A General Disclaimer: I do not own any IPs depicted in all the fanfiction stories that I will post here.
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Apprentice of Ophis (Second edition)
Chapter II: Prologue – Growing up
"Naruto, calm down."
Kurama groaned. Anyone would become stressed seeing the way Naruto was pacing back and forth. And he had been doing that for the past twenty minutes. It was amusing at first, but then it started to get irritating. Few more minutes went by before Kurama finally had enough.
"Naruto! For the love of everything that is holy, fucking sit down and calm your balls. Or I will be sending you packing to your mama, on express delivery. I promise you that, brat."
Now that got Naruto's attention. He turned his head to meet Kurama's gaze, and held it for few seconds. Then he released a deep tired breath and sat down, opposite of Kurama. There was this one charming aspect of the Yasaka's husband which was that he always kept his promise; didn't matter if it was changing the diaper of their daughter or to crush down a Youkai rebellion singlehandedly. The point was, if he uttered and emphasized on the word 'Promise', you better listen to the man.
"Sorry, Kurama. It's just …" Naruto couldn't finish, he just didn't know how to.
"Look, Naruto. You didn't … how do I say it … fuck this up." Kurama tried helping. Keyword: tried. He wasn't all that good at soothing people, it was his wife's job.
"Really," Naruto scowled, "Then please tell me that I have nothing to do with the meeting Yasaka-nee-sama is having with the Devil faction's emissary. Or the little bout you two had few days ago with two Satan."
Kurama pinched the bridge of his nose. Two weeks ago, Naruto stepped on the shaky treaty between Youkai and Devil faction and kicked the whole Devil faction on the head. Figuratively speaking of course. The thing was, the Devil faction fully deserved it. There was no sugar coating their actions and no pointing fingers. Trying to massacre an entire clan just because of the actions of one youkai? Kurama really wanted to know what the Satan were smoking at that time; thinking that those devils' actions were fully acceptable, that there would be no repercussions.
"Naruto, you did what was right."
"But I could have done it better."
Kurama sighed at Naruto's answer. To him, Naruto was taking this too hard. He just wished Yasaka was here to calm down Naruto, she was really good with kids. But his wife was busy trying to mend this disaster. Seeing that he wouldn't be receiving any help from his wife anytime soon, he went for the 'Honest Words' route. Most of the time it got him out of trouble, most of the time.
"Maybe, but ask anyone. Hands down they would say your way was the best. And you know why?" Kurama leaned forward, hand on his knee, "Because those bastards deserved it. And you know it."
"They do," Naruto answered in a heartbeat, but then his shoulders slumped, "But it doesn't change the fact that the Devil Faction is going to start harassing you. And if it gets worse, then …"
Kurama mouthed 'O'. Now he understood why Naruto was beating himself down. But he didn't know that he was worrying for nothing.
"Well, I can't deny that. You did create an opportunity for them but the thing is, you yourself have fixed the problem." Kurama smirked and it only widened seeing the surprise look on Naruto's face. But before he could ask him 'How', Kurama continued, "Do you know that you have a title now? The devils of the underworld are calling you 'White Demon'."
"That," Naruto scratched the back of his head, not knowing where this was going, "is a cool title."
"This 'White Demon' not only massacred around two hundred devils but also took down a Satan; on their own territory. And then there is the fact that the said Satan can't remember what happened." Kurama elaborated with a smug face.
"Guess that dagger worked," Naruto added absentmindedly.
"Is this one of the artifacts your mom gave you?" Kurama raised an eyebrow in amusement.
"Yes, it erases a being's memory. For how long? That depends on that being's strength." Naruto answered.
Kurama shrugged his shoulders, "Glad it worked. But what I am trying to say here is you earned a nasty reputation in the underworld. And Yasaka took advantage of it. She gave subtle hints … maybe not so subtle … to the devils that you may be working with us."
"Shouldn't it give them the perfect reason to retaliate?" Naruto blinked confusedly.
"Retaliation? Brat you really have to touch up your history lessons." Kurama sighed, "The devils have strong leaders I agree but they don't have enough manpower to retaliate. For fucks sake, they just came out from a bloody civil war; do you really think that they are ready for another conflict? Even if they do try to get too touchy with us, other factions are not going to sit and watch, you know."
Naruto didn't answer, just nodded. He was quiet for a few minutes before he finally added, "There is more." But he didn't continue as he was nervously looking around.
Kurama waited patiently, at least it was better than seeing him pacing. And then all of a sudden he dropped the bomb,
"Kuroka said that she loves me."
Silence …
Then it was shattered by Kurama's boisterous laughter. Even though it was completely unrelated, it was still welcoming news. He was this close to fall to his side, but still managed to speak up, "So you are a man already."
"What? No!"
The laughter stopped altogether, and another bout of eerily silence reigned.
"You gay or what?"
Naruto sputtered in embarrassment. Kurama didn't know what else to say. He didn't know the girl personally but he saw enough, she was drop-dead gorgeous and had the hots for Naruto, badly. And according to Yasaka, she was a likable girl. That's all she could tell considering that the Youkai leader had known the nekoshou for only a week; maybe a bit more than that but whatever. The point was …
"Then where is the problem?"
"She can't love me." Naruto said confused, "She had only known me for about two weeks. How can she …"
Naruto stopped because Kurama put up his hand. He was rubbing his forehead with the other.
Naruto was a prodigy only when it came to fighting or anything related to that. Other than that, he was naïve about almost anything just like his foster mother. Hell, even his younger sister was more mature than her brother and mother combined. Maybe he should start teaching him about the wonders of life; because Naruto wouldn't be able to grow if couldn't appreciate what life was giving to him.
"Naruto, we youkai tend to do things differently. I will be honest, it may look strange from a different perspective, but to each their own I suppose. Now I can only guess what is happening here as a fellow Youkai so here is my thought." With that Kurama got Naruto's full attention. He nodded at the lost teen before voicing his wise opinion,
"She loves you."
Naruto nodded dumbly and then waited, waiting for a grand revelation. A full minute went by before Naruto finally got that that was it.
If this wasn't Yasaka's place, Naruto would have grabbed the table and beat the living daylights out of the smirking bastard in front of him.
"This isn't funny," Naruto growled.
"Of course it is." Kurama chuckled, "You saved a girl who thought that she had lost everything, who gave up on hope. So she fell in love with her knight in shining clothes. Plain and simple. This is not rocket science, brat."
Naruto let the words sink in. He knew what Kurama said made somewhat of a sense but still, "So she likes me. I mean her feeling could change, right? I mean what if there is another incident like this and someone else saved her? What if she gets fed up with my …"
"Naruto," Kurama's soft voice stopped Naruto's banter as he looked up, hoping for another wise verdict.
"You are a fucking idiot."
And he got one.
