Scarlet Justice - ep. 128
"Silver Bullet"
[Days of Thunder: Chapter of Spiral Fox, Part 6]
Today is the day of my match with Naruto.
I intend to take him as seriously as possible, and so I go with the standard Leaf outfit, complete with slightly peaked cap. In the same way I displayed myself to Hina, I want to show him proper respect and start off on the right note.
"Morning, Lili."
"Good morning, my love."
Fio and I have breakfast together before taking some time to review our daily notes individually. My mind drifts in the meantime, thinking of my friend.
It's come to this, and I worry about him a little bit. I don't think anything terrible will happen, but there's always a chance for it when it comes to physical combat. Will everything go back to the way it was? It will be a difficult fight in some ways, certainly violent because of how he is. He won't stop or give in, even if it looks like he's defeated. That much I saw in his fight with Neji so long ago. I have to hold back a little, but how much? How much power does he have, really? Should I consider what Jiraiya said the other day, with his mention of getting scars just trying to restrain Naruto?
"Everything okay, Lili?"
Fio's voice snaps me out of my thoughts. "Everything is fine, Fio."
"Thinking about the fight with Naruto?"
"Yes."
"I think it'll be okay. Would have liked to come along, but we've got important material to review today and Auntie Tsuna wants to do some extra tests with me and Karin. Sakura is usually there, too."
"How is she?"
"Ah, on the quiet side as usual. But she's wicked good at just about everything, you know? I used to get jumpy when it came to getting needles, but she makes it so that you can barely feel it. Really cool."
"So she's growing. That much is good to hear...it means that she'll be able to properly take care of Sasuke, and pay all of us back for her betrayal."
"Ooh, yeah. Almost forgot about the betrayal part. Shame, she's so gentle."
"Indeed."
"Well, if it's okay, I'll go on ahead again."
"Of course, love. I'll take care of our plates. Have a good day."
"You too, hon. Good luck..." She kisses me gently on the cheek before grabbing her bag and leaving. I set down my papers and sigh, then take a sip of my cooling tea.
"Almost time..."
I meditate for a few more minutes before finishing my tea, then getting up and washing out all of the plates and cutlery. I grab a cool bottle of milk from the fridge, make sure I have all the equipment that I need, and then double check all of the entrances and exits before locking up and leaving.
It's a warm morning today. The initial meeting place is at Ichiraku Ramen, and I arrive first. Teuchi and Ayame greet me as they get ready to start their day, with Ayame making me some hot tea which I gratefully drink up. A few minutes later, Naruto arrives with Kakashi trailing behind him.
"Looks like you're both ready to do this," Kakashi says. "We agreed on the exam arena, any changes since then?"
"None," I reply. "Naruto?"
"Nope, should be good."
"Sentimental value?" I ask him.
"Mm...maybe."
"I see. Well, that much is fine with me."
"And we haven't added any extra spectators?" Kakashi asks.
"Not that I know of. I take it that Naruto's mentor will not be attending?"
"Eh..." Kakashi shrugs. "Lord Jiraiya was just a bit cryptic about his intentions."
"As usual." I shake my head. "Whatever. As long as he doesn't meddle, I don't care how far up the stands he sits."
"Heh. Well, if you need anything else or have other suggestions, I'm all ears. I'll be keeping an eye on you both as much as possible. I won't interfere unless something serious happens."
"I appreciate that, Kakashi. I know that I can trust you to let things play out properly."
"Thank you for that."
"You're quite welcome."
"The area is pretty well secured, and of course the Hokage knows all of the relevant details. It would be nice if you guys didn't do too much damage, but things happen sometimes. Dirt and concrete can be repaired and replaced...just do what you have to, and worry about yourselves first and foremost."
"Understood. Shall we go?" I say.
"Yeah. Follow me, everyone else should be waiting."
The three of us head towards the arena, through the main doors and towards the interior. It has been quite a while since I've seen this place. The dusty terrain and high walls bring back many, many memories. I fought Gaara here, spilling his blood for the very first time, and displaying my violent, sadistic side to the world. Naruto fought Neji, proving that destiny was not some inescapable set of chains, and that people could change from what they once were to become brilliant. He showed his resilience and courage, and even if it didn't get him a promotion, it endeared him to the people of the village. And it was here that the fight to defend my new home began. I took on Orochimaru with Midori, Luna, the Hokage, Enma, and Shikamaru. A monumental fight that I feel in my heart changed the flow of history...for what could have happened if Hiruzen Sarutobi was lost that day? What could have changed had we not stopped Orochimaru? So many possibilities. But I believe that we fought to get on the right path in the end. Now all we have to do is endure and continue to fight forward, towards a bright and beautiful future.
