Not so lucky seven

This brought Naruto back

It would be almost nostalgic, if it weren't for the fact that the last time they had fought had ended up with him almost dying. And the fact that she had killed Shino.

At least she wasn't incoherent with rage like she had been last time. Probably because she didn't recognize him.

"Are you the girl from the exams in Konoha?" Fū chirped. "I remember you. You beat that guy up good." She laughed.

"…That was me, yes." Karin said, tightly.

"And you…" She turned her eyes to Naruto. "There's something familiar about you."

He said nothing. If she figured it out, well, that was a guaranteed fight. He started to channel chakra, preparing an emergency jump to a Gate, any of them. They could always come back another time.

"Ah, I know!" Fū exclaimed. "Chōmei says there's… Kurama's chakra within you! Who's Kurama?" She tilted her head, which would have been cute, on someone who was not a cannibalistic murderer.

He continued to channel. Ten more seconds should be enough. Karin understood, and was ready to come to him.

"Oh! You're like me, then!" Fū laughed. "It has been a long time since I met another. And one of the Nine died, apparently. The boy from Suna." She made a sad face.

"So it seems. Did you know him?"

'Keep her talking. Seven seconds left.'

She stared at him, squinting her orange eyes. "I know you're trying to stall for time. Chōmei tells me so. He also told me that Kurama is an ass, but he doesn't deserve to be trapped, either."

"…I don't hold the Nine-Tails anymore, if that's what you mean."

'Three seconds'.

She laughed. "Silly, Chōmei can feel its chakra inside you."

Fū then turned serious. "I'll free him, then. Prepare to die."

Noxious orange and green chakra surrounded her and she rushed him, at full speed.

'Damn it!' He thought. Fighting it was, then.

Karin threw herself away from Naruto, the instant she felt the chakra build up within the girl. From the amount of it, she was either trying to use a long range jutsu or… No, she was flying straight at him.

That's what she did, going straight through the rock, with no sign of slowing down. Naruto used Lightning chakra to augment his legs and arms. He waited until the last moment to move forward, his back to Fū…

And then he whirled around, two hands around his sword, in a deadly half-turn whose aim was to take her head in one single motion. He didn't seem to have his usual qualms about killing, going straight for the head. Naruto would rather deal with his own moral issues than put Karin in danger.

Lightning crackled, as his sword glinted blue.

Instead of cutting through skin and bone, as he had been ready to do… The sword hit something hard. Fū was sent flying to the ground, bouncing off the rock and recovering in midair.

There was some sort of armor on her neck, seemingly made of chitin.

Fū smiled, but she didn't seem amused. "Chōmei protects me. You won't get rid of me so easily. I-"

Karin appeared behind her with a Body Flicker, arms encased in rock. She hit Fū head on, with a diving punch to the face.

Blunt strikes seemed to work decently well.

"Gah!" Fū let out as both of them fell to the ground. A following spinning kick, courtesy of Karin, smashed her face into the floor, where it bounced.

Naruto started to weave hand signs. Karin got the signal, and leaped away, readying a technique as well. They didn't to communicate verbally to understand what kind of fight this would be… The kind where you threw everything you had, as soon as there was an opening.

"Lightning Style: Thunder Lance!"

A spear made of lightning formed in his left hand, buzzing with enerergy. He jumped up, spun it three times, focusing more chakra within it, which made it grow. Once. Twice. Thrice.

Once he could barely hold on to it, he hurled it at Fū, causing it to explode violently once it hit her, multiple times.

"Earth Style: Iron Hand Prison!"

Karin slammed both hands to the ground, raising a dome of sharp rocks around Fū.

"Ha!" She sent a second wave of chakra at it, making the walls tighten. The thunder lance continued to crackle inside it, and the dome shook from its barely contained power.

Naruto unsealed his bow. He closed his eyes, focusing on the calm state of mind that he needed to safely use two elements.

He forced his katana to change, twisting and pulling, until he was holding a gleaming black arrow.

Wind.

He focused the green energy within the arrow. A hiss rose.

Lightning.

The blue light shone, barely able to stay in one place. There was the smell of ozone in the air, and a crackling sound.

