Naruto Naruto Genkyouien 22
- Thread starter Daneel Rush
- Start date
The reason why I'm rooting for a Shino and Yuriyo relationship is that in that one, Yuriyo would be first in her partner's heart.
Because let's be honest: as much as Naruto cares about her, and he does care about her quite a bit, Yuriyo still ranks behind Sayuri, Mayuri, Yurimi, Yuria, Kotonoha, and Setsuna in terms of importance to him. That's enough for being a very good friend with the possibility of benefits, but as far as romance goes I think Yuriyo deserves better than a relationship where she's at best seventh place on the list.
(Just to try to head things off at the pass: no, I'm not saying that Naruto and Kotonoha's love for each other is in any way romantic love, nor am I trying to imply where any of those six names might rank in relation to each other as far as their place in Naruto's heart.)
Because let's be honest: as much as Naruto cares about her, and he does care about her quite a bit, Yuriyo still ranks behind Sayuri, Mayuri, Yurimi, Yuria, Kotonoha, and Setsuna in terms of importance to him. That's enough for being a very good friend with the possibility of benefits, but as far as romance goes I think Yuriyo deserves better than a relationship where she's at best seventh place on the list.
(Just to try to head things off at the pass: no, I'm not saying that Naruto and Kotonoha's love for each other is in any way romantic love, nor am I trying to imply where any of those six names might rank in relation to each other as far as their place in Naruto's heart.)
Lets recap Shinos actions around her so far:
He sees her as a hot chick.
He knows she is a youkai and is ready to attack her from the get go, he grows even more agitated when he finds out she is a kitsune youkai.
He completely lost himself to her Enchantment, and lost any chance of scoring with her, ever.
And then there's the whole thing with the fact that Naruto passed all her tests for courting her, and she lost all doubt in her sisters choice.
Kitsune are, as mentioned multiple times in this fanfic, deeply bonded with any and every one of their mates throughout their lives and Naruto himself is very much like that, so much that one of his first daughters has a name Kizuna, and, as mentioned by Alt!Sayuri to Yurimi, all of his bonds are important to him, and he will protect them no matter who goes after them, be they gods, demons or horrors from the end of the universe.
He sees her as a hot chick.
He knows she is a youkai and is ready to attack her from the get go, he grows even more agitated when he finds out she is a kitsune youkai.
He completely lost himself to her Enchantment, and lost any chance of scoring with her, ever.
And then there's the whole thing with the fact that Naruto passed all her tests for courting her, and she lost all doubt in her sisters choice.
Kitsune are, as mentioned multiple times in this fanfic, deeply bonded with any and every one of their mates throughout their lives and Naruto himself is very much like that, so much that one of his first daughters has a name Kizuna, and, as mentioned by Alt!Sayuri to Yurimi, all of his bonds are important to him, and he will protect them no matter who goes after them, be they gods, demons or horrors from the end of the universe.
Naruto felt completely restored, as if none of the events of that day had taken place and he had just woken up to fight in the Chuunin Exam Finals, which he had to say felt like they happened an awful lot of time ago.
Stupid invasion.
So, he was back to his absolute best. The same could not be said of his clothes, however. At the moment they were reduced to tattered orange pants and his boxers. Not like anybody there minded; in other circumstances, Setsuna would have been fairly pleased. Hell, in other circumstances, he might have felt like showing up to Setsuna a little—something he would have immediately denied, at the same time Setsuna denied showing the slightest best of interest in Naruto’s well-sculpted torso, thus leading to an endless recursion of tsundere.
But Naruto was in kind of a shitty mood.
On the other hand, Sayoko was smiling. It was almost boring, how everything developed exactly the way she believed it would.
“Di—buh!†Fubuki’s word of death was interrupted by Naruto’s left knee on her face, and the back of her head was smashed against the trunk of a sturdy tree.
“Shut up!†Naruto howled just before an unexpected force pulled him backwards and away, a fraction of a second before he was impaled by Void spears surging out of Fubuki’s shadow.
“Careful there, Naruto-sama,†Sayoko pointed out, and Naruto noticed it was her shadow attached to his own which had saved his hide.
Naruto clicked his tongue.
“Tha-thank you.â€
“DIE!!!â€
The hateful roar of Kuromiya Fubuki filled the devastated road to Konoha, but otherwise it did absolutely nothing else.
Sayoko shook her head.
“His soul already belongs to something much greater than you. A single word will not destroy it.â€
“Eh…?†Naruto was a bit confused. Did she mean his deal with the Death God?
“Ah! Awawawa…!†Naruto almost jumped backwards in embarrassment when Sayoko unabashedly sank her hand inside the pocket of his pants. However, his shadow was still bound to hers, and he could only move at her will. In the end, Naruto gasped when the elder kitsune retrieved a certain mysterious object.
“I…will hold to this a bit longer, Naruto-sama,†Sayoko declared while storing the Silver Key somewhere within her flowing clothes. “Even if it has chosen you, you are not yet ready for it.â€
“Ah…huh…†Naruto did not know what she meant. In all honesty, he kind of did not want to know.
Feeling the binding of their shadows disappearing, Naruto quickly took a step back from the fox-woman, who made him nervous for whatever reason at the moment. Sayoko just smiled at him like it was a hassle to do so, and she spoke while knowing her words would only stoke the bonfire in his soul.
