Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Hidden Villages ❯ Master of Murder ( Chapter 7 )

“Every life is precious and everyone gets their chance to survive in this violent world. Every person has the power to affect change on the world and on the battlefield each individual soldier is just as valuable and one must never forget the impact one man can have on the whole world.” –Kuroudo Inutoriki, Paradiseo’s current Master of Murder


Kuroudo kicked Menos back, blood poured from the hole where the right arm was once attached. The look on Kuroudo’s face was terrifying; his eye was a void of malice. His whole demeanor seemed to chill the bones. It was as if he had brought death itself with him, the grim reaper trailing behind him waiting to claim his prizes from the bloody wake left behind the murder machine called Kuroudo.

Pein looked into the eye of this boy, the paladin of death. He saw the eye of a man who lived and breathed combat, was fed by the suffering of his foes, had killed many men, he was a monster. Pein saw a monster who merely disguised itself as a human, a remorseless beast who’d tear through men and defenses like they were not even there. He saw the soul of a warrior. The boy who stood before the Akatsuki was the man and the beast, God and the Devil, lunacy and lucidity all as one. He was a ninja whose caliber wasn’t measured by his rank, but by his body count. The boy’s chakra was a fearful blend of bloodlust and calamity, it was chaos incarnate. This boy was no lowly foot soldier; he stood with the air of a veteran of long conflicts. Pein could see by the way he stood that his legs must have suffered many wounds. Finally Pein spoke to him, “Who are you?”

“I am the puzzle, I am the solution. I am the beast, I am human. I am new, and I am old. I am the Fox*. I am the victim and the killer. I am all, I am nothing. I am your worst nightmares come to life for a startling display of raw power and violence.” Kuroudo answered. He counted the enemies; 1: Koga, 2: Juri, 3: Menos, 4: white hair (Hidan), 5: guy who lost a fight against a nail gun (Pein), 6: Mr. No pupils (Kakuzu), 7: ugly fat mask guy (Sasori). I thought there’d be more than this. Good and none of them seem to be genjutsu users, excellent! It’d take most of my chakra but I can take them all by myself. I thought for sure that they’d have recruited Kenji, Kazuko, and the other one but it looks like they’ve only talked to Koga so far good. Now as long as they don’t have anyone else coming I should be fine, I hope.

“He’s the current Master of Murder, ID number 666-1327 Kuroudo Inutoriki; the Fox. Code named Kazuki**, the man who has gained the most recognition from the recent war on that Island. He’s the son of the 12th Inukage, an expert taijutsu and kenjutsu user. He prefers close combat, but watch out, he’s got some fierce ninjutsu. He’s a master tactician, a product of his intelligence and combat experience. His chakra affinities are water and earth, his special affinity is blood. Be especially careful, his most notable feature is that he’s got two kekkei genkai.” Juri tensed up as she spoke, “I’d advise that a retreat is in order if the rest of his team shows up. If possible combat should be avoided against him, no matter what you’ll end up with injuries.”

“After hearing that, how can I back down?” Hidan said gleefully as he stalked forward.

“You’re an over confident fool!” Koga said nervously, he kept his eyes locked on Kuroudo; his voice sounded panicked, “This boy has entire cemeteries named after him, full of his victims! During the war he killed at least 10,000 enemy soldiers, left another 5,000 as cripples, and sent 12,000 to hospitals with wounds that took them off the battle field for months. That’s 27,000 soldiers! And that number is probably just a low estimate! Don’t you understand!? In the land of Mountains, the mere uttering of his name causes people to run in fear!”

“I killed 12,063 enemy soldiers and seriously injured another 20,034.” Kuroudo said as a cruel grin spread across his face, “Get your numbers right, Koga.”

“Sounds dangerous indeed.” Itachi, the real Itachi said as he landed on the crowded street, “I sent word to our three ‘recruits’.”

“Humpth, looks like the new bloods will get all the fun.” Hidan said disappointedly as he looked at Kuroudo, “You’re lucky boy!”

