Song is Inhumation by Mark Moore - It's a scene setter, so pick when you want to play it :)
Pic of Ashley/Hakuba's Four Tailed form —->
Third Person's POV
Saffire watches on in horror as Naruto and Pain battle down in the huge crater at the centre of the Leaf Village, thick pillars of dust billowing into the air. Naruto, currently being controlled by the Nine Tails, blasts Pain with a ball of chakra, only for the man to counter it with an Almighty Push.
The chakra sphere ricochets into the earth and explodes, shaking the ground tremendously. Saffire cringes as the earth trembles, a sharp pain shooting up her spin as some of the debris below her suddenly shifts. Fang quickly steps over and ducks under the girl's arm, propping her up.
"Thanks Fang" Saffire says quietly, shooting the Wolf an appreciative, yet pained smile. The black and white animal merely nods, her concerned eyes focused on the battle unfolding before them. The very earth itself was being altered, with the combined forces of Pain's and the Kyuubi's attacks smashing through the ground, boulders and debris as if they were nothing.
Saffire hadn't been awake for very long, but she certainly hadn't missed Naruto's sudden transformation into the creature now battling against Pain. She'd never seen him overtaken by his Tailed Beast before, and it made the Minami uneasy. Naruto was supposed to be the one who saved people, not the one who gave into his demon!
While the blonde Shinobi had managed to defeat all of the other Pains, he had been agonisingly subdued by the last one, the Deva Path. Saffire had woken up only seconds before Naruto's body was pierced with numerous metal rods, securing him to the ground in a cruel and painful way.
Hinata had immediately made her way down onto the battlefield to try and save Naruto, only for the girl to be severely beaten and injured by Pain. As she hit the ground, Naruto's demonic chakra had suddenly flared up and within minutes, he had taken on the five tailed form of the Kyuubi.
"That man is powerful" Fang speaks up, ears lying back as Pain deflects another blast of chakra from Naruto. "I'm not sure how he's managing to keep up with Naruto like this....."
Saffire shakes her head, brows creasing with worry. She watches as Naruto throws his head back and screeches angrily, the sharp sound ripping through the air. The blue eyed blonde was no longer visible, his body encased in a thick skin of concentrated chakra and five long tails flicking agitatedly behind him.
"I don't want to alarm anyone" Atsui suddenly speaks up, his uncharacteristically nervous tone causing Saffire to turn her head, "But I think we've got another problem on the way."
"What do you mean Atsui-kun?" Tsumetai asks, his short legs trembling as Naruto roars again. "I think we've got enough trouble right now. I don't want any more!....."
"Yeah but......" Atsui sighs, troubled, before running a hand through his hair. His fuchsia eyes flicker with uncertainty as he raises his other hand and points. "Look over there, at Ashley."
Saffire, Tsumetai and Fan all turn their heads in confusion, only for all of their eyes to widen at the sight of their friend. Saffire is unable to suppress a loud gasp, her heart thumping even harder against her chest. A feeling of apprehension begins to settle in the pit of her stomach, seeing the blonde girl hunched over and trembling.
Black chakra bubbles around Ashley's body, her hair fading into an ebony colour as one tail slowly waves back and forth behind her. Sharp claws protrude out of the girl's fingertips, cracking the concrete below her as she digs them in, knuckles turning white.
"Wh-What's wrong with Ashley?" Saffire gulps, unable to stand and run to her best friend due to her injuries. "Why is she......Why is she losing control?"
"Could be any number of reasons" Atsui murmurs, hooding his eyes as he watches Ashley, trying to mask his concern for her well being. "I'm assuming the fact that two of her Wolves are dead is a big contributor to the problem."
"What?!" Saffire screeches, her neck wrenching back around. She stares at Atsui through wide, disbelieving eyes, her lower lip trembling slightly. Fang swallows thickly as Saffire's head dips to face the ground, the Wolf raising her eyes to look over at Kai.
The large animal remains by a sobbing Rei's side, though he looks incredibly tense, as if expecting an attack any second. He watches Ashley intently, his ears laid back and a pained look in his red eyes. He clearly didn't know what to do to help his human partner, and it was so obviously hurting him to do nothing.
"This is bad you guys" Kiba states tightly, a drop of sweat sliding down the side of his face. "I've tried everything....I don't know what to do to help her!"