“Please step back, Naruto-sama,†she said. “I can take care of everything; Naruto-sama has fought enough already…â€
“I respectfully refuse,†Naruto growled, sounding not really respectful at all. His eyes glared at everyone and everything in that battered battlefield. “I take it you people really like the sound of your voices, but I’m fucking sick and tired of you guys rambling and rambling like you’re the only people who matter!â€
“Well, they are kyuubi, so of course—â€
“Oh, so they’re the furriest of all!†Naruto retorted with no little sarcasm in his scathing words. “Big fucking deal.â€
His right index raised, he pointed it at Kougon, who frowned at the rude gesture. Naruto was still talking mostly to Sayoko, although his voice made it clear enough that he wanted everybody to listen.
“This asshole!†he said. “He comes here to kill my friend, and why?†Only then did he glare at Kougon, to make absolutely clear what he thought of his “judgementâ€. “Because you cannot accept a third kyuubi! Because it’d mean you are not as much of a special snowflake anymore!â€
Kougon did not even flinch at the accusation, which only annoyed Naruto further.
“Didn’t I already tell you? I protect Sayuri because she’s family. All these years, she has been closer to me than anybody else.†He gritted his teeth in irritation. Just thinking about this made his eyes sting. “I…I might have had a bit of a…lonely, childhood, but! I was not alone! Even if I was…looked down upon, even if I was never acknowledged, and always rejected, at least I could talk to people!â€
His right hand made a sweeping motion, presenting the sleeping nine-tails to the crowd.
“This girl, she’s been completely alone! For almost thirteen years!†His furious eyes locked on his Hokage. “Old man, what do you think would happen if you locked Konohamaru for thirteen years in an isolation cell!?â€
The old man winced, but he would not look away, even if he did not have an answer for that. At least, not an answer he would be willing to speak out loud.
“Yes, she’s crazy, and reckless, and doesn’t think twice of setting people and cities on fire! She’s abso-fucking-lutely dangerous, and sealing her was the best Yondaime could do at that time, but blaming her for what she does with her powers is like blaming her for breathing!â€
He turned again, this time to let Higashiyama Yuri receive his furious glare.
“It was you! You, in your retarded kyuubi-worship, did not bother teaching your daughter common fucking sense! People call me stupid, but even I know there’s shit you just don’t Fucking! Do! But Sayuri doesn’t! She not only can burn anything, she feels herself completely entitled to do it, ‘cause she just doesn’t get that sometimes burning shit is wrong!â€
“So, when another retard!†Naruto continued, glaring at Yuria in a way that made her flinch. “Suggests how fun it would be to become fucking gigantic and rampage all over the country; well of course she’ll do it! That’s the kind of stupid shit children just love to do! I’m a child too; I’d do it in a blink if I could as well!â€
“This child…this child!†He shouted more and more loudly. “She should be furious! She should be the death machine Konoha thought she was thirteen years ago! She…she should despise me! She should have destroyed me the moment she realized I was her jailer! But she smi—ugh…â€
His head fell, hiding his eyes from view. His voice had broken, and his shoulders trembled. Seriously, this is why his hated all this mushy heartfelt stuff (not really). However, the pause was perhaps what he needed to ease himself and relax his voice.
“She…she smiled at me.†He no longer looked angry. If anything, his lopsided smile made him look defeated. “When she saw me for the first time, do you know what the first thing she told me was?â€
He chuckled at a memory that felt five years rather than ten days old.
“It wasn’t ‘who are you’ or ‘why are you here’; it was ‘I was lonely’.â€
Naruto bit the corner of his lip before continuing.
“I was never her jailer. She never saw me as an enemy, or a threat, or something to despise and burn to death. From day one, I was ‘the friend who ended her loneliness’.†Shaking his head as if incapable of believing such a thing, Naruto allowed a single tear to shake off the corner of his right eye. “How could I possibly not love her?â€
It was silly, for many reasons. If we speak of Sayuri accepting Naruto instead of hating him, should we think of Naruto’s reciprocal acknowledgment of Sayuri as well?
But, of course, this is Uzumaki Naruto. To him, forgiving the main cause of his former social status (the other cause was his being an insufferable little shit) was not a big deal. After all, he loved Sayuri.
And it was that love which reignited his anger.
“And when some self-serving asshole comes here claiming she has to die because she just happens to be as special as he is, how could I possibly not want to smash his face!?â€
It was a blazing thing, coursing like molten lava in his veins and inflaming his brain until his sight became tinted in white. He was angry, so angry…!
“And you…!†He was angry at Kougon, but he “only†wanted Sayuri dead. No, the one who truly deserved all that anger boiling within him was the other furriest one. “Listen to me, and listen to me, you bitch.â€
Fubuki was glaring as well, but that had more to do with her bleeding nose than whatever Naruto could tell her.
“That guy…†he said, pointing at Kougon with a thumb. “He’s an asshole, but he’s at least a straightforward asshole. I can deal with that.†He remembered that Kougon had in fact acted to protect Konoha. That was something Naruto could be appreciate. “But you, you goddamn hopeless bitch…†He shook his head once more, as if incapable of believing a person like Kuromiya Fubuki could even exist. “You show up, after sending that goddamn monster that could’ve killed us all, and you act like we should be grateful you’re here to do what that thing couldn’t!â€
“Konoha’s my family! Sayuri’s my family! That makes Higashiyama my family too! So when you come here to hurt them both, we’ve got ourselves a big problem, you hag! You hurt Mayuri!â€
Honorifics were no longer necessary; no, he just did not want to use honorifics for Mayuri anymore.
