Choji was curious as to what was going on with Naruto.
Well, he was curious and a little creeped out by what Ino described having seen in her vision earlier that night. There was a very small part of the Akamichi heir that believed she was only joking around. However, a large part believed that Ino would never stood so low as to describe in detail the stuff she had seen.
'Lots of blood, demons, this Lilith person,' Choji gulped as he leapt from one roof to another, 'with fangs and…' he shuddered upon landing on a red tiled roof three buildings away from where the reception was taking place, 'it's so creepy even thinking about it.' He then had a downcast expression on his face, 'Ino was happy when she was dancing… well, for the reception she was happy but during the wedding she was a little teary eyed.' Choji then shook his head before continuing on towards his destination, 'but seeing her just now… she was upset. Really upset about what she saw in her vision.'
Landing on the roof of the building where the reception was taking place, Choji jumped down to the ground level and then walked into the building without rushing. He didn't want to tip anyone off that there was something wrong. He continued walking before turning left into a hallway until he could hear the sound of music playing from the reception room. Reaching the doors in the hallway that he and the others had earlier used to leave with Naruto and Ino, Choji found that his hands were trembling as he grabbed the handlebars.
Choji stared at his hands, and remembered what he had seen back in Naruto's room, 'the chakra tags were burnt out… they sparked because something was forcefully drawing their chakra out… something… something's drawing out Naruto's chakra…' He was suddenly hit with the fact that the boy he had known for years, a boy who was once ostracized and is now considered a hero of Konoha and the entire Shinobi world, was dying.
'No… no…' Choji shook his head silently, 'he's not dying. Tsunade-sama didn't say anything to that effect. I should just stop thinking that… should just stop thinking the worst case scenario. Neji will know what's going on… he can report to Tsunade-sama that Naruto's playing a very elaborate prank…' Choji knew deep inside that Naruto wasn't playing a prank. He knew that Naruto would never do something so crass, especially during the wedding of his two best friends.
'Please God,' Choji still wished it was a prank, 'let it be a prank.' He forced a smile on his face as he opened the door to dancing and music while thinking, 'or else it would be some thing worse. Much worse.' Choji walked calmly as he waved to Shikamaru who caught his eye, 'just hang on Naruto. We'll find out what's going on.'
Choji walked past the genjutsu Naruto and Tsunade as he scanned the dance floor for Neji who had come with his date, a Main House member of the Hyuuga Clan. After the war, Hyuuga Hiashi, Neji's uncle, had forced changes to the structure of the Hyuuga. He knew that it was what Hinata would have wanted to protect her cousin Neji. The Hyuuga Elders were not happy, but they had been overruled in the decision made by Hiashi – one wholeheartedly supported by Kakashi and the advisor. The Hyuuga Main and Branch Houses would be allowed to co-mingle, the Caged Bird Seal would be modified to remove the pain component – the entire seal would be redone so that it would be placed at the base of the neck of all Hyuuga who wish to remain as Konoha Shinobi.
The decision was controversial then and it still was controversial now. However, the relationship between Neji, the Hyuuga prodigy, and the girl from the Main House had been approved by Hiashi himself to improve relations between the two sides of the Hyuuga family. Choji had heard there were more changes to come, but those would take time.
Nearing the bar, Choji found the person he was looking for; however Neji was dancing with the girl, Hyuuga Akane, close to Sakura and Sasuke. It was going to be difficult walking up to the Hyuuga and telling him to head to the hospital in secret. Standing next to the bar counter, Choji looked around while putting his hand on the hard surface just as he found his second target. Kakashi was dancing with Shizune – the latter turning Kakashi around while laughing. It was then, when Kakashi was facing Choji, that the latter discretely waved his hands once his and Kakashi's eyes met. Choji then saw the discrete nod from Kakashi before the latter walked off the floor with Shizune, her arm in the crook of his elbow.
"Choji," Kakashi said as Shizune smiled and nodded at the boy before saying that her feet were killing her.
Kakashi scratched the back of his head as Shizune continued, "thank you for the dance, hokage-sama."
