"No."
The tyrant raised a delicate brow at Naruto's emphasized 'no', curious.
Red slits fluttered close for a moment, as the blond took a deep breath, calming himself. "...I know what you're doing. You're trying to piss me off, to disrupt my center to get me to make stupid decisions. Well, that isn't going to work."
A chuckle was his only response, one that did it's best to emulate the emotions behind an actual chuckle, while failing on some fundamental level. "I'll admit...that was partially my aim, but that would have only been a nice addition to my main goal. Not necessarily my true objective."
Naruto stared at her, lips set in a fine line, making sure that he didn't let himself run rampant again now that he had control.
The tyrant returned the stare with a blank expression, before she tilted her head to the sky. "...To be blunt...Naruto, dreams are...nice things. But every dream, inevitably, will end in time. All I'm doing is showing that this dream that you've been experiencing, no, this nightmare, is going to end. So that you can embrace what you once were."
Her ruby irises focused on him again with pinpoint accuracy, her regard intense. "This...belief of yours; in the bonds between people, or, to be more specific, your faith in those that you trust as comrades..."
Hayase Takashi was trying to breathe, trying to fill up his lungs with oxygen instead of the myriad other dangerous gases in the air that was let loose following the explosion.
He couldn't though, it was too much, too sudden.
More than that...his eyes were still recovering from the sudden flash of light, leaving him temporarily blind.
To make matters worse, the cloud of debris that was created by the explosion earlier was not only suffocating him, but it also severely muffled his vision.
To his relief though, it didn't muffle his hearing.
"...Hurry up...grab him and...their leader finds us...!"
Fragmented words were all he really managed to catch, but nothing to put those voices to.
Thankfully, by this point, his blue eyes slowly began to recover from the bright light from earlier, so he slowly began to peer into the devastation that was wrought onto the castle in the Hero Tribe's hidden space.
And the first thing that Takashi noticed as he looked into the dusty atmosphere, was a young man that was standing upright, curiously looking about himself at the destruction.
To the hero's rising shock, he realized that it was that strange teenager that got rid of the guards, the one that was practically at the center of the explosion from above.
Yet...if his eyes didn't deceive him...he didn't see a singlewound or scratch on him.
Takashi himself was practically rendered immobile, despite being at a decent distance away from the epicenter of the blast...yet this guy was completely unharmed...?
「Oh...! Hey! You're alive!」the other male exclaimed as he noticed his blue eyes locked onto him, a happy smile plastered on his face. 「I wasn't sure if you would survive the blast or not...so congratulations! You're not dead!」
The hero ignored the strange words he was hearing and focused his energy on his own. "...You...how did you not die from that explosion...?"
The young man of average height and of average build regarded him for a little bit, his smile growing wider as his eyes narrowed, growing sharper, more menacing.
「...Who said that I survived the blast?」
Takashi was taken aback by the question, with another one right at the tip of his lips-
But before he could, the freaky male shifted his demeanor again, becoming bright and chipper, with the menace of prior disappearing. 「Ah...sorry! I can't answer anymore questions today! Unfortunately, we have to leave before your leader gets here, since we've got what we came for, and none of us want to deal with a 'Great Hero'...」
The young hero growled as he forced his arms to push him up from the ground, the dust slowly parting way as his adversary smiled and walked away from him.
As he tried to get back on his feet, he watched the other male jump high into the air, parting the dust clouds, and landing right next to a silhouette.
Thanks to his quick movements, the dust was partially parted enough to catch a glimpse of the other silhouette, who was very much possibly a partner.
And that partner would turn his head to look at him.
Cerulean blue eyes.
Lightly tanned skin.
Untameable spiky blond hair.
And, most strangely, three sets of whisker-like lines on both sides of his face.
That young man turned to him, looking down at him from above, a small grin reaching it's way to his youthful face. "...You know...I could kill you, but it's not like anyone will ever believe that a guy like me would ever do something like this. So...just for shit's and giggles...I'll let you live...dattebayo."
Fury spiked in Takashi, remembering the heroes that were killed in the hallway, as his enemy apparently felt that he wasn't even worth the effort.
"You...!" he roared out with his last bit of energy, as the world around him began to fall away to his blissful unconsciousness. "I'll never forgive you...do you hear me!? I'll never forgive you!"
All he heard was a breezy laugh as the invader turned away from him, confident in his victory...
"...That faith in those that you trust." the tyrant continued sharply. "I'll show you how foolishly idealistic that belief is."
Naruto grimly regarded her, sensing that the woman ahead of him truly had done something, not knowing what though.
"No more talking." she finally proclaimed, her patience wearing out. "It's time, Naruto!"
Without hesitating, the tyrant rushed forward with terrific speeds, remembering how her opponent was still affected by her ability to force him to bow, prepared to utilize that to it's fullest-
A balled fist viciously interrupted her charge, hitting her hard across the face before she could connect her right hook at the blond.
Her eyes were wide in surprise, as the shinobi actually managed to move fast enough to cut her off mid-swing despite his handicap.
No...wait.
His movements weren't as sloppy as they were before, when they were weighed down.
No, his movements looked crisp and precise, the same as they were prior to when she used her ability.