"We are talking about 'Love' here, not a battle simulation. There is no reasoning when it comes to love." Kurama stated with an exasperation voice, "Or do you think that she is not good enough for you?"
"No!" Naruto vehemently replied back, "No. It's the other way around." He stopped to find the right words before continuing, "I mean she is really beautiful and I am somewhat average."
Kurama didn't butt in but he really wanted to know the definition of 'Handsome' in Naruto's dictionary.
"Also I am afraid that I may slack off in training if I go into a relationship."
Kurama had enough, "Here is my advice brat. Take it or leave it, either way, I don't give a two fucking shit. I should be dealing with my own problems rather than sitting here and giving relationship advice to an oblivious idiot. Grow some balls, ask the girl out, and spend some time with her. Who knows, maybe you will find her more than a match for you. And as far as I remember, my relationship made me stronger; much stronger than how I was before I met Yasaka."
Now that got Naruto's attention as he looked at his mentor with expectant eyes who just scowled back.
"I ain't telling you jackshit, go figure it out yourself."
Naruto smiled sheepishly and scratched the back of his head. He wanted to ask more but then a small fox appeared out of nowhere. The creature looked at Kurama who seemed delighted seeing the adorable little fox. When Kurama touched the top of the fox's head, it disappeared, leaving behind a scroll.
Kurama took the sealed scroll and opened it. Whatever was written there seemed to please him. He put down the scroll and looked at Naruto, "Now I can finally discuss the main reason I called you here for."
Naruto looked at Kurama speechless who frowned back, "What? Did you think that I called you here to see you wallowing about your screw-up or bitching about your love life?" Kurama ignored the scandalized look on Naruto's face and continued without care, "I have got a mission for you."
Naruto slumped on his chair. He should have known that Kurama wasn't the type of person you go to when you're feeling down. But Yasaka was busy and so that left Naruto with no choice. Now that Naruto thought about it, he really didn't have anyone other than Yasaka with whom you could have a heart-to-heart talk. Guess he really needed to befriend more mature people.
"Don't look so put down, take your girl with you. Maybe that will help?" Kurama ignored Naruto's protest as he looked at the scroll, "Remember what I told you about uniting all the Youkai clans under one banner?"
That got Naruto's attention. He nodded and replied in a serious tone, "Yes, but last time I checked except for Hokkaido and Tohoku region all others accepted Yasaka-nee-sama's offer."
"Well the old lizard of the Hokkaido Youkai faction is one stubborn bastard," Then Kurama smirked as he pointed at the scroll, "Was a stubborn bastard. Well, I am going to skip a lot of details, details which you won't understand anyway, and go straight to the point. They are having a problem regarding monster infestation, monsters of Greek origin. But recently they found out their hideout and asked for assistance to get rid of them."
"This sounds fishy." Naruto couldn't but voice out his thoughts.
"Of course it is. This is the Ryuu clan we are talking about. The fact that they asked for help means something is very wrong. Even though you are going to be helping them as reinforcement, as they stated, I am not sending you there alone." Kurama's voice didn't leave any room for objections.
"So I am taking Kuroka with me?" Naruto conceded in defeat.
"And him."
Naruto didn't know who Kurama was speaking. But then it hit him seeing the glint in his mentor's eyes. And he instantly knew that their little adventure was going to be anything but pleasant.
"I can handle this alone." Naruto tried to save himself from a supposed disastrous situation.
"Brat, you can't just go around and swing your spear thinking that you can solve all the problems alone." Kurama sighed for the umpteenth time, "You can't learn much if you are doing everything solo while heavily depending on your cheat stick."
Naruto groaned.
"Fine, you win. So what now?"
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xXx
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"I am surprised that the Ryuu clan is asking for help, nya~"
Naruto sighed. It was understandable that any Youkai would find it strange that this reclusive but dominant clan was asking for help. After all, the Ryuu clan had both the Hokkaido and Tohoku regions under their control long before the Edo period. They never had any difficulties governing and certainly didn't have any issues taking care of unwanted problems on their own. They are a feared and respected clan. And they didn't have any shortage of powerful Youkai or clans under them. So when this esteemed clan wanted aid from the Kyoto Youkai faction, anyone would suspect that there was something wrong here.
"Kurama thinks that maybe this is a test of some sort. After all, they are a clan that respects power and wisdom above everything else. But Yasaka-nee-sama thinks that maybe they also got shaken up because of the … you know, recent events. So they want to see if we are trustworthy or not." Naruto answered.
Kuroka nodded before giving her own opinion, "Maybe they are both right, nya~"
"Maybe." Naruto shrugged.
Now Naruto was a very talkative and enthusiastic person. But with Kuroka, it was different; more like it became different after she confessed. After saving the two Nekoshou, Naruto was letting them live in his house. It was a temporary solution. Shirone got along very well with his sister and as for the older Nekoshou, she stuck to him like a loyal dog, or cat in this case. He didn't mind the company … no … rather he welcomed it.
But then came the flirting and teasing.
She used to wear a black long kimono that was modest and hid her voluptuous figure well. But as if something changed she slowly started to shed her clothing piece by piece. Now Naruto was a healthy eighteen-year-old teenager. So when a drop-dead gorgeous curvy girl with sexy clothing started flirting with him, needless to say, it caused him to have quite a lot of pleasant nightmares.
Finally, Naruto reached his limit and one day confronted her. Nothing serious, just that he pointed out that she shouldn't dress and act like that, for her own good of course. Her answer was that she didn't care what other people thought about her because the only thing she cared about was getting the attention of the person she admired the most. With that, she lightly kissed him on the lips, and then,
She dropped the bomb.
Because of that Naruto was overly conscious around Kuroka. And the said person was acting like everything was normal.
Naruto sighed and looked at Kuroka who was going upstairs and froze. His eyes were widened so much as if they were gonna pop out of the sockets.
"Fucking hell she isn't wearing anything down there."
Naruto screamed internally and tried to yell at Kuroka about modesty, keyword: tried. It wasn't like he was enjoying the view, it was just that he wasn't breaking his gaze to make sure that it wasn't an illusion. After all, they weren't in a friendly territory. So he was making sure that they weren't under attack.
By watching what was under Kuroka's kimono like a hawk.
Then he noticed something.
Neither he nor Kuroka were moving.
He slowly … albeit with a lot of willpower … looked up. Kuroka was looking back at him with a sly predatory-like grin. She shook her hip a bit, "Enjoying the view, nya~ Don't worry you are the only one who has this privilege."
With that, she pulled up her Kimono a bit. As a gentleman, Naruto should have closed his eyes with his hands, which he did. But as a healthy teenager, he should have left some space open between his fingers, which he also did. And to his surprise, instead of seeing Kuroka's hidden flower, he saw a purple lacy panty. He dropped his hand and looked at Kuroka who gave him a wink,
"I can't let anyone else have a peek, nya~ After all I belong to Naruto-koi."
