ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴇᴅ ꜱᴛʀɪɴɢ ᴏꜰ ꜰᴀᴛᴇ!✄ ᴘʀᴏʟᴏɢᴜᴇ ᴛᴏ ꜱᴀꜱᴜᴋᴇ'ꜱ ᴅᴇꜰᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴ!

[18]

 

Fate is a cruel thing.

It can bend, even snap under pressure-- but when all things are accounted for fate will prevail.

For one such shinobi it was a hard lesson to learn.

Even with the threads of fate snapped around her this shinobi girl could not stop fate for others.

Truly a cruel thing, fate.

 

Nikko

 

"I have to pee!" She blurted.

The shadow possession jutsu that bound her body from moving made it hard to utter those words. Across from her, tied by the shadows of Naruto's dining room and to Nikko was Shikamaru Nara. He sighed in annoyance and lifted a thin brow to mock her, "Really? All of a sudden huh."

"Yes! It's true, Shikamaru-san! Please let me use the ladies room!" 

He shut his eyes as if it were a horrible inconvenience before releasing his shadow from hers. Nikko freely moved her limbs and sighed with relief. "Much better. Uhm--I'll be right back!"

"Yeah yeah."

The girl left the lazy genius and went to Naruto's tiny bathroom, glancing around it. Above the toilet seat was a tiny window. It would take much effort to hoist herself up and out of it but she had little choice.

Her guide Aponi, three blue butterflies, fluttered around. "Hime-sama! What are you planning to do?"

A smirk of confidence Nikko wore as she answered, "I'm going to stop that fight!"

"But...you've used so much chakra, Hime-sama. If you were to use the time altering jutsu again--"

The girl waved away her guide's fears. "I'll be fine! I'm an Utsuri clan member, remember? Have some faith in who you chose. Anyway! I'll need to use [that] jutsu to fix things..."

Aponi glittered brightly blue, speckling the air with glitter. "I was wondering when Hime-sama would remember her other time jutsu. The Time Reversal."

Nikko nodded seriously. She thought back to it's first use, when Kabuto had pierced her arm with his sleeping needle. At the time she'd had very little knowledge and ability to perform the reversal and thus it had only affected her and Kabuto. But as an Utsuri, her perimeter could reach others if she wound her chakra out and into the ground, creating a dome structure with it. In this way Nikko would reverse time for Naruto and Sasuke and hopefully prevent their fight. 

All she needed to do was get there.

Again she looked to the tiny window. "I'll be betting that he's right out there waiting for me." Nikko said of Shikamaru. "He's a genius after all. So I'll first have to stop time here before going to the hospital."

She touched her damp shoulder, swiping blood off. Nikko closed her eyes and slid the crimson red across her eyelids, then poised herself to do the Time Altering Jutsu. "Here we go Aponi. Jikan henko no jutsu!"

Time froze for her. Well--technically, to an outsider it would appear that nothing had changed. Only for Nikko did it stop unless she chose to send out her chakra and cover, say, some else. Because she didn't want to waste her valuable chakra the girl only let time 'stop' for her. "Okay! Done. Now to get out of this window.."

She stood atop Naruto's toilet and opened the sill, poking her head out to view the height. Perhaps twelve feet--nothing too crazy. As she glanced up she spotted Shikamaru standing atop the edge of Naruto's apartment, most likely utilizing the substitution jutsu or something. "As I thought Aponi, Shikamaru-san was on to me the whole time. Alright, here I go!"

Nikko hopped down from the bathroom window and found herself in an alleyway behind it. A wooden wall to one side, buildings to the other. There was a dumpster and bags of trash waiting for pickup.

Her fall had worsened the injury she'd received from Sasuke Uchiha. She touched the gauze pad and grimaced. "Dammit. That little punk really has it in for me. Tch! Whatever. Now...which way was it again?"

Aponi led her the route to the hospital. She wall ran most of the time and only at the end jumped up to perch on the hospital's enclosed roofing. There, in the fencing she saw Naruto and Sasuke recovering from what looked to be Kakashi Hatake throwing them. The copy ninja was mid air, arms twirling expertly. "I see. So Kakashi-sensei stopped them. That's good--but, they shouldn't fight to begin with. They're comrades Aponi...and Naruto cares for that punk like he's his brother, you see."

She said those things thinking that Naruto and Sasuke had confronted one another because of her. In her eyes, Naruto wouldn't stand by and let Sasuke get away with hurting his girlfriend. To Nikko, her heart ached thinking she was to blame for their current situation. 

