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."