Kiba's hands ball into tight fists, his knuckles turning white, as he kneels beside a distraught Ashley. The girl cries uncontrollably, tears streaming from her closed eyes and her whole body shaking as if she were freezing. Her hair, usually blonde, fades into a dark ebony colour, tarnished by the chakra enveloping her body.
"There......There isn't anything we can do" Kai speaks up roughly, shaking his head. "She has been broken by the loss of Aki and A-Ace, so the creature within her is awakening.......I imagine having the chakra of the Nine Tails running rampant so close to her is firing Lady Ashley's Tailed Beast up even more......"
"A-Ace......" Rei cries mournfully, the fur of her cheeks wet with tears. "My poor, dear Ace!...."
Swallowing the lump in his throat, Kai ducks his head and gently rubs it against Rei's shoulder, trying to console her. He exhales slowly as he lifts his head back up, trying to control his breathing. He didn't want anyone to notice how shaky it was right now.
While Kai and Ace fought almost as much as Chi and Tiez, the muscular Wolf couldn't believe he was dead. Ace was the unspoken leader of the Pack and without him.......Who was Kai going to fight with now? Who would he have to try and show up?.......
"Angel......" Kiba says softly, feeling defeated as he watches her cry. He couldn't even touch the girl now. He'd tried to do that earlier, and the chakra surrounding Ashley's body had left him with a nasty burn. "Please fight it......Don't let him out......"
Hakuba watches on through hooded eyes as Ashley sobs helplessly before him, her face buried in her hands and her legs tucked beneath her. Tears drip from between the girl's fingers, landing with barely audible splashes into the thin layer of black chakra flowing across the floor around her.
Having seen all that had taken place and able to feel the emotional pain Ashley is going through, Hakuba's eyes begin to glow a dangerous red, his top lip lifting to allow a small growl out.
"Release me" the demon Wolf commands darkly, his voice causing Ashley to shake her head slowly. "Allow me to take over, and I will deal with this insolent human........I will teach him the true meaning of pain, if that is what he so desires...."
"I....I c-can't let you out" Ashley says between sobs, her words almost unintelligible. "I can't......."
"All you need to do is release the seal" Hakuba presses, fidgeting restlessly as he senses an increase in the Kyuubi's chakra. "Let me return the favour to this human who believes he is so powerful. I will show him the cost of his greed and arrogance!"
"I won't release you H-Hakuba" Ashley reiterates, dropping her hands and looking up as the demon lets out an aggravated snarl. "I can't let you out."
Hakuba glares down at the girl, her tear stained face and red eyes making him growl again. He wanted to pay this Pain back for what he had done, yet the brat wouldn't let him, simply because she still didn't trust him. What did Hakuba have to do to earn this human's trust? And why did he care so much about earning it?!
Every part of this situation was annoying him. The Kyuubi being so close and abusing his power, this Akatsuki member wreaking havoc on the Leaf, Ashley's internal pain and now......Now she wouldn't even let him do anything about it! What would it take for this damn frustrating and confusing girl to accept his aid?!
"You still do not trust me brat?" Hakuba sneers, clearly offended and irritated by this discovery. "Despite the fact that I, a being capable of destroying you, have allowed you to sleep every night. Despite the fact that I have helped you in times passed. Despite the fact that I am now, once again, offering my power to aid you, you still have the audacity to have no faith in me?!"
Ashley's eyes widen as the angered Hakuba rises to his feet, teeth bared. She blinks rapidly, trying to comprehend what the demon Wolf is saying, when he begins pacing back and forth, as if struggling to control his temper.
"Why do I continue to fall for this farce of yours?" Hakuba asks himself coldly, ruby eyes flicking over to Ashley, an accusatory look in them. "You say you will bring back my faith in humanity and yet.........There is no faith in me. How hypocritical of y-"
"That's not it Hakuba!" Ashley suddenly cries, bursting into a fresh round of tears as she shakes her head and climbs to her feet unsteadily. "I do h-have faith in you, I promise!"
Here, the Ten Tails pauses and glances down suspiciously, as Ashley walks up to the steel bars of his prison, resting her palms against the cold metal and hanging her head.
"It's not that I don't trust you Hakuba" the blonde reiterates softly, her voice hoarse. "It's just that......Pain is a member of the Akatsuki and....."
Raising her head, Ashley looks up at Hakuba tearfully, a fear in her fuchsia eyes that causes Hakuba's own eyes to widen slightly.
