AND BACK AGAIN [ NARUTO ]

[ 30 ] kurama

previously. . .

Past Naruto, once again, gained the upper hand. It was a repeat as he raised his clawed hand, teeth bared.

Team 7 watched in slow motion.

He's going to kill him.

The blow never hit. The zombie-ninja's bomb went off and they were all thrown back with a wave of dust and debris. Branches flew, leaves scraped, and bodies flew.

"Naruto!"

///\

Naruto heard the blast before he felt it. There was the clanging of weapons, the grunts of a fight, and then an ear-splitting bang that made the trees groan. He shielded his head from falling debris and jumped back as a large tree branch fell to the forest floor, catching his last opponent on the head.

"Takes care of that," he muttered, tilting his head upwards. He squinted up at the canopy of trees.

It had grown awfully quiet.

"Naruto!"

"Sakura?" Naruto wondered aloud. Somehow he knew that the kunoichi wasn't calling for him.

Don't you sense it? Kurama asked from within him.

Naruto let the rush of battle leave him and concentrated. He did feel it then, the overwhelming presence of the Nine Tails; the potent, uncontrolled wisps of power. Had he still been in Sage Mode, his senses would've been overwhelmed.

"Oh no."

In the trees, Sakura swallowed. There had been no answer to her call. Had the blow taken him? Was that strange chakra cloak unable to protect Naruto this time?

"Sakura."

She turned when Sasuke nudged her arm. He nodded his head north, indicating she look there. Sakura did.

"Naruto," she whispered. He wasn't blown to pieces, which she considered a good thing. But he seemed out of it still. The red, bubbly chakra shrouded his body in an eerie glow. His whiskers were jagged on his cheeks and his teeth had become sharp. On all fours, he really could pass for an animal.

"Kakashi-sensei, what's wrong with him?"

Their teacher stood from his crouch. His sharingan was still active. "We can discuss that later. Right now he needs to be returned to normal or we're all in danger."

"Us?" Sakura looked back at their blonde teammate. "He'd hurt us?"

"Not with any conscious intentions. He doesn't have complete control over his mind right now." Kakashi ground his jaw beneath his mask. "Where is Jiraiya-sama when you need him?" he muttered.

"Jiraiya-sama?"

"He has the seal to get me back under control," Naruto said, landing beside them. Sakura jolted at his sudden arrival. "He didn't give you any, Kakashi-sensei?"

Kakashi shook his head. "Are you able to fully control its power now, Naruto?"

"His power. And I'll tell you later," Naruto said, pulling a seal from his pouch. Kakashi raised an eyebrow at it. "I got it from Ero-sennin before we left. Figured it would come in handy."

"How are you going to get close to him?" Sasuke asked. He was sweating from the fight, trying his best to get a grasp on the situation. "He's feral."