Chapter 17: Powerful Confrontations!

The Fate of Inuzkua Kiba!

Zaku and Shuno tore along through the trees as they left Jira behind them. "Jira is strong, but I have no idea the strength of a full power Inuzuka clan beast." Shuno said. "I've never seen one myself, but from what I hear, Jira had better not get cocky." Zaku said as they moved. They burst out of the tree line and into the wastelands of fire country. The arena was all patches of field and dirt for miles with large plateaus scattered everywhere. They saw two figures standing in the distance and waiting for them. Heavy winds blew across the wastelands and shook Zaku and Shuno. Zaku felt his body pump up as he looked out over the wasteland. "Kiba…" He said to himself as he stared at the figures in the distance. He forced himself not to use his Byakugan to get a closer look, he wanted to see Kiba close up. They made their way towards the figures with one thing on their minds. As they got closer one of the figures went down into a cavern nearby. The other waited for them. He had a long black cloak with a hood that blew in the wind, show his black pants and coat beneath it. His face was covered by a flat white mask with red tribal designs on the left side of it. There was no eye hole on the left side of the mask, and Zaku immediately realized who it was. "Dosu!" Zaku screamed at the top of his lungs. Dosu waved a gloved hand casually and spoke from behind his mask as Zaku and Shuno reached him. "Well now, it has been what, four years now? And look at us! Everyone wearing masks! Of I feel so happy that all of us can finally get along!" He said theatrically. "Is Kiba in there?" Zaku said with a fiery tone as he motioned towards the cave. Dosu laughed and crossed his arms. "I don't know, perhaps he is?" He said mockingly. "Shuno!" Zaku said as he walked towards the cave. "Understood…" Shuno said as he took a step towards Dosu. Dosu turned his head towards Zaku as he walked by, and Shuno caught his attention by powering his chakra. "I am your opponent puppet master, their fight is a personal one." Shuno said as he took his mask off and clipped it to the side of his belt. Dosu looked back at him and laughed. "Oh I agree hive-man, their battle will be one of great personal glory, and their bloodshed will be glorious indeed." He shot his hand out to the side and a massive scythe formed out of chakra and solidified into an ornate weapon. "Let ours be the same."

Jira cracked his neck as the wolves closed in on him. The first of them slowly walked out of the trees and snarled at him. The others slowly came out, flashing their teeth and growling. "If you think that the great Jira is going to get touched by a couple of animals, than you bastards are in for a surprise." A deep growling voice came back out of the woods. "And if you think that I am a mere animal 'oh great Jira' than you are the one in for a surprise." Jira turned to see Akumaru slowly step out into the clearing and all of the wolves whimper in his presence. He was nearly five feet tall at the shoulder. His fur was a dark grey, nearly black in the dark forest. He had a spiky mane of hair around his head and a strip of it going down his back. The wolf's muscles were bulged and rippled under his fur and his fangs dripped with drool in a brutal grin. He was missing his right eye and it was covered with a three strap eye patch. Akumaru had spiked metal bracelets on each of his legs and three of his fangs were metal. Jira took a step back and tried to shake off the feeling of terror that had snuck up on him. Akumaru growled out an order to his pack. "Rip 'em up."

Zaku walked down the damp candle lit corridor. He came into a large room and couldn't believe his eyes. The room was full of candles and there was a large table in the middle. Uzumaki Naruto was strapped to the table and unconscious, his body covered in various scrolls and writings. "Naruto!" Zaku said in surprise at the sight of his uncle. "Yes, he is a very important part of our plan." Someone said from the darkness. "Kiba, come out and let me see you, face to face." Zaku said towards the darkness. Kiba stepped out and Zaku felt his blood run cold as he finally saw Kiba for the first time in four years. He wasn't wearing a shirt, and he had gotten incredible muscle definition and he had loose wrap hanging from around his neck. His hands were tied in dirty wrap and he pulled them tight with his teeth. He still wore his forehead protector, but it was off to one side and was old and tattered. He had baggy black shorts on with metal hip protectors held on by straps and his feet were wrapped instead of having shoes. His right eye was different from his left, it looked life a wolf's eye. Kiba grinned and held touched his right eye. "This? Oh well this is from my brother Akumaru. You see now he is with me always…" He said as he cocked his head to the side. "Kiba! You have a lot to answer for, and what are you doing to Naruto!" Zaku screamed at him. Kiba looked over at Naruto and smiled. "He is only a vessel in which my destiny awaits!" He said as he grinned again and flexed his muscles. "What are you talking about Kiba!" Zaku said as he took off his ANBU mask. He threw it at Kiba like it was a shuriken, and Kiba caught it. He closed his hand and crushed the mask easily. "This fool has been gracious enough to hold my Bijuu for me his entire life, and now I plan on taking it." He said with a crazy look in his eyes.

