V8 ch 3
Gin vs. Ryokuzu
(For Kattu/Kathryn: For being absolutely brilliant.)
Naruto placed his open palm on Idai's forehead. The boy's orange eyes were no longer present. His pupils were completely white – the signs of being overtaken fully by a demonic presence. His body was unresponsive to the touches of the Hokage. Naruto furrowed his brows. He crouched with elbow upon his knee, his robes behind him. Naruto closed his eyes. He began to meditate, trying to lose himself in the world of his own consciousness. Naruto walked down the long, dark hall where the nine-tailed-fox demon resided. He approached the iron bars slowly, his eyes lifting to stare into the darkness that was beheld in front of him.
"I need some of your chakra," Naruto said as a pair of large white eyes opened to look back at him. A wicked smile appeared under the large white eyes. Two rows of sharp, large teeth smiled back at Naruto.
"What would the Hokage need my chakra for," the fox demon asked in the darkness.
"I need to vanquish a demon residing in a boy," Naruto answered truthfully. He heard the fox demon laugh. He wasn't sure it would aid him. "The demon wasn't placed inside the boy the correct way. It was interrupted," he explained.
"As I was placed inside you by the fourth Hokage! You expect me to help you vanquish another demon that has been acquired the same way? His clan deserves to suffer for their ignorance!"
"The boy has no clan." Naruto was trying to keep his cool, which he was finding very difficult. "You gained me as a host so you wouldn't cause any trouble. We have an understanding – a bargain. A deal hasn't been made with this demon. He has free reign, unlike you. Doesn't that make you angry that one has more power than you do?" he could hear the fox demon growling under its breath. "I have one thing to ask you. Do demons know of each other's existence?"
The fox demon raked its claws on the bars of its prison. "The more powerful a demon is, the more he is feared by other demons. I am the one to be feared the most, Hokage," the fox demon said with a sneer.
"Does Ryokuzu fear you," Naruto asked to see if there would be a reaction from the fox demon. "Have you heard that name before?" The nine-tailed-fox demon laughed so loudly that the area around them started to shake violently. Naruto covered his ears. He moved back as the walls shook.
"You must think I am a fool, Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village. I am the demon to be feared," he repeated more aggressively. "Not this Ryokuzu the one who lurks in the shadows."
Naruto looked at the fox demon as it narrowed its eyes. "So you have heard the name before. What exactly is this demon's purpose," he asked pressing further. The fox demon was pondering giving him that sort of information. Soon it answered.
"It is a thief in the night," the fox demon said with disgust. "A low class demon who steals the souls of its victims because he wants to become mortal. If he gains the body of his host entirely, he slaughters anything he comes across. Ryokuzu is a demon who enjoys the sufferings of others. He relinquishes in tormenting his victims, as well as, ripping families apart."
"That's not going to happen. I won't let him get any farther with Idai," Naruto stated. "He's already caused enough suffering for the boy and his father. How do I get rid of it? How do I stop Ryokuzu from advancing?"
The fox demon bellowed in a deep laugh, "Confront him with the thing he fears the most. You should know that."
"What is it Ryokuzu fears?" Naruto clenched his fists. There was no history on Ryokuzu, or knowledge of the demon in previous records. He had no choice but to go off what the nine-tailed- fox demon told him. "What does it fear," Naruto shouted angrily. He was in no mood to play games.
"The shadows fear the light, Hokage," the fox demon answered as it started to slip back into the darkness. "All negative forces fear the positive forces that can unravel their existences." He didn't give any more insight.
Naruto stood for a moment pondering what the demon had told him. It fears the positive influences. His mind flashed to Gin entering the building to inform them what she had done. The lotus flower Gin Akimichi has. That is what Ryokuzu fears. We have to figure out how to apply it.
Naruto opened his eyes. Idai was still sprawled out on the floor, his white eyes open, not blinking with his head tilted back. He removed his hand from the boy's forehead. If we don't help him soon, there won't be any turning back. Naruto rose to leave the room. A guard locked the door behind him. "I need someone to get Gin Akimichi," he said as he walked down the long hallway. A guard answered, "Yes, Lord Hokage," before departing. Naruto walked out into the open air. He took his hat off to run his fingers through his hair. The building Idai was in seemed so confined and restricted. "I bet you miss being able to run free," he said in thought of the boy locked in his prison.
Onari blocked Takeru's attempted punches repeatedly. She shifted her feet turning from side to side to keep I step with his movements. As he came around to kick her in the back, she lifted her leg to block him with her own. Onari brought out a shuriken to throw at his head. He moved out of the way, as he used Sharingan to slow down her movements. Her aggression started to heighten with the sheer determination of hitting him.
Takeru smirked as he matched Onari's moves. She was seriously getting angry. He turned his body again to avoid a direct open pal hit at his side. He brought both of his hands up to grab hers in a complete block. Takeru dug his heels into the ground to keep her from pushing him back. He smiled at her, his head leaning towards hers. "It's a tie, Onari. I told you before that I can see your moves when you react to my own."
Onari growled. She eased her body to leg to of his hands. Onari turned away to cross her arms annoyed at the failed attempt. She wanted to prove to herself that she was able to beat Sharingan. However, Takeru was just as fast as she was now. Lee had informed her it was possible to beat Sharingan if she was faster than Takeru.
