"Blah": Talking
'Blah': Demon speaking/Inner Sakura/Extreme shout
'Blah': Naruto's thought/other people's thoughts
'Blah': Harry talking to Naruto
Hello, everyone! I'm sorry it's been over a month since I last updated. But I'm back now with a new chapter and I hope you fuzzy little man-peaches really like this one ^_^
This chapter, I'm not going to lie, has been in the works for years. I really am proud of this chapter more than any other I've written in the past. I started out with a basic outline and over time, while I worked on the other stories, this chapter grew and evolved with very particular dialogue, action sequences, and a few twists I've been saving up if you guys haven't already guessed them. I had so many ideas so I felt I really had to take my time with this chapter until I felt it was perfect.
Now, I think, it's as perfect as this chapter is going to get. But I have to say, this chapter certainly turned out to be a lot longer than I planned. So I'm sorry to say that what I've posted here is only half of what I've written. I'll try to post the chapter following this one just as soon as I can, maybe within a week or a few days, if I'm lucky. But please, guys, please let me know what you think of this chapter, because it really means so much to me, this one and the next chapter coming.
Azeroth44: Oh, you posted again?! Awesome! Although, dude, I'll be honest too: I've kinda been leaning more towards RWBY fanfiction. I'm gonna have to re-read your series again.
Kvsyaoran: I love that show ^^ But seriously, dude?! You have to re-read every book?!
AZ44: Yeah, sorry, dude. I've been a bit distracted lately.
K: Very well. I know someone's trousers are going to be transfigured into tarantulas while he's wearing them *brandishes wand*
AZ44: What?
K: Nothing! :D
AZ44: Alright, I'll get started on the Scroll of Sealing then.
K: You do that ^^
Anyway, please enjoy and make sure to let me know what you guys think by writing a review! Thank you guys so much ^_^
Reviews are welcome and wanted!
Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto
Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling
Chapter 19: Revelation
{{Mount Briggs ~Overture~ by Akira Senju}}
An unnatural quiet fell upon the endless snow-capped hills and rocks the moment the Oto-nin revealed themselves.
Naruto took in the familiar environment but focused on the leader of Otogakure, watching his robes flowing in the wind. Soon, his attention turned to Kabuto Yakushi, standing beside the Sannin, dressed in clothes similar to what he wore in the Chunin Exams. Hatred bubbled inside Naruto at the very sight of the older teen as Kabuto eyed him from afar. It was Kabuto that triggered his scar, he reckoned, as he didn't forget he reeked of the same stench of serpents as Orochimaru.
The fiendish Sannin smirked at his other former teammate as he observed how he had aged. Jiraiya, from his point of view, was tall as ever and broad-shouldered. But while Jiraiya seemed to have grown a stronger chin, he looked more like a hermit now and seemed slightly larger in the middle than he remembered. But with that said, Orochimaru knew it would be unwise to assume the Toad Sannin had lost his edge as he rested one of his hands on the old scroll tied to his back quite confidently. Perhaps it was from observing that confidence, Orochimaru failed to fight back the almost instinctual need to mock his former teammate.
"Jiraiya, it's been a while," he breathed, "You look a little puffier since the last time we met," then he asked with a cheeky tone, "Eaten a little too much fried chicken, have we?"
The Toad Sannin frowned and then decided to return the favor as he remarked with a smirk of defiance, "You look as twisted as ever, Orochimaru… Nice complexion; looks like someone never quite outgrew their little she-male geisha fetish. "
Orochimaru frowned. His hatred for his former village and comrades intensified as he yearned to slice the head off his cheeky teammate and silence his remarks. But he remained calm and composed in front of his soldiers. Kabuto scowled at the massive Sannin across the field, feeling insulted for his master, as did the rest of the Oto-nin in attendance. But then he smirked, looking back at the blonde teenager half-hidden by Jiraiya.
He then said in a clear, sinister voice to attract Orochimaru's attention, "Hello, Naruto Uzumaki… Remember me?"
Orochimaru's eyes widened and slowly he turned to look as Naruto stepped out in the open and glowered at the other teenager.
"Kabuto Yakushi," the blonde genin scowled, "You're that card-obsessed weirdo from the Chunin Exams. You're a traitor. You sold out Konoha to Orochimaru and then double-crossed Suna too."
Orochimaru stared at the young genin with his mouth slightly open in utter shock. At first he failed to recognize him because he wore different clothes, but then he saw the genin's signature golden blonde hair. There was an intense silence as the Oto-nin narrowed their sights on the genin and Orochimaru smiled. He motioned towards the teenager and let out a wild, victorious cackle, sounding drunk.
(A/N: Imagine Michael Sheen's laugh from the final Twilight movie)
"BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA," he cackled like a madman, "It's him! At last, there he is!"
Naruto and Harry were temporarily befuddled by the sudden fit of mad laughter before they fixed their sights on the Sannin, cautious. Jiraiya took a step to the side, moving protectively towards his pupil while he frowned at his maniacal former comrade. Shizune looked confused and worried, Tsunade was confused as well, but she was torn between observing the unexpected events unfold and continuing her fight. Orochimaru smirked at the teenager as his men tensed up. The snake-like man looked back at his former teammates and smiled victoriously.
"I cannot believe this! What luck! For the first time in ages! Who needs Tsunade when I got the child that caused this entire ordeal in the first place?! Don't you see it yet, Jiraiya?! We're all here because of him! That child over there has brought about our reunion," the Sannin went on a rant, looking like a raving madman, claiming the end of the world was near.
Jiraiya didn't take his eyes off of Orochimaru for one second. Shizune and Tonton didn't know what Jiraiya and Naruto knew, so they were confused as ever, especially Tsunade as she looked between Naruto and Orochimaru suspiciously. Jiraiya was ready to defend his apprentice, but it didn't provide Naruto with much comfort. The genin was certain Orochimaru was about to reveal the truth behind their encounter in the Forest of Death.