This place...is filled with so many memories. More than I realized at first.
"Did you want to take a few more minutes?"
I look at Kakashi and shake my head. "I'm ready now."
"Naruto?"
"Yeah, same. Let's go ahead and do this."
"Got it. Be safe, you two."
Kakashi moves up to the lower part of the spectator section, pulling out his orange book to read. More people join him in short order. Erika, who expressed her desire to watch over us. Sakura, who is on standby in case medical attention is immediately necessary. And Hina, who has brought Hanabi along as emotional support. She wants to see this through, in her own way.
"Whenever you're ready," I say to Naruto. My hands are at my sides, and I stand squarely facing him. He sets his feet in the dirt, head pointed downwards to focus as he settles in. We are currently in the middle of the arena.
He lifts his head after a while, and ties his headband tight before looking at me. "There's something I wanted to ask."
"What is it?"
"I...maybe it'll sound bad."
"It might. But you can talk to me about it. Remember?"
"Yeah. I wanted to know if you were just...taking pity on me. With all of this stuff. Being a jinchuuriki, kinda struggling...I know better, but...I dunno."
"Your thoughts are probably a mess right now," I say gently.
"Something like that, yeah. Been a weird time."
"I understand. You know, watching you overcome everything in your life just made me love you even more. You remember the promise I made to you, yes?"
"That I would always be Naruto to you."
"Yes, exactly. All of it was out of love. It's a valid question, however. You know how I am. I spoil you at times, and smother you a little. I try to protect you from yourself. Perhaps it comes off as patronizing."
"Patronizing? Is that bad? I don't know what that word means, honestly."
"Oh, it means that I'm acting superior to you. Like...mm, treating you like a small child. You know how adults will pet their little ones' heads and give them candies, shove them off into corners to play with others, and keep them out of business because they don't know better...things like that."
"Really...huh. I guess you seemed a little bossy at times and junk, but I never got the feeling you were treating me like a dumb kid. I always got the feeling that you cared, more than anyone else. Maybe you were doing stuff weird because you're rich, and Pervy Sage said that rich people don't know how to act like humans sometimes-"
"He would say that."
"Haha, yeah. But I never got that vibe from you, Lili. And even then, you do the same things you do now. You always take time out to explain things to me. You always slow down when it looks like I'm confused, and you believe in what I can do. You've always treated me like a person, just one that you give a lot of hugs," he says with a smile. "And I really appreciate that, you know. You've always been there for me."
"I always will be."
"Yeah." He lets out a breath before getting serious. "Okay. I'm not gonna hold anything back, so get ready."
"I figured as much. I don't know what exactly you and your master have been up to, but I will put an end to this nonsense regardless. If you fear nothing, then attack with all your might, my friend. I will show you my terror in return."
"Got it. Let's go!" Immediately, he makes the Tiger seal and ten extra copies of himself appear in burst of smoke. The first four start off towards me, but I can already tell that they're meant as a distraction. Chakra starts to gather in Naruto's left hand as he stands still, being shaped by another copy as whirls around violently. A pure, shining sphere.
"Here we are...Rasengan," I mutter.
The fox-like features on Naruto's face are becoming pronounced. All of the pent up anger and frustration is flowing out, to the point where I can feel it in the air. We're starting.
I walk forward and weave past the Shadow Clones coming for me, dispatching them with one quick strike each. The remaining six along with the real Naruto are already coming my way.
"Nothing fancy, now."
Another step forward before I accelerate, tearing through the remaining clones as Naruto rises into the air. He comes down with his arm outstretched, and I skip to one side as he slams into the earth, leaving a sizable crater behind with his jutsu. An impressive technique, to be sure. He's done well for himself...
"Just warming up! Come on!"
He makes a few dozen more clones and they all move forward.
"Don't hold back, now," I say to him. "Weapons free."
"Make sure you don't regret it!"
