Chapter 41 - Arc VI: Kyuubi Unleashed- Chapter 3

Naruto had disposed of the Shadow Clones quickly, but a third tail had begun to emerge. He was looking less and less like Naruto, and more and more like the demon fox. An explosion from the other side of the wall cued him in to the potential threat. The third tail grew a little longer as he ran over on all fours to investigate.

Ryouko ran up the wall as fast as he could. Where he had been on the ground was currently being occupied by Naruto. Or what used to be him. Chakra began to bubble at Naruto’s mouth.

Is he going to spit it at me? Ryouko wondered, looking down. Then he saw Naruto swallow the whole thing. The third tail not yet fully formed, Naruto blew up like a balloon, stomach on the ground, head aimed toward Ryouko. He is! But that much chakra, condensed to the size of something you can swallow…I’d better move!

Just as Ryouko hit the top of the wall, Naruto spat out the ball of dense black chakra. It rocketed upward, narrowly missing Ryouko’s head. Burns formed on Ryouko’s skin from the mere heat of the projectile as it exploded, revealing red-orange chakra in the center.

Not good at all! I’ve really got nothing left. If he hits me once in this state, I’m done for. But maybe I can…

Kicking down, Ryouko landed on the other side of the three walls. He could sense where Naruto was. Now he just needed to get close enough…

“Bringer of Darkness Jutsu!”

Naruto’s world went completely black. He couldn’t see anything at all. His oppressive chakra lit the area around him like a beacon.
All at once, he felt something being stuffed in his mouth and tied around his head. Nine-tails, now half in control, wondered what it was.
Then he felt his chakra begin to vanish.
-

Ryouko had tied the curse bindings around Naruto’s head, inside his mouth and fastened in the back. He could see the orange chakra recede, until the tails were gone, and only Naruto was left. The strain of holding the cord in place against the bucking Naruto had caused Ryouko’s power to drain quickly, until the bloody red ‘X’’s began to form on him. He had maybe thirty seconds before they began to bleed, and he was helpless. Naruto was still in the genjutsu, as Ryouko hadn’t caused any pain to him, but wild swipes would eventually land against an immobile Ryouko. And with his chakra running out, he had to make a choice.

Release the genjutsu to save my remaining chakra? Or keep him under the genjutsu as long as possible?
I’ll need my chakra. Maybe coming out of nine-tails state has weakened him, too.

Ryouko released the genjutsu. Immediately, Naruto spun towards him. He had pivoted on his heel, incredibly fast, as if he had sensed where Ryouko was instantly. The power of the move had doubled with the centrifugal force.

“RASENGAN!”

Ryouko had already begun to bleed from all the X’s. Now, as Naruto hit him full-on with a full-power Rasengan, he could only feel himself floating.

Dead? No. Not floating. Propelled.

Ryouko’s back hit the barrier, punched through it, and into one of Azami’s clones. The clone disappeared, and with it the barrier. But Naruto sagged, exhausted, and fell down face-first.
--

Sakura and Shoki were the first to reach the unconscious pair of shinobi. Both their bodies were badly damaged. Naruto had suffered nasty burns to more than 80% of his body. The demon fox’s chakra was healing him, slowly but surely. Reaching nearly four tails took a lot out of him, though past experience told Sakura he’d be waking up in another few minutes.

Ryouko had no such chakra, and as such was in worse shape. The Rasengan had twisted both his skin and organs around, blowing right through his rib cage. His face was half-bloody, and not from his release from his curse bindings. This was injury.

Naruto had landed face down out of exhaustion. Ryouko was lying on his back. There was something odd about that.

The Rasengan…if it put him through the barrier, which is supposed to be an impossibility…he would have kept sailing until he hit something. If he hit one of Azami’s clones, then he would have wound up face-down, rebounding back-first off it. Considering his position, that’s what should have happened.

But he’s lying face-up. He’s been unconscious since the last attack landed. Unless he had a major nerve spasm, he wouldn’t have turned over like this. So that leaves one thing…

Replaying the scene in her mind from what she could guess at, Sakura could see Ryouko taking the Rasengan full-blast. His inadvertent flight plan would be just as she thought. To the equation, she added that Ryouko didn’t want to hurt Naruto, Ryouko’s nature, and Naruto’s positioning.

