Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Return of the Lost Son ❯ Boss Frog vs. Demon Fox ( Chapter 19 )

Without a word, Yondaime launched into his assault on the Kyuubi. It was obvious that this was no longer his little brother, but rather the demon fox of legend that only lived for death and destruction. With his trusted frog summon, Gamabunta, at his side, Yondaime was confident of the outcome of this battle. It had taken 2 teams of ANBU to subdue it 22 years ago, so the combined force of a hokage and an A-level summon would be enough to deal with it now.

 

“Fire Release: Toad Oil Flame Bullet jutsu,” Yondaime called out, signaling his partner to release a flow of flammable oil at their target while he ignited it with his own fireball jutsu. The combination of techniques created a massive flamethrower that shot towards the massive fox in front of them like a geyser. The Kyuubi was able to escape the incoming blast of fire, leaping to the side as it crashed into the ground with an explosion. The resulting inferno burned so intensely that the shinobi on Konoha's walls could feel the heat on their skins as if they were standing within arms reach of a bonfire. If anyone had ever questioned how Yondaime had achieved the rank of hokage, this display of ferocity shattered all their doubts. Only a few of the gathered shinobi had ever witnessed a jutsu so powerful and even they were still shocked.

 

The Kyuubi on the other hand was not impressed by this display of firepower, and chuckled at the inferno burning where he had been standing.

 

“I do not know who you are frog-man, but it will take more than a hot flash to bring down the legendary Kyuubi.”

 

“Arashi,” the frog said, “who's the loud mouth in front of us? I don't know who he is, but I don't like him!”

 

“Gamabunta,” Yondaime replied half-jokingly “how many times do I have to tell you, it's Yondaime or Lord Hokage. You can't keep ignoring the title just because you feel like it.”

 

“Bullshit!” the frog yelled angrily, “I ain't calling ya nothin' but Arashi until we go out for sake to celebrate!”

 

“So be it then Gamabunta. After this, we will celebrate with a bottle of sake. But where are we going to find a store that serves giant frog bosses? We might have to make special arrangements or may-“

 

“Hey you jerks!!!” the demon fox interrupted, “Who do you think I am? You don't jump out and attack me, and then ignore me to make dinner plans!”

 

“He's right Gamabunta. We'll pick this up after we beat the fox.”

 

“You sound pretty cocky, human! I hope that you aren't expecting a repeat of the first time I encountered your village! When you first defeated me, I was an untrained beast. I lacked discipline and focus. But since you imprisoned me in a human body, I have learned and grown. You could say that I have a partnership with the human I share bodies with; he uses my chakra to boost his strength and I use his mind to focus my thoughts and urges. What was once a rampaging beast that could be captured by a group of shinobi is now a cold, calculating killer that could not be touched by a nation of shinobi!”

 

Yondaime was slightly disturbed by this new bit of information. Could it be true that the relationship between the tailed beast and his brother was symbiotic? Had being imprisoned in a human shell allowed the demon fox to gain mastery over his powers? If it had, then this fight would be much more difficult and much more dangerous than he had planned. But so what? He had no choice. The village, his wife, and his unborn child were all depending on him to save them, and he would do it no matter what the cost.

 

Having refocused himself, Yondaime and Gamabunta resumed their assault on the demon fox.

 

“Fire Release: Toad Oil Multi-Flame Bullet jutsu!” Gamabunta spat glob after glob of oil at the Kyuubi and Yondaime ignited each one with his fireball. The Kyuubi, possessing a speed advantage, dodged the incoming fireballs as easily as he did the first, leaving the impact spots just before the fireballs hit. Gamabunta and Yondaime continued to pressure him with their barrage, hoping to catch him slipping and end this battle.

 

Finally tired of playing the part of prey, the Kyuubi decided to turn the tables on his attackers and launched his own counter-offensive. Instead of sidestepping the fireballs, the Kyuubi, ran to meet them head-on. Every time he was in the path of one of their fiery projectiles, the fox shot out his own ball of compressed chakra from his mouth to intercept it. One after another the fireballs exploded when they smacked into the Kyuubi's chakra balls, showering the field in orange and yellow embers. And for every one of their fireballs that he destroyed, the Kyuubi drew closer and closer to them until he was, at last, within striking distance.

 

Realizing that the Kyuubi was too close for them to continue using their Toad Oil Fire jutsu, Gamabunta leapt high into the air, seconds before the razor sharp claws of the fox slashed down on them. The powerful frog legs propelled them high into air and looking down, they could see the deep trenches that the fox's claws had dug. But where was the Kyuubi? It was nowhere to be seen on the field. The duo landed and braced themselves for whatever trickery the demon fox was employing. Ever vigilant, they scanned their surroundings trying to see through any illusions that it had created or camouflage it had employed, but they still had no idea where it went. The Kyuubi was a fighter that used its speed and natural weapons to engage in close-combat. To use deception and subterfuge in battle was not only unusual for it, but unheard of too.

 

“Where'd that demon disappear to?” the frog boss asked, obviously puzzled by the vanishing act he was witnessing.

 

Suddenly, Gamabunta felt a shaking sensation in his legs. Was he scared? No, it wasn't him that was shaking, but rather the ground he was standing on. When it finally dawned on him what could be causing the ground below him to shake, it was too late. The dirt floor erupted and out of it shot the Kyuubi, claws and teeth bared. The fox caught Gamabunta with a slash across the chest before the frog boss could react. It tried to follow up with another slash across Gamabunta's throat, but before it could hit, the frog boss hopped out of harm's way. The strike that had landed had cut Gamabunta, but it was nothing that his body couldn't handle.

 

“That pointy toothed bastard'll pay for this.” Gamabunta said while rubbing the fresh cut across his chest. “It's time we got serious, Arashi! Hidden Smoke jutsu!” The massive frog inhaled deeply then blew out a cloud of ash gray smoke over the battlefield. The fog soon thickened until it was nearly impossible to see clearly through it.

 

“Your tricks won't work on me you slimy toad,” the fox called out into the thickness. The Kyuubi prowled around in the fog, keeping his body low to the ground and his eyes open for his prey. Although the thick smoke interfered with his sight, his nose could filter out the unnecessary smells until it found exactly what it was looking for. The Kyuubi had caught a whiff the frog boss when it jumped out of the ground, and now that same whiff was what it was going to use to track him. It finally caught the scent again and tracked it through the smoke until it saw a silhouette in front of him.

 

“I FOUND YOU FROG BOSS!” the fox shouted out as it jumped through the air, slashing its claws through the shadow, breaking it into hundreds of… splinters? What was this? The Kyuubi had viciously clawed a tree and not the slimy body of Gamabunta. The tree bared the deep wounds of his claws across its trunk as proof of the Kyuubi's mistake. How had it failed to tell the difference between a giant frog and a tree? Had its nose misled it? Was the fog more devious than it had originally thought? Then the Kyuubi saw the answer, hanging from one of the branches of the tree and sticking out from a hole in its trunk. The fox grabbed the hanging overcoat and pipe and threw them down to the ground in frustration.

 

“WHERE ARE YOU FROG BOSS? YOU CANNOT HIDE FOREVER!” The Kyuubi yelled, hoping to lure Gamabunta out.

 

“Right behind ya!” replied a voice from over the Kyuubi's shoulder and immediately afterwards, the fox felt a sharp, slicing sensation down its back. The demon fox howled in pain and spun around to see the frog boss wielding a bloody kodachi. “Ya shouldn't be so quick to depend on one sense, idiot! Ya never know what traps it could lead ya into.”