"Hmph. Cocky little thing, aren't you...try leaving a mark on me before you start spouting nonsense. Right now, you're just a cute little whelp who's far out of his league."
The clones start their movements, some drawing kunai and others pulling out shuriken. I push chakra into my feet and start moving quickly, swinging into range of a few clones before spinning and dispatching several of them with a kick. A shuriken flies past my head as I tilt it, and I twist to avoid a kunai as it hits the ground beside me. The weapons are flying in, seemingly at random, but with enough space that I can comfortably weave through them. I can't imagine it would be this easy for most others, though.
"Time to move a bit faster. I really don't want to get hit so early."
I activate the first level of my chakra mode and pluck a kunai out of the air, using it to deflect several other weapons in front of me. With a flick of my wrist, I toss it through a clone before dodging a wave of shuriken, swiping a deflected one from the space nearby and using it to slice through a nearby clone. I slide and toss it ahead to dispatch another clone, then start on a run towards more enemies as I catch them off guard. Naruto is charging up yet another Rasengan in the background. I quickly steal a kunai from one clone before kicking it into several others, then charge my new weapon with lightning and use it to dash through several more clones as I dash back and forth at speed. The numbers are quickly thinning, and I can only wonder how many clones I will have to deal with next.
"Take this!"
I can already see him coming and sidestep his Rasengan, then sweep him off his feet and bring my foot down roughly on his right arm. The technique disappears as he loses control of it. Interesting...so the level of concentration needs to be high as well.
"I think you'll have to do a bit better than that," I say to him.
He smirks in response. "Glad you think so. I had something special just for this fight...so make sure you appreciate my hard work!"
"Oh?" From the corner of my eye, I can see a bunch of the discarded weapons transforming into copies of Naruto. Clever trick, but there's more to it, isn't there? Naruto gets himself free, and I jump away from him, the clones closing in while making seals with their hands.
"Secret Art!"
Let's see what he has planned...
"Super Planetary Harem Technique!"
...ah, right. I was expecting this. Not so early, mind you...but I was expecting this very thing to happen at least once. Hoping for it, being honest. I know it's a distraction, but I think I'm allowed to live a little.
"You've learned quite a bit, my friend. Well done."
At least a dozen women surround me, with pure smiles and lovely bodies to behold. All sorts of flavours to choose from, too. From rich, dark skin to pale and practically glowing, straight hair to soft and fluffy, chests large and small, and even a cat girl or two for my amusement. What a wonderful sight. I could get lost in this forever...
"..."
Alas, all good things must come to an end. Such a shame. But this distraction was very welcome, and delicious. With my gentle tutelage and some self-study, Naruto has risen into the ranks of the artists. This is among the many reasons I am proud to call him my friend.
And now, to beat him into the dirt.
"A gift for a gift...here's one of my new tricks. Mobius Type 6: Artemis Umbrella."
A spherical field of lightning bursts forth from my body, destroying my temporary harem and blowing Naruto backwards as he charges in with yet another Rasengan. He tumbles a few times before recovering, cursing to himself. The new technique worked quite well; a balance between pure force to stop and reflect attacks of all kinds, and a brief duration so that I can quickly take other actions immediately afterwards. It may be possible to generate a continuous electrical field in the future, but as of now, the upkeep is too high...far better to use the chakra mode as a means of blunting damage while on the move.
"Another new move, huh...dammit. Guess I'll have to go for broke."
Naruto wipes dirt from his cheek and stands in place, gathering chakra. It's heavy and tinged with anger...this is the Nine-Tails' chakra, then. He's gotten much better at harnessing it. As long as he keeps himself in control, it should be fine.
"Make sure you're going to go all out if you're using up that chakra, boy."
"Don't underestimate me!"
"Wouldn't dream of it. I'll have you try this as a starter." I quickly weave handseals and Naruto reacts with some sort of realization. But there's no way he would know...
"Shadow Clone!"
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet."
I watch as the clones form a barrier and block the dragon, slowing it to the point where it can do no damage as they pop one after the other. Naruto races around the edge of the clone wall and towards me, his speed boosted by the fox's chakra. Did...he counter me on reflex?
"No...wait. It's possible that on a mission..." Zabuza Momochi, perhaps? Or it was Kakashi using a copied art. Either way, his memory is good to remember something from that time and recognize it as a threat. He's something, alright. But I'm something else entirely.
