Ok guys, the long awaited King Kyuubi, unofficial sequal of Fortunes Fool. Ok not sequal, but it has some aspects weaved in with a few little plotholes for the readers imagination :) Lol.
If you haven't figured it out yet, King Kyuubi is a crossover/fusion type story with King Kong. Lol, weird right? The story will follow the movie pretty closely with a few discrepancies (such as who dies and who doesnt, lol). A few characters may be a little stretched to fill the part, such as a more talkative Sasuke or a mellowed out Kiba. Expecially Hizashi. Cause I dont know what the heck kinda personality he has. Lol. You get the idea.
Like Fortune's Fool, this probably won't be a very long story. Though the final chapter count is still pending, a few of the chapters are significantly longer than what I usually write. Or at least.. they felt longer to me when I was writing them. :)
Gah! Im so nervous to post this! What if its totally crapy and no one likes it! Eee! I'll hide under the bed!
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Naruto owns my soul. Kong will probably eat me. So on and so forth.
King Kyuubi
Chapter 1
By Mirazhe1
Konoha has been renowned for having a long, prosperous history. It used to be the known as The Hidden Village of Heros and renowned for it's awesome displays of shooting stars during the night, a symbol of heroism. Also known for it's abundance of wild life in the street, living harmoniously with the citizens, Konoha was surely the village most in tune with the wildlife surrounding it. It was the most prosperous and well going village. Even the poor lived wealthily. For having the most heroic Hokage, their Rokudaime, who's name over time disappeared and became known as "Kitsune's Claw", who single handedly pulled the Leaf and their ninja from the ashes and began it's long and wondrous history.
And now?
Now Konoha isn't.
Still the largest and most powerful of villages... But now the one in most poverty and hate. Citizens, public and ninja alike, wandered the streets, jobless, homeless, and hopeless. Ghettos in the back streets littered the city as people struggled for another hour's worth of food. Everything, drab grey and brown, filtered in and out of the white smog, a ghost of what it once was.
Konoha, oh Konoha gakure no Sato, was known for it's dead dark nights.
But citizens pushed on. Grossly over crowded (it always seemed someone was somewhere; whether or not they paid attention to the oh so obvious muggings and crimes around them was another story), citizens and shinobi pushed for work in the oddest places. Only memories of Konoha's previous greatness, hundreds and hundreds of years ago, of their glorious Rokudaime, Godaime, and Yondaime, pushed them to a greater Konoha. The normal public pushed for more difficult jobs, building large buildings, mining, hazarding work, while the weaker (or more soft hearted) shinobi dociled, taking odd jobs (along with their assassinations and government overthrowing) like the soup kitchen or even theater. Konoha, if possible, grew to a massive size, at least double what it once was as the people fought to regain their former prosparity.
Theater, entertainment, movies, became a huge hit. The citizens wanted away from this horrid reality they lived in, times of old greatness or even comedy. No one wanted to live in this horrid hell hole, so entertainment became the biggest hit.
And that, is exactly were the unsure shinobi, Hyuuga Hinata had gone.
Anxious, nervous, and gasping for air, the shy shinobi stood backstage, ready to jump forward even as she hyperventilated. Even her, the most experienced of actress ninja, became terribly nervous before preforming. Stage hands fussed with her hair, attempting to make the short mop look even more boyish.
It didn't help her low self esteem to be cast as a boy, but of coarse the casting crew wouldn't give her a romantic, womanly role. She couldn't quite flaunt her womanly (yet easily hidden) curves well enough, and they seemed to think she was too good of a ninja to go to waste (not that Hinata would ever agree to that). She'd prove to them she could play as a girl one day... Maybe. Finally her cue came and she rushed on stage, a smiling mask coming over her earlier anxiety as she proceeded to show a play of aerial tricks and agility only a Hyuuga could pull off.
She flipped back across the stage as her oh so familiar Uncle Hizashi made his appearance to attack her, kunai in hand and ready to slash at her throat...
Only to clumbsily fall on his face with a loud "Oupf!".
Well, it was a comedy, after all.
