome, talented, beautiful, and incredable!
Chapter Thirty-One:
Requiem - Ushi Village
Grant them eternal rest, oh Lord
Embrace them into your army of undead
Strike with vengeance those who oppose your will
And lay waste to all those who shall be sent before you
Walk with them and shield them from the blinding light of servitude
And devastate your enemies as they die by your hand.
~Avenged Sevenfold~
The sense of wrongness woke him. Still, with uncommon caution, he forced himself to remain perfectly motionless. After the day he had already endured, now didn't seem to be the time to be recklessly charging about. Instead he attempted to take stock of his surroundings.
He was lying upon a stone bench or table, judging from the cold, hard feel of it. There was a funky scent in the room he didn't even want to consider. If fear was a tangible thing, then he could smell it. The air was ripe with it.
Well, he wasn't in Takeshi's home that was for sure. Screwing up his courage, he slowly lifted his head from the table and opened his eyes. He was laying on a stone table… an altar of sorts. His hands and feet were shackled apart in iron manacles. He desperately struggled to escape, but the heavy weight dragged on his limbs, preventing movement.
Several people entered the room. Shinobi… Their hard, cold eyes told him that he would receive no reprieve, no compassion, and no clemency … just death.
"So be it," he seethed to himself, "No way am I going down without a fight!"
"When was the last time you saw your whole body in the mirror fatty? Two words of advice: Diet and exercise. No, no, no... Self control. No, no, no..." He looked at the large man condescendingly said, "Ah, fuck it. You're too stupid to even understand that I'm even insulting you aren't you?"
"Ha Jirōbō, he's got your fat ass pegged," smirked a red headed woman.
"And you lady… good luck finding a guy who likes 'em bony. When was the last time you ate? If you ate a rice ball, you would look like you were pregnant. I've seen transvestites who look more feminine than you do."
He looked at another shinobi and yelled, "Hey you…ugly! Wow...," he looked the man up and down and said, "Kami must really hate you. Two heads and their both ugly… You know what they say about guys with big muscles… small dicks."
The two-headed man growled low in his throat and pulled out a kunai, intent on murder. A tall fair-haired teen grabbed him and shoved him away. "Calm yourself Tayuya. We have a mission to accomplish. Remember that… all of you."
"Aw come on Kimimaro… can't I just cut him a little?"
The enchained boy taunted, "If you're ever looking for good excuse to kill yourself, go look in the mirror! What's with those two red dots anyways – is that for target practice? If I scratch them off, could I win a million ryo? Is one of them a self-destruct button? If it is then you should do the world a favor and press it."
He was on a roll now, insulting everyone who had the power and motivation to kill him. Their fury, however, did not abate. They looked like thwarted attack dogs, held back on choke chains, faces dark with unspent rage, eyes hot with violent passion that would not cool until they had been allowed to bite.
"We are helping our lord make the world a better place. He has seen the future, and it's our duty to help him achieve his dreams. Where's your faith?" Kimimaro demanded.
The boy snidely replied, "When someone starts babbling about visions, my first thought is medication, not hallelujah."
Kimimaro turned to the other shinobi and calmly stated, "You see, this is what's wrong with children today."
"What… sanity?"
"Cynicism."
On Kimimaro's order, the shinobi moved into a circle around the altar, sat down, and began to chant and weave hand signs. Waves of the most intense pain he could never even have imagined before washed over him. He gritted his teeth and endured as long as he could. It was unrelenting, horrifying, and terrifying. "What do you want with me?!" he screamed. No one answered and the chanting continued.
Nothing could prepare him for the excruciating pain. It raced through him with such ruthless force that it would have sent him crashing to his knees had he been standing. He battled to keep the darkness at bay before howling in agony and mercifully passing out.
~~O~~
Surrounded by a silver fog of pain, Naruto floated in a world that was not real. The last thing he remembered was falling asleep next to Sasuke and Sai.
Was he dead?
Couldn't be. He would be at peace and in a wonderful place, wouldn't he? Not feeling as if his bones were being slowly crushed and his head about to explode. If he were dead, than this whole after-life thing was a big, fat rip off.
No. He had to be dreaming, he tried to reassure himself. That would certainly explain why the silver fog was beginning to part.
Curious, despite the vague taste of fear in the air, he peered through the shimmering light. Moments later he could see a dark stone chamber that was only dimly lit by a flickering torch. In the center of the stone floor lay a shirtless, young man, chained to a table. Naruto frowned. The teen's pale face was remarkably familiar, although it was difficult to determine the exact features as he twisted and screamed in obvious agony.
About his prostrate form sat the circle of men and women in grey cloaks, holding their hands in the tiger seal and chanting in low voices. Naruto could not make out the words, but it appeared as if they were performing some sort of complicated jutsu. They wore hitai-ate with a sound note on them. Shinobi… What village was that?
Slowly a black-haired man walked up to the altar and leaned over the teen. In the flickering light, Naruto caught a glimpse of his face. The purple lines under his eyes and along his nose were extremely familiar, but there was something very different about him; something that hadn't been there before.
