All hell broke loose as Naruto's raging demon decided to commence the fight, a formerly invisible Linksys now visibly circling the scene from the sky.
Kabuto had managed to escape my grasp as I jumped away from the surge of corrosive energy, Sakura being knocked back and forced unconscious as Yamato and Sai prepared their attacks. Naruto's main focus was Orochimaru, my objective being to read the demon. If I could just understand him... Relate to him...
Naruto's cloaked hand elongated itself at alarming speed, repeating this tactic in an attempt to crush the criminal.
Yamato commanded Sai to help Sakura as the bridge gave way from the extensive damage it had taken, her limp body falling.
He had summoned an odd looking bird, its body appearing to have been drawn out with ink. He avoided her, allowing her to fall passed him. So... He was a traitor, after all.
Yamato scoffed as he was forced to use his wood technique to capture her, the coarse, splintered tentacle catching her mid fall.
I called to Linksys, jumping to his back as I forced him into the level four state, him becoming big enough to ride. He was now terribly hard to miss, being at least as tall as a huge pine tree and as large as a big building.
I followed Sai, his attention more on Orochimaru than his comrades. That was quite typical of human beings.
The snake became even more revolting as he basically shed his skin, another set of hands pulling his mouth open and ripping the body apart to produce another version of himself. The left over saliva was still present on his cavernous face, making my eyes fade to gray in disgust.
"You still have a ways to go before you catch up to Sasuke-kun. You're using the power of a jinchuuriki, and that's all you have to show?" The man, only halfway out of his previous body, continued to taunt Naruto who's demon was taking shape with every wasted second.
Producing many arms, a vicious growl emanated from the blonde's lips as he reached to silence Orochimaru, the landscape being blown to bits as his arms chased the criminal farther into the woods. I felt rage. I felt madness. I felt evil. This demon truly was unlike anything I had ever tamed before. It's power was beyond Linksys's, so sending my trusted partner to help restrain Naruto was off limits. I couldn't intentionally bring harm to that Drake. He was too precious and undeserving. I'd have to do this myself.
As I collected my resolve, Naruto's form took on an even more vicious form, his skin beginning to corrode away as a sinister energy, or chakra, eroded it. A fourth tail began to protrude from his crouching figure, most likely causing the overwhelming power that was slowly eating away at Naruto. It was truly hideous. I couldn't begin to imagine the pain the boy was feeling. However, it didn't show on his face. Nothing showed on his face. He was now a true animalistic, personification of madness.
Now, it was my chance to read his soul's resonance. The more power seeping from him, the better chance at getting a more precise reading. As before, I felt the seething rage and hatred that swirled together in madness; however, a faint, minuscule glimmer of something else appeared in this new form. It was something quite difficult to decipher- as if it was never meant to belong to the demon. And I needed more time to figure it out.
However, Naruto was suffering.
I was currently hovering above everything with the help of Linksys, and that included Sai's sneaky self. I could tell he was hovering way too close, for if this demon was as powerful as I sensed, a mere blast of energy is all it would take to knock Sai from the sky. (Lmao it rhymes) Turns out, I was right. Naruto reared back, his claws sharp and fangs treacherous, before letting out a roar of resounding hell, the earth shaking and a crater forming as energy surged from within. Orochimaru was bitch-slapped (jk) thrown back, his limp body flying in unsettling motions as he rolled numerous times among the dirt. Sai's ink bird immediately dissipated, the boy falling toward the demolished trees.
"Honestly, this boy," Orochimaru's long tongue hung impromptu from his mouth, "he simply amuses me to know end."
And you, my friend, disgust me to no end.
