Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or anything affiliated, so please don't sue me! I'm just a poor carpenter.
Pushed too Far
Alchohol, it all started with alchohol. It was the 17th annual celebration of the Kyuubi's defeat at the hands of the man who was considered the greatest hero of Kohona, the 4th Hokage, and a sizeable crowd had gathered in the town's square to celebrate. Seeing a chance to make a sizeable sum of money, a few of the bar owners got together and started to hand out free drinks before charging triple their normal rates. As the celebration really got underway, a drunken man happened to look over to see a certain blond-haired shinobi making his way to the Hokage's tower. "Ey! It'sh tha demon brat!" He yelled, pointing in Naruto's direction.
So that's how Naruto found himself, his back to a wall, surrounded by a drunken, angry crowd.
"You sombitch! How dare you show yer face! Ain't you got no shame?" A random person in the crowd yelled out, with quite a few people agreeing with him and more than a few calls of "Monster!" and "Demon!"
"But I-" Naruto was cut off as a man staggered forward, reeking of alchohol, and slugged him across the jaw with all of his might, knocking him down.
"Shut Up! You ain't got no right to speak to us decent folk!" The drunken man snarled, stomping down on Naruto's ribs. With a wild cheer, another man walked up as Naruto got to his hands and knees, smashing his sake bottle over the young blonde's head. Then the crowd surged forward, beating Naruto mercylessly. A few members of the crowd happened to be shinobi, and one, acting on impulse, surged forward, pulling a kunai out and sinking it deep into Naruto's shoulder.
Naruto in the meantime, seeking shelter from the pain, withdrew to the only place where he thought he was safe, in his mind. "Shhh… it's ok Naruto… It'll all be over soon enough, they'll grow bored and leave you alone soon…" He said silently to himself, sinking to his knees and holding his shoulders, rocking himself back and forth.
"Kit, why do you not defend yourself? Why do you not kill those who torment you?" A deep, ominous voice asked from behind the shaking blonde, two golden eyes appearing in the darkness behind him as a large cage sprang to life.
"I can't hurt them, they're the villagers, I'm supposed to protect them, not kill them…" Naruto replied weakly, not turning around.
Sensing the crack's in his container's will, the Kyuubi suddenly lunged forward, it's energy spreading from the cage and wrapping around Naruto, pulling him screaming back into the darkness…
The shinobi who had stabbed Naruto pulled back to stab the boy again, driven by the sight of his blood. The tip of the kunai whistled down, gleaming red with the promise of death ad it neared the boy's neck. He was stopped cold though as Naruto's hand darted up, grabbing him by the wrist. Naruto's head snapped up, his normally brilliant blue eyes now a flaming red, a sea of hatred behind each of those slitted pupils. Horror washed over the stunned shinobi as an insane grin spread slowly across Naruto's face, baring his elongated canines as he stood up, still holding the shinobi's wrist as the rest of the crowd backed away in fear. "So, you like blood? How about your own?" Kyuubi Naruto asked, casually ripping the man's arm off before he could react, then twisting his head three hundred and sixty degrees, dropping the dead shinobi to the ground, casually tossing his arm on top of him.
"YOU MONSTER!" Another of the shinobi roared as he and the others pulled out kunai and shuriken, throwing them at the Kyuubified boy, only to have the weapons stopped in mid air as a red chakra flared from him, holding the weapons in place.
Red chakra swirled around Kyuubi naruto, condensing into a black trench coat that settled perfectly on him."Yes, I am a monster. Unlike the boy who has shielded you all for the past eighteen years from my wrath. Well thanks to you, I'm in control now, and I feel like having some… FUN!" Kyuubi Naruto roared, his chakra blowing out in a violent concussion, flinging the entire crowd back and sending the kunai and shuriken that had been suspended in mid air flinging through the crowd killing many. "N ow you shall all pay for your folly… with your lives!" He exlaimed, cackalling maniacally.
Meanwhile, the Fith Hokage Tsunade, and all the other ninja felt the evil chakra and immediately ran to investigate, roofhopping to get there quicker. What Tsunade found upon arriving though caused her to recoil in shock and horror, covering her mouth with her hands as Jiraiya, the toad sage, landed beside her.
"NARUTO! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOUR DOING?! Jiraiya exlaimed, looking down at the blond who stood amoung a sea of blood and body parts.
"I'm sorry, Naruto is'nt home right now. Could I take a message?" Kyuubi Naruto laughed, looking up at the two Sannin, a seavered head dangling in one of his hands.