"...Did you think that I was gonna be affected by that weird technique of yours forever?" Naruto questioned with a smirk, his countenance suggested that he was victorious in something. "Well, sorry to say, but I'm, for the most part, beyond it now!"
As his enemy took a few steps back, losing her balance following the surprise attack, Naruto quickly shifted his body into position, ready to pounce. "The answer to dealing with whatever it is that you did to me...isn't power, no, it's something that defines me far more...!"
Before the tyrant recovered, a powerful punch knocked her off of her feet and made her slide harshly against the battered cement streets, hearing his triumphant roar.
"It's will!"
With a grunt, the young woman forced herself into a roll while getting sent away, internally satisfied with the new state of affairs.
Her ability wasn't infallible, and it seemed that the blond in front of her had found a weakness that she herself wasn't even aware of.
Impressed by this, the same moment that she managed to recover and stand upright again, was the same moment that she decided to divulge a bit of her powers, a show of her respect.
"...Weighted Words."
Naruto perked up, seeing her back up with a red mark on her cheek, but outside of that, no worse for the wear. "Huh?"
"Weighted Words." she repeated, raising her right hand, where a small ball of electricity occupied, crackling with power. "An ability that I picked up a few years ago from a...failed king. This power allows me to control basic electricity in general, and specifically; electric signals at will...including, say, the electrical signals that your brainuses to control your body."
She then shrugged her shoulders, completely at ease. "Really though...it's more accurate to say that the electrical signals that your brain began to use became too powerful for me to control when you, literally, put your mind into it. Simply put; the many neurons in your brain have sent more powerful signals to the rest of your body once your emotional state became more firm with your 'willpower'."
The shinobi blinked, not really understanding, but catching the gist of it.
But instead of searching for more information, he decided to question her about something more glaring. "...Why did you just tell me that?"
The young woman allowed a small smile to grace her features, which, of course, was distorted at best. "It's a nod to your impeccable penchant for reaching conclusions that seem...unsolvable. My way of expressing my respect, if you will."
In an unsettling move, she then raised her chin ever so slightly as her smile grew. "That being said...I haven't told you everything..."
Naruto narrowed his eyes, trying to figure out what her next move was-
His red slits snapped to the ground, shock interlacing his features as the very earth rumbled beneath him.
Jumping backwards, he narrowly avoided a pipe which suddenly pierced from underfoot, electricity dancing on the palm of his enemy's hands.
"Machines are under my purview as well." she stated blandly, as numerous pipes that connected to the many apartments around them were forced to try and impale him.
Naruto was forced to continuously make back-flips as more and more pipes pierced the ground, aiming for him with pinpoint accuracy, never letting up.
To make matters worse, despite the fact that she was controlling the pipes that were trying to impale him, she also began to move towards him with incredible speed.
Taking a second to check her out before he was forced to slide to the side, he noticed that, through sheer speed alone, she was creating afterimages of herself, multiplying herself every second.
Then, to his rising concern, those afterimages began to move independently from her, spreading out to target him from multiple sides.
Clicking his tongue after he stopped his slide by using his chakra to stick to the floor, thus preventing a pipe from impaling him by predicting his momentum, he quickly brought his hands together to make a familiar hand seal.
"Kage bunshin no jutsu!" he exclaimed, as several copies of himself formed around him, prepared to do battle.
Unbeknownst to him, the young woman in front of him only smirked in triumph at the many clones, not looking dismayed at all.
Still, by that point, the real tyrant slowed down to a halt as her many clones rushed ahead, moving to engage.
Naruto just frowned at this tactic, already aware that the clones that were about to attack him were, in fact, just images, nothing more than that.
Perhaps she thought that his clones were images too...?
If so, the shinobi was about to utilize that belief to his advantage, as all of the blondes rushed forward towards their real opponent.
One of his enemy's afterimages raced to meet him, raising their fist so that they could crash it against his face.
Smirking, the shinobi let it.
And, as expected, the fist came sailing through him, not affecting him whatsoever.
As he thought, they were just distractions.
The same thing played out to all of his clones, as they all ignored the afterimages so that they could rush the original.
Smirking, the young woman then ran at them again, closing the distance quickly as several more afterimages appeared at her heel, rushing alongside her.
Narrowing his eyes, suspicious, the shinobi kept moving forward, moving to who he knew was the real one.
But before he could reach her, one of her afterimages rushed ahead and raised it's foot to hit him against his stomach, intercepting him.
He completely ignored it.
Once more, like last time, the leg came sailing past him, proving that it was ethereal.
With that out of the way, Naruto viciously collided with his adversary, smashing his arm against hers in a contest of strength, his red slits contacting with her dull ruby ones.
"I don't know what the hell you were trying to accomplish, but it sure as hell didn't work!" he proclaimed easily, flashing his sharp canines in a grin.
In response, the tyrant merely cocked her head to the side, expression cool. "...Are you sure?"
He wasn't able to get a word in edgewise.
Memories rushed into his skull, as yelps rang out from among his clones after some of them were caught in sneak attacks.
He didn't even need to be informed about what had happened.
