Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Tonsou Ninja ❯ Too Many Changes-Why Me? ( Chapter 4 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
“This is a joke, right?” I ask. I don’t want to believe that this is true, it’s bad enough that I have to deal with Kyuubi, but now he’s telling me I am Kyuubi. It just isn’t possible. “How come I can hear him in my head if he is me? Shouldn’t I at least hear him in my own voice?”
“Voice is how you perceive it; if you wanted to, you could make it sound like a baby talking, though I don’t much see the point in that.”
My head was spinning and I could hear Kyuubi--me, or whatever it was, laughing.
“You hear his voice even now, but that doesn’t change what you are, what you’ve become. You are the Kyuubi and it is you. Its voice exists only because you want it to. It isn’t there, just an illusion your mind has created to force the idea of you and Kyuubi being one out of your mind. You never wanted it, yet you knew that it was true.”
I stand up quickly, knocking my chair to the floor and slamming my palms on the table. “Shut up!” I yell, but I don’t know why I am yelling, he’s right across the table; but his expression is calm, unmoved by my yelling. “Why me? Why, of all the people on the planet, did you use me? Was I just another tool? Something you could use and then throw away? I am your son am I not? Yet you sold my body without consent to be the host of this demon?”
“You mean yourself; though that doesn’t much make sense, you never did exist. Your body was given to the gods before you were even conceived. But if it makes you feel any better, we still missed you after you were gone.”
“Missed me! How the hell did you miss me? Did you make any attempts to find me? Because not once did I ever even hear that someone was looking for me. And if you did, it probably wasn’t even because you missed me; you just wanted my power.”
“Bravo,” he applauded. “You managed to figure it all out. But then so what? So what if all we wanted was power? Do you yourself not search for a power stronger than your own? Or are you content with the pathetic level of energy you have under your immediate control?”
“I would never use someone else to get stronger; I always do things the hard way, the right way. I train and train until I can’t feel most of my body, but you would rather steal it from my body. You would rather take the easy way out and steal a person’s right to life before they’re even born.”
“Such a preacher, just like that pink-haired girl that came through here. All she talked about was that stupid Sasuke Uchiha that she was going to find and about her teammate she had to leave behind. I tried reasoning with her, telling her that this Uchiha was a useless piece of crap, his brother is the only one of them who even deserves to live; such power, such command and at that age. But she was so sure his brother, the genius Sasuke Uchiha, was her reason for living. Just another weak, love-sick girl running after a weak Uchiha boy.
“And so what if I did steal your body for my own purpose? Not a lot of good it’s going to do now. And I don’t regret doing that. In truth I never wanted a son, especially one so weak and stupid as you.”
“Sakura came through here?”
“Something like that, let me guess, you’re her teammate? No wonder Sasuke left you two, I’m sure he was a lot stronger than both of you combined and was tired of being held back. If you’re stupid enough to want to follow her, she left this morning and headed towards the next town, I’m sure you’ll find the loser there crying her eyes out.”
“Shut up!” I yell. I am really getting pissed off at this guy, one more comment like that and he is going to get it.
“Will you two stop fighting?” Akino pleads.
“Stay out of this,” Ken’ichi replies.
“Who the hell are you to tell her what to do? you low-life bastard.”
“I am the man of this house and what I say goes. Those who don’t like it are punished. And since you belong to this house, I will punish you accordingly as well.”
It is the first time I noticed, but Akino definitely seems to have several bruises and I can only guess who did this to her based on this last comment.
I see Ken’ichi stand up and I prepare myself, but he instead turns to his wife and raises his hand.
I quickly spring forward and take him by surprise, slamming him into the counter and sending several dishes ground-ward were they break. I can feel anger welling up inside of me and I know what will happen next if I don’t calm down. But I can’t leave and risk Akino or Kyouryoku getting hurt. So I get to my feet and grab Ken’ichi by the wrist and fling him into the wall which he smashes through and rolls to a stop on the ground outside.
But to my surprise, Kyouryoku jumps on my back and tries to strangle me. I thought I was just saving him and now I get this? I’ll admit, the kid’s got some strength, but he is no match for me and being as short as he is, I easily grab his ankle and hoist him up into the air. Even now though, he continues to swing his fists furiously at the air and it’s almost comical, had it not been for the fact that I know he's really was trying to hit me.
I wasn’t going to let him of course. So instead I walk him towards the nearest door making sure to keep my legs at a distance from his thrashing fists and deposit him into the room. He quickly gets to his feet and dashes towards the door but I close it before he can reach it.
So now I have an unconscious father outside with an increasingly larger amount of passersby beginning to crowd around him, a little brother locked in a room, and my mother quivering in fear on the floor behind me.
Gotta love family get-togethers. So much fun aren’t they?
But now I think it’s time to leave because I can see the villagers helping Ken’ichi up and he pushes them away, his body slouched a little bit but he still looks very formidable. He looks at me and I don’t even know how to describe the anger in his face.
One of the villagers seems to be trying to reason with him but as soon as he steps in front of him, he is thrown into the nearest tree. This guy is a real ass if you ask me.