"Naruto…" Tsunade sunk to her knees, tearing up, feeling as if he were looking into her soul.
Right then, team Gai and the rookie nine landed beside them and the other ninja of the village landed on other buildings surrounding the gruesome scene, gasping in shock and horror at the sight before them. Unable to take it, Tenten turned around, putting one hand over her mouth and the other over her stomach in an attempt not to vomit.
"Why hello everyone! It's so nice to see you all!" Kyuubi Naruto exlaimed, giggling as he dropped the head he was holding and spreading his arms out wide.
"What the hell did you do Naruto?" Neji asked, shocked at the scene below him. Never in a million years could he have thought that the blond goofball who beat him in the chunin exams could be capable of such a wholesale slaughter.
"Th-that i-i-isn't Naruto-kun." Hinata said from beside Kiba and Shino, her own eyes wide as she stared into his crimson depths.
"Why Hinata, how good of you to notice! Though you were always very observant. Too bad I can't say the same about my vessal. You children don't know me, so I'll introduce myself. I'm the Kyuubi, nice ta meet'cha!" Kyuubi Naruto exlaimed, winking at Hinata as he mock bowed to the group.
Sakura and some of the others recoiled, shocked at the statement. "If your not Naruto then where is he?" She asked.
"He's gone, never to return! I must say, the way that you've treated that kid is gruesome enough to make us demons seem like saints in compairason! Now all you've got is good ol' Kyuubi to keep you company. In other words, the Naruto you knew is DEAD!" Kyuubi Naruto started laughing maniacally, twirling around in the blood and gore as he danced.
"So you say! Naruto's flames of youth burn too brightly to be snuffed out by the likes of you!" Rock Lee exlaimed, clenching his fists in anger.
Gathering her wits about her, Tsunade stood up, glaring down at Kyuubi Naruto. "Listen up everyone, this is a SS class emergency! Get everyone out of the village asap!" She ordered to the surrounding ninja, most of whom which jumped away to follow her orders, with the exception of the rookie nine and team Gai, along with Iruka and Jiryaia. "Why are you not following my orders?" Tsunade asked, looking at the others.
"You may legendary sannin, but not even both of you together could take on the Kyuubi." Kakashi replied, stepping up to stand beside Tsunade. "Besides, Naruto is our comrade, and those who desert their comrades are the worst kind of trash!" He exlaimed, grabbing his Hai-ate and pulling it up to reveal his Sharingan eye.
"Kakashi is right! Let's go Lee!" Gai exlaimed, he and Rock Lee taking off their leg weights before disappearing, reappearing on either side of Kyuubi Naruto. "Now, DOUBLE WHIRLWIND ATTACK!" They exlaimed together, simultaniously jumping at Kyuubi Naruto, aiming spin kicks at his head.
Without even blinking, Kyuubi Naruto seemed to almost casually reach up and stop them both at the apex of their attacks, holding them firmly in place. "Is that all you got? Cuz if it is, killing you all is gonna be boring."He yawned, throwing both Gai and Rock Lee back several paces.
"I'll show you what we're made of!" Tsunade exlaimed, leaping down at Kyuubi Naruto, her fist pulled back. She let loose with a devestating right, putting all of her chakra into the punch, kicking up a huge amount of dust and making a crater several feet across and partially collapsing some of the closest buildings. When the smoke cleared, Tsunade and an unscratched Kyuubi Naruto, gripping Tsunade's fist tightly in his hand. In the next instant, a large toad with arm guards appeared behind the demon boy, grabbing him in a headlock as two more appeared on either side and grabbed his arms.
"It's over, give up." Jiraiya said, landing lightly beside Tsunade, a rasengan forming in the palm of his hand.
Kyuubi Naruto smiled evilly before his chakra literally exploded in a hellish concussion, throwing Tsunade and Jiraiya back and destroying the summons. "It is over… FOR YOU!" He snarled, leaping forward, thrusting a palm at a stunned Jiraiya's chest.
"LEAF SPINNING WHIRLWIND!" Rock Lee came out of seemingly nowhere, using his attack to deflect Kyuubi's before kicking him in the chin, knocking him back a step, right into the path of Gai's own kick, which sent Kyuubi Naruto flying through a building.
"Good job Lee!" Gai exlaimed, giving Lee a thumbs up.
