Chapter 2: An Unexpected Event
It had a slender body, which was about 1.2 meters in length, covered in snow-white fur, which was marked by a striking pattern of deep red streaks running symmetrically on both sides of its soft coat. The red hue extended from the sides of its cheeks, down its neck and into its body, before gradually fading away.
Its large pointy ears were tipped in the same brilliant crimson, and its eyes were a mesmerizing shade of deep red with black slits that gave it a dangerous and predatory look. Yet, despite its fierce appearance, the intelligence in its eyes was undeniable.
Its most striking feature was its 9 long tails, each of which was almost as long as its body. They were thick and appeared to be incredibly soft, their white coloration ending in a rich crimson similar to the markings on its body.
The creature's snow-white body was stained with a blood-like crimson, but it did not detract from its beauty. Instead, it gave it a more regal and stunning appearance. The creature was sitting upright on its hind legs, its front paws extended straight out and touching the soft blades of grass.
The creature stood before Madara with an air of elegance and majesty, exuding a sense of sacredness and loftiness that seemed to command reverence and respect. It was a picture of perfection, with a flawless appearance that seemed to scream of its superiority.
Its gaze was fixed upon Madara, with eyes narrowed in intense focus. The creature's eyes were piercing. It had not once shifted its gaze since its arrival
Madara furrowed his brows as he gazed upon the new figure of the, who was now suddenly before him. With a tone of sarcasm, he remarked to Kami, who was beside him, "What is this? A more...fancy version of the Kyuubi? Did it get a makeover?"
However, his words only served to offend it. The creature let out a fearsome growl and shifted its stance, as if it was about to pounce on Madara. Despite the display of ferocity, Madara remained unfazed, his eyes gleaming with amusement. The Kyuubi, noticing no reaction from him, let out a disgruntled whine before slinking back to its original position.
Kami simply chuckled at the interaction, "That's not the Kyuubi that you know, It's a Nine-Tailed Demonic Blood Moon Fox, " he said, "A long name, I know. When I picked it up and first heard of its species' name, I had to double check if I was in Xianxia world or somewhere."
Madara raised an eyebrow in curiosity, "Xianxia world?" he repeated
Kami waved a hand dismissively. "Never mind that," he said, "Anyway, it's a 'she' by the way"
"Ok? And?....Why is SHE here?" Madara asked, emphasizing the 'she' in mock annoyance as he shook his head at the useless detail.
"Well, she will be your partner.....forever," Kami said with a smile.
"...." Madara blankly stared at him, before looking back at the fox.
The fox noticing his stare simply glared at him in annoyance before she turned her head to the side with one quick movement.
Though there was no sound Madara could have sworn he heard a 'Hmph!'
Madara had a tick mark, looking at her antics
"I refuse," he said sternly.
"Well, I refuse your refusal" Kami replied while shrugging.
Madara's lips twitched in annoyance, "This is outrageous! I don't need a partner!"
He turned to look at the fox again, "Especially one looking like those spoiled luxury pet scum that the Daimyō's daughters had back in the 5 countries, that just ate, shat and just lazed around."
The fox first looked flabbergasted at first but as he ended, she was shaking in anger. Her jaw was clenched and her muscles were tensed.
Kami caught the tension in the air and quickly interjected, trying to defuse the situation, "Now, now, let's not get carried away. Look, It's not that I want to force you two together... well, actually, scratch that....I do"
Seeing Madara's deadpan expression he hurriedly tried to explain himself.
"But it's not just that! I HAVE to put you 2 together, it's necessary."
Looking at the inquiring eyes of Madara, he continued, "Madara, your soul… it's incomplete…it has been eroded, living for decades as you dragged your life by burning your life force. All the repercussions of being stripped of a tailed beast, and that too the Ten-Tails. The possession of Kaguya and most importantly your revival by that Edo Tensei. It has degraded your soul. Your soul is fragmented, weakened, and unable to sustain itself on its own. But there is a solution, a way for you to heal. That solution lies in her, the instrument of your liberation
Madara furrowed his eyebrows as he heard his current predicament.
