Inheritance

CHAPTER 17

Naruto winced a little at Shikamaru's reaction to his gaze. He had meant to ask if Shikamaru was okay to move, but judging by the sharp intake of breath, the Kyuubi's chakra had altered his appearance, though by how much, Naruto couldn't tell.

Still, he had to admit, he felt as good as he'd ever felt with the demonic chakra in his system. He was faster, stronger, more alert than before, not to mention it felt like he hadn't used a single jutsu in a few days.

However, Naruto knew the strength was coming at a price.

He didn't feel like he was losing control as such, but he could hear whispers in the back of his mind. Whispers urging him to kill, wound and hurt. Spill the blood of everyone around him. Telling him to call on more and more of the foxes chakra, more and more power. They had started out quiet – barely audible as he moved to help Shikamaru. But only moments later they had increased in volume and number, penetrating his mind, influencing his thoughts. He wouldn't be able to maintain using this much of the Kyuubi's power for very long and still be able to maintain control of his own actions. And the blonde wasn't about to lose control again. He knew he didn't have a second chance where the Kyuubi was concerned.

He'd have to end it as quickly as he could, and with as little chakra as possible; a task made all the more complicated by the fact he could feel the Kyuubi's chakra increasing in his limbs whenever he moved, in order to facilitate his enhanced speed in strength. In other words, with every movement or slight exertion, he was pulling on more and more on the Kyuubi's power; the rate at which he did so increasing relative to how fast he was moving, or amount of strength he was using.

What's more, he could no longer feel his own, personal chakra. It was like it had been superseded by the Kyuubi's once he allowed himself to draw on the fox's chakra.

Fortunately, Naruto had a plan. He wasn't sure whether or not he would be able to get all of the statues, and it would draw upon more of the fox's chakra than he could handle. If he had of thought it through a bit more, he would realise it was reckless, and would need to come off almost perfectly to avoid causing himself some quite serious harm. But he would also realise it was all he had.

Silently, he created a pair of Kage Bunshin who headed over to Shikamaru, and lifted him, doing their best not to put any stress on his shoulder, and placed him with Hana, who had stopped working on Baki the moment Naruto had begun to use the fox's chakra. Realising she had been distracted by the events around her, a glaring mistake for a medic nin, who are expected to be able to work on patients in the heat of battle without being distracted by the events around them, she moved to check the Nara's shoulder and leg. They were both broken, although the shoulder was in far worse shape, with the collarbone shattered at the location of impact. Mentally, she decided the best course of action would be to administer a painkilling jutsu, and continue work on the Jonin, who had been nearly ready to move.

The Kage Bunshin had since returned to the side of their creator, who was preparing to make his move. Three more Kage Bunshin appeared alongside them, and immediately the group made to surround the statues, who had begin to move towards them.

"Fuuton: Fuuton: Goukuuhou no Jutsu!" Each of the Naruto's shouted simultaneously, several spheres of chakra infused wind that seemed to glow red, much larger and more intense than anything he had used before, erupted from each of them, tearing into the group of statues that they had seemingly rounded into a tight group. Naruto had aimed for the legs, where weak points still remained on most of the statues, and the result was devastating. Each sphere ripped through several sets of legs before dissipating, causing almost all of the statues to crumple in on themselves in a heap on the cold sandstone floor, leaving only a pair of the stone giants standing,but Naruto was not done.