A/N: EDIT: Not a lot of feedback this time around...and what little there is seems to be...divided. That's a shame T_T
Might be moving this story out of the weekly slot; seems folks are divided over this chapter.
In other news, I'm still here, putting my pen to the paper once more.
Baldur's Gate 3 may be devouring what little free time I have -now that I can finally play it!- but I managed to push back and work on this today, while getting ready to update "Whatever Comes Our Way".
Meanwhile, story went and surged past 1,400 hundred reviews very quickly when I wasn't looking, so here we are, ANOTHER weekly update!
Feedback really does kick me into high gear; if this chapter gets a good reception as well, then I'll do my best to update early once more, as I've been consistently doing for weeks now. Do let me know! In other news...
...thanks again to everyone for the support.
Long Covid may have put a dent in me, but it hasn't beaten me. Of course, I try not to dwell on the latter overmuch; I'm still alive and still writing. In an ideal world, I'd like to keep doing so for as long as I can. But old age is catching up to me and these days, the world is filled with so much madness and death. Feels like everyone's lost their minds sometimes. Even before that, so many friends and fellow writers I once knew are gone, now. Will I still be here in twenty years? Ten? Five? Its a chilling thought. But for now, I'm still here, still writing.
Quick Q&A here, mostly to answer reviews both unsigned and otherwise, and for those who have disabled their PM's to others, but still have questions:
Really, this is my only way of responding to some of you.
Q: Will you take my request?
A: Sorry, StrongGuy, can't do that particular idea.
Q: Please don't make this chock-full of extra people.
A: I...think I understood that? I aim to keep this crossover tasteful, don't you worry.
Q: Wait...if HE's here...then will we see those two...?
A: Maybe, maybe not~!
Q: Bring on the timeskips already!
A: Enjoy the slow pace while you can, when this story picks up, it does so FAST.
So here we go. The fate of this story depends on you, the reader. Your feedback determines the fate of this tale, and many others.
Hope folks are enjoying this little OVA arc for the Kamo clan. We've worked hard on it!
No Q&A beyond that this this time, we've words to write and time's wasting!
Time and feedback will determine if this remains a story. Simple as that.
In other words...its up to YOU, the reader. Do let me know~!
Sukuna really dominated this chapter.
Bastard's such a blast to write...
The music theme for this chapter -for me at least- was Dracula Untold: Prologue. Bloody terrifying music.
References to Mass Effect and Dracula as well~! Hope you enjoy this chapter!
"Humans, curses, demons, they're all the same thing in the end, really.
Everybody wants something in this life. There are no exceptions.
The key, my dear, is figuring out what that something is.
And once you've attained that knowledge...
...then the advantage becomes yours.
That is why Naoya will die.
My brother is soft.
WEAK."
"He may be, but I'm not."
"What the-who the devil are you?!"
"SUCH A POOR CHOICE OF WORDS."
~a future scene.
Time to Bargain
"I've come to bargain, brat."
It would've been so very easy to take Sukuna's words at face value; simply believe that the King of Curses was genuinely offering help with this so-called equivalent exchange. His "bargain" sounded simple enough on the surface. Generous, even. A barter. A trade, if you will. An offer between two friends.
But they weren't friends now, were they? Not yet. Perhaps not ever, depending on how this encounter went.
"Don't make such a face," the King of Curses sneered down at him from his throne. "It displeases me."
Alright...breathe. This was his mind; he had the power here. Sukuna couldn't hurt him...
.
..
...right?
Steeling himself, Naruto drew his body up and glowered up at his unwanted guest warily. "How are you here? I didn't eat any of your fingers. You shouldn't have incarnated in me."
"Smart boy." Sukuna clapped his hands. "You're right. I haven't incarnated in you."
Relief coursed through him, hot and heady.
Until the King dashed it.
"But we're still connected." he brought his hands down, steepling his fingers before his chin with a limpid smile. "You of all people should know that."
A muscle jumped in his jaw. "And yet you dragged me here the second I passed out. Why?"
"I already told you." That eerie grin grew another inch. "I've come to bargain."
Bargain? Naruto absolutely twitched. Surely he was trolling him again.
What was his game...?
"Relax." the king chuckled. "I can only appear to you like this when you're unconscious. I can't take over anymore than you can me."
"Doesn't explain what happened last night."