"B-Boss! Some of her clones...! T-They're real! Like us!" he heard one of his clones cry out in warning, newly wary of the many afterimages surrounding them.
Naruto grit his teeth, glaring at the tyrannical female in front of him as she continued to match him in physical strength. "...You knew how to make corporeal clones? More than that, you hid them among afterimages..."
A low chuckle was what he got as a reaction to his unspoken query, at first.
"...Come now, Naruto, don't give me credit where credit isn't due. I didn't have this in reserve at all..." she drawled in a light tone, almost mocking. "To be honest, I actually only learned how to make corporeal clones just now."
The shinobi's eyes widened, shock painting his face. "W-What...?"
What she just said, what she just claimed...was fake, right?
The way she just phrased that...made it sound almost as like she had just copied his jutsu...
"...You're beginning to understand just what you're dealing with, aren't you?" she whispered, her words at once sounding like she was truly understanding him, yet also sounded like she was pitying him. "Despite all of your strength...you can't beat me, not truly."
Naruto growled lowly in his throat, rebelling at the very idea that there was no chance to beat her. "I wouldn't get so cocky if I were you! There's no such thing as an ability without flaws, not in this life! I'll find a way to win, as I always do!"
Despite his declaration against her, the tyrant smiled. "...I'll be looking forward to it."
With a snarl and a mighty heave that was backed up by swirling red chakra, Naruto pushed against the young woman with so much force that it not only knocked her off of her feet, but it also sent her into the air as well.
Without missing a beat, he quickly rushed after her.
The sounds of their clones clashing left their ears as the two airborne humans focused on one another, colliding against each other again above the myriad of buildings.
Their clash was explosive, violently pushing away the air as both powerful beings gave as good as they got.
When the blond threw a right hook at his enemy, snapping her head to the side and nearly making her see stars, she retaliated just as quickly with her leg, smashing into his abdomen hard enough to knock the air out of his body.
Both combatants were knocked from the air after this first clash, crashing on top of buildings on opposite sides of the streets.
They both recovered quickly, staring each other down from opposing streets.
Then, in a surprise twist, the tyrant turned her body around and ran down the building to jump to the next one, moving parallel to the streets.
Notably, she was moving away from the center of Kuoh Town.
Naruto realized this, but opted to give chase anyway, running parallel to her by jumping from building to building on his side of the street.
Running at equal speeds, the shinobi saw the young woman jump high into the air, towards his side of the street, moving to intercept him.
Refusing to play her game, the teen jumped high into the air as well, moving to intercept her interception, crashing against her in the air with overwhelming force.
Trading blows, the duo threw their fists at one another as they passed each other by, trading places with their respective streets.
However, the second both of them landed, they continued running forward, conducting a running battle that increasingly focused on their intermittent clashes in the sky, where they met.
If anyone was watching them, they'd only see a yellow and purple blur occasionally crash against one another as they moved further and further away from the center of Kuoh Town, reaching the outskirts as the air blew away from them every time they met.
On one of those many occasions, the two met in the air again, both becoming increasingly wounded from their run-on fight, and traded blows once more.
This time, with incredible speed, the tyrant caught a punch aimed at her shoulder, and then brought her knee up to try and hit the blond in the stomach.
Reacting quickly, Naruto brought his own knee out and crashed it against her's, stopping it cold, and brought his other fist out swiftly, prepared to take this chance since she was caught off guard.
The young woman's head was snapped to the right, as Naruto's right fist impacted against her cheek and sent her back.
Refusing to let her go however, the shinobi grabbed her small white jacket before she could be sent too far away, and brought his fist up again, knowingly concentrating the swirling red chakra around him into that limb.
With a mighty swing, the teen practically smashed his fist into her, splattering quite a bit of blood towards the ground due to the new wound he had just made.
Yet, to his shock, she wasn't sent flying this time, even though he had let go of her.
That was probably because of the fact that she managed to latch onto the arm that swung at her.
As soon as his arm was secure, she, in a thoroughly impressive feat of martial prowess, swung him around her and towards the building on her side, using the momentum that he gave her to her advantage.
At first, it kind of seemed like their little run-on battle was going to continue.
But that was before Naruto realized that he wasn't heading towards the roof of the building that he was sent flying to.
No...he was heading straight towards...
*Crash*
...One of it's windows.
A pained grunt later, and the whiskered teen crashed harshly against a wall inside of the apartment complex that he was thrown into, which in turn, toppled the bookcase which was right next to his crash site.
More than a few of the books fell on top of him, much to his disgruntlement.
That being said, he didn't really have the time to worry about that, as he had a feeling that his adversary wasn't planning on giving him a break.
So he took a quick scan of his surroundings, quickly grasping that he was in an abandoned apartment complex, probably used as a storage by the owner, if all of the boxes and dust said anything.
Perfect. As long as no innocents were endangered, he could fight without worry.
That being said...
Naruto quickly took the chance to merge with the dark atmosphere in the room, preparing a surprise attack once the young woman came by here.
Never let it be said that the blond had honor, he was still a shinobi after all.
Just like that, the shinobi began to wait for his enemy, his heart hammering inside his chest, listening to any vocal cues...
...
...