Takeru smirked. He thought Onari was cute when she was angry. He moved closer to her to kiss her cheek. "Don't be mad, Ri. If you were able to get past me, you could have injured me." She turned her head to look at him. Takeru took the carved mask off her face. "You're still as exotic to me when I first met you," he said softly, his nose next to hers, eyes half lidded.
Onari's heart jumped in her chest. Her yellow eyes met Takeru's dark eyes. He was so close to her she could see into the collar of his shirt. Onari blushed hard. Takeru's body was started to reflect the training he wad under from Lee and his parents.
Takeru moved his hands to cup her face as he started to kiss her. He breathed her in with every kiss, his hands starting to trail down her neck to her shoulders and sides. He kissed her lips a few times before he parted. Takeru kept leaned over, his nose close to hers as he watched her. "You're part of me, Ri." He moved his hands to touch the back of her head. He drew her closer to him. "I want to drown in you until I can't breathe."
Onari's face turned beat red, her hands slightly shaking as she felt the warmth of
Takeru's body. He moved his face down to look at her. She could feel her heart beating out of her chest. Takeru had changed since he had achieved Uso. His focus and true strengths were noticeable to her now more than ever. Onari was head over heels for him. These sorts of feelings hadn't existed when she was with Eiyu. She had had a fondness for him; despite the fact, he was rather serious and strict in nature.
"Are you afraid of me," Takeru asked. She was completely focused on him. He could see her hands slightly shaking. Takeru felt her lungs taking quick short breaths. "Ri?" He watched her shake her head. Takeru swallowed. "Do… Do you love me," he asked softly.
Onari was becoming shy around him. She answered, "Yes," very softly. Onari gasped as Takeru kissed her hard. She felt his emotions come out through the kiss. Every detail was etched into his tongue. Onari looked up at him as he smiled gently at her.
"I feel like I'm going to bust. I was alone a long time before I met you, Ri. As a kid, I used to get upset because I didn't have anyone to talk to. We share everything together. You're with me every day, in some form. I know you're in the next room at night, but I wish you were closer," he said trailing his fingers through her hair.
Onari latched onto him, her face burying in his chest. She felt secure with Takeru. He was defiantly sincere in all his actions towards her. Onari wondered if she was allowed to be a normal teenager for a little while. She breathed him in, her eyes closing. He was real – he was hers- and she had a home with him.
Takeru laid his cheek on the top of her head, his eyes looking off into the distance. He watched the grass sway with the breeze. Takeru soon closed his eyes wanting nothing more than to hold Onari as innocently as he could.
Gin set down the bottle as soon as she had picked it up to add it to the mixture she was working on. Her eyes looked off into nothing, her hand not able to let go of the contents just yet. Her mind went back to Idai's smiling face – the face she had seen countless times when her team met with the others to train. How Idai bounced around doing cartwheels to avoid Daiya's threats made her smile. Gin tilted her head as she absentmindedly started to pour the contents of the bottle into the mixture. She started to grind the contents together.
Naruto noticed how Gin was acting all of a sudden. Her worried about Ryokuzu seemed to be a trifle matter. He wondered what was going in that head of hers. It really looks like she loves him. He smiled as he went back to sifting through the bottles on the bookshelf. Naruto found a few bottles that interested him. He placed them on the counter next to Gin. She looked up at him suddenly forgetting where she was and what she was doing. The girl blushed badly then averted her eyes. He sought to forget the matter. "We're going to mix this red bottle into the mixture first. Take these three bottles and combine them with water in another bowl. Once it's mixed really well, take the powder and sprinkle it over the water combination – carefully. Do not mix it. Let it settle to the bottom. We'll set it aside for now and work on something else."
Gin mixed the ingredients into one bowl successfully before she moved on to the other. She sprinkled the powder over the water slowly, looking at the Hokage to make sure she was doing it right. Gin pushed the bowls away from the edge of the table. "What are we going to work on now?"
Naruto gestured for Gin to sit on the purple pillow on the floor. As she did, he sat on the yellow pillow opposite her. "In order for you to defeat Ryokuzu, we need to work on your meditation," he said as he touched her forehead lightly with a finger. "Your determination is in the right place, but your mind must also be stronger. If you break at any point of the encounter, we will lose Idai. This fight is for keeps, Gin. Do you understand what I'm telling you?"
Gin grabbed onto her kimono and held onto it. She had to be prepared to fight Ryokuzu, or he would win. Gin's eyes lifted to look up at the Hokage with a hidden feature in her eyes. She nodded defiantly. "I will not give up Idai so easily to a shadow."
Naruto smiled at her. He put his hands in front of his body as a sign of concentration. "Now we train, Gin. We train to overcome the largest mountain in our way." Naruto and Gin both closed their eyes. They had to be well rested and ready for the tricks up Ryokuzu's sleeves.
Gai placed his hand on Gin's shoulder as she stood facing the building where Idai was imprisoned. The girl was standing firm, her arms hanging by her sides. As Gai looked down at her, she looked up slowly. "Your father and I will keep Ryokuzu from harming you physically. Guards have been placed outside the room for extra protection, in case, it escalates."
Naruto began to unseal the door to the building. "It looks as if we aren't the only ones who are here to back her up," he said as a few students showed up being led by Kiba. He glanced over his shoulder. "I'd prefer it if you all stayed out here. It's going to get ugly in there."