As she got over the fence and stood in the middle of the roof she took a deep breath. It would be hard for her to use the Time Altering Jutsu to reverse what had happened. In fact, due to her injury and blood loss as well as utilizing the jutsu twice already the girl didn't have much chakra left. 

But hopefully just enough. 

"Okay! jikan henko no jutsu!"

She pressed out her chakra to include both Naruto and Sasuke inside the dome perimeter that only she could see. Time began to reverse and she watched in shock as the two fought one another before standing still, eyeing each other. "That should do it.." she released the jutsu.

Naruto and Sasuke both came alive with Sakura bolting from the doors leading down to yell at them. Naruto smirked over at his friend and biggest rival, not seeing his girlfriend suddenly pop in existence behind him.

"Naruto!" Nikko shouted, running over and almost tripping. She was a clumsy gal.

The fox Jinchuriki turned wide eyed and mouth agape. "Eh? Nikko-chan--!"

He was not suspecting her attack at all. His arms flew out in shock as the girl threw herself to him, kissing his lips daringly. 

At first glance it seemed sudden and out of the blue. For Nikko however she was doing the only thing she could think of. Distracting him completely. Her lips pressed with great determination as if trying to sway his will to fight.

Naruto could taste Nikko's sweet lips as if she'd eaten some candy. He had no idea why the girl was there, but when someone as beautiful as Nikko wanted to kiss you, well, one didn't ask too many questions. His arms slid around her narrow curvy waist and returned the fervor. Naruto's first thoughts were pushed aside as he and Nikko began to kiss more deeply. She had such soft hands, and they were going into his hair to play with the blonde peaks. "Ngn--" she grunted.

Between kisses he said, "Why're--you--here--?"

His questions didn't get an answer. With another attack on his mouth the boy caved and slid his tongue between her dainty red lips. Her own tongue began a slow and sensual dance that left him almost breathless. Then...it stopped.

The mouth against his ceased moving. Her tongue slid out as her face drooped down his unnaturally. Nikko was unconscious.

"Huh..? Nikko-chan? Nikko-chan! Hey! Wake up!" He shook her a little but her head fell back. She was out cold.

On her T-shirt she'd borrowed was bright red blood. He eyed it with worry and alarm; why was she injured? What had happened? Naruto was clueless. He also spotted a gauze pad covering most of her slim neck. "Eh? She was hurt..?"

Across from him was Sasuke Uchiha. His dark coal eyes widened a moment. The Uchiha boy couldn't understand how Nikko had managed to get to the rooftop so quickly before recalling her clan's kekkei genkai. As Nikko was held aloft only by Naruto's arms he could see what he'd done to her neck. There was so very much blood there he was shocked she was even able to move, let alone fight. A tinge of guilt and remorse nipped his heart. But..

That would work in his favor.

He'd been wanting to fight Naruto for quite awhile after all. With Nikko coming and exposing what he'd done to her in his madness, Naruto would surely fight him with everything. Only then could Sasuke prove himself--prove that he was stronger, not only to Naruto whom had surpassed him, but to his brother Itachi.

And most of all to himself.

Sasuke smirked. He wanted to add a little fuel to the flames. "...Useless girl," he motioned, "one bite and she's out cold."

Naruto stopped and slowly turned his direction. The blue eyes of his former comrade were wide as the fox boy realized what Sasuke had said. He sat Nikko down gently beside him and stood. "You...you did that to her?"

"Hn. She wanted me. I only gave her a little taste."

"You...." Naruto clenched his fists angrily to his sides and dipped his head down. Sasuke could feel the venom thicken the air. "...dare hurt my girlfriend like that?! How could you. What the hell's wrong with you, Sasuke-kun?!"

"What's wrong is that you think that you can beat me! You're a little nobody who will always BE a nobody! I'm an Uchiha--we're superior to your kind in every way!" 

"...An Uchiha who hurts innocent people like Nikko-chan....WHO THE HELL WANTS TO BE THAT KIND OF UCHIHA!"

"Tch. Shut up Naruto! You could never understand what I've been through!" Sasuke shouted back, "Stop talking and start fighting!"

Naruto looked down once more at his beautiful girlfriend, asleep like a porcelain princess.

In one smooth motion he undid his headband. 

Today Naruto would fight him as a man defending his woman, not a shinobi.

He pocketed his headband and faced his comrade in arms. Someone who he'd even began to look up to--admire, even. How Sasuke had sunken to such lows as to hurt a kind girl like Nikko, Naruto would never understand. He didn't want to understand, either. All Sasuke needed was someone like Naruto to put him in his place.

With that in mind Naruto unzipped his jacket and smirked over at the Uchiha. "Let's do this. It's been a long time coming. And I warn you--I won't hold back!"

