Shukaku's Lament: Disclaimer:
Summary: After all, losing to a 12-years-old seriously damages one's pride.
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(Battlefield)
Shukaku could feel it in his bones that it just wasn't his day.
He was enjoying a peaceful, if a bit closely packed, sojourn inside the Gedo Mazo. But, then, that stupid gaki had to ruin everything by trying to free him and all. Did anyone ask for his opinion on the matter? No, sir, no one really bothered to do that. As if a mighty Bijuu needed saving by puny little humans. Imbeciles!
Being free, once again, on the battlefield felt real nice. He could stretch the kinks out of his back, and stretch his joints. Kami knew how suffocating the damned statue was. Shukaku could make out his dear host, Gaara, sitting calmly on that little sand cloud. A quick survey of the battlefield showed him that all of his siblings were already gathered there, focusing on one common foe: Uchiha Madara. While others were gazing at the damned Uchiha, Shukaku's murderous gaze was fixed on another individual: Uzumaki Naruto.
Shukaku could still remember THAT day clear as daylight. How a 12-years-old could go shoulder to shoulder against a Bijuu was completely beyond him. Even though he had help from that baka Kurama, and the Gama boss summon, this just wasn't supposed to happen. Every day of his life since then, Shukaku thought and thought about what he could have done differently, but could not arrive to any reasonable conclusion.
Naruto could feel the killing intent focused so solely on him and turned to address the Ichibi. "Shukaku teme, you are focusing on the wrong guy here. That bastard, Madara, is our opponent." Before the ichibi could retaliate, Son Goku bellowed.
"Yo Shukaku, did you really lose to this gaki when he was still a Genin?" Suddenly, all the Bijuu shifted their gazes. There was something more important than Madara to focus upon.
"He is still a Genin, you bastard," was the curt reply by the one tails.
"But is it true, though?" implored the two tailed Matatabi.
"It isn't like he was all alone or anything. He had help from Gamabunta and Kurama," Shukaku said defensively.
The five tails turned to Naruto and asked, "Gaki, did you have the tailed beast transformation mastered during that fight?" Naruto shifted. This was not going well. But, hey, the Bijuu did not praise anyone everyday, did they? "To be honest, I did not even know any powerful Jutsu back then. No Bijuu chakra, no Sage mode, hell not even the Rasengan!"
"If you did not have any powerful Jutsu with you, then how did you counter the Bijuu dama?" asked the six tails. Silence. Absolute silence fell over the battlefield. One could almost hear Skukaku's sand shifting as if he were fidgeting.
"You forgot to use it, didn't you?" smirked the seven tails. All the fight left Shukaku's being as he heard those words. Of course! This was it! Tailed beast bomb was like the primary attack of all Bijuu. How could he have been so dumb?
Suddenly, the whole battle field shifted, as Shukaku made his way to Madara with slow, resigned steps. "Just absorb me now, man. I messed up," he sighed. Madara blinked once, twice, before he shook his shoulders. The last thing that the great Bijuu said before being completely absorbed into the statue would be remembered by generations:
"Damn you, Kishimoto!"
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A/N: A little rusty, but getting a hang of it. Please R&R.