“I detest being called, ‘new blood’.” The voice that pierced the air was familiar to Kuroudo, a voice he thought he’d never hear again, Saito didn’t seem surprised to hear it, nor to see the voice’s owner standing in an Akatsuki robe on a building’s roof. He was tall with sickly skin and wild long blonde hair that covered the right side of his face. The lower part of his face was covered by a light blue surgical mask with large black teeth drawn onto it, the only visible portion of his face was part of the left side, and Kuroudo could see his eye, an amber orb from his own nightmares with a cat like iris. The man, who stood, shouldn’t be standing at all. His name, a name which adorns Paradiseo’s ‘Wall of True Heroes’, the monument to the dead ninjas of their beloved land, was none other than Juubei Kentoko, Momoko’s father. A man who’d been labeled as dead for the past ten years stood once again in the world of mortals. This ghost looked at Kuroudo, smiling behind his mask. He spoke with a voice that would send a chill down the Devil’s spine, “What’s the matter Fox? You look as if you’ve seen a ghost!”

“FATHER!?” Momoko howled, she had arrived and she too appeared to be surprised to see her ‘dead’ father standing before her. Temari, Miho, Kankuro, and Gaara also arrived. Temari spoke first.

“Who the Hell is that?” Temari said as she stared at Juubei, who chuckled softly with amusement.

“Why dear young lady, I am the previous master of murder; Doctor Juubei Kentoko, the Jackal. Although I have many nicknames, my favorite is ‘The conductor of the symphony of dying screams’.” Juubei said cheerfully as he jumped down to the street, “I’m the strongest of Paradiseo’s legendary ninja, and I’m a medical ninja by trade, a murderer by practice.”

“You’re dead! I watched you die!” Kuroudo sneered as he grabbed his Luger and aimed at Juubei’s forehead. “I guess my father really was worthless!”

“Ho dear boy! You’re not quite ready to do battle against ME yet, no, no, not yet. You need more practice before you’ll be ready to kill me. Even at full power you wouldn’t last very long as you are now. However, Kazuko has been begging to fight with you. She just won’t shut up about it, ah, the follies of youth! How I miss my own youthful muses!” Juubei said as his shoulders un-tensed and he visibly relaxed, closing his eye as if he was reflecting on his past with old friends. After a brief pause another figure in an Akatsuki robe landed in front of Juubei, undoubtedly this was Kazuko; she’d actually served with Kuroudo during the war. She had long red hair tied back into a pony-tail with bangs hanging in her face. She was young, only around 15. While they served together she’d developed a rivalry with Kuroudo, even though she was much weaker then he was. She looked at Kuroudo, she always wore wide framed circular black sunglasses, Kuroudo honestly couldn’t remember what color her eyes were, and he couldn’t for the life of him figure out how she saw in the dark with those glasses on.

“I’ve waited long for this day!” Kazuko declared with a voice that was almost musical. She was a beautiful young lady, with tanned skin, a toned body, and perky breasts, legs that in a few years would be long and alluring. However, all wasn’t normal on her elegant body; perched upon her head were two fox ears, and above her ass was a bushy fox tail. These strange appendages were the results of experiments that the enemy had conducted on her when she was captured. Her beauty had been the death of many a ninja, her innocent exterior hid her true nature. She attacked with brutal ferocity and excellent sword skills. She held her arm out to the other Akatsuki members, “This is a one-on-one fight, don’t interfere.”

“You have sorrow on your voice Kazuko.” Kuroudo said with a sad tone as he walked towards her, holstering his pistol, “Have you found your battle emotion? Sorrow? Or are you still angry with me for what you must have perceived as abandonment, honestly, I didn’t know you were still in that castle. I didn’t mean to leave you at their mercy.”

“Stuff it!” Kazuko howled to Kuroudo as she drew her katana.