***

A fight began between the two rivals. It was unclear as to who had the upper hand but one thing was certain: They gave it their all. 

As a result, a certain copy ninja intervened just in time. 

He berated them both for fighting and asked after Nikko's health. She was found to be fine, just unconscious due to running out of chakra. A tired and frustrated Naruto brought her back home only to run into Shikamaru on the way. The newly appointed chunin explained that he was entrusted with her wellbeing, even if it was a drag. The genius went on to say that Utsuri Nikko was a hard one to pin down, what with her clans jutsu it seemed impossible to keep her locked in anywhere. 

The sun sank down further and further into the sky before melting over Konoha's streets, bringing with it the warmth of summer shade and dew drops to all the trees of the forest.

From far away,

Outside the city gates,

A team of Otagakure ninja laid in wait. 

They were there for the retrieval of one Uchiha Sasuke. He was to be a vessel for Lord Orochimaru. They were completely and utterly brainwashed by the sannin for that very purpose--puppets at his dispoal. Still, they didn't care about that very much. All had been primed and conditioned to be the most loyal of subordinates.

Along those lines,

Inside the gates of Konohagakure, one hooded figure smirked in the coming darkness. He was there for a very different purpose.

A purpose most foul, most villainous.

Utsuri Nikko--

The one who could control time, its flow and ebb--

He was eager to get his hands on her. Controlling time could be a most useful jutsu. The first he'd seen the girl, he'd realized how powerful she could be. If he could sway to join his side, then, everything would fall into place.

It was brilliant.

Kabuto smirked as his glasses shone with an evil glint. "It's almost time, Nikko-chan."

***

 

Nikko

 

[Dreams--

Lots of dark, foreboding dreams--

And blood, lots of it. Dripping from her hands. Nikko gazed fearfully at Idate who lay unmoving below her. His pulse was no more, having met his doom by a large swordsman by the name of Takeo. The girl screamed his name--why wouldn't he waken? She covered the hole in his chest, mindless to the threat behind her. "Idate-kun! Please, wake up!"

She screamed out begging the boy not to leave her--

Her voice only echoed off of nothingness. 

An abyss of darkness swallowed Nikko. She couldn't see until it cleared, spying Uzumaki Naruto calling for her. "Nikko-chan!"

"Naruto! No!" She shouted out, seeing the boy bent over with a large windmill shuriken stuck into his spine. He vomited blood and gazed up at her. "I'm..s-sorry Nikko-chan. I c-couldn't protect you after all..."

"No! Naruto! You can't leave me too! Please--!" 

Nikko ran towards him only for her hand to slip through. She looked down at her hand and spied a red string tied to it. Following that line, which shone clearly despite the darkness surrounding everything, stood a figure shrouded in sandy mist.

He had alabaster skin with eyes so clear and vibrant it was like staring into liquid turquoise. 

His hair was as tainted red as his background.

Gaara--the demon of the sand.

Nikko walked over to him. His elegant profile was more fitting a king or some other noble rather than a demon in human skin. Gaara turned away from her, walking until he became part of the darkness. "Gaara! No! Come back! Don't--don't leave me here!"]

 

The girl shot up from sleep shrieking aloud.

Naruto's bedroom, Naruto's futon, Naruto's large poster with the Hidden Leaf symbol---

Nikko took in those surroundings.

She was okay, she reasoned. 

Her gaze fell down to her ivory hand in remembrance. "....He really isn't here," she whispered. Gaara. She touched the [Ai] embedded into her chest and gave a little wistful sigh. "I want to see him...Gaara...when will we meet again...?"

The door to the bedroom opened and in walked Naruto. He spied his girlfriend sitting up and dashed over, "Nikko-chan! You're awake!"

"Naruto..." 

He looked a little beaten up. For one, his signature headband was gone. Blonde spiked bangs were mussed and out of order as he sat down on the futon and gave her a tight squeeze. "You've been out for hours. It's night time now. Are ya feeling any better?"

"I.. I'm fine..." she nodded and looked him over. There was darkness on his cheek, some sort of knife wound. "You're hurt! So...you really did fight him after all.."

"Hm hm. I tried--but uh, Kakashi-sensei kinda put a stop to that. Anyway, this little cut won't do anything. Heh! You're looking at the next Hokage. A little blood comes along with that--"

Naruto's words reminded her that she was, in fact, looking at the future Hokage. She gave him a smile and leaned to kiss his non bloody cheek. "I'm glad you're okay. Still...I wanted to stop the fight--"

"Huh? Is that why you were there?"

