Chapter 33: Fuuka's Last Stand!
Chapter Summary: Naruto's desperate act to free himself of the specter within.
Words: 1,985
Published: 10/30/23
Training Ground
Naruto tried to form a rasengan in his hand.
That fox, or Fuuka, one of them's gotta leak their chakra at some point. If I just concentrate...
Not even a spark of chakra emitted.
Naruto deeply sighed, intent on finishing his ties to Fuuka once and for all.
Maybe I should start small. Like...
Attempting to charge chakra in his feet, he ran up toward a tree and made an effort to run up its side, only to fall.
Come on...
He ran up the side, and fell again.
He ran up once more, and fell again.
He continued running up the tree and falling, each time praying that he would finally tap into the hidden chakra.
I can do this... Come on!
He tried basic academy jutsu, such as the transformation - even a poor one - and couldn't even muster the chakra for that.
Frustration only continued to build as he continously failed to summon chakra.
After uncounted hours of these attempts, he sat at the base of a tree and collected his thoughts.
Just give it time. It'll happen... I won't accept anything less than total liberation from that bitch!
He heard rustling and footsteps, prompting himself to rise as the panting figure of Shizune appeared.
"Naruto... Please... Come back to the hospital... We need... To keep you in check... For your chakra..."
Naruto argued as he ran off, "Sorry, not now, Shizune! I got business to deal with! Tell everyone to not worry about me! Unless I'm not back by tomorrow!"
Adamant in his decision, he ran until he was sure no one was near to finding him, and resumed his exercises.
.
.
.
Forest Clearing
Before long, he had begun to feel the smallest spark of chakra within his body.
Come on, please work...!
In a final desperate attempt to succeed, he channeled every bit of chakra flowing through his body into his palm.
The swirling sphere of the technique was a muddy, faded color showing only the slightest semblance of his usual bright yellow.
As the sphere grew, it also adopted a greener color, and Naruto immediately knew what was happening.
He smirked as he allowed the sphere to grow to the tips of his fingers, before turning his hand onto his own chest and pushing against it with all his might.
His eyes went white as he felt his chakra colliding with the chakra building up inside his body, knowing what was coming enxt.
In the turbulent split of his body from Fuuka, Naruto experienced a profound disorientation. The transition was anything but seamless; it was like being torn between two worlds. For a fleeting moment, he felt as if he was floating in an endless void.
Gradually, as the brilliant light began to dim, he became aware of his surroundings. Yet, it wasn't the familiar warmth of his own body he felt. Instead, he found himself within a different vessel, sensing every nuance of it. His vision was obscured, as if he were seeing through foreign eyes.
Panic and confusion washed over Naruto as he realized the gravity of the situation. He was inside Fuuka's body, experiencing the world through her senses. He could feel her presence, her consciousness, lurking on the periphery, as if she were a shadow of his former self.
As Naruto became aware of his new surroundings within the adversary's body, an initial shock coursed through him like an electric jolt. It was as if his very essence had been thrust into an alien realm, a realm ruled by an entirely different consciousness.
Flashes ran through his mind as to why this was happening, when he realized that it was a latent effect of Fuuka having swapped their bodies all those years ago, before she had realized her error and absorbed Naruto - in her body - back into his own, inadvertently relinquishing control to him.
He tried to move, to control the body that now housed him, but the limbs initially responded in a foreign, awkward manner. His fingers twitched, and his breath caught in his throat. Naruto's heart raced, and his pulse pounded in his ears.
In a state of bewildered disarray, he raised her hands to her face, feeling her skin, her features, and her hair, all unfamiliar to him. He blinked, unable to shake off the overwhelming sense of disconnection. "What... What's going on?" he murmured in her voice, the words foreign even as they passed his lips.
Naruto's eyes darted around, absorbing his surroundings, his own body just out of reach, now under the control of his enemy. He realized that he had to act quickly, to find a way to regain control and free himself from this bizarre entanglement.
With a deep breath, he patted down his - her - chest and then her abdomen, half-expecting to feel the seal that had caused this exchange. His fingers brushed across the cursed seal, and a glimmer of recognition flashed in his eyes. It was the source of the problem, the root of this chaotic situation. He had to find a way to reverse it, to break free from this unexpected imprisonment, and reclaim his body as the true controller.
His own body, the one he had always known as his own, was now under her control. He could sense her malevolence, her ruthless determination to wield his power for her dark ambitions. The realization hit him like a physical blow - he was in the belly of the beast, trapped within the very person who had nearly stolen his life and identity.
Naruto's heart raced, and a profound unease settled in the pit of his stomach. He had always been resilient, but this was a situation he had never fathomed. Inhabiting the body of his most-hated opponent was surreal and unnerving, like an out-of-body experience turned inside out, just the same as before.
