"Zombie Bijuu?" Shikamaru repeated slowly. "Seriously?"
"We're aware of what it sounds like," Kakashi said evenly as he rode on the summon toad with Jiraiya and Shikamaru.
"Terrifying!" said toad answered. "It sounds absolutely terrifying! Jiraiya, what did you drag me into!?"
"Not now, Gamarotsu!" the Sannin said with a nervous sweat. "It's...less unbelievable than you might think?"
Shikamaru looked up at him with a furrowed brow while Kakashi scowled. "What do you mean?"
"No point in not saying anything," Jiraiya muttered. "The seal, the one that kept the original Kyuubi in Naruto? It was made by summoning the Shinigami."
Shikamaru flinched at that. "And given the sheer clusterfuck that is Naruto becoming a Bijuu, the possibility of some Shinigami-chakra creating an undead Bijuu is..." he trailed off uneasily.
"Well, on the list of reasons for Naruto to nearly give the village a heart attack, this falls under extremely reasonable," Jiraiya joked dryly. "And you say this thing is invisible, even to the Sharingan?"
"I can see through the illusions, but its chakra is practically the same color as the night sky," Kakashi answered in displeasure.
"But you said it fights like a beast, without much higher planning," Shikamaru mused. "That's a very specific cloaking ability for something running on instinct."
"You can ask it in a second," Jiraiya warned, causing the Nara to look forward again.
In the distance was a golden light against the darkness of night. From here, he could see a shadow rush to and from across the light. Never visible, but unable to hide the fact it was distorting the illumination.
The light was obviously Naruto, flaring with chakra as he attempted to catch the shadow, claws slashing forth and tails lashing out as he snarled into the night.
"He can't find it because it's staying out of the light," Jiraiya muttered before smirking. "Well, good thing Naruto managed to drag it away from any nearby towns. Get ready, Gamarotsu!"
Shikamaru wasn't sure what that meant, but Kakashi knew exactly what to expect as the Sannin ran through the hand seals.
"Fire Style: Toad Flame Bomb!" Jiraiya yelled out with Gamarotsu, a jet of oil rushing from the giant toad's mouth, and Jiraiya's fireball setting it on fire. The summon toad angled the jet of burning liquid to spray a line just beyond where Naruto was fighting.
Shikamaru quickly understood. The aim was not to hit the enemy but to reveal them.
Naruto stopped and watched the sudden stream of flames that came down on the trees, lighting up the area. And there, between him and fire, was his foe.
It was as big as himself, and covered in a shroud of dark chakra that could not hide it against these bright flames. The shroud hugged the monster loosely, just enough to still make out the quadrupedal form, and that its head was looking towards the unexpected flames.
Naruto grinned wickedly and seized his chance. He rushed forth, and the creature snapped towards him in shock, but it was too late. Naruto barreled into it, latching on with fang and claw as he forced it to the ground.
It struggled with the sound of a thousand rattling bones, trying to knock him away and break free. Naruto ripped and tore and thrashed his way through the shroud, pausing only to take a better, proper look at what he was fighting.
He wasn't surprised.
It was a giant skeleton, something four-legged and an angular head. In the sockets were balls of baleful light that served as eyes. That was enough for Naruto.
"This time, stay dead!" Naruto barked out, raising a fist to smash its head into dust.
The head snapped away, the spine curving in a way more natural for a snake than a mammal. And like a snake, it jerked forth to bite Naruto's fist before he could jerk away.
Naruto snarled, snapping his own head down to bite into the neck. Or spine rather.
"Allow me!" Gai exclaimed as he leaped over Naruto and came down to deliver a mighty kick on the spine.
Bone fragments went soaring around Gai and the rattling grew louder, sharper.
Naruto tore back his head, taking the neck bones with him, beheading the creature.
This proved to be a mistake.
The headless beast suddenly leaped away, jumping through the flames and attempting to flee from the fight once again.
