237AN: Hey guys! I'm back!
So to make up to you guys for being away for like a month, I have written you a super long chapter! XD It's the longest installment to this story yet! Yay!
WARNING! This chapter may contain death but not death...does that make any sense?
Just remember when you read this chapter: THINGS ARE NOT ALWAYS AS THEY SEEM!
And a big thanks to my super awesome beta reader, ghiblilover!
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto...
Hinata sighed. It had been three days and Keiko still showed no signs of improvement. She was still trembling and worse than ever. Only instead of gagging, she was actually throwing up. She couldn't keep any food down, and barely managed liquids.
Hinata considered taking her to a vet, but there weren't any vets around Konoha who would look at any animal of hers, especially a fox. It would be the same story for Naruto.
They had considered Sakura, of course, but she was away on a mission. Tsunade was a second option, but she was attending a Kage meeting in the Sand. They were stuck. Hinata and Naruto did everything they could to help their little fox, but nothing seemed to be working.
Keiko whimpered in her sleep and Hinata was quick to run a soothing hand over her fur.
"There, there now…."
Keiko seemed to recognize her touch, for she immediately calmed.
"Wow, Hina-chan. You'd be great with kids." Naruto remarked, studying her soothing abilities as he folded laundry.
Hinata blushed at his comment, instantly imagining little blond kids with Hyuga eyes running around. She shook her head to remove such images and tried to focus on the task at hand: getting Keiko to eat.
She held out the spoon that held a bit of food for her to sniff, but Keiko only turned her head away from it.
"She's not hungry?" Naruto questioned, coming up to stand behind Hinata.
Hinata shook her head. "Not at all. I figured that she would be, considering she threw up everything she had earlier, but she just won't eat it."
"Here, let me try." Naruto said, holding out a hand for the spoon.
Hinata wordlessly handed him the spoon and stepped back, ready to watch Naruto work his magic.
Naruto took the spoon and started making it move through the air. "Here comes the birdy!" He made a funny noise with his mouth before swooping the spoon in. "Open wide!"
Naruto frowned when he received no response from the fox kit, only a sigh as a glassy eye peaked open to watch him blankly.
"You're right. She won't eat." Naruto placed the spoon back on the plate and turned back to the fox. He ran a hand gently over her shaking form before planting a soft kiss on her head. "Please, Kei-chan. Please eat. Daddy's worried about you."
Hinata blushed. Naruto liked to refer to them as Keiko's adoptive parents, which was somewhat true, but the thought of her and Naruto being "Mommy" and "Daddy" to the little fox was a little overwhelming and caused her to blush furiously.
Hinata shook her head, willing her blush to go away, and watched Keiko worriedly. Naruto wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his chin against her shoulder causing her blush to return.
With a quiet voice, Naruto whispered in her ear. "She's not going to die, is she?"
Hinata frowned. She knew that if Keiko continued on the way she was, not eating and throwing everything up, death was inevitable. But she didn't want to cause Naruto worry and staying positive was the best thing to do in a situation such as this.
"I don't know. But don't worry about that right now, she's tough. She'll pull through…." Hinata said and then added quietly, "I hope."
Naruto frowned, turning his head to nuzzle her neck. "I'm worried, Hina-chan. Very worried."
Hinata leaned back against him and let her head fall against his. "I know. I am too."
She felt his arms tighten and she raised a hand to smooth his hair.
"I've got a bad feeling, Hina-chan. A very bad feeling." His grip tightened.
Hinata kissed his temple and turned around in his arms. She gently took his chin and looked into his eyes.
"I can't promise that Kei-chan will be okay, because I don't know if she will be, but all we can do is hope."
Naruto rested his forehead against hers and offered her a small smile.
"Where would I be without you?"
Hinata smiled softly and giggled. "Probably down at Ichiraku's, finishing your eighth bowl of ramen."
Naruto's smile grew and he laughed. "Probably…" Then he frowned and pouted. "Now I'm craving ramen…."
Hinata giggled. "Well I'm sure Keiko would enjoy some fresh air…..it may be good for her."
They both glanced at the little fox who was sound asleep, trembling every once in a while. Maybe some fresh air would be good for her….it was worth a shot anyways. They had been cooped up in the apartment for three days and were beginning to get a little stir crazy.
"Woo! Ramen!" Naruto quietly yelled, leaning in to give Hinata a swift kiss before running off to get his jacket.
Hinata smiled at his antics before getting a blanket to wrap Keiko up in.
"Here Kei-chan," she whispered, gently lifting the kit and wrapping the thin blanket around it, making sure she was comfortable. Summer was slowly turning into fall and she wanted to make sure that the little fox would be warm and safe from the cool winds that had started to blow over the newly wilting land.
She cradled the kit to her and gently rocked her in a soothing motion.
Naruto, who was coming back from getting his jacket, had to stop and smile at the sight. 'Hinata really would make a great mother….' He thought before quickly shaking his head, blushing when he imagined Hinata holding their own child.
"Yosh! Ready, Hina-chan?" He tried to cover up his blushing face by giving her his famous grin.