Red slits snapped to the floor, hearing, the sound of a door opening on the floor below, not at all conspicuous in entry.
So she wasn't the sneaky type then, huh?
This belief was entrenched further when he heard her storm upstairs through the main lobby, before practically slamming the door open to this specific apartment.
It took a little longer, but eventually, the purple-haired 'king' entered his view, her eyes scanning around, searching for him.
...Actually, now that he was not in the middle of deadly combat, or stressing out over the words that she goaded him with, he could actually look at her.
That is to say; inspect her appearance.
Looking at her now, the blond began to expect that her severe appearance attributed to his belief that she looked older than she actually was, as now that he looked at her...she looked to be roughly his age.
Though, despite her youth, she was very...advanced, for her age.
As for her clothes; she was wearing an open white jacket that was was held together at the collar, which framed a nearly form-fitting black t-shirt that showed off her stomach, a pair of black form-fitting arm warmers, and a pair of dark blue jeans.
...She also wasn't wearing any shoes, since she took them off for that little attack of her's earlier.
Overall, the -probable- teenager was wearing casual clothes with a rather dull theme. reflecting her overall attitude he believed.
That being said, even with her dull ruby eyes, she was still a beautiful woman with long purple hair that stretched to her waist.
Still, she was his enemy, and he would take her down, here and now.
With his resolve strengthening, Naruto prepared to pounce on her, his red slits sharp.
"...I know you're here somewhere, Naruto." the tyrant muttered out loud, her voice confident. "But since you're unwilling to come forth yourself..."
Her ruby eyes narrowed as she raised her fist above her head in a threatening manner. "...I'll just force you to reveal yourself!"
With tremendous force, the young woman brought her fist towards the floor, shattering it as if it was made of paper mache.
Naruto couldn't help but shout out in surprise as the floor underneath him gave way, making him tumble downwards in a heap.
With a grunt, he swiftly pushed himself back up to his feet, ready for a fight, as everything from above was coming down to their new arena.
And the tyrant apparently agreed with that sentiment, as she gracefully landed in front of him, locked eyes with him, and then moved to engage him.
Naruto moved forward as well, raising his fist as red chakra enveloped him once more, more than ready to start the fight all over again.
Yet both combatants paused, as an the object from above literally crashed right in-between the two of them, cutting them off from each other before they could get going.
The shinobi growled, registering only a large cloak which covered the object up from sight, before he saw it loosen up a bit from the fall.
Then, right before his eyes, he saw a pair of red slits.
Naruto paused from there, all of his previous thoughts erased as he took in the pair of red slits, marveling at the ferocity in them.
It took him a second to realize what he was looking at.
Or rather, who.
The cloak that covered the fallen object fell off to reveal a large and expensive frame, one that held reflective glass in it's confines...which allowed anyone that was looking at it to see their reflection.
He was looking at himself.
Naruto studied the mirror for a moment, eyes wide as he took in his own countenance, seeing all of the cracks that lined his visage due to the impact that the mirror itself endured.
And, even as he was watching, those cracks were getting larger, expanding ever forward.
Just by looking at it, the blond felt...uncomfortable, like he was steering too close to something that he didn't want to broach on a fundamental level.
Those cracks weren't getting better...no, they were getting worse.
He could see it right in front of him, as obvious as the sun itself; that eventually...little by little...
It would break.
As predicted, the glass in front of him finally shattered into pieces, falling apart right in front of his eyes as a pair of ruby eyes became visible to him again.
His opponent stared at him, silent, solemn even. "...Your eyes...they're back to normal."
Naruto blinked, raising his hand, noticing that his claws have regressed back to his normal fingernails, and that the aura that signified his use of the kyuubi's chakra was gone.
Did he do it subconsciously after staring at that mirror...?
"...Naruto."
The shinobi glanced up again, surprised to see the very faint...vulnerability that his opponent was expressing, as if she herself was spooked by something.
"...What did you see?" she asked quietly, ruby irises peering into his cerulean.
He have her an honest answer.
"I-I don't know." he admitted.
She nodded in return, a bitter smile tracing it's way onto her lips. "Yeah...me too."
Both of them then raised their heads to look at one another, something meaningful passing between the two as she opened her mouth.
"You know...this is ironic I think." she began, closing her eyes. "Here we are, speaking to one another, with the frame of a mirror between us..."
The shinobi didn't say anything, but he understood what she meant.
Regardless, she went on. "...In a sense, deep inside, I think...that I've come to see you as my own reflection, as everything that I'm not. I have talent, while you don't. You know effort, while I don't. I have nihilism...while you have hope. It...really does feel like we're reflections of one another, doesn't it?"
Naruto lowered his gaze, refusing to answer, yet acknowledging the opposing forces that they seemed to represent.
Still, he didn't want to admit it.
He didn't want to truly admit to the fact that...her eyes...
Her eyes...
...They looked so much like his, once upon a time, during a very dark portion of his life, before he changed.
When he looked at her...he...
Naruto blinked, staring at her, recognizing the young woman that he has fought throughout Kuoh Town.
Then, in his own vision, through a trick of his own mind...
He saw himself.
Just as he was, yet different.
