Arc XII Chapter 23

    XII

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    Arc XII Chapter 23

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    “So the boy lost once again ... Such a failure ... Useless and worthless as usual, despite me having lent him a paw”, Kurama growled from behind the iron bars of his prison, his crimson eyes flickering like embers in the shadows. Not that he had expected much else from his fabulous host.

    This girl ... Asami ... A mere glance sufficed to tell, this girl was dangerous. Her chakra ... Her chakra ... For a mere human, for a mere mortal of her time and age to possess such strength ...e of the battle was a foregone conclusion. The difference in skill and experience was painfully obvious. No matter how much Naruto was relying on his chakra, the girl was not an enemy the boy could hope to defeat. Most certainly not at his current level.

    Naruto was fortunate to suffer only a minor flesh wound. He should survive as long as this Sakura girl had even the barest understanding of the art of healing, which she should. As for the rest, his chakra would see to that. He had seen and healed far worse over the centuries.

    Kurama closed his eyes, his tails coiling around his body as he prepared to sleep. Not that he had much else to do, ever since the day the fourth Hokage and his wretched woman had bound him to this insufferable place. Day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year, his day never changed. As if all life had ceased for him and time itself stood still. Every day was the same age old monotony. The same old place, bereft of joy and hope. There was only anger, only resentment, only hatred.

    The years and the boy’s blatant lack of control might have weakened the seal, but the chains restraining him remained as unyielding as ever, a testament to the skill of the Fourth and the despicable Uzumaki blood of his woman. The day to reclaim his freedom and finally dispense with the nuisance of a boy had not come yet. But he was patient. He could wait. The passage of time was inexorable. He had seen centuries pass. He had seen kingdoms rise and fall. He had seen countless mortals come and go. He knew, thus, that the day would come ... would ... eventually ...

    “... ... ...” Kurama jolted up. His ears perked up, his fangs bared. His senses tickled. His senses sharpened. This chakra ... This aura ... This was her. And she was close. There was no doubt, the girl was here, right in front of him, hiding in plain sight, masking her presence. The girl had invaded his mindscape, her prying eyes observing him from the shadows judging him. Such impudence. From a mere mortal, no less.

    “Cease your little games, human!!! Your ploys tire me!” Kurama snarled, his furious eyes roaming the entire room in search of the unwelcome intruder balefully. “I sense your presence, girl!!! So, show yourself !!!”

    “Rraaarrrrrrrr.” Kurama snarled, his sense of danger hardly diminishing. He had erred. Her aura ... Her chakra ... Her soul ... The feeble, lingering scent of Indra’s cursed blood ... How ... How could he have been so blind ... The girl ... She was something else. Something beyond mere mortals. Something much more dangerous. A true demon clad in human skin.

    The girl tilted her head, giggling with the sinister touch befitting a demon like her. “Now, now, what a courteous welcome. How unfortunate that our time is limited, Kyuubi ... Not that it matters. I have the answers I have sought.”

    “What are you blattering about, girl?!” Kurama growled, his disdain palpable.

    “...” A smile graced the girl’s lips as her figure vanished, her body slowly dissolving into a fine mist of purple chakra. It was the grin of someone in the know. “Kyuubi, ... you are incomplete, are you not? Your better half ... It is missing, isn’t it?”

    ...

    ... ...

    ... ... ...

    “... ... ...” Kurama scowled from behind the bars of his prison, yet to no avail. His silence was all the confirmation she required. “... ... ...”

    ...

    ...

    ...

    “Hehehehe ... Hehehehe ...” The girl giggled from amidst the shadows, satisfied with her deductions, a smirk spreading across her lips. “It is as I thought.

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