Hinata nodded.
"Oh!" Naruto shouted. "Can I carry her? Please? I promise to be extra gentle!" Naruto pleaded, clasping his hands together in a begging motion.
Hinata giggled. "Fine, but be very careful not to jar her."
Naruto nodded and carefully accepted the bundle. He held her close and moved a hand up to rub a finger over her ear. "Hear that, Kei-chan? We're going to get some ramen!"
Hinata held the door open and Naruto walked out with Keiko nestled safely in his arms. Together, they made their way into town and towards Ichiraku's.
"Who is this little cutie!?"
Naruto smiled up at Ayame who was leaning over the counter to get a better look at Keiko.
"This is Keiko. She's a little sick right now so we figured some fresh air and some ramen would be good for her."
"Of course! Ramen is the cure for everything." The old man exclaimed, setting down two bowls of steaming ramen in front of Naruto and Hinata.
Naruto smiled and handed Keiko gently to Hinata before slurping hungrily at his ramen.
"Man!" he moaned. "I haven't had this stuff in forever! It's so good!"
Hinata and Ayame giggled at his actions. Hinata sipped at her ramen, carefully holding Keiko who whimpered and moved a little.
"The poor thing." Ayame cooed, watching the little fox kit.
Naruto, who was slurping away at his ramen hungrily, stopped suddenly. The horrible feeling in his gut had intensified and peaked without warning.
Hinata noticed Naruto's sudden change and glanced at him curiously. Naruto blinked and put down his chopsticks.
The old man noticed this. "Is something the matter with the ramen, boy?"
Naruto never answered and Hinata noticed how he had suddenly paled.
"Naruto-kun?"
Naruto's hand was turning white from gripping the table so hard. He was shaking.
"Hinata…" His voice came out strained and Hinata's eyes widened. Naruto never said her name without his affectionate chan added to the end. Something was wrong.
"What? Naruto-kun…"
Naruto reached blindly for her arm, stumbling until he finally registered a hold on it. He was staring straight ahead, eyes wide. "We…we gotta go."
"Go?"
"We gotta go…now." Naruto shakily stood up and Hinata moved to follow him.
"Naruto-kun, where are we goi.." Whatever Hinata was going to say was suddenly cut off as Keiko started to jerk violently in her arms. "Keiko!"
Naruto spun around at the yell of the fox's name to see Hinata dropping to her knees to place the jerking kit on the ground. The feeling in his gut…Quickly, Naruto dropped to the ground as well to help Hinata pull the blanket from Keiko's body.
Keiko started whimpering and her body jerked uncontrollably.
"Kei-chan!" Naruto shouted, trying to calm her by running his hands over her fur, but to no avail.
Her small body shook with spasms and her eyes had rolled to the back of her head.
Ayame and her father had rushed from behind the counter to see was the commotion was.
"Please Kei-chan!" Naruto cried in worry. "Please stop."
Tears were already forming in Hinata's eyes as the pained whimpers and cries reached her ears. They tried everything to soothe the small kit, but nothing worked.
"Kei-chan!" Tears were starting to form in Naruto's eyes. "Please don't die!"
Keiko's cries grew louder and more pained. She jerked for a few moments and then was still. Naruto quickly checked for any signs of breathing or a heartbeat, but there was none. His eyes widened before he bowed his head and clenched his fists.
Hinata let out a heart wrenching sob and was instantly pulled into Naruto's arms. She sobbed into his chest and he held her tightly, burying his face into her hair. A few tears of his own fell as well.
Ayame gasped and the old man shielded her from the sight.
Even though Naruto and Hinata had only known the small fox for a few weeks, Keiko had still wormed her way into their hearts. She had become almost like their own child it seemed, with their constant care for her.
"Hina-chan…" Naruto's voice broke.
"Why?" Hinata mumbled into his chest. "Why!?" she screamed.
Naruto held her tightly. "Shhhh, its okay…." Naruto's voice cracked as his own tears streamed down his face. "It's okay…" Though, his reassurement was also meant for himself.
Thunder cracked across the sky in the distance and Naruto lifted his head to look in that direction. A soft breeze blew throughout the shop and ruffled his hair. Suddenly a bright light in the corner of his eye caught his attention.
He turned his head to see an unmoving Keiko, only her body was glowing.
"Hina-chan…" Naruto mumbled in shock before raising his voice in a mild panic. "Hina-chan!"
Hinata raised her head and looked to what had shocked Naruto. She gasped.
A white light was emitting from Keiko's body. It grew brighter and brighter until it engulfed the entire shop.
"What's going on?" Naruto whispered, holding Hinata close.
Suddenly, something grasped his wrist. Naruto looked down to see it was vine. He tried to shake it off, but it held on tighter, moving up his arm and wrapping around it.
"Gah!" He shouted, loosening his hold on Hinata to try and remove the strange plant.
"Ah!"
Naruto whipped around to see Hinata kicking away at a vine that had wrapped itself around her foot. Another vine caught her other foot and started working its way up, wrapping around both legs tightly to stop her struggling.