With a deep breath, he understood that he couldn't remain in this state. He had to reclaim his true form, his body, his identity. It was a race against time, a struggle between two wills, and Naruto was determined not to let the darkness consume him. He steeled himself for the final, decisive confrontation, determined to free his body from the invader's clutches.
Naruto's heart pounded as he realized that his body, the one now controlled by the adversary, was moving further away from him. Panic and determination surged within him simultaneously. He couldn't afford to lose himself in the labyrinth of this foreign vessel.
Summoning all his willpower, he pushed his newfound abilities to their limits. With Fuuka's body, he moved as quickly as he could, pursuing his original self. The scene around him was a blur as he chased down the corridor of their shared consciousness, each step bringing him closer to the elusive goal.
Fuuka, sensing Naruto's resistance, fought back with a vengeance. Her malevolent presence sought to maintain its grip on his body, to retain control over the immense power she had taken. The struggle was intense, their spirits clashing in a battle of epic proportions.
Desperation drove Naruto to tap into his knowledge and abilities. Recalling the revelation he had achieved regarding the flying thunder technique and chakra displacement, he dug his feet into the ground.
Drawing on this deep well of knowledge and resolve, Naruto channeled his chakra into his own soul. His hands clenched, and he concentrated on the chakra within his very soul. In an explosive burst of chakra, he seized command of her body - his original body - to wrestle control from her grasp.
Fuuka's screams echoed through the mental realm as she was forcibly cast aside, her hold on Naruto's body broken. With a triumphant roar, Naruto regained full control of his original form, his spirit settling back into the familiar vessel that was truly his.
The confrontation was far from over, but in this pivotal moment, Naruto had shown his indomitable will and resourcefulness. Now, with his body back under his control, he stood ready to face the adversary and the challenges that lay ahead.
As Naruto's consciousness traversed the uncharted territory of the adversary's body and her inner world, a moment of sheer disorientation occurred. It was as if his essence had temporarily taken on a form he couldn't quite comprehend.
His awareness became fragmented, and his perception of self and surroundings altered drastically. In this transient state, Naruto found himself having morphed into a metaphysical entity within his own mind.
He shimmered, the features of his true original body reflecting across his own mind. His vision was distorted, as though he was in a ball of pure light. Naruto could feel his muscles contracting and expanding as he floated, his sensations unlike anything he had ever experienced before.
In this form, Naruto's existence felt both alien and extraordinary. He was caught between the physical and the ethereal, a wandering soul with a guise that defied his understanding.
Yet, this transformation was transient, a necessary step in his quest to reclaim his true self. With steely determination, Naruto pushed through this bizarre metamorphosis, focusing on the ultimate goal of returning to his rightful form and breaking free from the adversary's grip. The surreal visage, a brief and unsettling moment, was but a part of his extraordinary journey to regain control.
As Naruto navigated the strange mental terrain within the adversary's consciousness, the moment for his reintegration approached. He had ventured deep into this alien realm, but he knew he couldn't remain in this unusual state forever.
With resolute determination and a profound sense of urgency, Naruto focused his willpower on the goal of merging his astral essence back into his original body. It was an act of self-reclamation, an assertion of his true identity in the face of an intruder's dominion.
The dream-like form he had temporarily taken on began to shimmer, its pores rippling with an otherworldly energy. It swam closer to the projection of his original body, moving with an innate knowledge of its purpose. The distance between the two entities narrowed, and they started to converge.
Naruto's heart raced as the moment of merging drew nearer. He could feel Fuuka's presence intensifying, her resistance growing fiercer as she realized her hold on him was slipping away.
With a final surge of resolve, Naruto suddenly fused seamlessly with his original body. The transition was accompanied by a blinding light, as if his essence was being stitched back into the fabric of his true self. He was no longer divided, no longer a separate entity. He was whole once more.
The sensation of completeness washed over him, and Naruto let out a triumphant roar, his spirit reasserted within his rightful form. He was himself again, the true controller of his body, ready to face whatever challenges awaited him in this mental battleground.
Fuuka's furious presence was relegated to the periphery, her malevolence unable to extinguish the indomitable spirit of the body she had briefly held captive. Naruto's triumph was not just a victory over her but also a testament to his unyielding determination and strength of character.
Now, Fuuka had been returned to her own spectral body, and almost began to scream as she faded away in crystalline teal chakra.
Naruto collapsed in exhaustion after the sight.
Most people at lucky enough to never even see a specter in their lives, and I've killed two of them in just as many days! At least... Days that I've been awake.
He slowly rose to his feet and began walking back to the heart of the village, to the hospital, all the while coming up with what he would say to smooth things over with everyone he had worried in his haste.
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