Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Toxic Angel/A Reader-Insert Naruto Fanfic/Chapter 2

" Neji, " Naruto exclaimed as Neji and TenTen came into view, " where's (name)? "

" We didn't find her. "

" What? "

TenTen shook her head, " We went about a half mile or so in the direction you sent us, but the only thing we found was the bodies of three Sound ninja. I don't think they were dead for very long before we came across them, but (name) wasn't anywhere nearby. "

Naruto jumped up from the spot where he'd been sitting, " You should have kept looking! "

An agitated frown crossed Neji's lips as he glared at the blonde ninja, " Naruto, I used my byakugan. She wasn't anywhere within range, and I find it very difficult to believe that she could have travelled any further than that in such a short time period. "

" Then where'd she go? Damnit! I knew I should have went with you guys! "

" Geez, we're going to go back and look around. " TenTen rolled her eyes, " We just thought we'd come back and get you first. Do you really think we'd just abandon (name)? She's our friend, too, you know! "

Naruto gave a sheepish grin and scratched the back of his head, " I didn't say you were gunna abandon her. I just...um...let's go! "

Neji glanced to Lee, who was sitting at Sakura's side, " She should be okay to travel now. Take her back to the village and let the Hokage know that we're going to continue looking for (name). If there is anyone available, it might be advisable to send another team out. I'm not sure what's going on here, but we're not in the best spot to be taking chances. "

Lee nodded as he stood and helped Sakura to her feet, " Be careful out there. "

~*~

You felt strange when you started to wake. Your thoughts were hazy and your entire body felt too weak to move. The first sight that met your gaze as you opened your eyes immediately reminded you of just how dire the situation was.

" I wouldn't try moving too quickly, (name)-chan. You won't fully recover for some time yet, and I don't see any need for you to uselessly harm yourself. It won't do either of us any good. "

Kabuto was sitting at a desk on the far side of the small room. Noting that his back was to you, you felt the overwhelming desire to try attacking him. Instinctively your hand moved towards the ever-ready pack at your hip, but it didn't come as much of a surprise when you found that it was gone.

Determined to do something, you forced your body into a sitting position and shifted your legs towards the edge of the cot. Every movement seemed to drain you further, and you caught your lower lip between your teeth as a sharp pain shot along your spine. " Wh-what did you... "

Kabuto glanced over his shoulder, " I should have known you wouldn't listen. " He stood and crossed the room to where you sat, " Don't worry. I haven't done anything that will cause any permanant damage. I just had to make sure that you wouldn't be attempting any quick get-aways. "

His hand lifted, fingertips grazed your cheek as he continued to stare at you, not a single decipherable emotion in those deep onyx eyes. " It's very important for you to acknowledge the possibilities before you. Orochimaru-sama can open pathways in your life that you've never even dreamed. Surely you can grasp the potentials of immense power, (name)-chan. "

" You're crazy if you think I'm going to betray Konohagakure for power! " you snapped, trying to ignore the lingering pain moving had caused. " Orochimaru is nothing more than a tyrrant who uses everyone around him for his own gain! Who'd be foolish enough to do something so stupid?"

Irritation flickered across Kabuto's face for the briefest of moments before he smirked, " Surely you're aware that Sasuke Uchiha is now among the shinobi of Otogakure. He had the vision to see that Orochimaru-sama alone could give him the power he needed to achieve his goals. "

You frowned and cast your gaze away to study the wall. Sasuke Uchiha. You knew the name quite well. He'd been a year ahead of you at the academy, and like most of the other girls in Konohagakure, you'd had a terrible crush on him. There was just something about the dark, brooding boy that made him irresistable.

It had been devastating when you heard that Sasuke had abandoned the village to join Orochimaru. Even though you'd only spoken to him a few times, it made you sad to think that he'd do something so awful. Though he was moody, Sasuke seemed like a loyal friend, and you couldn't imagine what Orochimaru had offered to make the last remaining member of the Uchiha clan leave Konohagakure.

It was about that time when you first really became friends with Naruto. You'd been headed to Ichiraku for lunch and run into him along the way. Naruto had seemed unusually quiet, so you'd offered to treat him to a bowl of ramen in hopes of cheering him up. It had done the trick, and soon the two of you were talking and laughing like you'd known each other forever.