"Dad, Idai is our friend, too! We want to help," Masaru said with tense shoulders. Daiya, Yanagi, Areku and Takeru were standing behind him waiting for an answer.
"I know you all are distraught at how Idai was taken. I appreciate your concern more than anyone, over my son," Gai said as he turned to face the kids. "We can always use Kiba's help. There might be more leeway if you're present. However, the rest of you could get hurt. I must decline your advancements from going any further."
"I won't let that bastard keep Idai," Daiya yelled in pure outrage. He felt Kiba draw him back. Daiya was on the verge of having another outburst of anger. He naturally objected anyone from touching him other than family.
"Sasuke would have all of our heads if we let you go in there, Daiya. What we're up against is a demon," Kiba said as calmly as he could. "You're so close to Idai that we can't jeopardize anything happening to you. All it takes is harm befalling you – any of you," he said as he looked at all four of them, "To drive Idai over the edge. If you all want to help Idai, give Gin your strength. She was chosen to defeat Ryokuzu. She needs your help more than anyone."
Yanagi knew it had to be Gin. She stepped forward to look at her quiet, shy friend. "Do your best, Gin," she said with a small smile. She grabbed Daiya and Masaru's hands to squeeze them – to give them hope.
Takeru glanced at them. "Do your best, Gin. We have faith in you," he said managing to perk up despite the circumstances.
Areku wasn't going to give her false hope. He wanted her to go in there fighting with all of her strength. "Beat the hell out of that bastard," he said showing his teeth.
Gin blinked, but she soon smiled. "I won't let any of you down. I promise," she said as the Hokage opened the door for them to go in. Gai, her father, and Kiba went ahead of her. She stood stiffly until the Hokage signaled for her to approach.
As he suspected, the moment Gin became closer to the building, Ryokuzu started to scream in outrage. The four kids tensed. He could see the worry and shock all over their faces. "Stay back at all costs. This is it, Gin. Be strong," he said as she walked in with him. Naruto placed the seal back upon the door as a precaution. He didn't want the kids to get in, or Ryokuzu to get out.
Gin covered her ears as the demon became louder. She felt the Hokage place his hand on her head. She looked up at the blond, spiky haired man with blue eyes.
"Don't show him your fear, Gin. If he's already won, then we have no point in going any further. The demon will use anything and everything he can against you. You must be prepared to trust yourself," Naruto said as he led her to the very outside of the door.
The ANBU stood around the hall and door, their masks appearing morbid to her. If Ryokuzu got past the ones in the room, he'd be met with an army. She swallowed hard. Idai. Her eyes closed to prepare herself. She felt him lean down as he had previously to kiss her that day at the party. I'm coming for you.
Ryokuzu snarled as his black eyes narrowed. He was being held by three men as the chains on Idai's arms tensed and rattled. One of the Jounin had removed the seals. The moment the door opened, he caught sight of the brown-headed girl he had met when Idai came back to see Daiya. "You keep that wench away from me, or I'll slaughter all of you!"
"You're in no position to make threats," Kiba said angrily. He wanted to be the one to do away with the demon inside of Idai. It was as if, some part of his family had the demon. Kiba knew how close he was to the boy on his team.
Gin stepped into the room fully. The floor below her feet became her battleground. She saw Ryokuzu laughing at her, his dark eyes menacing. The world around her disappeared. Kiba, her father, the Hokage, and Gai were gone. She was face to face with the demon known as Ryokuzu.
"Got you, plant girl," he said as he stood in his true form. Ryokuzu cackled as his shadowed form turned into that of dead corpses. His limbs were pale – the body parts attached with thick lines of oozing blood. "Afraid, aren't you?"
Gin looked over the form in front of her. She heard the Hokage's voice again, "Don't fall for his tricks!" She stepped towards the demon slowly. Each step caused the ground below her feet to crack. She was a pure positive form in a negative world. Ryokuzu knew it. He was watching her with an intent gaze. "You are the one who needs to fear me."
Ryokuzu ran at the girl, his arms out, nails growing to the size of long daggers.
Gin formed a barrier around herself quickly as she dipped her fingers into the lotus mixture. As Ryokuzu got near, the purification substance reacted. The demon yelled in outrage as he was thrown back. "You're assuming I'm a fool."
Ryokuzu stood again. "As you do me," he said as he caused Idai's voice to be heard throughout the darkness. He smiled as Gin realized the boy was screaming and whimpering in fear. "He's not as strong as you think he is."
"I can be strong for the both of us," Gin said as she reached into her pocket. She threw a kunai at the demon. Gin watched as the kunai hit the demon's shoulder.
Ryokuzu took the kunai out of its flesh. "Those don't work on me," he said as he threw it to the ground. "You can't stay in that barrier forever. How are you going to defeat me if you can't touch me? Plants are not here to aid you, plant girl!"
Gin knew if she threw another weapon, she was really injuring Idai. She thought by throwing the kunai that it would have awakened Idai in some form. However, Ryokuzu was right at the moment. She couldn't keep throwing weapons. She had to think of another way to defeat him. Gin knew the demon was able to change the world around her with his own abilities, but what about her own? She started to form hand seals in front of her body. This was a cat and mouse game. She refused to be the rodent. Instead, Gin wanted to be the dog. As Ryokuzu menaced at her, Gin closed her eyes. The lotus substance around her feet shot up to form a blue wall.