With that she had gone up giggling, leaving a stunned and a very turned-on Naruto. It would be hard for Naruto to put this kind of emotion under control if it was any other time. But just the thought of meeting him with a boner gave him enough willpower to control his raging hormones.
Naruto was a prankster in and out. The reason for it was very simple. Sometimes he needed to vent his frustrations. And he blamed it on the unexpected circumstances that sometimes would occur during his missions. He found out that pranking unsuspected people was a great way to do that. That also meant that he appreciated a good prank, even if he was the one on the receiving end.
Now he really wanted to get back to Kuroka but he knew that the Nekoshou could turn the table around easily. She had the ammunition and the skills for it. And the prospect of pranking such a strong and cunning adversary, excited Naruto. It seemed that they had more in common than he initially thought.
He smiled softly to himself at that thought, "Maybe Kurama was right, I should ask her out."
Then suddenly a teleportation circle appeared in front of him. And when the light died down. Two people came into his view.
With a sigh, Naruto stepped toward them, "How are you …"
He couldn't finish as he was stopped by an overly enthusiastic hug.
"Naruto my brother, how are you doing?"
Naruto groaned as he tried to put some air in his lungs, "Nice to see you too Kamina."
Kamina laughed as he released Naruto who smiled back wryly. He looked forward and his smile turned genuine, "How are you, Yoko?"
"You know, so-so." Yoko smiled as she fist-bumped with Naruto.
"I am guessing he," Pointing his thumb at Kamina who was looking around the place curiously, Naruto said with a smirk, "had something to do with your 'so-so' condition?"
Yoko rubbed her forehead, "You have …"
"What the heck! This is a basement! Of an abandoned house!" Kamina's voice interrupted.
"Hotel actually," Naruto corrected absentmindedly, "This is the closest place to our meeting point. And I thought the basement would be a good place to meet up before heading to the meeting point."
"You have a lousy taste Naruto," Kamina said with a straight face but corrected himself seeing the additional member returning, "I take it back, you really have a fine taste."
Kuroka who just returned with two orange sodas, stopped when she noticed the newcomers. Naruto did mention that two more people would be joining and by the way he was talking about them told her that he really cared about these two. But listening about them and seeing them in front were two different things.
For example, Naruto did point out that Kamina was eccentric. But this? His black jeans and grey t-shirt were ok and from what Kuroka could see, he also had tattoos. But a bright red cape and a pointy sun-glass? Even Sirzechs wouldn't wear something so outrageous, and devils called him an eccentric person. What also puzzled Kuroka was that although there was not much air flowing where they were, his cape was moving around animatedly.
Also, he was strong, maybe stronger than her. And it wasn't because of all the confidence he was showing through his normal gestures. She couldn't get an exact reading of Kamina's power through her skills but her instinct was warning her not to go against the overly enthusiastic person in front of her. Naruto did mention that Kamina had a Longinus but which one he didn't say. It wasn't that he didn't trust Kuroka, it was just that it wasn't his place to tell.
Without knowing Naruto earned a lot of affection points when he said that.
Then there was the girl Yoko. And Naruto thought she was wearing provocative clothes. At least she was wearing something. The only thing Yoko was wearing hot pants and a bikini top. She did have a short jacket but the way she wore it, it didn't cover much.
Amongst them, she was the weakest as far as Kuroka was sensing. But Naruto warned her. Yoko was sharp and very knowledgeable about all the supernatural worlds. She would fight with wits and wouldn't mind playing it dirty. Of course only if the situation would call for it. Otherwise, she was a very jolly girl and a really good friend to hang out with.
Kuroka had to agree because just from the eye contact she could see them getting along just fine.
Naruto saw Kuroka evaluating his friends for a brief moment before coming down with the soda. He didn't notice it outright but when he did, it surprised him. Kuroka's kimono which would show her upper thigh was now covering her legs all the way past her knee. The upper part of her kimono still was dangerously low but now there was a purple undergarment covering a larger part of her chest, which was definitely not there when she left.
For some reason seeing that Kuroka was true to her words, it made Naruto feel pleased but he had no idea why he felt that.
Before Kamina could speak up, Naruto butted in. Because from experience Naruto learned that you shouldn't let Kamina do the speaking, at least not the important ones.
"Kuroka, this is Kamina and Yoko. My Best friends for like forever. And guys, this is Kuroka, my …" Naruto hesitated for a moment before sighing, "a special friend."
Yoko smiled and went to Kuroka but before Naruto could hear anything Kamina pulled him back and gave him a one-armed hug. He whispered with nothing but glee in his tone, "So you spanked that ass already?"
Naruto groaned. Was it really that weird that he didn't bed the smoking hot girl behind them? With a sigh, he protested tiredly, "It's not what you think."
He couldn't finish as Kamina moved away from him and gave a complete look over as if he just found something very strange. Suddenly he released a deep breath and spoke, with a pained voice, "Well I will not think of you any less if you are the type that likes to be at the receiving end of a spanking." He then turned his gaze away as if looking at Naruto hurt him, "But I taught you better."
Naruto blinked. His mind finally caught up to what he heard. He gritted his teeth as he replied angrily, "What I meant, you dipshit, is that I didn't sleep with her yet."
Kamina looked at Naruto and mouthed 'O' before frowning.
"You gay or what?"
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xXx
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Naruto and his gang were surprised to see all the youkai standing in front of them; when they came out from the teleportation circle. It wasn't the amount of youkai or the undeniable power they possessed that shocked them but who they were. And the reason they knew about the Youkai's identities was that Kurama gave them a book containing all the information that they needed to know and explicitly ordered them, especially Naruto and Kamina, to read and memorize that information.
That was one of the reasons why they had to make a stop before coming here.
"Lord Kakeru." Naruto greeted as he stepped forward, indicating his position in the group.
Kakeru was the current head of the Ryuu clan and his father Yamato was the leader of the Hokkaido Youkai faction. And the fact that the Ryuu clan head was here meant that Kurama's intuition was spot on. But it also meant that things just got complicated, very complicated.
"It seems that Lady Yasaka didn't take my request seriously," Kakeru spoke after he took a quick glance at Naruto's team, "For her to send children to aid us."
Immediately Naruto and his friends turned to the particular member of their allies group.
The one they all looked at was sticking out for two reasons. One, he was young; looked around thirteenth to fourteenth years old. And second was his very distinguishable turquoise eyes and short, spiked, white hair; which was similar to that of Kakeru. It wasn't that hard to make the connection.
Kakeru coughed into his hands to get their attention, "He is my son Toshiro. He may be young but he is a true Ryuu."
Naruto tried to reply, but he wasn't fast enough.
"Say what lizard head?"
Kamina brushed past Naruto and stormed to Kakeru. He stopped right in front of the clan head, who put his hand up to calm down the now defensive and agitated Youkai all around him.