I weave more seals and push my left palm towards him.
"Water Shark Bullet."
"Gah!"
He barely jumps out of the way of the attack, tumbling once as he hits the ground before continuing to run.
"What's the matter? You said not to hold back, so-"
"Oi. Don't taunt me, Blondie. The moment I start using that art, you're going straight to the hospital. Be thankful I'm giving you the chance to even touch me," I say.
"You've got a big mouth, Lili...I'm gonna close it up for you!"
"Come and try it, brat."
"I'm just a bit...faster than before! I've got this! Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Another massive wave of clones...two hundred? Five? No, it's well over a thousand. I can't immediately count all of them.
"And now, you can eat those words! Your fancy new jutsu won't stop all of this!"
The clones all spread out and surround me, then draw several shuriken each. This is a much scarier redo of the barrage from earlier, and with so many more clones, the attacks will be even harder to dodge. But if there's a pattern he follows, then I can see an easy opening...because he's trying to bait Type 6 again.
"Here it comes! Naruto's Shinobi Handbook: All Directions Shuriken!"
Attack boldly, then leave a small opening at the top that I would notice. Once I hit that opening, the clones trailing behind in the air would seal my escape, pulling me downwards towards the fury of two thousand fists. If I stay on the ground, my only real option is to use the force field again in an attempt to defend against those attacks. But that will leave me distracted as well, and allow him to use his own set physical attacks. I don't have any other jutsu that will cover such a wide area. It's a really good move he's made.
I can beat it easily enough. I'm that good. But it's time to show off a little more, and put some real fear into him and everyone else. The shuriken are drawn and thrown, thousands of them racing towards me. Time to end this.
"Lightning Release Chakra Mode, Third Stage. Overdrive: Trans-Am System!"
The bright orange shroud of chakra surrounds my body. For this brief period, I can do anything I put my mind to, without worrying about vulnerability later. I draw three kunai, placing two in my hands and one in between my teeth. Here we go!
"There's no way...!"
Naruto's throwing speed is slightly faster with his increase in chakra, but not fast enough to give me trouble in this form. I charge headlong into the nearest section of shuriken and start deflecting them at every angle that I can. My body twists and turns, briefly stopping in safe areas before I continue on. I move my head up and down to redirect anything that comes too close to my face, lightning crackling as my arms systematically sweep through waves of weapons to send them flying into each other and through clones. Loud pops sound out as tools find new, unintended targets; I drown out the yells and yelps from the many Narutos while I slice through to the edge of their circle. There are still bodies coming down from the sky after firing their certain-kill attack, floating in my altered perception.
I'm feeling cute right now. Let's add a little more spice to this before I put it to bed.
I run towards the nearest clone and plant my foot on his head before kicking off into the air, flipping and turning to slash through another clone as I pass by. Before I can start to fall, I push water beneath my feet and jump again, my feet slamming into another clone before I go into a spin and slash through two more. I twirl and throw all three of my kunai in sequence, wiping out clones nearby before letting myself fall towards the ground. The many Narutos are attempting to regroup and properly rush me, but I won't need much to take them out. More clones means more chakra stretched out, and that means that their composition should be flimsier. I push chakra into my feet and start flickering back and forth at speed, jabbing my lightning coated fingers into clones and popping them rapidly. The massive number from before has easily dwindled past half thanks to my efforts, but I still want to find the real Naruto quickly - the interesting peculiarity about the Shadow Clone technique is that it replicates every part of the user, including their chakra system. That means that even users of doujutsu can't tell the difference between the clones and the original, and if they can't, then comparatively less esoteric sensing techniques such as mine won't do any better.
If I know him, he's winding up a big move. I want to find him before-
"Aaah!"
"Seriously?" I yell as the clones disperse. Naruto reels as I jab my finger into his head, electricity flowing into his body and paralyzing him.
"Dammit! I knew you were fast, but this is crazy!" He growls and shakily forces himself to his feet as we stand at length again.
"What the hell did you think would happen if you hid yourself in a crowd like that? I can't tell you apart from the other idiots that look just like you."
"Shut up, seriously..." He winces and tries to move his arms.
"No, you shut up. And you were spouting nonsense about how I should use Mobius, goddamn meathead."
"When I said I was gonna shut you up, I really meant it. Come on...we're going again!"