“You bound Mayuri, and spoke of her like she’s some petty bauble you can just take with you! She’s not just a Time Kitsune, she’s Mayuri! She’s always in pain! She’s seen so many horrible things, but she still feels pain with every vision she sees! She should be all jaded and uncaring of death like we ninjas are supposed to be, but she is not! Because she’s just that kind! But you just don’t give a fuck about that, do you!?â€
It was a shame that Sayuri was no longer a part of him. His eyes and his face could no longer project fury the way they used to, even if his rage at the moment more than matched what he felt on that bridge when he thought Sasuke was dead.
“Your monster killed who knows how many ninja! You hurt Mayuri! You killed Kiba’s mom, and took Kiba’s voice! You killed Yurika-chan, before we could even get a chance to become friends! You took away the real Yurine-chan, away from her daughters! And you act like it was okay of you to do this, because you’re your high and royal furriness!â€
“Hmph,†Fubuki dismissed the young human’s accusations. “Why should I care—â€
“You called. My friend. A breeding mare.â€
Those sensitive to chakra realized that Naruto had done more than just voicing his discontent. His right hand glowed to those who could detect the flow of energy within his body, for it was like he had directed the entirety of his replenished reserves to that limb.
Higashiyama Yuriyo saw the furious face of a person who truly cared for her as much as her own family, and thus realized she had found an irreplaceable friend.
“You can be as selfish as you want; you can say all the self-centered bullshit you want, I xan’t take that from you,†Naruto admitted. “But did you really think I’m gonna stand back and let Sayoko-san take care of everything, like some…some…â€
His head twitched strangely, as if there were a ticking time bomb of rage fighting against containment in his skull.
“…like some background character…?â€
Yuria grinned. “Now there’s the man I chose to marry.â€
“You didn’t choose shit!â€
Naruto is never gonna let her up on that.
“Naruto-sama,†Sayoko finally intervened. “I understand your sentiments, but…if you are willing to make such a statement, should I presume you have some sort of plan?â€
It was a question merely aiming to direct the flow of events towards the conclusion she already expected. Naturally, if Naruto intended to fight the kyuubi one more time, after experiencing their power firsthand, then he obviously had a plan.
The former Jinchuuriki clenched his right first.
“Let’s find out.â€
Yes, it was a gamble. If it failed, he would have just made himself the world’s greatest fool.
“It will work,†Sayoko said. “Because it’s you.â€
This once, she did not mean “because you’re the protagonistâ€.
Naruto, however, frowned at the ancient fox-woman.
“Can you read minds, Sayoko-san? I have the feeling you already know…â€
Sayoko defused that bomb with her tired-looking conciliatory smile.
“I could, a long time ago, not anymore. This is just the wisdom of an old woman.â€
Naruto chuckled briefly and mutely. He was not sure whether he wanted to know more about this person, for he feared the things residing in that truly powerful and ancient mind. Regardless, there was something he had to do; the time for speeches was over.
His wounds had been healed by Kotonoha and later the Seed of Life, so he had to bite his thumb. This was it, the only thing he could do…!
“Kuchiyose no Jutsu!â€
His chakra poured into the ground, drawing the largest summoning array any of the humans and kitsune present had ever seen. In contrast, the cloud of white smoke that popped off on the spot right in front of Naruto was disproportionately small.
“…mugyuu?â€
This narrator kind of missed that.
Yes, it was not any of the sounds of battle and debate which roused Higashiyama Sayuri from her sleep, but the mental alarm inviting her to respond to her onii-chan’s summons.
Yes, Naruto had summoned Sayuri from all of five feet away.
“Waaaaaaai, it’s onii-chan!â€
Wiggle, wiggle.
“Hey there, little one,†he greeted, already looking a little haggard from the exertion involved in calling upon a nine-tailed kitsune. He fell on his knees at the same time the little foxgirl jumped to his inviting arms.
“Onii-chan!†Sayuri chirped happily, nuzzling against Naruto’s bare chest. The boy, who after all could not reject the foxgirl’s smile, tenderly stroke her fair golden hair, her long vulpine ears and her many tails, incomparably soft and fluffy. And Sayuri knew no greater happiness, except perhaps the warmth of the flame living inside her.
“Sayuri, how are you feeling?â€
“Um, Sayuri’s happy! Because onii-chan, onii-chan summoned Sayuri, wight?â€
“Right.â€
Sayoko shot a cautionary glance at Kougon, perhaps even daring him to interrupt this. But he would not, for he had understood Naruto’s plan to oppose him, and he wished to see it happen.
“Onii-chan,†Sayuri continued, dropping her voice to what she guessed worked as a conspiratory tone and cuddling closer to her summoner as if to prevent others from listening. “You summoned Sayuri.â€
“Yes,†Naruto confirmed once more.
“Sayuri’s the boss summon, you know?â€
“Right.â€
“I’m da boss.â€
“Um, um,†a grinning Naruto agreed, seemingly amused by Sayuri’s newfound awareness of her notorious position.
“That’s like, um, weaaaaaally impohtant.â€
“I guess, yeah.â€
“So!†Taking a step back, the little nine-tails crossed her arms against her bare chest, looking unreasonably smug while she did it. “What did onii-chan summon ‘Da Boss’ foh?â€
Naruto sighed; the question weighted heavily in his heart.