As if reading my mind, the criminal released (a shit ton) (sorry) (I'm having one of those days) thousands of Grass snakes, or Natrix, seemingly unharmful, so why he was using them in a fight? Beats me. Creating another shock wave with a mere flit of his cloaked, demonic arm, the snakes were disintegrated, and the blast even reached my altitude, Linksys sighing in tipped anxiety. I patted his large, scaly neck, silently letting him know it was alright- that he could trust the fact that I wasn't going to harm him unnecessarily. We might've been inseparable partners, and he might've seemed like a harmless giant, but if I was to ever upset him, betray his trust, or sever our bond, he'd go back to being the inherent savage he was born to be- unraveling and killing just as this demon was doing before us. The only reason he wasn't at his primitive stage at this moment in time was because I had tamed him. I had given him something he wasn't born to ever know. I had given him peace. I had shown him love, acceptance- something he wasn't meant to understand from the start, but it calmed his troubled soul. It calmed me.
After having his previous attack dispelled, the snake man eyed Naruto carefully, his eyes widening with sudden realization as he bounded forward just before two, massive arms burst forth from the Earth. It was as if the demon had sent them underground, playing deceitfully, and it almost worked. Another arm procured from the arms sticking out of the ground, traveling and elongating quickly toward a speedy Orochimaru. The latter stopped, throwing his arm out only for a larger, white snake to shoot forth, its body coiling around the arm only for its flesh to burn under the chakra's sinister manifestation.
How awful... He commands his partners to protect his pathetic self, even if they die in the process... Should have expected this...
He then widened his own jaws, another form of himself slithering out, his body from the waist down remaining in snake from. I had to admit, he was quite skilled in the art form of his fighting style; however, it was not my style.
Orochimaru then slithered like lightning for a demonized Naruto, punching the crimson form in the face. A second body formed from Naruto's chest, the monster raising his claws and ripping through Orochimaru. Snakes appeared as the bond that had been holding Orochimaru's body together, their heads protruding from each severed end of the criminal's two halves only to converge and reattach his body.
Is that even his real body? How can a non-magic user have an ability such as that? There is a bigger picture here.
As my thoughts were elsewhere, another roar filled the air, tiny circles of energy filling the area. It was as if Naruto's blue chakra was being manifested in the air, along with the demon's red chakra. It then coalesced, forming an intimidating, dark opaque ball of energy over the demon's mouth.
"That could be dangerous." For a split second, a hint of fear could be seen glinting in the snake's irises, sweat sliding off his white face. The earth around Naruto deepened and disintegrated in a circle around him, his four tails pointing inward toward the chakra ball as if to contain it.
Orochimaru deftly jumped in extended arcs to distance himself as far as possible. There was definitely something bad about the small well of energy the demon had procured. It was small, but the small ones were usually the most deadly if one underestimated their value. My eyes widened in shock as the demon clamped his jaws over the ball, only seconds later his body bloating up as round and large as a shark. He then threw it up, the energy blast so large and bright that I even had trouble following it as it flowed like a blade of Linksys's lightning toward a doomed Orochimaru.
As a defense, the snake bit his thumbs, summoning something as he recited the technique. Three gigantic walls as tall as mountains sprouted from the earth, shielding Orochimaru from the oncoming blast. They were quite devilish looking- with haunting faces and gigantic spikes protruding from all around.
The blast made contact, the energy's light shrouding over the walls as if to hide what damage lied ahead. The light receded, revealing a toppled over Orochimaru, no walls, and deep, cavernous trenches that were a product from where the walls did not protect.
It was my turn. I had a good guess at what plagued the demon- the missing emotion that was in need of deciphering. If I was right, he'd be tamed; however, catch me wrong, and I'll have to join Orochimaru in that odd position he had been blasted into.
I kicked at Linksys's sides, rearing him to plunge forward. Suddenly, Orochimaru's head protruded out of nowhere, his neck elongating like a snake's. A sword was puked from his mouth, its incredibly long edge heading for Naruto. I quickly slipped off of Linksys, siphoning my long sword and a pair of feathered, white wings. Linksys flew off, taking my silent wish for him to find safety. I parried the snake's sword with quite a powerful thrust, its blade forced into the ground. Quickly landing with careful grace, I returned my wings to the reservoir of magic within myself and created a domed barrier around Naruto and me.