Naruto struggled to reach her, to help her, but another vine shot up and grasped his free hand, entangling itself around it. He pulled at the vines, attempting to free himself, but they pulled him back down. More vines shot up, wrapping around his legs, immobilizing him.
Hinata screamed as her arms were soon bound by the vines as well. Naruto struggled and fought with all his might, but the vines were stronger.
Naruto could only watch helplessly as Hinata was bound and pulled into the ground where she disappeared, mouth opened in a silent scream. Naruto soon found himself being pulled into the earth. There was a brilliant, bright flash and everything turned black for him.
The old man and Ayame had shielded their eyes from the bright light. There was a brilliant flash before everything was calm. They removed their arms to see their shop, calm and normal, as if nothing had ever happened. Only, Naruto, Hinata, and Keiko were nowhere to be found…
Glowing red eyes opened as a smirk spread across its scarred face.
"They have arrived." It growled deeply before looking up at the darkening sky. "The one with the blue eyes has finally come."
"Ooph!" Naruto landed on the hard, rocky ground, rolling before he came to a stop.
Groaning, he sat up and rubbed his aching head. Upon opening his eyes, Naruto noted that he was not in Konoha anymore, that much was sure by the scorched trees and burnt rock.
Naruto looked around and saw a prone figure lying a few feet from him. He instantly knew who it was by their purple jacket.
"Hinata-chan!"
Naruto shot to his feet and rushed over to her. He turned her onto her back and shook her.
"Hina-chan! Wake up!"
Hinata's eyes fluttered open slowly and she groaned. "Naru..Naruto-kun?"
Naruto smiled and helped her into a sitting position. "You okay?"
Hinata nodded and looked up to take in their surroundings. "Where are we?"
"I don't know."
The sky above them was colored a deep crimson red and dark, ominous clouds loomed in the distance. The wind blew harshly and dry lightning cracked across the sky.
"Where ever we are….it sure ain't pretty."
Hinata nodded as Naruto helped her to her feet. But as she stood up, something fell from her lap. She looked down and gasped, bringing a hand to her mouth. Tears gathered in her eyes and she reached down to pick up Keiko's little pink blanket.
"Keiko-chan's blanket…." Naruto muttered before looking around, but Keiko was nowhere to be found. The only sign that she had once existed was that of the small blanket that was now clutched in Hinata's shaking hands.
"Come on, Hina-chan. Come on." Naruto raised a hand and wiped away a few stray tears that ran down her face with his thumb. "Don't think about it, okay?" Naruto's voice broke. "Please. We just need to focus on getting out of here first, okay?"
Hinata sniffled, but nodded. She knew that they weren't in Konoha anymore and their number one priority now was to figure out where they were and why they were brought there.
"Welcome…."
Naruto and Hinata's head shot up at the voice that whispered across the barren landscape that lay before them, as if it was blown past in the wind.
"That voice!" Naruto gasped and turned to look at Hinata with wide eyes. "It's the same one that spoke to me that one day!"
Hinata could only clutch Keiko's blanket tight and shiver in slight fear. The voice seemed to carry so much malice….so much hatred….it struck fear in her heart.
"Come on, Hina-chan." Naruto said, slowly taking her hand and leading her over to the edge of the rock which they were standing upon.
As Naruto started to climb down from the rocky ledge, Hinata looked out over the land, a harsh wind blowing through her hair.
A barren wasteland lay before her. Scorched tree stumps littered the ground and the soil was stained the color of blood. Dark clouds drifted lethargically overhead though the crimson sky, dry lightning flashing occasionally with the loud cracks of thunder following shortly after.
She gulped as a foreboding feeling washed over her. Emotions swelled and mixed inside. She felt grief and despair from the loss of Keiko, anger not only at herself, but at the world. Confusion because they knew not where they were, nor what this place was, and last of all, fear. Fear because there was this horrible, gut wrenching feeling that resided over her when she heard that voice. Fear because this land held so much sorrow and sadness that it frightened her. Fear because she was scared….
But she was a shinobi, a ninja. To be a shinobi meant to endure and endure she must. She had to swallow the emotions building up inside her and bottle them up for later, or else she would likely explode. If she let the emotions swell and make themselves at home within her already troubled mind, she would surely start to cry a river of tears. She couldn't break. She just couldn't. Naruto felt the loss of Keiko as much as she, and even though they had lost their "child", he was putting up a tough front for her. Just for her. Had Naruto been alone, he would probably have lost his cool by now. He was just like that. He didn't bottle his emotions up. He let them show. He let them show because he didn't care to express how he felt. He cried when he was upset, yelled when he was frustrated, fought when he was angered, and cared when he was loved. But Hinata knew that she would only worry Naruto should she burst into tears again. So she swallowed the lump that formed in her mouth, and put on a brave face, masking the emotions that threatened to show. She wouldn't break. She just wouldn't.
Their number one priority at the moment was to figure out where they were and why they were there. They needed to find a way to get back to Konoha. That was their number one priority and as much as it pained her, mourning Keiko had to come second. They could mourn all they wanted when they got back to Konoha, but not now. Just not now.