"I don't want him to see you" Ashley informs the Ten Tails in a whisper, brows creasing at the thought. "You......You've been through so much at the hands of humans and......I don't want you to suffer any more...........I don't want the Akatsuki to take you away from me...."
Hakuba gives a start at this confession from Ashley, the Wolf taking a step back from her and sitting down, staring at her in wonder. He watches as her hands slide down the steel bars, the girl dropping back to her knees and landing with a splash in the shallow pool of black chakra.
"They've already taken my Wolves and my Sensei......" Ashley whispers, closing her eyes and hanging her head, "I can't take a-any more......."
The Ten Tails sees more tears flowing down Ashley's face, though her crying is now silent and painful, her shoulders shaking. Staring for a few more moments, Hakuba exhales lowly and closes his eyes, rising to his feet.
He steps forwards again and lies down on the ground, his large paws emerging from between the steel bars and resting right in front of Ashley. The girl lifts her head when she feels one paw touch her knees, coming face to face with a hood eyed Hakuba.
"You needn't worry about Pain discovering my existence here" the demon assures Ashley ominously, "As he is not going to survive his meeting with me."
Ashley breathes in and out shakily, cautiously placing one hand on top of Hakuba's paw, the black fur soft to touch. She opens her mouth to ask if her friends will be safe, only to pause as her eyes meet the determined, yet fierce look in Hakuba's. They were silently promising revenge and suffering.......But did Ashley want those things?....
"..........Now, allow me to take on your pain" Hakuba orders darkly, his eyes beginning to glow again as Ashley rises to her feet, eyes closing, "And pay him back onehundredfold!"
A cold wind begins to billow around Ashley, her hair flowing out behind her as Hakuba's chakra starts flooding the chamber, lifting his host up towards the seal holding him prisoner.
"Arghhhh!" Kiba cries out, scurrying backwards with fright as the chakra surrounding Ashley suddenly flares up. "Ashley?! Oh man, this is bad!"
The black chakra around Ashley begins boiling hotly, a second tail swiftly forming behind the girl. A hot wind picks immediately picks up as Ashley's chakra increases, blasting everyone around the Minami and lashing at any exposed skin.
Kai jumps in front of Rei protectively, as the white Wolf tucks her tail between her legs and watches Ashley helplessly. Tears continue to spill from her lavender eyes, still mourning the loss of her beloved mate and scared for Ashley's well being.
As much as she and Kai wanted to help their Minami partner, there was nothing either of them could do to stop Hakuba taking over the girl's body. It seemed as though she was too emotionally weak to fight him off, and the demon was taking advantage of the situation.
"What's going on?!" Tsume demands to know, eyes widening as Ashley eases herself up into a crouched position, shoulders hunched. A third tail soon begins to form, as the dark aura surrounding Ashley's body increases in power and condenses, leaving her enveloped in a black, opaque skin of pure chakra. Large, wolf-like ears sprout atop her head, as Ashley's body takes on a more demonic form, very similar to that of Naruto's current state.
"Th-This is crazy" Kiba stutters, eyes wide as he hurriedly climbs to his feet. "She's transforming so quickly! Way quicker than last time!"
Kiba has to take a few steps back from Ashley as she waves her three tails back and forth, chakra pulsing away from her body at every movement and stinging the Inuzuka's skin. Tsume raises an arm in front of her face, trying to protect it from the chakra imbued wind billowing around them.
Everyone pauses as Ashley suddenly raises her head and opens her eyes, taking in their blood red colour and pupil less gaze. The girl's demonic eyes glow brightly, reminiscent of the way Hakuba's did when he was angry.
The Minami's ears prick up at the sound of a nearby explosion, followed by a sharp screech from Naruto. Kiba automatically ducks at the sound of the explosion, smoke billowing up into the sky, when a low, blood curdling growl from Ashley makes him look up.
"A-Ashley?" Kiba addresses, only to freeze when the demonic girl's neck wrenches around to stare at him. The Inuzuka swallows thickly as chakra continues to pulse from Ashley's body, a fourth tail appearing behind her. He squints his eyes as the stinging chakra whips through the air, biting at his skin and making it tingle.
"Milady" Kai addresses boldly, not even flinching as Hakuba's four tailed form glares over its shoulder at him, growling darkly. "I understand that you are under a lot of stress right now, but you must fight this monster off! Don't let him control you like this! He'll only hurt you, and everyone around you!"