"You plan on taking it? Dosu… Dosu is going to extract the Bijuu from Naruto and put it into you?" Zaku said in disbelief. Kiba laughed and tensed his muscles again. "It was easy for Dosu to manipulate this old fool, Naruto was never the brightest of Shinobi." He said.

Zaku powered up his chakra. "Why Kiba, why are you doing all of this? Why have you killed so many people and why did it have to turn out this way!" Zaku screamed. Kiba scratched his face and grinned. "Because I was weak Zaku, you showed me that time and again! But Dosu, Dosu showed my how to be strong! Dosu showed me that the only way I could gain true power was by destroying everything that was in my way! I can feel it now Zaku, so close to true power! I can feel it in the blood of my enemies! I can taste it in their blood, smell it in the sweet aroma! The more I spill the more the power gets closer and closer to being within my reach!" Kiba stammered as lust filled his voice. Zaku gritted his teeth as he realized that his friend was truly gone. "I'm sorry Kiba, my orders are to bring you back alive… and until I got here I thought that it was possible… But now I know that you have to die."

Shuno whipped his arms forwards as billions of tiny bugs swarmed out in clouds. Dosu spun his scythe and slammed it hard into the ground as chakra poured off of it. The chakra seemed into the ground, and seconds later the earth began to shake. Shuno took step back as he pulled out a kunai and got ready. A massive hand shot up out of the ground and began pulling the rest of itself up. Shuno looked on in horror as the monstrosity emerged. It was close to ten feet tall, muscles bulging under the strain of their own power. Its hulking form ripped up through the ground and roared with fury in nothing in particular. It was more or less the shape of a man, but it had not skin, it was only leathery muscle and bone. A row of bone spikes ran down the center of its head and down its spine. Its knuckles extended out into bone spikes and its face had a low sloping brow and a huge extending jaw. "Kanomaru! Destroy this little pest!" Dosu screamed to the giant freakish man. Shuno adjusted his glasses and looked his new enemy up and down. "And just what exactly are you?" He said in a serious tone. "RRRRRRAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!" The freak screamed as he leapt high into the air and came crashing down like a meteor.

Jira jumped one of the wolves and brought his palm facing as another appeared right in front of him. "Juken Shotgun Jutsu!" He screamed and a blast of chakra burst from his outstretched hand. The wolf went flying backwards in a smoking heap as Jira ducked another wolf and flipped to the side to avoid another. He clenched both of his fists as he powered his chakra. "Juken Rapid Fire Jutsu!" He screamed and spun as the machinegun like chakra burst from his hands. The wolves all leapt at him furiously, but the chakra ripped through them brutally and sent all of them falling to the ground. Akumaru stepped up and growled at Jira. "I have to do this myself than!" The wolf roared and charged Jira. Jira focused his special jutsu into both hand and fired his shotgun from his left, and his rapid fire from his right. Akumaru was fast, every bit as fast as Zaku when Jira trained with him. He dashed from one side to the other, hardly visible as he became a blur of movement despite his size. Jira ducked as the wolf came from behind him and attacked him with a snap that would have taken his head off. Jira spun on the ground and kicked his feet out. Akumaru jumped the attack and came crashing in at him. Jira rolled backwards as the wolf crashed into the ground. "Fang Destroyer Jutsu!" Akumaru howled and leapt into the air. Instantly his speed increased tenfold as the tore through the air like a chakra missile. Jira fired his shotgun jutsu at close rang, but it bounced the deadly wolf. Jira dove to the ground as Akumaru flew by and ripped a tree apart. Jira jumped to his feet and began firing both of his jutsu into the woods as Akumaru flew around him. They quickly began destroying the thick trees around them as wood and chakra flew everywhere. Akumaru barely nipped Jira's shoulder and shredded his trench coat sleeve. Jira winced and held his now blood arm in pain. "Dammit you fucking mutt!" He screamed and held both hands out. "Juken Buster Cannon Jutsu!" Akumaru turned in the air and came straight at him. Red chakra crackled at Jira's fingertips and glowing particles began forming in the air around him. "RRRRRAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHH!" He screamed as he let lose the beam of pure destructive chakra and its crimson glow illuminated the entire forest. Akumaru came crashing straight forward into the beam, and the shockwave rocked the woods as it splintered trees and sent tons of dirt flying.