Kami looked at the fox before saying, "She has a somewhat similar situation compared to you. She also can't survive on her own, her soul is broken as well" The fox had calmed down and hearing Kami's words she gained a nostalgic look as her eyes reflected with melancholy and sadness, which Madara noticed.
He then directed his attention back to Madara, making direct eye contact, "This is why it's crucial that you find a partner. Together, your souls can mend and sustain each other. You will be bonded.... for eternity. Think of it as a bond similar to the Jinchūriki-tailed beast relationship from your previous life. She will be your other half, both figuratively and literally. You could say, in a sense, that she will be you Tailed Beast and you will be her Jinchūriki"
Madara thought for a while before saying, "You're Kami, aren't you? Aren't you all-powerful? Can't you simply just heal my soul?"
Kami's lips curled into a smirk, his eyes glinting with amusement. "I certainly can, but what's in it for me? Nothing in life is free, my friend. You have nothing that could possibly pique my interest."
Madara frowned, "You cheeky little- "
"What was that?" Kami interrupted.
"Tch...nothing," Madara scowled before letting out a heavy sigh, frustration evident in the sound, "Fine...I understand. But I demand a change in my partner. I don't want some weak pathetic little fur-ball watching my back, she will only hold me back. She doesn't even look useful, the only defining feature would be her soft pretty fur that I could maybe use as a pillow or a towel. Hmm, no never mind, she's probably flea-infested"
And that was the final straw. The fox snapped
With lightning speed, she leaped forward, a sonic boom echoing in the air. She was a blur of motion, her sharp claws glinting menacingly as she launched herself at Madara with deadly intent. Her aim was to rip his face apart in a single swift strike.
But Madara wasn't idle at all. With fluid grace, he pulled a kunai from his sleeve, the gleaming metal glinting in the light. In one swift motion, he aimed the weapon at the fox's neck, his eyes demonically glinting red with the infamous Sharingan. The blade sliced through the air with deadly precision, ready to end the fox's life in an instant.
However just as both were about to get in contact and strike each other, they froze…..or to be specific, time froze. There they were, both frozen in action, frozen in mid-strike, suspended in the air like statues. Kami looked at them and sighed deeply before clapping his hands. In an instant, both Madara and the fox appeared 15 feet apart from each other.
As time resumed, their strikes hit nothing but empty air. Though as soon as they got free they rapidly turned to look at Kami with apprehension as their hearts pounded nervously, indicating the fact that they were conscious during the time they were frozen.
They had known that Kami was powerful, but experiencing his strength first-hand made a much greater impact than simply knowing about it
"Both of you! Control yourselves!" Kami scolded, his voice stern and filled with annoyance. He directed his gaze towards Madara, "Look...I understand your doubts about her capabilities but please do not provoke her needlessly, I assure you....She is not what you think at all..."
Kami finished with a small, reassuring smile, "...not even close"
He cast a quick glance back at the fox and gave a curt nod. She looked a bit annoyed and disgruntled but she reluctantly complied. Giving one last heated glare to Madara, she stalked away from the two men, positioning herself in a clear, open area, before-
*BOOM!* *FWOOSH!*
Suddenly, a loud explosion echoed through the air, accompanied by a fiery blast of white smoke that rose to the heavens. The winds howled in fury, creating a maelstrom around the cloud. Through the haze, the shadowy outline of a massive figure could be seen, its presence looming ominously over the two men. The smoke hung thick and heavy in front of Madara, there was finger's distance between the two
As the winds died down, the veil of smoke gradually lifted, revealing the monstrosity within
Gone was the silky soft fur that once covered its body, replaced by rough, jagged hair that stood on end. It towered over them, its massive tails whipping wildly, flattening the very terrain itself, creating devastating storm-like winds. The ground trembled under the weight of its massive paws, deep cracks snaking out in all directions.
Its once noble white fur was now a deathly pale, an eldritch shade that seemed to soak up all the light around it. It was like a great pale shadow. The beautiful crimson patterns that once adorned its coat now looked like streaks of fresh blood, running in rivulets across its fur. The once elegant design now radiated intimidation and fear.
