Disclaimers: Naruto is not mine, sadly. This is purely a fanfic using someone else's characters.
Warnings: This story includes strong language, violence, sexual assault, torture, sexual content (yaoi), & angst.
It's All In Your Head
Chapter 64: Resist
--
Kyuubi, please.. please you have to fight it.
He was desperate to get his thoughts across before Kyuubi was out of reach, before he was completely torn away from him.
Kyuubi..
Naruto winced. His throat was raw from his endless screams, and now they were nearly silent- his voice fading along with his consciousness.. and his friend.
I.. wish I could, he thought back.
Naruto looked over at Kyuubi's half-formed body, encased in chakra the color of flames, sputtering and violent. A trail of it was still connected to Obito's free hand, like a leash. That's probably exactly what it is, Naruto thought. He could sense Kyuubi's anger at the thought, but there was little he could do about it. So much of him had already been dragged out of the kid, and what was left was just as controlled by the masked man as the half that was chained next to him.
Now you know.. why I.. hate all Uchihas...
Naruto gave a pained smile, which shattered as another scream ripped from his chest. Kyuubi tried to heal him, to ease his pain, but he was also being torn apart and couldn't latch on enough to help. It hurt- seeing Naruto like this, knowing that he was in so much agony and being helpless to stop it. He cared about the kid, deeply.
He didn't want this for him.
Naruto..
The blonde met his newly formed feral eyes as his voice filled his mind. The fox watched as those heavy blues clouded over, as his human struggled to stay with him.
Kyuubi..
His eyes rolled back in his head, and he went limp against his restraints. The Nine Tails howled with rage and tried to lunge towards him, but Obito had a firm grip on his chakra and kept him locked in place.
The pain was too great for Naruto to stay unconscious. Mere moments later his eyes shot open, and another scream tore free.
Focus, Naruto.. there isn't much.. more of me left.. in you..
I-I can't.. it hurts so much-
Help me channel.. some of my chakra, the fox growled. To break through the chains..
He couldn't do it himself, not while Obito had so much control over him. But maybe there was enough strength left in the blonde to counter that. At the very least, he might be able to take some of his demonic power for himself. Just enough to have a chance.
Naruto bit down hard on his lip, forcing himself to think past the pain, to focus on what was left of his demon. His consciousness sank deep in his mind, where Kyuubi resided. His massive form looked weakened, faded. His claws buried deep as he fought to stay with him. Naruto dropped down in front of him and pressed a hand against his paw, gripping it tight. Their eyes met and held.
I don't want you to leave, Naruto thought, his voice strained even in his mind.
I.. don't want to leave you either.. he admitted.
Naruto swiped away frustrated tears. I can't lose you, Kyuubi. I can't..
Kurama.
Naruto looked up, brows furrowed. "What..?"
My name.. is Kurama. I want you to.. call me that. With the time we have left..
Why?
The fox gave an ironic smile, pained but Naruto could see the love behind it too. I thought.. we were on a first name basis..
Naruto offered his own strained smile. Kurama..
Hmm?
Thank you, Naruto thought, his voice quiet and filled with emotion. For everything. I.. I was lucky to have you.. in my life..
The fox blinked back tears, which Naruto was surprised to see. He had never seen him like this before.
I.. feel the same way, human.
Naruto rolled his eyes.
Fine, Kurama growled, a low drained sound, his strength fading fast. I also cherish you.. Naruto.
.. Even if you're.. just a human, he muttered.
I heard that. Naruto grinned, despite himself. Damn fox..
I will leave as much of me behind as.. as I can.. Kurama said hurriedly. Use it to escape.. and live, Naruto.
Do it for me.
Then he slipped from his fingers, pulled from his host and to a Uchiha who meant to use him, control him, making him the villain once more.
No! Kurama! Naruto reached out, desperate to keep him by his side, but he was gone..
Well, most of him was gone.
Naruto pulled his hand back to his chest and opened it. When he peered down, he saw a small orb of red chakra- a piece of his fox that he had left behind. He closed his hand around it once more and cradled it close to his chest.
To his heart.
Please, help me, he murmured, one last time.
He focused his strength, what was left of it, on channeling the last bit of Kurama's chakra to his wrists, to the restraints binding them. His eyes shot open, a hint of red flickering inside, as his wrists grew hot. Painfully so. It didn't matter though because it was working. The demonic energy sliced through the metal binding him, and the restraints fell limp against the chains.
Obito's eye shot over to him, but Naruto was careful to avoid his sharingan. Preoccupied with the Nine Tails, Obito had no choice but to rely on the Akatsuki recruits to deal with the jinchurki. "Stop him!" he commanded.