The show ended as Hinata back flipped to center stage, landing straight into the splits, an extrodenary talent if she had been a boy... Not the audience knew that. The audience clapped lazily, while a few laughed hysterically. Her smiling mask held strong even as she left stage.
"Opf!" A pause. "That was a good oupf, don't ya think Hina-chan?" Hinata looked up from her mirror as she tried to brush out her short, yet now tangled, locks.
"Y-yes, Uncle Hizashi," She provided a small, albeit real smile. She was still getting over her nerves after all. She continued to carefully comb out her hair until it finally flowed prettily, giving her earlier boyish face a beautiful feminine look. Hinata herself would never think so, though.
Done now, she carefully put away her brush, and nimble hands moved to pick up a tenderly placed book off the desk. It was snatched away, though, by a stage hand as he examined it with critical eyes. Hinata "Eep!"ed with surprise, and blushed.
"Inuzuka Kiba, eh Hinata? Didn't know you were into such gritty stuff," The stage hand mentioned easily. He was right, timid little Hinata, always breaking from nervousness before she went on stage, reading the gritty realistic battles written by Inuzuka Kiba was pretty unbelievable. The Inuzuka was well known for his grotesque, dramatic plays, mostly reinactments of Konoha's warlike history.
"Y.. Yes," Hinata smiled sweetly, acting skills coming to play. She tenderly took the book back, holding it as she held everything: carefully, as if it would break.
"Wrote some pretty good plays, big audiences," Someone mentioned not far off, hearing their conversation over the general mumble in the room.
"Never really enjoyed 'im," Another joined in, disagreeing.
"Che, at least he gets an audience," snorted the stage hand who originally snatched the book away. Hinata blinked worriedly, seeing were the conversation was leading. Even as shy and timid as she was, she didn't enjoy seeing the glass half empty ALL the time.
"Don't worry," She flashed a smile she usually reserved for the stage. She was an actress afterall. "Things... Things've been getting better l-lately. A lot more people laughed this time!" The conversation fell silent and most of the speakers dispersed. Unsure once again, Hinata glanced about, poking her fingers together as her shoulders slowly rose to hunch next to her ears.
"Why don't I walk you home, Hina-chan," Hizashi said kindly, his old eyes smiling next to their wrinkling crows feet. Hinata provided a soft smile and took his elbow kindly.
Tears sprung to Hinata's eyes as they took in the sight before her. Blinking rapidly, swearing not to cry, she ran forward.
"W-whats going on!" She stuttered, her pale eyes looking about. The theater's costumes and supplies scattered across the dirty ground and Hinata was sure she saw her own among it all.
"Sorry, ladies, place is closed down now," The man currently locking up the theater replied. With a finalizing 'click' the doors were chained closed behind the "CANCLED" banner roped over them. The men, done with their job, retreated, no doubt going to the next bankrupt house or building in Konoha to lock it up also.
"They cant! We... We c-cant let them!" Her arms hugged herself, as if the non-existent cold air bit at her. Even in the warm summer sun, and in her all too familiar large coat, Hinata shivered. This couldn't be happening! It was hard enough to keep a job in this town, let alone find a new one.She jumped, however, when she noticed Hizashi sigh beside her.
"Saa... Give it up, Hina-chan," said Hizashi, a sad, defeated look painted across his face as he gazed upon the theater. His pale, distinctive Byakugan eyes, just as Hinatas, shifted to look down at the frightened girl. "We're all done." Hinata blinked and looked up at her uncle uncertainly.
"U..Uncle Hi..Hizashi?"
"I going back to Hyuuga Estates, Hina-chan," her Uncle smiled sadly down at the girl. It didn't comfort her in the least. The lunged forward, her petite arms wrapping round Hizashi's old and sturdy shoulders.
The Hyuuga Estates was perhaps the only prosperous place left in Konoha. A full fourth of the town was reserved to the ever growing clan, main and branch members alike (though while it was an uncomon fact, the branch quarters were of coarse significantly more drab than the main). Exclusive only to the large clan, their doors were always open to a Hyuuga who couldn't quite make it in the real world (albeit, snobishly. It was considered quite the discrace to return to the estates after so diligently working to make profiet in the real world. The Hyuuga did look down on failure, afterall).