Hinata glanced down to see Naruto holding up a hand to help her down from the ledge. She excepted the offer and took hold of the hand gratefully. Carefully, she climbed down from the ledge and her sandaled feet came to rest on blood stained soil.
She expected Naruto to let go of her hand as soon as she was down, but he didn't. Instead, he kept his grip on hers, squeezing it reassuringly. He turned to her and gave her a small smile.
"Don't worry Hina-chan. We'll get out of this place, I promise. I'll protect you with my life."
Hinata blushed at his words and doubted them none. She knew Naruto meant every word he had just said and those words were true. They would get out of there and they were get out of there alive. Both of them.
"Thank you, Naruto-kun." Hinata gave him a soft smile back. She was glad to have him in her life.
Naruto nodded and gently, he led her out into the land. They walked a little ways before they stopped. She gave a questioning glance to Naruto who looked at her with confused eyes. Naruto didn't catch her glance though, as he was too busy staring at something that lay before them.
Hinata followed his gaze before her eyes came to rest on what he was staring at as well. Her eyes widened.
In front of where they stood were the remains of a human. Skeletal bones littered the ground, some broken and cracked while others were in perfect condition. Hinata's eyes were wide and she stepped back only to have the back of her heel come into contact with something. The thing rolled back and she turned to see a skull rolling to a stop, it's empty eye sockets staring straight into hers.
Naruto pulled her close and tried to lead her around the skeleton, but stopped when his foot come into contact with something, causing a loud 'CRACK'.
Naruto lifted his foot and looked down to see that he had stepped on a small, but narrow bone, causing it to split in half. He was about to step away, but he noticed that the bone was far too small to have belonged to a human. It looked to come from something smaller…
He glanced around and his suspicions were confirmed when his eyes came to rest on a skull that lay not far away, its fangs bared. This skull was small, canine like, and seemed to belong to an animal. The rest of the bones confirmed that much.
Hinata saw the deceased remains and looked away. Naruto's heart clenched and he tried his best to shield her from the sight, but he soon found that it would be harder than he thought. Not far from where they stood, a few more skeletal remains rested. In fact, if he looked closely enough, he could see bones littering the ground in every direction. How had they not seen this before?
It was a burial ground it seemed as both human and skeletal remains rested upon the ground. Hinata closed her eyes and tried to image herself someplace else where she was not standing in the middle of a skeletal wasteland.
Something had happened here in this land. What, she didn't know, but she could tell by the color of the soil and the remains that something had happened here. Something terrible.
Naruto picked up a broken kunai and held it up to the sky.
Hinata looked at the kunai and spoke grimly. "A battle took place here."
"Yea…but with what?"
Hinata only shook her head. She didn't want to know what happened. The skeletons said enough.
"We should get going." Hinata muttered and Naruto sighed, nodding.
He threw the kunai to the ground and started to walk, gently leading Hinata around the bones that lay in their path. She walked closely by him, never loosing hold of his hand as she tried to ignore the fact that hundreds of once living things lay deceased around them.
Lightning cracked across the sky and a loud boom sent Hinata clutching Naruto's arm tightly. It wasn't that she was afraid of storms, no, but because it had caught her off guard and surprised her. Naruto chuckled at her antics causing Hinata to pout.
"It's not funny." She mumbled, looking straight ahead, only causing Naruto's grin to widen.
"But you looked so cute." He teased her.
Hinata's cheeks instantly warmed and she quickly shifted her gaze to the ground. Naruto smiled triumphantly to himself. He had gotten Hinata's mind off of the events that recently happened. Mission accomplished.
But his reign of triumph didn't last for long. After the blush had gradually settled down, Hinata fell back into her thoughts, which wasn't a good sign. No doubt she was thinking of Keiko by the look upon her face and the way she was clutching the pink blanket as if it were a lifeline.
The thought of the small fox made his heart clench, but Naruto knew that now wasn't the time to be thinking of the tragedy that struck earlier. He knew that they had no time to mourn over their loss. The world was cruel, but if they were to survive, they had to find a way out. They didn't need to meet the same fate as those bones once had.
The sound of rushing water caught Naruto's attention and his eyes lit up.
"You hear that, Hina-chan!?" he shouted excitedly. Rushing water meant a river and a river meant a lead to civilization.
Hinata looked up at the sound. "Yeah…"
Naruto smiled and quickly pulled her to where the sound was coming from and sure enough, there was a raging river.
Naruto instantly ran to the river's edge and dipped a hand in. He moaned from the pleasant coolness. "Oh water!"
Hinata sweat dropped at his actions.
Naruto's affections towards the water came to a stop when Hinata gasped and said his name. He quickly looked back to see what was the matter, but Hinata only pointed in the direction ahead of them.
Naruto looked up and his eyes widened as he took in the sight of a luscious forest that rose in the distance. The river flowed straight into it.
Just as Naruto was about to run towards the forest, a voice stopped them.
"I don't think you want to step foot into my forest, now do you….Blue eyes."
Naruto and Hinata swiveled around and saw nothing. The voice had seemed like it was right there, right there behind them. But there was no one.