"If you don't consider your own pipsqueak as a child then don't label us as children without seeing what we can do." Kamina snorted as he clenched his fists, "I guess not everyone has the capability to judge properly by a mere glance like Yasaka-nee and Kurama-sensei."
"Who the hell do you think you are?" Toshiro frowned as he stepped forward, "Talking to Lord Kakeru like that?"
Kamina grinned, the magic words have been spoken. It was his time to shine. He slapped his chest. But before he could point his index finger to the sky and begin his introduction, he was stopped as Yoko pulled his cape and got him in a headlock. Yoko fall back holding Kamina, who wasn't protesting much considering where his head was, and Naruto stepped forward.
"Do forgive my friend for his harsh words, but he spoke the truth." It wasn't an apology but a fact. With a sigh Naruto waved his arm gesturing to his friends behind his back, "Yoko here is an expert in archaeology and has a profound knowledge regarding various mythical beings. Kuroka here is a specialist in tracking and is a really good sensor. Kamina and I are the hard hitters of the group. We may not be the best but we are quite good at what we do. And if you are worried that we are greenhorns then rest assured, we have been doing this kind of job for quite a while."
Kakeru didn't respond but didn't refute either. He just simply stared at the group in front of him. He finally broke the ice, "I guess I can't blame Lady Yasaka or Lord Kurama for not making an appearance seeing what the Kyoto faction is going through. But regarding your claims, I will let your actions do the judgment."
Naruto nodded in agreement, "That is all we ask."
"Before we start our mission I must ask, how much do you know?" Kakeru asked.
Naruto paused to gather his thoughts before answering, "Everything that you have told Lord Kurama. That Hokkaido Youkai faction is being attacked by creatures of Greek origin, for no reason apparently. And that these attacks are becoming more severe as the time passes by."
"And what are his honest opinions?"
Although Naruto was reluctant to answer he had little choice. He could tell that Kakeru wasn't someone who would buy any kind of bullshit he could think of, this was a clan leader of the famous Ryuu clan after all. Besides, Naruto wasn't really an expert when it came to subtlety and deceiving. With a sigh he replied, hoping this honesty wouldn't backfire, "He thinks you are watering down the real situation. Because, in no freaking way that the Hokkaido faction would ask for help, especially regarding battles occurring in their own land. Unless of course, they knew for certain that this was an enemy they couldn't beat or the victory would come with a great price. And also he thinks that these attacks are not random as you pointed out in the message. Lastly, he believes that this may be some sort of test on your part to determine if it is worth the shot to unite the whole Youkai kingdom."
Kakeru didn't say anything, which was really unnerving for Naruto and his group. After a bout of silence, he finally spoke up, "Unfortunately he is right in every aspect."
His shoulders slumped and finally, his emotionless mask broke, and in just a second he looked much older than before. He looked at Naruto with tired eyes and smiled dryly, "Lord Kurama's assumption regarding the test; let us talk about it after we are done here. I want to focus on the pressing matter for now." Naruto shook his head in agreement at that but said nothing. Kakeru continued seeing that, "These creatures targeted shrines where powerful artifacts are kept. They were able to plunder a few shrines on their first attacks but were unable to do so later on as we tightened the security. But there were causalities, and unfortunately, the number is increasing as the attacks are getting more vicious."
"So you sent scouts and found their hideout. Now you want to strike them back. And you want our help for reassurance." Naruto added, and then he frowned as he continued, "So what did you find exactly that made you seek aid from Lady Yasaka?"
Naruto expected another bout of silence but Kakeru answered immediately, though with a tired tone, "These Greek creatures are residing in an island not far from here, an island that came out of nowhere. If it was just the creatures then we wouldn't be worrying so much. But we fear that there is something else lurking on that island."
"Ultimate class monsters?"
The question from Naruto caught the clan head off guard. He gave a tired but genuine smile, "I guess I owe an apology to Lady Yasaka and to your group as well."
"Apology accepted." It was Kamina who said that, although his voice was serious but his shit-eating grin ruined it as he looked quite comfortable having his head coddled by his lover's breast. Yoko knew it but she also knew that it was the best way to keep Kamina passive. So she did nothing other than blushing and avoiding everyone's gaze but keeping her hold on Kamina.
"I can see that this will be an interesting experience working alongside all of you."
Naruto couldn't say anything back other than to laugh dryly at Kakeru's comment.
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xXx
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They were flying over the Pacific Ocean.
All the youkai from the Hokkaido faction were inside a flying horse carriage, whereas Naruto and his friends were flying solo. Few of the Hokkaido youkai had a sour face. The reason for it was that the horse carriage carrying them looked grand and would stand out no matter what with their four majestic spiritual horses. But this time they had Kamina as a competitor, who was standing straight on top of a blazing cloud with his cape flowing behind him wildly.
Kuroka was giggling while Yoko was blushing. As for Naruto; he was wondering if he could find the cape and the cloud in orange.
After ten more minutes, the island finally came into their view. The island wasn't too big but what was standing out was the lone tall mountain in the middle of it that was almost reaching the sky. They could sense that there was something on top of that peculiar mountain but were unable to determine what it was. The reason was at the same moment they felt the ocean and the sky shaking because of the roars of the beasts inhabiting the island.
"Sounds like there are hundreds if not thousands down there." Kuroka pointed out.
Naruto and Kamina shared a meaningful glance before Kamina started to descend slowly whereas Naruto went and stopped beside the carriage.
"Lord Kakeru, we will draw the attention of the creatures if that is alright with you?" suggested Naruto with a straight face.
"But there are hundreds of them!" The surprise and disbelief were clear in Toshiro's voice and Naruto could see that a lot of the youkai had the same expression.
Naruto shrugged nonchalantly, "As I have pointed out before, we have been doing this kind of job for quite a while."
He didn't need to see to tell that most of the youkai had their mouth open, only for a brief moment though. But Kakeru spoke up calmly, "I will leave it to your care then. We will take a higher route and go straight to the top of the mountain. Hopefully, we will not encounter any problems on our way." He paused for a moment to look at Naruto critically before continuing, "Will you be able to join us at the top?"
This time Naruto hesitated, for a good reason too, "I am not sure if that is possible, I mean there are lots of them so I don't think we can clear up fast enough." They could but for that, both Kamina and Naruto have to go all out, and that was something Kurama told them to avoid at all costs unless it was absolutely necessary.
Kakeru smiled as if Naruto just passed some sort of test. Naruto noticed it but didn't comment on it. He just wished them all the best before joining the rest of his team.
"So we are bringing the big gun?"
Naruto just sighed, "Medium-size gun Kamina and after we land. For now, just attract their attention."