I roll my eyes. "Save it. You can barely move and that lightning chakra is going to hamper you for a while yet. You're done."
"No way in hell! No way I'm gonna...give up like this! Seriously!" he yells.
"Naruto..." I feel something happening. "Naruto, hold on. Take it easy, okay?" This...sensation. He's getting worked up, and all of this pressure is...
"This isn't the time, you know? I can't slow down! You said you were taking me seriously, right?!"
"I am, and that's why I need you to calm down-"
"Don't treat me like I'm a kid! Don't look down on me, Lilith!"
"Naruto...?"
"I...I can't...ugh...what..." He clutches at his head, red chakra flowing from his body. This is bad. This is very bad.
"Naruto!"
"Lili...it's so much...too much..."
"Kakashi!" I yell towards the stands. "Get Jiraiya here, quickly! He's the only one who knows how to put an end to this! All of you, spread out and find him!"
"Leaving you alone is-"
"Please, don't worry about me! This is dangerous-"
"Lili! Watch out!"
"Ah...?" Naruto has crossed the gap between us in an instant. This sort of speed...his arm is wrapped around my wrist, and I immediately back away, feeling my flesh burn from where he touched me.
"My...my hand. Shit..." I turn to Kakashi, who is frozen in shock. "You have to go...I don't think he's going to turn back on his own. I promise you, I'll be okay..."
"Alright. I'll be back soon, just hold on until we get Lord Jiraiya! Everyone, follow me!"
I hear him take off with the others. Now it's just Naruto and I, alone.
Everything...I did what I could to be careful. Something that I didn't understand...winding him up, having that sort of banter...was that the cause? Was this my fault? I don't know any more, and I don't really care. All that matters is taking care of the problem in front of me. The cloak of chakra has solidified, a protective structure that has taken the shape of a fox, with long ears at the top and a sweeping tail behind. The chakra itself looks like it's boiling...and more than feels like it, if my encounter was any indication. I can smell the burning of flesh other than my own...that chakra is damaging Naruto, too. What a terrifying transformation, what a thing to deal with.
"The beast feeds off of negative emotions...anger, hatred, fear. Pain and anxiety of all kinds. The suffering inside of one's soul. Tempting you to take up its power...isn't that it?" I ask. The pain in my right wrist is still present, but I can easily fight through it. I quickly wrap bandage around the wound and tie it off, keeping my attention on Naruto as he drops to all fours. The amount and potency of the fox's chakra continues to increase. I have to stop this quickly, because even if Naruto isn't consumed by the darkness inside, his body will be ruined beyond repair if this carries on for too long.
"Forcing my hand? That's just like you, fucking brat. Trying desperately to get your way. I see that a little spar won't be enough to set you straight...you won't be satisfied with that much. You and that damned fox."
"I...can't..." He shakes his head rapidly. "Just need...more power..."
"I know. But I'm upset with you all the same." He's barely keeping himself afloat in there, but at least he's talking to me. I should be able to handle this. Aside from the pure malice of that chakra, the level I can sense is...I see. That was about Sasuke's level in his second curse mark state, wasn't it? And I only needed that heavenly power to crush him before he hurt my comrades. Otherwise, I don't need that much...
I want to bleed off more of this anger he has. There is a pain inside of him.
"You have regrets, don't you."
"Re...gret." He growls in frustration. "Never...strong enough. Sasuke...friend. Power...save. Hunting. Akatsuki...want to protect everyone. Lili..."
"Yes, I see. All of that buried deep inside of you. It's okay to be angry," I assure him. "But you have a dangerous entity inside of you, and Jiraiya has opened the gates of power too wide for you to handle. As a result, the beast inside of you has taken those frustrations and used them to spin you right into a frenzy. You are not wrong, Naruto. You are not at fault. But this situation is a harrowing one, isn't it." I sigh. "I was cursed and broken, too. You remember?"
"Hurt...crying. I...remember...ugh..."
His control is slipping again.
"Yes. Naruto...I will show you my darkness. And I will use it to crush yours." I flare up the chakra mode to its second stage. "This is the strength I started with when I fought Sasuke. It was enough to force him onto his back foot. I crushed him with an even greater power, but that will come later. For now, you will bear witness to my frigid, ruthless focus. Void Heart, online."