The night before Naruto left the village to train with Juraiya, he'd confided in you about why he was leaving. You'd stared in utter amazement as he revealed the intentions of the group know as the Akatsuki and, eventually, his personal mission to bring Sasuke back. You would never understand just why he'd chosen to share it all with you, but you were glad that he did. So many things made sense after Naruto took you into his confidence, including Sasuke's reasons for leaving.

It'd been a tearful parting when Naruto left the following morning, but he'd hugged you tightly with that trademark grin and made you promise to do your best while he was gone. Never one to disappoint, you'd passed the Chuunin exams your first time out and became a well respected and sought after shinobi, notorious for your skills and precision instinct.

'Alot of good it does me now,' you thought numbly as your reverie broke and the reality of the situation drifted back into the forefront of your consciousness. 'But maybe...'

Your (color) gaze met once more with Kabuto's expectant stare, " Fine, " you hissed, " I'll hear you out. Maybe, just maybe there's something I want to accomplish afterall. "

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Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Toxic Angel/A Reader Insert, Naruto Fanfiction/Chapter 1
"Naruto, you and Sakura rest here for a while. I'll go on ahead and make sure it's safe." You snapped a small pack around your waist and moved to leap into the trees, but a warm hand on your shoulder stopped you. A curious backwards glance found a pair of bright blue eyes that were much more serious than usual.

"It's not safe. I can't let you go out there alone."

"Naruto," you sighed, "Sakura's hurt pretty bad, and you took a lot of damage as well. I just got here...I'm in perfect condition...and I'll be careful!" He looked doubtful, "I promise!" you exclaimed with a reassuring smile.

"Maybe we should wait for the back-up team. You said they were on their way, right?"

"It'll be twenty minutes before they reach here. We don't have that kind of time. Look," you turned to face him, "I won't engage in any fighting. If anything happens I'll...run."

A frown twitched at the corner of his lips, "You don't really expect me to believe that, do you, (name)?"

"Of course not!" You winked and jumped onto the lowest branch of a nearby tree. "Now take care of your friend, Naruto-kun, and brief Neji and the others when they get here! I'm counting on you."

There was no chance for him to argue further as you took off through the forest at top speed.

Naruto shook his head as he watched you vanish. He was the last person that should have any right to determine such things, but he really thought that your actions were a little on the reckless side. The ninja that he and Sakura had taken on weren't exactly genin level shinobi. It was quite the opposite, actually. They were highly trained, Otogakure shinobi, sent by Orochimaru to stop anyone from getting too close to his newest hideaway. It was a sure sign that they were closing in on him, and Naruto was worried that you might run into problems that were a lot more serious than you could handle alone.

"Naruto?"

The blonde ninja turned towards the sound of Sakura's voice, "Yeah?"

"What happened? Did I just hear (name's) voice?"

He nodded a bit, glancing back in the direction you'd gone, "Yeah. She wants us to wait here while she checks things out in the area. Neji and his team should be here soon."

Sakura struggled to get to her feet, "Do you think that's a good idea, Naruto? I mean, those guys were dangerous! She's going to get herself killed!"

Naruto noticed that Sakura was too injured to make it to her feet and the blood from her wounds was gathering in a pool on the ground. As much as he hated to admit it, (name) was right. "Oh, don't worry about (name)!" he assured, forcing a smile, "She knows what she's doing. I'm sure she'll be just fine."

~*~

A kunai breezed past your right shoulder as you dodged a head on attack from one of the three ninja who'd been laying in wait half a mile from where you'd left Naruto and Sakura. You threw a barrage of shuriken and took refuge behind a thick cluster of trees. After a few deep breathes and a quick assessment of the situation, you wondered if Naruto had been right. It didn't matter. You knew that Sakura wouldn't have survived another fight, and it's not like you could have brought Naruto and left her alone. You'd made the best choice, and now there was nothing left to do but win.

A faint smile flickered across your lips as you emerged from your seclusion. It was time to get serious! You stopped short, (color) eyes blinked in disbelief when you found the three ninja you'd been fighting laying dead. "What the..."

Quickly, you scanned the area and strained to hear any sign of movement or breath. 'Did Naruto follow me after I told him to stay back?' you wondered. But no. If your friend was nearby, he wouldn't be masking his presence...even though you'd throttle him for ignoring you.