"How wonderfully marvelous. Both of the traitors are here. I was only expecting one of you, but not both. This is certainly a pleasant surprise."
Naruto gasped as something wrapped around his waist. It was furry, colored a dark russet red. It curled around his waist and held him tightly. He tried to move but he couldn't.
"Naruto-kun!" Hinata shouted, running towards him with wide eyes.
Naruto was about to say something, but couldn't as Hinata was suddenly knocked aside by another furry thing. She flew backwards and her head hit the ground, hard. She rolled across the ground before coming to a stop. Blood trickled down the side of her face and it was clear that she had been knocked unconscious.
"HinaAH!"
The breath flew out of Naruto as he was squeezed and lifted suddenly into the air. He beat on the contracting thing with his fists, trying desperately to get the thing to loosen. He couldn't breathe!
"You don't know how satisfying it is to watch you squirm." The voice growled.
Naruto froze when he felt hot breath on his neck. He turned to look behind him and his eyes widened.
Cerulean blue met glowing red. The owner of the eyes stared back at him, its marred snout pulled back in a tight snarl, revealing dangerously sharp canines. It had jagged scars running across its face, russet fur torn and matted in some places. Its ears were long and ragged, missing some of its edges. Four tails swished angrily behind the monster and one constricted around his waist.
This beast was no doubt a fox, a monstrous fox at that. It had yet to rival that of the Kyuubi's height, but its size certainly could. Naruto didn't have time to question what was going on before the tail slung him back and released him forward, sending him flying through the air and crashing into a jagged rock wall.
Naruto groaned in pain as his back slammed into the wall, the rocks cutting and digging into his skin. How many times did this have to happen to him?
Gravity seemed to have no mercy upon him as a clawed paw slammed onto his chest, pushing him back into the jagged rock before he could have the chance to fall. Naruto struggled for breath, to get air into his screaming lungs, but he couldn't. The paw pressed harder onto his chest, suffocating him. It was an unbearable pressure and if Naruto had the breath to do so, he would have screamed.
The monster fox before him only laughed at his predicament.
"You're so weak, blue eyes. I figured you'd put up a better fight since that cursed Kurama is sealed and caged inside of you."
Naruto's eyes widened.
"Yes, Kurama. He ruined everything for me. I had it all and he took it away. So now I'm gonna make you pay for what you've done."
The fox pressed harder onto the boy with each word and Naruto winced as his ribs gave a small crack under the pressure. The monstrous fox grasped ahold of Naruto's small form and spun around with him in his clenched paw. The fox threw him and Naruto was sent flying through the air. He barely had time to catch his breath before he plunged into the river.
He struggled to get to the surface as the rushing currents drug him under. His lungs screamed for oxygen and his ribs that were surely broken protested any movements. He was saved when something took his ankle and pulled him out of the water.
Naruto broke the surface and was violently thrown to the bank where he landed hard on his injured ribcage. He coughed up the water that had entered his lungs and greedily sucked in the precious oxygen offered to him. He laid there for a moment, gasping for breath, trying to ignore the tremendous pain that radiated form his ribs.
But relief was far too short as something suddenly came crashing down upon him, landing heavily upon his back and pressing him into the ground beneath him. Naruto gasped from the pain and the sheer surprise.
The monstrous fox pressed its weight onto its foot, causing more pain for the young shinobi.
Naruto mentally cursed his situation. The beast gave him no time to work out a strategy from his constant assaults and he was far too busy struggling to breathe to get the chance to perform any jutsu.
Drops of blood flew past his lips as the beast pressed him harder into the unforgiving earth beneath him. Naruto's teeth clenched as he felt even more of his ribs break from the unbearable weight of the foot.
'What does this thing want with Kurama?' Naruto thought and the tailed beast, seemingly dormant inside of him before, answered.
"Brat, listen carefully to me when I tell you this." Kurama started to which Naruto protested violently.
"How can I listen to you when I can't even hear you over the crunching of my bones!" Naruto screamed, voice coming out muffled through a mouth full dirt.
"I'm inside of your head! How can you not hear me!"
Naruto chose not to reply, only letting out a muffled groan of pain. If this continued, he was going to become a human pancake.
"Listen, brat. He's trying to kill you."
'You don't think I know that already!?'
Kurama growled. "Just listen! He's trying to kill you because of me!"
Naruto let out a pained groan of relief as the weight was lifted off of him. He lay there gasping for breath, blood slowly leaking from the corners of his mouth.
"Remember when you first found that fox kit? I told you about the Forest of Kokatsuna. This place is it, brat. You're in the outskirts of the forest."
Naruto's eyes widened and he quickly rolled onto his back to avoid a giant paw that came crashing down on the spot where he had previously lain.
'The forest!?'
"Yes. The fox that is currently trying to kill you is Kamavirya, the one we ran out of the forest long before I was first sealed. He wants you dead. His reason is if you die, I will as well."
Naruto shakily got to his feet, his right arm wrapped tightly around his injured ribs. He stumbled slightly and looked up to the monster that towered over him.