Kiba disappeared into the shadows and Zaku followed after him. "I'll be back uncle Naruto." He said as he passed the unconscious man. He found himself in what was an enormous underground cavern. Huge pillars lined the place every fifteen feet and stretched all the way up to the ceiling. Some of them had fires burning on little shelves on them, but only a few. Making the chamber very poorly lit. "Byakugan!" Zaku said, but nothing happened. Laugher came from the darkness ahead of him. "Who is the unobservant one now Zaku?" Kiba said. Zaku looked around and saw that every pillar had a scroll on it. Not exploding ones he realized after a second, sealing scrolls. "Kiba, if you think disabling my Byakugan is enough for you to survive this fight, I'm sorry that you haven't improved over the years." Zaku said as he powered his chakra. Kiba growled from somewhere off in the dark and Zaku could feel his chakra increasing as well. Zaku jumped forwards as Kiba slid around the side of a pillar and swung at him. Kiba was in feral form and ripped a chunk out of the pillar. Zaku jumped into the air and let lose a barrage of kicks to the face that rocked Kiba backwards. He yelled and grabbed a hold of one of Zaku's legs and swung him hard into a pillar. He crushed into it and it crumbled to pieces. Kiba screamed as his hand burned with pain and he pulled it away quickly from Zaku. "I have complete control of my chakra Kiba! My entire body can be used as a weapon, you can't touch me!" Zaku leapt at him and slashed his foot horizontally in the air. Chakra flowed off of it and left a gash across Kiba's chest. Kiba screamed and grabbed Zaku's other foot as it swung around at him. He ignored the pain in his hand and head butted Zaku hard, sending him flying backwards. Kiba dashed in and out of the pillars as slashed Zaku hard across his back. Zaku exploded into smoke as Kiba stumbled forwards in surprise. He quickly caught his balance and shot a hand up to the side, catching the real Zaku around the throat. Zaku's eyes bulged in surprise as Kiba lifted him off of the ground with one hand. "This place my dull you powers Zaku, but my natural senses aren't the slightest bit affected!" He said as he rammed Zaku through a pillar and let go of him before any damage could be done to his hand. Zaku burst up out of the pillar and brought his Vorpal blade around in a deadly slash. Kiba did a hand seal in an instant. "Iron Hide Jutsu!" He screamed as the blade hit him and did nothing. Zaku jumped backwards and wasn't sure what had happened. "You say I haven't improved Zaku, but I have." Kiba said as he grinned and cracked his neck. Zaku let a Vorpal blade form on each of his fingers on his other hand. He swiped the hand and the blades flew off like chakra shurikens. They bounced off of Kiba as he laughed. Zaku was caught off guard as Kiba burst into three and disappeared. The three Kibas pummeled Zaku viciously back and forth as he slashed at them to no avail. Zaku cursed himself and jumped straight up. The Kibas all jumped after him and one grabbed his legs and another hit him hard in the chest. The third flew above him and came crashing down with both fists smashing into Zaku's head. The other Kiba let go as Zaku crashed down to the ground in a heap. They landed around him and laughed as one rolled him over with a foot. "Shit…" They all said in unison as they saw the exploding scroll attached to Zaku's chest. It detonated into a ball of fire and rocked the cavern. Pillars and rocks flew everywhere as two of the Kibas disappeared. The third climbed out of the rubble smoking and cracked his neck. "Is that all you can do Zaku? Cheap trick won't get you out of this alive!" Kiba heard something above him and looked up. Zaku was standing on the ceiling with chakra and he bit his thumb. "Summoning Jutsu!" He screamed as he punched the ceiling and symbols and words flew out. Kiba crouched, and jumped straight up into the air. He was inches away from Zaku when the summon burst from the ceiling and swirled around Zaku's left arm. It was a small dragon, some six feet long and red and black. It opened its mouth and fire spewed forth from it. Kiba kicked off of a pillar went flying away. Zaku dropped to the ground. The dragon coiled around his arm and its head ended just above his hand. Its tail flickered off of his shoulder and it looked around with smoke coming out of his mouth. Zaku spun and the dragon shot flame into a pillar that he pointed it at. Kiba crashed up through the ground and hit Zaku hard in the face. He stumbled backwards but the flame burst from the dragon's mouth and engulfed Kiba. He screamed and stumbled backwards as he frantically tried to wipe the flames off of him. Zaku watched as Kiba flailed in pain, but than stopped and started laughing. "Are you stupid Zaku? I am invincible now!" Kiba said from beneath the flames. "Kiba…"