It didn't matter how untrustworthy Orochimaru was; everyone in the field knew that the Sannin had been afflicted with a mysterious aliment. Everyone knew now that he had sought Tsunade in the hopes that she could fix this mysterious aliment. Everyone knew that it had occurred during the Chunin Exams. But none of them would have guessed Naruto had been involved or was directly responsible for it. The rookie could have easily denied anything Orochimaru was going to say next. But Naruto had ruined his chances of that when he revealed to Jiraiya that Orochimaru was after him.
Sensing the Sannin would soon reveal the truth, the young wizard slowly reached for his wand as a silent warning to him. Whether or not it would work, it felt like there was no escape this time. If Naruto wanted to survive the inevitable fight, he couldn't hide his secret from his allies. It made him feel sick and frightened as his legs felt like they were turning into jelly. But he stood his ground, fixated on the pale Sannin in the distance.
Across the field, Orochimaru saw the boy reach for his wand and smirked as his hands shook with excitement. The soldiers started to itch closer and closer but their leader ordered them to hold back and wait.
Jiraiya demanded, "What are you talking about, Orochimaru?"
The snake-like man stared at the blonde teenager in a rather disturbing way that made Naruto's insides squirm.
The Sannin then answered in a cold, smooth oration, "The number of times Naruto Uzumaki evaded me is an achievement I have no choice but to commend… I've never encountered such an elusive shinobi since I tried to claim Itachi Uchiha. He should feel honored to have survived this far."
"He told me," said the Toad Sage, "You had a few of your goons track down Naruto while he was on his way to meet with me at Pleasure Avenue."
"Still not the most responsible teacher, I see, how disappointingly predictable," Orochimaru commented, that made Jiraiya glare back at him angrily, "So he must have told you about his secret abilities he demonstrated in the Forest of Death, then, Jiraiya?" the madman asked as he saw the blonde genin grit his teeth angrily.
Jiraiya narrowed his eyes, "What the hell are you talking about?"
"The truth about what he is! Naruto Uzumaki is much more than he appears to be," the crazed man raved, watching the look on his enemies' faces, "He's the reason I even bothered to look for Tsunade in the first place! He's the reason the invasion of Konoha and the assassination of our beloved sensei failed! He's the reason we're here, reunited after all these years!"
The Toad Sage stood firm as his charge continued to stare at the snake with rising hatred, like he did before he tried to lunge at Tsunade in the tavern.
"How could he have done all that?" the Sannin questioned reasonably and confusedly, "There's no way he could have interfered with the invasion itself."
Naruto grasped the handle of his wand so hard his hand shook. His heart raced within his chest, rage building as small sparks emitted from the end of his wand.
Orochimaru then announced with an icy voice, "Oh, but he did! Naruto Uzumaki cursed me," he pointed his finger at the genin and hissed, "Your beloved student is a witch!"
In one swift movement, Naruto took his wand and used the first curse he could think of.
"REDUCTO!" he screamed.
And a blue flash soared across the field at top speed, shooting toward Orochimaru. The curse would have hit him, but the Sannin slid to the side at the last second. The hex zoomed past him before it blasted into a large rock, shattering it into a thousand smoking pieces. The sinister man stood, unfazed as he smiled back at the child, proving his accusation to be correct. Jiraiya almost let his jaw fall and hit the ground as his eyes turned white and perfectly round in comical shock.
Kabuto and the other soldiers threw their kunai at Naruto in retaliation. At the second the blonde wizard heard the blades whistling, he waved his wand and released an incredible amount of magical energy.
"PROTEGO!"
A translucent magical shield swelled around him and the other two Sannin. Jiraiya, Shizune, and Tsunade were speechless as they watched the countless knives strike the shield, destroyed or bounced off in a series of bright flashes. They couldn't believe what they just witnessed, too shocked to breathe as the shield vanished. The genin glared back at the pale man across the field, gripping his wand tight enough to turn his knuckles white.
Orochimaru smiled at his former friends and said arrogantly, "You see? Like I said."
"You miserable son of a-" the blonde teen started but then he stopped and turned when he heard Jiraiya call out his name in a shocked whisper, "Naruto…"
The tall man looked down at his apprentice with wide eyes before he exploded, "WHAT THE FRICKIN' HELL WAS THAT?!"
The genin let his wand arm fall to the side as his face darkened and his face turned pink. His hands shook and he couldn't look at his mentor as he tried to find the words to explain what he just revealed. No matter what, he had to tell Jiraiya the truth. He took a few silent moments to choose his words, careful not to let slip any valuable information Orochimaru or the Oto-nin listening in could use to their advantage.
He told him as best as he could as the shadows on his face vanished, "I'm not a witch, Ero-Sennin. But I can use magic. It's real… I'm a wizard," Naruto looked down at his hands, his thumb pinning the wand to his palm, "I know it's hard to believe, but it's the truth. It's like a kekkei genkai. But I never told anyone about it and I never revealed it to the other villagers back in Konoha," the Sannin frowned slightly but he listened intently, "I've used my magic to survive ever since I was little. It took a lot of time and a lot of practice to figure out how it worked, but I've learned how to control it and I've used it on my missions and adventures," Jiraiya observed the stick Naruto held in his hand, but then he looked back up and saw the boy finally looking back at him, reading the sincerity in his pupil's face as the genin had a fire in his eyes, "But now isn't the time for us to talk about that," the genin briefly gestured to the Oto-nin listening in, reminding him of their situation, "You can ask me about everything I know as soon as we're done with those losers over there."
The Sannin blinked, his frown fading before he looked across the field at the Oto-nin. Jiraiya looked down slightly, watching flakes of fresh snow dance across the field as he tried to process the surprising revelation. He didn't know what to make of it or how to react appropriately. But through his countless travels across the world, the Sannin had seen many strange and unusual things: some of them good, a lot of them bad. Given his experience as a formidable shinobi, he should know better than to trust the boy. But when he looked into Naruto's eyes, he couldn't explain how or why, but he sensed an innocence and sincerity within them. He may have kept a great many things secret from him for all he knew, but the Sannin couldn't pick up the key, doubtful look in his pupil's eyes that would have warned him the boy couldn't be trusted.