Ryokuzu laughed at the foolish girl. "Hiding from me won't stop me! I control this world!" He threw negative blasts of demonic energy at the wall. The wall met each of his attacks with its own. The energies clashed together lighting up the darkness with crackles and sizzles of power.
Gin ran through the darkness, her heart pounding. The wall was meant for two things: distraction and decoy to allow her to get away. She didn't know where Idai was in this world. Ryokuzu had his soul trapped. She ran through the darkness, her eyes closed, ears listening. Idai, I'm trying to find you. Her heart called out to him with intense emotion. Let me hear you!
As Gin kept calling to him, she started to hear a faint sound of a flute coming from far away. She ran for it. The closer she became, the more she thought it was Idai. The melody was sweet and flowing. Gin slid on her feet suddenly. Wait. The Hokage said Ryokuzu would use anything he can to trick me. Gin turned around to run away from the flute. It knows everything I know about Idai! It knows the flute would attract me! She heard Ryokuzu laugh at her overhead.
"If I have his soul, how do you expect to find him? He's not in any position to give you any clues!" Ryokuzu forced the ground below the girl's feet to give way. He relished in her screams of terror as she fell.
Gin Akimichi landed on a futon in a dark room. She groaned as she sat up rubbing her head. Where was she? This place wasn't at all familiar to her. She cautiously walked around the room, half expecting Ryokuzu to bust through a wall to attack her. It was a normal house, for the most part. She turned around to see dust moving over a particular place on the boards. Gin walked over to that area. She crouched placing her hands upon it. Tapping it, she found out it was hollow inside.
Gin pried the wooden plank loose. She peered in to it to discover hidden toys, drawings, and others things were stashed away in the hole. She took a doll out to examine it. It resembled a ninja. The shoji screen behind her opened suddenly. Gin whirled around to see a little boy about the age of four with white hair watching her.
"Hey, those are mine," he said as he ran forth to grab his stuffed ninja from the girl. Idai looked up at Gin with a frustrated expression. He hid the doll from her view.
Gin's heart skipped a beat. It was Idai – from a long time ago. She came close to hugging him, but her arms stopped in mid-air. He was watching her strangely. Was she sure this was Idai, or Ryokuzu?
Gin reached into her kimono to pull out the lotus mixture. She popped the cork off the bottle. The boy watched her smear the mixture on her fingers. Before she could go near him, Idai took the bottle. "Ah!" The four-year-old poured half of it in his hair. "Ah, no, Idai, it's all over you!"
Idai shook his head giggling. "What this stuff?" He ran his fingers through his hair. He turned his hands over several times. "I'm all sparkly!"
Gin's hands froze from the attempt to clean him off. "You're not Ryokuzu. He would have screamed in terror at the purification mixture."
"Ryo-do-do?" Idai started laughing loudly with his cute voice. "Do-Do is an easier name to remember."
Gin blinked several times. Her shoulders started to shake as she laughed with Idai. Gin laughed so hard tears came to her eyes. She wasn't sure where the real Idai was, but she liked this version of him, too.
Idai stared at the girl. "Who are you? Why are you in my room?"
Gin came back to reality. She was still on the battleground for Idai. "I came looking for you. Although, I didn't expect to find you this way. Don't you remember me? I'm Gin."
Idai only stared at her. His face and features became placid. The room she was in started to lose its color – changing to gray. Idai turned white, his body not moving as if he were a statue.
Gin placed her hands on his shoulders. "Idai?" There wasn't another response from the boy. Gin's heart raced as she felt the floor vibrating. Was it an earthquake?
Ryokuzu moved through the old memories of the sound village. He felt Gin's laughter shake the negative demonic world he had created. She had found something to use against him. "I know where you are, you sneaky girl. Hiding here isn't going to benefit you! It's only one of his memories!"
Gin tried to make Idai move, but as she watched in horror, his form started to crumble to the floor. Her eyes saw the broken pieces of the boy turn to dust – only to blow away with the wind. What have I done? Did I destroy some part of his life? Gin had to bail. She felt the ground vibrate more intensely with the negative energy. Ryokuzu was after here. Gin stood with her eyes wide. She had no idea where the real Idai was – lost in his mind of memories and torment. Not knowing what else to do, she screamed, "IDAI!"
Ryokuzu flew up the stairs of the hill as he rejoiced I the girl's panic. He laughed sinisterly. "There's no one here to protect you!"
Gin shot out of the house as Ryokuzu came barreling through. She ran with her head down, eyes closed. Gin soon ran into something solid. She looked up with shaky eyes to see someone she wasn't expecting. Her heart clenched hard. Gin couldn't find her voice.
He lifted his arm to wrap it around her. Gin was shocked to see him. His orange eyes stared ahead as Ryokuzu came out of the debris. Idai narrowed his eyes. "No more," he said with a hollow voice. "You're forbidden from harming her."
"You can't even protect yourself," Ryokuzu said as he shot his long nails at the boy.
Gin felt Idai jump high into the air with her. She saw Ryokuzu's nails strike the statues under them. "He's after me! Not you! It's my fight against him!"
Idai's eyes shifted to glance at her as they started to fall. "I love you," he said with his hollow voice. "I cannot let Ryokuzu destroy you." As his feet touched the ground, he moved back swiftly. The demon turned around as he spun towards them, his arms out trying to slash the two. Idai moved his body to protect Gin. His clothes were ripped apart to protect her.
