Chapter 39 - Arc VI: Kyuubi Unleashed- Chapter 1

Naruto threw Ryouko across the clearing and into a building. He hit the wall hard- hard enough to crack the very solid wood of the wall. He was most concerned with his neck. When he concluded there was no damage, he got to his feet.

“Naruto, what’s happened? I haven’t done anything. I stopped thinking about her romantically. I’ve done nothing to pursue her. I’ve made certain you had a clear path. If I’ve done something, I’m sorry, but you’ve misinterpreted…”

Ryouko had time enough to roll away before Naruto’s fist buried itself into the wall where Ryouko’s head had been an instant before. Scambling to his feet, Ryouko launched a kick to Naruto’s chest, knocking him backward.

“Azami! See that Asuna, Uzume, and Shoki are protected! Shinmaru can hande the Fire Daimyo!”

“What’s happening?!” Sakura shouted.

“Stay back!” Ryouko warned, running away from Naruto. “He’s completely lost it! Be ready to administer medical procedures to both of us! I’m doing to delay him as long as possible! Contact Master Jiraiya, if you can!”

“He’s two days away!” Sakura shouted back, tears in her eyes. Naruto managed to hit a glancing blow on Ryouko’s defending forearm. Ryouko actually grunted with pain and backed off.

“I’ll get him,” Azami said, distaste all over her face. “For what he did to you…never mind. I can bring him here. It may take me a day to find him, but when I do, he’ll be here instantly.”

Ryouko ducked another wild strike from Naruto, noting that his punches were becoming wider and less likely to hit, but exponentially more powerful.
“We can’t leave the Daimyo and the others unprotected! If it takes two days, it takes two days!”

“What are you going to do?!” Sakura yelled back.

“Fight,” Ryouko shot back, throwing a kick to keep Naruto away.

Sakura sat down on the ground; hard. It was just like Naruto and Sasuke fighting. She wanted to run in there to stop it, but she knew she was powerless to do so. Naruto was fighting as if the demon fox could assert itself at any time, and Ryouko didn’t need to worry about her getting caught in the crossfire.
I can’t do anything again! Sakura thought, the frustration terrible. Why can’t I- wait. What’s that?!

Sakura’s hand had found a senbon needle lying on the ground. There was a substance on it. It had a distinctive red color and a very liquidy texture.
Not blood…the consistency is too watery. Maybe it’s…

Sakura ran through her mental database, realizing what it was.

“Ryouko! He’s been drugged! Naruto’s been drugged! With the Kousei plant! It increases aggressive tendencies! The slightest emotional wave could trigger it’s effects!”

Naruto narrowly missed taking Ryouko’s head off with a vicious kick as Ryouko leaned back to avoid it. He braced his hands under Naruto’s legs and pushed up, flipping him onto his back.

“Can it be treated?!” he shouted back.

“Yes! I need to find the Fukashin plant! It grows in moist environments; usually in caves or rocky areas!”

“There are several spots like that around here! The boy; Shoki! He’s had more time to explore than anyone! If you can describe the plant to him, he can help you find it!”

Naruto hit Ryouko again, knocking him into the ground, then pouncing on top. Ryouko dropped one shoulder, then rolled the opposite way, throwing Naruto off. As he was rising, Ryouko struck a pressure point just above Naruto’s knee, slowing him down, if only for a moment.

“Azami, can you put one of your barriers up? I want to keep Naruto contained!”

“Right!” Azami called back, making the handsigns. “Earth Style: Four-Pillar Guardians Net!”

Azami’s four masked stone-clones (They wear the mask of Anubis; a nod to Azami’s Egyptian side) took up four spots around Naruto and Ryouko, leaving a large area. They sat as one, scrolls in front of them, large swords in their hands across their chests. The clones all appeared to be male, so it wasn’t technically a clone jutsu. But that was besides the point. The four of them held the snake handsign, and an invisible barrier erected itself around Naruto and Ryouko.

