"Naruto Uzumaki has arrived!" yelled Naruto, charging towards the dome of ice blocks surrounding Sasuke.
"No you idiot!" exclaimed Sasuke, seeing that the idiot was going to do EXACTLY the wrong thing by running into the trap.
"What exactly did you hope to accomplish?" asked the masked ninja, sending a storm of ice needles out to repeatedly pierce the flesh of the orange-clad youth.
Naruto staggered forward, still determined to go ahead with his charge.
"It's over," said the masked figure, sounding a little regretful as a spear of ice formed and slammed directly into the youth's chest. The force of impact caused the boy to slide backward, then stumble before falling off the bridge into the waters below.
"You'll pay for that," said Sasuke, feeling a burning in his eyes as the dobe had at least given him a breather - a chance to recover enough to try a different tactic. He'd avenge Naruto now and his clan later.
No. It can't end like this!
Naruto struggled with the ice needles piercing his arms and legs, the large chunk of ice in his chest, and the surface of the water retreating further and further in the distance. I can't end here!
Why not?
Who? Is that the fox?
No. I am not the beast within you, Naruto Uzumaki.
Why not? Because there's so much I need to do! If I die here, I'll never be Hokage. I'll never have ramen again!
Is that all then?
Naruto looked to the side, in the darkness of the depths, and saw two eyes like huge pearls gazing at him. Wha?
All mortal things die, Naruto Uzumaki. By dying here you provide food for small organisms which feed the fish which feed larger fish. Eventually those fish might be eaten by humans not too unlike yourself. I believe human philosophers term this the 'circle of life' or something like that.
Wha?
A pity though. I thought there might be more to you and your ambitions.
Being Hokage isn't enough? Ramen isn't enough? Naruto tried to think despite the craving for air and all the hurt from the wounds. Sakura! I've never kissed Sakura!
You mean the girl who has already forgotten about you to focus on Sasuke Uchiha and his efforts to defeat a foe who is beyond him at present?
She what?
Has she not repeatedly told you that she hates you? Rest here then, Naruto Uzumaki. Life will continue without you.
AH! NO! Naruto could feel the presence in the darkness turning away from him. I can't protect anyone if I die!
The presence stopped moving away. Yes?
I need to protect my precious people!
You can't protect yourself, much less anyone else, in the state that you are in. You have a cause. You have some determination as well. Despite the Beast in your belly, you lack power. Also competence. Also oxygen at the moment.
Naruto blurped up the last of his remaining air, unable to hold back any longer. He was no longer sure if he was still descending or the dark around him was because of his depth or just from dying.
I can address that issue. Do you want to live?
Naruto nodded, though he realized this Whatever-it-was probably couldn't see him.
Done then. Here.
Kurama, aka Kyubi, alias the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox, was not fond of the current situation.
Even less so as the waters of this sewer began rising and the lights began to dim. It was also getting colder. Finally there was the distant constant, even soothing at time, pulse of warmth through the pipes. As it faltered, slowed, missed beats.
The great beast COULD have railed at fate, chewed at the bars of its cage, and fought every inch.
It had been through similar circumstances before. It had died twice in the hundreds of years of life since it had been "born" and it was hardly a pleasant experience. It would end up reforming eventually, hitting a critical threshold and then manifesting in a weakened state. Then most likely caught again and contained before reaching full strength.
Maybe this time, he could just leave these 'Elemental Countries' altogether? Find a nice volcano or something, avoid humans and their petty squabbles and hunger for power.
Except that this time, you actually would die.
The Kyubi stuck his head up, quickly seeing the pearl-like eyes regarding him.
Power was there, and age, and other things - but it regarded him without hate or fear or lust for his power.
Kurama bared his teeth at the stranger, disputing that conclusion.
Examine the seal more closely. The Fourth built it this way so that if his son died, he would take you with him.
The confidence left the fox's stance and the snarl reduced a bit as the idea was considered and deemed at least possible.
A pity that you remain so adversarial. As the boy is capable of vast amounts of sympathy and the concept of mercy, as well as being desperate for friends - you might have managed to survive his death if you had managed to be a bit more helpful.
Kurama snarled again. As if HE would deign to be friendly to these little power-hungry back-stabbing monkeys!
Ah. It appears he may give you a second chance after all.
Kurama stiffened as it felt power building up around it.
Naruto felt an object dropped onto his hand.
All he had to do was grasp it.
He did.
Things changed.
Sasuke gasped as he dropped to his knees, then slowly fell over to the side.
Great. Just like before. Helpless. Powerless. I couldn't avenge my family then. I couldn't avenge the dobe now. Now I'm going to die here without accomplishing a damn thing.
"Sasuke!"
Sakura. Yeah, like she could do anything. Her skills are even worse than Naruto's. If I had to be stuck with a team, I wish at least one of them were at least mildly awesome?
Granted
That way one of them could keep up and- Sasuke paused as he was pretty sure that with himself being paralyzed and resembling an ice-needle porcupine - that had NOT been an internal monologue voice.
Then a pillar of light ascended from the waters near the bridge, lancing into the heavens.
Ouch. I really wish I could blink.
Naruto clutched the object in his hand, feeling some Change flow through him from that hand, before he was lifted up and thrown clear of the waters.
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(Posted Sun, 14 Jul 2013 03:49)
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らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
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