Only to jerk to a halt, its body twitching.
"This is the worst idea I've ever had!" Shikamaru said through gritted teeth, standing on top of Gamarotsu, holding a hand seal in an effort to focus and maintain a shadow possession Jutsu.
A shadow possession Jutsu used on a giant monster the size of Bijuu.
"Just hold it for another few seconds!" Jiraiya said. "Ready Gamarotsu?"
"Ready!" the toad exclaimed, holding his twin blades at the ready.
"Shikamaru, stop the Jutsu the instant we leap!" Jiraiya instructed swiftly.
"Not a problem, just do it!" Shikamaru said, voice straining.
With that, Gamarotsu rocketed forward as fast as he could in a single leap. The binding ended, and the creature was free to move-
"Earth Style: Fissure!" Kakashi called out, as a large chunk of the earth suddenly ripped open beneath the headless monster. Not enough to trap it, but enough to make it stumble and get stuck.
It was all the time Gamarotsu needed to come down, blades sliced down each shoulder, cutting through ribs and shroud. He pulled both blades back, intending to continue the assault.
He disappeared in a poof of smoke, the broken ribs having lurched out to stab the toad's belly, forcing Gamarotsu to dispel or be killed.
"Damn!" Shikamaru exclaimed as he righted himself, barely catching a tree branch that allowed him to change and slow his descent, landing on top of another tree
The cracking and breaking of bones drew his eyes back to the night sky.
The undead beast stood there, its entire body shaking in place as the head and bones began to regrow and repair themselves.
Its gaze was suddenly on Shikamaru, who was watching it intently. For an attack, and to study it.
It opened its mouth, and Shikamaru prepared to dodge and flee.
"Earth Style: Dark Swamp!" Jiraiya's voice rang out, the creature lurching as the fissure turned to mud, as did a large enough area to partially sink it into.
It rattled and rattled as it tried to pull itself out, and was starting to make progress towards the edge.
Then something hit the monster in the back.
Namely, its own severed skull, bouncing off in a way that Shikamaru might find amusing if not for how tense the situation was.
The skull crashed into the ground, just outside of the dark swamp, causing monster and Chunin alike to turn and see who they both knew would be there.
Naruto walked through the flames. He wasn't snarling or growling anymore. He was just glaring.
Shrouded by flames, all nine tails raised and blue eyes shining with wrath. Shikamaru never thought that Naruto, Bijuu or not, could look so terrifying.
And, suddenly, Shikamaru realized that his tails were on fire.
"Infernal Tsunami."
That was the only warning the Nara had before Naruto did a front flip, his tails coming down and sending out an enormous wall, or wave rather, of fire.
Shikamaru was clear of the attack, but even still, he was close enough to feel the intensity of the heat, gritting his teeth as he kept himself firmly on the tree.
The creature was overtaken, lost to the flames as they rushed over, scorching trees black and mud drying into a barren, broken earth.
Naruto stalked towards the sight of the swamp, seeing a lone skeleton arm, charred black and reaching to the sky.
It turned to ashes in the wind, Naruto's glare narrowing. His ears twitched and some tension left his shoulders. "Everyone on my back. Now."
No one protested, Naruto lowered a tail tip to make it easier for Shikamaru to leap up, joining Kakashi and Jiraiya on the head.
"Is that it? Is it dead?" Shikamaru asked with an uncertain frown.
"He was already dead to begin with," Naruto reminded.
"You think it'll be back?" Jiraiya asked with a pensive look.
"I can still sense the Bijuu-chakra in the air. It's not here, and I can't tell where it is, but it'll be back," Naruto answered with full certainty.
"Where's Gai?" Kakashi asked with a frown. "We saw him fighting with you?"
"I sent him back to help Shizune. That thing didn't get far into the village, but it got a big building," Naruto explained.
Jiraiya frowned. "Naruto, that might have-"
"Look!" Naruto snapped, entire body tense. "You can lecture me on priorities when you can hear people screaming for help while dying under rubble because you didn't get someplace TEN SECONDS faster!"
