Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and DAN DA DAN.
* Warning: Curse words. Sensitive language.
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Seiko woke up with a loud gasp. Sweat covered her forehead as her eyes darted around trying to anxiously survey her surroundings. "Where am I?"
It was total darkness, except for the campfire in front of her being the only source of light in this endless abyss. At least, she could feel the rough soil on the ground she was lying on. Seiko then sat up, enticed by the crackling fire.
Time was imperceptible. She didn't know how long she had been in this place. She could vaguely remember how she got here. She didn't even know what she was waiting for, just that something told her to stay at this place and not move anywhere.
The last thing she remembered was being stabbed by Jiji who was possessed by the evil spirit that occupied his house. She looked at her chest, but there was no wound. Not even a blood stain remained on her shirt. In fact, her whole attire was very clean compared to moments ago. However, she could feel a numbing phantom pain on the right side of her chest.
"Am I dead?"
In truth, Seiko wasn't bothered much by the concept of death. She had been coexisting with spirits for pretty much her whole life. She had learned from books and scripts about life, death, and the afterlife. And she used to think less of her livelihood. But now... the thought of separating from her loved ones scared her a bit.
"Yes, and no. Might have [?], yet might have not [?] at [?]." said a crisp voice, followed by the sound of footsteps.
Soon, a figure loomed out of the darkness. It was a woman with long, black hime-cut hair, wearing an all-white kimono the edge of which almost fully covered her barefoot as she trudged over in a regal manner. She was holding a white fan hiding the left side of her face. From what Seiko could see, the woman had a heavy white-powder makeup, and red lipstick. Her eyebrows were shaven, and her teeth were blackened.
An appearance befitting of a true ancient noble woman. Even her speech was difficult to understand. It sounded very different from the Modern Japanese, and more like the Old Japanese used in the Nara period. Although Seiko could recite the Norito that was written in the ancient man'yogana, speaking Old Japanese conversationally was above her paygrade.
Seiko looked at the woman apprehensively. "What are you saying? I don't understand."
"[?] [?]" The woman showed a knowing smile. "Then, I shall switch to the language of today's time. How about it? Ya' get me now?"
Seiko blinked a few times. She could understand the woman perfectly now, but hearing a crude speech manner from a woman of such regal appearance was a bit disorienting. "Yeah. Got it. Now, tell me what this place is."
"How assertive." The woman uttered with a disapproving tone. "You are in a place between the land of the living and the land of the dead. Limbo."
Seiko began to slightly panic. Fuck, if that's true, then she must be-
"Yes, I am who you think I am, dear." The woman finished Seiko's thought, causing the spirit medium to look at her in surprise. "I can read your thoughts. Because this is my domain after all."
There's no hiding from her then, Seiko thought.
"Yes. And since I heard an interesting pair had dealt quite a blow on my minions," The woman's imposing smile was ever present. "I thought of getting my feet on the ground to see what's going on. Is that how you say it? Please pardon me as I'm still learning your modern rhetorical figures."
Seiko sighed helplessly. "Then, can you get me out, Izanami?" There was virtually nothing that the spirit medium could do to escape this plane as she was technically on the threshold of life and death. Only a death deity like Izanami would have the power to send her back. After all, this was the goddess's domain.
"That goes without saying," Izanami curtly responded. "But the big question is what will you offer me to get you out, little spirit medium?"
Seiko bit her lips. Of course, you would be fickle.
Izanami shook her head knowingly. "Not as much as my husband for I can be reasoned. As long as the deal is fair... and on my terms."
Frustration built up in Seiko's chest. She had no choice now if she wanted to leave. She had to make a deal with the devil. "What do you suggest?"
"Let's see. What do you have that is worth my effort?" An ebony chair phased into existence, then the goddess of death sat down on it, her fan still covering the left side of her face. "How about your offspring?"
Seiko narrowed her eyes. "Momo?"
"No. I want your biological offspring." Izanami shook her head dismissively. "Specifically, your offspring with that blonde man."
"Absolutely not!" Seiko objected in an instant, her voice raised. "What does this have to do with him?"
"Oh~? You don't want to share your lineage with him? Aren't you two a thing?"
"That's none of your business!"
"Except that it is. Remember, if we are to have a deal, it has to be on my term."
Seiko was seething inwardly. To use their union as a pawn for negotiation to save her life. She would never do that to Naruto. "Why him?"
Izanami hummed happily. "I'm fascinated by him. Such an interesting enigma that bypasses the concept of life and death itself. I want to know more about it. Plus, I fancy an heir who can relieve me of my duties because, you see, my children are a disappointment."