Naruto hurriedly sliced through the restraint around his throat before dropping down to deal with the ones on his ankles. One man got to him before the others and grabbed a fistful of his hair. He roughly yanked his head back, sneering down at him with the utmost hate. Naruto cried out, but he kept his hands wrapped tight around his legs. The restraints gave and his chakra returned full force.
As the others closed in, Naruto sent a blast of chakra at his attacker, sending him flying back into the wall. His head slammed into the rock with a sickening crack, and he dropped heavily to the ground, unconscious.
"Kage no Bunshin!!"
The cave filled with shadow clones, and they rushed the Akatsuki fast as Naruto moved towards his real opponent. He threw his hand up above his head, a massive Rasengan Shuriken swirling in his hand- one that Obito never even saw him make. He hurled it at the Uchiha with a furious scream. It came inches from his piercing his mask when he suddenly flickered out of view, and Kyuubi with him.
Naruto spun around, desperate to find them, and terrified he wouldn't, when they reappeared on the other side of the cave.
"I see there's still some of the Nine Tails left in you" Obito said smoothly, somewhat irritated by the fact but not completely surprised by it. He didn't expect this to be easy. Rumors of the jinchurki's abilities had already reached the Akatsuki. He knew he was dealing with a formidable opponent.
Naruto stared back at him, surprised. He thought he had used the last of Kurama's power to escape the shackles, but apparently there was more left. Hopefully it was enough.
He turned to look at the Nine Tails. He was growing larger, slowly regaining his original form. A leash of chakra still bound him to Obito, though, keeping him close. His mouth was pulled back in a feral snarl, his eyes ones that Naruto didn't recognize. This was a Nine Tails he didn't know. The one who had slaughtered countless when Madara pitted him against Konoha. The one who.. who had killed his parents.
It hurt to think about.
It hurt to see him like this.
"Kurama- don't let him do this to you" he breathed. He was still weakened from Obito's attack and without the Kyuubi's chakra he wouldn't be able to heal for a while. He forced himself to ignore the pain and gave all of his attention to the friend he couldn't bear to lose. Not like this.
"Kurama! Come on, I know you're still in there!!"
Fearsome claws dug into the ground, clearly aching to be used, and those predatory eyes locked onto the blonde. There was no hint of recognition. For either of them.
"Kurama, please!!"
"It's too late for that, Naruto."
"No!" he screamed. "Fuck you! I won't let you do this to him. He doesn't want to be your fucking pet!"
Obito tilted his head, studying the blonde. "And what makes you think he wants to be yours?"
"It's not like that" Naruto growled.
"Then what would you call it?"
"He's my friend, asshole!" He took a threatening step towards him, chakra gathering in his torn palm. "And I will get him back."
Naruto flickered out of view and reappeared directly in front of the Uchiha, his fist chakra-consumed and swinging. He was about to make contact with his face, but instead went straight through it. He fell forward, unable to slow his momentum, and dropped to his knees. "Dammit!" He leapt back to his feet and suddenly Obito was right in front of him.
"I thought I made myself clear, jinchurki" he said smoothly, unaffected by his outburst. "I will follow through with my plans. You cannot stop me."
Naruto tried to lash out again, and again failed. "Why are you doing this?!" he screamed. "That Madara guy- he isn't here, right? So why do you have to do this? What are you really after?"
Obito's blood-red gaze darkened. "Revenge. For him, for our clan. And to continue his legacy" he said, irritation rising in his voice. He didn't like being questioned like this. Being doubted.
"Is that really what you want?" Naruto asked, eyeing the masked man. His eyes slid over to the Nine Tails growing beside him, then back to the man bound to it. "Tell me, Tobi" he said, enunciating the name he had strangely enough shared despite telling him not to use it, "why do you really want to be hated?"
Obito stared at him, surprised by the question, and something in his gaze changed. He didn't want to admit to it, but Naruto could see it. His words had gotten through to him. Maybe not completely, but he could see that his resolve was beginning to falter.
Obito shook his head, refusing to be swayed by the blonde. He could still feel Madara's influence, his power over him, and he couldn't shake the feeling- the crippling desire- he had to win his approval. He wouldn't disappoint the man who had saved him from the brink of death, who had helped him find a new purpose in life.
Nothing would change that.
Nothing.
"Tobi..?"
The Uchiha froze. No.. why is he here?
His sharingan shot over to the side of the cave, shock washing over him as his past slowly stepped inside.
"I.. didn't expect to see you again..
'Kashi."
Author Note:
I hope you are enjoying my version of Obito and the sweet little Kurama moment. Also hoping that the changes I make to the real storyline don't bother you too much.
Alright, are you ready for 'Kashi & Tobi's reunion?
Let's hope your answer is a solid "hell yeah" because it's about to happen anyways!