I don’t want him to come into the house so I instead jump out the hole in the wall to face him there.
I check my surroundings through my peripherals and I note a tree five meters on my left and a sturdy-looking picket fence to my right two meters away. Another tree to my north-northwest about seven meters away with a single visible branch that looks to be able to hold a lot of weight, and a utility pole on the curb across the street.
So that means…. No, five meters north, got it.
He is now preparing himself for the fight, though it won’t be much of a fight, a minute or two if all goes well. I notice his hand slips into his pocket and pulls something black out, a kunai, but he’s trying to hide it; apparently he doesn’t know I saw it. Either way it’ll play into my plan.
He charges and about halfway to me, throws the kunai. So I jump towards the tree, step one in my plan. He stops and smiles but it is too late when I realize why. I can feel the heat and pressure and I know I have triggered a trap, an exploding trap to be exact. The explosion finally hits me and tosses me into the air.
I somehow manage to regain my bearings before I fall to the ground but my entire body aches. Man he’s good, I can barely feel my body. But how did he do that? Maybe…duh, he threw that guy into that tree, he must have placed the tag on his back or something. I can still feel the heat from that explosion.
“Had enough yet boy?” he asks me.
I smile and reply, “I’m just getting warmed up.”
“Really, I thought you were on fire already.” Normally this kind of comment wouldn’t affect me, but when he points to my midsection and laughs, I’m sure there’s something wrong. I reluctantly looked down and see fire emanating from my ass. Great, that’ll be a story for my kids, if I live that long. I quickly put the fire out and he attacks again; this time I am prepared for anything.
He swings his fist at me a few times butI easily push them away. I counterattack his last strike with one of my own that sends him skidding backwards a few feet.
He pulls out a summoning scroll and activates it. A puff of smoke appears and in Ken’ichi’s hand I can see the single largest sword I have ever seen; even Kisame’s sword isn’t this big, well maybe about as long but definitely not as wide. And this one is about as thick as a regular katana and looks about as sharp as one two, maybe sharper and itlooks to be fast too.
“The Uzumaki family sword,” he tells me and I know there’s something special about it.
“That thing is huge, you think our ancestors might have been compensating for--”
“I would hold you tongue if I were you. The Uzumaki name is not one to be mocked.”
“True, you just almost destroyed the world, nothing wrong with that is there? I mean it’s not like you actually did but hey, who’s keeping score?”
Well a minute’s passed, and I haven’t even gotten halfway through my plan, and this sword could cause some serious complications. I might actually have to use Kyuubi or myself or whatever you call it. I wonder why I can't use the Kyuubi's power whenever I want, seems a bit strange that I should be able to use my own power.
Ken'ichiisn’t moving so I dare not move either, but there’s something weird about him, he seems to be getting tired just holding that sword; maybe it’s too heavy for him. Wishful thinking but I doubt it, something’s up and I don’t want to be around to find out what it is. So it’s time to execute the plan whether he notices or not, because if he does, it’ll be too late anyway.
I run towards the fence but stop mid-step as I notice Ken’ichi has cut me off. I turn again but he is still there, the sword stillresting on his shoulder. He still seems tired but I don’t understand how he can move so fast especially with that sword, maybe that's one of its powers.
I doubt that though so I have to attack him, maybe it's a clone. I focus chakra into my feet so he won't have time to dodge and strike him. He disappears in a puff of smoke; I was right, it's a clone, that's how he's moving so fast. But the real one has to be around here somewhere, I just have to find him.
He must be in the trees so I pull some shuriken out and begin throwing them at the trees.
No movement. I search frantically around for any sign of his presence and it is then that I see him, but how I see him is beyond me.
A sharp pain in my skull sends me to my knees clutching my head. I’m on the verge of screaming but my head hurts too much to even move my mouth which is stuck in a wide gape. My eyes are tightly shut and this is when it first happens. I see the blackness of my closed eyelids and then I see the ground, beyond the ground into the dirt and at the same time the spectators of this fight.
I see more though; I see them, but then I see that same person, a shadow of them but them all the same, and that shadow disappears a few seconds later as its true self moves into place. Now I can see blue-tinted strings running through their bodies and something is moving inside them though it is not as prominent as my own and Ken'ichi's. I see myself from under the ground a few meters off judging by how small I seem and I know this to be the place Ken’ichi hides. Everything seems faster, and then it gets slower. I can see the village ahead, the people in it and at the same time I can see my cells, the molecules that make up my body.
This is all too confusing. Some of these images I have heard of, but I can’t remember where. I try focusing on one of these images but it is hard. I finally narrow it down to the three hundred-sixty degree and foresight vision, if it could be called that. Somehow I remember these the most, like they’ve been used against me.
No sooner had I done this than Ken’ichi had burrowed his way under me. The shadow of his hands were around my ankles and then I see his hand begin to slip through the dirtso I jump up and as the shadows connect with his hands, I stomp down on them, then before he can pull them back, I grab them and rip him out of the ground.