“I summoned you because I’m weak, Sayuri.â€
“Muuu…†Sayuri lowered her head, her brow showing she was deeply in thought. “Onii-chan can’t set things in fire, Sayuri knows.â€
Naruto wanted to laugh, but the sound was choked by his throat.
“No, no, that’s not it, Sayuri,†he said before seizing the girl’s shoulders and pulling her into his embrace once more.
“Munyaa~†Sayuri mouthed blissfully as she found herself pampered one more time, this time by Naruto’s own initiative.
“I swore to protect you, Sayuri,†Naruto confessed. “I swore to take care of you and Mayuri. I want the two of you to be happy.â€
“Sayuri’s happy when Sayuri’s with onii-chan~†the little foxgirl shamelessly declared while rubbing her cheeks against Naruto’s exposed chest. His male scent made her a bit dizzy, but in a good way.
“I know, I…†He held back on kissing Sayuri’s forehead; it was just not his style. “…I’m happy I met you, Sayuri.â€
“Munyaa~â€
Ignoring Sayuri’s happy sounds, Naruto made his point.
“If I could have my way, you and Mayuri would never have to fight. You are young; you should be, I dunno, playing or studying or whatever, not dealing with assholes who want to kill you for their own convenience.†He gritted his teeth as the depth of his uselessness struck his heart without mercy. “But I’m too weak, Sayuri! I’m too weak…to give you the lives you deserve! I don’t, I don’t have the power to protect you on my own!â€
“Onii…chan…†In the strength of his sudden embrace, and in the broken speech, Sayuri felt rather than understood the magnitude of Naruto’s sadness. His sadness was her own, but her lack of proper empathy could only draw her towards returning the hug with her little arms, stubbornly holding to her beloved as if keeping him from the sadness that would take him away from her.
“That’s why, even if it’s humiliating, even if it’s embarrassing and it makes me hate myself…!†His right hand tenderly slid along the curve of Sayuri’s fine cheek and the underside of her jaw, pushing her to look up at his misery-stricken face.
Naruto remembered a number of people flattering his eyes; mostly Ayame from Ichiraku’s and the lady he bought his clothes from. But how could his eyes compare to the red jewels that were Sayuri’s, so impossibly brimming in their innocence and expressiveness. In those eyes, he saw something that deserved to be protected. A monster that does not know the concept of evil; can Higashiyama Sayuri be blamed for being obscenely powerful?
He did not know. He was not fighting to uphold justice, or to prove the righteousness of humanity. He just had somebody he wished to protect, a big number of somebodies, really. Also, he was really, really, really pissed off.
“…Sayuri, lend me your power.â€
Sayuri quietly nuzzled the hand holding her jaw, and her own right hand rose to reach for Naruto’s face…and flick his forehead.
“Ow!â€
“Muu…stupid onii-chan.†She was pouting. “Doeshn’t onii-chan know?â€
Her tails shot upwards, and they refracted sunlight to create a dazzling illusion like they were on fire. It was beautiful, and also frightening, because since when was Sayuri capable of such elegance?
“Onii-chan only has to point, and Sayuri will burn it.â€
Nonsensical loyalty founded on nonsensical love. Perhaps Higashiyama Sayuri was the greatest expression of the folk tales that warn of the dangerous, tragic thing that is to love and being loved by a kitsune.
Higashiyama Mayuri’s thoughts drifted to one of the many visions starring Naruto she had seen in the time in Konoha. She remembered the sight of a broken, ruthless monster in the guise of a boy, directing his nine-tailed weapon with just-as-broken affection to raze his enemies to ashes. Just another possibility; what Naruto could have become were he a lesser being.
It made her shudder, now that she witnessed the unbridled reverence Sayuri professed for that boy.
The next words Naruto whispered into Sayuri’s right ear. The girl giggled delighted by the tickling of his breath on the side of her head.
“Can you do that for me, Sayuri?â€
“Um!†The girl nodded eagerly. “If it’s with onii-chan, Sayuri doesn’t mind!â€
With that, Naruto got back on his feet, his sadness at his own feebleness put aside for a while. His eyes now gleamed with the prospect of battle. But, he guessed, there were a number of people he needed to apologize to.
“My bad, Yuri-san,†he said, not bothering to turn his head to face the former Matriarch. “Using your daughter like this; it doesn’t feel right.â€
The tall kitsune shook her head. Really, was there anything she could do against this development? Even now, she could not challenge her youngest daughter’s wishes, because she was Kyuubi.
“Yuria.â€
The (former) fiancée stood at attention. From the position, she caught the hint of a smirk on the corner of his mouth.
“Next time make sure you’re the one fighting by my side, alright?â€
The three-tails felt her body lighter and her heart bristling with excitement.
“You betcha.â€
After nodding, Naruto addressed one last person. He still did not turn his head, this time because he was too ashamed to face her, and he did not want her to see the redness on his cheeks.
“…Mistress.â€
Setsuna skipped a beat, and then mentally kicked herself for being so responsive.
“Wha…wha-what is it?†Inevitably, she shaped her voice in a pitiful attempt at sounding tough.