"I-Im sorry, Hina-chan," he faltered slightly as Hinata plundered into him. "You've been let down so many times... Neji... My brother-"
"Don't," Hinata cut off curtly, pulling away. Her blank eyes were clenched shut, no doubt holding the dam of tears. Hizashi sighed.
"Don't do this Hinata," said girl looked up, eyes shining, unfamiliar with her uncle pronouncing her full name. "Don't let them drag you down..." A pause as he thought. "That play.. The play Inuzuka Kiba wrote, go try out for it." Hinata's head shook faintly, eyes now fearful. Her! Little Hypervenilating Hinata Hyuuga try out for a gritty war play! Hizashi's own face became one of pity. "Don't, Hina-chan. I know you think every time you reach for something, try for something, its snatched away and you fail." The shy ninja trembled now, looking away. It was all too true. Hizashi's face turned to one more determined.
"But not again, never again. Not this time."
And he left it at that.
Nara Shikamaru looked up at the fogy sky and sighed "Troublesome," as he walked at his lazy pace down the street. No cloud watching from his office window today: definitely to foggy... again. Being chunin was so troublesome... and casting for this damn play was even worse. Why oh why had he gotten into theater!
Well... of coarse, because it was a so and so job... Now all he needed was a so and so wife..
But of coarse, his job wasn't as so and so as he had thought.
"Oh, h..hello Mr. Nara!"
Speak of the devil.
"Oh geeze.." Shikamaru rolled his eyes to the sky, speeding up his lazy pace to a faster one, as if to loose the clingy ninja. Whyyyy! "I told you, Hyuuga, call Kurenai and leave your resume with her!"
"But, M-Mr. Nara," Hinata sped up her own speed, in a rare display of determination. No way is she giving up now."Why can't I j-just give it to you i-in person?"
"'Cause it's less troublesome that way." Shikamaru sped to a faster pace, long legs stretching to a dire length. Even then he was the epitome of lazyness, as his long desprate stride looked lax and bored.
"But.. I sent you my r-resume," Hinata replied, jogging after him. "It came back.. u-unopened."
"So? Maybe Inuzuka didn't like your handwriting."
Hinata paused for a moment in the middle of the street. My h-handwriting! She quickly recollected herself with a deep breath.
"PLEASE, Mr. Nara, j...just an audition, that's all I need," Hinata ninja poofed in front of the lazy chunin, hands clasped together pleading.
"Sorry, Hyuuga," Shikamaru stated lazily, walking past her and into the doorway of a fancy steakhouse. "The play's been cast. The part went to someone else." Hinata blinked, brow furrowing hopelessly up at Shikamaru. She looked down, defeated, into the window of the steakhouse. Already lunchtime traffic had begun and juicy steaks were being served to the diners. The shy ninja's stomach rumbled desperately, making her blush slightly. Shikamaru failed to notice, or merely ignored it.
"I know times are bad," Hinata blinked away from the food, eyes at attention now. "But just use what you got. You're a pretty girl-" Hinata blinked, eyes wide and wondrous. Apart from Uncle Hizashi, she had never had a compliment of her looks by a man. "-You've got a good body." Shikamaru eyed her up and down lazily, but fortunately not like a pervert. The shy ninja drooped, the compliment shattered now, and Shikamaru sighed.
"Listen, there's this place, Icha Icha Paradise," He thrust a hand into his pocket, withdrew a pen and paper and wrote down the address. "Its not the nicest place, but it pays well. Ask for Jirayia to see you; he'll let you in for sure." With that, and a low "Troublesome," Nara Shikamaru paced into the steakhouse, leaving Hinata standing in the middle of the busy sidewalk.
Uchiha Sasuke's dark black eyes shifted back and forth sporadically as he watched the Studio Reviewers... watch his film. Talented and experienced shinobi eyes, ones from the infamous Uchiha clan no less, read the fidgeting impatient body language of each viewer. Finally, one of the reviewers, Yamanaka Ino, sighed and spouted out:
"How much more is there?"
Sasuke's eyes widened.
Shit. He may be an excellent ninja but apparently not a very talented film maker. That definately wasn't a good sign.