“You aren’t one of them Kazuko. You don’t have darkness in your heart; as far as we go you’re pure. Your place is in Paradiseo with us, not with them. Put your sword down and come back, come home. Come back to us, we’ve been waiting.” Kuroudo said with a tone of sorrow as he drew his sword, “If you wanted to fight me this isn’t how you should have gone about it.”

“No, this is the path I choose. Juubei came to me, offered to make me strong. YOU LEFT ME!” Kazuko sounded near to tears as she spoke with a shaky voice, “I can’t forgive you! After all you said about how important your comrades were and then you lied to me! You were the closest thing I ever had to a brother! I admired you! And you let me down!”

“You mean like you’re doing to me right now?” Kuroudo’s voice became angry, “For your ‘revenge’ you’d commit treason? That is unforgivable, dear Kazuko! Do you know who saved you from that research facility? Do you? Do you know who disobeyed direct orders to save you? Do you know who was publically whipped for saving you!? I did! Because I cared about you! I never lied, I didn’t abandon you!”

“Enough! Kuroudo, you and I are similar creatures. We let our blades talk for us; come answer my blade with your own. Force me to forgive you!” Kazuko said as she leapt at Kuroudo with frightening speed, but Kuroudo easily dodged her attack and sliced her right arm open. Blood poured out of the wound, she grabbed her arm. Kuroudo came up on her right side. Kazuko turned to look at him; he punched her across the face. Her sunglasses flew off and she slammed into the ground.

“Now I can see your eyes.” Kuroudo said as he stalked over to Kazuko, with a neutral look on his face. She scrambled to regain her footing and stand up, but Kuroudo jammed his sword into her left leg. Kazuko screamed in pain, as she screamed Kuroudo picked her up by her neck and slammed her against a wall. Kazuko gasped for air and clawed at Kuroudo’s arm.

“Have enough yet Kazuko?” Kuroudo said as he took his headband off and looked into her eyes with his Ryugan, “Or do you want more pain? They’re blue, your eyes that is.”

“Bring it on!” Kazuko yelled as she punched Kuroudo hard enough to force him to release her. She tore the sword out of her leg and slashed Kuroudo across the chest. As his blood painted the sky, he reached up and grabbed some.

“Bayonets!” Kuroudo said and the blood turned into four socket bayonets which Kuroudo stabbed into Kazuko’s shoulder. He grabbed one and slashed Kazuko’s cheek open. As she screamed he kneed her in the gut. She vomited and fell to her knees coughing; Kuroudo booted her in the ribs. She slammed into the wall behind her.

“It’s almost like he’s toying with her, so cruel.” Temari said with disgust as she looked on at the sad spectacle, she watched as Kuroudo picked Kazuko up by her pony-tail and punched her in the chest several times and then slammed her into the ground. Kazuko rolled around on the ground in pain.

“No, he’s not toying with her.” Momoko said absently as she looked at Temari with a saddened look on her face, “He’s giving her what she wanted, and I just hope she gives up soon. Or she could die.”

Kazuko tried to stand up, her pony-tail had come undone and she was bleeding badly. She grabbed one of Kuroudo’s bayonets from her shoulder and pulled it out, she went to stab him in the gut but he grabbed her wrist and pulled her to her feet. Kazuko looked into Kuroudo’s mismatched eyes with a look of sadness and she opened her mouth to say something.

-PERKOOOoooo- The gunshot echoed throughout the village. Kuroudo held his smoking Luger in his left hand. He had a mournful look on his face, Kazuko spat up some blood. She looked down to see her own blood pooling beneath her, leaking from a hole in her chest, just above her gut.

“AHHH!” Koga yelled in pain as he grabbed at his face, Kuroudo had shot him in the mouth; the bullet had exited through his left cheek and had clipped his left ear. Koga dropped his revolver; he’d missed Kuroudo and had shot Kazuko by accident.

“I forgive you.” Kazuko closed her eyes. Kuroudo set her down gently, and brushed the hair out of her face.

