The Shadow (Naruto Fanfic)

Chapter 15

It was the last day of the festival which had been going on for the entire week and Kozuri had kept himself away from the village. The Genin were curious as to why every one around wanted to talk with this Azak person who seems to be a loner. The man always wore that mask as well as if he wanted to hide his identity. He was also incredibly strong he took down two people from this place as well as the man had Kakashi on the ropes. The three happen to run into Azak when he came into town. "Hey Azak!" The masked man looked at the Genin. "Yes young ones?" The man walked up to them and the three talked to him. After Kozuri led the three Genin to a secluded area that overlooked the village they talked some more. "So why did you forfeit your match against Kakashi?" Kozuri looked at Naruto. "Because your Captain was holding back and an opponent holding back isn't fun. So how come you have a seal on your belly blondie?" Naruto looked at Kozuri. "Don't freak out I can see chakra and a lot of yours is going to your belly. Do you have something like I do?" Kozuri saw Naruto nod before looking at him. "You have a demon inside you too?" Kozuri almost said yes but he didn't want to explain Azak. "Well kinda how you have a demon I have two of my clans gods residing in me. Paarl, Sal, come say hi." The Genin gasp when the two reveal themselves. "Woah! That's a huge cat!" Kozuri chuckled and rubbed both of his friends head. "Yes the cat is Paarl and the dragon is Salazar. You two these are the Leaf Genin that has come to help with security. Tell me how is the Leaf Village?" Paarl and Sal looked at Kozuri who was asking an innocent question. But they knew the truth he wanted to know about his home. "It's alright we had just come back from an escort mission when the old man told us about this mission." Kozuri nods before looking at Sasuke. "You alright? You've been staring at me since we walked together." That surprised Sasuke who thought he had hidden it. "You can't hide much from me kid speak I won't get angry." Sasuke looked the man in the eyes. "You remind me of someone who took care of me back in the Leaf. The way you fight and how you show respect is exactly like him. Your mannerisms are also like his." Kozuri cursed internally forgetting how perceptive the Uchiha is. "Yea wait a minute do you know Kozuri? Now that I think about you act a lot like him!" Kozuri shook his head then he looked to see Kakashi and Miza. "You might as well tell em." Kozuri sighed before taking his mask off and hid his true face. "Woah! Koz!" Sasuke and Naruto were stunned their father figure was in front of them. "It's only been a few days since I left how are you guys?" Kozuri was nearly tackled to the ground by Naruto who hugged him and Kozuri returned the hug. "Why did you leave us?" Kozuri looked to see Sasuke hurt. "Because I needed answers to my past and there was nothing else I could teach either of you at this age so I wasn't needed." Naruto and Sasuke both look at Kozuri. "You took care of us even though you didn't need to. You were there for us when we had nobody else. Of course we still need you Kozuri." Kozuri looked at the blond then back at Sasuke before realization smacked his head. He had unintentionally hurt the two people he'd destroy the world for thanks to him thinking they didn't need him. "Your an idiot." Sasuke growled out before walking away leaving Kozuri to watch him go with a sigh. Kozuri freed himself from Naruto before looking at his friends. "I didn't mean to hurt any of you but I needed to know who Azak was and why I feel so much hatred within my soul." Kozuri spent the rest of the day speaking to the others until night fell. Kozuri was walking through the village when something exploded to his right sending him flying. Kozuri watched as the village burned around him as strange ninja attacked. Miza showed up and saw Kozuri watching in a daze. Miza moved to Kozuri but he stopped in his tracks. Kozuri's cloak was open and he saw his friend's organs behind a veil of black liquid. But what scared him the most was the rebar sticking through his throat. Miza's world shrank until it was just him and Kozuri. The adult ran to Kozuri and started pulling the rubble off of him. Kozuri was barely conscious from the explosion that he barely had time to warn Miza about Azak. All he could do was push Miza away before he was covered in black chakra. The chakra faded away quickly and Miza noticed Kozuri's body looked different. For one his skin darkened and he had strange symbols on him. The thing that caught his eye the most was the nine tails each a different color. "It's been so long since I've been home." Miza heard Kozuri and he looked to see Kozuri was stretching. "Seems I'm still alive as well strange that justu should've killed me." Kozuri walked away from Miza who couldn't even move. The aura around Kozuri was worse then before. It took all he had not to pass out so all he could do was watch Kozuri walk towards where the screams were the loudest. Team Seven had begun fighting these shinobi alongside the protectors of the village when the beasts all started looking nervous. "Maximum he's here Azak has returned to us." That made those who heard nervous because if the beasts were nervous that meant something bad. "My friends it seems you all remember who I am." Hearing that voice so full of venom made the heirs and Ashira tremble. They turned to see Azak walking to them with two people impaled on his arms. "I wondered why Miza was so afraid of me. You all see the monster still don't you?" Azak burned the bodies before looking at the Leaf Genin and he narrowed his eyes onto Naruto. "You have those same eyes he had." Naruto was so confused but he jumped when Azak appeared in front of him. "Azak don't touch him!" Ashira snapped at her son who looked at her with a maniacal gleam. "Or what mother? Didn't you try to lock me up with Paarl and Salazar as my jailers? Does Kozuri even know the truth? What afraid two sons hating you is worse then me hating you? I'd be careful with him mother he has all of my strengths and justu but none of my weaknesses." The other heirs ran to stop Azak who had aimed his hand at Naruto's throat. However they realized too late that's what he wanted as Azak dropped Naruto before swiping his arm at them sending a powerful gust of wind. Naruto looked at Azak terrified and the man looked at the blond. "Watch boy as I show you what true power is not that crap they tout about as friendship." Azak walked to the others before sighing when the attackers circled him. "Your the one our boss wants. Surrender or we take you by force." Miza showed up to see Azak react to that order. "Did you just tell me to surrender?" The other heirs ran to protect everyone as black lightning crackled off of Azak. "You just ordered the Lord of Domination to surrender?" Azak suddenly looked incredibly furious and the sky darkened. "Run." Azak roared and the world darkened. Miza created a massive circle of fire around Ashira as well as the others. Inside the circle everyone heard the screams of those who attacked the village. "W what's going on?" Miza looked at Naruto. "Right now Kozuri is unconscious which let something out that he kept hidden. It calls itself Azak but this isn't the boy I grew up with." Sasuke looked just as the flames lowered to see a figure walking to them. "You think you know the truth of Itachi and Kozuri but your wrong Uchiha." Sasuke flinched hearing the voice and its hand reached for him. "Don't listen to it Uchiha. Azak's power targets people's fears to manipulate them." Sasuke looked at Miza before watching the figure form into his father with a massive scar on his face. "Your brother murdered us but left you a useless brat alive." The figure vanished as Azak showed up the flame lent him a terrifying glow. "I could help you kill him Sasuke. Itachi is nothing to me neither is the one who helped him." Azak grinned before offering the Uchiha his hand. "Just take my hand and give into the darkness inside you.