Silence overcame them all, with only the cackles of the flames nearby.
"...Naruto, calm down," Kakashi said, soft but stern. "This isn't your fault. You've done more than anyone else could have."
Naruto growled his displeasure but didn't argue.
Instead, he stabbed a tail into the ground.
"Wow! Okay, what are you doing now?" Jiraiya asked in bewilderment.
"Someone has to put out the fire. I'm either going to put it out with dirt or-" Naruto paused as his tail ripped out of the hole, covered in a coat of water. "Or I can just use this."
"...You can find water underground?" Shikamaru asked slowly. "How?"
"Eh. After using my tails to control it so much, I kind of know what it feels like if I try to sense it nearby," Naruto answered uncaringly, swinging his tail out to spray water over the fires, dousing most of them, the rest quickly running out of fuel. "Why, can most people not do that?"
"No. But you're made of chakra, I'm not the least bit surprised," Kakashi admitted casually. "So, back on topic?"
"Right, anyone have any ideas what the hell that thing was?" Naruto asked.
Kakashi hummed. "I think you established pretty well that it's probably a zombie Bijuu."
Naruto rolled his eyes, his head muscles moving beneath their feet. "Okay, let me rephrase, anyone know how we kill it? Cause I took off the head and that didn't work!"
"With those glowing eyes, you'd think the head would be a weak point," Jiraiya mused with a headshake.
"Naruto," Shikamaru said suddenly. "You keep saying him, not it."
"Shika, we all have a pretty idea of who this thing is, or at least related to," Naruto said flatly. "And yeah, the old Kyuubi was a guy."
"Which is almost disappointing in its own way," Jiraiya said, rubbing his head. "What are you getting at, Shikamaru? I know your father well enough to know that tone. You have a thought."
"Naruto, you mind holding up that skull, if it's still there?" Shikamaru requested.
"Umm, sure?" Naruto answered in confusion, reaching over to pick up the skull. He was almost surprised it didn't crumble in his hand. "What about it?"
"..."
"Guys, I can feel you all staring at the skull. I know I'm an idiot, what am I missing?" Naruto asked with a frown.
"That's not a fox skull," Kakashi supplied helpfully.
Naruto blinked. Then blinked again. "In my defense, I've never actually seen a fox skull. Or a dog skull. Or any skulls that weren't rats or snakes in an alley! Maybe a bat!"
"Naruto," Shikamaru interrupted.
"I'm thinking, okay!" Naruto said definitively. "So, what, you guys think this...isn't the Kyuubi?"
"It might be, but why would it have a lizard skull?" Jiraiya speculated. "Come to think of it, none of the Bijuu would have a skull like this."
"Which goes back to the Shinigami theory," Shikamaru said with a sigh.
"I'm sorry, the what theory?!" Naruto asked in alarm.
Shikamaru blinked and looked at Kakashi. They both shared a surprised look before looking at Jiraiya.
"He doesn't know?" Kakashi asked, more curious than anything.
Jiraiya braced himself. "In my defense, he never exactly asked about it."
"Ask about what?" Naruto asked pointedly.
"I thought he would have heard it a few times by now! I know me and Tsunade mentioned it a few times before he went to the beach!" Jiraiya defended before turning thoughtful. "At least, I think we did."
"Will someone fucking talk to me here!" Naruto demanded.
"The Shinigami sealed the Kyuubi into you," Shikamaru answered bluntly.
Naruto said nothing for a long, long moment before speaking in a small, stunned voice. "Come again?"
"It was the Reaper Death Seal," Jiraiya answered with a sigh. "It's what the Fourth used to seal the Bijuu into you."
"I...that...okay?" Naruto said, still trying to comprehend that. "Is that...normal, for Bijuu-sealing?"
"...No," Jiraiya admitted cautiously.