Gin had to do something. The Hokage had entrusted her to bring Idai back. She turned her body enough to push Idai away at the same time her right leg came out to kick Ryokuzu away.
Gin opened the purification mixture. She rubbed the substance on her hands. Idai tried to assist her, but she turned around to yell at him. "Leave this area! Go! I have to finish him!"
Idai stopped in his tracks. He stared ahead as Gin moved on her feet trying to make contact with the demon. "This world isn't real." His eyes moved to look around the area. "It's not my home. I don't belong in the sound village." Idai's eyes started to widen as each hit Gin made on Ryokuzu's body, caused Idai to gain pieces of his sanity back.
Ryokuzu detached his arm as they purification mixture touched the corpse skin he favored. He glared at the girl. The souls on his body cried out for blood and vengeance at how they were taken. "You filthy wench!" Ryokuzu hit Gin so hard that her body flew through the air backwards. She landed a hundred feet away from the scene.
Gin coughed blood as she struggled to rise. Her body hurt all over. "I can't… let him… win. He wants Idai for part of that collection. I… can't…" Gin fell over, her body giving out. She saw a pair of feet come into her view.
Idai crouched to look at her. "I can't let you fight anymore." He lifted his hand to kiss it tenderly. "You've always fought for me. Let me fight for you now. Loan me your strength, Gin."
Gin blushed hard as the purification mixture on her fingers was transferred to her lips. She gasped as Idai and the world around her started to vanish. The room she was in started to surface. "Idai!"
Gin's body was laying on the floor with the Hokage watching over her. She had been screaming and yelling the entire time she had encountered Ryokuzu. Her father, Gai, and Kiba were all alert. Idai's body was limp, his eyes turned from black to white again. Gin looked up weakly to see all four of them watching her. "I don't know what happened. Idai said… he had to protect me," she said as her eyes closed.
Kiba looked down as Idai's body flinched several times. Was the boy taking direct hits from Ryokuzu? "The demon isn't looking back. Idai's really fighting him," he said as blood started to trickle out of Idai's mouth.
Gai looked at Gin. "You saw Idai in there?" His eyes searched the girl. She seemed sad and a bit confused.
"He was there in the sound village as a little boy. He spoke to me and told me to leave. He said he had to fight Ryokuzu," she said quietly, her voice shaking. "Idai said he had to protect me."
"I think Gin needs to rest," Chouji said. He saw the fatigue all over her face. His daughter was confused. She didn't seem to be aware that she was back in Konoha. Her eyes were darting around the room, searching for something.
"I saw Idai, Dad," Gin said as her father picked her up. He began to carry her out of the room into the hall. "I saw Idai! He's fighting Ryokuzu! Dad, please! Idai!"
Naruto had to intervene at this point. He moved around the room picking an area to start. "I want you two to lift Idai. Ryokuzu won't give us any trouble as long as he's occupied." He bit his thumb. Naruto started to make symbols on the floor in a huge circle.
"You believe Gin saw Idai in her mind," Kiba asked as he lifted Idai's limp form off the floor. He grunted at the boy's weight. "You must have been training him while you two were away," Kiba said as Idai's head hung over his shoulder.
Gai moved his hand to pet Idai fondly. "A parent always prepares his child." He bit his thumb. "There's no point in you trying to do it yourself, Lord Hokage. I am the boy's father."
Kiba set Idai's limp form against the wall. "If it's alright with both of you, I'll help, too. I'm his trainer."
"No, Kiba, you're not Idai's sensei. You lost that title a long time ago," Gai said as he bit his thumb to make the third circle of symbols. "You're his brother."
Kiba gave a toothy grin as he bit his thumb, too. He started to go around the room to complete the second circle of symbols. As soon as they were finished, Kiba retrieved Idai to move him to the inner circle. He lowered the boy slowly onto the floor.
Naruto looked at the sacred symbols. "These will hold Idai's body in place to keep Ryokuzu from using it against us. I know Chouji is worried about Gin, but we still need her. She was chosen to help Idai the moment she received the blue lotus. She was able to enter the place Idai has built for himself in the darkness Ryokuzu has created."
Chouji walked in carrying his daughter in his arms. He looked at the Hokage and the two Jounin in the room. "Are you sure this is going to work?" He set Gin down near Idai's body.
"It has to. She was chosen for a reason, Chouji,"
Naruto said. "We're here to support her." He turned his gaze to the girl. Gin was fondly putting her hand on Idai's chest. She was watching him flinch from the experiences he was having mentally. Idai was still trapped. "Gin, you can defeat Ryokuzu." The girl turned her head to look at him. "I know you're tried. I know you don't understand how to gain Idai back, but Idai has shown himself to you. You know where he is. You need to let your mental state match what you feel for him. It's the only way to win against a demon."
Gin turned her head slowly to look back at Idai. She loved him like no other person in her life. Gin realized in that moment that the prayers she had for him, were not out of fear, or worry, but real true love. She wanted Idai to be happy again. Did she still want that? Gin knew her body was tired, but this wasn't about her. It was about bringing him back. He had a new family in the village. Gin wanted Idai to run around laughing as he had done before Ryokuzu got out of control.
Gin opened Idai's kimono. She looked at her hands. The lotus mixture was still all over her skin. Gin formed hand seals in front of her body. She concentrated as she wrote the symbol for purification on Idai's chest. She didn't want Ryokuzu to gain his heart. That was meant for her. Gin also put the same symbol on her head and over her heart. She took one last look at the four behind her. Gin put the symbol for enlightenment on Idai's forehead. She widened her eyes as the lotus mixture started to blind her vision.