Jiraiya composed himself and took a step closer to his charge. Naruto couldn't help but close his eyes and brace himself, as if he were expecting to be struck across the face. But the genin was surprised when the Sannin rested one of his massive hands on his shoulder. Naruto opened his eyes and saw the gigantic man smirking brightly. He then pulled the boy closer to him and smiled with pride.
"You're a wizard, huh?" the tall Sannin breathed, "I gotta admit, it's pretty impressive you managed to hide something that big from a cunning and legendary ninja such as myself," Naruto's eyes widened and shined as he was unable to sense even a trace of sarcasm in his words, "I never would have known wizards even existed!" the Sannin smiled, then he turned to Orochimaru and asked him audaciously, "You said this kid was the reason that miserable excuse for an invasion failed?" he turned back to Naruto and gave him a big smile and a thumbs-up, "Great work, kiddo!"
The Sannin pat Naruto's shoulder again and squeezed it in his hand. That affectionate squeeze pressed the insurmountable amount of stress out of the genin, like some kind of fruit or a tight muscle. Naruto couldn't help but feel grateful for the Sannin's reaction, almost causing him to tear up a little.
He then said quietly, "Thank you, Jiraiya-sensei…"
"Quit callin' me that," dismissed the Sannin as he turned back to the treacherous shinobi ahead of him, "So tell me, what did our little wizard here do to you, Orochimaru? Gimme the details!"
Orochimaru seemed disgusted by the touching scene that unraveled and recounted his tale bitterly, "It all started in the Forest of Death… I ambushed Kakashi's students to test Sasuke Uchiha and leave him with the curse mark… The Kyuubi brat came out of nowhere and attacked me with abilities I had never seen before. After I marked little Sasuke-kun, that little blonde brat hit me with a strange energy and claimed he had cursed me… Ever since that encounter, I discovered over time that I have been unable to succeed in even the smallest endeavors… It's become worse over time and it's that supposed curse that caused me to fail in killing Sarutobi… I believed Tsunade could heal me or even break the curse with her own superhuman medicinal abilities; the ones that Sarutobi-sensei tried to help her control," he began to smirk again as he set his sights on the boy, "But now it looks like I won't need her services after all when I have the source right here in front of me."
The pale-faced menace stretched his arm out, as if he were reaching out for Naruto from afar. The gesture unnerved the genin, causing him to squirm in disgust. Jiraiya put his foot down as he shielded his charge protectively. The large man adopted a more hostile look as he glared at his former partner.
"I'll kill you if you touch him," he threatened.
Orochimaru chuckled in amusement, "Don't be so selfish, Jiraiya. All I want is to know what he's done to me," his yellow eyes narrowed at the genin, watching him as he stepped around his mentor and stared back at him, "Naruto-kun, please, enlighten us. Tell me the nature of this curse."
Naruto's eyebrows furrowed deeply with anger and hatred, "No," he answered.
"Don't be so rude," the Sannin's eye twitched for a split second before he calmly gestured toward his former teammate, "No doubt that bloated idiot over there has been a bad influence as of late," Jiraiya sneered as Orochimaru sounded calm and confident, menacingly polite but his words carried a clear threat to the genin, "Please tell me what has been done to me and how I can reverse it and no one else will have to die."
The genin glared at the Sannin, frightened of him but he became much more furious as the man's numerous atrocities and the faces of the lives he ruined came to mind. The threat would have caused him to fear for his life and especially the lives of his loved ones, but as he gripped his wand tighter his anger outweighed his fear.
So he replied out of spite, "You can go to hell."
"You miserable little brat," Orochimaru hissed through his teeth as his calm demeanor broke, "You're not much different than that swollen oaf over there."
"I'M NOT FAT!" shouted Jiraiya.
The Snake Sannin was about to make a move, impatient and frustrated, but Kabuto held him back and stepped forward, "Orochimaru-sama, let me talk to him."
The Sannin sharply turned his head toward his second-in-command, while Kabuto seemed calm and calculated as he muttered too quietly for anyone else to hear.
"All we have to do is get close enough to him, incapacitate him, and leave the soldiers to deal with the other Sannin. We can force the answers we need out of the boy at headquarters," he pushed his glassed back up as the light reflected off the lenses forebodingly, "But I know a little secret that'll make him to come to us once I tell him. It should lower the risk of endangering our lives should we be forced to fight. Naruto will come after me, once he's close enough I'll knock him out and take him back to Otogakure."
Orochimaru grunted impatiently and rudely hissed, "Get on with it, then."
Kabuto frowned at the cold demand, but soon began to smile as he stepped forward. Naruto had his wand at the ready and Jiraiya was ready to defend his student regardless of his handicap. But Kabuto stayed put, not showing any sign that he was about to attack them.
"Naruto," he smiled as his voice dripped with arrogance, "You think we didn't think to check your background as soon as Orochimaru witnessed your abilities in the forest?"
"It never occurred to me, traitor," the genin retorted.
Kabuto smirked amusingly, "You are a rude one."
"You betrayed the village that raised you," the genin stated angrily, "Don't you dare lecture me about manners, you arsehole."
"What an ignorant brat," the older teen commented, he pushed his glasses up again, smiling sinisterly, "After the preliminary rounds of the Chunin Exam, I searched for some old files in the Sandaime's house and his office. Once I checked the classified files he had hidden from the Konoha Council, I discovered one that had some of the most unusual information," the younger genin blinked, unsure where Kabuto was going with this, "You were at the age of five when a genin named Hayate Gekko, your babysitter at the time, witnessed your remarkable abilities at a public playground. The report claimed that you flew into the air and floated down as if you had wings."