He nocked the arrow, feeling his fingertips bleed from the strain. Karin leaped away, releasing the dome.

The point of blinding light left his bow with a hiss.

Karin closed her eyes. She had only seen him use this jutsu once before, and it had left an unpleasant spot in her vision.

From the amount of chakra they were throwing around, everything was as clear as if she were seeing it, anyway.

The arrow pierced the dome, and Fū's stomach as well. Karin hastily erected a stone wall, and Naruto hid behind it as well.

The arrow detonated.

It turned into a shower of blue sparks that folded inwards. A miniature dome of blue and green energy roared, then exploded, expanding vertically.

The sphere of rocks Fū had still been trapped inside went up with it, where it exploded a second time, raining thunder and destructive wind blades down the plateau.

Karin knew no normal shinobi would likely survive this combination attack, unless they had a trump card. Unfortunately, Fū had this exact sort of thing.

"I still feel her chakra!" Karin said, starting to panic. She had taken this jutsu head on, and was still alive.

"Yeah." Naruto gritted out. "I kinda expected this. She will probably transform again."

The exact moment he said this, a wave of noxious orange and green chakra turned the sky dark.

Fū was hovering in midair, insect wings buzzing angrily. A cloak of chakra bubbled around her, five more tails twisting and turning. She was covered in wounds, but they were closing already.

"…Now you made me angry."

She inhaled. A ball of scale powder, covered in the same red chakra bursts out of her mouth. Naruto and Karin both jumped. Behind them, the wide plateau they had been standing on exploded.

Naruto, only reaching the apex of his jump, realized that Fū was not anywhere to be seen. He closed his eyes, trusting his chakra senses.

'She's going for Karin!'

He panicked. Karin was strong, but this was a transformed Jinchūriki. And... Ah, shit.

He might need to use some of the Nine-Tails chakra himself.

He created a shadow clone in the air. The clone caught his feet, helping him stabilize himself. Naruto gathered Wind and Lightning chakra in his feet, as fast as he could, before he pushed off at full speed, dispelling the clone.

While he was streaking through the skies, he unsealed a short-range weapon. He was not even sure which one that was, he just needed any.

He smashed into Fū, halting her charge toward Karin at the last moment.

But Fū had seen him coming. She caught his staff between both hands, and held it there, her Bijū-enhanced strength preventing Naruto from getting it free.

The corrosive chakra ate through the staff in a matter of seconds.

'My… staff!'

This one had been given to him by Sarutobi, long ago. It was something he had used so often it felt like an extension of his body. And it had just crumbled away. Like that.

That was also a good enough reason to avoid getting touched by Fū in this state.

He created two blades of wind, and hurled them at Fū while he leaped backwards. It smashed harmlessly against her powerful shield, but it gave Karin enough time to get her feet back on the ground again.

She was cycling a lot of chakra.

Meanwhile, Naruto's lightning enhanced kick just tilted Fū's head back, while she laughed. His boot melted away.

"Earth Release: Fissure!" Karin exclaimed.

A huge chasm opened, starting from Karin's position, extending in a line until it broke open the ground under Fū. She fell for a single second, before opening her wings, which allowed her to glide.

That was enough for Naruto to attempt something else. He closed the distance between Fū and himself, right hand extended.

Raijin, on his right collarbone, burned.

"Lightning. Divine Streak."

It was as unrefined a technique as it went, something he had designed as a close range attack. Lightning focused in his right arm.

It could not even qualify as a jutsu. Naruto fired a stream of golden and blue lightning from his right hand, burning through most of his upper body clothing in seconds, and leaving his hand shaking.

Fū actually had to shield herself with her chitin, this time.

She let out a roar, as she began to transform further. Her skin burned, blood and chakra coalescing to form a living armor around her.

"Naruto! Jump!" He heard Karin say, over the drum of his own heartbeat. He did.

She slammed the rift shut.

"It won't hold her!" He shouted.

"I know! We don't have much time! If we let her transform, it's over!"

Naruto nodded, reaching inwards to the pool of the Nine-Tails' energy. Before he could do anything with it, the ground exploded.