Had it stood upright on its hind legs, its head would have easily reached the clouds. But it was not. Instead, it was crouched low, its face mere inches from Madara's own. Its eyes had transformed into a deep crimson, the irises lost in an endless abyss. It seemed liked raging hellfire
It was glaring with such blood-thirst that Madara could practically feel it crawl on his skin. The killing intent around it was almost palpable. Deep, guttural growls rumbled from its throat, a threat that hung heavy in the air
"Well...I guess you're not that wea-!?" Madara started to say, but he was cut off as the beast opened its jaws and bellowed in rage
The ground shook beneath his feat
The heavens trembled above
The thunderous roar was bestial, overflowing with raw power. The earth behind Madara was ripping apart, a chasm stretching for miles as all the grass was torn from its roots and the clouds in the sky dispersed as they were hit by the barrage of winds.
Madara's hair and clothes whipped about him, pushed back by the sheer force of the air pressure.
....but the person himself didn't flinch, undaunted. Despite the winds battering against him, he stood resolute, observing the creature with a level gaze.
The insides of its mouth were also similar to its eyes, Madara noticed absentmindedly.
No one knows when it stopped, the onslaught of sound was long... but when it did stop, there was just silence. Deadly silence.
Madara's hair and clothes settled back into place, there was one more thing he noticed: the aura emanating from the beast was no less powerful than that of the Ten-Tails.
"And she will only grow stronger...along with you. Both of you aren't even close to your peak" Kami added as he could only shiver in anticipation of how powerful they would become, "So....still reluctant?"
A crazed smile stretched across his face as a suffocating pressure exploded from him. The bloodlust and killing intent from the countless shinobi he had slain was now embodied in a blackish-red, blood-like aura that leaked from his very being. His death simply seemed to enhance this. The aura and pressure were so intense that even the massive beast narrowed its eyes in slight caution. It as if an ancient horror had been awakened from its deep slumber.
He locked gazes with the, his scarlet eyes looking into the beast's hollow abyss-like ones. He stated as he grinned, "It seems I owe you an apology. I think we'll get along just fine."
The beast, with vulpine features, simply stared at Madara, as if trying to grasp something. The previous hostility had dissipated, though its eyes were narrowed at him
"Wonderful! Now, let's initiate the Bonding ceremony!" Kami finished with a wide smile as he spread out his arms, the other two entities simply just turned to look at him in curiosity.
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(A couple of hours later)
Kami sat serenely in a plush armchair, cradling a steaming cup of tea between his hands. His guise as the Sage of Six Paths was gone, replaced by a being made of pure, radiant light. Despite its ethereal form, the figure still maintained a humanoid shape
The light-being was deep in thought, its mind replaying the events that had transpired just moments before. It sat still, lost in contemplation as the memories of the recent scene unfolded before its mind's eye.
[FLASHBACK]
The previously still and peaceful plains began to undulate and writhe as if in distress. A massive, jagged tear in the fabric of space opened, revealing a glimpse of something dark and sinister beyond. Madara approached it with a purposeful stride, but just as he was about to take a step into it, he paused. He turned to face Kami, his eyes glinting in the dim light, "I almost forgot... there's one more thing I want from you..."
His smirk widened ominously under Kami's curious gaze.
[FLASHBACK END]
A sinister, low chuckle emerged from the depths of his throat, a sound that was foreign and unfamiliar to his own ears. It was the first time in his...no, in its existence, that it had ever experienced genuine amusement, and the feeling was exhilarating
"Oh, the possibilities," he murmured, his eyes gleaming with excitement, "The man who made the Five Great Countries tremble at the mere mention of his name. The Scourge of the Shinobi World.....Madara Uchiha." He sighed, almost impatiently, "Oh, I can't wait to see what you become," He finished as he vanished into the ether.
The clearing was left in an eerie silence, as if existence itself held its breath in anticipation of what was to come.
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{{NOTE from Author-san:
- Fox pic (Normal form):
- Well don't worry, the bonding ceremony and all the other stuff that happened in the chapter but was not explained will be explained later on, so yeah that's it. Hope you're enjoying it so far ;) }}