"I object to your demand." Seiko said decisively.
"Too bad then." Izanami shrugged her shoulders before standing up to leave. "Enjoy your afterlife." The goddess of Death turned around and walked toward the direction from which she came... deliberately slowly.
*One step. Two steps. Three steps. Four steps. Fiv-*
"Wait!" Seiko yelled, the desperation in her tone contradicting her prior stubbornness. Izanami's lips curled up. "Can you change your term?"
"Hmmm. Should I?" Izanami asked amusingly, reappearing in front of the dying spirit medium and sitting back down on her ebony seat. "Fine, I like your sensibility. The second option is to reopen the Demon Gate so that my minions can roam the physical plane freely."
Seiko grimaced. That's even worse.
"But there's a caveat, of course." Izanami continued. "Because, you see, I'm more generous than my husband. So, I will grant you a small blessing as good faith. You will be able to summon a number of my demons to do your bidding. As far as I know, that is a fucking good deal for you."
Seiko snorted. "Why is that a good deal? Letting demons of the Underworld wreaking havoc in the living world? Do you think I'm fucking dumb?"
Izanami stifled her laugh. "If you know what's to come in the future, you will think twice. How long do you think the power of Kami will last? If the mortals no longer believe in them and worship them, will they retain their omnipotent powers still? Many deities have ceased to exist because people don't remember and worship them anymore. As will be the case for the remaining deities. But death? ... Death is constant and unending. Even after those ingrates(!) no longer exist, I shall remain."
The white-hair Ayase closed her eyes. What the goddess of Death said was the truth. The power of faith and belief was what had been sustaining the deities from whose power she drew to conduct exorcisms. However, those powers had been weakening as time went by and human societies became more and more scientific. The fact that her abilities were confined by the deities' territory was an example of it. "And what of the future you're talking about?"
"Alien invasions."
Seiko wanted to laugh, either out of disbelief or helplessness. "Impossible."
"They are here. They've always been here. Hiding, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. It's the power of the supernatural that has been holding them back. Once that power dwindles, this world's physical plane will be theirs. And when that happens, only I can stop them." Izanami's eyes glinted, knowing she had the upper hand now. Nothing could beat the urgency induced by the world's looming apocalyptic events. How the goddess of Death would cherish the look on Izanagi's face knowing that she was inevitable and he could do nothing to stop her return.
Seiko sat still in silence. A million thoughts ran amok in her mind. She just wanted to get back to Momo. She just wanted to get back to Naruto. She just wanted to live. Was that too much to ask?
"Second chances are rare to come by, especially ones from me. The balls are in your court now, little spirit medium." The goddess of Death smirked, fanning her face.
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Rage.
Naruto had not felt that emotion in a long time. He had had occasional bouts of anger, but those times were due to frustration with meaningless, mundane things. His most recent memory of when he truly lost control and succumbed to murderous intent was a blur.
After living for decades in relative tranquility, the last ninja thought he had made peace with his tumultuous past. However, the moment he heard Seiko's cry for help, he saw red. Logic and calm were overshadowed by the sole desire and desperation to reach for her.
He had lost so much already in his life. He could NOT lose her too. No more. Or he would lose himself again.
Don't you dare die on me, Seiko!
He was rummaging through the principal's desk when he got Seiko's phone call. Everything became a haze as if reality had bent as he moved at a supersonic speed. A strange star-shaped totem that he found in the desk drawers no longer occupied his mind as his sole thought now was on dropping everything and heading for the location of the Enjoji's household where Seiko was supposed to be.
For what would take conventional transportation a couple hours to arrive, it took him a few minutes to reach his destination. He wasn't named the fastest shinobi during the Fourth Great Ninja War for nothing. However, anything could happen during those few minutes.
Unfortunately... just like he had feared, as soon as he burst onto the battle scene, any decorum of restrain left in his mind was gone.
Seiko was lying on the floor, gasping for air with her clothes soaked in her blood. She was still tightly holding onto her phone. Standing over her was a morphed form of a tall young man. Even looking at his back, Naruto knew that person wasn't a normal human. The dark, vengeful aura solidified that fact.
But vengeful and whatnot, the blonde did not care one bit. Naruto flew in a burst of speed at the strange young man and crashed into him, sending them both through the wall and out of the house.
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The morphed Jiji grunted in pain from the fall. Before he could get a hold of his surroundings, he was kicked in the head HARD. He rolled across the ground then crashed into a tree. Completely disoriented, he could not retaliate as he felt his body being lifted up by the neck before being slammed back down onto the ground. Again. And again. And a few more times like a ragdoll.