“I’m really sorry; your student is still worthless and needs to rely on a youkai’s powers. But one day…one day I’ll definitely catch up to you, Mistress! Believe it!â€
Setsuna forcefully swallowed the insane urge to curse the world with all her power, for making her meet a person willing to say things like that to her.
“Damn it, why does he have to be so…†Setsuna muted self-whispering was interrupted by the sight of a smiling and ufufu-ing Kotonoha. “Wha-wha—what’cha looking at, zeppelin tits!? Go bomb the British or something!â€
Before taking the first step forward to battle, Naruto caught sight of the unusual smile on Kurosaki Sayoko’s face.
“…what is it?â€
“Nothing; just curious as to what will come out.â€
Naruto frowned.
“…it’s like you already know what the result will be.â€
“No,†Sayoko denied, shaking her head very slowly. “I only know the result I wish to see.â€
Her answer scared him. Naruto realized then, that Kurosaki Sayoko was a frightening ally to have.
“…let’s just do this, Sayuri!â€
“Um!â€
With merriness that did not match the scene of clashing wills around her and the electric atmosphere crackling with latent battle auras, Sayuri skipped ahead of Naruto and placed her arms in the Tiger seal.
"Henge!"
The darkness of the nightmare was swallowed by the brightest, purest and most dangerous flame.
And Kurosaki Sayoko’s eyes gleamed with delight, for in that flame she saw the end of her days.
Stupid invasion.
So, he was back to his absolute best. The same could not be said of his clothes, however. At the moment they were reduced to tattered orange pants and his boxers. Not like anybody there minded; in other circumstances, Setsuna would have been fairly pleased. Hell, in other circumstances, he might have felt like showing up to Setsuna a little—something he would have immediately denied, at the same time Setsuna denied showing the slightest best of interest in Naruto’s well-sculpted torso, thus leading to an endless recursion of tsundere.
But Naruto was in kind of a shitty mood.
On the other hand, Sayoko was smiling. It was almost boring, how everything developed exactly the way she believed it would.
“Di—buh!†Fubuki’s word of death was interrupted by Naruto’s left knee on her face, and the back of her head was smashed against the trunk of a sturdy tree.
“Shut up!†Naruto howled just before an unexpected force pulled him backwards and away, a fraction of a second before he was impaled by Void spears surging out of Fubuki’s shadow.
“Careful there, Naruto-sama,†Sayoko pointed out, and Naruto noticed it was her shadow attached to his own which had saved his hide.
Naruto clicked his tongue.
“Tha-thank you.â€
“DIE!!!â€
The hateful roar of Kuromiya Fubuki filled the devastated road to Konoha, but otherwise it did absolutely nothing else.
Sayoko shook her head.
“His soul already belongs to something much greater than you. A single word will not destroy it.â€
“Eh…?†Naruto was a bit confused. Did she mean his deal with the Death God?
“Ah! Awawawa…!†Naruto almost jumped backwards in embarrassment when Sayoko unabashedly sank her hand inside the pocket of his pants. However, his shadow was still bound to hers, and he could only move at her will. In the end, Naruto gasped when the elder kitsune retrieved a certain mysterious object.
“I…will hold to this a bit longer, Naruto-sama,†Sayoko declared while storing the Silver Key somewhere within her flowing clothes. “Even if it has chosen you, you are not yet ready for it.â€
“Ah…huh…†Naruto did not know what she meant. In all honesty, he kind of did not want to know.
Feeling the binding of their shadows disappearing, Naruto quickly took a step back from the fox-woman, who made him nervous for whatever reason at the moment. Sayoko just smiled at him like it was a hassle to do so, and she spoke while knowing her words would only stoke the bonfire in his soul.
“Please step back, Naruto-sama,†she said. “I can take care of everything; Naruto-sama has fought enough already…â€
“I respectfully refuse,†Naruto growled, sounding not really respectful at all. His eyes glared at everyone and everything in that battered battlefield. “I take it you people really like the sound of your voices, but I’m fucking sick and tired of you guys rambling and rambling like you’re the only people who matter!â€
“Well, they are kyuubi, so of course—â€
“Oh, so they’re the furriest of all!†Naruto retorted with no little sarcasm in his scathing words. “Big fucking deal.â€
His right index raised, he pointed it at Kougon, who frowned at the rude gesture. Naruto was still talking mostly to Sayoko, although his voice made it clear enough that he wanted everybody to listen.
“This asshole!†he said. “He comes here to kill my friend, and why?†Only then did he glare at Kougon, to make absolutely clear what he thought of his “judgementâ€. “Because you cannot accept a third kyuubi! Because it’d mean you are not as much of a special snowflake anymore!â€
Kougon did not even flinch at the accusation, which only annoyed Naruto further.
“Didn’t I already tell you? I protect Sayuri because she’s family. All these years, she has been closer to me than anybody else.†He gritted his teeth in irritation. Just thinking about this made his eyes sting. “I…I might have had a bit of a…lonely, childhood, but! I was not alone! Even if I was…looked down upon, even if I was never acknowledged, and always rejected, at least I could talk to people!â€
His right hand made a sweeping motion, presenting the sleeping nine-tails to the crowd.
“This girl, she’s been completely alone! For almost thirteen years!†His furious eyes locked on his Hokage. “Old man, what do you think would happen if you locked Konohamaru for thirteen years in an isolation cell!?â€
The old man winced, but he would not look away, even if he did not have an answer for that. At least, not an answer he would be willing to speak out loud.