He remembered it all too well, the manic laughter spilling forth from his lips as he trounced Toguro, the searing rage when he drove his fingers into Shiki's stomach and choked her out. He wanted to say it was Sukuna's fault; that he'd influenced him, and maybe he had. But it hadn't. He hadn't gone berserk; he'd been in perfect control of himself-just angry at the Kamo clan. Furious, really. They thought him weak. Vulnerable. That they could manipulate him.
So.
He had.
Proven them wrong.
And it had felt good, you know? He'd enjoyed the shock on Toguro's face, reveled in the horror within Shiki's eyes, the realization that she'd f****d about and found out. He'd been fully prepared to snap her pretty little neck for drawing him into her machinations and parade her corpse before Toguro.
But that wasn't him! He shouldn't enjoy stuff like that! He couldn't-
A bone bounced off his head, shattering his reverie and drawing an annoyed noise from him. "Stop feeling sorry for yourself, fool. There's a simple explanation for this."
Naruto flung up his arms with an aggravated shout. "How?!"
"Honestly, how can you be so strong yet know so little...?" lowering his arm, Sukuna curled the fingers of his right hand into a fist and laid it against his jaw. "Its called resonance. My soul is influencing yours." His smirking lips pinched into a sour expression at that. "Honestly, its annoying. It would've been more convenient for me if you actually ate my damn finger instead of this...
Dread coursed through his veins like so much black tar. "Not a chance!"
"Are you sure about that?" his grin returned with a vengeance. "Letting me incarnate within you would solve your little problem."
Maybe, but it would create an entirely new, and far more dangerous one.
If he ate one of those, he risked unleashing Sukuna upon the world.
"Our souls are already linked," Sukuna said. "The moment we made contact your lives, both of them, were drilled into my head. I imagine its much the same for you...or haven't you noticed when you loose your temper?"
Oh, yes. He remembered.
Blood.
Screaming.
And above it all, that insane cackle.
Wait. A thought occurred to him just then.
He was taking a gamble here. If he was wrong Sukuna would likely laugh in his face or worse, actively try to kill him. Would mental damage equate to harm in the physical realm? He wasn't sure and in all honesty, he really didn't want to find out. Nevertheless, he mustered his chakra and cursed energy reserves and discretely peered at Sukuna's soul.
"Oi, your majesty."
The King made a noncommittal noise. "Hmmm?"
Naruto lifted his chin. "You said you're influencing me. But the reverse is also true, isn't it? You're awfully chatty today. I don't think you've ever held such a long conversation with me."
Sukuna fell silent.
Aha! Victory! Now it was his turn to grin.
"Resonance is a two way street." he thrust a finger up at his counterpart, unable to contain a triumphant bark of laughter. "If your soul is affecting me, then mine must bleeding over into yours."
"..."
"I'm right, aren't I?" his right foot inched forward, followed by his left, then his right once more. "You're acting like this a problem for me, but I can tell; its affecting you as well. Your cursed energy is all over the place." A faint twitch tightened the king's smile, and he couldn't resist one last jab. "You've seen my memories, haven't you? Probably lived through them, too. Tell me, how does it feel to be human? It must be driving you crazy...
Sukuna's raised his hands.
It was Naruto's one and only warning.
"Domain Expansion: Malevolent Shrine."
He swore and conjured an azure barrier around himself. Well that he did, too; because the first wave fizzled harmlessly against his shield and sparked away into the dark. Yet still they kept coming. An endless torrent of attacks struck from every conceivable angle, wanting nothing more than to cleave him apart and dismantle his body. Naruto grit his teeth, planted his feet, crossed both arms before his chest...and held his ground. No weakness. Not here. If he showed even the slightest hint of strain here, Sukuna wouldn't stop. Not until he was dead.
After what felt like an eternity, the domain dissipated.
Inwardly, he released a quick breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
Bluff successful! Sukuna wasn't at full power. He hadn't consumed any of his fingers. Not a single one.
Had the King of Curses been at full power, an attack would've shattered his defenses and made him whip out his own Domain.
As things stood, he'd barely needed to exert himself...this time around.
What a relief. He never wanted to gamble like that every again!
Never telling Mak and Mai about this! Not ever!
And definitely not Tsumiki!
"Too damn smart for your own good." The King of Curses dropped his palms and glared bloody red daggers at him. "You're a thoroughly annoying brat, you know that?"
He couldn't conceal a cheeky grin. "Yup."
Of course, Sukuna wouldn't be Sukuna if he left it at that. "I wonder what will break first? Your heart, or my pride?"