"Please stop with the 'sama'," Kakashi whined waved his hand as Shizune chuckled. The dark haired girl turned to look over at Tsunade, whose genjutsu form was sleeping silently, and then back to Kakashi and Choji, "I should wake up Tsunade-sama. She needs to eat something since… wait a minute…"
"Shizune," Kakashi wanted to kick himself as he thought, 'of course Shizune knows when a genjutsu is applied. So far she's been kept busy and…' Kakashi glanced at the other guests, many of whom were supposed to be able to detect active genjutsus, and then sighed, 'it's probably the occasion, and the drink, that have dulled their senses. So far it's a good thing, I guess…'
"Why is Tsunade-sama…" Shizune squinted her eyes before shifting her focus towards Naruto, "and… wait… why is Naruto-kun a genjutsu?" Shizune asked as she turned and locked eyes with Kakashi, and then she turned to Choji who gulped… an action that confirmed her thoughts that there was something being hidden from her. "Are they sick? Is…"
"Go to Tsunade-sama," Kakashi whispered as he gently placed a hand on Shizune's shoulder. He then turned to Choji, "which room, Choji?"
After Choji gave Shizune the room number, Shizune was asked not to leave in a hurry. Instead, she was told to just chuckle, nod her head, and then turn around before making her way calmly towards the exit. And before Shizune could ask what was going on, Kakashi himself said he wasn't sure since his shadow clone hadn't dispelled yet.
"All I know is that something happened to Naruto."
"Shizune-san," Choji whispered, his eyes shifting between her and Kakashi, "Hokage-sama, Tsunade-sama asked me to send Neji a message. That he's needed in Naruto's hospital room." Choji glanced at Kakashi who nodded his head before he turned and walked towards the dance floor. Choji returned to the worried Shizune who whispered if Naruto was okay. Choji looked away before whispering back, "I don't know. Tsunade-sama wants Neji to take a look at his chakra flow since…" Choji felt eyes staring back at him.
He looked up at Sasuke staring at him as Kakashi walked past him. Choji saw that Sakura's back was facing him, and it made him a little less nervous, 'Sakura would tear information out of me. She's not supposed to know… not until this reception is over.' Choji locked eyes with Sasuke who had a quizzical look on his face. He shifted his focus to Sasuke's left as Kakashi whispered into Neji's ear for a second before the Hyuuga bowed to his date. Choji saw the both of them saying something to each other – he couldn't read their lips, before Akane smiled at Neji and walked towards the other end of the hall.
Choji believed she was heading for the tables before his eyes shifted towards Sasuke who was suddenly separated from his wife by Haruno Mebuki. Choji wanted to chuckle at the look of surprise on Sasuke's face, and then sounds of laughter coming from Sakura as she danced with her father. However, the surprise lasted for a few seconds before Sasuke focused his eyes on Choji. As Neji neared, walking close to Kakashi, Choji discretely wiped the smile off his face and replaced it with his lips pressed together and shook his head.
He saw Sasuke's eyes widen slightly, the Uchiha getting the message that there was something very wrong with Naruto.
"Hokage-sama, what is it that you wanted to talk about?" Neji asked, bringing Choji's attention back to the Hyuuga.
"Not me. Sorry for the need for secrecy, but there's no classified intel that we need to talk about," Kakashi said as he recalled whispering in Neji's ear that there was a classified mission brief that came directly from the Daimyo - the mission brief asked for Neji specifically. Neji narrowed his eyes in confusion as he looked at Kakashi, and then at Choji, and then at Shizune before looking back at Kakashi once again.
"Hokage-sama, what is going on?"
"For now, what I am about to tell you is an S-Rank secret," Kakashi said, his voice low as they began walking out towards the exit, "just keep calm."
Neji nodded his head.
"About thirty minutes ago," Kakashi said as they walked passed the genjutsu Naruto, "Naruto mysteriously collapsed." Neji widened his eyes before turning his head towards Kakashi who was looking forward, "keep your emotions hidden, Neji. The peace we've built is still fragile, and we have a few foreign Shinobi at this reception. I don't know what happened to Naruto, but if any of them think that he was part of an assassination attempt, then the peace could very well start to shatter. We can't let anyone know…"
"But… the Uchiha and Sakura?"
"Sasuke knows," Kakashi said, "he's being discrete about it, and he doesn't like keeping it away from Sakura. But he knows what's at stake." Kakashi then turned his head towards the laughing Sakura as her father spun her on the dance floor, "and I know Naruto would never want to compromise her happiness…" he then looked back at Neji, "she'll be told about it once the reception is over. In the meantime, head out to the hospital with Shizune. Meet up with Tsunade-sama, and see if there's anything that can be done for Naruto."
Neji nodded his head before and Shizune walked towards the door, and then out into the hallway on the other side. As the door closed, Kakashi slightly stiffened as he stood next to Choji before he sighed and said, "my clone dispelled." Kakashi then turned around to stare at the crowd of people dancing and enjoying themselves, "a demonic war, huh?"