He saw it in slow motion. Scale powder burst into every direction. Thin, razor-like pieces of dust. Karin had no time to react. Her clothes and her body were shredded in what seemed like a hundred places, and she fell forward.

"Karin!" He screamed.

Karin felt herself tilt forward, suddenly sapped of her strength.

Blood was pumping out of her pretty fast.

'Must have nicked.. A vein.'

She tried to examine herself for injuries, by doing a body scan. A puddle started to form under her. Her pants were turning red, and so was the shirt she was wearing under her armor.

There was no way she could apply pressure, there were just too many wounds. Even adrenaline was not enough to let her move. A wave of dizziness and nausea hit her.

She wanted to puke. She wanted to sleep. Or just make the pain stop.

It felt as thought she had been awake for days. She was tired...

So tired. So so tired.

Her vision got blurry and her ears started to ring. She had to strain just to stay awake.

It would be so easy to close her eyes. Just a second. Maybe not even that. She-

Naruto… Naruto was still fighting. Like a demon. A blade in each hand, Wind coursing through his left arm, Lightning in his right. With one hand he deflected, with the other he parried, pushed back.

Fū's attacks with her bladed wing-tails broke his swords every time they hit. He never relented, just summoning one more each time it happened. He roared.

And he was keeping up, somehow. He got injured several times, but never cut too deeply. No matter the amount of chakra he burned just to stay on his feet, it didn't seem to slow him down or make him hesitate. And somehow, the jinchūriki woman could not finish him.

He kept attacking, never giving her enough time to prepare an attack strong enough to kill him. His chakra was agitated, screaming almost. Whether it was in pleasure, pain, or anger, Karin could not say.

Despite all that, he seemed clear-headed.

That was not Fū's case. Fū was not as determined. Her frustration was costing her, her attacks less and less precise with every passing second. And her emotions were confused. Maybe she was afraid.

Looking at Naruto's eyes, it was not hard to see why. He seemed like a man possessed, lost in the battle, his purple eyes almost glowing. And was she dreaming... or was there a faint violet sheen to his body...?

Something was building up inside of him. Some of his carved seals were gleaming.

Was he trying to use the Nine-Tails' chakra…? Something within her told her it was a mistake. That he would burn himself from the inside.

Just for… a win against this mad woman?

No. This wouldn't do at all.

She had promised herself not to be a burden to anyone. It was time to prove to herself that she could help them, too.

With an effort that left her even more dizzy, she brought her wrist to her mouth. She bit. Hard.

In this moment, Naruto felt no fear. Even though he knew he should be afraid.

There was no pain, even though he knew he was injured.

Everything had slowed down. Either his mind was entirely clear… or he had completely lost it.

Fū's attacks seemed to become slower. Or at least, she could not reach him anymore. In shinobi battles, usually, there was a rhythm. A pulse. Something unspoken that went beyond simple fighting.

Maybe this was a form of understanding.

When Fū broke one of his swords with a kick, he knew she was about to strike with her third wing-tail.

When he cut a wound into her leg, he could almost see how lonely she had been, growing up in Taki.

When her claw reached his chest, cutting a burning wound into it, a blade made out of Lightning crashed against her face.

He knew he would not win this. Not without the Nine-Tails' chakra.

Naruto was almost reaching for it, but some hesitation still held him back. It felt as though he would be doing something permanent to himself, if he did.

Left foot. Right hand.

Second Tail. Weave.

Claw. Deflect.

His own chakra was starting to dwindle. Keeping both Lightning and Wind harmonious enough not to fry him was taxing. Especially after a long day.

Naruto found he didn't care. He ducked, narrowly avoiding another burst of scale. His wind blade cut a cleft into Fū's chin.

She was reaching for more power. Like a cornered animal. She had never gotten formal training, this much was obvious. How much stronger would she be, if she had… He didn't want to think about it.

Another chakra flared up. Karin. That was Karin. How she was standing again, he wasn't sure, either.

Fū started to shift into something bigger, stronger. Something he stood no chance against.

Karin stared at him. Something passed between them, close to understanding.

She extended her hand, wincing. He knew this was not something she had mastered yet.