The demon moved his attention to me, a growl threatening to escape. I immediately dissipated my sword, calming my nerves and lowering my head in a respectful manner. I slowly raised back up, circling the demon carefully as I siphoned a silver flute behind my back. It had been so long since I had done a ritual to tame a beast. With Linksys, it had taken a violin to resonate properly, but I felt the need to use an instrument with a more fluid melody to it. This demon's soul was chaotic, rigid, and coarse. In order to resonate properly- in order to tame- the resonance could not be equal. The ritual required opposing resonances to clash. The rhythms needed to be two sides of the same coin. Therefore, my melody had to consist of peaceful, smooth, and soft wavelengths. Plus, I had to add in the missing emotion in order to relate to the demon- in order to get his attention and allow him to know I understood- and allow him to feel reckoned with.
A sinister, mocking laugh erupted behind me. I didn't even need to turn around to know it was Orochimaru. He was making fun at my attempts. Little did he know, I had just unintentionally saved his excuse of a life. Gritting my teeth, I put the flute's mouth piece beneath my lips and kept eye contact with Naruto. He needed to know I was not in ill intent. Portraying those feelings through my gaze, I took a deep breath to begin; however, when I opened my eyes, I was no longer outside.
It was pitch black, my armored boots clicking with a damp pat as if I were walking on water. Looking down, I realized, I was- or what resembled water in the least. It was dark as well. A cackle shook the ethereal world, my eyes snapping up to meet, large, crimson, animalistic eyes. They were slit and ragged with red veins. An unintentional gasp escaped me as I observed the bars that separated me from the eyes. They were at least twenty feet high and thick as tree trunks. A tattered piece of paper stuck in the middle, as if holding the doors together like a lock. There was a symbol on it, or kanji, as the knowledge I acquired from "kissing" that man allowed me to understand. It read, "Seal".
It then all made sense. That was the seal worthy of a life. This was inside of Naruto.
"Hmm, you don't smell human." A deep, rigid voice arose from within, its tone sinister. I did not respond. It was better not to engage in small talk with a demon, especially if you're as hot-headed as I am. One wrong word or comment, and the shimmer of hope that I can tame him will have blown out the window. I merely postured myself respectfully, bowing at the chest and curtsying with my arms out in a nonthreatening gesticulation. "Interesting."
I looked up, the flute positioned back under my lips and stared him dead in the eyes. His form was becoming more visible, the water bubbling up to manifest an orange coat-like outside. He looked like a large, dangerous fox.
What an odd demon...
Blowing the first breath of air, the melody began (Media video). Keeping eye contact, I began portraying all my feelings from within- peacefulness, smoothness, softness, and the hidden fragrance I so prayed I guessed correctly. Seeing him now, with his spiteful, mocking, and cynical gaze, I couldn't help but doubt myself; however, I reminded myself it was hidden for a reason. He didn't want anyone to know he harbored such a "pitiful" emotion. To me, it wasn't pitiful; however, I was no demon- not biologically, anyway.
Continuing through, I could see the slight confusion dominate his eyes. It was working! However, it couldn't go down without a fight. Suddenly, Naruto's unconscious form appeared, hovering over the demon's outstretched paws. I didn't stray my thoughts one bit. I couldn't break the cycle of those four emotions, even if something so terrifying was laid out in front of me. I couldn't portray terror. That's what the demon needed to escape the invisible chains of the melody.
Keeping my face passive and my eyes, filled with the passion of those four emotions, trained on the demon, he slowly began losing his mocking grin and turned serious, a look of aggravation in his demeanor.
Blinking once, I found myself back outside, a cloaked, raging arm flying in my direction. I swiftly called upon my wings once more, pushing off the ground with a strength unparalleled. Not allowing my gaze to shift or emotions to fade, I dodged each and every arm the demon manifested, flipping and twirling through the air- spiraling up and down and in and out- as I kept in mind the melody of the song.
Giving up on his attempts of grabbing me, the demon proceeded to manifest those tiny balls of chakra again, almost causing terror to thwart my emotions. Sweat began lining my face as I kept at it. I couldn't let fear take over, not as I stared into the waning eyes of this beast. I could tell he was slowing. There was slight hesitation in his heart. The song was getting to his soul.