Jiji had lost count. He felt so much pain from multiple concussions that his body went limp. The only thing that kept him conscious was the Evil Eye's power possessing his body.
When the attack stopped, Jiji could finally open his eyes. His vision initially blurred before clearing into focus. It was Naruto. The blonde man was standing over him.
Jiji froze, his eyes widened in fear. It was terrifying, Naruto's expression. More terrifying than anything the boy had seen. Even without a single word spoken, the blonde man's red-slitted eyes radiated a very potent murderous rage which also shook the evil spirit inside him.
"Uncle, save me-... ARGHH!" Jiji's cry for help turned into a scream as the boy felt an extreme agony in his left hand. He frantically looked and saw his left palm being stabbed into the ground by a black rod.
Then another one black rod burst out from Naruto's hand, and this time the blonde man stabbed it into Jiji's right palm. Another rod, longer than the previous two and with a sharp point, materialized in the air hovering right above Jiji's face.
Jiji cried pitifully in the face of death as the enraged Naruto poised to end the boy's life with the Truth-Seeking lance. Jiji closed his eyes, welcoming his final moment. Intentionally or not, he had hurt Auntie Seiko, and he couldn't prevent his parents from getting hurt by the spirit. Maybe if he died right now, Naruto could get rid of it once and for all. Jiji stopped his body from moving with all his will as he waited for the strike.
But it didn't come. Jiji slowly opened his eyes and gulped. The black lance was still floating above his face menacingly, ready to attack at its owner's call. However, Naruto was nowhere to be seen. Jiji slumped back and let out labored sighs of relief.
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"Naruto..." Seiko mumbled as she slowly awoke from her slumber. Her vision soon cleared, and the first thing she saw was his face. The spirit medium smiled before coughing. Her throat had run dry after almost dying. Naruto quickly left then came back with a glass of water.
Gulping down the water, Seiko groaned while the blonde ran his green-glowing hands over the wound on her chest. "You're here already."
Naruto sucked his teeth, refusing to look at her eyes. His rage dissipated as if he had not just gone berserk minutes earlier. "I told you to let me come with you, but no~ you're so stubborn! Now look what happened. What if I hadn't come in time, huh? You would hav-"
Seiko abruptly wrapped her weak arms around his body and hugged him tightly. "I'm okay, Naruto. Thanks for coming."
Naruto stopped his ranting and returned her hug, gentling rubbing her back. "That's what you said last night." The blonde then chortled when he got smacked in the head.
Letting go of their embrace, Seiko looked around and saw Jiji's mother still unconscious on the floor like she last remembered. "Where's Jiji?"
Naruto helped his lover up, carrying her on his back. "He's outside, incapacitated. For the time being, he ain't gonna do anything. Now can ya' tell me what the heck's going on?"
"Let me talk to him."
"Alright."
Naruto, piggybacking Seiko, jumped down from the hole in the wall that he blasted through earlier. Seiko muttered exasperately, "Really? Can't you just walk down properly?"
"Don't worry, Seiko-chan. I'm being gentle like last night." Naruto answered before getting smacked in the head again.
The blonde alighted on the ground softly and soundlessly before putting Seiko down. The duo then walked toward Jiji who was literally pinned on the ground in a crucifix. "Are you ready for a rebirth, bud?"
"Huh?"
"What?"
Seiko shook her head. She loved the blonde, but sometimes she wondered what was in his head that made him think it was funny saying those silly things. She inspected the bound form of Jiji. "Are you still here, Jiji?"
"Yes, Auntie." He replied weakly, dried traces of tear on his cheeks. His appearance had returned to normal. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you."
"I understand." Seiko knew the evil spirit was controlling him. In fact, it was thanks to Jiji who must have diverted that attack to miss her heart. Not that it had stopped her from going to Limbo, but had it hit the heart, she would have gone straight to the Underworld with no chance of coming back. "Naruto, carry him to my house. And don't dismiss your rods yet. We must keep it confined within Jiji's body."
Naruto frowned, still angered by what happened to Seiko. His jaws still clenched in tension. "Are you sure? Why don't I get rid of it here and now? You know I'd enjoy flaying its skin layer by layer and burn 'em to ashes."
"No." Seiko quickly rejected. Seriously, this guy. Once he was angry, he turned into the most bloodthirsty person she had ever known.
"Please no." The weakened Jiji also begged with a whimper.
