Synchronicity

The Pool of Tears

"Uzumaki Naruto."

Naruto knelt unwavering in the center of an unusually clear patch of forest, the ring of trees above him darkened in the gloaming light, caught along the edges by the boiling red sky. The sun behind him burned the edge of the earth in flames, eliciting an inhuman glow against his profile.

The ANBU dropped from the trees gracefully, silently; blended shadows of the sprawling forestry around him.

The blonde squatted in the center of the blood spattered clearing, the limp, lifeless bodies around him turning the jagged, sliced earth into a shallow ocean of red. His hair lay atop his head in a messy skew, as if he hadn't slept in days, and his eyes never strayed from the iridescent sheen of the moon, almost so entranced it was somewhat unnerving to watch.

The boy finally seemed to stir out of his dream, rising to his feet slowly, crookedly, as if half his body remained in slumber. He moved then: a jerk to the side to where the black-ops hung in the shadows, russet red eyes shifting through bramble and heavy darkness to pierce right through the Captain's heart.

Kyuubi stood up at his full not-so-intimidating height of five feet and three inches; even still, such an alarming display cowed his present company into a restless, uneasy defense. Though he was nothing but a boy, a strangled demonic presence wrapped around him, a salient energy boiling beneath his skin and threatening to overtake him completely—perhaps most unnatural were the eyes. And the rage behind him which could pierce through flesh and bone, tearing out the soul to peruse it's contents.

"Something wrong?" He tilted his head; nothing overtly alarming about the movement, and yet the ANBU shifted cautiously around him.

Captain Tenzou unwillingly remembered the Fourth Hokage's tired smile, and wary blue eyes as he stepped away from him, a cautious hand on his shoulder as a silent salute, walking off into the distance as nine red tails dyed the horizon into a fiery death and an inhuman roar pitched the world until it shook.

Shaking the wisps of memories of another sunny, bright-eyed man, he made a vague gesture to the butchered bodies beneath Kyuubi's feet.

"Our mission was to assassinate a group of missing-nin from Iwa that had crossed the borders."

Kyuubi made a noncommittal noise of assent.

"What's the problem then?" He snorted, stepping over the forming puddles of blood to narrow his demonic eyes on the ANBU's mask. "I did it for you."

"Yeah," The Captain replied somewhat blithely, stepping forward. "I can see that."

His gaze swept around the clearing, giving a cursory look at the kills. Swift—but in no means merciful.

"Naruto-kun, I'm going to have to request you to follow us." He returned his focus to the blonde in front of him, who had yet to move.

"Hmm?" Kyuubi purred, finally leaning forward to sniff at the man in front of him. While the man himself gave no reaction, the team around him quickly drew their weapons.

"Kyuubi no Kitsune." Tenzou began again, tightly. "Drop the act. We won't hesitate to detain you by force if necessary."

"Is that so?" The fox mused. "Even at the cost of Naruto's life?"

Tenzou's grip on his tanto tightened; the blade shook almost imperceptibly with the force belied in his hands. "Yes." He bit out. Although he would do everything in his power to prevent that.

Kyuubi appraised him with a deathly cold expression. Finally, he smiled. "Alright."

Captain Yamato was fully aware that any cooperation by a dangerous monster was an action that surely couldn't be trusted. He was also aware that, if he wanted, Kyuubi could dispatch his whole team, or at the very least mortally wound them. And while he trusted himself to be able to diffuse the demon, not all the ANBU in his current platoon were able to defend against a terror that most were much too young to have fought against before. His team waited hesitantly until Kyuubi walked forward, cautiously flanking him and bringing him into the group.