Naruto watched helplessly as Kamina just laughed and caught up with Yoko. Naruto liked to work with Kamina, really he did. There were times when they would head butt or try to outdo each other. Those moments were something both of them enjoyed rather than getting angry over them. But the problem was elsewhere. It was the leadership. Kamina was a hotheaded striker but that didn't mean he was bad at leading people. No, he was almost as good as Naruto. But neither of them wanted the position while working together as it tended to put them in uncomfortable situations. So Kurama came up with a solution and some rules. Before every mission, they would choose who gets to be the leader through a game of rock-paper-scissor.
The thing was that the loser would have to take the leadership mantle. And whoever became the leader would have to act like one, no matter how irritating it could be.
His mind came back to the present as he saw Kamina and Yoko lit up the sky with fire spells before diving down and reaching the beach in seconds. But Kuroka was waiting by his side. Flashing her a genuine smile he pointed at the beach before heading there with Kuroka.
Kamina didn't wait for Naruto to descend. The moment his feet touched the ground, he took out his hidden Katana and was immediately surrounded by intense purple flame. He then pointed the Katana at the hordes of creatures coming at him and shouted, "Come and taste the flames of the 'Incinerate Anthem' if you dare!"
Kuroka stopped for a second and looked at Naruto with wide eyes, who just smirked in reply. Yes, Kamina had the 'Incinerate Anthem'. This Longinus was considered one of the Three Holy Relics. It was an ability type Longinus which could generate large amounts of powerful purple holy flames that could incinerate any beings with dark origin with ease. The katana Kamina wielded didn't come with the Longinus; it was just a side artifact that helped him to control the flame better.
Kamina didn't wait to see the response of the creatures as he swung his katana generating a large amount of purple flames which rushed at the herd; incinerating any unlucky beasts that came in touch with the flames. Kamina was using the flames recklessly but not randomly. His first attack thinned out the herds coming at them and gave some breathing room for Yoko to take out her gun and position herself. While Kamina wasn't good at taking down enemies with pinpoint accuracy, Yoko had it covered.
"They are good~" The surprise and respect in Kuroka's voice were quite evident.
Naruto replied cheekily, "I am sure we can do better."
"But we need lots of practice, nya~" The invitation was not lost to Naruto but he didn't back away this time. After all, the shots were fired and it was high time he returned the fire.
"I don't think you have enough stamina to match me in training Kuroka." The corner of Naruto's mouth rose as he looked forward, "But we can always debate about it after this is over."
And once again Kuroka took Naruto off guard because he was expecting some kind of saucy comment or innocent flirting. But what he got was a genuine happy smile from the Nekoshou before she entered the battle.
Naruto paused just for a second, "What do you know? Guess I am not the only unpredictable one." With a wide smile, he joined Kuroka soon after.
"Kuroka!" When the girl looked back, Naruto pointed in a specific direction, "We are taking the sky." Kuroka nodded before heading in the said direction. Naruto whistled and caught Yoko's attention. He signaled with his hand about the plan before joining Kuroka. Yoko got the meaning, after all this wasn't the first time, and relayed the message to Kamina.
When Naruto caught up with Kuroka, he was surprised to see that she already created a deadly poisonous mist and spread it around like a barrier. But there were too many and the mist barrier couldn't hold for long.
Naruto really wished to use 'Heaven's Law', one of his strongest attacks. But that attack relied purely on his one emotion and thought, pure anger and the will to deliver judgment to the evil. There was no other way to use the spell unless he met the specific requirements.
Naruto shrugged, "Guess have to do this the old way." Then he pointed his arm at the beasts coming at him, "Light release: Chain Lightning."
A white lightning was released from Naruto's palm and struck a few monsters but they didn't spread around like Naruto thought. It was either because of their thick skins or the skill didn't have enough juice. The unsuccessful attack made Naruto frown; he gathered more power and concentrated.
"Light release: Divine Storm."
This time the lighting was thicker and packed more power. Also, it spread without even touching the beasts. Within seconds the whole area surrounding them was crackling with holy lightning, killing all the beasts inside the zone.
"Why aren't you bringing out your holy spear nya~" The innuendo wasn't lost to Naruto but he simply replied by pointing his index finger to the sky. Kuroka mouthed 'O' as she understood that Naruto didn't want their allies to learn about the True Longinus. In times like these, Naruto wished he had a Longinus that he could use freely without thinking about the backlash.
When the lightning storm died down Naruto couldn't help but release a frustrated sigh to see the enemies still coming. He made a unique hand sign with his right hand, his index and middle finger were extended while the other fingers were curled into his palm, and started concentrating harder.
"Light release: Light of the Martyr."
"Light release: Shield of the Righteous."
The first magic created nine half-meter simple-looking white crosses. They immediately started shooting energy blasts out of their own discretion. The second spell created nine two-meter-long shields made of pure light which started circling around Naruto and Kuroka. But Naruto didn't stop there,
"Light release: Protection of the Grand Crusader."
The moment he finished casting the spell, a transparent knight wearing golden armor which was around three meters tall appeared behind Naruto and stood to its full height; and then it immediately threw its sword to the sky. The sword, after passing a certain distance, shattered into a hundred pieces and all of the pieces were transformed into smaller swords made of golden light as they descended upon the mindless beasts. And not a single one missed its mark.
Finally, Naruto could see that the number decreasing. He took a deep breath and smiled reassuringly at Kuroka who looked worried. These were strong spells but not enough to faze Naruto. Still, he needed to take a moment to catch his breath.
He looked down and shouted, "Yo bastard, try some heavy attacks or we will be staying here the whole night."
"What the hell do you think I am doing knucklehead?" Was the reply he got from Kamina.
Naruto looked around; at least now they could take it easy.
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Fifteen Minutes Later
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"No more left, nya~" Kuroka said as she dropped her magic circle, through which she was scanning to locate any more hidden areas where more beasts could be hiding.
"Finally!" Kamina released a deep breath. There was a reason for both Kamina and Naruto to feel frustrated. In this world and age if you would show that you possessed too much power then you would undoubtedly be marked as a dangerous individual. And these kinds of marks would have a negative effect while negotiating. So that was why they were being overly cautious.
"Fucking hell, if both of us went all out from the beginning it would have taken two minutes to clear out this junk, not twenty minutes," Kamina growled. Also, the reason he was extra irritated was because Yoko received mild injuries. The beasts weren't powerful but it was their overwhelming number that was the problem.
"Think this as a form of training Kamina," Yoko said as she drank a replenishing potion. Kamina just gave her a deadpan look before moving closer to Naruto.
"No, just wait five more minutes then we will go," Naruto answered before Kamina could even throw the question.
But it seemed that they didn't need to wait because there was a huge power surge coming from the top of the mountain and with that as if a barrier was broken, a large temple appeared.
Naruto and his friends were stunned for a second but when the next power surge came, stronger than the first one, they knew something was very wrong. They took off immediately and reached the top in a minute.
