Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Inner Secrets ❯ Chapter 13

Disclaimer: as I said many times, I do not own Naruto nor any other published product, beyond that one little thing I mentioned earlier. ((It is a poem for curiosity's sake.))

 

Warnings: Same as ever.

 

Pairings: No changes to them, so look back for them.

 

A/N: Hey guys. ^.^ Thank you sooo much for all the support and suggestions that you have given me. You would not believe how thankful I am for your words of praise and hints on little things I need to work on. ^.^ I apologize for the spelling or grammatical mistakes you may find, after all, I just listened to my AP English teacher mock me in front of my class for my `horrid!', `appalling!', spelling. ^.^ I laughed the whole time! Anyways! Onto the fic!

 

 

Chapter 13

 

Kabuto smirked in amusement as his vitals and his flesh re-grew properly, leaving not a single hint of where he had been hit by the Rasengan that was driven through his stomach courtesy of a certain blond. “Orochimaru-sama,” The silver haired medical nin began, “He has gotten much stronger, so deliciously so. I can feel the power leaking off him in tantalizing ways. Please, may I fight him?”

 

Orochimaru chuckled before nodding his assent. “You may, but you'd have to occupy the rest of them somehow should you desire to fight the boy alone.” The snake-man stated with a smirk, one that foretold great pain and suffering.

 

“Tsunade-sama is frozen, as you said she fears blood more than anything. Naruto driving that Chakra sphere through my stomach worked to out advantage. Jiraiya-sama looks as though he was poisoned by a drug which will keep him weak and disoriented for some time still. That leaves the girl and her pig as possible interference.” He summed up as he pushed his round-rimmed glasses further up his nose.

 

`Kit,' Kyuubi began cautiously, a look of serious concentration shimmering in his glowing eyes, `He is powerful. Just look into his eyes and you can tell he holds much prowess. He is dangerous. And he fights for his most precious person, meaning he has determination and desire baking him up. It is as that boy, Haku, had said. “When someone is protecting someone or something they care deeply for, they become as strong as they need to be.” He could be quite the adversary.'

 

`I think we should try those ancient styles of techniques. They sounded rather interesting when we looked them over.' The nine-tailedfox suggested before falling silent, knowing that any more words might distract his host.

 

With a smirk of his own, Naruto dropped into a low Taijutsu stance, his feet parallel with his shoulders, his knees bent and his hands crossing before him in a flat palmed fashion. “Squirrel Formation.” Naruto said aloud, eyes shimmering with unadulterated delight at the situation and the weakness his stance seemingly holds.

 

“Squirrel?” Kabuto asked with a frown, while Shizune and Jiraiya looked at the blond as though he had just grown a second head. “Naruto-kun, I hate to say this but… I think you've lost what little mind you have.” He sighed with a shake of his head before he dropped into a stance of his own. The Tiger Formation.

 

Simultaneously the two launched forward, their forms vanishing from sight as dust rose in their place. A spread knuckle punch was brushed aside with a small and closed hand, as the two reappeared to give a blow or act in defense before they disappeared yet again. They clashed, dust rising in sharp waves at every attempt to strike, before the two rematerialized stances a distance off, still in their initial stances.

 

The silver haired Sound Ninja frowned. “Naruto-kun…” He began, “I don't think that technique should be called squirrel.” He sighed while the other shrugged half-heartedly before he crouched down in his position, before they both flickered from sight.

 

Fists, palms, elbows, knees, and feet all launched out in a barrage, yet Naruto managed to evade and block them all with a smirk. “The squirrel is more cunning that you may have imagined.” The blond stated calmly as he did a four legged leap off of the ground, evading the claw slash. “And more slippery than you foresaw.” He added as he landed on a boulder, still crouched down.

 

“But enough evasion tactics.” He sighed dramatically as he stood up and cracked his neck with a smirk. “Time for an offense.” Naruto decided with a slight nod as he brought his hands up before him, his fingertips touching each other while his thumbs connected in a triangle prayer.

 

“Kori Sutairu: Hokkyoku no o Nomu!” Naruto shouted before he breathed in, his chest expanding before a rush of icy wind, snow and icicles flew from his mouth, much as the Katon techniques did.

 

With wide eyes, Kabuto leapt to the side, a large piece of air grazing his shoulder and drew a thin trail of trickling blood before it healed with his cell regeneration technique. “It is futile.” The young man spoke up as he readjusted his glasses. “No matter what you hit me with, I can regenerate all losses you deal me.” He said as he glanced at the strip of shimmering ice that extended from just before the blond going off into the distance.

