Thought some of the writers here might wanna take a shot at this; my apologies to those that've already read it at his livejournal.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Revenant
Summary: During a vicious battle, Naruto takes lethal injuries. As he's falling unconcious/dying, he briefly confronts the Kyuubi, whose prison is disintegrating as Naruto's body and mind are. Realizing the demon is being dragged down with him, Naruto chooses to use to the last of his power to break the bars totally, freeing the Kyuubi and saving its life moments before he himself dies.
What exactly were Naruto's motivations for doing this? Who knows? Probably Naruto himself doesn't have any idea why he would save a demon's life. Perhaps Naruto wanted to unleash the unstoppable Kyuubi as a last act of vengeance upon his enemies. Or perhaps he simply saw the Kyuubi as a comrade, unwanted though it may be, and honor refused him to allow any comrade to die while it was within his power. Or maybe he's just a better human being than anyone gave him credit for. No one knows exactly why and no one ever will.
But Naruto's plan didn't work the way he intended. The Kyuubi was bound to Naruto's body on a level that went even deeper than the Yondaime's seal. While said seal was broken, the Kyuubi wasn't freed from the human corpus, just put in control. After effortlessly healing the wounds that had claimed Naruto's life, the Kyuubi finds itself with trapped in yet another prison, but this time with a new life to live: Naruto's.
Challenge: With Naruto's passing, Kyuubi is now in control of their once shared body. But, as an added twist, Kyuubi didn't just get Naruto's body, he also got all his memories and the corresponding emotional responses to them (though, of course, fainter than when Naruto was alive.) This brings the ancient demon to a crossroads as to what it does with the rest of the new life its been granted. The fic is to be about Kyuubi's decisions from there on out and its reflections on Naruto's extreme sacrifice. What does the Kyuubi do now?
Path 1: The Kyuubi chooses to return to Konohagakure (or wherever Naruto's alliances/friends are. Suna would be an interesting, though cliched twist. The more creative here, the better.) to take up arms in protection of Naruto's precious people. Naturally, the demon is about as subtle as a kleptomaniac dentist who prefers to use bricks as surgical tools, so the transition will hardly be smooth. And of course, there's always the question of whether or not Naruto's precious people want the protection of the same demon Naruto spent his entire life imprisoning.
Path 2: The Kyuubi sets out on its own, using its new body to further its original goals/take revenge upon Naruto's killers/take out Akatsuki/take out the other Bijuu and Jinchuuriki/etc. Again, be creative here. And keep in mind that the Kyuubi isn't necessarily evil, it's simply beyond human morals. I want this story to be well thought out, not an excuse for a splatterfest against everyone who even remotely looked at Naruto the wrong way. Remember almost all humans are ants to the Kyuubi and spending too much time on them is an insult to itself.
Path 3: (Kraken's Personal Choice) The Kyuubi decides to literally live Naruto's life from now on, by pretending Naruto never died and acting as though it itself is our favorite blonde demon-vessel. Naturally, this will be difficult, as even with Naruto's memories, the Kyuubi is a far different being, with a personality considerably darker from Naruto's. Eventually, little hints of something wrong begin to build up and certain perceptive individuals who knew Naruto begin to get suspicious of him.
Optional: Especially suspicious would be any romantic partners Naruto may have. [Not so subtle hint]
Rules:
Hey guys, this time actually try to follow them, okay? One author actually followed ALL the guidelines in the last challenge and produced exactly what I was looking for (kudos, Geor-sama.) Violate them too much and I will disqualify you, regardless of how much I may or may not like your story.
-Absolutely, positively, NO PHYSICAL/APPEARANCE TRAITS OF NARUTO'S BODY ARE TO BE ALTERED:
The lone exception I'll accept is Naruto's eyes, as they've always changed whenever the Kyuubi had even partial control in the canon. Normal Kyuubi-Naruto eyes are acceptable (ie. Red color, slit pupils.)
However, I don't want to see any of that hanyou/Inuyasha-wannabe shit.
Examples: Physical tails, fucking dog/fox ears, fangs, claws, gaining a foot in height and a hundred pounds of muscle, longer hair, etc, etc.
Believe it or not, hanyou characters look really fucking lame. I know people think they're cute or cool, but it's actually a character design that's the product of a very immature individual. Why not throw some fucking unicorns and goddamn rainbows in while you're at it, Takahashi? Jesus, keep the fetish for furries in your pants and to yourself.