Ashley narrows her eyes at this, her glowing red orbs becoming nothing more than slits, before she rises to her feet and stalks over to Kai on all fours, a fifth tail forming behind her. Debris cracks and shatters beneath Ashley's feet, the chakra covering her skin too potent.
The demonic girl looms right in front of Kai and comes to a stop, with Rei's eyes widening in alarm. Ashley glares at Kai for a few moments, a deep growl emitting from her slightly opened mouth. Not wanting to be intimidated by the Ten Tails, Kai stubbornly glowers right back, releasing a growl of his own.
"You won't win this time monster" Kai seethes, baring his teeth. "Just like every other time, you will be defeated."
Ashley remains silent for a few moments, before a deep, ominous laugh floats from her open jaws. Kai blinks in surprise at this, as Rei squeaks with fright and Kiba's eyes widen. Akamaru feels the fur on his neck stand on end at the sound, as Kuromaru steps in front of Tsume and growls, not liking the feel of Hakuba's presence.
"......I am not the one who needs to be defeated" Hakuba's replies pointedly, turning his head as Pain launches an attack at Naruto. The fox like demon tumbles at high speed across the ground, before righting himself and running straight back towards his powerful foe, jaws agape.
Lowering his head at the sight of Pain, Hakuba growls again, the beginnings of a sixth tail forming at the end of his spine. As the demon swings his tails, chakra arcs through the air and away from his skin, steaming and sizzling.
Pain.
He was going to pay.........
Suddenly, a green light emits from Naruto, causing him to skid to a halt and cease his attack on Pain. Thick tendrils of bright green chakra burst out of the light, whipping around in an attempt to subdue Naruto. The demonic male roars angrily and swings his tails around, lashing out to try and free himself of the sudden inconvenience.
"......A Sealing Jutsu?" Pain asks rhetorically, brows furrowing slightly as he watches the Nine Tails struggle furiously. "Hmm....."
Raising his arm to blast the incapacitated Fox demon, Pain pauses for a brief, head slowly turning to the side. His purple eyes widen at the sight of an incoming blast of black chakra, shooting directly towards him at a frightening speed.
"Almighty Push!" the orange haired man shouts, throwing his arms out and releasing a large amount of his own chakra. It surrounds him in an instant, shielding the Akatsuki Leader as the sphere of black chakra collides with his own.
It explodes upon impact, shaking the earth and throwing large chunks of rock up into the sky. Smoke billows through the air and rolls along the ground as Pain drops his Jutsu, knees slightly bent in case he should be attacked again.
Unable to see through the thick smoke, Pain frowns a little as the Kyuubi emits a high pitch shriek, furious that it has been restrained by the Sealing Jutsu imbued into the necklace Naruto wears.
"If it wasn't the Nine Tails...." Pain trails off, as he suddenly spots a pair of glowing red eyes watching him through the smoke, glaring hatefully. "Ah....."
Pain remains still as the eyes continue to glower at him, unblinking, when a low, bone chilling growl reaches his ears. The man didn't know who he was facing, but the newcomer had decided to step between him and the Nine Tails. Perhaps they were going to try and save Naruto, like the foolish Hyuga girl had. Not that she'd been successful of course.
Suddenly, Hakuba throws his head back and lets out a thunderous roar, a wave of chakra pulsing away from his body in a circular motion and blowing all of the smoke away in an instant. Despite the hot, chakra fuelled wind blasting against his face, Pain's eyes widen again, not having expected the sight before him.
"You........" Hakuba drawls with contempt, lowering his head. "You will payfor the pain you have caused......"
".....So, even a creature like yourself can feel hate?" Pain muses coolly, though he is unsure as to what Hakuba is. "I assure you, the pain you feel now is nothing compared to mine!"
"If you are afflicted by such unbearable pain" Hakuba growls, opening his jaws wide, "Then allow me to destroy you and your pain forever!"
Swiftly focusing a large sphere of black chakra in front of his mouth, Hakuba snaps his jaws closed, sending the ball spiralling towards Pain at speed. A sonic wave rises up behind the chakra sphere, blasting Pain and the Nine Tails with a blazing hot wind.
"Almighty Push!" the Deva Path shouts, his Jutsu countering Hakuba's attack and causing it to explode on impact. The purple eyed man watches as Hakuba growls again and disappears from before him, instantly reappearing right behind the Akatsuki Leader.