 

“I highly doubt that. Should I incinerate your carcass there would be nothing for you to regenerate. Also, were I to deal a blow to your brain you would be exceedingly likely to not be able to regenerate as it would hinder your thought process. Or perhaps if I were to hit two major organs simultaneously, you would need to repair one before the other, as was demonstrated by the healing stages that my Rasengan test showed.” The blond summed up, causing the other to go on edge.

 

`Orochimaru-sama… Maybe he is far more than I can handle.' Kabuto thought, his dark eyes flickering over to look at his mentor and most precious person. `But if I go down I won't go down without a fight, nor will I leave you defenseless. I will protect and help you until my last breath.' He vowed silently before preparing himself to go full out.

 

Kabuto withdrew a kunai. “It would seem I have greatly underestimated you once again.” The silver haired Sound Ninja said with a small sigh.

 

“So it would seem. I think you ought berate your mentor for his flawed teachings. He should truly have taught you that underestimated your opponents could very well be your end. But he may have overestimated you, thinking you knew that, think that you were too strong to have to fear such a thing.” The blond added thoughtfully.

 

“Be silent you insolent whelp!” Kabuto seethed darkly while bringing his chakra glowing hands up into the air with a smirk. “Time to teach you your place Naruto-kun.” He said in a sick manner before launching forward, aiming a jab at the blond who dodged to the left, dodging for the most part, but had his left arm bumped.

 

Numbness flared through Naruto's arm, as it went limp. “I have rendered your arm useless Naruto-kun.' Kabuto sneered before he renewed his assault with great vigor, moving faster and faster for every evasion from the blond until he managed a direct blow to the boy's stomach, preceded by consecutive strikes to the right arm and legs before leaping backwards and relinquishing his hold on his chakra.

 

Naruto feel to his back, his body numb and unmoving despite his minds determination to stand and the shouts from Kyuubi to get up. Blue eyes watched in fascinated terror as the silver haired young man withdrew a kunai knife and launched it at Naruto.

 

He closed his eyes. He had lost and he awaited the death blow with his head bowed and a few tears slipping past his eyelids.

 

Time ticked by, but the blow he had anticipated had never reached him. Above him stood Jiraiya, and in his hand was the kunai that was meant to claim his life. He was speechless. “Brat, never close your eyes in battles.” The white haired Sannin advised sagely as he dropped the weapon to the side, dark eyes locked onto Kabuto's.

 

“Yes… Ero-sama.” Naruto whispered softly before he began channeling the familiar crimson chakra, just as the man engaged Orochimaru's right hand man.

 

He could feel the Kyuubi's chakra racing through him. Tingling through his chakra pathways as it rushed to heal the damage caused by Kabuto's chakra scalpels.

 

Orochimaru could feel the tingle in the air, gold eyes glaring upon the blond as the boy managed to stand after having been down for only a moment. “I'll give you points for your persistence. But I'm afraid you have grown into too large a problem. You are too untamed.” The man hissed before smirking in his feverish state. “Feel my wrath.” He whispered before evoking the demon-host's curse seal, causing the shurriken shaped mark to burn a brilliant deep blue.

 

Pain. It raced through him, like thousands of knives traveling his veins, all moving continuously towards his wrist. It was seemingly a never ending barrage of white hot pokers piercing him all over. The pain wrapped over him, driving all thoughts from his mind, and all morality from his heart.

 

Naruto was but flesh. A physical entity that lost all sentient-self. And he let the world know his torment. He cried, he screamed, his voice cascading over the entire area, coating all of them in chills from the sheer horror that laced the boy's screams. Such pain was unnatural. Yet his cries were escalating in volume and his voice was getting gravely as he screamed louder, tearing his vocal cords and causing even more pain.

 

Crystal tears seeped from his closed eyes, falling all around him as he crumbled to his knees, knowing nothing, seeing nothing, smelling nothing, tasting nothing, and feeling only as though he was going to be tore asunder.

 

“Stop it!!!” Tsunade shouted as she appeared behind Orochimaru and punched him with all her strength in the jaw, taking sadistic pleasure at hearing and feeling the traitor's jaw break beneath her fists as he was sent flying fifty feet.

 

But it had worked, and Naruto succumbed to darkness as the pain relinquished its hold on him.

 

- - - - - - - - - -

 

He was sore, and he was stiff. Naruto could feel that even in the realm of dreams, and subconsciously he knew that once he woke he would feel far worse. So he opted to sleep, and sleep he did. The blond slept unmoving for four days and five nights, all the while under the constant vigilance of Tsunade, Shizune and Jiraiya.