Azami couldn’t help thinking she’d just damned her best friend.
--

Naruto’s rage had grown to incredibly high levels, and Ryouko began to worry about his heart. This much agitation could cause heart failure, even in someone as fit as Naruto. Unless the nine tailed fox ate some of the agitation. But if THAT was the case, then a worse scenario now faced Ryouko.

This could awaken the nine-tailed fox. I’m hardly equipped to deal with that. I can seal it- temporarily- when a single tail appears. But if it’s beyond that, I’m no help. I have to try to calm him down. First, release his physical energy. That shouldn‘t be a problem. Rage eats up energy.

The trickiest part was trying not to hurt Naruto. That meant most of Ryouko’s justsus were out. Genjutsu was the best option, and Ryouko’s forte regardless.

“Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing!” he recited, looking Naruto in the eye. The one jutsu that he could perform without handsigns hit successfully. Naruto appeared to be in mental pain now. If Ryouko had done this correctly, then there would be a hundred Ryouko’s. By Naruto’s insane charging around the clearing, the genjutsu had worked. Naruto was burning off energy quickly.

“SHADOW CLONE JUTSU!”

“shoot! Should’ve expected that!” Ryouko growled as the clones spread out and began to attack. Even with all the others that Naruto was seeing, one of the clones would hit Ryouko eventually. He decided to start destroying them now, before they completely overwhelmed him. The clones in the illusion would mimic him.

“Kunai Shadow Clones!” Ryouko announced, throwing a spread of kunai knives. The knives multiplied until there were thousands of them. They flew into the cluster of Naruto’s and destroyed a good deal of the clones. Ryouko readied a second wave, but a dozen clones jumped him, knocking his knives away.

“YOUR STUPID GENJUTSU WON’T WORK!”

I must have hit the real one! The pain released the genjutsu! Now I don’t know which one to look at to cast the jutsu! Looks like I’ve got to really fight.

The Naruto’s were pinning him down, all taking shots at him. It was all Ryouko could do to cover up and deflect the blows. Occasionally, he lashed out with a fist or a foot and destroyed one of the Naruto’s, then he curled back up into his defensive ball. He could practically feel his organs bruising. He couldn’t risk using a weapon, in case he hit the real Naruto. So…

“Earth Style: Moving Land River!”

A river of mud appeared beneath the Naruto’s, driving them away from Ryouko. That gave him time enough to get to his feet and run toward them. Grabbing the first Naruto’s arm, he flung him into the group, hitting another Naruto. Both disappeared. Shadow clones.
Another Naruto punched at him. Ryouko moved his head to the side just enough, then threw a punch that connected in center mass of the attacking Naruto. Another clone.

Four clones slid into Ryouko from beneath.
“Na-Ru-To!’

Another four came from above, their heels aimed at Ryouko.
“UZUMAKI BARRAGE!”

They only splintered a log as Ryouko managed to use a Replacement Jutsu just in time. He landed above the attacking Naruto’s. He seized two by their back collars and smashed them into the other two. All four disappeared. The other four that had kicked Ryouko into the air from below threw a series of shuriken. Ryouko threw his arms in front of his face and chest, and crossed one leg in front of his groin.

Distraction. He’s aiming for me with something bigger. I’ve got to move. Looks like I’ll be taking a page out of your book, Naruto. Shadow Clone Jutsu!

Ryouko’s clone ducked below him as they fell, providing a stepping stone. Seconds later, Naruto flew in from between the four kunai-throwing clones and hit the clone with an Oodama Rasengan. The clone was obliterated, and Ryouko had been barely a foot away. The breeze from the attack sent him spinning into the barrier’s wall. Thankfully, it wasn’t the kind of barrier that made you burst into flames. Instead, it was like a rubber wall. Ryouko would have been impressed with it’s efficiency, had he not been fighting for his life. He focused his chakra and stuck to the side of the barrier, trying to buy some time.

If this is what he’s capable of in THIS state…then Master Jiraiya was correct. Naruto really is beyond me, and I was likely holding him back. But I’ve survived the fight thus far. Maybe I haven’t outlived my usefulness to those two yet.

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