"And Ino was really frightened about this Lilith person," Choji whispered as he and Kakashi pulled back a chair. It was then, just before sitting down, that Choji recalled Tsunade's other order, "Hokage-sama, Tsunade-sama asked that you have the genjutsu for Naruto and herself dispelled. She asked that you then have Konohamaru henge into Naruto so that he could mingle."
Kakashi nodded his head, "ummm ummm" and then walked towards the bar before making a turn to the left on the other side of the crowded dance floor, and disappeared behind the crowd of people. Choji simply waited alongside Shizune, his mind now going back to Naruto while trying to keep a mask of joviality and hiding the fact that he was very worried.
'It's Naruto, he always comes through,' Choji thought as his eyes settled on Sasuke, and then to Sakura, and then to Shikamaru and Temari, before he looked back down at the table, 'he has to come through from whatever this is… he has to come out of it.'
Choji was scanning the area with his eyes, a smile on his face, while Kakashi was whispering in the ear of Konohamaru… asking the grandson of the Sandaime to follow him. In the meantime, Sakura was having the time of her life without any idea of what was going on.
"Are you really happy, Sakura?" her father asked, his pink three-pointed hair standing out among all the other guests in the reception hall. Sakura was just happy her father listened to her one very important request for her wedding and reception; that he doesn't make any puns the whole day and night. To the amazement of Sakura, Mebuki, and even Sasuke who he would frequently 'torture' with bad puns, the man hadn't said one single pun the whole day.
However, the three of them guessed he was simply waiting for the day to be over due the one word he said after agreeing to Sakura's demand.
"Tomorrow." And then he laughed.
But now, all Sakura could do was smile as she answered, "I'm happy, dad." Sakura thought back to the first day she introduced Sasuke to the two of them. Now that was a sight, to see both of her parents fearful of the last Uchiha – after all, everyone had known he defected and then had nearly killed Naruto and Sakura. And here he was, in front of them, by their daughter's side giving the two of them a bow while apologizing for his past actions and assuring them he was working towards the protection of Konoha.
And the rest was history.
Kizashi Haruno held his daughter close while she rested the side of her head against his shoulder. She had her eyes closed for a few seconds before opening them once again, only to see Konohamaru talking to Choji and Kakashi – she closed her eyes once again when Kakashi looked her way; yet she continued dancing with the slow music playing in the background.
'Why was Konohamaru so animated?' Sakura wondered to herself, opening her eyes again to see Kakashi walking away with Choji while Konohamaru walked the other way. Sakura moved her feet in such a way that she and Kizashi were following the direction Konohamaru was moving… she saw him whisper something into Moegi's ear. Sakura eyed Moegi smile at Konohamaru before nodding her head. Sakura didn't know what was said between them, all she could make out was that there were a few words shared between them before Konohamaru walked through a door.
'Maybe he's going to the wash… what the..?' Sakura looked on as Naruto walked through the door and back into the reception hall. Sakura looked back over her shoulder towards the tables where she had last seen Naruto, and now there was no one there.
She then turned back towards Naruto waving at a few people. He then met Sakura's eyes and waved back at her before giving a thumbs-up sign.
'Okay, the washrooms are that way so…' Sakura thought as she waved at Naruto, who was really Konohamaru in a henge, 'maybe Naruto went in when I wasn't looking. Yeah, that's it.' Sakura then looked around, 'where's Tsunade-shishou though. It's not like her to leave without saying goodbye.' Sakura looked around and then noticed that Shizune was absent as well, 'maybe she took Tsunade-sama home?'
Sakura sighed mentally telling herself that Tsunade and Shizune were going to have a long week, so they probably wanted to head back home and go to sleep early. Sakura then looked back at into her fathers' eyes, smiled, and then kissed his cheek. She lay her head on her father's shoulder once again while mentally making a note to dance with Naruto. He was her closest friend and teammate after all. Taking a deep breath, Sakura sighed and closed her eyes.
Konoha Hospital.
Neji and Shizune landed at the rear entrance of the hospital, away from the main lobby. She used her key to open the door before the two of them slipped inside. They then rushed up the stairs to their left and made their way to the floor where Naruto was being kept. All the while, the both of them didn't speak.
Reaching their destination floor, Neji and Shizune rushed down the hallway, their shoes thudding against the floor, the bright overhead lights illuminating their way.
"This is it," Shizune said as she stood at the door with Neji next to her. She reached for the door handle and pushed it down. The door was then pushed open and both Neji and Shizune walked into a brightly lit room, the two of them aware of the 'beep beep' coming from a corner of the room. They continued on past the privacy curtain, and immediately stopped at the sight of Naruto lying unconscious on the hospital bed. Shizune's throat was dry at seeing someone who was like a younger brother to her lying so still on the bed. He had wires connecting to leads attached from his chest to the machine reading his heart beat.
