To her horror, Azula realized that surrendering the duel wasn’t working Not only was she trapped there, she was about to become the monster’s snack.
The fire princess shrieked as the demon’s jaw snapped shut around her.
CRUNCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Smoke filled the air and the Demon Fox angrily spit out the pieces of a log that had shattered in his mouth.
“DAMN KAWARIMI” The Ninetails growled. “WHERE ARE YOU? YOU BRAT!!!!!!”
***
Several feet away Naruto comforted a frightened Azula. He had just managed to execute a replacement technique and quickly get Azula away from the demon fox in the nick of time.
“You ok?” he asked.
Azula nodded. “Just a little shaken,” She said pulling herself together.
Naruto noticed her injured shoulder and wrapped a piece of cloth around it. “I take it this is not supposed to be a part of our duel” he said.
Azula shook her head. “Not unless you brought that monster here to torture me. Which, judging from your reaction is becoming increasingly less likely.”
Naruto frowned. He didn’t know how the demon fox had gotten loose but he definitely wasn’t responsible for it. Since the Kyuubi was unpredictable and extremely violent, he wouldn’t think about using it in a mental duel against a friend. Also the demon fox was the one thing about himself that he had intentionally kept a secret from Azula. When he had first met her and she was…well a sadistic psycho…there was no question about keeping such dangerous knowledge from her. However, even though she had softened quite a bit since then, Naruto still couldn’t bring himself to tell her. A part of him wanted to share his secret with his new friend (maybe that was why he agreed to this mind game so willingly) but another part of him was horrified over the way she might react. His own village had pretty much ostracized him because of the demon within him, while his enemies wanted to rip that power from him. Azula was capable of reacting either of those two ways. He hoped that his friendship with his owner had changed her and that she wouldn’t see him as a source of power…but did he really know her that well? Even more terrifying was the thought that his new friend would hate him because of it. After all, the demon fox had almost eaten her. If she discovered his unique connection to the monster...she might not want anything to do with him.
Naruto knew that now that the Ninetails was roaming free in his mind, he was going to have to tell Azula about it eventually. Still...he couldn’t bring himself to tell her just yet. He decided to change the subject for now.
“Nope that wasn’t me!! I had something else in mind for getting you to give up.” He told her.
Azula took the bait.
“Yeah…what exactly?” she asked.
Naruto smiled “Tickle torture.”
“You were going to tickle me into submission,” Azula said raising an eyebrow.
“Well…I had to win somehow,” Naruto said sheepishly “I was all set to ambush you, tie you down and tickle you good when I heard you scream.”
“Oh.” Azula said. “Well you got there just in time. One more second and that thing would have eaten me." The princess looked at the Ninja seriously. "Naruto...Thanks for saving my life again.”
Leaning over, Azula kissed the ninja on the cheek. Naruto blushed and hugged her tightly.
“As long as I’m around…I’ll always protect you.” He promised.
Despite, the pain in her shoulder, Azula couldn’t help smiling as she heard that. If anyone else had made that promise to her, she would have met that statement with sarcasm, disbelief and contempt. Yet somehow when Naruto said it, it made her feel warm inside. She gently wrapped her arms around Naruto returning his hug.
An evil laugh interrupted them.
“AWWWW I HATE TO BREAK UP THIS TOUCHING SCENE. BUT I STILL HAVEN’T EATEN” A menacing voice growled.
The two of them turned to see the demon fox glaring at them. Naruto quickly pushed Azula away.
“Run!” Naruto said. “I’ll try and hold him off as long as I can”
“If you think I’m leaving you alone with that thing...you’re crazy!!!” Azula said.
Naruto frowned gathering his chakra.
“I’ll be right behind you!” he said.
The Demon Fox snickered. “YOU’RE ACTUALLY THINKING OF TAKING ME ON BRAT? I THOUGHT YOU OF ALL PEOPLE WOULD KNOW HOW USELESS THAT IS. YOU’RE WAY OUT OF YOUR LEAGUE!!!!”
Naruto grimaced. The fox was right. He was totally outmatched but he still had to try. He had just promised Azula that he would protect her and he wasn’t about to go back on his word.
“Tajuu kage bushin no jitsu!!!”
Azula watched in amazement as hundreds of Naruto clones appeared. She had never seen that technique performed before and it was an impressive sight.
Naruto quickly grabbed Azula’s arm pulling her away as waves of clones charged towards the demon fox. “C’mon Azula, this technique probably won’t even slow him down.”
The two of them began running. In the distance Naruto could hear the popping sounds his clones made upon disappearing. It sounded like they were being eliminated one hundred at a time. He pressed Azula to run faster.
***Ten minutes later***
Azula panted heavily as she rushed alongside Naruto. She moved pretty fast but she couldn’t keep up with the Ninja’s speed. They were in a forest now. Azula didn’t recognize it at all but Naruto seemed to move around it like he know where he was. She guessed that this place was familiar to him. Maybe he was picturing it in his mind. She wondered what else he was subconsciously picturing.
“Naruto stop a second.” She said. “I can’t keep up with you.”
“We can’t stop!!!” Naruto said frantically tugging Azula’s arm. “If we do…he’ll get us!!!”
“Naruto do you know this monster?” Azula asked. She had never seen the Ninja so terrified before. Having met the demon, she couldn’t say she blamed him but she sensed that something else was scaring him about the monster. Something that he was hiding from her.
Naruto paused before nodding slowly.
“A little too well,” he said.
“What is that thing?” She asked.
“My worst nightmare!” He said slowly. “C’mon we have to hurry!!”
He’s definitely not telling me something, Azula thought. She wanted to press him on it but now wasn’t the time. Instead she nodded and the two of them ran further into the woods.
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