“Yes, she’s crazy, and reckless, and doesn’t think twice of setting people and cities on fire! She’s abso-fucking-lutely dangerous, and sealing her was the best Yondaime could do at that time, but blaming her for what she does with her powers is like blaming her for breathing!â€
He turned again, this time to let Higashiyama Yuri receive his furious glare.
“It was you! You, in your retarded kyuubi-worship, did not bother teaching your daughter common fucking sense! People call me stupid, but even I know there’s shit you just don’t Fucking! Do! But Sayuri doesn’t! She not only can burn anything, she feels herself completely entitled to do it, ‘cause she just doesn’t get that sometimes burning shit is wrong!â€
“So, when another retard!†Naruto continued, glaring at Yuria in a way that made her flinch. “Suggests how fun it would be to become fucking gigantic and rampage all over the country; well of course she’ll do it! That’s the kind of stupid shit children just love to do! I’m a child too; I’d do it in a blink if I could as well!â€
“This child…this child!†He shouted more and more loudly. “She should be furious! She should be the death machine Konoha thought she was thirteen years ago! She…she should despise me! She should have destroyed me the moment she realized I was her jailer! But she smi—ugh…â€
His head fell, hiding his eyes from view. His voice had broken, and his shoulders trembled. Seriously, this is why his hated all this mushy heartfelt stuff (not really). However, the pause was perhaps what he needed to ease himself and relax his voice.
“She…she smiled at me.†He no longer looked angry. If anything, his lopsided smile made him look defeated. “When she saw me for the first time, do you know what the first thing she told me was?â€
He chuckled at a memory that felt five years rather than ten days old.
“It wasn’t ‘who are you’ or ‘why are you here’; it was ‘I was lonely’.â€
Naruto bit the corner of his lip before continuing.
“I was never her jailer. She never saw me as an enemy, or a threat, or something to despise and burn to death. From day one, I was ‘the friend who ended her loneliness’.†Shaking his head as if incapable of believing such a thing, Naruto allowed a single tear to shake off the corner of his right eye. “How could I possibly not love her?â€
It was silly, for many reasons. If we speak of Sayuri accepting Naruto instead of hating him, should we think of Naruto’s reciprocal acknowledgment of Sayuri as well?
But, of course, this is Uzumaki Naruto. To him, forgiving the main cause of his former social status (the other cause was his being an insufferable little shit) was not a big deal. After all, he loved Sayuri.
And it was that love which reignited his anger.
“And when some self-serving asshole comes here claiming she has to die because she just happens to be as special as he is, how could I possibly not want to smash his face!?â€
It was a blazing thing, coursing like molten lava in his veins and inflaming his brain until his sight became tinted in white. He was angry, so angry…!
“And you…!†He was angry at Kougon, but he “only†wanted Sayuri dead. No, the one who truly deserved all that anger boiling within him was the other furriest one. “Listen to me, and listen to me, you bitch.â€
Fubuki was glaring as well, but that had more to do with her bleeding nose than whatever Naruto could tell her.
“That guy…†he said, pointing at Kougon with a thumb. “He’s an asshole, but he’s at least a straightforward asshole. I can deal with that.†He remembered that Kougon had in fact acted to protect Konoha. That was something Naruto could be appreciate. “But you, you goddamn hopeless bitch…†He shook his head once more, as if incapable of believing a person like Kuromiya Fubuki could even exist. “You show up, after sending that goddamn monster that could’ve killed us all, and you act like we should be grateful you’re here to do what that thing couldn’t!â€
“Konoha’s my family! Sayuri’s my family! That makes Higashiyama my family too! So when you come here to hurt them both, we’ve got ourselves a big problem, you hag! You hurt Mayuri!â€
Honorifics were no longer necessary; no, he just did not want to use honorifics for Mayuri anymore.
“You bound Mayuri, and spoke of her like she’s some petty bauble you can just take with you! She’s not just a Time Kitsune, she’s Mayuri! She’s always in pain! She’s seen so many horrible things, but she still feels pain with every vision she sees! She should be all jaded and uncaring of death like we ninjas are supposed to be, but she is not! Because she’s just that kind! But you just don’t give a fuck about that, do you!?â€
It was a shame that Sayuri was no longer a part of him. His eyes and his face could no longer project fury the way they used to, even if his rage at the moment more than matched what he felt on that bridge when he thought Sasuke was dead.
“Your monster killed who knows how many ninja! You hurt Mayuri! You killed Kiba’s mom, and took Kiba’s voice! You killed Yurika-chan, before we could even get a chance to become friends! You took away the real Yurine-chan, away from her daughters! And you act like it was okay of you to do this, because you’re your high and royal furriness!â€
“Hmph,†Fubuki dismissed the young human’s accusations. “Why should I care—â€
“You called. My friend. A breeding mare.â€
Those sensitive to chakra realized that Naruto had done more than just voicing his discontent. His right hand glowed to those who could detect the flow of energy within his body, for it was like he had directed the entirety of his replenished reserves to that limb.
Higashiyama Yuriyo saw the furious face of a person who truly cared for her as much as her own family, and thus realized she had found an irreplaceable friend.
“You can be as selfish as you want; you can say all the self-centered bullshit you want, I xan’t take that from you,†Naruto admitted. “But did you really think I’m gonna stand back and let Sayoko-san take care of everything, like some…some…â€
His head twitched strangely, as if there were a ticking time bomb of rage fighting against containment in his skull.