“Thank you, little one. I forgive you too.” Kuroudo said to Kazuko. He stood up and looked towards the assembled Akatsuki, “I’ll get you out of here soon. I have some bugs to crush.”

“Boy I thought I told you that you can’t kill me as you are now!” Juubei said with a joyful but cruel voice as he took out a small bell and wires started dancing around him, “You know that I am the creator of the bellwire jutsus? A skill which you yourself have mastered? You use your chakra to manipulate the wires as you please, and you increase the speed and tension on the wires to give them a cutting edge, one of the most adaptable jutsus around; these same wires can also be used for delicate surgery, trap setting, even to listen in on conversations. Surely you can see my genius in creating such a useful skill, and now you’ll get a whole new appreciation of these deadly strings as your voice joins the chorus of the dying screams!”

Juubei jerked his wrist, sending the wires at Kuroudo; they sliced both of his shoulders open. Blood launched out of the gashes, yet Kuroudo seemed unaffected by the twin wounds. Juubei smiled as he sent his wires in for another swoop; there was a loud cracking sound, like a bullwhip. Juubei’s expression went from glee to fear; Kuroudo held Juubei’s wires in his now bleeding hands. Kuroudo looked up at Juubei; there was a fire in his eyes, a burning rage at the world.

“You’re right Juubei I can’t kill you as I am now, I’ll just have to change.” Kuroudo said sternly as he looked at his friends, “Gaara, Miho; take down the raven haired genjutsu user. Temari, Kankuro; take down Juri. Saito; get the medical corps here stat. Momoko; take down the guy with the piercing fetish. The rest of you, are all my prey.”

Juri leapt towards the forest, she’d seen Kuroudo once at full power, and never wanted to experience the terror again. She looked back to make sure Temari and Kankuro were in pursuit; they were. If they were expecting an easy battle they were about to be surprised, and she hoped they’d be skilled enough to make her experience the pain she so enjoyed.

Itachi also cleared out towards the outlying forest, in a different direction than what Juri had taken. If nothing else he’d have more breathing room and if need be an easier time escaping. His two foes were in hot pursuit.

Kuroudo broke Juubei’s wires. The fire in his eyes was burning even brighter than before. Blood was pouring from the wounds Juubei gave him, but he didn’t seem to notice as he stalked forward. Which each step the remaining Akatsuki could feel an increase sense of dread. The sky grew darker as clouds formed, the ground began to crack.

“Prepare to experience a terror like you’ve never dreamed possible. Make peace with whatever perverted God you may pray to. Set yourselves to face Kuroudo Inutoriki at full release.” Kuroudo spoke with the voice of hell itself, behind him was death waiting like a vulture for its meal of fresh corpses. An insane smile spread across Kuroudo’s face, his white teeth glint as he spoke, “Prepare yourselves to face Paradiseo’s most murderous masterpiece, the beast that was brought into this world a murderer; prepare yourselves to face the master of murder! Prepare yourselves for death.”

“Why am I trembling?” Juubei said excitedly as he looked at his shaking hands, he’d never trembled before. Yet, even to him, it seemed as though Kuroudo brought true fear. Juubei looked at the advancing Kuroudo and joyously asked him, “What emotion do you carry with you into battle!?”

“Fury! But the emotion I give to my enemies is fear, an unsurpassed sense of fear.” Kuroudo said harshly as continued to stare Juubei down, his face seemed to be cracking, like aged plaster. His chakra was increasing rapidly. Lightning danced across the sky and rain began to lightly fall, a false prelude to the savage downpour that would soon fall from that crying sky. Pein could feel the true depth of Kuroudo’s immense chakra, and wished that he hadn’t soon after.


To be continued……

Next time: Juri, of flame and water.

Fox*- Kuroudo’s ‘animal’ nickname.
Kazuki**- The title given to the Master of Murder if they are a Kitsune clan descendant.

Finally, I got off my lazy ass and wrote canto 7!

Overworked, underpaid, unappreciated
-Kazuki Ferret