I completely tune out the world around me, and sink freely into that unshakable state. Naruto responds by rising to his feet again, holding his right hand out to one side. The red chakra around it rotates, gathering speed, changing form, until it turns into a glowing red sphere. It starts to rotate on its own, seemingly...but analysis shows that it is being rotated by the chakra shroud, which operates autonomously. The power is increasing with each passing second.
"Words will not be enough. This has become clear," I say tonelessly. "My desire is for you to properly calm down. Thus, we will fight. Come, Naruto. I will deliver terror to you, and to the beast you house."
He growls audibly before moving towards me, employing a tactic of moving in a zig-zag pattern to confuse my senses. Dust rises from his movements, which I can track fairly easily as I am. The Rasengan comes for my chest, and I effortlessly move to one side in order to dodge it. The sensation of the new chakra is disturbing at best...quite a dangerous thing, especially in the wrong hands. Given my previous encounter minutes prior, I have decided that I will take measures to avoid coming in contact with that chakra again. The chakra mode may not provide enough protection at this level for hand to hand combat.
Naruto slides to a stop before turning around quickly. His arm thrusts forward, and I immediately calculate what he will do. The autonomous, freely moving nature of the chakra shroud was a tell. I see the chakra extend itself into a long, stretching limb that weaves back and forth with the sphere in hand, attempting to catch me off guard. Strange movements that might give users of the visual arts pause. I step past the extending arm as it comes closer.
"Epyon."
With a quick movement, I sever it. The chakra dissipates and causes the Rasengan to explode behind me. Naruto attempts to use the event to mask his next movement, leaping towards me and creating a large claw of chakra to attack with. I anticipate his initial movement, then move backwards as the chakra extends on its own to swipe at me, raking the ground as it misses. I see his body rotate for a spin, and I rise into the air as his tail whips through the air towards me. He launches another attack; I activate Epyon in response and slice away the incoming hand in two passes. As I hit the earth, I surge forward and launch Aegis, using the pulse at close range to launch him into the air. He recovers quickly and spins before landing on his hands and feet some distance away.
"..."
The influence of the Nine Tails' chakra is increasing. I can sense Naruto's power rising, and another tail is forming at his back. Far from ideal.
"Grrr..."
He is no longer in control, it seems. Jiraiya has not been found since the others have yet to return. The number of tails is not a problem at present, but with the door to power wrenched open, my actions will soon have to become drastic if I am to survive.
Naruto roars and the earth shakes, with wind violently rushing past me. My feet slide backwards slightly. He has already left his former position in a flash, and I can feel the surge of energy from the Rasengan behind me. My body turns while I charge Mobius, and within a second I fire at the sphere of energy, making it rupture and explode in a wave of red chakra. Naruto emerges from the smoke and accelerates towards me once more.
Parameters have changed. I will shift to more damaging methods. It must be so, even if I am loathe to hurt my precious friend.
"Starting routines." I ready chakra in my hands before moving forward to meet him. He throws a heavy punch that I elect to slip underneath with a body flicker, ending up at his exposed back. My body turns swiftly.
"Mobius: Twin Barrel."
A full power Mobius burst from both hands, simultaneously. The shots puncture the chakra shroud and accurately tear through his arm and leg on opposite sides. He staggers and attempts to turn, so I fire through his other leg, making him lose balance and fall to the ground.
"I suspect that will not be enough."
I cycle through my memories, attempting to find any hindrances to my current set of actions.
"..."
I see. I was careless.
The corrosion was an issue, but for the reasons that the damage caused by the chakra outpaced the natural healing factor that Naruto had gained from his status as a host. The day we sparred for the first time was what made me aware of a mysterious power inside of Naruto, because of the fact that he healed so quickly after our match. That healing factor should be active, and I know that the fox will exploit it to keep Naruto fighting.
As I suspect, this is the case. The only visible signs of my attacks remaining are the holes in Naruto's clothing. His recovery is swift, and so he resumes his charge. But there is another concerning development: his tactics are becoming non-existent. I merely have to step back and forth as he attacks, trying to use the flowing chakra to gain an advantage with surprise attacks. But because of his linear movement, it is easier and easier to anticipate them before they arrive. He is not using clone arts, and has stopped using the Rasengan.
Has the beast taken over completely? I do not want it to be so.
"Naruto. Please respond if you can hear me..."