"Another 3 reels," the camera boy answered lazily as Sasuke gave him a meaningful glare.
"Lights." As commanded, the lights brightened, and a few of the reviewers twitched and awoke from their bored slumber. Damn.
"So, Sasuke-kun," Ino stated as she steepled her hands. She didn't even bother turning around to look at the Uchiha. "This is it? All our money for this.. crap?"
"We were expecting action, romance, horror!" Another reviewer complained.
"Saa.. About that," Sasuke answered calmly, though he was growling on the inside, "Our actress is currently.. getting her teeth fixed." He crossed his arms easily as he lied to their backs.
"Sasuke-kun," Ino continued, "As much as I think you can make an... excellent picture.. you've been in production for at least 2 months."
"Hn, things will piece together once everyone gets on the ship." ... Oh wait. Crap.
"..What ship..?"
"The one we hired to get to the location," He answered cooly. Smooth and maybe they won't even notice-
"Sasuke-kun... What location? We're filming on the outskirts of Konoha, on Fire Lake." Sasuke's already black eyes darkened. Guess not. Damn, they were going to figure him out soon at this rate. Better think fast.
"Hn, I know, but we aren't making that film anymore. I've hired Inuzuka Kiba to rewrite the script; a totally new story." Sasuke grinned sinisterly to himself as he reached into his pocket. This one slip of paper, the fruit of his work. "I've come in possession of a map... A map of an island, that only existed in the oldest legends and fairytales, until now... Demon Island.." Yes, the fruit of his work, the project that would test his skills. Screw this whole movie gig; he could care less about something as menial as entertainment. Had the reviewers not noticed he had only hired ninja actors and crew yet?
"Sasuke-kun..."
"Its a place no one's ever been, a perfect... setting for our... movie. Full of menacing creatures to test my sk- actor's skills. It will be spectacular..." He failed to mention that it was legend that the original Kyuubi had come from this island, in an endless furry to destroy all mankind.
"Would you... step out for a minute, Sasuke-kun?" Said Uchiha frowned and retreated from the room.
Scowling as he came out, he nearly snarled at his assistant, Sakura as she sat in the waiting room. His dark eyes wandered about until he spotted an empty glass. He pointed to it.
"Give me that, now."
"Y-yes, Sasuke-kun," Sakura stuttered, surprised as she handed him the glass. "But... I don't have any sake on me..."
Sasuke growled lowly and pressed the glass to the door then his ear. "Really, Sakura, you're a horrible ninja."
"I suppose we could give him more money.." Ahh that was Ino. As near sighted and shallow as the girl was, Sasuke had to give it to her: she was loyal.
"He's an arrogant, stotic Uchiha," Sasuke could just visualize the reviewer rolling his eyes, "He'll never make anything good."
"Then let's scrap it. Uchiha Sasuke isn't going anywere... Bring him back in."
But Uchiha Sasuke was long gone.
"I want my team on that boat by the end of the hour-"
"But, Sasuke-k-"
"Tell them.. Tell them we had an early departure! Thats it..."
"Sasuke-kun they might-"
"What're they gonna do, sue me? Hn," The 'Hn' came out more as a grunting chuckle, "I'm Uchiha freakin' Sasuke, they can go ahead and try." Sakura stumbled slightly under the great load of expensive camera equipment (Sasuke might not care about the movie, but even so, camera equipment like this could raise a high price at times like this), sighing slightly in exasperation. She admired her Sasuke-kun in many ways, from his power to determination to sly intelligence to hotness factor, but sometimes, even for her, he was just a tad arrogant. "Im not going to let them stop me," He continued, oblivious to her thoughts. In his own mind he continued: I will test myself. If I can survive getting to and from Demon Island, I can survive Itachi.
"But, Sasuke-kun, all of the cast and crew are scattered around the city, I can't gather them all together in an hour!"
"Then by the end of the day-"
"We have no traveling passports, ID, foreign currency... Sasuke-kun, we have no currency at all!"