Naruto blinked again, raising his eyebrows in surprise as he remembered that evening well. He felt his heart sink at the mention of his late master, and then he felt his stomach sink when he realized the aforementioned incident was documented.
"The incident was dismissed, as Gekko had been caught possessing recreational hallucinogenic drugs shortly after," that last detail granted the genin some relief, it even got him to smile for a split second before Kabuto asked him in an insultingly condescending tone, "Do you remember that afternoon in the park, Naruto?"
"Yeah, I remember," he replied with a hateful frown, then questioned back, "So what?"
"So," the older shinobi pushed his glasses up again, "With the skirmish in the Forest of Death in mind, I knew it wasn't a hallucination on Hayate Gekko's part. Orochimaru assigned me to find him and extract whatever information I could that would aid Orochimaru in his condition."
{{Pride by Akira Senju}}
Naruto felt his stomach sink again, but much deeper this time. Harry felt the same sinking feeling in his stomach, as he quickly pieced together where Kabuto was going with this and what the young man was implying. The wizard's young charge started figuring it out too, slowly, as the color drained from his face.
"What?" he muttered.
This prompted Kabuto's smile to widen as he chuckled, "You don't know what that means?"
Kabuto's laughter echoed across the field, low and evil, as Naruto heard it as clearly as he would if he stood three feet away. The genin stared at the older shinobi as he slowly shook his head in denial.
"Y-Y-You fled the village before that happened," he tried to point out, "Y-You would have been miles away from Konoha. You couldn't have done anything."
"Oh, but I did," the older shinobi relished the moment when he confirmed, "It was me… I am the one who killed Hayate Gekko!"
In that moment, Naruto felt as if a hole had been punched through his chest. He couldn't move as his mind went blank. The genin stared back at the face of the bespectacled deserter, as the traitor felt the need to rub salt in the wound.
"You see… he overheard a conversation I had with Gaara's sensei about the invasion. It was a week before the finals and he was on a mission to hunt me down. Hayate discovered Suna's involvement in the soon-to-happen invasion and was about to warn the Hokage, but we heard him in the shadows, just as he was about to make a run for it. I was about to hunt him down and silence him but Baki insisted that he could finish him off. Not long afterward, I realized we couldn't risk him prematurely endangering the truce between Konoha and Suna. He would have left a trail of evidence leading back to him and the rest of Suna if he killed the rat bastard with his village's elemental ninjutsu. I knocked him out and took over with a fellow Oto-nin to assist me."
Kabuto outstretched his arm and ran his fingers across his face.
"You see this scar?" he asked as he slowly caressed the subtle scar on his face that had not fully healed, "This is where he cut me, before I broke his blade in two and immobilized him with medical ninjutsu. He put up one hell of a fight, I'll admit. But it was like an electrical shock to him, he couldn't move after I struck him down."
Naruto was horrified, getting more and more upset, as the faded scar tissue on Kabuto's face was undeniable, "You… You didn't."
"We tried to force some answers out of him about what he knew about you," Naruto blinked before he felt like his heart was being twisted inside his chest, "I tortured him to force him to admit what he knew," the genin couldn't look at him, he stared at the ground as his eyes were hidden in shadow but he could still hear him, "But he refused to talk. Hayate tried to fight us and he sure was brave as we cut him with his own broken sword," Naruto's body began to shake every couple of seconds, as if he were fighting the urge to be sick, "But in the end, we had to leave before the ANBU found us and we couldn't let him slow us down. With the ANBU approaching he would have gotten us captured or even killed," Naruto gripped his wand so tightly his knuckles turned white and his hands started shaking, "I checked the area for a moment to make sure we weren't seen, and when I returned," Kabuto paused and then he said with a dark smile, "I slit his throat."
"YOU EVIL BASTARD!"
{{Envy Revealed + Desolation by Akira Senju}}
Naruto roared as he raised his head. His irises were scarlet as tears ran down his face in torrents. Everyone around him sensed the demonic chakra and gasped. Harry's defenses against the Kyuubi's chakra held strong but Naruto's rage and overwhelming grief forced a sliver of red chakra to surface and he didn't hesitate to use it. Naruto dashed after Kabuto while he screamed, driven by an animalistic urge to kill him with his bare hands. Jiraiya cursed under his breath and made a move to stop him. But the Sannin was too slow, having not fully recovered and the enraged genin slipped out of his reach.
"NARUTO! DON'T!" he shouted.
But before the genin ran too far, Shizune pursued him and forced him into a tight embrace from behind. Naruto roared and lashed out wildly as the kunoichi did her best to hold him back.
In the mindscape, Harry felt as the heat of the red chakra intensified. In a desperate attempt to get him under control, he reached out to Naruto and helped to hold him back. As he wrapped his arms around Naruto's torso, Harry was painfully reminded of himself moments after Sirius fell through the Veil, when Remus tried to hold him back from diving into the arch before he stormed after Bellatrix in rage.
"DON'T GET IN THE WAY OF THIS," shouted Naruto as he kept thrashing, "YOU BASTARDS!"
'Don't do it, Naruto! It's what Kabuto and Orochimaru want! You'll be killed or taken prisoner!'
Naruto screamed, "LET GO OF ME, SHIZUNE!"
'I know how it feels, Naruto! I KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE! But don't do it! Don't run after them! IT WON'T BRING HAYATE BACK! LISTEN TO ME!'
He continued to shout as the traitor across the field smirked and chuckled at him, stepping back safely to stand beside his master, "MURDERER! I'LL KILL HIM! HE HAS TO DIE! I'LL KILL HIM!"
"NARUTO! CALM DOWN!" screamed the worried kunoichi.
'Little one, listen to me,' Harry called out to him in a calm voice, 'Look into his face for me. Let me see Kabuto's face through your eyes.'
The genin shouted back at him out loud, "WHAT THE HELL FOR?!"