Kyuubi may manifest its tails and change appearance in the exact same tiered fashion as the manga, so that chakra covering from the one-tail form at the Valley of the End and that awesome four-tails form are all acceptable, but his natural state should be virtually totally human.
Edit: (11/03/06) Important! Upon further consideration, I've decided violation of this rule can be grounds for disqualification. I REALLY don't want to see any stereotypical hanyou shit in here...
-No yaoi:
This should go without saying to those who know me, but just to be clear, my opinion hasn't changed a bit since the last challenge. This is grounds for immediate disqualification.
-Pairings:
Any pairings are acceptable if you choose to include them. But remember this is the Kyuubi no Kitsune we're talking about here. It's hard to be romantically compatible with young humans when you're an eon old demon of dark legend. Not to mention, it's hard to believe that the Kyuubi even has reproductive urges, considering its body theoretically a monstrous mass of endless chakra. Of course, mixing in Naruto's body (and hormones) could have unforseen effects, but they're likely quite alien to the demon.
Just keep things in proper perspecitive and don't get lost in focusing on romance over the plot.
-Keep Kyuubi in character:
I'll accept that Naruto's memories and respect for his sacrifice may keep the Kyuubi from killing the people Naruto cared about (in fact, I encourage it), but 15-25 years of human memories aren't going to make a demon who's lived for 1,000 - 100,000 years do a complete 180 in personality. Personality and temperment changes over time are acceptable (again, also encouraged), so long as it's character development and its in line with a well-written plot. If you need a good example on radical character changes via character development done well, read Kaze's Forever and a Day.
Okay, to be fair, the Kyuubi's character isn't totally defined, but it's safe to say it isn't pretty, friendly, or tragically misunderstood. Also...
-Kyuubi is THE greatest demon:
None of that 16 tails or Demon Princes or Lords/Gods of Darkness or mysteriously previously unmentioned higher classes of demons that can totally pwn the Kyuubi without any effort. Kyuubi has been stated repeatedly by canon to be the strongest demon in the world, so obey it. Any fics that have the Kyuubi snivelling or bowing before ANYTHING or acknowledging some being/human as a superior will be IMMEDIATELY disqualified with GREAT satisfaction.
The Nine-Tails is the strongest. End of discussion.
However, the Kyuubi doesn't have a perfect demon body anymore nor does it have the infinite chakra its tails granted it. Naruto's body is formidable, but it's still human for the most part. So while the Kyuubi is still insanely dangerous, it's power is limited until it can figure out how to work around the limitations of its new body. So while its at least on par with Itachi, a full powered Bijuu with its natural body would be a serious threat. (Hint, hint.)
-Canon:
Part 2 canon should be kept to a minimum, but feel free to throw in those bad-ass Three-Tail and Four-Tail forms. Kishimoto actually made Naruto look cool, for freaking once. 9_9
Everything in Part 1 is good to use.
-Character bashing/glorifying down:
As usual. We all indulge and I'm no exception, but restrain yourselves from going overboard.
-Naruto's death in the Timeline:
Can take place any time from the Sound/Sand Invasion onwards, EXCEPT(!) not the Valley of the End.
I've seen fics where Naruto dies there way too many times and it's way too easy a scene to write. Be creative and pick another scene, fellows. In fact, I'd prefer it to not be anywhere in the canon at all. Again, be creative and come up with something of your own.
-Crossovers:
Minor, and I do mean MINOR, crossover can take place in this challenge. I'm talking two characters from another series at the most. This is a Naruto fic, remember. If I wanted to see Ranma/Oh My Goddess/Inuyasha/Beach/DBZ/Harry Potter/Etc. characters and settings in a fic, I would've written a challenge for it. However, having a few characters from the Kyuubi's 'past' (Darkstalkers?) or beings who view him as a threat (Oh!My Goddess?) show up isn't out of the question though.
Keep in mind, Naruto's world is set either in the future or in an alternate universe, so any characters from a series set in 'our' world are out (unless they have one hell of a good plot device.)
And no Inuyasha characters. To quote Scott of VG Cats, "Fuck Inuyasha! It's Dragonball Z for girls!" I concur completely and loath the show beyond all compare... Okay, I hate yaoi more, but not by much.
(Note: I'll give bonus points to anyone who includes Morrigan and/or Lilith as a previous/current love interest for Kyuubi. Even if nothing comes of it, it would be greatly amusing to me. ^_^)
Edit: (11/03/06) Naruto's relationship to Kyuubi had BETTER not be stereotypical:
In other words, no 'Kit' fics! I don't care how you portray their relationship, but I don't want to see any of that, "Kyuubi wuvs Naruto like his/her child and calls him his/her kit", crap. Even if they did have a parental relationship, the Kyuubi is a sarcastic, biting demon. Warm and fuzzy terms of enderment are therfore a no-no.