Orochimaru.
"So now I know what happened to that cousin of Sasuke's that went missing," thought Naruto as he stared into the Snake Sannin's new Sharingan eyes.
"Arise Kyuubi and bring forth your power," he called in thunderous tones.
Shocked, Naruto looked closer at the body writhing on the table. It was himself. "What's going on," he whispered as the scene in front of him wavered.
"I brought you here for our protection," boomed a very recognizable voice. The Kyuubi growled low in furious anger. "That idiot thinks he can enslave me through you. I will kill him for daring such lunacy."
Crimson flames of chakra swept through the chamber, hovering in the thick air as the shinobi continued to chant before encircling the screaming boy on the table.
Naruto shuddered in horror. This was madness. Why would those shinobi shackle him in chains? How did he get there? The last thing he remembered was falling asleep next to his brothers. What happened to them?
The jutsu complete, the Snake Sannin put his hand on the seal on Naruto's stomach and entered his mindscape. He strode past the boy as though he were invisible and went directly to the cage. In a conniving tone, he addressed the fox. "Demon, I have come to release you."
"You are harming my host, in return attempting to harm me. Why do you wish to do this, human?" Strangely, the fox's voice was smooth and calm, betraying no hint of his usual anger. Naruto moved in closer to the pair despite his vague feelings of distrust and apprehension.
An expression of profound sorrow marked Orochimaru's ageless face; an expression that in no way matched the hectic glitter in his dark eyes. "Konohagakure needs to be destroyed. I know that is what you dearly wish as well. Now is the time to strike the match and engulf the Land of Fire in flames."
"You dare to presume to know what I want?!" questioned the Kyuubi with a hint of humor.
"I am one of the legendary Sannin, I must be eternal."
"No matter how many of your own you would kill?" interrupted Naruto in disgust. A flare of fury raced through him. This man had killed so many at Waterfall, had scarred he and his brother's minds, and had stolen the Sharingan from Sasuke's cousin... and all because of some delusional belief in his own glorious legend.
"You're freaking crazy," he hissed.
Orochimaru continued to ignore Naruto and spoke confidently to the Kyuubi again, "We can grant them eternal rest in your honor and embrace them into our army of undead. We will strike with vengeance those who oppose your will and lay waste to all those who shall be sent before you."
"Tch, what is with this 'we' nonsense? I am the nine-tails, I am the ultimate predator, and I am the one who will lay waste to all I encounter. There is no 'we' in any of that."
Orochimaru slyly continued, "You are a prisoner here. I can release you. Walk with me and free the citizens of the Land of Fire from the blinding light of servitude. You will devastate your enemies as they die by your hand."
The Snake Sannin, so convinced in his superiority and persuasive skills, never considered any outcome other than what he had planned. He moved closer to the bars of the cage.
The Kyuubi's eyes glinted. He would never be controlled again.
"TCH, YOU SEEK TO ENTHRALL ME WITH THOSE STOLEN EYES. FOOL, YOU ARE NO MADARA; THAT ISN'T EVEN A MANGEKYOU SHARINGAN!"
His massive paw reached through the bars and slammed down…
…squashing Orochimaru like a bug.
Naruto's jaw dropped. He took a big step back (No way in hell was he was going to be swatted like that!). "You… you killed him…"
The Kyuubi examined his paw and shook it lightly. Ignoring his Jinchuriki, he began to lick the paw clean with a slight grimace. "Hmm, tastes like chicken."
…
…
The demon shook his paw again after chewing on his pads. He thrust the limb through the bars and said, "It's wedged in there good, kid. Get it for me."
Naruto suddenly smiled wide. "You like me. You really like me."
"Tch, I do not, Naruto."
"You just called me by my name!" yelled the blonde as he pointed at the beast. "You really like me."
"Shut up brat! Just get this damn head out of my paw! It's annoying."
"Not till you admit that you like me, Kyuubi!"
"… You're not bad… for a parasite… and my name is Kurama, not Kyuubi. Now get it out."
Naruto, still smiling, cautiously approached the gigantic paw. "Kurama huh? I didn't know you had a name." He reached in between the pads and yanked on the head of the former Snake Sannin. With a splash, it landed in the water and the Kyuubi moaned in relief. "Uh…you got a chunk of… what's that – an arm in your teeth…?"
A disconcerted look gradually replaced the smile as he remembered his predicament. He asked, "What about those shinobi? How do I get out of there?"
"Tch…oblivious as always…didn't even know I have a name… stupid boy."
~~O~~
Naruto opened his eyes to find himself in the real chamber, the mangled remains of Orochimaru beside him. A trickle of cold sweat broke from his hairline and slowly dripped down his face into the corner of his eye. He blinked away the salty fluid. The sound shinobi halted their chanting as the stared in shocked horror at the death of their revered leader.