Naruto tried to run towards the girl. Somehow, she unlocked Idai's world herself. This time, it wasn't Ryokuzu controlling the environment. It was Gin! Naruto watched as the girl's form –along with Idai's- sunk through the floor. "Gin!"
Kiba stood breathing hard. He looked around the room. "Where did they go? What just happened?"
Gai sunk to the floor. He placed his hands upon the symbols on the floor. The symbols were turning as blue as the lotus. "She's created a foundation for herself and Idai. She's challenging Ryokuzu outright."
Chouji grunted as he narrowed his eyes at where his daughter had been. She was becoming a woman before his very eyes. Gin was learning to fight with all of her abilities against a fierce opponent. "She'll be okay." He saw the others look at him. "She'll be okay. An Akimichi doesn't give up against the strongest enemies. Gin will bring Idai back!"
Gin looked around at the blue bits of snow falling in the dark of the night. She watched them sway with the wind before they landed on the ground. In front of her were the steps leading down the hill to the bottom of the Tatsumaki compound. Gin looked over her shoulder to see Idai standing behind her near the house. He was watching her sadly, his body faded from the fight with Ryokuzu. The demon had almost completely taken him. "He's not going to gain your soul, Idai. I won't let him get any further if it kills me."
Idai looked at her with sadness in his eyes. "I don't want anything to happen to you," he said. Idai tried to move, but he wasn't able. "Why can't I move from this spot?" He moved his eyes to look around as if he were being held back by something. It was by the power of the symbols placed on the floor by the blood of those who cared for his welfare.
"That is the safest point for you. I know your father tried to save you once," Gin said as her blue eyes met his shocked gaze. "And I know I'm not your father, but I do love you, Idai. It's my responsibility to see you smile again. I want that more than anyone." She turned her head forward. "I don't know what's going to happen to either of us. We may die, or forget what we mean to the other, but at this moment, I'm-," she paused as she touched the space over her heart. "I'm following the guidance of Buddha. You will return home." Gin walked down the long steps of the compound to face her most powerful adversary.
Idai stood with tears coming down his eyes as he watched the brown color of Gin's hair leave his view. He felt his heart pounding in his chest. Idai wanted to scream, to yell. Gin was replacing herself as his guardian. "Gin,… come back," he said softly. Idai watched the blue snow increase around him.
Gin stood with her posture serious, eyes full of determination and strength. Ryokuzu appeared as menacing as ever. His body was now covered with blood marks, souls screaming, as his neck moved around twisting like a snake's. She was confident. Gin knew she could beat this evil, negative force that was holding onto Idai. Gin started to walk towards the demon with her feet moving in slow, powerful footsteps.
Ryokuzu saw the ground around the girl become strengthened. Each footstep she created in the snow, revealed flowers growing in her wake. He flipped onto his back, his head turned upside down to cackle at her, as his eyes bulged out of his head. The girl only looked down at him as if she was going to slam her foot on him. Ryokuzu started to move around Gin like an upside down crab. He cackled all the while. He wanted to see what Gin was going to throw at him.
Gin knew he was taunting her. He was strong for a demon, even if he was a thief in the night. He was a stealer of souls – nothing more. Gin didn't move an inch. She stared straight ahead to collect her thoughts. It was best not to let the demon get the better of her. She was a ninja, after all. She was on Shikamaru's team. Gin had been prepared for this type of mental battle with an opponent. In this world, her body wasn't going to be able to aid her. This world wasn't real. She had to fight mentally.
Ryokuzu came closer to the girl, his body moving swift with speed. He opened his mouth to show his razor sharp teeth. As Gin moved back to keep him from biting her, he circled around fast to create another form of himself. He cackled as the split forms of himself came at her. Ryokuzu bit the girl's legs several times. He lavished in her pain.
Gin jumped high to avoid the demon coming at her on the ground. She moved quickly to stand on each statue as it attempted to crawl wherever she landed. Gin had to think fast. It was fast and it knew how to get her physically. Gin blinked. That was it. The demon was causing pain to her physically to keep her from using her mental functions to stop it! Gin narrowed her eyes. She moved quickly to meet Ryokuzu head as he came at her again.
Ryokuzu laughed as the girl charged him. He wasn't afraid of a mortal child who thought she could beat him. The moment she came closer to him, his mouth opened wide, folding back to where another mouth, smaller with black eyes shot out.
Gin's eyes widened as her mouth dropped. The demon shot out another form of himself at her. This time, the sluggish demon went into her mouth. Gin gasped as it moved down her throat, to her insides. She clutched her stomach, eyes shaking as she felt it moving around. Gin moved away as the demon rebounded with its double. It started to laugh more, its form turning over to be on all fours.
Ryokuzu showed all of his teeth, his lips curling back, as his hair grew long to fall over its pale body. He approached the girl as she screamed. The wormlike form of himself was beginning to eat her insides. "Mortals cannot beat a demon so easily, plant girl."
Gin found herself on the ground squirming as the demon started to gnaw her stomach. She screamed in mortal terror as it kept biting her. No! I can't let him defeat me like this! Pain is used to bend someone to another's will. I won't let him use this pain against me!