That was the question, wasn't it? Here he was, gambling his life again. Life really sucked sometimes, ya know?
"Buddy, I've befriended demons waaaay scarier than you."
"So you claim," Sukuna rumbled a laugh, further proof that he'd seen his memories, "But you won't find me such easy prey. You've fought and befriended monsters, that I'll acknowledge, but worse than me?" the very shadows themselves seemed to lengthen around his face, lending his already twisted countenance a fearsome expression. "Do you have the faintest clue who you're talking to?"
"I've got a pretty good notion...
A monster. Chaos incarnate. Someone he might not be able to redeem.
But he had to try. He'd never forgive himself if he didn't at least make an attempt.
"You're thinking of using me, aren't you?" Sukuna's grin would've made a cambion cry. "Despite all you've said, you want my power. Not for yourself, but for the sake of good. How supremely noble. How many of your clan have you killed with your own gifts?"
Naruto winced, despite his best efforts. "More than I care to admit."
The King of Curses rose from his throne with a languid sigh. "And what did you feel when you killed them?"
Naruto shrugged. ...shame?"
Errors were made.
In an instant Sukuna stood before him, towering over him in all his dark glory.
He struck like a serpent.
Naruto let him.
He didn't resist all; not in the least, although he could've as a hand closed around his throat, yanked him off his feet, and slammed his back into the watery floor.
Sukuna snarled down at him, toothy visage inches from his own. "Lie to me again and I'll rip your throat out. What. Did you. FEEL?!"
Naruto seized his throat in return and squeezed viciously. The King of Curses grunted in surprise, but didn't relent.
"Nothing." he ground the words up at him. "I didn't feel a damn thing."
"Then why kill at all if not for the pleasure of it?" He had the distinct feeling he was being tested.
"Because it had to be done. Men don't fear swords." he pushed more chakra to his lungs, resisting him as his free hand painstakingly pried the fingers from his throat. "They fear monsters. They run from them. They dread them. They don't even think of fighting back against them. A world like this doesn't need a hero; its had one, and nothing changed. What it needs is a monster."
"And you believe you know what it is to be a monster." Sukuna scoffed and continued to try and crush him even as he himself was crushed in turn. "You have no idea. Shall I show you?"
"Fine by me!" He grit his teeth. "We could have it out right now. Winner take all. Whaddya say?"
Sparks flew between them as they girded themselves for battle.
Much his surprise, Sukuna demurred. "Tempting...but no."
Naruto beamed. "Glad you saw it my way."
"Hrrm?" Sukuna looked down, momentarily nonplussed to find an ethereal blue chakra-palm inches from his stomach, rasengan in hand.
...clever brat. Offering one hand and arming the other. I like that." he went limp with a laugh, releasing him entirely, forcing Naruto to do the same out of common courtesy.
"I didn't bring you here to fight, no matter how annoying you might be." Quick as a flash, the King of Curses stood, stepped back, and marched to the base of his throne, yet made no attempt to ascend it. "I meant what I said earlier about offering you some of my power. We can even make the terms of said power a binding vow."
Naruto felt his hackles rise. "That sounds dangerous...
"It is. So be very careful with the specifics." The king's grin gained an edge. "You and I will be bound to both of them. Death will be the least of our worries if we break it."
There went the alarms again! "And in return for your power?
Sukuna spun around to face him, a lone finger raised. "I want one hour."
Why did he have a bad feeling about this? "An hour of what, exactly? Be specific."
Sukuna's grin practically split his face as he leaned forward to regard him anew. "I want an hour of daylight. Freedom. Once a day, every day for the next year, until we reach that infernal tournament of yours. Be it your body or a shadow clone, I don't care. In exchange, I'll fight alongside you during said tournament. Sounds reasonable, no? You need a fifth fighter after all.
"And what happens after the tournament?"
Sukuna smirked. "That depends entirely on you and a few other...mitigating factors."
Terribly tempting, but an hour a day?! This was Sukuna they were talking about! Who knew what he might get up to?!
"Don't be like that, I just wanna stretch my legs a little and go for a walk...
Red alert! Walks were all kinds of bad news! "Like hell you will!
"And now we bargain." Sukuna took his brisk denial in stride. "I promise not to kill any of your allies while I'm out and about."
"Nope!" Naruto shook his head. "Way too many loopholes!"
Here at last the king of curses made an annoyed noise. "Fine, I won't hurt anyone you care for."
"Or me!" he thrust a finger at him. "I know how your kind work! The devil's in the details!"