I receive a loud, defiant roar in response. The chakra continues to build. It is becoming thicker and darker around Naruto's form, and the feral features more pronounced. He no longer speaks, and shudders in pain as the corrosive chakra eats into him continually.
I cannot let him form the third tail. He will sink too far into the darkness.
"..."
It must end here.
"A precise blow is required to stifle the incoming madness. We will begin, then." I focus my chakra to its limit, letting it flow through my body. Preparations are complete.
Naruto forms a much larger Rasengan in his right hand, the weight of the chakra making it heavy enough that it takes effort to hold up. He charges ahead recklessly, the earth turning over in his wake as he pours his strength into this attack. The chakra around his body is shifting towards the front...a reaction to my previous strikes with Mobius.
"Accuracy and power. A type of taijutsu that will satisfy both requirements. Focus will be key."
"AAAAHHH!"
"And with this..." One of Ane-ue's special techniques. A focused strike that combines flexibility with pure power. Something that would look simple to someone merely looking at the components, but is the opposite. Much like the Sage Art called Jakyou Messenga, concentration and timing are no longer optional.
I measure the Rasengan's distance and wait for Naruto to cheat; he does so and I am thankful for it. The chakra has it extend an extra foot forward in front of him to throw off my timing, and instead I spin past the violent ball of energy, right into my opponent's range. I take another step, turn, and launch an angled kick upwards with chakra bursting through it.
"Jayoku Houtenjin."
The impact is a merciless one, rippling with such power that I briefly leave the ground during the attack. A surge of blue sparks shoots upwards as my foot slams into Naruto's chin, sending him high into the air and well above the stadium walls in a single second. He floats a moment before starting to fall, the Rasengan having long disappeared. I can see the chakra around his form trying to properly react to his predicament.
"It is now that I can properly end this." I draw the butterfly knives from my pockets and cross them over my body, gathering more chakra. Naruto still has yet to recover from his skull rattling...and so, I am already victorious. "You will not react in time, Nine Tails. I win."
My body tenses, and in the next moment I move.
"White Snake Sage Technique: Jakyou Messenga."
Naruto rotates in the air to face me, trying to form yet another Rasengan. I move my arms and slash downwards at the perfect moment, tearing through his chakra cloak and his body all at once. I hear him scream out and hit the ground with a loud thump.
"..."
My wrists flick outwards to get rid of the blood on my knives before I put them back into place. As I turn, I see that the shroud of red, bubbling chakra is melting away, leaving Naruto on his back with two deep slashes on his chest. His healing is working very slowly, which must be due to his exhaustion...
"Naruto!"
Hina's voice breaks the silence. She and the others have returned, with Jiraiya. I exhale and start to return myself to normal.
"Void Heart...offline."
There are too many heavy emotions to sort through. But I know that I did what I had to do, and that Naruto will be okay.
"Lili. You're okay," Erika says as she approaches.
"It was a closer thing than I would have liked," I reply. "But yes, I did manage to survive. Hm..."
"Let me look at your right wrist," Hina says. "I...want to be able to do something..."
Sakura is already tending to Naruto, while Jiraiya is knelt beside his still form, looking on with worry. Hina looks at my wound and gently applies a salve to it.
"It should be okay on its own for now."
"Thank you, Hina. I'm sorry."
"You don't have to apologize. It was what you had to do...and something that scary..."
"What do you feel right now?" I ask her. We walk towards where Naruto is and get to our knees next to him. Sakura calmly continues to work.
"..." Hina gently places a hand on Naruto's head. "I feel...determined. I want to help him. I want to be by his side, so that he doesn't have to hurt like this again. Taking on that kind of burden alone, and not only smiling, but giving people like me hope, over and over again...it makes me want to fight more, for his sake."
"I felt the same way."
"Yes. That's why you could make the decision you made today. You love him too much to let him slip away."
"You really will make a wonderful wife for him, Hina."
She smiles. "I hope so. We still have a long way to go in this life of ours."
"At this point in time, things are stable," Sakura announces. "The exterior wounds have been healed well enough, but Naruto will need more time to properly recover. Rest is highly recommended within a medical facility. In addition to all of this, I have noted other injuries, both internal and external, that have been caused by reactions to volatile chakra. Even with the active healing factor, severe damage was being caused to Naruto's body on multiple levels. That damage is beginning to heal, but it is doing so slowly. He will need to be properly monitored and tended to by professionals of a higher skill level."
