Chapter 61: In the belly of the beast
Leaning against the wall I looked towards Kakashi, Yamato, Shizune, Ino and Sakura as the little boy sat on the ground looking at his crystal happily. They were discussing what Yuukimaru had said about Naruto and Guren being swallowed by the Three Tails. The others were sitting on the ground listening to the conversation as well making me push off the wall.
"With how much you've searched for Naruto it only makes sense that it could be true." I said seeing them nod while Kakashi replied, "But how does he know Guren is okay?"
"Guren made this for me, if something happens to her it will break." he said holding out the crystal hearing Shizune sigh, "That's proof that Guren is okay, but it doesn't mean Naruto is too."
"That's true, no one knows what's inside the stomach of a Tailed beast." Kakashi said in a serious tone while Kiba replied, "Even if Naruto is okay, he's still with the crystal user, it's possible they have already been fighting each other and settled things."
"Right now, these assumptions are meaningless, we need to believe he's still alive and find the Three Tails before the enemy does." Yamato said seeing Yuukimaru stand up replying, "I'll look for it."
Kneeling to his level I asked, "Can you find the Three Tails?"
"Yes… I don't know for sure but I sense it." Yuukimaru said nodding while Kiba crossed his arms, "But what will we do once we find it?"
"I'll seal it once more." Shizune replied confidently seeing Kakashi nod saying, "Alright we'll try to rescue Naruto while you're doing that but, in the event the Three Tails becomes violent Yamato, we'll have Yuna and Shino go with you in case we find Guren with Naruto."
"Understood." Shino and I said as he turned to the others, "Sai, you'll stand by above looking for any trouble while the rest of you will guard the surrounding area."
All of us began walking to the lake seeing Yamato make a boat for us as Yuukimaru got in staring down at his crystal. Sitting beside him Shino sat next to me so he could row hearing Kiba wish us luck while we did the same. The sealing team stayed a bit farther back from us wanting to hide in case the enemy showed up as I looked on ahead. Kakashi and Yamato walked beside us as we paddled out into the lake seeing the fog begin to grow thick again.
It was eerily quiet when Yuukimaru looked with slight alarm as I said softly, "What's wrong?"
"They're here… under us." Yuukimaru said as Shizune and the others came over saying, "Okay sealing team get ready."
"Wait." Yuukimaru said looking towards him as he said, "There is no way out, Guren and Naruto are looking for a way out."
"A way out?" Shino questioned as he nodded replying, "If we open up a hole from the outside, they can find their way out."
"What's going on?" Shizune questioned while Kakashi replied calmly, "First we have to see what's at the bottom of the lake..."
"Camellia." Yuukimaru said suddenly looking at me gripping my jacket saying, "Bring me a lot of camellia blossoms."
Looking towards the others Sai landed taking the sealing team too as he asked while Yuukimaru explained that Guren and Naruto were trapped in another dimension. In order to break them out of it we would use the camellia as a trail to lead them back to us once the dimension was cracked open. After a while the sealing team joined us as Sai hovered above with a huge pack of flowers.
"Alright, Yamato you'll keep the dimension in place while I break it open." Kakashi said watching them both dive into the water getting ready.
Seeing bubbles Yamato breached first followed by Kakashi as the water shifted seeing a whirlpool begin to form hearing Yuukimaru tell Sai to drop the flowers down. Hearing music beside me I turned watching Yuukimaru use a leaf to whistle a song knowing that Naruto and Guren must hear it too.
Seeing the whirlpool grow larger we all waited not seeing any movement but knowing the Three Tails had surely woken up. Deciding to act before it appeared the Sealing team got ready to start the process again while Sai took Yuukimaru somewhere safer.
Watching them get the binding spell ready Kakashi turned to Yamato, Shino and I saying, "Our job starts now, until they're ready it's our job to suppress the Three Tails."
"We'll see how well my wood style works against the Three Tails." Yamato said with a smile as I ate a blood pill saying with confidence, "We won't know until we try."
Watching the water begin to grow wild we all braced ourselves for the Three Tails to appear seeing it suddenly calm down wondering what was happening. Hearing a light splash, we looked down seeing a fish made of ink.
"It seems Guren's team have powered up and attacked Sai." Kakashi said worried looking towards Yamato, "Any word from Kiba or the others?"
"No nothing yet." Yamato said watching Shino look at the insects crawling around his hand while I said worried, "If that's the case they'll be coming here next."