Sukuna touched a hand to his chest. "Such lack of trust. Do you think so little of me?"
"Yes."
"Alright." He rolled his eyes. "I'll do my best not to willingly maim you physically or emotionally. Does that quell your concerns?"
A little, maybe. But one question persisted. "...why are you offering me all this?"
He felt something flicker in the curse's soul just that.
"I. Am. Bored." It felt like he dragged the words out of Sukuna, such was their vitriol. "There's nothing to do in here beyond rifling through your memories, and sleep and even that drives me mad! If I don't get out of here soon, so help me, I will find a way to CARVE my way out of your corpse!"
A blond brow rose. "Reeeaaally making me not wanna work with you here...
"Such an annoying brat! Do you want my help or not?!"
With that kind of power, no could hurt his family...
"I do want, it really." he held up a hand to placate the angry curse, "But if you're really that bored, I can change it up in here." in the same motion he gestured to the darkness surrounding.
An odd host of complicated emotions flashed across Sukuna's face. At length, he shook his head. "Do as you wish. Just give me something to do."
Naruto tilted his head. Strange. Why did this guy remind him of Kurama so much?
Sukuna hissed at him. "Oi! Don't smile at me like that! It's unpleasant!"
Heh. Now he really was reminded of that old furball.
"We can always talk some more if ya want-
"No."
"Yes." came the counter. "If this binding vow is for the benefit of both of us, then it only makes sense that I get the most bang for my buck. We might even become friends, ya know?"
Sukuna eyed his hand like a burning brand. "We will never be friends."
"Never say never."
...you know what? Fine." his voice all but dripped with venomous sarcasm. "As a favor, I'll throw in some friendly advice. I acknowledge your strength. Its quite real, "And then his smile faded. "But that heart of yours is a weakness. You'd be better off without it.
"What," he stuck out his tongue, "You offering to tear it out or something?
"Brat." A clawed hand twitched. "Don't tempt me. Now, then...
Much to his chagrin, Sukuna offered him that same palm.
"Shake my hand."
He dithered.
"Just how much power can you possibly offer me?" he eyed his proffered limb warily. "You're nowhere near your full strength."
Sukuma chuckled. "Not yet. But I will be."
.
..
...
Should he really agree to this?
The agreement seemed ironclad enough...
"You'll agree." Sukuna made a bemused noise. Because this is the only surefire way to get what you want."
"And what do you think I want?"
"Control." that lone word cut him to the quick. "With my power on your side, no one will be able to stand against you. You'll be able to live as you please, where you please, when you please, and if anyone has a problem with that, we'll kill 'em. Same goes for those annoying brothers of yours. With my help, you'll live long enough to muster all the energy you need; more than enough to bring those Beasts and that precious partner of yours back to life. Doesn't that sound nice?"
If Kurama were here, he would've cautioned him against this...even if it was for his sake.
But Kurama wasn't here now, was he? The void in his soul ached.
Naruto seized his hand and squeezed.
Ice flooded his veins.
Sukuna doubled over in the same instant.
Mercifully, the pain proved fleeting. And yet something lingered. It almost felt like-
"Good boy," The King of Curses crooned, distracting him. "The bargain is struck. We have an accord...
A finger placed itself against his forehead.
...I'll be taking that hour now."
His eyes widened.
"Wait-
(.0.0.0.)
Reality lurched back.
Someone must've carried him to bed; because he recognized this ceiling; this was the brat's room.
...I knew it," he smirked softly, "The light really does feel better in the flesh. Now, then...
He tried to turn his head and felt cold steel set against his neck. He froze.
Neji loomed over him, a knife held to his throat.
His expression was absolutely furious.
"What have you done?"
A/N: Aaaand scene. We'll pick up here next time.
I'll say this now, Naruto wants to try and "save" Sukuna. It remains to be seen if he can.
For future reference, the whole "Cambion" is a Baldur's Gate reference for those who wonder.
Hope you enjoyed this chapter~! That said, would you like weekly updates? Do you want this to remain a story?
Yes? No? Maybe so? Make yourselves heard! Really need to hear from you, here. Once more, we're sticking with the "Embers" rule for this particular story, and others. If folks don't like this, it won't be continued. Meaning that if the story itself isn't popular? Well...I'll not continue it. I'm working two jobs -might need a third soon!- so I barely have time to write; as such, I cannot afford to write something folks don't enjoy.