"I was born, the Kyuubi attacked, and the literal death god sealed him in me," Naruto summarized before shaking his head.
"Hey, careful!" Shikamaru said, barely keeping his feet attached to the fur.
"Yeah, sorry. I'm just going to have to put that aside for another day," Naruto said. "So, you think the Shinigami's chakra in the seal might have something to do with this?"
"It's not impossible. The seal obviously went haywire to turn you into a Bijuu, somehow," Jiraiya explained. "Which means we might need to use the same seal to stop this thing."
"...This is the same thing that the Old Man used to take Orochimaru's arms, isn't it?" Naruto asked solemnly. "Let's put off the sacrifice option until we try just putting this thing in a new grave."
"You say that, after beheading it once already," Kakashi reminded.
"Yeah, well, maybe it'll stick next time," Naruto countered, but even he felt that was a lame point.
"Naruto...might be onto something," Shikamaru mentioned, getting everyone's full attention. "Did any of you actually see it as it was...creating a new head?"
"Not particularly," Naruto mused as Jiraiya and Kakashi shook their heads. "I kind of had a wall of fire in the way."
Shikamaru ignored that comment. "I got a pretty good look at it with the flames and everything. Something was crawling over it. Chakra, maybe?"
Naruto stiffened. "Oh. That would explain a few things. And my worries of a zombie apocalypse grow."
"I'm almost afraid to ask, but what are you talking about?" Jiraiya asked grimly.
"It might be better to have Shizune explain or... show," Naruto explained.
That boded ill for everyone.
"You sure it's not going to attack again?" Kakashi asked cautiously.
"If it does, I'll try not to run off without you all," Naruto said, his tone more grim than any of them liked to think about. "No promises though."
Meanwhile
"He's out of control and you know it!"
Tsunade turned from the window of the Hokage's office and glared at the old advisor. "I don't know anything, other than Naruto thinks something dangerous is going on in the north," Tsunade said firmly.
Homura retained a neutral scowl while Koharu glared at the fifth Hokage. "Something dangerous? Of course there's something dangerous in the north! The Ninetails is running loose across the country!" the old advisor pointed out.
"We don't even know if there is a true threat, since the Bijuu didn't deign to tell us more. Just demanding we send shinobi to follow it," Homura pointed out firmly.
"When any other shinobi of the leaf sends word of an unknown threat entering the lands, we would investigate regardless," Tsunade retorted with a scoff.
"This isn't any other shinobi and you know it," Koharu said sternly. "This is a tailed-beast. A force of nature! Untrained and inexperienced, but he still wields the power to destroy entire countries! And now he's proven how unchecked he is."
"Or, if you'll get your heads out of your dusty old asses, you'd see he's being a very proactive ally to the village," Tsunade retorted unwaveringly.
Both sides stared each other down, the room tense.
"The Lady Hokage is correct."
Everyone turned in alarm at the words. "Danzo?" Koharu addressed in disbelief, confusion on Homura's face as well. Tsunade even raised an eyebrow at the unexpected support.
Danzo was unblinking in the face of their bewilderment. "I don't doubt Uzumaki believes there is an enemy he is racing to face," he explained. "If it is a serious threat, then all the better to have a Bijuu face it. If it isn't, we show those watching how easily roused this Kyuubi's ire is."
A lesson Danzo was very familiar with himself.
"But what about how the other nations and villages will see this, our Bijuu running loose?" Homura pointed out with a frown.
"If we wish them to perceive him as a weapon, then all the better to display his power," Danzo restated.
The teammates of the Third Hokage shared looks at this before looking back to Tsunade. "We don't agree with this, but we can see that your mind won't be changed," Koharu said in dissatisfaction.
"At your leave, Lady Tsunade," Homura prompted evenly
Tsunade scoffed and waved them out, leaving her with Danzo.
Tsunade studied him for a moment. "I'm surprised you didn't join them and try to convince me to consider sealing him."