'Kamavirya, eh?'
Kamavirya gave a vicious snarl before swiping a tail along the earthy terrain, destroying everything in its path. Naruto barely managed to jump out of the way in time, landing on a rock not far away. He hissed in pain as the sudden movement disturbed his ribs.
'What to do, what to do…' Naruto thought frantically in his head. Too lost in his thought of how to escape the current situation, Naruto missed the tail coming his way and took a harsh blow to the head. It knocked him off the rock and sent him sliding across the rocky earth.
Naruto shakily sat up while holding his aching head. His vision swam and he had to blink hard to see. This fox was toying with him, playing with its food before it went in for the kill. He was in a tricky situation, but no matter what happened, he would not be this fox's prey….well he already was, but he would find a way out! That is if his head would stop pounding enough for him to even think straight.
Naruto looked over to where Hinata laid. The fox had yet to go after her, which he was thankful for, but he knew that if he himself went down, she would be next. Her life depended on his right now and one mistake could send them both to the afterworld. Naruto had no intentions of letting that happen.
'I need to do something! And fast!'
"It's no use, Blue eyes! I'm going to tear you limb for limb and listen while you scream in agony! Your cries will be like music to my ears! I'm going to kill you so slowly that you'll be begging me for death!"
With a new determination sparking inside of him, Naruto quickly brought his hands up to perform the seals for his favorite jutsu.
"Kage-bushin no jutsu!"
But nothing happened. No clones popped up. No new Narutos attacked. Nothing.
Naruto tried again. "Kage-bushin no jutsu!"
Nothing.
And again.
Still nothing.
"Crap! Why isn't it working!?" he cried, desperation ringing out in his voice.
"Fool! You cannot use chakra in the Forest of Kokatsuna!" Kamavirya laughed, tails swaying in evil mirth.
Naruto's eyes widened. 'I can't use chakra!? Why didn't you tell me this before, Kurama!?'
"I did! You just didn't hear me because you were getting the sense knocked out of you by his tail!"
'What are we going to do now!? If I can't use chakra, how am I going to defeat him!?'
Noticing the panic in his voice, Kurama sighed. "If you had mastered my power, you could have easily defeated him. My chakra is purely demonic, meaning its part of the natural energy of this forest."
Naruto looked frantically around him. 'Why can't you just lend me a bit of that power?'
"Baka! You don't know how to handle my power! With my other half still wild, there is no telling what could happen!"
'Kurama! We are going to die if I don't do something soon! Just give me the power!'
"If I give you the power, there's a chance you'll lose all consciousness and possibly harm that girl over there!"
Naruto's eyes widened as his head swiveled to look at Hinata's prone form.
"Besides brat, the seal was newly tightened when you sealed my other half! It takes time for it to loosen enough for me to let my chakra seep out!"
'T..then what'll we do?'
"Stay alive, brat! That's all you can do right now!"
'How!? I can barely dodge his attacks!'
"Make it to the forest! There were once protective barriers put in place to keep him out. They fell when Keiko and I left so they should reactivate when we enter."
'That's all we have to do? Make it to the forest?'
"Yes! Now move!"
Naruto took off towards Hinata. He had to get to her. He didn't know how he would do it, but he had to get her and take her with him to the forest. He wouldn't abandon her.
Kamavirya noticed this and quickly brought his tail down between the two, causing the ground to shake violently and Naruto to lose his footing and fall. Naruto quickly pushed himself up, ignoring the pain in his sides, and took off once again towards his love.
Kamavirya growled and swiped his tail towards the blond boy, but Naruto managed to dodge it and kept on running. He made it to Hinata and quickly picked her up. His arms shook from the immense pain it caused his ribs, but he paid no heed as he once again began to run, this time, to the forest.
The fox noticed this and was quick to send all five tails towards them. Naruto managed to dodge the first few, but was unlucky as one soon knocked into him, sending both him and Hinata airborne.
They made contact with the ground hard, Naruto taking the blunt of the impact. He couldn't keep his hold on Hinata however and she rolled from his arms, sliding to a stop a few feet from him. Naruto tried to get up, but gasped when his leg buckled from under him. He looked down to see it twisted in at an odd angle, clearly broken.
Naruto still tried to get to his feet however and managed a few steps before he collapsed from the pain. He grunted and tried to get back up, but only managed to move his uninjured leg.
Kamavirya gave him no chance to run as he noticed the boy's weakness. The one he was trying to save. The girl.
Naruto's eyes widened when the fox raised a paw and swiftly brought it down, claws pointed dangerously at Hinata.
Everything seemed to happen in slow motion after that. He didn't know how, but his body managed to move faster than it ever had before, even on his broken leg.
Blood splattered and Hinata's eyes slowly opened, only to widen as the sticky substance ran down her face. She turned slowly and gasped.
Naruto was standing over her, arms spread out. Blood ran from the sides of his mouth and his teeth were clenched. Hinata's eyes widened when she saw the claw that protruded from his abdomen, going so far that if she were to sit up, it would have hit her too. His jacket was ripped and stained with his blood as it pooled from the huge wound and trickled down the claw.