This particular spirit seemed to be quite powerful. Seiko figured it might not be that easy to outright exorcise it. If they were reckless, they could also hurt Jiji in the process, and Naruto's way had always been reckless. "I have an idea on how to deal with the bastard inside him now. So, let me do it. I have a score to settle."
Naruto pursed his lips before relenting. He trusted Seiko wholeheartedly on this. After almost losing her, he could not bear to afflict her in any way. "What about his mother?" Naruto asked as he picked up Jiji and carried the teenager in his arms.
But the tall young man was wearing only his undie, so the blonde had to avoid his eyes although it was not the first time he carried another man like that. Not his proudest moment, nonetheless.
"An ambulance is coming. They'll take care of her."
"Okay." Naruto continued, summoning a clone to guard the house. He then glanced at the damage he totally did not mean to do. "And the hole?"
"I don't know, Naruto. Do one of those magic illusions of yours or something. My head hurts. Let's quickly get this over with already." Seiko complained, her head currently throbbing in pain. Annoyance started seeping into her tone.
"Alright, alright. You don't have to snap at me..."
"What did you say?"
"Nothing!"
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The setting sun's rays cast the sky orange preceding the dusk of the day. Momo and Okarun were walking abreast on a side road. Their school hours were over, and they didn't have any club activities, so the duo was on their way to Momo's house. Just as they thought the incident with Turbo Granny was done and dusted, life always found a way to screw things up. And this time, it was Okarun's nuts that were screwed over.
"I can't believe you lost your balls, Okarun." Momo blurted amusedly for the umpteenth time. She tried to stifle her laugh but to no avail as the boy subconsciously covered his groin. "How could you not notice that last night?"
"I was too tired and excited to check it." Okarun replied, dejectedly shifted his eyeglasses.
"So, you only have your shaft?"
"Shhhh! Why did you have to say that out loud, Momo-san?" Okarun grimaced as he jumped to cover Momo's mouth, a heavy blush on his face. He looked around in panic, afraid of someone hearing about his dishonor.
Momo pulled away his hand and hooked her arms round his shoulders. "Awww, you don't have to be ashamed in front of me. You can pee just fine, yeah?"
"Of course it's embarrassing." Okarun slouched into her embrace, averting his eyes. "I don't want to be in such a shameful state in front of you. It's uncool."
Momo glanced at her friend's face. Her pursed lips then curled up into a smile before she flicked his forehead. "Dummy."
The two continued their walk in comfortable silence. Momo perked up as she was hit with a sudden realization. "If your nuts are still missing, does that mean Turbo Granny isn't dead yet?"
"Oh," Okarun frowned, also in the dark like his friend. "I don't know. Maybe we can ask your grandma."
Suddenly, there was a girlish scream from an alleyway ahead. The two looked at each other in surprise before they ran toward that voice. As they turned the corner, they saw a group of three high school boys, seemingly around their age, encircling a girl whose back was against the wall. Indignation flared up in Momo. She trudged heavily toward the boys then threw her bag at them. "Oi! Back off, jackasses!"
The group of boys turned around in surprise and saw Momo running at them. They then dispersed in fright and ran away deep into the alleyway, dropping their unfinished cigarettes they were smoking. Only the bullied girl was left at the scene. Momo soon reached her and helped her up. "Hey, you okay?"
The girl shakily nodded her head, "Thank you."
"Did they bully you?" Momo asked, dusting off the girl's shirt. A second later, Okarun also caught up to the two girls. He pulled out his water bottle and gave it to the girl.
"Thank you," She repeated, staring at Momo with wide eyes. "For seeing me."
"Wha-" Momo uttered unintelligibly while Okarun squeaked.
The girl who was a bit shorter than them began to grow taller and taller to almost 3-meter high. Her arms and legs elongated to unimaginable lengths, her hair covering her face revealing just her googly eyes. Her posture bent slightly as she towered over them, groaning eerily.
Momo and Okarun stumbled back, frozen in shock at the abomination unfolding in front of them.
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"AHHHH!"
The duo ran for their lives. Chasing persistently after them was the creature of terror, running on all four limbs.
"What's happening? Why is this alleyway so long?!" yelled Momo. They hadn't gone that deep into the alleyway, but now it felt like they were running endlessly without gaining any distance.
"Do something, Momo-san!" blurted Okarun, running beside her.
As she ran, she saw a balcony up ahead on a building. Up! "Hang on!" Momo shot her psychic arm at the railing of the balcony while grabbing Okarun with her other arm. With a tug, the pair flew up and landed on the balcony.
Unfortunately, the abominable creature also jumped and crawled up the wall toward them while deliriously screeching in a distorting deep voice. "Onee-san. Is the boy bullying you? Let me walk you home."