Neji was stunned as he slowly walked towards Naruto, wondering how it was that no one even missed the fact that he wasn't even in the reception hall, 'it was the occasion.' He reminded himself that everyone was focused on Sakura, 'so what happened?'
"Choji-kun said something about his chakra being drained," Shizune said before reminding him that Tsunade wanted Neji to use his Byakugan to check on Naruto's chakra flow. Neji nodded his head as Shizune stepped back, her eyes on Naruto, as the Hyuuga concentrated his chakra to his eyes.
"Byakugan."
The veins around Neji's eyes became more prominent, a clear indication that the young man had activated the Hyuuga doujutsu. And what he saw made him gasp.
"Neji-kun, what do you see?" Shizune asked as the door to Naruto's room opened. Shizune watched the privacy curtain be pulled aside. Tsunade and Ino, both surprised to see Shizune, stepped into the room before turning their attention to Neji, and then back to Shizune.
"Shizune?" Tsunade asked with her eye-brows arched, "what are…"
"I was with the Hokage, Tsunade-sama," Shizune said shaking her head, "it's not Choji-kun's fault and… well, I noticed the Genjutsu of you and Naruto-kun so…" Shizune then turned her head towards Naruto with a saddened expression on her face, "and now we find out that something is wrong with…"
"Not just wrong," Neji said as he walked around the bed, his eyes narrowing at the sight of various colours of chakra flowing through Naruto's Chakra pathways, and out through the chest and the side of his neck, "I'm seeing blue, red chakra… I'm guessing its Naruto's own and the Kyuubi's respective chakras… but… but also eight other different colours…"
"Naruto was given chakra from the other eight tailed beasts for the battle against Madara and Kaguya," Tsunade reminded Neji. The latter nodded his head.
"Well, the chakra of the other eight tailed beasts and a gold coloured chakra…" Neji focused more closely. He saw that the gold was intertwined with the blue coloured chakra, and he immediately paled, "it's Naruto's life force… it… it's being drawn away. All of it…"
"What do you mean it's…"
"Wait," Neji said as he stopped and stood still next to Naruto's head. He started to pant as he stepped back, his mouth hung open as he bumped into Shizune, "I… what is this?" Neij's body was trembling as he saw Naruto's chakra flowing into what could be described as a shapeless mass floating just over Naruto's body. The form had nothing… no life force, no chakra pathways; but Neji could still make out the rippling edges of the shapeless form. Suddenly, the ripples on the surface of the shapeless form stopped, and it began to form into the outline of a body.
Neji was panting hard as he made out the edges of the back of a head, and then a hand pressed down onto Naruto's chest. He could only just make out the beginnings of a back just as the beginning's of nerves started to form.
"Are you all seeing this?"
"Seeing what?" Ino asked as she glanced at Naruto, however she did feel a terrible chill going up and down her spine, "there's nothing there."
"What do you see, Neji?"
"I…" Neji stopped talking when the beginnings of a head was lifted up, and then it made a turn that no ordinary human would be able to do without breaking its neck… the head made a hundred and eighty degree turn to stare back towards Neji. "What… what are you?" Neji stepped back, fear on his face and in his voice as the chakra sucked out by whatever it was on Naruto were focused on its eyes… turning them bright yellow. It opened its lips and Neji could made out the fangs as it silently screamed at him before the head spun back around and leaned back down towards Naruto's neck.
Neji gulped, a sense of fear weighing him down as he stared at the formerly formless shape taking the first few steps towards an unseen humanoid form. He felt a chill… a sense of terror as he tore his eyes away from Naruto and towards Tsunade while deactivating his Byakugan. The latter rushed towards him just as he felt himself listing to the left, but was caught before he fell to the floor.
"Neji!" Tsunade said as she and Shizune helped the Hyuuga to the couch in the corner of the room, "what did you see?"
"AAAAAAAAAA…" a chill went up the spines of everyone in the room before Neji could answer. They turned around upon hearing the groan coming out of Naruto's lips. Tsunade held her breath as the temperature in the room drastically dropped while thinking that tone wasn't from the Naruto she knew. And then his lips moved, and Tsunade felt her heart racing when they heard, "what did you see?"
It wasn't Naruto's voice.
It was deeper. It had a resonance of evil so profound that the small group in the room couldn't help but shiver.