It would have to be enough.

Chains burst from her hand, wrapping around the transforming Beast. It looked around in confusion, its chakra weakened for an instant. It wouldn't last.

Except for the glowing red seal on its back. That one was still burning.

Naruto weaved hand signs. He dashed forward, in a last effort, ethereal flames on his fingertips.

The Beast that was also Fū looked on in horror as he slammed his hand into its back, almost digging into the armored skin.

"Five Elements Seal!"

The effect of the jutsu Orochimaru had taught him was immediate. The armor disappeared, and Fū returned to her normal state, wrapped in golden chains that dissipated almost right away, as Karin fell on her knees.

"My chakra! No, Chōmei! Where are you? Chōmei!" Fū started to panic. For the first time in her life, she was entirely alone. The presence she had always felt in the back of her mind was gone.

She was sitting on her ass, looking as lost as a lamb.

Naruto approached her, yet another blade in his hand.

That would be his second murder. Another jinchūriki.

Another one that had been like him. What kind of person did that make him?

"You're going to kill me…?" Fū asked, eyes empty. She had likely done the exact same thing to so many people.

"Yes."

"…Do it then." She accepted her fate, as though she had always known that it would happen.

His blade rested against her jugular. Karin looked on, unreadable.

It would be so easy. Fū had no access to her Tailed Beast. No healing. No armor.

Just a single move, and he'd remove a thorn in everyone's spine. There was nobody who cared about Fū.

Nobody.

A single strike. It would be painless, too. He had felt her emotions, he knew what kind of hell she was living in.

Killing her would be a relief.

He should kill her. He really should. She would be no end of trouble in the future. She would kill again, this much was obvious.

He saw the lonely girl, crying when nobody was looking. Naruto sighed.

He let his blade fade away.

"…What are you doing?"

"Leave."

"…What?"

"I'm not going to be responsible for risking a war with the nation of Waterfall and its allies." He let out another sigh. "Leave."

"...Are you stupid?"

"I must be, yes. Get out of here."

Fū looked at him. She then cackled.

She laughed louder, and louder, a shrill sound full of conflicted emotions he didn't care to try to understand.

Then she stopped abruptly. She lifted strangely lucid orange eyes toward him.

"What do you think you're doing, exactly? Think you won? Two against one! Do you think this proves anything?! That you're better than me for showing mercy?! Nothing! You won NOTHING!"

Naruto said nothing.

"Nobody gave me any sort of real training! Out of all Nine, I am the weakest. Alone, even there!" He just stared at her. Somehow that made her even angrier. "Say something!"

Somehow, Naruto had known. But even a victory against the weakest of the jinchūriki was a victory against a jinchūriki.

He ignored her again. She clenched her fists, hot angry tears rolling down her face.

"You're… You're… How dare you humiliate me like this! Both of you!"

"We're shinobi." Karin said, her exhaustion apparent.

"Fuck you! I will make you both regret this. I will-"

Naruto turned cold purple eyes on her.

"If you come for me or my friends again, make no mistake. There won't be any second chances. There won't be any mercy like today." He gripped his sword so tight his hand started to drip blood. "Come after me, or anybody I hold dear… And I will end you."

It was her turn to stay silent, shaking in anger. She gave them a last look full of burning emotions.

She spat on the ground before leaving, dropping to the ground instead of flying.

Naruto made sure to wait until her chakra was gone.

He then dropped on his ass, letting out the most relieved sigh of his life.

"…She really is gone." Karin confirmed, dragging herself next to him.

"Seems so."

"Damn it. And this day started out so nice."

He laughed. Then he started to cough. "I hope Sakura is doing better than us, at least."

"Can't be much worse."

"I'll drop a mark here." He proceeded to do just that. "We can continue tomorrow. I'm not staying here any longer. As soon as Sakura comes, I'm bringing us back home."

Karin nodded, before she fell asleep.

Sakura arrived soon after.

She saw the ruined plateaus, and the fact that they were still far away from their destination.

"…Rough day, I take it."

Naruto snorted. "You can say that again."

He grabbed both of them and they left in a flash of thunder.