So by all means, speak up! Your voice matters! Make yourself heard! As ever, reviews are the fuel that sustain me. Without them I cannot write a single word. Simple as that. Working nearly all hours of the day keep me absurdly busy, and I can't bring myself to write something folks don't like.
Aaaand there we go. As ever, reviews keep me alive. Without them, I cannot write. So...in the Immortal Words of Atlas...
...Review...Would You Kindly? Hope you enjoy the previews.
We've got some new ones and some are...intense.
They've been expanded and then some!
Read at your own risk:
WARNING! WARNING! WARNING~!
SPOILERS AWAIT THEE~!
YE BE WARNED~!
(Previews)
EDIT: We all know this reference~!
Most are condensed to save time and space. SKIP THEM IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE SPOILED.
A wry smile split his face. "...it really is you, isn't it?"
...we need to talk, Naruto."
Could you take the knife away, please?
Once I'm certain its you and not that demon in your body.
The news spread like wildfire, just as Naruto knew it would.
Soon enough, other invitations were issues.
At long last, they began to move.
Have you taken leave of your senses, Hanami?!
Jogo's anger was to expected.
Really, it was.
Things had changed while she was away in the mountains. Not only had Jogo grown stronger, but Dagon had evolved during her absence.
A human came by; a woman with a scarred forehead.
What did she want?
She proposed an alliance.
And you considered it?
No. I sent her away. She said she would return.
You would be able to enter if you revealed your fce, but I'd have to hide mine, to say nothing of Dagon. Why should we go to such lengths?
We are the true humans, after all.
The era that boy seeks would be a paradise for Cursed Spirits such as ourselves.
A grin split his face. Very well. We'll massacre them all.
Hanami slapped a palm to her face.
Jogo, no...
Sukuna stretched.
A shadow fell over him, dampening his good mood. "Hello there~!
Gojo Satoru.
Am I speaking to Naoya right now?
No. He tapped a finger to his forehead, only to wince as a jolt of pain shot through him. Ow. Loud bastard. Clever one, course he had a failsafe in place.
You're kinda weak right now, so I'm not too worried.
Sukuna grinned. I'll kill you first once I'm truly free.
Gojo grinned. "Will you?
A sharp sting of pain prevented him from following through on those words. Ow! Damn vow!
Naoya always was one for taking in strays he'd just never thought he'd try to convert the king of curses himself.
The damn brats.
Why do you have marks on your face?
So that's Sukuna?
The impudence of thes brats.
...your stance is full of holes. Double damnit. All these flaws annoyed him. If you're gonna do something, do it right.
I didn't think the Great Sukuna could be so such a softy.
"I'm not, you fool...
Neji's presence in the Zen'in clan did not go unnoticed.
Amanai Riko was certainly...energetic.
Yo. I hear you need a fifth member."
"And you are...?"
The young man cracked his knuckles."I see why all those fools fell to this...lesser version of you." his adversary scoffed and tightened their grip. "But I am not them. And those cousins of yours? We have plans for them-
Kill.
Naruto's world went red. His hands scrabbled, numb fingers clawing for a handhold on the arm choking the life out of him. Against all odds, he managed to find one.
Kill him!
He reared back and headbutted them, stunning them. Their fingers let go, buying him precious seconds to breathe. As they staggered he clenched his fist.
KILL THEM ALL!
He felt it cleanly; the moment their jaw dislocated under the force of his punch. He heard it clearly, his yowl of rage filling the air, shocking the crown into silence. He saw sit clearly; the sheer shock on his adversary's face as they staggered back, rubbing their face. A tooth came free under their thumb; they inspected the bloody molar for a moment before tossing it away, setting their jaw...and smiling.
"There he is...hello, Sukuna."
"You will come with us."
Mai ripped her revolver from her belt and began loading the chamber with bullets.
"Did you not hear me, child?!"
"Hush." she held up a finger. "Almost done."
Her task complete, she closed the chamber and pointed her pistol their way.
"One of these six bullets is special." she smiled, mimicking a shit-eating grin she'd once seen Naoya use. "You feeling lucky punk?"
She mentally pumped a fist.
Yes! She finally got to use that line!
No way was she wasting his gift on a scrub of a kidnapper.
"Oi, now." his eyes began to glow. "That's my friend. GET YOUR FILTHY MITTS OFF HER."
"Listen to yourselves! Have you all bothered to think about what kind of person you're trying to curse?!
EDIT: Hope you enjoyed! Looking forward to your feedback~!
Hope you have a great day,
~Nz.