They can have a decent relationship if you want, but none of that cliched crap found in so many slop-fics. And keep in mind that their relationship isn't even the main point of the challenge. Sure, it's important, but not the main focus.
Contest Participation:
To participate, send me an email stating your intentions with the following subject headers:
Fall/Winter Naruto Fic Contest - Emails stating your intention to enter the contest.
Fall/Winter Naruto Fic Contest Withdrawal - If you want to withdraw from the
contest.
Fall/Winter Naruto Fic Contest Update - Your monthly update report, sent in the 1st of
each month. No progress is fine; just let me know you're alive.
Fall/Winter Naruto Fic Contest Entry - Your fic entry, either complete or still in
progress.
Almost the same as last time. As usual, send me an initial email stating intention to enter, followed with a brief update email the first of each month till the deadline.
If you want/need to withdraw, you may do so at any time. Just let me know, alright? Trust me, I won't rail at you about it. We all have shit we gotta take care of.
I would appreciate if you send me what you have done, though (if anything.) I'm most curious to see people's takes on this idea.
Contact:
My email is on my FF.net profile. Go to the main page of FF.net, click
'Register', go through the two minute process of settng up an account, then come
back to my profile.
Two minutes of annoyance for you keeps my email off spam bot
lists, so don't think I'll feel any pity. You don't have to do anything with
your FF.net account, but you will need one to get my email address.
Deadline:
Febuary 15, 2007
Seems like a long time, huh? Well, I figure people got school and the big holidays, so I'll give a little extra time and such. Anyways, all entries, whether complete or in progress must be emailed in, on, or before that date. And yes, I will accept entries if it's a few hours late. I'm not that big of an ogre. Just make sure you get it in.
Final Notes:
-Find a beta or do it yourself. Either way, get the fics properly proof-read and edited. Entrants were excellent in this regard in the last contest, so I don't think it'll be too big a deal.
-No plagiarizing.
-Play nice. No blog wars between entrants.
-The Squid (me) has final say in everything.
-Good fortune and good writing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Revenant
Summary: During a vicious battle, Naruto takes lethal injuries. As he's falling unconcious/dying, he briefly confronts the Kyuubi, whose prison is disintegrating as Naruto's body and mind are. Realizing the demon is being dragged down with him, Naruto chooses to use to the last of his power to break the bars totally, freeing the Kyuubi and saving its life moments before he himself dies.
What exactly were Naruto's motivations for doing this? Who knows? Probably Naruto himself doesn't have any idea why he would save a demon's life. Perhaps Naruto wanted to unleash the unstoppable Kyuubi as a last act of vengeance upon his enemies. Or perhaps he simply saw the Kyuubi as a comrade, unwanted though it may be, and honor refused him to allow any comrade to die while it was within his power. Or maybe he's just a better human being than anyone gave him credit for. No one knows exactly why and no one ever will.
But Naruto's plan didn't work the way he intended. The Kyuubi was bound to Naruto's body on a level that went even deeper than the Yondaime's seal. While said seal was broken, the Kyuubi wasn't freed from the human corpus, just put in control. After effortlessly healing the wounds that had claimed Naruto's life, the Kyuubi finds itself with trapped in yet another prison, but this time with a new life to live: Naruto's.
Challenge: With Naruto's passing, Kyuubi is now in control of their once shared body. But, as an added twist, Kyuubi didn't just get Naruto's body, he also got all his memories and the corresponding emotional responses to them (though, of course, fainter than when Naruto was alive.) This brings the ancient demon to a crossroads as to what it does with the rest of the new life its been granted. The fic is to be about Kyuubi's decisions from there on out and its reflections on Naruto's extreme sacrifice. What does the Kyuubi do now?
Path 1: The Kyuubi chooses to return to Konohagakure (or wherever Naruto's alliances/friends are. Suna would be an interesting, though cliched twist. The more creative here, the better.) to take up arms in protection of Naruto's precious people. Naturally, the demon is about as subtle as a kleptomaniac dentist who prefers to use bricks as surgical tools, so the transition will hardly be smooth. And of course, there's always the question of whether or not Naruto's precious people want the protection of the same demon Naruto spent his entire life imprisoning.