An inhuman howl echoed from the darkness of the building that Kyuubi Naruto had been knocked through, followed shortly by two arms made of pure red chakra that shot from the darkness, knocking both Gai and Lee into the building behind them. As they retracted, Choji leapt high into the air above the building. "Multi size technique!" He cried, becoming many times larger. "NOW THEN! GIANT HUMAN BOULDER TECHNIQUE!" He then turned into a giant spinning ball of promised death as he flattened the building below him, Kyuubi Naruto shooting out from it just a half a second before to collapsed entirely.
"Now it's our turn! C'mon Akimaru!" Kiba exlaimed, jumping off the side of the building even as he fed a soldier pill to Akimaru and preformed the human beast clone technique. "DOUBLE BEAST PEIRCING FANG!" They roared, hitting the ground then leaping at Kyuubi Naruto, using their signature attack.
Meanwhile, back on top of the roof, Shikamaru observed the battle below while carefully calculating a plan. "I've got an idea." He said finally, just as Kyuubi Naruto backhanded Kiba and engaged Kakshi in close quarters. "It's not the best in the world, but right now, it's our greatest chance for success. Neji, Hinata, Shino, can I count on you?" He asked, looking over at the three.
"Of course you can. Just tell us what to do and we'll follow your orders." Neji replied as Shino nodded silently.
Shikamaru sighed. "This is gonna be troublesome, but I estimate that I can hold Naruto in a shadow bind for about three seconds before he manages to overpower me. While I've got him I want Neji and Hinata to close off his chakra points with their Jyuken. Then, I want you Shino to load him down with your bugs and drain off whatever chakra that you can that may be left over. That may even the odds a litte. Got it?"
"Affirmative." Shino replied as he, Neji and Hinata leapt off the building, the latter two activating their Byakugan.
"Now for my part. Shadow Bind!" Shikamaru said, preforming the handseals required and sending his shadow after Kyuubi Naruto, who had his back turned, fighting Gai, Kakashi, and Jiraiya all at once. Just as it was about to hit him though, Kyuubi Naruto leapt away, out of the reach of Shikamaru's Jutsu.
"heh, you shouldn't talk about your plans loud enough for me to hear them. Not that it would have mattered how softly you would have talked anyway, cuz I've got supersensetive hearing!" Kyuubi Naruto crowed, leaping up to where he was level with Shikamaru and the others.
"Look out!" Tenten cried, unleashing a barrage of weapons at the demonified boy, who easily dodged all of them.
"Heh, is that all?" Kyuubi Naruto asked, leaping at Tenten, raising his fist, prepared to strike her.
Just as he swung forward, Sakura jumped between them, holding her hands up to block… but the blow never landed. Opening her eyes and lowering her arms, Sakura saw Kyuubi Naruto struggling with all of his might to bring his claws down on her, but to no avail, his arm stayed where it was, trembling with the exertion. Surprized, Sakrua looked over at Shikamaru, only to see that he was just as surprized as she was. She was brought back to her senses as Kyuubi Naruto let out a bloodcurling scream of agony and clutched his head, staggering back a few feet then falling to his knees. "GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" He roared. "KILL! I MUST KILL THEM ALL!" Kyuubi Naruto roared, smashing his head on the roof, destroying part of the building with th force of his headbutt, falling through. Soon he staggered out, still clutching his head as he fell to his knees again and started beating his head on the ground, roaring in pain the entire time.Suddenly he shot up, his eyes wide and wild, one blue and the other blood red. "I WON'T LET YOU HURT MY FAMILY!" He screamed, pulling a kunai from his leg holster and holding it up, preparing to stab himself in the throat. "I WON'T LET YOU!" Kyuubi roared, exerting all of his influence to keep the Kunai away, then eventually drop it. Falling to his knees, he fell to the ground, tearing open his coat and the orange jumpsuit underneath, revealing the seal which had become solid. In the next instant, a human hand shot from the dark depths of the seal, followed by an arm, then eventually a familiar blond head as Naruto pulled himself from the seal, collapsing on the ground at the same time that kyuubi did, panting in pain and exhaustion.
"What the fuck just happened?" Neji asked, trying to keep his composure, and failing miserably.
"I have no clue… But I think that might be Naruto's inner self…" Jiraiya said, dumbfounded.
"Yeah, I'll buy that. Nothing else makes as much sense." Ino said, her eyes wide in shock.
"How in the hell did you manage that kid?" Kyuubi panted, struggling to his feet.
Naruto got to his own feet, glaring at Kyuubi. "When your protecting the people you love, anything is possible!" He declared, pointing at his counter part.