“…like some background character…?â€
Yuria grinned. “Now there’s the man I chose to marry.â€
“You didn’t choose shit!â€
Naruto is never gonna let her up on that.
“Naruto-sama,†Sayoko finally intervened. “I understand your sentiments, but…if you are willing to make such a statement, should I presume you have some sort of plan?â€
It was a question merely aiming to direct the flow of events towards the conclusion she already expected. Naturally, if Naruto intended to fight the kyuubi one more time, after experiencing their power firsthand, then he obviously had a plan.
The former Jinchuuriki clenched his right first.
“Let’s find out.â€
Yes, it was a gamble. If it failed, he would have just made himself the world’s greatest fool.
“It will work,†Sayoko said. “Because it’s you.â€
This once, she did not mean “because you’re the protagonistâ€.
Naruto, however, frowned at the ancient fox-woman.
“Can you read minds, Sayoko-san? I have the feeling you already know…â€
Sayoko defused that bomb with her tired-looking conciliatory smile.
“I could, a long time ago, not anymore. This is just the wisdom of an old woman.â€
Naruto chuckled briefly and mutely. He was not sure whether he wanted to know more about this person, for he feared the things residing in that truly powerful and ancient mind. Regardless, there was something he had to do; the time for speeches was over.
His wounds had been healed by Kotonoha and later the Seed of Life, so he had to bite his thumb. This was it, the only thing he could do…!
“Kuchiyose no Jutsu!â€
His chakra poured into the ground, drawing the largest summoning array any of the humans and kitsune present had ever seen. In contrast, the cloud of white smoke that popped off on the spot right in front of Naruto was disproportionately small.
“…mugyuu?â€
This narrator kind of missed that.
Yes, it was not any of the sounds of battle and debate which roused Higashiyama Sayuri from her sleep, but the mental alarm inviting her to respond to her onii-chan’s summons.
Yes, Naruto had summoned Sayuri from all of five feet away.
“Waaaaaaai, it’s onii-chan!â€
Wiggle, wiggle.
“Hey there, little one,†he greeted, already looking a little haggard from the exertion involved in calling upon a nine-tailed kitsune. He fell on his knees at the same time the little foxgirl jumped to his inviting arms.
“Onii-chan!†Sayuri chirped happily, nuzzling against Naruto’s bare chest. The boy, who after all could not reject the foxgirl’s smile, tenderly stroke her fair golden hair, her long vulpine ears and her many tails, incomparably soft and fluffy. And Sayuri knew no greater happiness, except perhaps the warmth of the flame living inside her.
“Sayuri, how are you feeling?â€
“Um, Sayuri’s happy! Because onii-chan, onii-chan summoned Sayuri, wight?â€
“Right.â€
Sayoko shot a cautionary glance at Kougon, perhaps even daring him to interrupt this. But he would not, for he had understood Naruto’s plan to oppose him, and he wished to see it happen.
“Onii-chan,†Sayuri continued, dropping her voice to what she guessed worked as a conspiratory tone and cuddling closer to her summoner as if to prevent others from listening. “You summoned Sayuri.â€
“Yes,†Naruto confirmed once more.
“Sayuri’s the boss summon, you know?â€
“Right.â€
“I’m da boss.â€
“Um, um,†a grinning Naruto agreed, seemingly amused by Sayuri’s newfound awareness of her notorious position.
“That’s like, um, weaaaaaally impohtant.â€
“I guess, yeah.â€
“So!†Taking a step back, the little nine-tails crossed her arms against her bare chest, looking unreasonably smug while she did it. “What did onii-chan summon ‘Da Boss’ foh?â€
Naruto sighed; the question weighted heavily in his heart.
“I summoned you because I’m weak, Sayuri.â€
“Muuu…†Sayuri lowered her head, her brow showing she was deeply in thought. “Onii-chan can’t set things in fire, Sayuri knows.â€
Naruto wanted to laugh, but the sound was choked by his throat.
“No, no, that’s not it, Sayuri,†he said before seizing the girl’s shoulders and pulling her into his embrace once more.
“Munyaa~†Sayuri mouthed blissfully as she found herself pampered one more time, this time by Naruto’s own initiative.
“I swore to protect you, Sayuri,†Naruto confessed. “I swore to take care of you and Mayuri. I want the two of you to be happy.â€
“Sayuri’s happy when Sayuri’s with onii-chan~†the little foxgirl shamelessly declared while rubbing her cheeks against Naruto’s exposed chest. His male scent made her a bit dizzy, but in a good way.
“I know, I…†He held back on kissing Sayuri’s forehead; it was just not his style. “…I’m happy I met you, Sayuri.â€
“Munyaa~â€
Ignoring Sayuri’s happy sounds, Naruto made his point.
“If I could have my way, you and Mayuri would never have to fight. You are young; you should be, I dunno, playing or studying or whatever, not dealing with assholes who want to kill you for their own convenience.†He gritted his teeth as the depth of his uselessness struck his heart without mercy. “But I’m too weak, Sayuri! I’m too weak…to give you the lives you deserve! I don’t, I don’t have the power to protect you on my own!â€
“Onii…chan…†In the strength of his sudden embrace, and in the broken speech, Sayuri felt rather than understood the magnitude of Naruto’s sadness. His sadness was her own, but her lack of proper empathy could only draw her towards returning the hug with her little arms, stubbornly holding to her beloved as if keeping him from the sadness that would take him away from her.