Shuno let his bugs swarm in a torrent of darkness as they covered the Kanomaru. "What? No chakra at all?" He said to himself when the bugs came back to him. Dosu laughed and bowed. "He is my own personal creation; puppetry with wood and metal became sooo boring as my powers increased. He is my most successful flesh craft, the others were… less than desirable." Dosu said with theatrics. Shuno grimaced and powered his charka. "Summoning Jutsu!" he screamed and slammed his fist down after biting it. A giant centipede burst from the ground and spun up around Shuno. He waved his hands forwards and the centipede charged Kanomaru. The hulking beast grappled with the insect ten times his size and stopped it dead in it's tracks. Shuno turned to Dosu to fight him head on, but the puppet master was gone. Shuno turned his attention back to the fight at hand. He raced up the back of the centipede and leapt off of it, overtop of Kanomaru. He pulled his coat down from his face as bees swarmed out of his mouth. "Thousand Stings Jutsu!" He yelled as the bees swarmed Kanomaru. The giant screamed in pain as the bees stung him thousands of times and Shuno finished the attack. "Exploding Venom Jutsu!" The centipede overpowered Kanomaru and they went crashing into the ground.

The smoke cleared and Jira climbed out from underneath the smoking remnants of a tree. He brushed the soot and dirt off of himself and coughed a couple of times. He threw his mask aside as Akumaru emerged from the debris, smoke rolling off of him. The wolf growled deeply and shook the dirt off of himself. Jira powered his chakra back up and got ready. "You are going to regret that, human." Akumaru said with a glimmer of rage in his eyes. "Wolf Pack Jutsu!" He screamed and chakra exploded off of him. Dozens of black wolves burst up from the ground with glowing red eyes and drooling mouths. Jira grimaced and got into Juken style. "One Hundred and Sixty Four Divine Strikes! Jira Special!" He screamed as he was engulfed in the black wolves. Thin beams of chakra shot from his fingertips and lanced through all of the wolves, destroying them instantly. The beams kept coming at a rapid fire, but they didn't disappear, they all circled around and headed towards Akumaru. The wolf took off through the woods, the beams crashing into trees all around him as he ran. He dashed to the side, narrowly avoiding one and pumping up to full speed. They hit all around him like an energy rain, with explosive results. He leapt into the air and avoided a cluster of them as they detonated on the ground. He turned to look back, there were still quite a few. "Dammit!" The wolf said as he kicked off of a tree and took off in another direction. He turned forward just in time to see Jira standing there with his hands forward. "Double Barrel Shotgun Jutsu!" He screamed at chakra burst from his hands. Akumaru tried to stop, but behind him was just as bad as in front. He cut hard to the left, but one of the chakra beams lanced into his back leg as the shotgun chakra blew a hole in his side. He crashed to the ground like a rag doll as more of the chakra beams came lancing down into him. Akumaru howled out in pain one last time as he struggled to get up, but failed to do so. Jira sighed as he let his power drop and he dropped down to a knee. He could feel that he had used too much chakra, the wolf had surprised him. "No one fucks with me mutt." He said as he stood back up and headed in the direction that Shuno and Mako had gone.

