Game of Shadows by Adrian King1

Chapter 123

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto nor The Gamer. I own nothing, really.

Cover Art: Kissuli.

Chapter 123

[Naruto Uzumaki]

The fight was going nowhere. He knew it, Kurama knew it and the Akatsuki pair knew it. There was literally nothing he could do to stop them, it seemed. It was a matter of time before he just fell.

Despite the impression he'd always had regarding his tenant, Naruto was realizing that its – Their? – reserves of chakra weren't infinite. He'd known that, for sure, but it was a different thing to know something intellectually and to believe it. After all, he'd never even seen a small fraction of it. Surely it was only finite in name, right?

Wrong.

'Stupid sword, stupid Akatsuki,' he grumbled to himself as he continued to fight. The living, chakra eating sword of the shark guy was draining Kurama's energy like there was no tomorrow. The thing was gulping down the stuff like he would have Ichiraku ramen. God, having one last bowl of the stuff before dying would have been nice.

"Not really the time, brat," Kurama grumbled in his mind and he gave the beast the point. Then again, it didn't really matter all that much how much he focused on the fight. They'd been at it for quite a while already and things weren't changing at all.

Sure, he'd gotten a lucky hit at Sharkboy's arm, which managed to leave a decent gash on the upper part. And sure, he'd almost hit Sasuke's brother a few times, leaving his black coat burnt in several places. However... that was it. Nowhere near enough damage was done to his opponents as to stop them and he was already practically on his last legs. Naruto and Kurama's combined strength had not diminished all that much, but they were nearing the point where they'd run out of juice soon.

Case in point, the fact that he'd long since stopped making clones.

"Well... It was nice to be able to let loose, I guess," Kurama said then, not quite resigned, but Naruto knew that was the sentiment behind the words. He totally got it, if he was honest. At least he'd go down swinging, that was as much as he could ask, he supposed.

'It was nice to not be alone for this,' Naruto thought, more to himself than to his tenant. Evidently, he was still heard, considering the huff he heard from the beast. 'So, thank you.'

He got no actual response, but that was fine.

Naruto stopped then, standing on all four limbs on top of a dune. His nine chakra tails swinging menacingly behind him. Besides that, he didn't move though, only growling lowly at the pair of hunters that were out to get him. Both of whom stood there, watching him, not quite warily but still cautious. By then the two knew very well that he was a tricky bastard. 'As well they should,' Naruto mused proudly.

"Ready to give up, brat? I'll admit this was more fun than I thought, but it's quickly turning annoying," Sharkboy said, with his irritating, sharp toothed grin still in place. God, how he'd have liked to knock a few of those teeth out. Sadly, it was not to be.

Naruto didn't reply though, simply just waiting for them to move.

If they wanted him so badly, the least they could do was come for him. So, he stood there, low on energy the Jinchuriki might have been, but without the stupid sword draining his reserves, he had all the time in the world... Figuratively speaking, of course. He still would be able to stay where he was for quite a bit. The Akatsuki knew it too, if the look they traded was anything to go by.

Thus, they rushed at him with no hesitation. Not that Naruto expected any, really. He knew he was the one with the odds stacked against him. 'I'm used to that though,' he thought to himself, a grin spreading over his face under the coat of red chakra that hid him from the world.