'Please calm down and look at him for me. Let me see him through your eyes so that I can look into his mind.'
Naruto's thrashing began to settle down, but he was still seething, his irises were still Kyuubi red, and the presence of the red chakra was still thick in the air.
'Will it kill him?! Will you turn his brains into scrambled eggs?!'
'No. But let me see what I can find inside his mind. Let me see what I can dig up and I'll expose anything he's hiding that'll set him off. Give him a taste of what he's done to you. I'll uncover his deepest, darkest secrets. You can use whatever I find to your advantage to set him off, maybe even, perhaps, use it to turn him against Orochimaru. He won't notice it. The arrogant git won't even feel it. But I need you to calm down and maintain eye contact for me in order for it to work.'
Shizune tried to reach out to the genin with a softer and gentler voice, "Naruto, calm down… Just calm down. Please."
Slowly, the boy stopped kicking and flaying about as he breathed slower. Orochimaru scoffed with disappointment while Kabuto's arrogant and evil smile faded. Naruto's eyes returned to their original color as the red chakra disappeared. But furious tears continued to stream down his cheeks. The genin began to walk backwards as Shizune guided him back to Jiraiya. His breathing continued to calm down, wheezing with despair, before he fixed his sight on Kabuto. His vision cleared until he saw the traitor's face as clear as day and refused look away.
'Do what you need to do, Nii-san,' the genin thought.
Naruto's face became devoid of emotion as he stared at Kabuto. The world turned darker from his perspective and he caught a glimpse of numerous memories in rapid succession. As Harry tested his mysterious and powerful magic, Naruto could hear voices echoing, but were too quiet and quick for them to make sense. He could hear what sounded like a series of terrible shrieks and painful screaming. But the dark world began to fade from his vision when he heard Orochimaru's voice break through.
"That didn't turn out as I expected," the pale Sannin scoffed with cold disappointment, then he took a step forward and smiled menacingly at the genin, "Now, Naruto-kun, please tell me, before someone else you care about has to die, how can I reverse the curse?"
Naruto didn't answer him as he continued to stare at the Sannin's assistant with a dull look in his eyes.
"I am short on time, Naruto-kun," he said with more anger and impatience, "Please, tell me how to lift the curse."
Again, the genin didn't answer. But the look his eyes changed, showing a growing intensity as his eyebrows slowly furrowed.
The Sannin finally lost his patience and yelled, "ANSWER ME, YOU WORTHLESS BRAT!"
Naruto blinked and turned toward the pale man. It was at this moment, the genin decided it was his turn to rub salt in the wound, "You're the one that's worthless now, Orochimaru."
"What was that?"
The genin wanted to rub it in, tell one of the most notorious shinobi in the world that all his efforts to find a cure were in vain, "You wanna know what it is? The curse I used? It's called a Bad Luck Curse," this caused the Sannin to blink as Jiraiya and Tsunade followed intently as the genin elaborated, "Based on the name, it's a curse that causes someone to be burdened with bad luck. But the effects get worse and worse over time until the victim's luck and their natural instincts are more shot than Tsunade's winning streak," Orochimaru's eyes widened, "It's been months since I used that curse," Naruto smiled found the nerve to taunt one of the most dangerous criminals in the world, "It's been a pretty difficult life for you ever since that pathetic excuse for an invasion, hasn't it? Haven't had any luck at the slot machines either?"
Jiraiya's mouth opened slightly as he resisted the urge to break out laughing hysterically. Tsunade raised her eyebrows as she stared at the genin, suddenly not feeling so unlucky. Shizune looked more nervous than anyone besides Tonton, mostly out of concern for Naruto's life as he mocked the now horrified Orochimaru.
"How do I break the spell?!" he demanded, "TELL ME!"
"You can't break the spell," smirked Naruto, "You can't even transfer it to someone else. It's an ancient curse, Orochimaru-teme. A true curse that might just last for the rest of your life," the genin then crossed his arms and winked at the Sannin, "Aren't I a stinker?"
"You… miserable, worthless brat," the Snake Sannin stammered, not out of fear but in anger, as his face twitched.
Naruto decided to humiliate Orochimaru even further, as revenge for the death and destruction the Sannin's ambition had caused, as well as a favor to Anko, "You know, another thing I learned in school were some of the other stories about the cunning but cowardly snake Orochimaru; the shinobi that ran away from home after someone better than him was chosen to become the Yondaime," the Sannin looked more furious than ever when the Sandaime's successor was mentioned, but then, so did Naruto as he glared at the more seasoned shinobi, "You're so immature, even now after all this time," the genin knew in the back of his mind that it was not a smart idea to provoke such a dangerous man, but he didn't care as the ruined streets of his home village and the mass funeral he attended ran through his mind, "You called me a miserable, worthless brat, but I'm not the one that cried and ran away from home because I didn't make the cut, you cross-dressing, two-timing, Dark Lord wannabe," Naruto's intensity died down as he crossed his arms and said spitefully, "It makes me laugh, but only because you're so pathetic."
That was the last straw for Orochimaru. His cheeks swelled up before his ghastly and unnaturally long tongue erupted from his mouth. Naruto readied his wand, about to turn on the spot, but then the impossibly long mass of the Sannin's tongue unraveled a long sword he kept hidden inside his body somehow. With one graceful swing of his blade, the saliva that once coated it was flew off into the snow at his feet. The Sannin didn't make a move to attack, but probably held back because of the curse. But that didn't stop Orochimaru from losing his mind as he roared at the genin.
"COME HERE AND UNDO WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO ME," he roared, "DO IT OR I'LL KILL EVERYONE YOU LOVE!"
Naruto defiantly stared back at the pale-faced man and said, "Were you even listening to me?! I said it was unbreakable! That curse cannot be lifted even if I wanted to!"
"You liar," the Sannin hissed.
The genin fired back at him, "It takes one to know one, Orochimaru! So tell me, LIAR, does it look like I even know how to reverse the curse I used?!"