"But he's going to be okay," Jiraiya says.
"Yes, Naruto will be fine. He has shown great resilience in the past, and the injuries are not close to life threatening at this time. However, corrosion due to chakra output is a serious matter that may eventually cripple him in the future. There is a possibility that he may become unable to use jutsu or even perform basic shinobi movements because of damage to his chakra network. I am not privy to the true nature of the strength that rests inside of Naruto...but I am aware that there is a great danger involved. My recommendation is that all training and related activities be paused indefinitely until the completion of an extensive evaluation, which will come after adequate rest. This will be reflected in my report to Lady Tsunade."
"Don't go making unilateral decisions, kid."
"If necessary, I will back up Miss Haruno's statements," Erika says.
Jiraiya sighs and shakes his head. "I know you're trying your best, alright? Just don't get pushy. You two can come with me to the hospital and explain to Tsunade what's going on. That okay?"
"Perfectly fine."
"I'll conduct a final check on his vitals. Then we should head to the hospital afterwards. A moment, please," Sakura says.
"Are you okay, Lili?" Kakashi asks me.
I look up at him and nod. "Yes, I'm fine. Thank you for asking. I think...you should go to the hospital with the others. Make sure that everything is okay."
"I'll do that."
"You did well looking after us today. Thank you again, Kakashi."
"You're welcome, Lili."
"Everything is clear. Naruto can be safely moved, Lord Jiraiya," I hear Sakura say.
"Good. Let's get a move on. Listen, Lili-"
"Please take Naruto to the hospital," I say without moving my head. "There is nothing we have to say to each other."
He grunts. "Fine. See you, then."
I watch as Naruto is gently lifted up and out of sight. Erika, Sakura, Jiraiya, and Kakashi all start to leave.
"My apologies...another moment, please. I have one more person to tend to."
Sakura walks over to me and kneels, gently taking my wrist in her hands.
"May I, Lilith?"
"Yes, you may."
"Thank you." She unwraps the bandage and rubs an ointment over the burnt skin, then has her hands glow with chakra before layering them on top of it. Sakura is gentle and steady, just as Fio said this morning...and within a minute or two, my wrist is exactly like new. I rotate it a few times just to make sure.
"No discomfort?" she asks.
"None at all. You've done wonderful work, Sakura. Thank you."
"The honour is mine. I...must say that I'm increasingly impressed with you, Lilith. You managed to stop Naruto without seriously harming him. That attack was precise and missed his vital organs completely. It's little wonder the Hokage promoted you so quickly."
"Thank you for that."
"If I had taken your advice long ago...I..." She shakes her head. "I'm sorry. I was carrying on just now."
"Sakura. You remember what I said to you, right? That you are a person as well. That you also have a purpose in this world."
"I..."
"Not just for my sake, but for that of so many others. And Sasuke especially. Continue looking after him. You...are the home that he will come back to. I know that for sure."
"I...I've sinned so much," she says, sniffling.
"You have. But if I thought you were beyond help, beyond usefulness, you would have died in the forest that day. Carry on, Sakura. For the person you love enough to give your life for...and for the person who calls you friend, more than anything else."
She nods and wipes her tears. "Yes. I will."
"Look after our boy."
"Yes. Please take care, Lilith."
"You as well, Sakura."
She takes off along with the others. Now it's just the three of us here.
"Lili-nee? Are you really okay?" Hanabi asks.
"I'm...probably not as well as I keep saying I am," I admit.
This is isn't something I wanted, or expected. To have everything burst out, all at once...there are still so many things that I don't understand about the power inside of Naruto. Is Jiraiya really the only one who can help him? Is this path the only one suitable to help Naruto master the powers inside of him? What was it that the Fourth, Minato Namikaze, was thinking on the night he gave up his life to seal the Nine Tails inside of his own son? What was the former host, Kushina Uzumaki, feeling the moment her precious child became a host? I don't know if I'll ever get answers to those questions. I don't know if I should at times, even if I do love him dearly.
But I do know that I feel the same way as Hina: determined to be by his side, and to help him through this struggle.
I put my arms around Hina and Hanabi, and they respond by doing the same for me.
In the silence of the now empty stadium, we comfort each other.