The temple looked very old but they didn't have time to fully examine the structures as they noticed two things immediately. One, none of the Hokkaido youkai were there and two, there was a gateway portal in the middle of the temple. Before they could jump inside the portal, they were forced to brace themselves as another power surge erupted, and it came from inside the portal.
They looked at each other before jumping into the portal, with caution.
The first thing that came to their attention after they went to the other side of the portal wasn't the ancient Greek city; it was the hundred-foot-tall giant monster. The upper part of its body was humane, somewhat, with quite a lot of wings covering its body. But the lower half of it was serpent-like.
The monster immediately turned to them but was attacked by an ice and water serpent-like dragon. The attacks were strong but the monster just got irritated. Following the path of the attacks, Naruto and his friends finally saw their allies, or what was left of them.
Out of eleven youkai, only four were standing and the rest were inside a huge bubble, They were a bit far to confirm the condition of those youkai inside the bubbles but there was one more thing that caught Naruto's attention.
"That is Typhon." Yoko's voice grabbed Naruto's attention but he didn't turn from what he was looking at. "You can call him the big daddy of mythological Greek monsters. I can't say for sure about his power level but according to the myths his powers can match that of a Titan or a Greek God."
"He is high-level ultimate class nya~" Kuroka helped as she focused her power to measure the strength of the monster in front of them.
And then both of the girls blinked as they saw Kamina walking toward it, slowly but excitedly. He turned to Naruto and grinned, "Unless it is absolutely necessary."
"Wait, we can …" Yoko couldn't finish as Naruto interrupted her.
"We can't take any risks. The danger level of the mission just went a few levels higher. Get the youkai out of here." Then Naruto nodded at Kamina in acknowledgment, "Take it easy before we can clear the area."
Kamina just smiled and continued walking forward.
He stopped and put his right foot on a rock and pointed his katana at Typhon in a dramatic fashion, "Oi oi oi~ Where the hell do you think you are looking? Your battle is with me! The Great Kamina; whose sword will pierce the heaven and reach the stars and beyond! Remember that!"
Typhon looked at Kamina, he was forced to because of the flames Kamina was generating. But he didn't mind much, after all to him he was just a puny human. He raised his arm but before he could bring it down.
"Balance Breaker: Super Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann!"
Immediately flames poured out endlessly as if a dam had been broken. Quickly the flames took the form of a transcendent God-like being that was as big as Typhon. The form resembled an immeasurable mass of condensed holy purple flames in the form of a faceless Kamina, complete with a crimson cape and his unique red glasses.
Typhon looked at the form dumbfounded which cost him as Kamina, in his transcendent form, gave an uppercut followed by a straight punch.
Meanwhile, Naruto and the rest went to see the damage done to their allies. Seeing that Kakeru and Toshiro still standing and not having any deep injuries made Naruto relax. Then he looked at the thing in front of Toshiro, standing there in a protective manner. It was a two-meter-tall woman purely made of ice; the clothing and her stance reminded Naruto of a Yamato Nadeshiko.
"Guess we are not the only ones who were hiding it." Naruto's tone didn't hold one ounce of accusation but it still made Toshiro flinch. Because the 'it' Naruto was referring to was 'Longinus'.
"Yes, my son possesses 'Absolute Demise' but …" Kakeru couldn't finish as Yoko interrupted, with a hint of worry, not for the youkai but for Kamina.
"We need to get the injured out of here, and if possible better to take them out of this place." She suggested while pointing at the portal.
Kakeru nodded in acknowledgment, "Three of my people are critically injured but as long as they are inside my bubbles their lives are not in danger. But for the other four, they will be in fighting shape quite soon." Before he could be bombarded with arguments, he pointed in one specific direction, "There is another portal hidden there, one that this beast is protecting. If possible I would like to see what exactly he is protecting."
Naruto looked at Kuroka who shook her head positively, indicating that she was able to sense some kind of doorway in that direction. Naruto had a strong urge to rub his forehead as he understood that the mission just become that much harder.
"Fine but for now take everyone closer to the portal we came from, and if possible send back those that are in critical condition." Then he looked at Yoko and pointed at Kamina with his head, "Tell the big guy that we are clearing the area and the location of the other portal. It will be good if he can avoid it but I don't want him risking his life for it."
Yoko smiled softly as she touched the earpiece she had on her right ear and relayed the message. Kuroka already took the other two standing at the end and Kakeru carefully started to move the bubbles, "Toshiro, let's go."
Toshiro didn't hear his father's voice. For a moment he forgot everything around him and was completely captivated by the fight in front of him. Well, to be more accurate it wasn't the fight between two titans, no; it was the power demonstrated by one side that actually mesmerized him. The power of a Longinus.
Yes, he also possessed the Longinus 'Absolute Demise' because he was a half-breed. His father fell in love with his human mother but couldn't marry her because of their old tradition. Marrying a human wasn't looked down upon but it was believed that mating with a human wouldn't produce a strong offspring. And being the next clan head of the Ryuu clan, his father had little choice. But these rules and traditions didn't matter when they found out that he possessed a Longinus. Of course, Toshiro was quite adamant in pointing out that he was willing to go against the whole Ryuu clan for his mother.
Somehow that fact made his grandfather very happy because to him it meant that his grandson was a 'True Ryuu'.
After he entered the clan, everyone tried to help him master his Longinus, directly or indirectly. He understood why as he learned more about the origin and the capabilities of a Longinus.
Toshiro was considered a prodigy. He really stood out because of his intellect and natural talent. Even at the tender age of fourteenth, he was considered one of the strongest youkai in the Ryuu clan. But it wasn't enough. It wasn't the power but the lack of knowledge that bothered him. He wanted to see the outside world and learn more about other Longinus wielders, or at least he wanted to see other powerful opponents and how they fight.
So when his father mentioned about that joint raid, he jumped at the chance. Needless to say, he was very disappointed when he saw his allies. They were just a bunch of teenagers. But somehow his instincts told him otherwise but he was too frustrated to heed them.
And then they went and took on the main army by themselves. The monsters weren't that strong but they made it up with their sheer numbers. He wasn't so sure that his group would have been able to handle so many. He desperately wanted to stay and see their fight. He couldn't so he took the frustration out on the guards in front of the temple. They were strong, not like the cannon fodder that their allies were taking on; but not strong enough to stop their advance.
But everything went downhill as they entered the portal. They knew what the monster was but unfortunately, they weren't fast enough to come up with any plans. His father immediately signaled everyone to retreat when one of their friends was badly injured. But suddenly the monster started to get aggressive and quite soon most of their men fell.
And then they came.
Toshiro wasn't sure what could they do, but the man who he thought was nothing but talks went to fight the monster on one. It wasn't that he had Longinus that made him powerful, but how he was using it. Even now Toshiro knew that he was nowhere close to unlocking the 'Balance Breaker' but the person in front of him was using it with ease.
"Toshiro!"