"I'm sure they were as well. We had spoken of such things. When certain ears were not present," Danzo admitted easily.
Tsunade narrowed her eyes. She had gotten a report from Jiraiya about the supposed meeting between Naruto and Danzo. "What changed your mind?" she asked evenly.
'The next time we meet like this, I will either believe you aren't a threat to the village...or I will make sure you're not.'
The words replayed in Danzo's mind, as did another topic of the meeting. "You know the other villages are considering how to replicate this. Suna won't try it. Their position is too precarious and their Jinchuriki is already a great asset to them. More so than before the invasion."
Their eyes met and both knew what the other meant. It was ready knowledge that Naruto had fought the sand Jinchuriki to a bitter draw.
But few in the leaf knew the impact Naruto had left on Gaara of the Desert.
"Kiri can't, for obvious reasons. Kumo is considering it in theory. Taki and Iwa are most likely to make an active attempt at it," Danzo informed, despite Tsunade being fully aware of this. "If they succeed, their former Jinchuriki will either become their weapons or will turn wild and destroy them. In either case, against a Bijuu? Another Bijuu would be a better defense than a Jinchuriki."
"That's not a bad point," Tsunade conceded.
Danzo was tempted to tell her that it was a point Naruto himself explained to him but decided against sharing that tidbit.
"Unlike my fellow councilors, I am more concerned with what caused this reaction," Danzo mused. "And I know what you are thinking, Lady Hokage. If I have a hand in this or knowledge of what's going on? The alarming thing is, I do not."
Tsunade scowled at that admission. "Is it remotely possible that Iwa or Kumo sent a Jinchuriki to...test Naruto?"
"No, but they might now. Being drawn to the border, I'm sure the other lands will be growing worried when they realize how close the Kyuubi is," Danzo explained.
"...You know, I'm surprised that at no point during this, you never implied that Naruto might not be fooling us. That he didn't just make this up to stretch his legs or something," Tsunade noted idly.
"The boy was, in a word, an idiot," Danzo mused.
"Was," Tsunade observed meaningfully.
Danzo nodded. "He is very aware of how much power he potentially has, and how much damage he could do to this village," Danzo commented before pausing. "Do you know the old saying about power?"
"Absolute power corrupts absolutely?" Tsunade answered suspiciously.
Danzo almost looked amused. Almost. "No. I never agreed with that statement," he explained. "Power doesn't corrupt, it reveals. The more power you give someone, and the more you will see who they really are."
Tsunade stared intently. "Am I missing something, or are you...complimenting Naruto?"
"Take it as you will, Lady Hokage," Danzo said as he turned to the door. "For now, all we can do is wait for news."
Meanwhile
"What the hell am I looking at?" Shikamaru asked with a frown as they stood in the ruined area of a small village.
It was clearly a skeleton laid on the ground before them. Or, at least, a pile of bones. It was strange, the legs too long and the ribcage almost comically broad, but the arms and skull were about normal size.
"They came off the creature when Naruto engaged with it," Shizune informed with a frown. "They were attacking Naruto, but after he pulled the monster away, these tried to attack the villagers."
"I stayed behind to help rescue the injured, and ward off more of the unyouthful foes," Gai stated with a nod. "They are not very tough, but they need to be thoroughly destroyed to be stopped."
"Then how is this one intact?" Jiraiya asked with a frown.
"It just...collapsed a bit ago. I'm assuming whenever the creature vanished, like you said," Shizune explained uncertainly.
"You said they were attacking the villagers. What do you mean? Were they just killing for the sake of it, or were they after something?" Kakashi asked with a frown under his mask.
A loud grunt echoed in the skies from outside the village.
Shizune winced. "Naruto's zombie theory might have been...less farfetched than we hoped."
"We already established it's an undead skeleton. What more could...oh, don't tell me," Shikamaru said with a groan.
The air grew grim as Jiraiya and Kakashi looked from Shikamaru to Shizune and Gai.