"Not again." Momo uttered squeamishly as Okarun was almost in tears at the creepy sight. When the young Ayase was about to slingshot to the opposite building's roof, the female creature shot a blob of saliva at her. The substance became sticky and instantly hardened, tying up Momo's hands and stopping her from aiming upward. "Shit!" Momo then pushed away Okarun from the incoming monster.
"Momo-san!" the eyeglasses-wearing boy exclaimed as he fell off the balcony. When the creature was nearing Momo, Okarun felt a rising heat in his stomach. Chills ran down his spine as a burst of energy erupted. A familiar feeling came to him. He stole a glance at his reflection in the window mirror on the balcony and saw his appearance change.
Messy white hair, shadowy collar on his black shirt, and a jagged-teeth mask. That was what he looked like when he was channeling Turbo Granny's curse power. The power's still here!
Changing his momentum, the transformed Okarun kicked off the asphalt road below and shot back up at the creature in a blitz, blasting it away before it could reach for Momo. The two colliding forces impacted and blew off the edge of the building. Landing on the roof, Okarun and the yokai rolled across the floor before standing up into a stare down.
"You deceitful, sleazy boy. How dare you stand next to Onee-san!"
The transformed Okarun groaned at the monster's senseless accusation. "What a bummer. This monster is so disturbing that it's talking nonsense." His empowered leg muscles tensed up before buckling as the boy spat out blood. Okarun felt his cursed power suddenly seeping out.
Seizing the moment, the monster dove at the boy. Its glinting sharp claws were mere inches away from his head, but the monster was pulled back by an invisible force. It looked around in confusion before spotting a giant, blue-skinned grotesque baring its massive fang at it.
The third eye of the new monster flashed red before a laser beam shot out. The female yokai turned its head, dodging the laser beam causing it to whizz past and blow up a stranded antenna.
Abandoning its target, the female yokai engaged with the blue-skinned yokai in close combat in a battle for the new alpha. The two monstrosities twisted, ducked, jabbed, and swung at each other, trading blows in a flurry of quick striking, unbefitting of their bulking size.
The barely conscious Okarun looked at the unfolding scene in both awe and dread. That was the true fight between two monsters. He could hear the air rippled with each of their swings. The boy was so entranced by the battle he didn't notice Momo had made her way to him, with her hands still bound by the female yokai's saliva. She whispered, trying not to attract those monsters' attention. "Okarun, what's going on?"
"I have no idea either," Okarun muttered absentmindedly. "One moment that yokai was diving at me, a new one appeared out of nowhere. Then they just started fighting."
Right then, the blue-skinnedyokai landed a nasty uppercut in the femaleyokai's jaw, causing it to momentarily lose focus. In that split second lapse of concentration, the blue-skinned monster grabbed the now concussed female monster in the neck and headbutted it, snapping its head back.
The blue-skinnedyokai's third eye glowed red again, readying another laser beam. The femaleyokai snarled in a display of retaliation, but it was hopeless. The grip on its neck was so incredibly tight it could feel its throat being crushed under the pressure.
Sensing imminent death, the femaleyokai tried to fight back harder, scratching up its foe's arms with blade-sharp claws, but to no avail. The laser fired off and blew apart the female yokai's head, completely obliterating it into a million pieces.
Momo and Okarun watched the gruesome scene with bated breath, frozen to the bone and not daring to make a single sound lest the blue-skinned abomination turned its attention to them.
The victorious demon unceremoniously dropped the body of its dead foe before grabbing the fallen demon's arm, twisting the bones with a crunch and ripping the limb off. It inspected the arm for a second, then took a big bite of it. As if enjoying the taste, the blue-skinned demon chewed on the arm with more vigor before ripping off another arm and continuing its meal.
Both Momo and Okarun did not know what to do, except covering their mouths to stop themselves from throwing up. Their bodies were shaking. This was a situation completely different from anything they had ever experienced before. Not even their encounter with Turbo Granny was this outlandish and surreal.
Her eyes twitching, Momo gulped nervously and asked, "Okarun, can you pull off another throttle with your power?"
Okarun whimpered, "I can't feel the power again, but I can try-"
In a blink, the blue-skinned demon appeared in front of the two teenagers, making them nearly jump out of their skin. The duo fell on their butts and hugged each other in despair as the demon knelt down to their level. It then pointed its finger toward the remaining carcass of the femaleyokai before directing the finger at its mouth. "Hungry...give...more."
"Okarun, GO!!!"
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