Raising one clawed hand into the air, Hakuba slams it against the chakra surrounding Pain, sending the man tumbling across the ground at high speed. Pain drops his Jutsu as he somersaults head over heels, before managing to place one palm on the ground and flip himself over the right way, sliding to a crouching stop.
While the Deva Path hadn't sustained any injuries from Hakuba's attack, thanks to his powerful Almighty Push, that has been one strong attack. Usually no one could even get close to Pain's Jutsu, let alone the attacker being able to force an Almighty Push away from them.
This strange creature, who looked suspiciously like the Nine Tails, was going to be a problem.
Now crouching low to the ground, his tails waving behind him agitatedly, Hakuba roars again and throws himself forwards. The earth cracks and gives way below Hakuba's feet as he gallops straight at Pain, small arcs of chakra flickering around the Wolf demon's body.
Not wanting to touch Hakuba's body due to the sheer amount of chakra in his skin, Pain takes off across the ground at speed, biding his time. He wasn't going to run forever, but fighting against a fast and powerful creature like this......He was going to have to come up with some sort of plan.
"You cannot run from your demise human!" Hakuba snarls, creating another ball of chakra in front of his open jaws as he chases after the swiftly retreating Pain. "Today, you shall die!"
Glancing back over his shoulder, Pain sees Hakuba closing in on him, Jutsu at the ready. Spinning around to face the demon and sliding backwards, the Deva path performs a swift set of hand seals, brows furrowing.
"Wind Style" Pain announces, just as Hakuba launches the sphere of chakra, "Air Bullets!"
Focusing a large amount of Wind Nature chakra into the back of his throat, Pain exhales a volley of large, powerful blast of air. They rocket straight towards Hakuba, one colliding with his concentrated ball of chakra and causing it to explode.
Pain throws his arms over his face as he is blasted by more hot wind and smoke, the ground shaking so violently, that many of the onlookers in the Leaf fall to their knees. Hakuba however, lowers himself to the ground and growls, tails raised up behind him.
As the incoming air bullets are about to hit their target, Hakuba throws his tails forwards, countering Pain's Jutsu and sending them flying in all directions. Not wanting to give Pain a chance to run away again, Hakuba launches himself forwards, racing towards the Akatsuki Leader at an impressive clip.
Lifting his head as he feels the earth trembling beneath his feet, Pain scowls and performs another set of hand signs, before crouching down and pressing his palms against the cracked ground.
"Earth Style: Mud Wall!" the orange haired man shouts, eyes narrowing as Hakuba leaps out of the smoke, arms outstretched towards Pain and his mouth open in a ghostly howl.
As Pain's chakra flows out into the earth, a thick wall of rock and dirt shoots up into the sky, separating the man from Hakuba. The Ten Tails, unable to stop mid jump, crashes head first into the wall, cracking it as he lets out an irritated snarl. Hakuba falls to the ground, landing on his side, when Pain suddenly dashes out from behind the wall, hoping to escape from the attacking demon.
Hakuba swipes at the Akatsuki Leader with his claws as he runs by, before the earthen wall collapses, half burying the Wolf demon in a landslide.
Chakra begins pulsing away from Hakuba's body again as his agitation grows, red eyes narrowing dangerously. He hadn't exactly been fighting to his fullest potential against this arrogant human, but now Hakuba was beginning to get really annoyed. It was time to show Pain what the Ten Tails could really do.
Before Hakuba can so much as move however, the Kyuubi lets out a roar of its own and begins straining against the Sealing Jutsu holding it back. It leans forwards and growls in Hakuba's direction, making the Ten Tails growl right back.
It seemed as though Hakuba's chakra was infuriating the Kyuubi, not that the Ten Tails was faring much better. If there was one thing he wanted to do right now, it was to take down the Nine Tails and absorb all of its chakra. Then, some of his original power would be restored......
Pausing for a second, Hakuba shakes his head vehemently at his train of thought. No......Now was not the time to be consumed with a lust for power. Now was the time to destroy Pain.....
Now a good distance away from the Ten Tails, Pain turns around to attack, only to halt as his eyes fall to the angered Kyuubi. He watches as it viciously grabs at its own neck, clasping Naruto's necklace in its clawed hands. It snarls in pain as it rips the necklace away, crushing the small jewel in its palm.
