~Chapter Thirty-Four~

Winter's heart stopped.

Her eye widened.

Her mouth opened in a silent cry.

Her knees gave out.

She toppled to the ground.

And everything became coated in red.

***

Water flowed down in violent torrents. The waterfall of truth was its given name, what Naruto was told to called it. There was a circle of land with grass growing on top in the small expanse of water in front of the waterfall spilling out of the lip of rock. He sat facing the waterfall; cross legged, his hands pressed together in his lap and his eyes closed. His breathed in and out, his surroundings fading to a muted noise.

"Why?" Naruto's eyes slowly opened and his head lifted upwards. "Why didn't you sign those autographs at Ichiraku's?" The waterfall before him rippled as a figure slowly ventured forward.

"What?" His eyes were now open all the way as the strangely familiar yet metallic voice resonated throughout him.

The voice continued, the figure walking closer. "Those guys. Suddenly they all had a change of heart and started getting overly familiar." The water parted as the figure stepped forward. Naruto felt his breath catch as an exact replica of himself walked out of the waterfall. "Man, they were really irritating." A smirk took form on the replica's face, blood red eyes staring back at Naruto's wide ocean blue ones. "Those damn villagers... even though all they've done, up until now, is shun us." He takes a few steps forward. "And that girl. How can you be so calm about her defecting? After all we've been through and she goes and abandons us just like everyone else. She's worse than the villagers."

Swallowing Naruto looks at the replica, his eyes hardening. "Who are you?"

"Can't you tell just by looking? I'm you."

"Huh?! I don't recall making any shadow clones!"

Water dripped in rivulets down the replica's face. "I am your true self. The true self that lives inside your heart."

Standing up, Naruto points at his 'true self'. "What the hell are you saying? I don't even know you so stop talking crap!"

"This place is called the Waterfall of Truth, right?" The replica spreads his arms out slightly. "To think I could come to the surface like this... this place is great!" His head moves forward slightly, his haunting eyes piercing into Naruto. "In other words I am the true you. I am the real you."

"The real me?"

"Yeah, I am your precious hatred, your dark self."

The bitter truth made Naruto's eyes widen in shock.

"There's one difference though." An even darker look takes over the replica's face. "The Kyuubi has really taken a liking to me!"

With a low snarl the replica dashes forward, the two halves of Naruto facing each other for the first time.

***

Eien was floating. Suspended really, in nothingness. It was black in nature yet not precisely. It was more of a void sucking everything dry and he was the only thing left untouched... for now. It was surreal. Drifting about in literally nothing. There was no inanimate object to keep him occupied, not another human in sight, and it was fairly easy for him to grow bored. How long had it been since he'd blacked out and woken up in this space? No, space wasn't the right word to describe this. Perhaps he should define it as an area.

Time was immeasurable as he drifted about. Seconds had undoubtedly passed, but how many? For all he knew it had been a day. Perhaps a week. He gulped as several scenarios ran through his mind at a high pace. What if a month had pass? Or worse? Several months that added up to a year that could up to several years?

In the back of his mind, Eien knew he was being illogical. Even theoretically the most time he could've spent from the time he relinquished he hold to the Ookami Bloodline, to the blackout mere seconds later, to waking up in this strange place, at most he would've been here for three days.

But there was something unnerving about the never ending abyss.

A dull thud rang out in his ears originating— his eyes widened —originating from within himself. Moving was a struggle for every movement was like shifting in a thick syrup substance instead of air. His heart thudded against his ribcage, the sound resonating throughout the area around him. His throat constricted without warning, his chest tightening and his lungs burning. Gasping for breath and receiving nothing to soothe the need for oxygen only created more panic in Eien. He struggled to control it, it was illogical he tried to tell himself, but emotions were strong enough to overcome logic with ease.

Thunder boomed. Lightning crackled. His blood boiled.

His back arched as a scream issued from his throat, the sound itself soon warping into something inhuman.

Rain fell. Red clouded his vision. His bones snapped.

Each droplet of rain felt more like liquid fire then water, offering no relief from the raging fire that was burning him from the inside out.

Voices hissed. Silver appeared. His molecules tore apart.

Eien was helpless as he was suspended in the void as his lighting; his storm; his power inherited from his parents, was ripped away from every cell of his body. The red lightning pulsated around him, gathering in a mass overhead and sparking with raw energy. Hoarse breaths spluttered from his aching lungs, his body sparking with pure, undulated pain. The mass of lightning pulsated— once, twice, three times. Then it collapsed in on itself, blinking out of existence, leaving behind a shell of a shinobi being enveloped by darkness.

***

When Winter collapsed Jafar was the first to react, and the last to believe the news. Her heart couldn't just stop. This was Winter for god's sake! The most strong willed, powerful, cunning, kunoichi he knew. She couldn't have heart problems. But that was the diagnosis the medical ninja had made. Jafar didn't believe him. They'd wanted to move Winter but had been unable to touch her without getting electrocuted. Jafar was the only one to be able to touch her safely. He'd elevated her head in his lap and as the medical ninja discussed what they should do, he looked up towards the sky.

He wasn't quite sure why he looked up. Perhaps it was because the lightning circulating Winter's forearms had picked up pace. Perhaps it was because the hairs on his arms and the back of his neck stood at attention as the air grew thick with electricity. Or perhaps it was because his senses went on high alert, like a threat was about to appear.

Her head was still in Jafar's lap when the lightning appeared.

He felt his mouth drop open as the meteor sized ball of lightning appeared up in the sky. It was blood red streaked with the occasional peal white, a few hints of scarlet and a soft gradient red here and there. The storm barrier reacted violently to the lighting, lighting from the storm barrier striking at the mass. The mass only drew in the lighting, growing in size. The wind picked up and Jafar felt his mouth dry as time seemed to freeze.

Then the lighting dropped.

It fell slowly at first before picking up speed, moving faster and faster and faster and faster. There was a faint sound in his ears which registered as screams a split second later. Screams for him to get away from Winter, for the lighting seemed attracted to her. Screams as people ran away, afraid for their lives. Screams of warning, screams of fear, screams of awe.

People were still screaming when the lightning hit its mark.

I'm backkkkkk

guys guys guys... YOU ARE MY FAVORITE! You seriously killed it voting for me :) all the votes for the Stormbringer and I feel so touched! (Voting is still open by the way, info on the "chapter" before this one)

Give me some feedback on this chapter! 

I didn't write anything more then a few paragraphs when I was on hiatus so I got a bit of a break, some time to refresh my writing skills, and I think this chapter turned out pretty well sensory detail wise. 

QotC (geez it feels like it's been a while since I've done one of these) : Which one of the Originals do you feel like you are you most alike and why?

OH IDEA IDEA!

Would you guys like it if I made a quiz so you could find out which OC of mine you're most like?

Seriously though, it's great to be back. Even if I was only gone for a week I missed you guys. 

p.s. the naruto part was to give you guys an idea of where we are in the naruto timeline :) and also bc I love writing about him