As he had the same dull eyes as she did; reflecting someone that had grown apathetic to everyone and everything.
Someone that had given up.
Then, as he blinked again, the young woman from before replaced that disturbing visage, staring at him.
The shinobi blew out some air, trying to stay calm. "You...what do you see...?"
The tyrant peered into his bright blue eyes, silent.
For a split-second, whether it was her head playing tricks on her or not, she didn't see the young man that she was fighting against just now.
For a split-second, she saw bright ruby eyes instead of bright sapphire.
Everything he was, reflecting her in a way that she didn't want to consider.
The young woman closed her eyes at the visage. "...I don't know."
Both teens stayed like that frozen in their respective sides, on opposite sides of the frame, sapphire and ruby remaining in constant conflict, as they rejected each other.
Yet, the one with ruby eyes still tried, in her own way, to reach out.
To close the gap between them, to bring him to her, so that they wouldn't have to merely remain as reflections that couldn't connect.
In a way, she wanted that connection, seeking to force it's creation, even if she had to wrest it forth by making dubious claims.
Such was the case as her eyes snapped open, gleaming as she took a step forward, leaning into the mirror frame. "But...I know what you saw. You saw what you will become, what your ideals will inevitably lead you to...which is disappointment."
She took another step forward, beseeching him once more. "...Naruto, please, turn away from the path that you're walking...don't suffer anymore needless pain."
Naruto pursed his lips, recognizing what she was doing, and feeling all the more uncomfortable for it.
What she was doing...was very similar to what he did for others.
He would tell them, inform them, preach to them about the errors of their way, trying to steer them into a path which he believed would be to their best interest.
Was this how he looked to others? While he was speaking to them with such powerful charisma?
In a sense, even in this, she truly was like a reflection of him...
"...I can say the same about you." he returned, flipping the table on her. "Why do you...obsess over me as you do? Before, you mentioned that I kept bringing out these...emotions from you. How you truly felt while in my presence. How we are special..."
The shinobi raised and extended his hand, palm open, offering it to her.
"...To me, it sounds like you want to live." he maintained, serious. "Maybe...deep inside, you want to feel again, you want to have friends, you want to have loved ones...and you're using me to get access to that. So, instead of getting me to follow your way of thinking...why not try and follow mine?"
The tyrant's eyebrows rose so high above her head that it completely disappeared on her face, hidden behind her bangs. "You...you're trying to change me?"
Naruto shrugged. "Why not?"
The sheer incredulity that was on her face spoke for itself, before she recovered and shook her head slowly. "That...that's the first time that someone has tried to convert me from my way of thinking...you truly are someone special...aren't you?"
No, he wasn't.
"...I understand." she proclaimed, straightening her back so that she could reach her max height. "This will be our dynamic; you will try and change me, while I'll try and change you. Connecting with one another through our thoroughly differing goals, yet with similar attempts at conversion. Mirroring one another..."
Naruto regarded her, setting his lips into a fine line.
He could only say one thing in regards to her statement.
"...You're wrong."
She paused, confused.
Seeing this, he elaborated. "...I'm not here to necessarily force you to my way of thinking. I just..."
The shinobi cut himself off, biting his bottom lip, remembering what was most important, out of everything.
"...I just want to protect those that I care about, and help who I can afford to along the way." he claimed. "But sometimes, in order to preserve what I have...I have to pick and choose my fights...so if helping you means that I'll sacrifice those that I care about now...then that leaves me with no other choice."
To put it simply, he couldn't help everybody.
He couldn't save everybody.
And...this woman in front of him...may be one of those people that he couldn't help. Not without getting those that he cared about caught in the cross-fire.
The tyrant blinked, watching him with surprised ruby irises.
Then she smiled.
It was a genuine smile.
Yet, it was very much a sad one.
"...I do believe...that this is the second time that you've trulyrejected me today." she whispered, closing her eyes. "...Hopefully that will change, soon. But until then..."
Her hand stretched forward, reaching for the blond, hooking around his neck and pulling him closer to her.
Naruto stared into her eyes, his blue irises reflected by her ruby, her face inching closer as she dragged his head lower towards her's.
Only when they were mere inches from one another, their foreheads touching, did the shinobi firmly stop her from pulling him in further.
"...And here I was wondering if you'd let me continue." she murmured, her eyes boring into his.
Naruto's expression changed not a whit. "You wouldn't have gone all the way anyway, right?"
A small smile graced the young woman's face. "You know me so well already...you're correct, I simply have to share my gratitude with you for indulging in one of my precious few wishes."
He didn't want to ask him what that 'wish' of her's was, so he stayed silent, letting her continue.
"...The old man that wanted you to join him in his quest to recreate the concept of 'heroes'." she whispered to him, her words low and voice serious again. "He has a powerful Sacred Gear within him that allows him to see visions, visions that allow him to peer into the present, past, and future. Now, I'm not going to tell you everything about his abilities...but I will tell you one thing. His ability to see into the future, isn't written in stone. Rather, they take in the variables of the present to make somewhat accurate predictions of the future."
The shinobi's eyes widened at this rush of information, realizing very quickly how important this was, as well as the vicious blow she has just dealt to the old man she was referring to.