Kiba's head cocked to the side as he seemed to be listening for something. "Aku… Akumaru?" He said horrified as he reached up and touched his eye. A tear ran down his face from his human eye and he looked over at Zaku. "What did you do? WHAT DID YOU DO!" He screamed as rage quickly overtook his grief. Zaku took a step back as the chakra exploded off of Kiba like a bomb. The cavern started to collapse around them as Kiba carelessly powered up. "RRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!" He screamed at the top of his lungs and chakra swirled around him and ripped at the pillars. Zaku couldn't believe the raw power. "If he's this strong now… Than if he gets a Bijuu…" Zaku un-summoned the dragon and let his chakra begin to climb along with Kiba. "I can't let you do this Kiba! You'll bring down the whole place on us!" Zaku screamed as he made his way back towards where Naruto was. Kiba kept screaming as his body bulked up uncontrollably. His hair grew into a huge mane and his bones snapped and twisted. The painful transformation took over him as he grew a full two feet taller. He screamed as he ripped at his skin, ripping it off as black fur burst from underneath. His face exploded into a wolf's head and blood ran from the shell he had just shed. "RRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!" He roared a bestial scream that rocked the collapsing cavern. Zaku turned and ran to Naruto. He burst into the room, but didn't see what he expected. Dosu was standing there with Naruto over his shoulder. "It looks as if my colleague there has shortened our stay in this fine place." He said as he bowed. "I bid you adieu." He said as a giant piece of stone came crashing down on him. Zaku turned back to see two glowing red eyes in the darkness and staring at him. "KIBA!" He screamed and his chakra exploded violently.

Shuno stumbled as the ground beneath him began to shake. Kanomaru ripped the centipede's head off in one violent twist of his hands and the summoned creature exploded into a cloud of smoke. "This is bad…" Shuno said as he powered his chakra and got ready, this beast was stronger than he had thought. The ground beneath him exploded as a figure burst up and leapt away into the distance. "Kiba?" Shuno said as he watched the wolf-like figure bound off into the distance. Kanomaru took off in the same direction, jumping and running faster than what seemed possible for his size. "What the hell is going on!" Shuno said to himself. He turned to see Dosu standing behind him with Naruto over his shoulder. "You again! Is that Uzumaki Naruto!" Dosu laughed and took off in direction Kiba and Kanomaru had gone. "I can try and stop me, but I think your friend needs some help now!" Dosu yelled back. Shuno looked back to the hole that Kiba had made in the ground. "Zaku!" He yelled as he leapt down into the hole.

Jira burst out of the woods and made his way over to the large hole in the ground. Shuno jumped up out of it with an unconscious Zaku over his shoulder. He was torn up bad, his clothing was shredded and he was covered in blood. "I leave you two alone for five damn minutes and look what happens!" Jira yelled. "This is no time for jokes Jira!" Shuno said to him. "Right… our orders were to capture Kiba, do we go after him or not?" Jira said. "No, the captain's health takes precedence here." Shuno said. Jira nodded and they took off back towards the village.

Kiba screamed as they stopped at the base of a cliff. "It was only supposed to be a test Dosu! It was only supposed to be a test of his power! Now I can't feel Akumaru anymore! I can't feel him Dosu! They killed him! They killed him!" He screamed hysterically, still in his werewolf form. Dosu waved his hand and Kiba fell to the ground and turned back to normal. "Shut up you damn fool! The mutt was of no consequence to us!" Dosu said and threw Naruto to Kanomaru. "Carry him." He said. "Get up and quit sniveling Kiba, the time has come to put our plan into action."