As the melody continued, my excruciatingly difficult efforts of maintaining the resonance morphed into an entrancement, my soul becoming lost within the resonance itself. That was a good sign. It meant he finally understood. It meant that he knew I was cognizant of his hidden emotion, and he was now trapped. It meant he knew he was no longer alone- no longer lonely inside himself.
The chakra balls halted their convergence, dissipating into nothingness as the song slowly closed in on the ending. His crimson, treacherous cloak slowly retreated as his four tails ceased their writhing, and my eyes slowly lost their luster as the ritual came to an end. The flute fell from my fingers, slowly disappearing in magical particles before it could hit the ground.
Actually feeling fear for once in what felt like an eternity, my nerves remained rigid, my eyes refusing to blink in the sense that the resonance would be broken, but the ritual was over. And even though I kept telling myself that, my body wouldn't stop convulsing in this rare emotion as I walked over to a battered, burned Naruto. The demon- I had actually managed to tame him of all creatures. I had never accomplished such a feat in my entire elven life, even in my years as a prominent warrior.
I fell to my knees, taking his head and setting it in my lap as I ran a few fingers over the scorch marks that remained from the demon's influence. It was a terrible sight. Having a demon inside you that was so unstable that it was capable of doing this magnitude of self-harm had to be a difficult burden in itself, so why was he so concerned about this Sasuke person over his own well being? What had this boy done to be so angelic in Naruto's eyes? He didn't seem worthy.
"Hehe, magnificent." A sudden, reptilian voice beside my overly sensitive ear made me stiffen, all former consternation replaced with malicious hate. I could feel my eyes burn in crimson hues.
I immediately procured a dagger, swiping it fast enough to leave a bloody streak on the snake's face before he could back away quick enough. His tongue slithered from his lips, taking in the dripping blood as it ran from the cut.
Having used enormous amounts of magic, even calling upon this small dagger was a chore. I eyed him maliciously, my gaze threatening to say the least.
"I could use those talents of yours." He smirked as he swiftly tossed a kunai at the hand holding the dagger, my only available weapon flying from my grasp and yards away from my reach as I recoiled from the stinging pain in my palm. He had sliced a good ways into the skin.
Hissing instinctively, I softly laid Naruto back down, turning to defend against the man as I nodded at Yamato. He had been hiding amongst the trees, no doubt, waiting for an opening. He nodded knowingly, forming those odd hand signs again as wood tentacles wrapped around an unconscious Naruto and brought him to safety.
Before I could face him properly, a hoard of white snakes was suddenly crushing me, coiling and twisting all over my body. I could feel my armor cracking, a scream of agony filling the air as it all snapped. Shards of metal embedded themselves deeply into my skin, the only thing left to protect me thin layers of clothing that remained underneath the metal.
My lungs felt ready to explode, the sweat intensifying as the pain brought on new fevers.
I squinted an eye open, sending as much hate as I could at Orochimaru as he seemingly toyed with me.
"W-what-gah!" The snakes tightened their death grip, making my lower half begin to go numb. "W-what do you- ugh- want?!" I managed to yell, using what was left of my physical prowess to burst free. The snake's bodies went flying, blood coating my flimsy clothing. He merely chuckled, eyeing me as if I was a prized specimen. It made me sick, but I couldn't stand anymore. I literally had to fall to the ground, staring up at him with words undeserving of my resentment.
"Golden? Is that your blood?!" He cackled in enjoyment, watching as my blood seeped from my wounds. "So you really aren't human?! Perfect!" He was about to reach for me again until a wooden pillar shot from the ground, separating us. Linksys suddenly landed beside me, his size one level shorter. It was most likely due to my depleting magical energy.
He carefully grabbed my clothes with his teeth, throwing me over his shoulder and taking off toward the bridge. It took all I had within me just to hold onto a ridge bone.
Why did I even try? It was for the demon, but why go through so much? Did I really have such a soft spot for the creatures? I definitely didn't do it for the humans. They were too foolish for saving.