“What if he…but that’s-!” Sakura stammered, a hand over her mouth. “That…” she couldn’t string two sentences together.

The only way Ryouko could have landed this way was to lower his shoulder and turn to his right…presenting Naruto the target area of his right ribs. Ryouko’s arm is hurt, too…from the edge of the Rasengan. From that position, he could have blocked it’s full brunt with his arm. But he didn’t.
He LET Naruto win.

Ryouko stirred, though not for long. He could feel every little injury. If an ant stepped on him right now, he would cry in agony. Through the one eye not caked with blood, he could see Sakura kneeling next to him. She was focused on healing him, but her tears were apparent. He wanted to reach a hand up, but couldn’t do it. So instead he just told her:
“Sorry. Looks like you have to put me back together again.”

Sakura didn’t even look at him. She couldn’t. “Be thankful you’re alive! If I hadn’t come when I did… What on earth were you two idiots thinking?!”

“He lost it.”

“He was drugged,” Sakura informed Ryouko.

“Ah. But that’s not why he fought. The whole time we fought, he cursed me for trying to steal you from him.”

As Ryouko struggled to breath properly, Sakura drank that in.
Why would Naruto think that? If the drug he was hit with brought out thoughts and amplified them…that would mean he had it in his head that maybe there was a slight chance Ryouko was trying to steal me from him. But normally, Naruto would dismiss that thought. The drug forced him to act on his most malicious thought. At the time, that was the thought.

“Sorry,” Ryouko managed to say around a great deal of agony. “I…wanted to do the right thing.”

“…” Sakura finally faced him. After looking at him a moment, she finally asked the question that was on her mind: “Did you let him hit you with that final attack?”

Ryouko sighed deeply, but didn’t really get to finish thanks to the pain it caused. So he just said it quickly. “Yes and no. I tried to block it just a little better, but he took my blind side on his own. I might have been able to dodge it, but…he needed to win. My promise to back off was riding on the match…at least, to him. So I had to let him win. And he earned that win. He’s gotten stronger.”

“You reckless bastard! Don’t you think it tears me up when you idiots clash like this?!” Sakura snarled, slamming her fist into the ground (sans chakra, mercifully, so the whole place didn’t collapse). “If it’s ME you’re fighting over, at least consider my feelings!”

“…I kind of had no choice. If we let him go, what would have happened?” Ryouko asked, not needing an answer. Naruto would have rampaged as nine-tails if his energy hadn’t been burned off. “So, you’ve got two half-dead instead of two totally dead. I’m sorry there wasn’t a better way. But…well, do me a favor. Go treat Naruto.”

“What are you saying?”

“I used my curse bindings to reign in his nine-tails chakra. I’m probably dying from that, never mind the injuries he gave me.”
The next words he spoke would echo in Sakura’s ear.
“Just numb my body and go take care of Naruto. I’ve fulfilled my duty if he cares for you that much.”
--

Sakura didn’t want to leave his side, but her boyfriend was dying within her vision. If what Ryouko said was true, there was precious little she could do for him anyway. She couldn’t re-attach those curse bindings. That would take no less than Lady Uzume.

As if on cue, Uzume had come running. Azami and Jiraiya appeared from underneath the shadow of a nearby tree, and split up. Azami went to Ryouko, and Jiraiya to Naruto.

Uzume looked down at Ryouko, and began to weave signs.
“If the curse bindings are not restored, he will perish. I guess my visions were correct.”

She bent close to Ryouko, still making handsigns.
“Forgive me, Kimihiro,” she whispered, using his real name, “I know you wouldn’t accept this treatment. But your duties are still required. I trust my apprentice with my work now.”

A set of hands stopped Uzume. The hands were that of Asuna, Uzume’s apprentice and one of the few people Ryouko trusted.

“Then don’t, Lady Uzume. If I understand correctly, using this jutsu the first time only fatigues you, correct?” Asuna intoned, knowing full well she was right. “Well, then there’s no need for you to sacrifice yourself this time. I’m capable of completing the jutsu and saving him. He would never forgive himself if you died healing him. Don’t make him bear that kind of burden as well.”

Uzume had been trumped, so she stepped back and knelt down, simply praying. Something she hadn’t done as often as she felt she should. Being a priestess should mean less fighting and more prayer. But both her and the Uzume before her had seen such action and deemed it necessary. But still, peace would have been preferable.

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