"Yes. I used the Time Altering Jutsu...to reverse time. I thought that--Naruto shouldn't fight with Uchiha-san no matter what! Especially...for someone such as I." She shook her head, "But it looks like all of that was for nothing.."

"Nikko-chan..." The boy sighed and ruffled her silky hair. "You're my girlfriend. He hurt you so I wanted to beat the crap out of him. I don't really see the problem there."

When he puts it like that... 

Nikko giggled. "That's very sweet Naruto. You're a wonderful boyfriend." 

"So uh, do I get a kiss or anything? Ya know, since I'm so great and all.." He flushed and scratched at his cheek.

Nikko grabbed his open jacket and pulled him in for a firm kiss. A surprised noise he made before pushing her down to the futon. Nikko looked at her wonderful boyfriend with a sigh of longing, admiring his rare features. "I'm dating the Hokage..." she giggled and kissed him some more.

"Mhmm--"

They spent the next few minutes getting to know one another intimately. Clothes were shed, sheets were wrinkled and creased, and two love birds engaged in the ritual that was as old as time.

*Knock knock*

A peck at the door.

Naruto pulled away from biting Nikko's breast to grunt. "Man..who could it be?"

He frowned with clear aggravation and hiked his boxers on. Nikko sat up and wrapped herself in his cover, watching as he stomped out of the room. 

Naruto...his dick feels so good, she thought perversely. If she weren't careful, the girl would truly fall for him. 

That's when Nikko remembered---

Kiba!

She shot up and grabbed random clothing on the floor, hoping it was correct, before throwing the door open. Kiba stood at the entrance of the main door with a crinkled nose. Naruto was glaring, hard. "Whadda you want?" He asked.

Kiba glanced over him to see Nikko. "Well, I thought I was going on a date. Thought maybe I got the address wrong...but it looks like I was right." He shook his head, "You two live together?"

Naruto was about to blurt out that they were doing more than that when Nikko shoved him aside. "Kiba-kun! I--I'm ready to go."

"You sure about that?" He asked with a head tilt. 

Nikko blushed and nodded. She turned to Naruto with an apologetic smile and said, "Naruto--I'll be back later--"

The fox boy scowled and turned to the wall. His blue eyes were tight with frustration. "Don't bother comin' back! Tch--!"

Of course he didn't mean those words, really, but the boy was so upset at his girlfriend that he said them without thinking. 

If only he could take those words back.

**

 

"Me and Naruto? W-Well..." Nikko strolled alongside Kiba down the darkened streets of Konoha, "It's a little complicated. We're...friends..."

Kiba blinked. "Friends with benefits, then? Is that what it is?"

"Eh! Ah--I--y-yes. I'm sorry Kiba-kun. I wasn't trying to keep it a secret, really. It's just hard to...explain..." she sighed and twirled a piece of her green hair round and round again. 

Above her, the girls guide was blabbering. "Tell him he smells nice! Grab his hand! Do something, Hime-sama!"

She ignored her guides suggestion and instead said, "I understand if you don't want to go on the date. I wouldn't blame you Kiba-kun."

"Nah...it's not really a big deal to me. I mean, it's not like we're dating or anything. Heh." He smiled. "But if you just need a place to stay, well, my doors open." 

"K-Kiba-kun..." her face resembled a ripe red tomato. 

"That kind of face looks good on you Nikko-chan." He smirked and wrapped his arm around her. She breathed in his scent and wondered why it was that he smelled of wood chips and cedar. Nikko had expected a dog like odor.

But his words brought back reality, "...You know Hinata-chan likes him right? Have you met her?"

Hinata. Nikko's rival-- 

The one whom Naruto should by all rights be with, with huge boobs and dewy silver eyes and hair of ink. That Hinata. Nikko shook her head, "No I haven't. I had no idea...."

"Yeah, well, she's going to freak when she learns you two live together. Man...I dread that." He sighed, "But what's done is done."

Guilt welled up in Nikko's chest. She didn't really want that, either. But with her life on the line, and Naruto's likely plot armor...she shook the guilt off. Naruto Uzumaki would be hers, at least for now. 

For a second she thought of that strange hazy dream. The demon of the sand, the one Nikko wanted to be her true love more than anything--had turned his back to her. His imposing and cold eyes had passed right over as though she were invisible. She was now just a mere memory to the one tailed Jinchuriki. Gaara... her heart ached with one filled with unrequited admiration. 

Kiba and Nikko went on about their date. Unaware. Unaware that Shikamaru Nara watched the proceedings from his vantage point of the rooftops. The genius yawned. "Man, this is so boring." He'd rather be playing Shogi or Go, or anything really. Shikamaru would even accept crosswords at this point. But a mission was a mission, and he was the only one guarding her.