Bubbling, crimson chakra encased Naruto's body in the nine tail's cloak. He squeezed his eyes shut in pain as the chains holding him down disintegrated. With a movement too swift for even the most skilled shinobi to avoid, Naruto shot his arm upward, grasping his enemy around the throat.
There was a gurgling moan as he wrenched his eyes open, staring at the pale, grey-haired teen poised above him. Something flickered at the back of his mind. Some strange alarm that clamored for attention, but the bloodlust made his gaze flicker with a haze of red, obscuring the Konoha hitai-ate.
Kill.
He had to kill to be free.
With a low roar, he surged to his feet, still holding his prey by the neck. He didn't feel the destructive blows that the teen was aiming with his chakra covered hands. He didn't hear the dry, brittle snap of a neck breaking. With a flick of his wrist, he sent the body sailing through the air, leaving a trail of blood as it slammed into the wall and crumpled to the floor.
A massive boom spread out from the ball of darkness he had quickly formed in his hands. The world tilted and everything went silent for a moment before the land burned with fire that blinded all that witnessed it on that day.
Everything disappeared for a moment before returning to a dull gray. The ground around Naruto at the center of the massive explosion crumbled and slowly floated into the air as dust clouds shot out to push against bodies that faded into dust as the wave incinerated all but the sender in one huge blast.
Naruto stood alone in a charred world with nothing but the burned land around him. There was an intense sense of satisfaction thrumming in his body as he gazed around the chamber of torture. Then, as the jutsu took its toll on his young body, Naruto's eyes rolled back in his head as he fell down in exhaustion.
~~O~~
Naruto had no idea how long he had waged his war with the clinging darkness. The thick shroud was nothing if not persistent. Then again so was he. The sun was painting the horizon with its last fading rays when he ripped through the unconsciousness that held him captive, his senses slowly tingling back to life. At last, ignoring the bursts of agony in the back of his head, he forced open his reluctant eyes.
…and wished he hadn't.
The large, wet tongue of Ūhei slicked a slimy path across his face.
Uck.
The ninken was shoved aside as the three very familiar faces of Kakashi, Sasuke, and Sai crowded his vision. Sasuke's relieved tone seemed mismatched against his angry glare. "You look like shit."
"Yeah," sighed Naruto with a pained grimace, "Sometimes you're the top dog and sometimes you're the tree that gets peed on." He finally noticed Sasuke and Sai's appearances. Their clothes were filthy and torn and they had black rings under their eyes. Kakashi's uniform was pristine, but Naruto could see the lines of strain etched across his face. "You guys look like shit too."
Sasuke commented, "Kakashi Sensei had us searching for you for two days without rest. The ninken couldn't find your trail and that explosion was the only sign of you…after all – who but you could cause such wide spread destruction."
Too tired to make anymore flippant comments, Naruto smiled softly and grunted as Sai, who had been running his glowing hands over the blonde's body, made his diagnosis, "Chakra exhaustion."
"Well," Kakashi said, rubbing his chin in thought, "Looks like it's time for another vacation at the hospital."
"Ugh," groaned Naruto, "I think I'd rather be dead."
"You almost were, Baka!"
"Well, good news…," he wheezed as his excitement gave him a small burst of energy, "There's no 'almost' for Orochimaru."
Kakashi paused as he was lifting the boy into his arms. "Dead?" he asked in shock and surprise.
"Squashed flatter than that poor squirrel you found cuddled up to next to you in your tent five years ago."
AN:
And thus concludes the Ushi arc. I was listening to the new Avenged Sevenfold song, Requiem when I heard the lyrics and really got inspired for this chapter. I knew that I had to use those words as Orochimaru's. So this isn't mine…but it sure sounded cool!
Also, I know many of you may be thinking – WTF! This chapter lacked the build up that is customary in my writing. This was intentional. Let me explain – Well, you know those movies where the bad guy does his evil little monologue while the good guy sits and patiently listens – Well, have you ever thought – man, it would be funny if something fell from the sky and killed him? (Yeah, I blame roadrunner cartoons!)
But I digress… I really liked the whole shocking suddenness of Orochimaru's death. I realize it was almost too easy and I hope you won't get mad at me for doing it this way…When Nighttheraven suggested it to me as a joke...well, what can I say - I visualized it and immediately loved it. I pictured it as though he were a preacher on his pulpit - preaching about hellfire and brimstone and then this giant hand comes down and squashes him like a bug...kinda 'roadrunner' cartoonish, I know, but I loved it all the same. Please let me know if you liked it or not.
…damn those evil little plot bunnies hopping around in my brain… leaving little bunny pellets everywhere…
...perhaps the voices in my head are right...
...there's something wrong with me…
Heartfelt thanks to everyone that followed/favorited/commented on the last chapter! The absolute best part about publishing each chapter is getting a new review to read. I know I've said this many times, but it's because of those that I continue to write this story... so thanks again!
I have another favorite story to recommend called Incident Report by MoonClaimed. It is one of the funniest stories I've read in a long time!
Ja Ne,
AZFAERYDUST