The Sannin stared at Naruto and the anger-driven defiance written on his young face said it all. Orochimaru's face slowly fell as the full weight of his dilemma dawned on him.
"You brought it on yourself, Orochimaru," said Naruto as he glared at the Sannin rebelliously, quashing his once paralyzing fear of the man, "From the second you threatened the lives of my friends!"
"What do we do now?" asked Kabuto as he stepped closer, beside his master.
Orochimaru raised his head and assessed the situation, glancing at his former rival, "Jiraiya will defend the brat at all costs if I go after him. I'm at a handicap thanks to that runt, but I can keep the oaf distracted," he then glanced over at the two kunoichi as his former teammate still set her sights on him and especially his cohort, "Go after Tsunade and her assistant with the others, kill them and then kill the Uzumaki brat."
Kabuto smiled with enthusiasm as delighted in the thought of finishing off the genin after everything that transpired, "With pleasure, Orochimaru-sama."
The bespectacled shinobi was about to move when Orochimaru held him back with further orders.
"Recover his corpse," he added, "Uzumaki may not know how to reverse the curse, but there's a chance we can figure out who taught it to him. Once he's dead we can summon him back and work our way from there."
Kabuto couldn't help but smile as his morbid imagination thought of all sorts of sick and disgusting means he could utilize on the genin, but first there was the manner in which he intended to kill him now, "Understood."
Across the field, Jiraiya took charge and earned the attention of the two kunoichi.
"Tsunade, Shizune," he said as he didn't takes his eyes off his former teammate, "Orochimaru is mine."
The Sannin took a few steps to gain his bearings but he was still not as fit as he should have been, "But is there anything else you can do about my condition?"
Tsunade looked away, grim and ashamed, prompting Shizune to reply, "Whatever medicine she used will probably stay in effect for several more hours. I can't do anything about that."
The large man frowned before he tacked on a cockier smirk, "Well, I'll just have to made do."
"You do that," said Tsunade before she took off without warning, "JUST STAY OUT OF MY WAY!"
Jiraiya and Shizune were too slow to react in time as Tsunade dashed toward their enemies.
"HEY," was all the Sannin could shout.
Kabuto reacted in kind and the Oto-nin followed suit. Orochimaru remained behind, swallowing his sword back down, and watched as his best lieutenant continued his fight with the Legendary Sucker.
The Oto-nin broke off into two groups at the sides, racing around the fight between Kabuto and Tsunade. The two combatants continued where their fight left off as Kabuto withdrew a kunai, weaving and ducking under Tsunade's monstrous hooks and life-threatening haymakers. While that went on, the Oto-nin advanced and they were closing in on the rest of the group fast. Jiraiya didn't have time to devise a plan but Shizune moved fast enough to take in a deep breath. When she exhaled, she unleashed a thick purple mist from her mouth aimed at the Oto-nin. The mist expanded and consumed several of the Oto-nin too slow to run out of its path, scattering their forces. Three Oto-nin caught in the mist were found dead in the snow once it cleared. The Oto-nin surrounded the three shinobi and one piglet as they drew their weapons.
Jiraiya got into a fighting position while Shizune unveiled her hidden mechanisms. Naruto drew his wand and held a kunai in his left hand, ready to harness all of his magical strength. The first Oto-nin brave enough to go first hoped from a nearby rock, diving for Naruto. But before the genin could use a spell, Jiraiya came out of nowhere and kicked the Oto-nin right in the chest. The first soldier went flying back as the Sannin whirled around and used a kunai to deflect four shuriken aimed at him while his back was turned. Shizune launched several high-powered needles at a group of three, forcing them to take cover. Naruto turned around and saw another group of Oto-nin try to take them by surprise. Thinking quickly, he slid the kunai back in its holster and reached back for his rucksack. In an act of quick thinking, Naruto withdrew a small, shimmering bottle full of glowing blue potion. Using his teeth to hold his wand, he threw the potion far as he could and it shattered as the three Oto-nin were racing. There was a bright blue flash of light and the three Oto-nin were thrown off to the side like rag dolls. Their unconscious bodies were smoking and a magical burst of electricity danced off them.
"YES," shouted Naruto.
Jiraiya caught a glimpse of what Naruto did and quirked an eyebrow, "Hey, can I see one of those?"
Naruto nodded without question and tossed his mentor another one of his homemade Exploding Potions. The Sannin didn't hesitate to examine the contents of the bottle and tossed it at what appeared to be pile of rocks much farther away. There was another bright flash and the rocks exploded, but from the explosion, two Oto-nin disguised as rocks flew into the air, screaming bloody murder, before they landed in the snow in a heap as electricity danced across their lifeless bodies.
"Wow," the Sannin was certainly impressed.
The genin smiled before he grabbed his wand and blocked a kunai aimed for him, "Protego!"
Shizune kept several of the Oto-nin at bay with her projectiles. She forced two more small groups to hide behind the same rocks, cornering them. Naruto helped out, launching various spells at the edges of the rocks to scare the Oto-nin in place. Between that, he blocked more kunai and shuriken Jiraiya and Shizune were unable to block or evade, much to their surprise and relief. Jiraiya grabbed one of the Oto-nin suicidal enough to launch himself at them once they ran out of projectiles. The Sannin displayed an alarming feat of physical strength when he threw the soldier right into a nearby rocking, possibly killing him on impact.
"RAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH," the Sannin roared.
By this time, the remaining Oto-nin got wise and began to take cover. Aside from the occasional spell and poisoned needle scaring the trapped soldiers in place behind the rocks, no one dared to attack. For a few seconds, the destructive sounds of Tsunade's fight with Kabuto were the only noises heard on the battlefield. Jiraiya hopped onto a rock to get a better look and blocked a dozen shuriken whizzing towards him with a kunai he picked up. The Oto-nin that threw them hid behind another set of rocks and granted the Sannin some time. Jiraiya whirled around to keep an eye on Orochimaru, tempted to go after him as he remained where he stood. But Jiraiya resisted the temptation until he refused to leave Naruto for one second.