“That’s why, even if it’s humiliating, even if it’s embarrassing and it makes me hate myself…!†His right hand tenderly slid along the curve of Sayuri’s fine cheek and the underside of her jaw, pushing her to look up at his misery-stricken face.
Naruto remembered a number of people flattering his eyes; mostly Ayame from Ichiraku’s and the lady he bought his clothes from. But how could his eyes compare to the red jewels that were Sayuri’s, so impossibly brimming in their innocence and expressiveness. In those eyes, he saw something that deserved to be protected. A monster that does not know the concept of evil; can Higashiyama Sayuri be blamed for being obscenely powerful?
He did not know. He was not fighting to uphold justice, or to prove the righteousness of humanity. He just had somebody he wished to protect, a big number of somebodies, really. Also, he was really, really, really pissed off.
“…Sayuri, lend me your power.â€
Sayuri quietly nuzzled the hand holding her jaw, and her own right hand rose to reach for Naruto’s face…and flick his forehead.
“Ow!â€
“Muu…stupid onii-chan.†She was pouting. “Doeshn’t onii-chan know?â€
Her tails shot upwards, and they refracted sunlight to create a dazzling illusion like they were on fire. It was beautiful, and also frightening, because since when was Sayuri capable of such elegance?
“Onii-chan only has to point, and Sayuri will burn it.â€
Nonsensical loyalty founded on nonsensical love. Perhaps Higashiyama Sayuri was the greatest expression of the folk tales that warn of the dangerous, tragic thing that is to love and being loved by a kitsune.
Higashiyama Mayuri’s thoughts drifted to one of the many visions starring Naruto she had seen in the time in Konoha. She remembered the sight of a broken, ruthless monster in the guise of a boy, directing his nine-tailed weapon with just-as-broken affection to raze his enemies to ashes. Just another possibility; what Naruto could have become were he a lesser being.
It made her shudder, now that she witnessed the unbridled reverence Sayuri professed for that boy.
The next words Naruto whispered into Sayuri’s right ear. The girl giggled delighted by the tickling of his breath on the side of her head.
“Can you do that for me, Sayuri?â€
“Um!†The girl nodded eagerly. “If it’s with onii-chan, Sayuri doesn’t mind!â€
With that, Naruto got back on his feet, his sadness at his own feebleness put aside for a while. His eyes now gleamed with the prospect of battle. But, he guessed, there were a number of people he needed to apologize to.
“My bad, Yuri-san,†he said, not bothering to turn his head to face the former Matriarch. “Using your daughter like this; it doesn’t feel right.â€
The tall kitsune shook her head. Really, was there anything she could do against this development? Even now, she could not challenge her youngest daughter’s wishes, because she was Kyuubi.
“Yuria.â€
The (former) fiancée stood at attention. From the position, she caught the hint of a smirk on the corner of his mouth.
“Next time make sure you’re the one fighting by my side, alright?â€
The three-tails felt her body lighter and her heart bristling with excitement.
“You betcha.â€
After nodding, Naruto addressed one last person. He still did not turn his head, this time because he was too ashamed to face her, and he did not want her to see the redness on his cheeks.
“…Mistress.â€
Setsuna skipped a beat, and then mentally kicked herself for being so responsive.
“Wha…wha-what is it?†Inevitably, she shaped her voice in a pitiful attempt at sounding tough.
“I’m really sorry; your student is still worthless and needs to rely on a youkai’s powers. But one day…one day I’ll definitely catch up to you, Mistress! Believe it!â€
Setsuna forcefully swallowed the insane urge to curse the world with all her power, for making her meet a person willing to say things like that to her.
“Damn it, why does he have to be so…†Setsuna muted self-whispering was interrupted by the sight of a smiling and ufufu-ing Kotonoha. “Wha-wha—what’cha looking at, zeppelin tits!? Go bomb the British or something!â€
Before taking the first step forward to battle, Naruto caught sight of the unusual smile on Kurosaki Sayoko’s face.
“…what is it?â€
“Nothing; just curious as to what will come out.â€
Naruto frowned.
“…it’s like you already know what the result will be.â€
“No,†Sayoko denied, shaking her head very slowly. “I only know the result I wish to see.â€
Her answer scared him. Naruto realized then, that Kurosaki Sayoko was a frightening ally to have.
“…let’s just do this, Sayuri!â€
“Um!â€
With merriness that did not match the scene of clashing wills around her and the electric atmosphere crackling with latent battle auras, Sayuri skipped ahead of Naruto and placed her arms in the Tiger seal.
"Henge!"
The darkness of the nightmare was swallowed by the brightest, purest and most dangerous flame.
And Kurosaki Sayoko’s eyes gleamed with delight, for in that flame she saw the end of her days.
Naruto's speech at the beginning kind of felt a little flat to me, to be honest. In several ways, at that. Like that whole 'Kyuubi? So what? They aren't the only ones who are important!' thing, which he proceeded to follow up with a demonstration of how only the Kyuubi are important.
Also, the ranting like an idiot about things he didn't understand was kind of outputting, too.
But maybe that was just me.
Also, the ranting like an idiot about things he didn't understand was kind of outputting, too.
But maybe that was just me.