"...Hn.." The Uchiha replied slowly after a pause. It was an obvious, yet stubborn, agreement. Said pink haired assistant blinked and blushed, silently swooning at the coolness of her Sasuke-kun. They finally caught a taxi; even as ninja, they could run to the location, but with the sudden growth in Konoha and as it's buildings turned to giant sky scrapers, once easy and idle building hopping became suicidal. "Don't worry, I've had a lot of experience running from annoying fangirls like you," Sakura blinked, blushed, and looked away. "Ino and the studio shouldn't be any different."
They fell silent for a moment, Sakura obviously uncomfortable, before they got down to business and tallied up where everyone was in Konoha to gather them up.
"Hyuuga Neji shouldn't be too hard to find," Sakura silently agreed; Neji had a bigger ego even than her famous Sasuke-kun and just as many fangirl's tailing him, "Kiba either. Make sure you get him. But Anko will be difficult..."
"Anko dropped out," Sakura stated absentmindedly, rubbing her large forehead as she added up costs.
"She dropped out, yesterday. I thought I told you Sasuke-kun." Saskue blinked and finally full out glared, snarling menacingly.
"Damn, we need Anko. She's insane, but a jounin. Without her the team is just a bunch of gennin and chunin." Sasuke failed to mention he himself was a gennin. Ah well.
The taxi drove on, driver innocently oblivious as the infamous Uchiha silently cursed out a string of swears.
"S-sasuke-kun, we need to shut this down. There's no way we can pull this off. Everyone thinks they're going to act in a movie; what if they don't cooperate when we need them as a team for Demon Island..?"
"Damn it, Sakura, what the hell can go wrong? Half of them are arrogant jerks; just pull a few strings when the time comes and they'll do anything to look good." Sasuke provided a small, yet sinister grin. "Be more positive, defeat is only momentary." With that, Sasuke leapt from the car as it slowed and prowled quickly down the sidewalks. He passed many ninja and kunoichi, all too weak for his tastes.
Still prowling, Sasuke nearly passed an odd theater like building, a large sign above it dubbing it "Jirayia's Bathhouse: Icha Icha Paradise." Oddly enough, the Uchiha could sense a large conjugation of ninja inside. Wow, the rumors were true.
All ninja were perverts.
Except Sasuke of coarse. He was too great to be a pervert.
He waited at the front of building as a few more kunoichi, no doubt looking for jobs, entered. Examining them discretely (not), and dubbing them too weak, he pressed his face to the glass door to see if there was one, just one he begged, stronger than normal shinobi inside...
Only to blink at the large flare of chakra behind him.
Pausing, he retreated a few inches, watching in the window as a petite, shy, yet rather curvy young kunoichi stood daintily in the sidewalk, looking hesitantly up at the building's blinking sign. The Uchiha idly wondered of his interest in the weak looking girl, until she looked up from the small paper in her hands and surveyed the building. Not only did her chakra flare powerfully, no doubt in nervousness, but he finally spotted the trademark Hyuuga eyes adorning her pretty face.
Cha-ching.
Jackpot.
As if finally coming to a decision, she wrinkled up the paper and discarded it, walking off hands in pockets. Sasuke turned slowly, then leapt after her. But he watched once again as she paused at a small fruit stand. Her eyes looked on hungrily and he could just hear her stomach roaring. Her small, yet scarred, hands carefully picked up an apple. Finding it rotten and bruised, she replaced it, before picking up another with shaking hands and began to walk off.
Unfortunately, supposed owner of the fruit stand looked over, the shaking motion catching his eye, and quickly grabbed her wrist.
"Are you gonna pay for that, lady?" Hinata's pale eyes blinked stupidly, fearfully, like a deer's. She jerked back, to escape, but both her and the stall owner were interrupted as Sasuke made his appearance.
"Excuse me," He cut in, holding up a single ryo. "I think you dropped this." The stall owner plucked it from his hand quickly and walked off, statisfied. Hinata blinked, looking up at her savior, and wondered what just happened.
Uchiha Sasuke looked on, fingers steepled, as Hinata quickly scarfed down her food like a starved dog. Hinata looked up, feeling as though she was being evaluated, and nearly quivered under the Uchiha's dark stare.
"Uchiha-san," She paused, wringing her hands under the table nervously, "I-I'd like you to know I don't e-enjoy taking charity from strangers... or s...stealing for that matter."