Back with the genin and the kunoichi, Naruto waited for one of their enemies to attack but none of them dared. He then got another idea to draw them out and reached into his rucksack again. He withdrew a thin vial filled with green potion and threw it. He and others heard the small glass vial shatter but nothing seemed to happen. That is, until, the unmistaken sound of choking broke out. At least six Oto-nin retreated from their hiding spots around where Naruto threw the vial. Most of them utilized their chakra to flee the area fast, canceling their jutsu with their hands wrapped around their throats.
Two of the Oto-nin fell behind the others fleeing, to which Naruto aimed his wand, "Incarcerous Tria!" and the two choking Oto-nin were immobilized with iron chains.
Shizune struck the other exposed Oto-nin with more poisoned needles, this time shooting them from her mouth. The Oto-nin were each taken down, but the group she and Naruto previously had pinned down with needles and spells, hopped over the rocks and attacked.
"Oh no," the kunoichi breathed before she ducked under a kunai thrown at her.
But Naruto whirled around, used a Shield Charm to block another kunai, ran towards the approaching Oto-nin some, then he held his wand with both hands, aimed, and shouted, "CONFRINGO!"
Naruto was able to stand his ground this time as an orange fire-like blast erupted from his wand. The blast struck the snow and rock beneath the feet of the approaching Oto-nin and sent them flying. Shizune and Jiraiya shield themselves from a few small falling rocks and dirt, as they were surprised at the display of Naruto's magical power. The bodies of the Oto-nin were scattered around the field and smoking, lying motionless. Naruto panted from the amount of magic it took to use that last spell. But he didn't have time to catch his breath as he felt Harry grab his shoulder and urge him to move.
'LOOK OUT!'
The genin saw a kunai strike the snow close in front of him, with a bomb attached to the ring. Naruto Disapparated on the spot, seconds before the explosion. He appeared further back from where he stood and another explosion happened near where he last saw Jiraiya and Shizune. The second explosion distracted them as Naruto Disapparated again when another Oto-nin moved in for the kill. He appeared again, closer to the first explosion before he felt Harry grab him again.
'ANOTHER BOMB!'
Naruto let Harry be his trusted guide as he Disapparated again. He appeared further to the left of the previous explosion, but had the good sense to Disapparate the very next second, this time much farther away. Naruto had the right feeling as another explosion went off. The genin sensed the same Oto-nin coming after him again, with two kunai this time. The genin Disapparated again and quickly hid behind one of countless large rocks. Naruto stayed out of sight but heard a number of different explosions echo across the battlefield. Then, he noticed, the sounds were not as intense as an explosion. He looked around and saw the source of the sounds was Tsunade's fight with Kabuto.
Tsunade charged after Kabuto like an unstoppable rhinoceros. Kabuto was getting winded but managed to keep his distance. Tsunade didn't seem winded at all, in fact, it almost seemed like her strikes and kicks were getting stronger the angrier she got. Tsunade advanced on the elusive shinobi but Kabuto took his kunai and made a surprising but alarming move; he sliced his own arm, splattering blood all over himself as well as Tsunade. The kunoichi froze and shivered as she looked down at her hands, horrified beyond belief.
'Blood,' was all she thought as her most horrific memories were forced to the surface and paralyzed her.
Her lips quivered and she couldn't stop shaking. She could do nothing but watch as the blood flowed down her skin, staining her hands and clothes.
Jiraiya, Shizune, and Tonton recovered from the explosions, but not unscathed. Shizune checked for injuries before she healed a few bruises and treated a deep gash in the Sannin's shoulder. While that happened, Jiraiya desperately searched for his blonde charge, spotting him hiding behind a boulder, armed with his magic wand. The Sannin searched for the other remaining Oto-nin until he caught sight of Orochimaru again. Jiraiya was surprised to see he had not moved, nor had he taken advantage of the chaos to abduct Naruto.
'That's right,' he soon realized, 'On account of that curse, he's not going to risk fighting more than one opponent at a time. That's probably why he brought all these idiots.'
Just as he thought of that, he and Shizune heard the sound of blood being spilt. They turned their heads just in time to see Tsunade covered in Kabuto's blood. Shizune gasped and Tonton squirmed as the legendary kunoichi was reduced to a quivering bloody mess.
Kabuto took his chance and put all of his strength to punch Tsunade off her feet, "Now I'm in control!"
"TSUNADE," shouted Shizune and she vanished in a heartbeat to catch her mentor as she tumbled back across the field nonstop.
Jiraiya made an attempt to follow but then he almost had a heart attack as he heard more explosions and shouting from Naruto's location, "Oh no!"
One of the last Oto-nin searched for Naruto with his knives drawn, like hooks for hands.
"You won't escape this time, freak," he heard the voice of the masked soldier shout from behind the rock.
Naruto Disapparated again, hiding behind another rock as he processed what the soldier chasing him just said, 'Nii-san! I think this is one of the Oto-nin that chased us through the woods three months ago!'
'When we escaped on those thestrals?!'
'Yeah, I think,' he thought as he peered around the corner, 'He might have seen me Disapparate. That could be how he thought to line the field with bombs!'
'He sure is clever for a faceless goon.'
A few more explosions went off around the field until a blast broke off a piece of the boulder Naruto hid behind. The clever Oto-nin spotted his blonde hair and moved in. The genin Disapparated again but didn't expect the soldier to turn back on the spot, anticipating his ability to teleport. When Naruto Apparated where he thought was a safe distance, the Oto-nin was gunning right towards him.
"RAAAAAHHH," the Oto-nin roared before he tackled Naruto.
While in midair, before the genin hit the unforgiving earth and snow, Naruto grabbed the front of the man's uniform. He came up with an idea at the last possible second and Disapparated again, but took the Oto-nin with him.