Releasing the shattered crystal shards, the demonic Naruto slumps to the ground, Sealing Jutsu now completely destroyed. The brightly glowing chakra binding Naruto in place disappears, allowing him to slowly climb to his feet, eyes locked on Hakuba.
Sitting back on all fours, the Kyuubi tilts its head and begins focusing a large amount of chakra in front of its mouth, tails curling forwards. Too impatient to fully charge his attack, the Nine Tails then throws its head forward, launching the spinning ball of chakra towards a slightly incapacitated Hakuba.
The demon Wolf turns his head as the chakra ball slams into his back, blasting the rocks on top of him away and enveloping him in a thick shroud of smoke and dust.
Ears pricking up, the Kyuubi rises to its feet and begins to slowly stalk towards Hakuba, unable to see due to the thick smoke. It freezes for a second, one foot in the air, when a volley of bright red balls of chakra suddenly shoot through the smokescreen, straight towards it.
The Kyuubi screeches in pain as he is riddled by the chakra bullets, the force of the hits sending him sliding backwards across the ground, despite his claws digging into the dirt. As the barrage ceases, the Nine Tails hangs his head, steam rising from his chest, right where he'd been hit.
With a swipe of his long tails, Hakuba clears away the smoke, standing tall on all fours. He glowers at the injured Kyuubi for a few moments, considering whether he should attack it again or not. A low, guttural growl escapes the demon Wolf's open mouth, uncertainty in his mind. It clearly wanted a fight, though it didn't really stand a chance against Hakuba, if he chose to face it properly. While it's chakra blast had stung, it certainly didn't have enough power to seriously injure Hakuba.
Turning his head a little, Hakuba switches his gaze over to a wary looking Pain, who seems hesitant to attack now that the Kyuubi is free again. The man clearly wasn't afraid of Hakuba or the Nine Tails, it seemed more like he was waiting to see if the two creatures would forget about him and battle each other instead. It would probably make Pain's job a lot easier if Hakuba were to incapacitate the Nine Tails for him.....
Shaking his head at the thought of unintentionally helping the Deva Path out, Hakuba turns to face the man fully, crouching down a little. Pain's focus immediately locks onto the demon Wolf, mouth tugging down at the sides a little.
So, the creature had made up its mind then. That was fine, Pain was sure he could take it. So long as the Nine Tails' Jinchuuriki didn't decide to back it up in a fight.
Just as Hakuba throws himself forwards, galloping towards Pain, the Kyuubi's head snaps up, another feral screech emitting from its mouth. It barrels towards Hakuba like a steam train, a sixth tail forming behind it.
Hakuba, about to launch himself at Pain, lets out a roar as the Kyuubi tackles him in the side, ripping him away from the Akatsuki Leader. Both demons tumble across the ground at high speed, sending up a huge cloud of dust.
"Foolish Nine Tails" Hakuba berates, slowly climbing to his feet and shaking himself, before turning his head, "Stay back! I have no interest in you right now...."
The Kyuubi responds with a sharp growl, its head lowered and its hackles raised, ready to attack again. It hated Hakuba's ugly chakra, hated it! It was going to destroy the Ten Tails here and now, then he would never be able to steal the Kyuubi's chakra!
The Nine Tails suddenly launches itself towards Hakuba, to which the slightly larger demon steels himself, head down.
"Very well then Kurama" Hakuba utters darkly, eyes flashing as he addresses the Nine Tails by name, "If it's a fight you want, then I shall not disappoint you!"
As the Kyuubi leaps into the air, claws reaching to slash at Hakuba's face, the Ten Tails steps forwards and ducks below his attacker. Twisting his neck around, Hakuba opens his jaws wide and clamps them down on the Nine Tails' throat.
The demon Fox lets out a pained screech, before Hakuba viciously flings him back in the direction he'd just come from. As the Nine Tails hits the ground heavily and slides backwards, Hakuba bounds forwards, now intent on teaching the Fox a lesson.
Moving fast, Hakuba appears behind the Nine Tails before he is able to come to a stop, swiping at the Fox's back with his sharp claws and sending him flying up into the air. As the Kyuubi tumbles back down towards the ground, Hakuba blasts him with another volley of bright red chakra bullets. Each bullet painfully collides with the Fox's chakra encased body, all thudding heavily and sending out a small shock wave from the impact.