"...If he twisted it up a little bit, he could have tried to convince me that it was destiny for me to join him, or something like that." Naruto figured, his brain running a mile per minute. "Yet you just..."
"I'm not done." she cut him off, all business despite the fact that their noses were touching, and their lips were only a step away from one another. "There are others like me, nowhere near as powerful, but many of them with abilities that cannot be overwhelmed by sheer power alone..."
Rambling now, the tyrant kept up her barrage of information, not letting up. "...The old man that I was referring to has found a gate that is supposed to be affiliated with the Elemental Nations. How or why is unknown."
The blond's eyes widened to the size of saucers at that last one, getting him to open his mouth to demand for answers.
Yet he couldn't once she locked eyes with him again.
She paused after her last information burst, searching his eyes, her own eyes softening as she spoke again.
"...My name..." she started slowly, whispering so lowly that he could barely hear her. "...Is something that I've discarded once I ran away from home...but, since you're so eager to know...here it is; it's Kurokami Medaka."
Naruto breathed in, finally labeling her with the name that she was given from birth, musing that it actually fit her reallywell.
The kanji; 'Kuro' meant 'Black', while the 'kami' meant 'god'...
So her last name practically meant 'Black God'.
If that didn't fit her personality, then the blond didn't know what would.
The teenaged girl known as Kurokami Medaka, with hooded dull ruby eyes, regarded him carefully, her arms slowly unwrapping from his neck. "...I don't believe in destiny, Naruto, but if I did, then I'd believe that we would be fated to clash again, until one of us became victor of our bouts. So...with all of the information I have bequeathed to you, I only ask one thing from you in return."
She clutched at her burnt and battered shirt, looking at him directly in the eye. "...Don't fall to anyone else, not until I face you again."
Naruto didn't verbally react to her plea, instead opting to raise his chin in defiance, as if taking the challenge she had offered.
Medaka was satisfied with that.
In a flash, the tyrant backed up from him, backing up to the section of the wall that was collapsed following her destruction of the floor above. "...The last of my clones were destroyed by an interfering magic attack, and despite the fact that your clone was taken along with mine, the destruction should give them all an idea of where we went. So I'll leave you with this, Naruto."
She jabbed her finger at him, her countenance fiercely determined.
If only he knew how strange her actions were in comparison to her normal behavior, how she was always apathetic, yet now she was far more...expressive.
But he couldn't have possibly known that.
"I'll be the one to reform you." Medaka claimed, confidence abundant. "You can bet on that. So until I save you from yourself...stay alive out there."
And with a jump, the purple-haired teen escaped through the apartment and rose towards the ceiling of another building, her long hair trialing behind her as she left the area without looking back.
His adversary had simply disappeared, going away as quickly as she had appeared in the first place.
Medaka sped past the many buildings that she had previously battled on with little effort, only wincing every now and again as some of her wounds smarted a bit.
Truth be told, she's never been as battered as she was then since...oh, since the very beginning of her entrance to the supernatural world.
Before she truly became a king to be reckoned with.
Yet look at her; covered in dust, cuts, and dried blood, some of which wasn't even her own.
Needless to say, she was very satisfied with the blond's power, even more so when she realized that, if his visage was of any indication, he was already pretty weakened before they even fought.
She was very interested in seeing what he could do when he was at full capacity...
This...rush that she felt whenever they traded fists was definitely something she could get used too.
By this point, the tyrant shook her head, focusing back on the important matter at hand.
She meant it when she claimed that she was going to reform him, and she wasn't joking when she claimed that she had already started the groundwork for such a transformation.
Old man Shiranui's plan to 'save' his 'comrade'; Shiba, should have been well underway by now.
And, to be frank, she didn't really care if his plan succeeded or not, as long as her vice-president completed his task by framing Naruto in the attack, that was fine.
If anyone was watching her then and there, they'd notice how the young woman's demeanor slowly reverted back to a more dispassionate stance when compared to her attitude when facing the shinobi, her 'normal' so to speak.
And that attitude was reflected when her lips merely twitched upwards instead of outright smirking when she remembered what she had her subjects do.
Her vice-president was too join the group of six and help their objective, using his unique powers to full effect.
Knowing him, he's just erase his presence entirely...
Outside of helping the group, he'd have that little friend of the fake king mascaraed as Naruto, in essence, using the ability that was inspired by the shinobi's henge no jutsu.
The important thing was for someone to see him, so as to sow the seeds of distrust.
She was confident that this seed would sprout, and further Naruto's disillusionment with his beliefs, and only further the decline of 'this' Uzumaki Naruto.
It would only be a matter of time now...
Medaka's ruby gaze narrowed as she saw several forms up ahead, quickly moving down the battered town streets, forcing her to hide behind the stairway entrance on the roof, spying on them.
As she expected, she saw the many friends and comrades that the blond has made in Kuoh Town, rushing towards his aid ostensibly, prepared to fight if necessary.
How quaint.
How useless.
Regardless, this was an excellent chance to take memorize the more important ones for later, just in case.
Ahead of the group that was soaring through the air, keeping an eye out, was a red-headed woman with blue-green eyes, wearing the Kuoh Academy girl's uniform.