Path 2: The Kyuubi sets out on its own, using its new body to further its original goals/take revenge upon Naruto's killers/take out Akatsuki/take out the other Bijuu and Jinchuuriki/etc. Again, be creative here. And keep in mind that the Kyuubi isn't necessarily evil, it's simply beyond human morals. I want this story to be well thought out, not an excuse for a splatterfest against everyone who even remotely looked at Naruto the wrong way. Remember almost all humans are ants to the Kyuubi and spending too much time on them is an insult to itself.
Path 3: (Kraken's Personal Choice) The Kyuubi decides to literally live Naruto's life from now on, by pretending Naruto never died and acting as though it itself is our favorite blonde demon-vessel. Naturally, this will be difficult, as even with Naruto's memories, the Kyuubi is a far different being, with a personality considerably darker from Naruto's. Eventually, little hints of something wrong begin to build up and certain perceptive individuals who knew Naruto begin to get suspicious of him.
Optional: Especially suspicious would be any romantic partners Naruto may have. [Not so subtle hint]
Rules:
Hey guys, this time actually try to follow them, okay? One author actually followed ALL the guidelines in the last challenge and produced exactly what I was looking for (kudos, Geor-sama.) Violate them too much and I will disqualify you, regardless of how much I may or may not like your story.
-Absolutely, positively, NO PHYSICAL/APPEARANCE TRAITS OF NARUTO'S BODY ARE TO BE ALTERED:
The lone exception I'll accept is Naruto's eyes, as they've always changed whenever the Kyuubi had even partial control in the canon. Normal Kyuubi-Naruto eyes are acceptable (ie. Red color, slit pupils.)
However, I don't want to see any of that hanyou/Inuyasha-wannabe shit.
Examples: Physical tails, fucking dog/fox ears, fangs, claws, gaining a foot in height and a hundred pounds of muscle, longer hair, etc, etc.
Believe it or not, hanyou characters look really fucking lame. I know people think they're cute or cool, but it's actually a character design that's the product of a very immature individual. Why not throw some fucking unicorns and goddamn rainbows in while you're at it, Takahashi? Jesus, keep the fetish for furries in your pants and to yourself.
Kyuubi may manifest its tails and change appearance in the exact same tiered fashion as the manga, so that chakra covering from the one-tail form at the Valley of the End and that awesome four-tails form are all acceptable, but his natural state should be virtually totally human.
Edit: (11/03/06) Important! Upon further consideration, I've decided violation of this rule can be grounds for disqualification. I REALLY don't want to see any stereotypical hanyou shit in here...
-No yaoi:
This should go without saying to those who know me, but just to be clear, my opinion hasn't changed a bit since the last challenge. This is grounds for immediate disqualification.
-Pairings:
Any pairings are acceptable if you choose to include them. But remember this is the Kyuubi no Kitsune we're talking about here. It's hard to be romantically compatible with young humans when you're an eon old demon of dark legend. Not to mention, it's hard to believe that the Kyuubi even has reproductive urges, considering its body theoretically a monstrous mass of endless chakra. Of course, mixing in Naruto's body (and hormones) could have unforseen effects, but they're likely quite alien to the demon.
Just keep things in proper perspecitive and don't get lost in focusing on romance over the plot.
-Keep Kyuubi in character:
I'll accept that Naruto's memories and respect for his sacrifice may keep the Kyuubi from killing the people Naruto cared about (in fact, I encourage it), but 15-25 years of human memories aren't going to make a demon who's lived for 1,000 - 100,000 years do a complete 180 in personality. Personality and temperment changes over time are acceptable (again, also encouraged), so long as it's character development and its in line with a well-written plot. If you need a good example on radical character changes via character development done well, read Kaze's Forever and a Day.
Okay, to be fair, the Kyuubi's character isn't totally defined, but it's safe to say it isn't pretty, friendly, or tragically misunderstood. Also...
-Kyuubi is THE greatest demon:
None of that 16 tails or Demon Princes or Lords/Gods of Darkness or mysteriously previously unmentioned higher classes of demons that can totally pwn the Kyuubi without any effort. Kyuubi has been stated repeatedly by canon to be the strongest demon in the world, so obey it. Any fics that have the Kyuubi snivelling or bowing before ANYTHING or acknowledging some being/human as a superior will be IMMEDIATELY disqualified with GREAT satisfaction.
The Nine-Tails is the strongest. End of discussion.