Though injured, the Nine Tails manages to flip around in mid air and land on all fours, before racing straight back towards Hakuba, a ball of chakra already forming on front of its mouth. Hakuba's eyes narrow at the Kyuubi's six tails, able to sense that it's chakra is still increasing.
It seemed the Uzumaki boy was losing control of himself.
"You refuse to stay inside your vessel Kurama?" the Ten Tails asks ominously. "Then I suppose I'll have to beat you into submission...."
Releasing a vicious roar, the Nine Tails slams straight into Hakuba's chest, the chakra ball detonating right in his face. Rock is blown high into the sky from the impact, flames briefly flashing through the pillar of smoke that rises from the impact zone.
As the smoke clears, the Nine Tails finds itself being held in the air, struggling wildly to free itself. Hakuba, a seventh tail now swinging back and forth behind him, stands up on his hind legs, clawed hand gripping the Nine Tails firmly by its neck. He glares into the Kyuubi's eyes as it scratches at his hand, tails whipping around wildly. They slam against the ground, cracking it.
Screeching with anger, the demonic Naruto opens his mouth wide, blasting Hakuba in the face with a barrage of tiny chakra bullets. Growling as the chakra explodes, an uninjured Hakuba raises the Kyuubi higher, before viciously slamming him down into the ground, pushing it below the rocky surface.
Tugging the Fox back towards him, Hakuba then hefts his adversary over his shoulder. The Nine Tails tumbles at high speed across the ground, only for Hakuba to appear before him once again, moving so fast, he seemingly vanished.
Rising back up onto his hind legs, Hakuba lifts his arms up to his sides, palms facing the sky. Black chakra swiftly begins to form in both of his hands, glowing ominously. In a matter of seconds, the spheres of chakra are already larger than Hakuba's head.
"Learn your place Kurama!" Hakuba thunders, throwing himself down towards the Kyuubi and pressing the two balls of chakra into his stomach.
The Nine Tails roars in pain as the chakra detonates, rupturing the ground and sending him blasting backwards, his body ripping through the rocky earth as if it were nothing more than mud. The sound of the blast resonates through the air, causing everyone in the devastated Leaf Village to throw their hands over their ears.
Burning hot smoke billowing around him, Hakuba lifts himself back up onto his hind legs, eyes narrowed as he glares at the Nine Tails' charred and unmoving body. He watches the steam rise, unhurt from the incredible blast of his attack.
Perhaps the Kyuubi would now know his place.
"......Universal Pull!" Pain suddenly shouts, catching Hakuba's attention. The Ten Tails' eyes widen as Pain activates his Jutsu, a reversed version of the Almighty Push, the Kyuubi's body slowly beginning to slide towards him. It seemed the Akatsuki Leader was going to take advantage of the Kyuubi's current, though no doubt brief, impaired state.
Angry with Pain for everything he'd done so far and frustrated by the Kyuubi's intent to attack him, Hakuba throws his head back and lets out a furious roar. As it echoes loudly through the air, a sonic wave of chakra blasts away from Hakuba in a circular radius, kicking up more dust.
Dark clouds swiftly form in the sky, casting an eerie shadow over the damaged Leaf Village. Low thunder begins rolling through the air, when a bolt of lightning suddenly flashes down from the clouds and slams into the ground, only metres from the Kyuubi's still moving body.
As Hakuba drops down onto all fours with a loud boom, more lightning begins to strike the ground around him, slicing through the earth with ease. The Ten Tails releases one more rage filled roar, before he throws himself forwards into a run, wanting nothing more than to tear Pain's head from his body.
Seeing the incoming demon, Pain quickly, though reluctantly, drops his Jutsu and slaps his palms together. While it seemed as though the Nine Tails hadn't been able to control itself properly, this creature was certainly aware of itself.
That was dangerous.
"Water Style" Pain begins, purple eyes narrowing at the looming beast, "Exploding Water Shock Wave!"
The Deva Path bends his knees and slams his fist into the ground, his chakra causing water to gush out of the cracks he'd created with his punch. Water swiftly pours across the ground, flooding the area as Pain does multiple back hand springs, putting as much distance between himself and Hakuba as possible.
Before the demon Wolf can get any closer, Pain raises his arms, causing a large portion of the water to rise up into a tidal wave. As the Deva Path then lowers his arms, palms facing Hakuba, the roaring tidal wave collapses forwards.
Hakuba is swept up by the massive swell, knocked off of his feet and pulled under as the water rolls over him and rushes forwards. The Kyuubi is also engulfed by the massive wave, being thrown around roughly, before he washes up on a large boulder.
