Naruto: Dark Beginnings Original

Chapter 21

Chapter 17: Battles of the Mind and Soul

Kakashi grimaced as he clutched his wounded arm.

"Stay still and take it like a man," Kurenai snapped as she applied a bandage to the man's arm. The two were sat watching over their Genin as Asuma and Shikamaru argued strategy. Jiraiya had gathered all of the available forces to discuss a plan while Naruto kept Orochimaru busy.

The Invaders had been defeated, thanks to the assistance of Suna and the skill of the Konoha forces. Now all that was left was to patch everyone up and sort out the giant snake.

"Ouch!" Kakashi whined, "Can't you be a little more careful?"

"How about no?" Kurenai tightened the bandage earning a curse of pain from Kakashi.

"Any news from Jiraiya?" Kakashi asked.

"No," Kurenai shook her head as she finished bandaging the Jounin, "All I know is that Naruto is still alive, and the Kyuubi is still there."

"That is obvious to everyone," Gaara stated simply as he approached the two. "I bring news that Naruto is low on Chakra though, and it looks as if the Kyuubi is just about finished.

"And Anko?" Kakashi asked.

Gaara frowned.

"MUHAHAHA!" Anko grinned evilly as she plunged another kunai into the scaled hide of Orochimaru.

"Get a grip woman!" Naruto growled as he raced towards the head, Kyuubi-Kei biting into Orochimaru's flesh.

They had leapt from Kyuubi to deal as much damage as possible to the giant snake, hoping to force him to release his soul, but no matter how much damage they dealt, Orochimaru just regenerated.

"He can't have many followers left," Naruto muttered as he brought Kyuubi-Kei around in a wide arc, "Amaterasu!" The black flames clung to the snake, but seemed to have next to no effect on the creature.

"You are like little gnats..." Orochimaru shook his body furiously, trying to dislodge the two nin, who held on like grim death.

"Rasengan!" Naruto slammed his palm into the monster, hoping to drill his way through the body, but Orochimaru's scales were far harder than any organic material had right to be.

"This is getting old," Anko drew a Kunai and smeared a pasty white poison on it, before plunging the poisoned Kunai into Orochimaru's hide.

"CHAKRA BLAST!" Kyuubi launched another blast of Chakra at Orochimaru, tearing a huge chunk out of the giant snake before it simply regenerated.

"YOU NEARLY HIT ME!" Naruto roared as he continued climbing the scaled skin to reach Orochimaru's head.

"Damn...I missed, I mean oh I am sorry," Kyuubi responded.

"Tch," Naruto focused on the head of the giant snake. "I only get one shot at this." He reached into his pockets and pulled out a three pronged kunai, which he had taken from the crater where Minato was defeated and threw it, aiming for the giant snake's eye. He was rewarded with a foul shriek as his attack connected. "Hiraishin no Jutsu!" Naruto raced up the snake in a yellow blur and arrived on Orochimaru's head, staggering slightly. The Jutsu always did use up a lot of Chakra and made you incredibly dizzy.

In hind sight using a Jutsu that required several moments to recover from using was not such a good idea, as in the instant Naruto staggered, he was thrown into the air by Orochimaru then swallowed whole.

"Oh crap..." Kyuubi scowled and dismissed herself, allowing her to channel what little Chakra she had remaining into healing Naruto.