Chapter 17: The Battle at Sea, Demon Fox Awakened

We began running around the compound suddenly stopping as I heard a female voice skidding to one of the doors. Pushing them open I saw Anko with a man and Isaribi in front of her sighing in relief that she was okay.

"Hey glad you guys could make it." she said looking towards Naruto and I while the man said, "Oh how adorable you brought some Genin, you're all grown up now Anko."

"Who is this clown?" Naruto said as Anko glared at him saying, "Meet Amachi, he's a medical ninja who teamed up with Orochimaru and conducts research here. All this time it's been his doing while Orochimaru is gone."

Amachi began spouting on that these experiments were to be used in underwater warfare, with the capability to breath on land and underwater. It seemed Orochimaru abandoned his idea though and he was just as glad to prove him wrong by continuing to experiment.

"These are people you're experimenting on, how dare you use them like tools!" I yelled tightening my fist in his direction knowing all too well the greed of some people.

"Oh, I was hoping someone your age would agree to this but no matter you'll all be used as mindless guinea pigs as well." Amachi said as Naruto ran at him but stopped short seeing Isaribi move to protect him.

"Get out of the way!" Naruto said knowing he wouldn't hurt her as she shook her head saying, "I'm not moving."

"Why are you protecting him, he did this to you?" I said sternly while she shook her head saying, "I know, but I don't have a choice… he's the only one who can change me back… look."

I saw her begin to remove her bandages seeing that some of her body was still covered in scales feeling my heart break for her as she said sadly, "People in this world judge others on appearance… they stay away when they see me covered in bandages. Imagine what they'd do if they saw a monster covered in scales?"

I frowned at her story as she shook her head saying, "That's why I must protect him, don't you get it I want my body back, I want to be human again."

Seeing Naruto step beside me he said softly, "But Isaribi you are still human, it doesn't matter what you look like. Yet you work with these guys and send others to the bottom… it's not a face that makes a monster it's their actions."

"Shut up!" she yelled suddenly seeing the tears in her eyes while she covered her ears saying, "I don't want to hear anymore just be quiet… why does everyone have to be so cruel to me?"

"You and I are exactly alike..." Naruto tried to say but she cut him off saying, "I don't want to hear it just leave me alone."

She fell to the ground crying as Amachi looked down at her saying, "Don't cry Isaribi I'll have you back to normal in no time."

Suddenly Anko jumped towards me grabbing onto my body as an explosion went off beside me hearing the ringing, feeling Anko go limp above me. She looked to be out cold seeing another guy walk in as I pushed the rocks off us seeing cuts on my skin. I watched Amachi and Isaribi walk out while the guy went to attack Naruto making me glare.

Taking my kunai out I sliced my leg letting the blood drip out just as the guy wrapped himself around Naruto. My blood quickly sprang to life wrapping around the guy's wrists seeing him stare at me surprised letting Naruto go. Putting my hand up more blood shot up wrapping around his neck and legs pulling him to a pole tightly bounding him in place.

"I don't know what the hell you're doing but you better let me go!" he yelled making me smirk saying, "You should have passed the preliminary rounds, clearly you're not very good."

"Shut up!" he yelled feeling the place begin to rumble as I went to Anko helping her up as she said weakly, "They are going to bring the whole place down with us in it."

"Hey this way, the exit is already blocked." Shino said appearing in a hole in the wall as Anko got her footing and we began running out with the guy yelling at us to stop.

We kept running not seeing an exit in site coming across a two-way path looking to my right smelling the ocean as I said, "This way, I can smell the salt of the ocean."

They followed behind me, but we stopped seeing it was blocked as Naruto stepped up saying, "I'll get us out with my Rasangan."

"Not a good idea, you might bring the whole mountain down too if you're not careful." I said seeing him frown replying, "Then how?"

I saw Anko bit her finger making some hand signs slamming it to the ground suddenly being engulfed by darkness feeling I was standing on something squishy. Holding on to each other we felt the ground move as the path opened seeing we had been in a snake's mouth.

"Ah fresh air." Naruto said nodding in agreement seeing Anko gripping the back of her neck worriedly saying, "Anko are you alright?"

"Yea I'm fine but we got to get moving, it's nearly morning and that ship is going to be running into a trap." Anko said seeing a boat near us deciding to quickly head to their location.

Sailing back to the port it looked like the ships had left leaving Anko to believe they were tricked into thinking we killed the demon of the sea. Knowing how much danger they will be in we quickened our pace hoping we weren't too late.

We could see in the distance some of the ships had run into one another as Shino looked towards the guy he had faced saying, "He's mine."

I watched him jump off going to protest but instead decided to help the survivors get to our boat as Naruto and Anko jumped off. I began grabbing the survivors jumping off the boat to bring them to one of the other ships that hadn't been damaged by the wrecks.

"Once all of you are safe sail far away where it's safe." I said as one of them looked frightened saying, "What about you?"

Smirking I said, "Don't worry I'll be fine, see you guys in a few."

Suddenly a huge wave of water hit us seeing the boat get rocked making me brace myself feeling a sudden danger in the air. Turning my eyes, they widened seeing Naruto on all fours as a red flare of chakra surrounded him. I took a step back seeing that his once bright blue eyes were red, this was it, this was the power of the Nine Tailed Fox.

With lightning-fast speed, he ran at a now fish monster Amachi hitting him with hard punches. Amazed at the sudden boost of chakra he had surrounding him I watched him kick Amachi down into the ocean before seeing his eyes change back to blue. He suddenly began falling as Isaribi went to rescue him making me turn, Naruto should be safe now… so where is Shino.

Turning I saw him climb onto a rock breathing heavily as the man went to attack him making me glare running at him kicking him just before he reached Shino. I stood in front of Shino as the guy grunted standing up glaring towards me barely hearing Shino say my name.

"No one beats up my rival but me." I said smirking as I tightened my fist seeing the guy bare his teeth at me.

He ran towards me as I dodged out of the way knowing that if he grabbed me, I would get my chakra taken away cutting my arm as my blood began dripping into the water. I jumped as he went to run at me but stopped just before he reached my arm making me smirk.

"What the..." he began looking down seeing my blood mixed with the water gripping onto his ankles squeezing my fist causing spikes to protrude out of them.

He yelled out in pain falling to his knees watching him rip out of the blood bracing myself only to see his body become engulfed by bugs. Taking a step back his body fell to the water looking over to see Shino barely standing looking at the both of us.

"Never turn your back on an opponent." he said as I watched the bugs fly off him while he began to sink down.

Shino attempted to stand up as I walked towards him brushing myself off saying, "I could have handled it."

"If he had touched you, it would have been over for you, I saved your life." he said making me cross my arms replying, "And if I hadn't of come when I did it would have been over for you so really, I saved my life by saving your life."

He finally stood on one of the rocks stuffing his hands in his pockets saying, "Whatever you wish to believe."