Naruto opened a blue eye and smiled weakly. "G..glad…agh….you're alright….ah….Hina.." He weakly took a breath. "Hina-chan…"
He had shielded her.
"Naruto-kun…" She whispered, still unable to fully process what she was seeing before her.
Naruto yelped as the claw was violently pulled from him. No longer able to support himself, his knees hit the ground and he fell forward. He closed his eyes and waited for the painful impact, but it never came. Instead, arms caught him and he was pulled to rest against a soft chest.
He groaned weakly at the movement. Hinata closed her eyes and looked away from the gaping wound in his stomach. Tears streamed down her face and she held him close.
"Why?" she whispered. "Why did you protect me?"
She looked down at his face, her tears falling and dripping onto it. Naruto laughed weakly and shakily raised a hand to wipe a tear away.
"Isn't it obvious?" He whispered weakly. "I love you."
Hinata only clenched her eyes and her tears started to fall faster.
"Don't cry, Hina-chan…please…" Naruto whispered, leaning his head back on her chest to look up at her.
"Naruto-kun…" She cried, holding him close.
Naruto gasped from the sudden shift and Hinata was quick to pull away.
"I'm sorry! I.."
"Its fine, Hina-chan…don't…don't worry 'bout it."
Hinata only sniffed and buried her hair in his messy, golden locks.
"Hina-chan…" He whispered, raising a hand to clutch weakly at the sleeve of her shirt. "I…I don't think I'm going to make it…."
"Don't say that! Of course you're going to make it!" Hinata sobbed.
Naruto only smiled weakly. "I..I've lost too much blood. Kurama can't heal me fast enough…..his…his other half won't let him…"
Hinata only held him tighter. "You'll make it! You have to!"
Naruto closed his eyes and sighed. "You know I love you….right Hina-chan?"
Hinata nodded her head, unable to speak.
"I love everything about you…...Your hair, your eyes….the way you walk, the way you talk…..you're cute little laugh….your cooking….everything…." Naruto looked up at the sky above them, his vision starting to darken. "You know…you would make a great mother someday…Hina-chan…and if I had the chance….if I made it out of here alive…"
Naruto laughed weakly. "I…I know we've only been together….for a month and a half….but it feels like forever….I want to be with you forever….I want to wake up every morning with you by my side….I.." He coughed harshly, causing more blood to run past his lips. "I want to grow old and wrinkly with you….I want to sit on the porch in our rocking chairs and yell at people who walk past….I want everything….but…I may not get a chance to have any of it…"
"Shhh…don't talk like that, Naruto-kun…." Hinata whispered, shoulders shaking from her silent tears. "Of course you will. You'll make it out of here alive…you have to."
Naruto only closed his eyes and took a shaky breath. "Hina-chan….I love you…so, so much…" He raised his hand weakly to cup her cheek.
Hinata grasped the hand on her cheek and held it tightly.
"Just…just promise me…promise me that you'll get out of here….please promise me you'll stay alive…." Naruto choked.
Hinata sobbed. "I promise…I promise…"
Naruto gave her a weak smile and closed his eyes. "So cold…" he mumbled.
Hinata held him tighter, oblivious of the smirking monster that stood watching them from afar.
"Shh…don't talk Naruto-kun…" Tears fell in currents from her eyes. "It's gonna be okay….we're gonna get out of here alive. Both of us…"
"I love you, Hina-chan…." Naruto muttered, coughing weakly.
Hinata held him close and weakly whispered back. "I love you, too, Naruto-kun…please don't leave me…"
"Brat! Don't you dare close your eyes!"
'M'tired Kurama…I just wanna….sleep…'
"If you fall asleep you'll die and drag me along with you! Open your eyes!"
'Can't….so….tired…'
"Brat!"
Hinata sobbed hysterically when Naruto's grip on her hand loosened and fell limply to his side. "No! Naruto! Open your eyes!" Her head dropped to rest on his, her shoulders shaking from the force of her sobs. "Open your eyes!" She buried her face into his golden locks. "Please…."
"Pathetic fool! He's dead!" Kamavirya snarled before laughing manically. "And now it's your turn."
Hinata didn't move as the monster of a fox stalked towards her. She didn't move when he raised a paw to deliver the final blow that would end her life. She didn't move when the claws came near. She didn't move because she didn't want to.
She didn't want to live a life without Naruto. To her, there was no life without Naruto. He was her life and now he was gone….there was nothing left for her to live for. She promised him that she would live, that she would make it out of there alive…..she knew it was selfish of her…to neglect his dying wish….but she wouldn't lead a life without him by her side. She couldn't.
Hinata looked up as the claws came nearer. She held his body close to her and welcomed death with open arms.
She had always thought that death would be painful, that she would experience some sort of pain when the claws raked over and impaled her body. But no pain came. She felt nothing. Absolutely nothing.
Slowly, she opened her eyes and instantly regretted it as they were blinded by a bright light. She raised a hand to shield her eyes and briefly heard a loud screech of outrage from the monstrous fox.
