DISCLAIMER!: I DON'T OWN NARUTO! Thought you'd know that by now...

(A/N): And here we are at 38

Time to get this rollin', but first, a message from our Author...

Dear Loyal Readers,

DON'T FORGET ASK A QUESTION FOR THE Q&A NEXT FRIDAY!

thanks,

-Bubla Fett

TO THE STORY!

. . . .

Chapter 38: Taming the Beast

. . . .

A deep red chakra enveloped the boy. He slowly laid Hinata's still down and turned to Haku. When Haku saw his eyes...they were dead. No emotion, no light. They were crimson eyes that could see nothing. Skin started to peel from the boys face as he closed his eyes. A dark dome of chakra enveloped him and the only thing that could be heard over the massive force of the wind...was just one, pain filled cry.

"GGGRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

. . . .

Poor Haku never knew what hit him. He covered his head with his arms to protect himself from the overwhelming force the cry gave off. When he lowered his arms his life ended.

A red clawed hand reached out of the dome and crushed the teens head like a grape.

Zabuza's eyes widened as he saw the one he thought of as a son lie on the ground. Headless and gushing blood. His shock quickly turned to rage as he lunged for his broken sword. He charged the dome of chakra and gave a blood curtailing roar. He dodged the arm that reached out to claw at him. Ignoring the pain of his left appendage being forcibly ripped off as he continued to charge the beast that took his son. His only light in his dark life. He was within arms reach of the dome when...

He was stopped.

Four tails sprouted out as the dome disappeared. Leaving behind a barely human form. Covered in red chakra and had two elongated ears. It stood on all fours and snarled at the former Demon of the Hidden Mist.

Zabuza stood there in mid stride. His remaining arm raised in the air holding his broken sword. His eyes continued to glare at the...monster...before him. But he was unable to move.

Two of the beasts tails were stabbed through the mans legs. Another going through where his Liver once was. And the fourth piercing his heart.

He glared at the beast until a copious amount of blood spewed from his mouth. His eyes rolled back and his limbs went slack. His hand dropped the once legendary sword and his neck went limp.

Zabuza, the Demon of the Hidden Mist was dead.

. . . .

The mist cleared to reveal the gruesome sight.

Shino was already brought to his knees due to the massive amount of killing intent and the overbearing chakra. The normally emotionless Genin was shaking as he looked at Zabuza be ripped apart by the...DEMON...that held him.

Kurnenai was shaking her head. Sweating profusely. The nightmares she had of that horrid night returning all at once as the beast stood in front of her.

Sakura had fainted from the initial blast blast of chakra, as well as Tazuna.

"Please, Kami. Save us. Keep...keep it away!" The terrified Jonin pleaded in terror. She was now on her knees shaking. Holding herself as tears streaked across her face.

The demon she once thought of as a nephew, stood its hind legs and looked up to the sky. It gave a second, louder, more intense, pain filled roar. It turned its back on the trembling Jonin and Genin. It turned to the dark blue haired girl, who laid there with a peaceful, resting, race.

It lowered its head to the girl and stopped moving. Its 'shoulders' began to shake and tremble. It sat on its haunches as it continued to tremble, giving a light, and quiet whimper.

Kurenai, after another moment, stopped her trembling. She looked confused at the...thing...that sat in front of her student. Was...was it...crying? She dared not move. She dared not do anything to provoke it. She just sat there and looked. Observing the beast as it trembled and softly cried for the fallen girl.

. . . .

. . . .Mindscape. . . .

. . . .

"KIT! GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF DAMMIT! YOUR TAKING TO MUCH CHAKRA!" Kurama roared in worry. Naruto sat there on his knees in front of his cage. His head down and his eyes glazed over. He was unresponsive. He didn't move. He just sat there. Forcibly pulling Kurama's chakra around him.

The Bijuu wasn't even freely supplying the chakra. It was being taken. How Naruto had the will or strength to do this while in this state was beyond the ancient demon.

"Dammit Naruto! If you continue to take my chakra you are going to kill yourself! Your body can't handle the pressure of any more tails! Is this what you want!? To die!? To kill yourself in regret!?" The demon roared. Its ranting was stopped when a voice spoke from behind Naruto.

"What if it is?" The voice said. "What if the boss has had enough with this cruel world? We never asked to be this child of prophecy...we never asked to be adopted...we never asked for you to be imprisoned in us...and we never...NEVER...asked for her to be taken from us!" The voice continued. It getting louder and louder with each statement. It stepped out of the shadows and stood behind Naruto.

It looked exactly like the boy. The blond hair. The clothes. Even the whisker marks. But the only difference was the eyes. The were red were the cerulean blue once was. And where the whites once were, was now black. The...thing...sneered at the fox. "I think it's high time I ran the show for a little while. I am what the boss really is like. I am the one he relies on when he fights. I am his darkness. I am his truth. And now I am him completely." 'Dark' Naruto said. He reached down and press his hand to the boys back.

Naruto jerked. His head now raised, but his eyes still dead. His head tilted up and his eyes opened completely. He let out strained and muffled whimpers. His eyes began to shake as the whites slowly became black.

One of his eyes completely turned, and once the other started to turn...It stopped.

A glowing red chain came out of the ground and rapped around 'Dark' Naruto's arm and ripped his hand from Naruto's back. The evil entity snarled and clawed at the chain, only for more to rap around its limbs and hold it it the air.

"NARUTO!" A new voice called. This voice was not like 'Dark' Naruto's though. It was feminine. Pleading. And scared for Naruto. "Please Naru-chan! Don't let this take you!" It pleaded. "Please wake up! I know its hard. I know you're in pain. I know you don't know what to do. But there is still a way. The girl, she's still alive! You need to hurry! Please, come back to us! Come back to me Naru-chan!"

"GGGRRRRRAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" Naruto roared as he brought his hands to eyes. He covered them with his palms and writhed in the ground in pain. After howling once more he laid still. Tears streaked down his face. He slowly smiled. "Thank you...Ka-chan..." He said as he faded from the mindscape.

"NOOO! YOU BITCH! YOU DAMN BITCH!" 'Dark' Naruto roared as he also faded out.

Kurama sighed. Crisis averted. "Well, looks like you really pulled through...Kushina." The fox sighed.

. . . .

. . . .The Bridge. . . .

. . . .

Naruto stood there. Kurama's chakra disappearing as quickly as it came. He fell to his knees. Bleeding and breathing hard. He was already starting to heal, but he was still covered in his, and his enemies, blood. He looked down at Hinata and slowly, painfully reached out a hand.

He gripped a senbon that was in her neck and carefully pulled it out.

After a second nothing happened. But then she coughed. And another. She began to cough and gasp for air. Her eyes flew open as she struggled for breath.

She almost had a heart attack when she saw the boy she loved. Covered in blood. Tears streaming down his face. "Na-NARUTO!" She screamed as he fell to his side.

Hinata was alive...but Naruto was slowly fading.

. . . .

(A/N): To be continued...

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