The Green Beast cleared his throat. "It would appear these things, and the monster that made them, desire the bones of their victims."
Jiraiya's eyes widen, looking back down at the skeleton again. "You mean these things are...?"
"Altered, but yes, they're human. Created from the people it had killed," Shizune said with a frown. "Whenever its chakra gets a hold of a villager, their bones would just...tear themselves out of the body, making the flesh burst off."
"So, it turns its victims into soldiers..." Kakashi said with a sigh. "Effectively a zombie plague. Naruto actually got it spot on."
A silence fell over them as they all shared a meaningful look.
"He's being too quiet," Jiraiya said suddenly, all of them jumping to the top of the nearest wall around the village.
Naruto was still there, sitting a good distance away from the settlement, gazing off into the distance with very suspicious eyes.
"I don't like that look," Kakashi said grimly.
"Pervy sage. Get up here. Now," Naruto called out.
Jiraiya heeded the call, wasting no time in appearing on Naruto's forehead. "What is it?" he asked with a frown. "Is it back?"
"Yeah. I just have one question though," Naruto said slowly, keeping his voice as quiet as he could. "I died and turned into the Kyuubi, right?"
"Umm, yes, I'm standing on a nine-tailed version of you?" Jiraiya answered with a frown. "Why?"
"Is there a remote possibility that my...human body wasn't destroyed? That's it's a corpse now?" Naruto asked awkwardly.
Jiraiya blinked in realization. "It's at the Valley of the End, isn't it?"
"Not exactly, but near there," Naruto answered. "He's...just there. No villages or anything nearby. I don't think anybody is dying."
"Nothing?" Jiraiya asked warily.
"Look, I'm not that stupid. This might be a trap. But he might also be dying for all I know," Naruto pointed out.
"We don't have long until sunrise," Jiraiya pointed out. "I know patience isn't your favorite thing, but-"
"Oh fuck off, I have force-learned patience and you know it," Naruto grumbled. "I'm going to get closer to this asshole though. Decide who is coming with me. If I yell it's time to go, assume it's doing something terrible."
"Will do," Jiraiya mock saluted as he headed back to the others, landing on the wall. "It's back, but it's not doing anything. Me and Naruto are going out to observe what it's up to, and hopefully deal with it once the sun comes up. Gai, I need you to head back to the first village, tell the reinforcements what's going on, and have them stand guard there in case any of the smaller monsters show up. Then head back to the village, and tell Tsunade everything. Kakashi, you stay here with Shizune. If it strikes here again, she'll need help defending the injured."
"What about me?" Shikamaru asked, hands in his pocket.
Jiraiya hummed as he observed Shikamaru. "You're still drained from using that Jutsu on something that large and powerful. Stay here and help Kakashi and Shizune for now."
"Honestly, that's probably the least troublesome option, "Shikamaru agreed.
With that, they all went their separate ways, Jiraiya landing on Naruto's head once more.
"Just us, eh?" Naruto mused.
"Just like training for the Chunin exams again," Jiraiya remarked with a smirk, attempting to lighten the mood.
Naruto didn't respond. He just started walking further north.
The Toad Sage sighed but refrained from prying into Naruto's mood. Something was bothering him, that much was obvious, but Jiraiya didn't have the time or luxury to put much thought into what or why. Right now, they had to focus on this strange foe.
End of Chapter
Well, here's the first big battle with our boney friend. And Naruto shows off his Infernal Tsunami Jutsu. It's a very blunt and relatively simply jutsu, Naruto just throwing fire from all his tails.
And yeah, Naruto's Zombie plague fears weren't...entirley untrue? It's not a virus, ut it can make skeleton minions from the dead. And despite the fears that it might be the Kyuubi back from the dead, it does have a reptile skull for some reason.
Hope you all enjoyed this and had a good Thanksgiving!
Early viewing of chapters 20-21 avaliable on my pat-reon:
p a treon . com (slash) akumakami64