Tsunade shook her head, rolled her hands into fists, and walked towards the bed. She was putting on a façade of bravado to hide the fact that she was getting a feeling of absolute terror. She couldn't explain why; maybe it was because she could se the condensation in the air as she exhaled. Maybe it was because the temperature in the room suddenly dropped even more. No matter what, Tsunade ordered herself not to fear, "I am the Godaime Hokage of Konoha, I demand to know who you are and what you have done with Naruto."
"I am Lilith, Queen of Death and Darkness…" Naruto then groaned in that terrifying voice that sent chill down the spines of the people in the room before speaking again in a crackling voice, "Hokage has no meaning to me… I will have my body once again, and I already have my prince… and then I take back everything that is mine," the deep voice, Lilith's voice, then laughed an evil laugh before it said, "Hokage, Madara, Hashirama, Kaguya," the voice then laughed as Tsunade and the others stared at Naruto in surprise that this Lilith knew those particular names, "you are all children playing at the feet of a god. My children will rise, and we will feed once more on this world."
The feeling of oppression and evil suddenly faded away. The temperature in the room seemed to go back up. But Naruto continued sleeping, this time he breathed normally.
"Naruto?" Tsunade said as she rushed to his bedside and placed a hand on the young man's cheek.
"Naruto," the Godaime repeated as Ino sat on the couch shaking like a leaf, "wake up.. please."
Neji had his eyes closed while he sat back on the couch and tried to push back the fear he had felt.
"Tsunade-sama?" Shizune said in a quivering voice as the evil resonating from the voice that came out of Naruto reverberated throughout the walls, "what… what is happening?"
"I don't know…. I really don't know," Tsunade whispered in disbelief as she stared at the unconscious Naruto.
"He is dying," Neji whispered opening his eyes again. He looked up at Tsunade and whispered, "I doubt this was an attack by a nation that is unhappy in not being included in the United Shinobi Union. I doubt this was done by any terrorist group. I doubt… I doubt…" Neji stopped talking as he recalled the face that seemed to be sucking away Naruto's chakra and life-force.
"Neji?" Ino said her hands on her knees as she watched Naruto asleep, "what is it?"
"Tsunade-sama, I believe the others must know. I am certain this was not act of war, thus the prudent thing to do would be for all nations to come together and find a way to figure out what has happened to Naruto."
"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu," Tsunade whispered before a shadow clone appeared next to her, the clone also looking down towards Naruto with a sad look on her face. The real Tsunade turned towards the clone and said, "go back to the reception. Quietly get to Kakashi. Tell him that things have changed, that this may not be an attack on Naruto. Well, not a traditional attack. Tell him we encountered something that seems to have taken some form of possession over him. We may need the help of the other nations to help him."
"I will accompany your clone back to the reception, Tsunade-sama," Neji said standing up, "and.. and I really need so fresh air. Seeing what I just saw…"
"Go," Tsunade nodded her head towards Neji and then to her Clone. Once the two of them were gone, Tsunade stood over Naruto, with Shizune standing next to her with a worried expression on her face. Tsunade glanced at Shizune before saying, "we need to know the rate at which his chakra is being drained, you know what we need."
"Hai," Shizune bowed before rushing out of the room while Ino, who had – she would later claim – an insane idea enter her mind, stood up from the couch before taking tentative steps forward.
The blonde Yamanaka clan head walked towards the left of Naruto's bed and placed her hand on the railings. She gripped the metal railing tight until her knuckles turned white as she stared at Naruto's face for a second before she looked up at Tsunade.
"Tsunade-sama, why isn't the Kyuubi fighting back?"
"I don't know," replied Tsunade as she shook her head.
"Well, Naruto isn't one to just step back and… well… let something else take over his body," Ino said while feeling a chill going up and down her spine as she thought of the look on Naruto's face from earlier. She glanced at the peaceful expression on his face before looking back towards Tsunade, "what if I sent my mind into his? What if I could somehow find what's going on with the Kyuubi? Maybe I could push the fuzzy-one to help Naruto beat this thing?"
"It's dangerous," Tsunade said as Ino frowned, "we have no idea what's going on in his mind, Ino."
"We wont know unless I get in there," Ino countered, "and if I can't reach the Kyuubi, then I can find Naruto's mental-self and give him a little push. If this really is some sort of weird possession, or… well… whatever this is, then reaching Naruto is the second best way to wake him up. That idiot never gives up, Tsunade-sama. You know it, I know it. Hell, even Sasuke-kun knows it."
Tsunade was looking at the man she considered a son, before she looked at Ino.
"We'll bring it up when Kakashi comes here," Tsunade said, "until then, we need to find out how long it would be before… before whatever this Lilith is, kills Naruto."
TBC.