However, the Kyuubi doesn't have a perfect demon body anymore nor does it have the infinite chakra its tails granted it. Naruto's body is formidable, but it's still human for the most part. So while the Kyuubi is still insanely dangerous, it's power is limited until it can figure out how to work around the limitations of its new body. So while its at least on par with Itachi, a full powered Bijuu with its natural body would be a serious threat. (Hint, hint.)
-Canon:
Part 2 canon should be kept to a minimum, but feel free to throw in those bad-ass Three-Tail and Four-Tail forms. Kishimoto actually made Naruto look cool, for freaking once. 9_9
Everything in Part 1 is good to use.
-Character bashing/glorifying down:
As usual. We all indulge and I'm no exception, but restrain yourselves from going overboard.
-Naruto's death in the Timeline:
Can take place any time from the Sound/Sand Invasion onwards, EXCEPT(!) not the Valley of the End.
I've seen fics where Naruto dies there way too many times and it's way too easy a scene to write. Be creative and pick another scene, fellows. In fact, I'd prefer it to not be anywhere in the canon at all. Again, be creative and come up with something of your own.
-Crossovers:
Minor, and I do mean MINOR, crossover can take place in this challenge. I'm talking two characters from another series at the most. This is a Naruto fic, remember. If I wanted to see Ranma/Oh My Goddess/Inuyasha/Beach/DBZ/Harry Potter/Etc. characters and settings in a fic, I would've written a challenge for it. However, having a few characters from the Kyuubi's 'past' (Darkstalkers?) or beings who view him as a threat (Oh!My Goddess?) show up isn't out of the question though.
Keep in mind, Naruto's world is set either in the future or in an alternate universe, so any characters from a series set in 'our' world are out (unless they have one hell of a good plot device.)
And no Inuyasha characters. To quote Scott of VG Cats, "Fuck Inuyasha! It's Dragonball Z for girls!" I concur completely and loath the show beyond all compare... Okay, I hate yaoi more, but not by much.
(Note: I'll give bonus points to anyone who includes Morrigan and/or Lilith as a previous/current love interest for Kyuubi. Even if nothing comes of it, it would be greatly amusing to me. ^_^)
Edit: (11/03/06) Naruto's relationship to Kyuubi had BETTER not be stereotypical:
In other words, no 'Kit' fics! I don't care how you portray their relationship, but I don't want to see any of that, "Kyuubi wuvs Naruto like his/her child and calls him his/her kit", crap. Even if they did have a parental relationship, the Kyuubi is a sarcastic, biting demon. Warm and fuzzy terms of enderment are therfore a no-no.
They can have a decent relationship if you want, but none of that cliched crap found in so many slop-fics. And keep in mind that their relationship isn't even the main point of the challenge. Sure, it's important, but not the main focus.
Contest Participation:
To participate, send me an email stating your intentions with the following subject headers:
Fall/Winter Naruto Fic Contest - Emails stating your intention to enter the contest.
Fall/Winter Naruto Fic Contest Withdrawal - If you want to withdraw from the
contest.
Fall/Winter Naruto Fic Contest Update - Your monthly update report, sent in the 1st of
each month. No progress is fine; just let me know you're alive.
Fall/Winter Naruto Fic Contest Entry - Your fic entry, either complete or still in
progress.
Almost the same as last time. As usual, send me an initial email stating intention to enter, followed with a brief update email the first of each month till the deadline.
If you want/need to withdraw, you may do so at any time. Just let me know, alright? Trust me, I won't rail at you about it. We all have shit we gotta take care of.
I would appreciate if you send me what you have done, though (if anything.) I'm most curious to see people's takes on this idea.Contact:
My email is on my FF.net profile. Go to the main page of FF.net, click
'Register', go through the two minute process of settng up an account, then come
back to my profile.
Two minutes of annoyance for you keeps my email off spam bot
lists, so don't think I'll feel any pity. You don't have to do anything with
your FF.net account, but you will need one to get my email address.
Deadline:
Febuary 15, 2007
Seems like a long time, huh? Well, I figure people got school and the big holidays, so I'll give a little extra time and such. Anyways, all entries, whether complete or in progress must be emailed in, on, or before that date. And yes, I will accept entries if it's a few hours late. I'm not that big of an ogre. Just make sure you get it in.
Final Notes:
-Find a beta or do it yourself. Either way, get the fics properly proof-read and edited. Entrants were excellent in this regard in the last contest, so I don't think it'll be too big a deal.
-No plagiarizing.
-Play nice. No blog wars between entrants.
-The Squid (me) has final say in everything.
-Good fortune and good writing.