"WELL IT DOESN'T MATTER ANYWAY! I'LL KILL YOU TOO!" Kyuubi roared, leaping at Naruto, who leapt as well to mett him in mid air. Kyuubi knocked Naruto's fist out of the way and grabbed him by the face, slamming him into the ground and taking off in an all out run, dragging Naruto along the ground before throwing him with all of his might, smashing the boy into a wall face first, then driving his knee into Naruto's back, causing the boy to cry out in pain before leaping off. He then threw a punch, intending to drive it through Naruto's back, only to have the boy leap straight up, causing Kyuubi to punch through the shattered wall instead. Kyuubi looked up just in time for his face to meet Naruto's foot with a sickening crunch before being kicked away.
Naruto quickly leapt after the flying Kyuubi, intending to deliver some more damage onle to have Kyuubi flip over, still skidding back as a ball of chakra formed in his hand. "DIE BRAT!" He roared, whipping his hand forward, flinging the ball of chakra at Naruto, who made a clone that pushed him out of the way just before it itself got hit in the chest and driven into a building, which promptly exploded, collapsing the structure.
"NARUTO! Let us help!" Iruka said, running up beside the person that he saw as a son.
Naruto shook his head and held his arm out, stopping Iruka in his tracks. "No. It's because of me that he's free, so I'll be the one to take him down." He replied
"THAT'S JUST FOOLISH! WE NEED TO WORK TOGETHER!" Iruka screamed.
Naruto looked at iruka and smirked. "Just trust me." He said before calmly walking forward.
"Naruto!" Iruka started forward, only to be stopped as a strong hand clamped down on his wrist. "Don't Iruka. This is Nruto's fight. The Fourth chose him for a reason, this is his destiny." Jiraiya said.
"So it's you all alone? That won't be no fun!" Kyuubi exlaimed, grinning insanly.
"I'm all that's needed to take down trash like you!" Naruto exlaimed, shooting forward with surprizing speed, catching Kyuubi with a right hook, knocking him back even as Naruto formed four shadow clones, two grabbing Kyuubi and the others helping Naruto form his Shuriken Rasengan. "NOW DIE!" He roared, charginr forward, thrusting his attack at Kyuubi's chest.
"YOU FIRST!" Kyuubi roared back, breaking free of the shadow clones and forming his own Rasengan, which was pure black, and thrusting it forward as well.
Naruto smirked as he moved his arm over just enough to miss Kyuubi's strike, going for his chest, but leaving himself open in the process. The resulting explosion shook all of Kohona, and for years afterward, even people in the capital city miles away would swear on their honor that they felt the very earth tremble on that day.
When the dust finally settled, Naruto and Kyuubi could both be seen at the center of a huge crater, their hands on each other's chests, before slowly falling away from one another to land on their backs. "H-how in the cough hell… co-could I be defeated by… a brat?" He asked out loud, blood trickling from his mouth as everyone present rushed down into the crater to them.
"Heh… It's cuz… I had people who needed me…" Naruto replied weakly, a hand resting over the gaping hole in his chest.
"NARUTO!" Sakura screamed, skidding to her knees beside the dying boy.
"Sa-sakura? Is everyone… safe?" Naruto asked, reaching up for her as she gently took his hand in her own.
"Yes Naruto, everyone is ok, and you'll be too! You'll be ok Naruto, you'll see." Sakura said softly, stroking the blonde's hair with one hand as tears streamed down her face.
"Don't worry… We'll see each other again someday, believe it…" Naruto replied with a smile, squeezing Sakura's hand once before it went slack, and the light left his eyes.
"Naruto? NARUTO!" Sakura cried, clutching him to herself as everyone stood behind her, their heads hung low, except for Hinata, who collapsed to thr ground, sobs wracking her small frame.
"So this is it… At least I died at the hands of someone strong…" Kyuubi said, drawing his last breath, his eyes slowly closing.
As Sakura held Naruto close, crying, his body started glowing a faint blue, and Kyuubi's a faint red. As everyone watched in surprize, Naruto's body slowly disappeared, motes of blue chakra blowing away in the wind, along with the red from Kyuubi's disappearing body. "NARUTO! DON'T LEAVE!" Sakura cried reaching futilly for the blue whisps, Kakashi walking up and pulling her away into a tight hug, he himself crying.
Hours later as the sun began to set on Kohona, deep in the forest, blue and red whisps of chakra merged together to form a young boy with short, orange hair. Slowly, he opened his eyes, which were a deep, rich blure with flecks of red in them.
END
AU: BUA HA HA HA! Cliffhangers are fun! Well, I hope you like reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it! Review please.