𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐑𝐀𝐆𝐎𝐍 𝐎𝐅 𝐊𝐎𝐍𝐎𝐇𝐀, various! naruto x reader [BOOK 1]

t w e n t y o n e

chapter | twenty one

THE GIGANTIC SNAKE that pursued your team forced the four of you to split up. You found yourself dashing through the trees alongside Naruto, while Sasuke and Sakura had disappeared through some thick bushes.

"What's the plan?!" Naruto yelled in-between huffs. You were silent, too focused on escaping the danger that preyed behind you. Suddenly, you landed on a cracked branch, losing your footing.

"Ah— Naruto!" You yelped, reaching out for the blonde ninja. Without warning, the gigantic snake had slammed it's head against your body, sending you crashing into a large tree-trunk nearby. You let gasp, the force of the attack knocking the wind out of your body. Your brain was scrambled, and you struggled to gain back control of your chakra to re-attach yourself to the tree.

"(Y/n)!" He yelled, turning to launch himself from the branch he was on and toward your falling body. He reached out, wrapping his arms around your torso. He held on tightly as you both descended violently toward the forest floor. The landing was rough, sending you both sprawled out across the grass. Slowly, you sat up turning to face Naruto. He grasped your shoulder, staring at you closely.

"Are you okay?!" You hesitantly nodded, still shook from the impact. You quickly felt for your pouch, relieved to find that it was still attached, and the scroll was still safely hidden inside. Looking back toward Naruto, you froze. The already strange chakra that always radiated from Naruto was beginning to change, and you watched as his eyes shifted to a dark red hue. His teeth began to sharpen, and his gaze turned murderous. He glared down the snake that was positioned just a few feet away— watching you both.

The head of the snake began to peel open, slowly revealing the strange woman from earlier before. She offered a sadistic smile, before her freakishly long tongue slid its way through her slightly parted lips.

"What the hell .. " You muttered, rising to your feet. You were still in pain from the attack, but you kept your composure. You've been through fights just as bad, maybe even worse.

"Naruto, (Y/n)!!" You heard Sasuke called out. He appeared on a nearby branch, Sakura following closely behind. "Don't fight, I'll handle it." Naruto didn't seem to acknowledge his presence. He began sprinting toward the snake, fangs bared. Sasuke followed close behind, attempting to protect Naruto. The two sent various attacks toward the snake in synch, yet none of them had any affect. The snake then wrapped its tongue around Naruto, bringing it closer toward the strange woman.

"The nine-tailed fox seal .." She uttered, lifting his shirt to expose his stomach. The nine-tails... you've heard of such a beast during your previous wandering-nin life. Specifically, in Kumogakure. Just what kind of power did Naruto possess?! There was a strange marking that covered a large area. She began to run her fingers over his skin.

"Naruto!!" You called out. Planting a palm against the seal, the woman muttered something under her breath. For a moment, the seal shined a bright purple hue, and this seemed to drain all of the energy Naruto once had. Once she was finished, the snake hurdled him against a nearby tree, knocking him unconscious. In a split second, the strange woman dashed toward Sasuke, and an all-out brawl ensued. Sakura made her way toward you, and you quickly handed her your pouch.

"Protect this at all costs." You whispered. She nodded, running behind a large tree for protection. As Sasuke exchanged blows with the enemy, you joined in, planting a fiery fist against her face. She went tumbled backward, smashing into a large rock. Exchanging glances with Sasuke, you both understood what must be done. The two of you rushed toward the woman, overwhelming her with a series of attacks that she couldn't keep up with. The snake began to target the two of you, making it harder to land your attacks.

"Agh!" You yelled, feeling the snakes fang graze your arm. You fell to the ground, grasping the wound. It burned like crazy, and you realized that there was venom in the scratch.

"No, (Y/n)!!" Sasuke yelled. He looked toward you for a split second, worry behind his eyes. Within that time from, the snake wrapped it's tongue around his ankle, slinging the Uchiha into a nearby tree. He was knocked unconscious immediately, hurdling toward the ground. You reached out, feeling yourself grow weak. The venom began to drain the energy from your body, leaving you to slowly black out.

. . .

"Goodmorning, (Y/n)~" Your eyes slowly peeled open, meeting two emerald-green orbs that stared deep into your soul. You jumped up in fear, knocking heads with the culprit.

"Hey! That hurt.." Sakura whined, rubbing her forehead.  You rubbed your eyes, before staring at her once again. She looked different; her clothes were ripped, dirty, and her hair was now short. You blinked.

"Huh, what happened??" You looked around, making out Naruto and Sasuke in a close by river fishing for food. Next to you were ... three other ninja?!

"Goodmorning, (Y/n)!" A bushy-browed ninja bowed in front of you, staring down at your confused figure. He offered a stick of fish, which had just been recently caught and cooked. You slowly reached out, grabbing the fish and taking a bite.

"It's been a few days, that venom really took you out. Sasuke and Naruto were also out of commission for a bit, but they woke up yesterday. Rock Lee, Neji, and Tenten managed to find us when we were surrounded." Sakura informed you of the situation through her chewing. She swallowed, tossing the now empty stick behind her. "I managed to extract most of the venom from your wound. My dad taught me that. Thankfully, the venom wasn't deadly." The other two ninja stared. Tenten offered a big grin, while Neji stood motionless. You rolled your eyes. You'd always consider him a jerk, especially from the first time you met him.

"It's time for us to get going." Neji stated. He turned on his heels, making his way toward the forest. Tenten followed closely behind, waving goodbye.

"Nice to meet you all!" She smiled. Rock Lee nodded in your direction, before turning toward Sakura. His face flushed, and he reached for her head, shaking it firmly.

"Until we meet again, Sakura." She snatched her hand, grimacing in disgust.

"Uh, yeah .." She muttered, watching as he turned to chase after his teammates. As you finished your food, Naruto and Sasuke approached the two of you, fish in hand.

"(Y/n), you're awake!" Naruto beamed. He dropped the fish he held to the ground, before enveloping you in a tight hug. Your nose scrunched at the fishy scent of his clothes, but you hugged him back regardless.

"Glad to see you up and awake." Sasuke commented, dropping his own bundle of fish. You smiled, nodding in agreement.

"Hey, guys ..." Sakura began, pointing toward the edge of the forest. "Who's that?" The rest of you looked toward where she pointed, spotting a tall, silver-haired ninja, who wore big, round glasses. He smiled, waving politely. There was something about him ... you just didn't like.