The light around her subsided and Hinata looked up to see the fox bound by glowing ropes. They wrapped around his body, tightening and immobilizing him. The fox gave an enraged roar, struggling against its binds, but every move it made only caused them to tighten.
"You!" Kamavirya snarled before a glowing rope shot up and wrapped around his muzzle.
"He won't harm you now, little one."
Hinata's eyes widened as a small figure stepped in to stand between them and the bound fox. It was hard to make out the figure as the ropes were glowing quite brightly in the distance, but if she squinted, she could make out dark russet fur and a bushy tail that contained a white tip. It was no doubt a fox, a baby one at that.
"W..who are you?" Hinata shakily called out, her grip on Naruto's body tightening.
The baby fox turned to look at her and Hinata gasped in shock when her eyes met with glassy blue.
"Keiko?" She shakily muttered, staring at the baby fox in shock.
"You may have known this fox as Keiko, little one, but I assure you, I am not her. For I am many things, young one, but many have known me as Inari, goddess of the foxes. "
"I..Inari?"
"Long ago a prophecy was set forth and vessels for my soul had been chosen. The future held great darkness and the elders of Kokatsuna wanted to prevent any upbringings of evil. It is my duty to watch over my people and therefore every ten years I am born into a new body, to protect the forest. This kit that I currently occupy was born unto this fox, Kamavirya. His father was once an elder of the forest and chose for his grandchild to become one of my next vessels. Kamavirya knew that any child of his would be the next vessel and send his plans of darkness into ruins. He wanted power, control. He avoided having any kits as to prevent me from being reborn, but one time was all it took. Knowing of his mistake, he tried to have this kit killed, so that I could not be reborn."
"It was thanks to you both who saved this kit that I was able to be reborn and stop Kamavirya from bringing more harm unto this forest, and to you. I will forever be eternally grateful, for I am in your debt."
Keiko, or rather Inari who occupied her body, turned and bowed her head to Hinata and the still body she held in her arms. Hinata opened her mouth to say something, but Inari held up a small paw.
"Fear not, brave one. Keiko shall be returned to her body as my time here is done. Kamavirya's actions awakened my spirit inside of her and now that the forest is safe once again, I no longer need to occupy her. Keiko's soul shall be restored to her body and mine will take its leave."
Inari stopped and looked sadly at Naruto who lay in Hinata's arms and up to her face where tears still fell. "The boy's soul has not yet crossed over. There is still time for me to repay my debt."
Hinata sniffled and watched curiously as Inari walked closer before reaching out and touching Naruto's leg with a paw. She watched, mystified as the goddess' paw started to glow with a golden light that soon grew larger, swirling and swiveling around Naruto's body, encasing it with a brilliant, golden glow. The light grew so bright that Hinata was forced to close her eyes until it dimmed.
Tentatively, she opened her eyes to see Naruto's body as cold and unmoving as it was before. She was about to let out a heartbreaking cry when Naruto's eyes suddenly shot open and he gasped, inhaling deep breaths of air.
Hinata immediately cupped his face, running her hands through his hair as if to tell herself that she wasn't dreaming, that this was really happening. Tears pooled in her lavender eyes and fell down onto her love's face. Naruto opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off when Hinata suddenly slammed her lips onto his, kissing him as hard as she could, pouring all of her relief and joy into it. She pulled back to see him looking at her dazed. She held him close, crying out in relief as her love was once again alive and breathing in her arms.
She looked over to where the small fox stood, watching them. "Thank you…" She whispered. "Thank you so much…"
The fox only smiled. "My debt has been repaid. Thank you for sparing this kit's life."
Keiko's body suddenly began to glow and slowly stated to fade.
"My time here is up and I shall be taking my leave. Kamavirya shall harm this forest no more and his soul will be eternally damned to the pits of Hell." Inari looked over to the struggling Kamavirya who was being dragged into the ground. "The kit will be waiting for you back in your village, alive and well. Thank you for helping save my people and my forest…"
Hinata watched, dazed, as Keiko's body disappeared, leaving her and Naruto sitting on the blood stained soil of Kokatsuna. She looked down at Naruto who looked up at her through half lidded eyes. She smiled softly and ran her thumb over his cheek.
A soft light encased them and she gently held Naruto close to her.
"We're going home alive….both of us."
AN: Hope I didn't scare ya there...ya know...with making you think they all died and all...
Anywho, now that I got the evil fox arc thingy out of the way, I am trying to come up with more plot! The plot bunnies refuse to bite me! Grrr!
I know what the next chapter will be about, I have all that planned out, but after that...I don't know. I have an idea, but it's a bit fuzzy around the edges. So if you guys have any ideas for the story, let me know! Please. If you have a really good idea and I like it, all credit will go to you. I'll just write it...and you'll read...if that means anything...^_^
But I am thinking about doing a whole different take on the fight with Pein...or do you spell it Pain? Hmm...that gives me a little idea dealing with the Akatsuki...The plot bunnies have finally bitten me! Yay! (Seriously, that just came to me while I was writing this)
But still, if you still have a really good idea, let me know.
Until next time,
~Scarlet Moons