He was surprised by his father's concerned voice. He nodded back reassuringly before following him to safety, but not before looking back one last time with slight envy.
Kamina smirked when Yoko told him that they cleared the area.
"About god damn time!"
His avatar was constricted by Typhon's lower half but it was also hurting him. After all the skin of his avatar was made by strong holy fire, good for both offense and defense. His hands were occupied holding back his opponent. But that wouldn't stop him.
"Who the hell do you think I am tackling!"
Needless to say, Typhon didn't see this coming. As his upper body fell back, Kamina did a follow-up to free himself.
"Get your stinking tail off of him chop!"
And with that he was free. But he didn't stop there. Because Kamina could see that the monster in front of him understood that attacking his blazing body wouldn't do him any good. So it had one option, and it was to hit him with pillars or giant structures lying around. And just as he guessed Typhon lunged to pick up an old building.
Unfortunately for Typhon Kamina was preparing his finishing move from the start.
"Take this you oversized half-lizard," Kamina shouted as he focused a lot of energy on one arm and constructed his signature weapon, "Giga Drill Break!"
No one could ever expect something like this. The giant drill tore through the building thrown at Kamina and headed toward the frightened Typhon. If it had hit, it would have been a one-shot kill but unfortunately Typhon at the last moment hit the ground with his tail. The force was so much that the whole area cracked open and Kamina lose his balance. But still, the drill tore off the left arm of the beast.
Roaring at Kamina the beast surprisingly shrank to a human's level and went inside the other portal Kakeru pointed.
Kamina just blinked, because he was unable to understand what just happened.
"Stop gawking and come down here!" Yoko shouted through the communication.
"He just put the 'fleeing with tail between his legs' to a literal meaning." Kamina snorted as his avatar also shrank to a human's size. But anyone could see that he didn't get out from his Balance Breaker mode as his whole body looked kind of ethereal.
Kamina soon caught up with Naruto who was standing in front of the portal.
"Something's wrong?" He asked in an unusually serious tone.
"I don't like this." Naruto sighed as he looked back to see Kakeru with a few other youkai coming, "Just be on guard." Kamina nodded back.
Kakeru stopped in front of Naruto, there were six of them now. "I sent the rest back and they would be coming back soon with reinforcement. Do you want to wait?"
"What do you suggest?" asked Naruto.
"The beast Typhon is weakened, it is better we strike now before he regains his power." Naruto nodded at Kakeru's suggestion and motioned to his friends.
With that, all ten of them went inside the second portal.
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On the Other Side
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The new place was unnerving. Anywhere they looked, they saw nothing other than wasteland. There were ruins of temples and other buildings here and there but was hard to identify their origin. The most disturbing thing was the crimson-colored clear sky.
They looked around cautiously, and after some time they finally found Typhon. But he was dead and from the looks of it not from the injuries received from Kamina. That alerted everyone as they got defensive.
"I really didn't think that I would be facing such opposition from this backwater place." The voice came directly from above them, catching everyone's attention.
He looked like any normal human, wearing black formal clothing. He looked attractive with his slick style blond hair but no one was fooled. He held unimaginable power, his glowing yellow eyes looking down at them with mockery were saying such.
Naruto immediately brought out his True Longinus and Kamina created a drill and lunged at him. They didn't know his true identity but it didn't matter. The only thing they knew was that he wasn't someone you should go against with handicaps, and that's all Naruto and Kamina needed to know.
Kamina hit nothing but air whereas Naruto on the last second was able to block the kick from the person. Nothing could break or bend True Longinus but it wasn't true for the mortal hands holding the weapon. Naruto felt his bones cracking under the pressure and he was sure few were broken. He didn't have enough strength to block the second kick.
As the person or thing sent Naruto flying Kuroka created a poison mist and followed him. The man just waved his arm the mist disappeared only to be greeted with another blazing drill, one that was too large to dodge.
His whole right arm was shrouded by yellow flame as the flames formed a large shield which he used to block the drill. The shield was cracking under pressure but he kept sending more power to regenerate it just as fast. One had to give, and in the end, it was the earth beneath the shield bearer. He didn't lose his balance too much but enough to give Kamina the edge he needed. With a mighty roar, he pushed but was surprised when a loud power surge came beneath him.
The drill made of purple fire was suddenly covered by yellow flame. Kamina did his best to shake off the invading fire and he succeeded but because his focus was diverted, his initial target moved away scot-free.
The moment Naruto saw the man coming out of Kamina's attack he went to activate his Balance Breaker. But unfortunately, that was the downfall of their whole team.
There was one glaring problem with all of the Longinus. Before the wielder would unleash the Balance Breaker it would release a power surge, indicating that the Longinus was going to the second stage. It wasn't hard to conceal it but also wasn't hard for the opponent to notice if they were looking at the right thing.
Naruto wasn't even able to start saying the name of his Balance Breaker before the man looked at him critically, all signs of mockery and pleasantry vanished. He immediately shot beam-like fire which was very fast but Naruto still dodged it barely. Then Naruto noticed something, he didn't dodge the beam because there wasn't one of them.
He looked at True Longinus staying where it was with the arm still holding it, while he himself was ten meters away from it. The pain of losing his arm finally caught up and he immediately went to cast a shield but the man was faster.
There was no way Naruto could dodge it, yet he did. Because someone moved him out of the way.
Naruto looked blankly at Kuroka who was smiling at him, as the life from her eyes slowly started to fade. He didn't need to see to know that Kuroka got hit by those death beams and that there was no saving her.
His voice was strained and the word came out slowly, "Why?"
She only answered by giving him a pure smile, her last smile.
Naruto looked at the man responsible to see he already took down all the youkai in seconds, all the while dodging their attacks and Kamina's. Kakeru and Toshiro tried to hold on but eventually, they fell. Then his attention turned to Yoko who was trying to come to Naruto sneakily.
Kamina immediately went to Yoko and stood in front of her but he still couldn't stop the tragedy as the death beams went through Kamina and hit Yoko who immediately died. Kamina didn't look back, he couldn't.
With a bloodthirsty roar, he released all his power and lunged at the murderer in his giant titanic form.
Naruto looked away but his eyes fell on True Longinus, there was still hope. He adjusted Kuroka so she was comfortable before calling his weapon. It came to him. But he couldn't utter the words. The first time those words saved him but the second time they condemned his important people.
Would he take the risk again?
"Sorry for the rough greetings." The man spoke as he threw Kamina to one side. Kamina was injured badly and his flames died down, turning off his Balance Breaker, "But I couldn't take any chances seeing that I was up against three Longinus, and definitely not with the fabled first Longinus."
His burnt clothes mended themselves as he landed gracefully, though his eyes never left Naruto. And he could tell that whatever chances he had was now long gone. He would be dead long before he could even utter a single word.