He wrenches free of my grip and jumps back. He smiles, obviously seeing something that I don’t and then a shadow of him appears, his fist extended to my face. So I wait for him to make his move and sure enough, he does, but I am ready for him. I grab his fist, jump and grab his arm with my legs and spin myself so that he falls on his back. But another shadow appears immediately and I twist my body so he will miss and put me in a position for another attack.
Hisleg slips under my armand I wrap my own arm aroundit and fall backwards, propelling him through the air. Another shadow appears after he gets up and charges again,this oneis yet again aimed at my face. I bow backwards and I see he’s going to try and kick me in the nuts, so I lift off the ground and bring my feet up to kick him in the chest but he is going to turn sideways to dodge this judging by the position of the next shadow. In this position, there isn't muchI can do butmy arms finally reach the ground and I push off again to avoid another hit.
I focus more chakra into my feet to and when my feet connect with the ground, I release it and plow into Ken'ichi.
He stumbles backwards but I see no more shadows except from the subtle movements of his breathing. And it is then that I realize I have not opened my eyes. I see a new shadow of him a few feet back and I’m assuming it’s from me opening my eyes.
So I open them and he aligns with his shadow, his face appears to be stricken with fear. I try to focus on that one vision I had before where I could see myself from his eyes and eliminate the ones I was using. When I am finally successful in this, I see why he looks so scared. My eyes are completely black, every last bit of them.
“Junsui na Ketsueki,” he mumbles. I do not hear this but I somehow know this is what he says. “It’s not possible. How can you possess such a skill?”
“What is it? What does it mean?” I ask semi-retardedly. I already know that it means ‘pure blood’ and that he’s going to say that.
“It means pure blood.” Knew it. “It can only be used by someone who’s direct family has remained pure since the creation of man. The gods created two groups of man, those who possessed bloodlines and those who didn’t. Over time those with bloodlines began to merge with those who didn’t, thus creating the many different bloodlines that exist today.
“But those who didn’t merge held tight to their bloodline, a bloodline unparallel by any other in the world. I knew someone with this bloodline, I thought they were the only person left with this bloodline and I can’t imagine how you obtained it. The Uzumaki family is one of the merged families, yet you can use this technique. There is no way you’re a son of mine. And even if you are, it is impossible for you to use that technique therefore you are either a very good fake or I don’t know what else.”
“I never said I was your son in the first place, that was you,” I remind him. By now my vision has returned to its normal self and I can see him truly. Something is missing though…. My visions shoot back and I can see it, right through me, the sword.
I hear it break through the ground and I begin to panic. If I don’t move fast enough, I’m as good as dead, but I can’t move that fast so I’m screwed anyway. I prepare myself for the impact but it doesn’t come. I stare at the sword and I realize that its movement has slowed to a crawl.
Not wanting to take the situation for granted, I stepped to the side and walked around the massive sword to grasp the handle as it crawled out of the ground. I heard the Kyuubi’s voice--what do I call him now that I know we’re the same thing? Isn’t that like talking to myself? You’re welcome, he says in an almost haughty tone.
Hey, now is not the time to get arrogant, you saved me but really you were just saving yourself but you’re me and that means you didn’t really do anything that you wouldn’t have done for yourself, but you are myself which is really yourself--
Just shut up and pay attention, baka.
Why am I listening to this stupid fox? I thought you weren’t supposed to listen to the voices in your head.
I heard that, he retorts.
Time seems to have returned to normal and Ken’ichi’s jaw has fallen lower, if possible. But he looks at the sword and I can feel it tugging in my hand. Maybe I can fight back; it’s a small chance and I doubt it will work, but I am an Uzumaki and it might listen to any Uzumaki, not just the one who summoned it.
I stare at the sword, trying to think of something that I should think to it. Stay, I finally decide and it appears to work, the yanking has lessened and then it stops all together.
Ken’ichi pulls the scroll out and throws it at my feet, disgusted at the action itself but he apparently has no choice or he would have just un-summoned and re-summoned it.
The sword disappears and I pick up the scroll in its place and stare blankly at it. Then I look at him but he has already turned away and begun to walk into the house. “Go,” he finally says as he reaches the top of the stairs. “Before I change my mind. We may not like each other, and I’m sure that’s true of both of us. But we are still family; so if you call upon us, we’ll be there for you.” He opens the door and throws my backpack to me and disappears behind the door as it gently clicks into place.
I pocket the scroll and place my backpack once again on my backpack.
The door swings open again and I hear Ken’ichi’s voice again. “If you want to learn to control that bloodline, go to the hidden village of sand. Ask for Kyoko and they will lead you to her.”
Wow, what a crazy idiot, or was that some kind of test? No I don’t think it was but what’s with the complete mood swing? One minute he’s trying to pound my face in and the next he’s giving me the family sword and handing me my stuff. I am so glad I don’t live with these people.
But now I have a choice, find Sakura or find out more about this bloodline. Luckily they’re both in the same direction. But it’s still a risk not going for Sakura first, she could get captured before that. I guess I’ll have to take that risk, hopefully she’ll be smart enough to not get caught or I’m gonna really regret this.
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This chapter has been fixed as well. Thanks to vixypixyno.9 on for pointing out the lack of coherency for this chapter's battle. Hope you enjoyed it though.