As the wave dies down, allowing a spluttering Hakuba to climb a top its surface, he spots Pain retreating. The orange haired man races across the water with ease, bounding up the cliffs his Almighty Push had created when he'd destroyed the Leaf Village.
Hakuba's fur bristles at the thought of letting Pain get away, after everything the man had done. He had yet to prove to the arrogant human how powerful the Ten Tails truly was......
Shaking himself off, Hakuba bounds across the water speedily, not wanting to lose track of Pain. He glances at the Kyuubi from the corner of his eye as he races past, contemplating the idea of stealing his chakra back, when a brief image of Ashley's face flashes through his mind.
The Ten Tails narrows his eyes and lets out a low growl as he continues to run, leaping up the same cliffs Pain had scaled moments earlier. Damn that girl. Damn her to hell......
Coming to a stop a top the cliffs, Hakuba immediately spots Pain disappearing down into the thick forest below and opens his mouth. He shoots a barrage of chakra bullets after the purple eyed man, who manges to duck and weave around all of them.
As Hakuba gives chase, he continues blasting Pain with volleys of chakra blast, rocks blowing up and trees catching on fire around him. Pain flips through the branches and continues running however, looking for a place to momentarily lose his pursuer.
After a few more seconds of running, Hakuba comes to a halt and tilts his head to the side, listening intently. While Pain had been relatively quiet whilst retreating, all had fallen silent. Where had the man disappeared to?......
Hakuba's heads snaps down towards the ground as it suddenly begins to tremble however, a suspicious look in the Ten Tails' eyes.
Sensing movement ahead, Hakuba raises his eyes and lets out a snarl as Pain steps into view, knees bent and hands pressed together in a hand seal. The earth around Pain begins to tear apart, with large chunk of dirt and rock slowly floating into the air.
Confused, Hakuba tilts his head back, only to see more rock cracking apart high in the air above him, all joining together in the sky to form a large sphere. The Ten Tail's eyes immediately widen with realisation, as he looks back over at Pain. The man glares right back as he silently continues his Jutsu, purple eyes shining evilly.
'Those eyes....' Hakuba thinks to himself, feeling panic and fury beginning to boil in his blood, 'And this Jutsu.........He's just like......'
"You're just like him" Hakuba growls under his breath, an eighth tail starting to form, "That damned Sage!........You won't imprison me human. Never again!"
Before Hakuba can launch himself at Pain, the earth below him suddenly tears itself up, slowly carrying the Ten Tails into the sky. The Wolf lets out a low growl, when a thick spine manifests itself along his back. A large, Wolf-like skull appears around Hakuba's face, the fangs sharp and dangerous looking. He waves his eight tails back and forth in agitation, demon nature beginning to battle against the rationality in Hakuba's mind.
He hadn't been able to reach his eight tails form in such a long time, and Hakuba was beginning to rethink this whole kill Pain to get revenge for his host's heartache thing. Oh, Hakuba would kill Pain alright, but what was to stop him from killing everything else as well? Maybe now he could find the other Tailed Beasts to reabsorb his chakra and regain his ancient power.....
'No' Hakuba argues within himself, shaking his head and looking up as he draws closer to the rocky formation above. 'That......That is not the plan......I must destroy....Pain...'
Tilting his head back, Hakuba shoots a ball of chakra up at the large formation Pain is creating, blasting a large chunk of it away.
'The Planetary Devastation' Hakuba muses, struggling to maintain reason. 'I never thought I would have to see this wretched Jutsu again........This one is no where near the scale of yours though Sage....'
"The Sage" Hakuba growls out loud, preparing another chakra ball. "I will kill him.....And I will kill you as well!"
Pain's eyes narrow as the Ten Tail's words reach his ears, the creature blasting away another large portion of his rocky creation. He had no idea what the strange demon-like beast was talking about, but it had certainly made itself quite the problem.
Pain was going to fix this problem though, and completely destroy the Leaf Village while he was at it too.
Hakuba roars as the rock he is stuck on suddenly increases in speed, slamming him up against the Planetary Devastation, before more and more rocks begin piling on top of him. As Hakuba is cut off from the light, his body being crushed by the force of the chakra driven rocks piling on top of him, he growls in anger, red eyes flashing.
No. He was not going to be beaten like this. Not again.