When Naruto appeared again, he landed as he should have but recovered fast as the Oto-nin staggered. The masked soldier recovered from the disorientation but stood frozen in utter shock when he realized his entire right arm was missing, splinched clean off.
The masked man fainted right there on the spot, 'Well, not that clever.'
Naruto needed a moment to catch his breath. He then felt Harry's presence again, grabbing his shoulder, 'LAST ONE,' the blonde wizard sensed the approaching Oto-nin, whirled around, and aimed his wand at him. The masked soldier was struck in the face with a nonverbal spell and hit the ground before he got close.
"NARUTO," shouted Jiraiya before he appeared out of nowhere, "Are you alright?!"
The Sannin held his shoulders and checked his charge once over. Naruto found his concern somewhat touching, as he noticed some of Jiraiya's hair was singed a bit and his left shoulder was bleeding.
Naruto nodded and coughed, "Yeah, I'm fine," and regained his posture.
"Did you just teleport?" the Sannin asked as he held the boy's shoulders, looking amazed and nostalgic, "Did I seriously just see you teleporting? Like the Yondaime?!"
The genin nodded and shrugged, as he tried hard not to think about when he first accomplished the feat, "Y-Yeah, kinda! I can Apparate," he explained, "Wizards can do that."
Jiraiya couldn't help but smile brightly and laughed proudly when his charge confirmed this.
Shizune forced Kabuto to back off, wise enough not to underestimate Shizune after his first encounter with her. She retreated and appeared right beside Jiraiya and Naruto in a flash, surprising them with Tsunade in her arms. Kabuto scoffed as he watched Tsunade shiver while her assistant began to clean the blood off of her quickly. Shizune wrapped the coat Tsunade had previously abandoned around her as the more seasoned kunoichi kept shivering and muttered to herself.
"Please don't take it all on yourself," Shizune said with a forgiving smile, "I'm here to help."
Naruto then narrowed his sights on the man that murdered his swordsmaster and attacked.
Kabuto's heart almost skipped a beat when he heard Naruto shout, "STUPEFY!"
The shinobi leapt back at the last second when a jet of light struck where he once stood. Naruto ran out of Jiraiya's reach and used a nonverbal spell as a blast of white light flew across the snow but Kabuto dodged it. Another white spell was fired at him at top speed, almost too fast for Kabuto to avoid as he felt the heat of it. Kabuto seemed amused at the effort and threw his bloodied kunai at the genin, only to see him effortlessly block it with a nonverbal Shield Charm. Naruto then surprised him when he waved his wand and what appeared to be a whip made of lightning lashed out and struck the rock inches from where Kabuto stood. The older shinobi saw the surface of the rock was burnt and smirked as he missed. Kabuto was seconds away from attacking back, when Shizune made a surprise save; she grabbed Naruto, carrying him over her shoulder as she fired a dozen poisoned needles from her mouth at Kabuto.
"Poison needles again," he cursed under his breath.
But Kabuto managed to deflect them all with his headband. Shizune regrouped with the still shaken Tsunade as Jiraiya moved quickly to hold back his charge by the collar of his jacket, "Forget about it!"
Kabuto retreated, standing beside Orochimaru in the distance again. The bespectacled shinobi popped a red pill in his mouth and used his medical ninjutsu to heal the gash on his arm.
"Let go of me, Ero-Sennin," growled the genin as Jiraiya continued to hold him in place, "I WANNA KILL HIM!"
The Sannin shook his head and ordered, "You stick around with the pig and guard Tsunade for me. Shizune will take care of four-eyes and I will take care of Orochimaru."
"No," the genin stubbornly refused, "Kabuto is mine! I can hex him in a second!"
Jiraiya put his foot down, "You're blind with rage over the death of your friend," he looked back at the shinobi and narrowed his eyes, "He'll use that to his advantage. Besides, Kabuto is at the same level as someone like Kakashi," the genin wanted to protest but the hermit cut him off, "Listen to me and leave him to Shizune. Guard Tsunade with that shield-thing you can do. We have to make sure she survives for the Hokage's sake," the sudden reminder of their mission made him blink and he calmed down some, "That's our mission, Naruto. Don't forget the Hokage."
The genin understood the importance of the orders he was given, but he couldn't help but glare back at the traitor and shook with righteous fury, "If he comes over here, I'll kill him."
"Leave him to Shizune," the Sannin repeated firmly, "That's an order."
The genin looked back at the quivering Sannin behind him and frowned bitterly as he forced himself to obey, "Fine."
Suddenly, Orochimaru rolled up the sleeve of his robe to reveal a unique tattoo. Naruto caught a glimpse as Kabuto smeared his blood against the tattoo. This earned the attention of Jiraiya and Shizune too late as Kabuto slammed his hands down on the snow and a massive cloud of white smoke erupted beneath them.
"Oh, that's not good," Jiraiya said under his breath and watched the smoke rise high into the air.
To the shock and horror of the group on the ground, two enormous serpents emerged from the smoke. They were each just as large as the giant snakes Orochimaru's followers wrought havoc in the invasion. Orochimaru and Kabuto separated and stood upon the crowns of each giant snake and the beasts attacked.
To Be Continued…
I am so so so so so so sorry to leave you guys with a cliffhanger like that, but I have to end the chapter here. I wish I didn't have to but it had to be done. Like I said before, this chapter in particular was A LOT longer than I had anticipated. If I didn't end it here, the end of the chapter in its entirety would have seriously dragged on. It really was way too much to cram into a single chapter. But I took a very long time to update and I hate leaving you wonderful readers hanging, so I hope you fuzzy little man-peaches had some fun with what I have so far with this first half. You guys have been so patient, thank you so much ^_^
I'll keep working on the next chapter as much as I can, so hopefully the second part will be posted in a week or maybe even a matter of days. ^^ Take care!