"My name is Kronos," He started dramatically, "Yes the same Kronos who was imprisoned by his bastard children. But you should know that nothing can be imprisoned forever." He looked at the place where they found the dead body of Typhon, "He helped me to regain my strength by collecting artifacts from all around the world. And he had been doing it for two hundred years. Alas, I had to end such a useful pawn. But that is how life is, isn't it?"
Then he looked at Naruto, his mocking gaze back, "I regained my full strength but I still can't get out of this prison. I have weakened it but unfortunately, I will need a few more decades before I can fully get out of here."
"Blame your bad luck for stepping into my domain." With that Kronos pointed his finger upward. A yellow fireball appeared and it started growing fast until it was as big as a quarter of a football stadium.
Then there was nothing.
The ground disappeared, the sky disappeared, the ruins disappeared; even the menacing spell at the tip of Kronos's finger also disappeared. And they were replaced by faraway stars and unnatural darkness.
Naruto's lip shook as he couldn't help himself. He felt relieved. Everything was going to be alright; because she was here. And he was saved once again.
As for Kronos, he felt fear crawling through his very being. He wanted to jump away when he noticed her presence but was shocked to find out that he couldn't move. He couldn't call upon his fire nor could he use any other spells. He was immobilized. He looked as she appeared out of nowhere.
She may have had a mature body and been wearing Victorian-style clothes fitting her figure, but her posture didn't show any maturity or grace. But she held power, endless raw power. And she was angry. Each step shook the whole dimension. But she didn't look at Kronos, she went straight to Naruto.
She stopped before his surrogate son who couldn't meet her gaze as he looked down. She also knew that she should say something but didn't know what. Still, she tried, "It's okay to rely on me from time to time."
And with that, she waved her hands. Beneath all the dead bodies, her signature magical circle appeared. One also appeared under Naruto. He couldn't help it. A lone tear escaped as he felt the life returning to the girl he was holding.
"Ophis this has nothing to do with you. Release me."
Kronos begged. He was strong but not dumb. He could never take on the Infinite Dragon God, she would crush him.
He had to trend here carefully, otherwise, his carefully laid out plan would be in ruin. Seemed like he had hurt some of her pawns, but it shouldn't matter. He could sweet-talk his way out of this, after all, he was a lot more worthy than a few measly humans and youkai.
Then she looked at him, and all his thoughts died.
Her eyes were hollow, no not hollow, but like a void; an endless space. The stare scared Kronos, and then he knew; he was going to die.
"Ophis! Release me and I am willing to serve you! I will even have the Titans follow you! Tell me what you need! JUST LET ME GO!" He became frantic at the end. He struggled in vain. Suddenly he stopped. His instincts told him that something was wrong. Slowly he looked up to see a snake staring down at him. It opened its mouth the moment their eyes met.
He looked back at Ophis, frightened, knowing what was coming.
"You are going to help me, but not the way you think."
That's all she said before the snake dived down and in one strike swallowed Kronos whole. And just like that the former king of titans became the meal of the Ouroboros Dragon.
.
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xXx
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Naruto was looking out of the window. The scenery in front of him was somewhat helpful in soothing him.
He was back at Yasaka's house. After the ordeal, Ophis teleported them back. She erased the memories of the Hokkaido youkai and put some false memories regarding their last battle. Of course, it was suggested by Kurama. Kakeru had a stronger mind, it wasn't strong enough to dispel the fake memories but he suspected and confronted Kurama, Because of that Kurama, begrudgingly, had to handle the fallout of the mission. But it turned out well in the end. Kakeru, in exchange for the truth, agreed to accept Yasaka's proposal. He also promised not to tell anyone other than his father about the truth.
As for Naruto and his friends, they got out of there scot-free because of Ophis but still Yasaka insisted that they get a thorough check-up by her best doctors.
His reminiscing was interrupted when he felt him entering.
Kurama didn't say anything other than to sit down on Naruto's bed as the patient himself was standing in front of the window.
"Thank you."
Hearing his tone made Kurama groan but he didn't do it loudly. He knew what was coming, another heart-to-heart talk. He was this close to just going up and calling for reinforcements but refrained. With a sigh, he started, "Don't mention it brat. I had one Youkai following just in case. She immediately reported to me when she sensed the first power surge. And seeing that something was going very wrong, I called the big gun."
Naruto nodded but didn't answer.
This time Kurama groaned loudly, "Alright brat, let it out. Come on, hit me with your insecurities."
Naruto turned around sharply, his eyes cold and hurt, "I messed up! AGAIN!"
"Yes, you messed up, spectacularly." Kurama added with a straight face, "But do you know where you messed up?"
Naruto was taken back by the words. He shook his head negatively as he looked down.
"Look kid, this world is huge. And the beings that inhabit this world are limitless. You have youkai, humans, angels, devils, fallen angels, monsters, gods of different myths and regions, and dragons. And most of them are aiming for the top, and they have been trying from a few millennia ago, some even from the very beginning." Kurama sighed, hoping that he was using the right words, "What I mean is that you can't expect to reach the top when you are only eighteen years old. That kind of ambition along with the responsibilities is crushing you Naruto."
Naruto absorbed the words. In a sense Kurama was right. After the promise he made with Ophis, he was running blindly and without stopping to reach the top. To keep his promise, but more importantly to make his mother proud. The reason for his reckless behavior was that he was scared; because not only the lifespan of a human is very short but also they are quite fragile. He did all he could to become strong but it seemed he finally hit the wall.
"So what do you suggest?" He asked dejectedly.
"Grow up."
The simple answer stunned Naruto as well as angered him. But he didn't retort, just waited patiently. Kurama smirked at that but continued nonetheless, "You told me that you mastered your Longinus but I disagree. It's the Longinus, there should be no limit to its power. But because you lack knowledge you can't advance further. The same can be said regarding your holy powers. The thing is Naruto, you are pushing yourself too hard and only in one direction. Lean back and look around, the world has so much to give. You just have to know where to look."
Naruto nodded before frowning, "What does it have to do with growing up?"
Kurama blinked when he heard the question. If it wasn't for the fact that all of these belonged to his wife, he would have thrown the bed at Naruto. Taking a deep calm breath, he elaborated, "Life is not just about fighting. Get to know more people, learn about the inhabitants of our world, and venture across different realms. To simplify it for you, broaden your perspective. You can't do that if you have a one-track mind and a simple troublesome ambition."
Naruto raised an eyebrow, wordlessly telling Kurama to continue, who just sighed as he continued, "Look there is nothing wrong with your dream. And how you were trying to achieve it was good, back then. Now I think you should try a different approach. Because remember this, you want to stand by Ophis's side not follow her shadow." With that, he got up and left the room.
Because Kurama knew that Naruto had a lot of thinking to do it was better if he sorted them out by himself.
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.
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Done
And here is the beginning of the version 2. There are total of 5 chapters and unlike the older version, I backed up the chapters.
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See you all soon…