"She doesn't even like him," he murmured absently. It was easy for him to see that. Plus..

Plus, Shikamaru had heard what Kiba had said about Choji at the grill. Kiba was a loud talker. The genius had listened and looked up to see a pretty girl with him--a rare occurrence. Even more rare was that she had made a face at his insult and replied, "I don't blame him one bit. The food here is wonderful." Shikamaru had read her lips from the side well enough.

Then the girl had turned to find and stare at him. She was a new face in town. He would know, having memorized literally everyone. Of course he'd taken a mild interest in her words alone, but seeing such a beautiful girl clearly eyeing him had his mind wandering. He'd followed her discreetly until 'meeting' her once more at the food stall. There Shikamaru was going to tell her thanks for defending his best friend Choji, but the girl had turned the tables on him.

He had no idea she was interested in playing Shogi. Shikamaru had his doubts, but seeing that guide book put it into perspective. It was obvious that Nikko knew enough about him to bring up that subject, rather elegantly one might add. It was amusing to him that she'd even bother. The boy had found himself looking forward to seeing what she could do.

But...

She was troublesome.

As he thought on these things Shikamaru didn't at first notice the air had grown thicker. When he did, it was too late.

Dammit. There's an enemy here--and they've already got the upper hand. 

His brown eyes glanced to and fro to try and spot the danger but whomever it was hiding did so well. With little choice left, Shikamaru jumped down to Nikko walking down the street and yanked her to him. At the same moment her date fell forward before a smoke cloud and log told him he'd been watching a substitution the whole time.

"Don't speak. We're being followed," he said to her ear.

She made a tiny noise. It was at that moment he felt where his hands had automatically drifted; two juicy breasts. Oh man, why are these things so big? He gave them a squeeze as if reassuring himself that they were boobs and not, say, melons instead.

"Ngn! Shikamaru-san," she huffed, "Ahn~"

Shit shit shit. He had a boner now to go along with the other problems. "Uh, sorry. My hands slipped."

His enemy had yet to make a move. Shikamaru pulled her into the nearest alleyway and covered her body with his, pressing the girl against the cold wall. "Deal with it for now alright? I don't have a lot of options here." He said.

"You're so close...." Nikko said into his neck. "But...why are you here?"

"I was assigned to watch over you."

"So that's how you knew...that Naruto and I live together.."

He continued to try and locate where the menace came from, breathing in Nikko's perfumed oil. Damn she smells good. Not the best time to be distracted! 

"Then..if there's an enemy...I can use my jutsu, Shikamaru-san."

"Save it. We don't know who we're dealing with yet. If you waste chakra now it might end badly later." 

A subtle sound he heard. It was like the tinkling of a chime far away. That noise alerted him that a kunai or shuriken had just been discharged. "Sorry about this," he said before pressing her to the ground. His body easily covered hers. And as he had predicted, a kunai flew over head to spark against the wall and clank down. "There!" He said, throwing a few shuriken in the general direction it came from.

"A little too late, Shikamaru-kun."

Nikko and her protector froze. The voice had came from above. In the darkness of night someone wearing a cloak stood, peering down at them. 

For the enemy to expose themselves meant only one thing, Shikamaru knew. They were sure of victory. Which meant...

The enemy had laid a trap.

The girl gasped and grabbed Shikamaru tightly, fear running down her spine. She was still drained from earlier and had no ninja tools on her person for defense. As such she mumbled, "...The Time Altering jutsu..."

"Not yet," Shikamaru hissed. "Have some faith in me."

As he spoke, Shikamaru was utilizing all the shadows of the night to his advantage. He made his chakra go towards the wall and up it hoping to capture the target. But a tiny glimmer of light shone--a thread of chakra, coming from the opposite direction. So it's like that is it? 

He rolled with Nikko and jumped up, hauling her onto his shoulder. "Hang on!"

"Ah! Yes!"

Shikamaru rounded the corner, made a substitution to distract momentarily, and tucked his treasure against him. "Listen, I'm going to tell you to run. Go to the forest and wait for me there--"

"--I can't leave you alone!" She argued.

"Now isn't the time to be a hero, Nikko-chan." He sighed, "Unless you want us both killed that is."

"I won't go! There's already been someone I care about die right in front of me--I can't bear it," she pleaded. 

The genius was touched. Nikko may have been troublesome but she was quite endearing. He looked down into her beauty and smiled. "We'll have that match alright?"

"Shikamaru-san..."

"Go! Run for it! He's coming!"

Nikko took off for the forest and Shikamaru turned to face his opponent. He really hoped that his enemy didn't have any more surprises waiting.

**