Gin swallowed hard as she sweated. Her body was shaking all over. The demon inside of her could kill her faster, if Ryokuzu willed it. She forced her knees to bend, her head lifting as she eyed the demon. "You won't claim Idai. You can't get his body. It's protected."
"Who says I need him anymore? Now I have you," Ryokuzu said as he moved closer to the girl, his head tilting this way and that, making sure his teeth were in full view. "You're a clumsy girl. Simple, shy, quiet clumsy girl," he said as he moved towards her head. He planned to eat her alive. Her blood and flesh would do nicely. In fact, if he ate her here and now, he'd not only gain Gin, but also the rest of Idai. His other form went up the steps towards the boy.
Gin turned her head to see the doppelganger moving up the steps to the house where Idai was. She didn't know if the protection the others had placed on the floor was going to prevent Idai from being devoured. She turned her head quickly back to Ryokuzu. He was crawling closer to her, slower, his smile lowering.
Ryokuzu loved how humans tried anything they could to get rid of him. He was the shadows that lurked in the deepest, most insane part of the human mind. He wanted nothing more than to feel their sorrow and their pain. He relished in it. Ryokuzu started to speak to Gin as if he were a parent. "Come now, plant girl. The end is near for you and him. It was a good fight, but your body is going down faster than Idai's. Why waste your pitiful efforts to go against me? If I have your energy, it only saves another from being devoured. You don't want that, do you? Would you want me to get loose and gain your friends? Your family?"
Gin narrowed her eyes as she struggled to bear the pain she felt in her stomach. She grimaced, half-screaming as the thing started to gnaw through her body. Gin didn't have much of the lotus mixture left, but she could use it against herself. As Ryokuzu smiled at her viciously, Gin popped the cork. Ryokuzu was alerted by the sound. He started to come at her faster as she poured the mixture into her hand. Gin thrust her hand down the demon's throat.
Ryokuzu's eyes widened as the lotus of Buddha went into his system. He gagged, his mouth hanging open as he grabbed his throat. "AHH!" He bent his body backwards; arms open as he staggered to control himself. He narrowed his eyes as his body started to deteriorate. "Kill her! KILL HER!"
Gin saw her stomach rising as the demon gnawed ferociously at her insides. She moved onto her back thrusting the remaining mixture down her mouth. Gin looked up at the blue snow falling onto the ground as she felt her stomach lurch. The demon inside of her was frying alive once the purification mixture hit it. Ryokuzu was on his knees, trying to crawl towards her, his body falling apart.
Gin turned her head to see Ryokuzu's flesh hanging off. The sight of it made her gag. The souls that were sewn into the blood of his skin, leaked out. They flew out of him, disappearing into the sky around them.
Ryokuzu flopped to the ground, his body parts trailing behind him. His black eyes focused on the girl until his vision went. He swore as the girl stared back at him. "You think you've won?" He laughed as his mouth stayed open. "You won't survive what my minion has done to your insides. I'm sure you've figured out now that whatever happens to you here, happens to you there. You've lost." He continued to laugh until his body was covered by snow.
Gin didn't know what to think of Ryokuzu going quiet. Was he really finished? She looked up the hill to see the doppelganger stopped halfway. It was also stopped. The blue snow was covering them all. "Even if I don't survive, at least I got to see Idai once more… along with blue snow." Her fingers twitched as the coldness of the snow melted on her fingertips. Gin's eyes stared at the blackness overhead until she could no longer feel the snow upon her body. The falling flakes obscured her vision.
Naruto looked around as the symbols on the floor started to fade. He moved towards them, not sure what was happening. Kiba moved around the area, his eyes widening. His nose started to twitch. Kiba was darting his head around, searching. "Kiba, what is it?"
Kiba looked at the Hokage, his keen sense of smell alert. "I caught their scent. I don't know where they are. Before when they vanished, I lost it." He moved around the room with Chouji and Gai following him. Naruto was standing on guard for any tricks the demon might pull on them. He went to a particular area in the room and lifted his head, closing his eyes. It was the strongest here. "I think they're up there. Someone give me a lift," he said.
Chouji squatted to where Kiba could easily get on his back. He lifted his mighty form as the man stood to touch the ceiling. "Is it a trick?"
"No, I don't think so," Gai said. "Kiba's nose has never been wrong. He's always on the mark," the man said as Kiba Inuzuka scratched at the ceiling.
Kiba soon took out a kunai to prod at the foundation. He grunted as he dug with the sharpness of the kunai through the structure. His eyes widened as he uncovered a finger. Kiba touched it slowly. Soon he wasn't the only one trying to dig them out. Naruto had called the ANBU in. As they rushed in with their swords drawn, he demanded they help him get to the ceiling. Kiba glanced at the Hokage. The man was trying as hard as he was to uncover whoever's hand it was.
Naruto narrowed his eyes as an arm came through. He recognized it. "It's Idai! Quick! Everyone start digging!" He wasn't sure what was going on, but he gave it all of his might to continue. Soon they had Idai free. Kiba caught the boy in his arms.
Kiba staggered as he stood on Chouji's shoulders. He tried to keep his balance as Gin Akimichi fell on top of Idai. "Gin!" He watched Naruto lift the girl off Idai. Kiba touched Idai's face softly before he hopped down. He hit the floor holding the boy. Had Gin defeated Ryokuzu?