Seeing the fog roll in again it smelled different hearing Shino say, "This fog… we're already in their trap."
"The sealing team!" Kakashi yelled making us all run towards them hearing the enemy approaching as I stood beside Shino with my kunai out.
Watching Yamato take one of the enemies and Kakashi the other that left the strange one for us to deal with watching Shino's bugs go to attack. Watching him wiggle around telling him to stop he began laughing seeing that there was a layer covering his body watching the insects become stuck to it.
"Oh dear, your cute little bugs are shapeless now… now for the main show." he said smirking as his fist went under water watching it come out hitting Shino in the chin sending him up.
Gritting my teeth I cut my arm as he went to hit Shino again but I deflected it with my blood saying, "Come at me you freak."
"Haha you call me a freak when you attack with blood… so gross." he said laughing at me while I glared towards him.
We began dueling back and forth both of us dodging one anther seeing how nimble he was making it had to hit him. My fist connected against his skin feeling a strange thick liquid watching him produce another arm punching me in the face.
Seeing Shino's go at him again I saw he was stuck in the strange liquid while I stood in front of him defensively as the enemy laughed, "Your bugs are no good against me."
Watching another huge swarm go at him he realized he couldn't get rid of them as Shino explained calmly, "Your defeat lies in the fact that your body relies on that mucus that covers your body… my insects have been slowly scrapping it off of you making it easier to attack."
"That sounds like my cue." I said tightening my fist as it sparked to life with lighting running at him full speed shoving my fist into his stomach hearing him cry out while I said, "I'm not finished yet!"
Pumping my blood into the lightening it expanded out causing the enemy to get blown backwards as my lightening died down. Sighing in relief I turned to Shino giving him a small smile while he nodded towards me stuffing his hands in his pockets. Walking back to the others it seemed they were okay too seeing Kiba, Akamaru, Sai, Tenten and Lee approaching too.
"Thank goodness you all are okay." Tenten said relieved as I replied, "What about you guys?"
"Well we made it somehow, but what about Naruto?" Tenten asked hearing Shino say, "We haven't found him yet."
"I'm sorry about Yuukimaru." Sai said looking towards Kakashi who just nodded knowing it wasn't his fault saying, "What matters now is protecting the sealing team after checking on them we will go after Yuukimaru."
Nodding we looked towards the seal seeing the water thrashing around them walking in their direction hoping that they were almost finished.
"Tenten there is a monster behind us!" Lee yelled making us all turn around hearing her yell. "What is that!?"
Noticing it was the enemy Shino and I fought but he was different than before growing seeing the heads of the two other enemies inside his body. It jumped in the air shaking the water around us while I concentrated the chakra in my feet to keep balanced glaring.
"It's my turn to pay them back for earlier." Lee said determined while Tenten put her hand up saying, "Your physical attacks won't work on that slime."
"Neither will my insects…" Shino said hearing the defeat in his voice as Sai replied, "Perhaps we leave them to the Jonin."
Watching the heads merge together I groaned at how gross it was seeing them begin to shoot as we all jumped out of the way from the attacks. Watching Kakashi and Yamato take the lead on attack I turned to the sealing team watching the seal begin to break wondering if they were using Yuukimaru again. Feeling an immense amount of chakra under us the water began crashing with life watching the seal break as the Three Tails was going in Kakashi and Yamato's direction.
"Kakashi-sensei!" I yelled watching him turn in time to dive in the water with Yamato bracing myself for the giant wave as it crushed the enemies.
Watching it start to swim away ignoring us Kakashi yelled, "Go find and help the sealing team."
Nodding we all went towards where they were sealing the Three tails diving into the water seeing Hinata going to grab her. Once I breached the surface, I saw the others had gotten the rest of them making it to the shore. Rolling Hinata onto her side I patted her back watching her cough up water opening her eyes weakly.
"Naruto..." she mumbled making me sigh relived replying, "No it's me Yuna."
She sat up seeing besides a broken arm from Ino they were all okay hearing someone yell, "Kakashi-sensei!"
Turning my eyes I saw Naruto approaching with Yuukimaru in his arms hearing Hinata say his name happily, looks like we all made it.
Holy moly I've been gone for a long time but I haven't been in a writing mood lately and there is no point in writing when you're not feeling it. I'll be doing my best to periodically post since I'm determined to finish this story!
