Naruto Zaraki

Chapter 2: Awakening the Beast

"What's going on" Naruto

The leader stepped forward, his mask blank and unfeeling. "Orders from Danzo-sama. You are too valuable to let loose. We are to bring you to him alive."

Naruto's fists clenched, and his head lowered, a shadow falling over his face. "So, this banishment was a lie? You were going to make me a prisoner all along?"

Another ANBU chuckled darkly. "Be grateful, demon brat. At least you'll still be alive. If it were up to me, we'd have killed you here and now."

"Do you see now, kit?" the Nine-Tails whispered, its voice dripping with malice. "They've never cared about you. They see you as nothing more than a weapon, or a threat to eliminate."

Naruto's body trembled, his nails digging into his palms. Something inside him began to crack, a dam breaking as raw, unfiltered rage bubbled to the surface.

"You think you can control me?" Naruto's voice was low and filled with venom. Slowly, he raised his head, his cerulean eyes now glowing faintly with an unnatural intensity.

The lead ANBU tensed. "Take him down!"

The first ANBU lunged forward, his tanto slicing through the air with precision. Naruto sidestepped the attack, his movements faster than he realized, his instincts sharper. The blade barely grazed his cheek as he twisted around and slammed a knee into the man's gut, sending him flying back.

The second ANBU shot through a flurry of hand signs, unleashing a wave of fire from his mouth. The flames roared toward Naruto, who leaped into the air, flipping over the attack. He landed behind the ANBU, his fist already swinging in a brutal arc that connected with the man's jaw, shattering his mask and sending him sprawling.

"Good, kit. Let it out," the Nine-Tails urged, its voice echoing in his mind.

Naruto's movements grew more feral, his body responding to instincts he didn't fully understand. He ducked under another slash, grabbed the wrist of the attacker, and twisted, snapping the bone with a sickening crack. The ANBU screamed in pain, dropping his blade, which Naruto caught mid-air.

The tanto felt light in his hand, and something about holding it felt... right.

The remaining ANBU hesitated, regrouping and surrounding him. "He's tapping into something," one muttered, his voice uneasy.

"Stay focused," their leader barked. "We outnumber him."

Naruto grinned, his lips curling into a sadistic smirk that sent shivers down their spines. The air around him grew heavy, oppressive. Unbeknownst to him, a vast golden aura began to seep from his body.



What is this?" the Nine-Tails questioned, a rare note of confusion in its voice. "This isn't my chakra. What are you tapping into, brat?"

The ANBU moved as one, coordinating their attacks. One came at him from the front with a high slash, while another struck low from behind. Naruto spun, the stolen blade deflecting the high strike with a deafening clang. His foot lashed out, kicking the lower attacker's blade away before driving the heel of his palm into the man's throat.

Another ANBU used a lightning jutsu, sending a bolt crackling toward Naruto. The blonde instinctively, condensed the golden aura to form a barrier, that absorbed the attack before shattering outward in a shockwave. The ANBU were blown back, crashing into trees.

Naruto didn't give them a chance to recover. He lunged at the nearest one, his movements a blur. The tanto in his hand slashed across the man's chest, the blade biting deep into armor and flesh. Blood sprayed into the night air as Naruto's grin widened.

"You wanted to take me down?!" he shouted, his voice laced with a mix of fury and exhilaration. "Then fight me with everything you've got!"

The lead ANBU's hands trembled as he formed another set of seals. "Water Release: Water Dragon Jutsu!"

A massive serpentine dragon made of water erupted from the ground, roaring as it surged toward Naruto. For a moment, it looked like the attack would overwhelm him, but then Naruto raised his free hand.

The air grew heavier, suffused with his reiatsu. "You think that's enough to stop me?!"

With a roar, he slashed the air with the tanto, the golden aura extending from the blade like an arc of pure energy. It collided with the water dragon, splitting it in half before tearing through the trees behind it.



The ANBU froze in disbelief.

Naruto's grin faltered, his body trembling as he fought to control the surge of power. "What... is this feeling?"

The remaining ANBU charged again, their movements desperate. Naruto moved like a predator, his stolen blade flashing as he danced between them. A slash to the arm. A stab through the chest. A crushing kick to the ribs. One by one, they fell, their blood staining the ground.

The leader was the last one standing, breathing heavily as he watched his team slaughtered. "You... you're a monster."

Naruto tilted his head, his grin gone. His eyes burned with a strange mix of anger and sorrow. "Maybe I am," he said quietly, raising the blade.

The last ANBU charged, his tanto aimed at Naruto's heart. But Naruto sidestepped, grabbed the man's wrist, and drove his own blade through him.

As the leader collapsed, Naruto stood in the middle of the carnage, his body covered in blood and his breathing ragged. The aura faded, leaving only silence.

"Kit... what was that power?" the Nine-Tails asked, its voice uncharacteristically cautious.

Naruto didn't answer. He dropped the blade, his hands trembling. Naruto looked at the bodies around him, his stomach churning.

"What... have I done?" he whispered.

The night offered no answers. Only the weight of his actions remained.