Gai approached his son to place his hand on the boy's face – just like Kiba. He rubbed his thumb against the boy's cheek. Idai's red hair was still prevalent. He didn't know if it was permanent, or if Ryokuzu still lurked in the background. "Idai?" The boy's face contorted as he called his name. "Idai, look at me. Open your eyes," Gai said. Soon he and Kiba were looking back at orange eyes. Weak orange eyes that they hadn't seen in a very long time.
Idai didn't know what was going on. Kiba was holding him with his dad overlooking. "Where… are we, Dad?"
Gai's lip quivered. He hugged Idai so hard Kiba had to tell him to loosen up, or choke the boy. "Idai! You're back," he shouted as loudly as he could. Soon they heard the voices of Yanagi, Daiya, Masaru, Takeru, and Areku from outside. "And everyone has been waiting for you," he said as he took him from Kiba.
Gai walked outside with Idai once Naruto had taken the seals off the door. He was almost tackled by several bouncing kids as Idai tried to figure out what was happening. "Hey, take it easy. If I fall over with him, it won't do anybody any favors," Gai said with a smile.
Yanagi was the first to get a good glimpse of Idai. "Idai, you're back! Gin did it!" She kissed him gently on the cheek as she hugged him. "I missed you so much!"
"Not more than me," Masaru said as he hugged Idai from the side. He held onto him the longest. It was good to have his old prankster friend with him again.
Areku and Daiya both stood stiffly with Takeru. They weren't sure what to do. Daiya managed to hug him hard around the neck as Gai held the boy.
Takeru looked around at the others happiness. He and Areku were searching the entrance of the building, waiting. "Where's Gin?" Soon, the others stopped. "She helped Idai, didn't she? Where is she?"
Areku saw the worried looks of Chouji Akimichi as he came out of the building holding his daughter's limp form. "Something's wrong," he said as the others turned their heads in that direction. He ran to his best friend. "Gin!" Areku stopped in his tracks. "Gin?" He dared not say her name again. He only stared at her.
Chouji saw Idai watching Gin with the fatigue all over his face. The boy was worn out from being used by Ryokuzu. "Gin needs to rest. She'll be fine once she's well rested, I promise," he said. He placed his large hand on Areku's head. "Let's wait until tomorrow to visit, okay?"
Areku nodded slowly. He hugged Gin's arm as he
turned his face away. He hoped she was all right. He felt like he wasn't being told the truth. Areku saw his father come out of the building with the Hokage. "Dad, is she going to be okay," he asked.
Kiba looked at all of them. Idai had his head laid on Gai's shoulder. The boy wasn't aware of what had occurred in there. "Idai, what do you remember," he asked turning the question around.
Idai looked at Kiba tiredly. "I… don't know. I remember Ryokuzu chasing me. He wouldn't let me go. I was fighting him a lot. Then someone came for me. Someone said he was there to protect me. I-," he rubbed his head as he closed his eyes. "It was all a dream."
Gai turned the boys face upwards to look at him. "No, son, it wasn't a dream. Gin entered the world you were sealed in with Ryokuzu. She went to fight him for you. And she won," he said as Idai's eyes widened.
Idai's head looked back at the girl in Chouji's arms.
"Why…? Why did she do that for me," he said as he felt a lump in his throat. Gin had gone to where it was the most dangerous to bring him back.
Yanagi smiled softly at Idai. She put her hand on his head. "You need to rest, too, Idai. You've been out of the loop for a month."
Daiya watched Idai fixing to object until he placed his hand over his best friend's mouth. "Go rest. Besides, girls do crazy things when they're in love," he said speaking more about Yanagi than Gin. However, he secretly referred to Gin.
Idai finally felt himself give out in the late afternoon. He closed his eyes feeling his father's body against his. Idai slept soundly and with much ease now that Ryokuzu was gone.
Gin rubbed her eyes as she awoke to being in her old room. She sat up with messy long brown hair. Had it all been a dream? She walked down the hall with her pink nightgown covering her. "Mama? Dad?" Gin rubbed her eyes harder. She didn't see a figure approach her in the hall. Gin leaned into someone putting his or her arms around her. She blinked her eyes a few times rubbing out more sleep. Gin yawned hard. Her hand lifted to feel the arm of the person holding her. It was a bit firm and strong. It wasn't her father. Gin looked up.
Idai smiled at her softly. He lowered his head to kiss her on the forehead. As soon as he did, he caught Gin. Her legs went right out from under her again. "I've been waiting for you to get up all morning," he said smiling at her.
Gin's face flushed immediately. It wasn't a dream. Idai was here. She had defeated Ryokuzu. Before she knew it, she was flying through the air dancing and triumphing. "Yes! I beat him! I beat Ryokuzu!" She twirled happily with her long hair flowing behind her.
Idai blinked for a moment. He soon smiled as he caught her hand on the next twirl. He moved her quickly into another hug. "Yeah, you beat him. Guess what your reward is," he said as he kissed her softly. He closed his eyes as he felt her wrap her arms around him. Idai opened his eyes as he let his long red hair touch her face. "I love you," he said as he touched her cheek.
Gin smiled back at him. She had heard those words deeply emitted from his soul when she was fighting for him. "I know," she said as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Gin let Idai carry her down the hall. All the while, she forgot she was in her nightgown, until her mother asked if she was going to get dressed before she went out with Idai. Thus, Gin Akimichi flew down the hall screaming with her face redder than ever.