 

“He's strong.” Shizune whispered, speaking up and breaking the silence that had befallen them at the end of the boy's scream. Each had been too lost in thoughts and tending for the boy to speak, but now that the blonde's condition was stable, they were able to relax slightly.

 

“He is.” Jiraiya nodded his agreement to that assessment as he absently swished the sake within its bottle, never taking a sip, just as he had been doing for the past hour or so.

 

Tsunade smiled a soft smile. “He has what it takes.” She added softly as the brushed stray gold strands from the boy's forehead before reaching up to her neck and removing the pendant that had originally been her grandfather's. “And I think… I think I can try this once more.” She whispered as he gently lifted the boy and attached the jewel necklace around Naruto's neck before softly lying him back down.

 

- - - - - - - -

 

“Naruto-kun. Shikamaru-kun. Neji-kun.” Tsunade said as she regarded the three young men before her, as she sat at the Hokage's desk with all Jounin and Special Jounin at her sides, each looking satisfied. “Though I was not present, I have notes that Sarutobi-sensei left behind in regards to the Chuunin Selection Exams. And after careful analysis, and fierce debates we have come to the conclusion that you three are to be promoted to rank of Chuunin. Congratulations, you passed.” She concluded, her eyes lingering on the blond boy and his dear friends.

 

“Thank you Tsunade-sama.” The three newly appointed Chuunin said with a deep bow before straightening themselves out before being handed their new vests by their former Jounin ranked instructors.

 

“Neji-kun!! The fire of youth burns so brightly inside of you!” Gai wailed as he shoved the green vest in his ex-student's arms before racing over to the window and jumping out of it tears trailing from his eyes.

 

Silence prevailed for a second or two before Asuma coughed and held the vest out to his slouching former student. “I knew you had it in you Shikamaru.” The smoker commented with a smile.

 

“You have come further that I had anticipated in such a short time.” Kakashi commented with honesty visible in his eye as he looked down upon his tiny student. “I think… The Yondaime left us a brilliant Legacy.” He concluded with a quiet voice before pulling out his infamous orange book and vanishing.

 

“Now that that is all settled.” Tsunade spoke up before waving a dismissal to all but Shizune, Jiraiya and the newly appointed Chuunin. “I have a mission for you three. A very strange mission at that.” The woman said with a sigh.

 

“As you know, Orochimaru has transferred bodies once again and is rallying his forces, and training them up for the final confrontation. His forces grow stronger and stronger with each and every passing second. War is lurking in Konoha's shadow, and we aren't prepared for a full assault. We have yet to fully recover from the last attack three months ago.” She admitted.

 

“Secondly, the Akatsuki is moving. One by one they are picking off the Demon vessels, and according to my knowledge they have acquired three out of the nine. Leaving Gaara of the Sand, Naruto-kun and four others at risk. Because of these two things I have a plan. One that Jiraiya has kindly agreed to.

 

“I am sending you three abroad for three years. I want you to train, travel, and learn all that you can. You will be Konoha's trump cards in the final confrontation against Orochimaru, and you need to be able to hold yourselves against the Akatsuki organization.” She concluded as she laced her fingers together.

 

“But that isn't all. I want you to befriend all you can, and gain allies that we can rally for this battle. In particular I want the Kage-Gesshoku. He has the most promise in this all.” She added with a seriously look as her eyes darted between the three of them, evaluating their stone faces.

 

“We will go.” Neji said with a nod.

 

“We will train.” Shikamaru said lazily, making his promise sound like an impossible happening.

 

“And we will win.” Naruto concluded with a devilish smirk.

 

“I believe you.” Tsunade said with a fierce look, pride shining in her eyes.

 

“Be careful you three.” Shizune added softly as she hugged Tonton tighter to her chest.

 

“We will.” They answered simultaneously.

 

“Then get going brats!” Tsunade said in amusement earning nods from the entire group as all but Shizune and herself vanished from her office. “May the gods protect you all.” She whispered on a soft breath as a comforting hand brushed her shoulder.

- - - - - - - -

End of ChapterHey guys. Sorry about how insanely short this is, but I hit a writer's block, which also explains the large amount of time it took to make this short little thing. But hey, in every book there are long chapters and short chapters, and this so happens to be my short chapter. Sorry for disappointing you guys. But please review anyways to let me know if you think I should continue this story or just quit it. Ja!

 

Kori Sutairu: Hokkyoku no o Nomu -Ice Style: Arctic Breath