If she remembered anything about this territory, then she could make an educated guess and say that that was Rias Gremory.
Looking at her now, she easily dismissed her as not talented enough to pose enough of a threat to take seriously, even with her inherited power.
And if that was the Gremory heiress, then that must mean that the woman with short black hair and glasses must be the Sitri heiress...
Just like her counterpart; she quickly concluded that she wasn't worth the effort to remember properly.
After a quick scan, she pretty much dismissed each and every single one of the entities that were rushing to help their comrade, not seeing anything special in any of them.
At best, some of them had mediocre talents, but none of them had the strength to even back the shinobi up, let alone help him in a fight.
If anything, they were liabilities.
And she would show him the truth of that belief soon enough.
With a flourish of her hair, Medaka left her hiding spot and continued on her way back to the old man's institution, planning out her next move.
She learned quite a bit from her battle today...and she felt that an...'upgrade' was needed.
The next time that she faced Naruto, she would be far more powerful.
He'd better be prepared for her by then...
"...Man, what they hell happened here? Did someone start a war or something?"
That was Issei's rhetorical question, though his query was something that everyone there could have asked with a serious expression, and most people would probably take it seriously.
It really did look like a war was waged here, in this street.
The group that was moving to aid their friend was split into two groups; the flying and the runners.
This way, if Naruto's enemy had any friends, they could hopefully become aware of them before they got ambushed.
For all intent's and purposes, they were moving through enemy territory by this point.
"Did you two catch what happened here, Issei-san, Asia-san?" Sona called out from above, looking downwards at the street.
Both teens turned upwards to share a look at the devil above, both shaking their heads in near unison.
They were pretty far away from the actual clash, though they did hear parts of what must have been quite the fight.
Though, by the time that the group arrived, it was obvious that both combatants had moved away from their original location, taking their fight further away from Kuoh Academy.
More disturbing though, was the fact that they met a copy of each combatant duking it out where they used to be.
The fact that someone could create a physical copy of themselves like Naruto could was...disturbing, to say the least.
Too bad Rias prematurely shot the copy before they could even ask it any questions.
Back in the present, Mio, who was running alongside Yuki, was staring grimly ahead, nervous at what she'd find once they reached her blond, remembering how spooked he was when she first saw him.
"Hey, Mio-sama."
The red-head turned, meeting with the purple orbs of Maria, giving her a measure of ease at the familiar visage.
"He's going to be alright." she soothed, an easy smirk splitting her face. "This is Naruto-sama that we're talking about, he'll make it back to us in one piece."
Mio turned away from her, staring ahead, praying, ironically, that she was correct.
As they were running, she felt a hand casually place itself on her shoulder, tightening slightly in silent comfort.
She didn't need to turn around to know that Yuki was trying to ease her as well.
"Hey! I think I see someone ahead!" Rias called out from above, squinting at something ahead.
All eyes snapped ahead, registering the form that was ahead of them.
It was someone that needed no introduction.
A teenaged boy was ahead of them, wearing an orange t-shirt which was ripped apart, dark blue jeans which were filled with holes, and orange-black sneakers which were extraordinarily worn.
Uzumaki Naruto was staring off at somewhere in the distance, focused, before he slowly turned around to face the group, features blank.
The racially mixed group all stopped within a few feet from the young man, the ones in the air landing with everyone else on the streets.
Everyone stared at him, taking in the fact that he was there, right in front of them, alive and well.
This silence dragged on until a certain pervert piped up.
"You look like shit."
Naruto couldn't help but laugh at that. "Yeah...I feel like shit too."
Just like that, the ice was broken.
What must have felt like thousands of questions suddenly streamed out of everybody's mouths, wondering about what had happened, who he had fought, and whether he was alright.
It actually overwhelmed him a little, hearing so many things and seeing so many familiar faces in what felt like...well...forever.
But what really caught his eyes was the young woman that strode forward ahead of the group, rushing towards him with obvious intent.
Her flash of long red hair, which, for some reason that the blond couldn't fathom, was let down to cascade down her back, made the person's identity obvious.
He didn't manage to say a thing before she wrapped him up in her arms, hugging him as if her life depended on it.
"...Naruto..."
Naruto's eyes softened, recognizing the emotion that she probably couldn't put into words. "...Hey there, Mio. It looks like...that you've been through a lot, huh?"
She didn't' answer, she just pushed her face deeper into his shirt, clutching at the fabric with a vice grip, her shoulders trembling.
How would he look at you...?
Mio clenched her eyes shut, remembering the haunting words of Diodora as he burned, trying to dispel the idea that he placed in her away from her mind.
The shinobi stayed silent as he wrapped his imouto in his arms, holding her close, the words of the warrior that he fought just now also echoing in his head.
That again; like your best friend, like your sensei, like your master, like your very home itself...you'll be abandoned. All. Over. Again.
"...Naruto...?" the half-devil started, her voice quiet and small, fearful even. "...Do you...?"
Naruto put more force into his hug, silencing her before she even really began.