Every muscle in your body tensed as you took a few tenative steps in the direction you'd been headed. Some sixth sense told you that whoever killed the three shinobi still lurked nearby, and there was no way of knowing whether they were friend or foe. They obviously had some skill, and you were really kind of hoping that you wouldn't have to face them.

After you'd moved a few more yards along the path, you noticed a figure leaning against a tree to your right side. He didn't move, only gazed at you with dark eyes and an unreadable expression. He looked oddly familiar, though you couldn't quite place where you'd seen him. He had silvery-gray hair pulled back in a low ponytail and wore thin, round glasses, but what caught your attention was the symbol emblazoned on the silver plate of his headband.

"Who are you?" you demanded, prepared to fight.

"I really don't wish to fight you," came the reply, hushed and warm against your ear.

'How did he get behind me so quickly?' you spun around, a kunai clenched in one hand and pointed threateningly at his midsection. "That's not what I asked!"

He made no move to avoid you nor did he show any concern for the close proximity of the weapon you held. His confidence irritated you. It was an insult. "I'm not going to ask again," you growled, (color) eyes flashing dangerously.

"My name is Kabuto," he replied quietly. His gaze never left yours, those relentless black eyes making you uneasy.

His answer made your stomach turn. You knew the name, and now you knew exactly who he was. You recalled seeing him in the village many years ago. He'd last taken the Chuunin exams the year before you had, and though he'd worn the symbol of Konohagakure, it was later revealed that he was a spy working for Orochimaru. You'd heard stories about him from Naruto, and none of them made you feel any more confident about this encounter.

What you couldn't figure out, though, was why he'd killed his own men. It didn't make any sense at all. "What kind of game are you playing?"

"Oh, I don't play games, (name)-chan. It just so happens that I felt your death would be a terrible waste. You have quite a bit of untapped potential, and I thought that I would give you a chance to explore your options."

"My...options?" you pressed the tip of the kunai a little closer to his body, feeling the thin material of his shirt giving way beneath the lethally sharp blade until the more solid pressure of his flesh came into contact. "How do you know my name?"

Kabuto chuckled a bit, "You're a brave little thing."

He paused for a long moment, and you watched as his gaze slipped downward, studying your form with more than a passing interest. You resisted the urge to shudder under the intensity of his assessment but couldn't stop the faint warmth from rising in your cheeks as the young man turned his eyes once more to yours and smirked, "You've grown up quite beautifully, (name)-chan. You were still so young when I first saw you in Konohagakure...just a newly appointed genin, but even then I could see the skill and power you possessed. Ideally, I would have come for you sooner, but it just wasn't possible. I do hope you can forgive me."

Your eyes narrowed at his words, "And what makes you think for a minute that I would go with you?"

The sudden sensation of his fingers curling around your wrist surprised you, and you retaliated by thrusting the kunai into his stomach. Warm blood spilled over your fingers. Pain flickered in Kabuto's eyes, but he only shook his head and sighed, "Really. Let's not make this any more complicated than it has to be."
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   Welcome to the Garden of Illusions...
Welcome, traveller, to my little home away from home. Your visit has caught me just slightly off guard, for you see, there are few who are brave enough to make the journey to this realm of myst and shadows.

This world, wrought by my own illusions and desires, exists somewhere between reality and a dream. Not many could ever hope to find the way without assistance and more than a bit of determination. Could it be that Fate has brought you to my door? Or perhaps, you merely lost your way? Whatever reason it is that you have come to this place, please, rest and stay a while.

My name is Kyira. It is not the first name by which I have been known, and surely it will not be the last. But for now, in this time and place, you may address me as such. For the moment, at least, it is appropriate.

What is it that you will find during the time you dwell here? That, my dear traveller, is an answer as elusive as the whisp of a dream in the waking world. You can never be quite certain what fantasies or nightmares may lie within the ever-shifting realities here. I, myself, could not even begin to compose an answer to such a question, for the truth is truly random and unpredictable. I can only hope that within this realm you can find something to appease your soul.

One warning though, should you be so bold as to venture into the mysts, you must always remember to keep a small part of your mind locked onto the world of the mundane. If you should stray from this rule for even a moment, you take the risk of being consumed by the illusions and lost to this world for all eternity and that, my dear traveller, can be a very dangerous thing.

~In Darkness Keep~
Kyira Starborne

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