"Hn," Came his grunted reply. It seemed this little Hyuuga, that had even more power than Neji it seemed, had a bit of a confidence problem. No matter, it wasn't like he actually needed her to act or anything. He continued, "I'm sure. Hyuuga-san, you are a strong kunoichi, correct?" Hinata looked up, nodding, clasping at the headband wrapped loosely round her neck. Her eyes widened, as she slowly remembered of the rumors about Konoha's male ninja and pervert-ism. She stood, taking a step back.
Blinking, realizing what he had just said, Sasuke also stood. "Please, Hyuuga-san, I'm no pervert." He put up his hands slightly in a peaceful position, one not commonly used by Uchiha Sasuke. "Im someone you can trust, an Uchiha." Hinata inwardly glared. Uchiha indeed.
But nevertheless, she sat once again, Sasuke soon following her. "Hyuuga-san, I want you to picture a hansom explorer, and his action adventure bound for the far east.."
"You're s-shooting in the far east?" Hinata ask absentmindedly, eating slowly now. Sasuke's dark eyes blinked and he stoticly replied:
"Fire Lake." The shy Hyuuga seemed to agree; Fire Lake, on the outskirts of Fire Country, was known for it's exotic forests and scenery, the perfect place to film. It was legend that the Rokudaime's, "Kitsune's Claw"'s, summoing clan had originally haunted those murky forests, before agreeing to become summons and retreating to the summoning world.
Not that she'd ever been there. Heck, she hardly ever even left Konoha, so Geography wasn't exactly her strong suit
"Then," Uchiha continued, "Aboard his ship, he meets a beautiful young woman... um, fragile and uh dainty." Word uncommonly used by the Uchiha became stuck in his throat. "She... can't help but feel everything is going down a one way road, pre-planned for her. As if her.. uh, whole life had been a... prelude to this moment." He watched as Hinata slowly looked up, pale eyes wide. "And against her better judgement.."
"She falls in love," The shy Hyuuga continued for him. The atmosphere seemed to grow cold, as if everything in the world had turned dark and all that was left was them and the tiny table they sat at.
"Uh... yes?"
"But she doesn't want to... She... She's scared to believe in love.." Hinata continued quietly, her stutter gone.
"...ok?"
"She's s-scared it might be taken away... Because good things never last, Uchiha-san." The world and sounds came rushing back as Hinata blinked and looked away, embarrassed.
"Good, then your interested. We need to be on the boat by the hour-"
"I'm sorry Uchiha-san but-"
"Oh come on!" Uchiha muttered under his breath. It went unnoticed. "Your the str- saddest girl I've ever met, perfect for this... role." To hell with the role, Sasuke thought. He just needed her for his team.
"No, Uchiha-san. I make people laugh." Hinata stood and pulled on her coat, walking away. Sasuke followed after at her heals.
"Please, Hyuuga-san. I'll give you.. um, fame! Money, Adventure! Action? Come on, if you need a script, Inuzuka is uh.. writing one as we speak." Hinata paused.
"...Inuzuka Kiba?" Sasuke blinked. The mutt Inuzuka?
"Yeah, he's writing our.. script. .. You know him?"
"Um!... N-no, not personally. But I'm a... f-fan of his plays." Hinata pause, slightly suspisious. Why would an Inuzuka, KIBA no less, be writing a romance?
"Really?" Sasuke drawled out. Jackpot. "Let me tell you, Inuzuka won't pick just anyone for this roll. He told me, Sasuke, someone out there who was born to play this roll. An you know what?" Sasuke laughed inwardly. As well as he's buying everyone into this 'film', he should be an actor himself!
"What?"
Sasuke paused for an effect. Yes! He has her.
"It was always going to be you."
There you have it. I told you it would follow the movie pretty closely. Word for word in many cases. Hope yall dont mind, lol.
A list of who's who as we meet them:
Hyuuga Hinata - Ann Darrow Inuzuka Kiba- Jack Driscoll Hyuuga Hizashi - Manny Reviewer - Yamanaka Ino
Uchiha Sasuke - Carl Denham Haruno Sakura - Preston Casting man - Nara Shikamaru