"...We've been through a lot, Mio." the blond admitted solemnly, welcoming the feeling of the embrace. "So...for now...there's no need to talk. Just for a bit, let's just...keep going."
Mio lifted her head up, her pink eyes reflecting off of his blue as he smiled at her.
She didn't say another word, she just tucked her head back into his chest, breathing in his scent, taking comfort in his presence, feeling the stress of the long days begin to slide off of her.
Naruto...
His name, unspoken in the depths of her heart, grasped at what it represented.
The two of them stayed like that, letting the moment help them with their respective problems, at least on a basic level, letting them know, simply; that they were not alone.
And that was a moment that everyone around them was letting them have.
It took a little bit for Naruto to finally begin the process of letting her go, but he knew that he had to speak to the others, aware that they looked battered as well.
Mio let go of him reluctantly, not really wanting to, but accepted it regardless.
"...Everyone." the shinobi started, scanning all of the familiar faces around him, registering one prevalent thing among them. "...You've all been through a lot too, right?"
The myriad of reactions that he received was telling enough of how correct his assumption was.
Koneko, who was still recovering from nearly losing Yuuto, winced, remembering the creeping feeling of natural energy...and the one that she knew utilized it.
Beside her, Issei clenched his jaw, remembering the burning man that he impaled with his fist, unwilling to admit that he...sometimes saw him whenever he closed his eyes.
Floating down from the sky, Akeno shifted her gaze slightly to focus on the fallen angel that was behind her, her violet eyes crinkling in aversion.
Asia followed her lead, looking at the black-haired fallen with a faint bit of nervousness in her pupils.
As for Raynare, a flash of uncertainty danced in her violet orbs, remembering the exorcists that nearly started a fight because of her appearance. Knowing that a war could have sparked from it during a time when she was focused on trying to cure the sickness plaguing her people.
These many reactions were obvious to Rias, who was watching carefully, making her deflate a bit at what everyone was forced to endure.
Though, unbeknownst to her, and everyone there, a certain knight had arrived to the scene, watching them all from the roof of one of the apartment complexes nearby.
For him; he very much remembered the series of events which led him to hunt for the fragments of Excalibur, in honor for the memories of those that died before. Truly getting him to empathize everyone else's trials.
And, for the most part, Naruto saw all of these myriad reactions.
"...I'm not exactly sure what has happened while I've been away, but I can tell now that almost everyone here has, at least, faced a crisis of character, right? I should know, I literally just faced one."
The shinobi paused, letting his words sink in, before moving on.
-0-
"However, there is one thing that I do know about these kinds of problems...and that's that you either have to overcome them, or let them overcome you." he maintained, serious.
Many of them glanced away from him, some of them getting the impression that he was reprimanding them more than anything else.
Then, much to almost everyone's confusion, his frown, very much, turned upside down.
"And I completely, with full confidence, believe that all of you can overcome such trials dattebayo!" he declared, a bright smile piercing through his serious demeanor.
Behind him, Mio was smiling, sharing in his infectious optimism, sorely needing it.
She had a feeling that everyone else needed it too.
"...The person that I fought just now believed that you guys were useless, liabilities even, that you would never match up to me or contribute to my well-being." Naruto explained, his smile turning into a feral grin. "But she didn't see what I saw! She didn't see the potential, both in normal people, and in you sorry lot! I...really do believe that you all could get out of this funk, and become stronger for it. That you all could surpass your current selves to become something even greater!"
Before everyone's eyes, smiles were growing, hearts were lifting, blood pressures were rising, and eyes were lighting up as the young man continued, truly bringing them all up.
A light piercing through their foggy grittiness.
"Because, no matter who we are, we all have to keep moving forward, regardless of where we come from and what we believe. And I believe that we all will." the shinobi proclaimed, expressive.
Yuki crossed her arms, sharing a small smile with Maria next to her, a breathy laugh escaping through her mouth.
This, very simply, was so Naruto of him.
"I may have only known most of you for about a month or so...but I know that all of you care for each other, enough that you'd hate it if anyone here got hurt. For your information, that's the inspiration that all of you need to face your personal trials right there! Those bonds will push you to new heights, either through personal inspiration or by working together with those you care about!" he exclaimed, taking a step closer to everyone else, reaching out to them through his words.
Naruto raised his fist, punching out at them all, a toothy and teasing smirk easily seen on his slightly bloody features.
"I have faith in you bastards!" he declared. "So...if I can do have that, then you lot should have enough faith in yourselves to reach that new summit, right!?"
Rias and Sona shared a smile with one another, seeing everyone's spirits rise to new heights.
Laughs were heard when Issei roared out in agreement.
Dull looks were spared when Akeno claimed that the shinobi should quit while he was ahead before someone fell in love with him.
Nervous smiles were shared when Yuki walked up and asked Naruto whether they could share a bath in celebration for his return.
Mio just smiled at the scene, expression brighter than it has been in a while.
They were back together.
On one of the roofs, Yuuto also shared in their raised spirits, smiling as he turned around and moved to join them.
As he was coming down, he saw the first inkling of light peeking from the horizon.
Sunrise.
It felt fitting.
They had a lot of problems to face in the future...but they'd deal with it.
As best as they could while having each other's backs.