Naruto: Amongst the Whirling Tides Chapter 24

Hi all,

Here’s the next chapter. Naruto and his team are separated from Jiraiya, and they investigate the research laboratory.

Chapter 24

The buzzing from the bee swarm became so loud that Naruto expected them to appear any second. "Do you think they might be friendly? Perhaps they are stopping by for a cup of tea and to share some of their honey."

“I don’t know,” Shikamaru deadpanned. “You can step forward to be the first to greet them, and see how friendly they are.”

Jiraiya ignored what was going on around him, and examined the fuinjutsu array. “Give me a moment to figure this out.”

The trio formed a loose formation around Jiraiya, preparing to engage the swarm.

“They are coming at us in waves. The first wave is almost upon us," Hinata reported, pulling out some kunai. ”Straight ahead, between those two trees.”

“Let me take care of the first wave,” Naruto said.

Shikamaru nodded. “I have the second.”

“That leaves me the third,” Hinata echoed.

The first wave of bees flew through the trees.

Naruto used six hand signs in quick succession to perform the Great Fireball jutsu. He expelled a massive stream of fire from his mouth, engulfing the bees and burning them to ashes. Only after Hinata informed him that they had all been eliminated did he finally release it.

The loud, angry buzzing persisted as the second wave approached. They demonstrated a lack of intelligence by confronting them head-on, preventing them from being able to engage in a sustained assault.

Shikamaru summoned his shadow, which expanded to resemble a massive hand. It engulfed the bees as they appeared and he clenched it shut, crushing them. Naruto used a smaller stream of fire to eliminate the remaining bees.

"That move was inspired by Choji," Shikamaru told them before he hissed sharply and slapped his neck.

Shikamaru revealed his hand, which had a crushed bee on it. His neck was slightly bleeding from being stung. "One of them made it through. It hurts like a bitch."

“You should have brought your insect repellent.” Naruto joked.

"I will remember it for the next mission," Shijamare snorted.

Hinaata threw two kunai wrapped in explosive tags, which flew across the clearing and pierced the trees. As the third wave approached, the tags detonated, engulfing the bees in a fiery explosion that incinerated them.

A brief respite ensued as the next wave of bees didn’t attack right away. Instead, they blended into the main swarm and began encircling the clearing, attempting to surround their target. Although this bought them time, it also made the next attack more difficult to defend against. The sound of thousands of bees was deafening, so they had to shout to be heard.

"Would you mind hurrying up a little?" Naruto yelled.

"I believe I have figured it out," Jiraiya replied. He performed some hand signs before slamming his hand down on the platform.

"Wow!" Hinata exclaimed as she looked up.

The illusion that had hidden the structure vanished, revealing a massive building suspended in midair surrounded by towering trees. It was supported by a platform made of hundreds of wooden beams that blended seamlessly into the trees surrounding it. It had several floors, and the height of the roof extended high into the canopies. It was an incredible engineering feat, though perhaps a little unnecessary. What was the point of building it up so high in the trees?

"There is a lift," Jiraiya said, pointing to a tree that had been turned into a metal structure with a lift and a network of cables on one side. "Go ahead while I deal with these annoyances."

The team ran towards the lift, and Naruto pressed the button that opened the door. They squeezed inside the lift, feeling cramped by the small space, which appeared to be designed to accommodate no more than two people.

"Jiraiya, hurry up!" Naruto called out. "Or we will leave without you."

Jiraiya was too preoccupied by the swarm to respond. Despite the impending danger, he remained calm, watching the bees with curiosity rather than fear of their lethal stings.

“I should grab some of these so I can study them later,” Jiraiya murmured.

When the swarm realised that some of their prey had escaped, they attacked Jiraiya en masse. After a series of hand seals, Jiraiya expelled a torrent of oil from his mouth and spun around, causing the oil to spray in all directions, engulfing the swarm and everything else. The bees, unable to fly, fell into a pool of oil on the ground and became trapped.

Jiraiya took out a storage scroll and retrieved a glass jar. He placed a few bees inside, being careful not to touch their stingers. The bees were roughly twice the size of regular ones, and their stingers appeared to be extremely painful.

“This should be enough.”

He performed another jutsu, releasing a massive stream of fire from his mouth, igniting the oil and burning the entire area around him. The entire swarm was destroyed in an instant.

"I would like to learn how to do that," Naruto said as he watched the scene.

“Do you mean expelling the foul-smelling oil from your mouth? That’s disgusting,” Hinata said, wrinkling her nose.

"Don’t expect to kiss Hinata with those lips if you decide to learn it," Shikamaru teased, only to be met with Hinata's killing intent. “Troublesome.”

Jiraiya's expression became serious as he looked down. The team noticed that a massive fuinjutsu formation had appeared on the ground, trapping Jiraiya within it.

"My chakra is feeling sluggish," Jiraiya announced, as the ground started to shake. "This is going to be a pain."

“What the hell!” Naruto attempted to exit the lift, but Shikamaru grabbed him and prevented him from moving.

“What’s the big deal?” Naruto shouted. "Jiraiya's life is in danger."

"He knows what he is doing," Shikamaru reassured him. "We don't want to get involved in whatever that is. Jiraiya already has enough on his plate without us interfering."

"Guys, look," Hinata pointed.

They watched in horror as the ground opened up beneath Jiraiya. He plunged into the depths below, accompanied by everything else in his immediate vicinity, creating an incredible spectacle. The ground continued to break apart, spreading out until it came to an end just a few metres from the lift.

“Jiraiya!” Naruto screamed.

They stared for a moment, unable to believe that the powerful Sannin could be taken out so easily.

"He should be fine," Shikamaru said, his brow furrowed. "He didn’t seem too concerned. Let’s head inside the building and see if we can find a way to help him.”

Naruto took a few deep breaths to calm himself down, trying to comfort himself with his teammate's words. Shikamaru was right, and panicking would not help anyone. But it was difficult not to, as the mere thought that his godfather might not make it out alive twisted his insides. Jiraiya was the one constant in his life that he didn’t want to lose. Given how little time they had spent together, not even his father could rival him in importance in his mind.

Hinata examined the control panel. “The lift only goes to the first floor.”

“Shouldn’t we just jump up to the platform,” Shikamaru asked. “This rickety thing doesn’t inspire much confidence.”

“It’s good enough,” Naruto replied, and he reached and pressed the button. “Be on the lookout. Who knows what other traps there are in this facility?”

The lift jolted before beginning its ascent towards the building. There was only one weak light source above them, providing dim illumination in the dark enclosed space, creating an eerie atmosphere. When the lift stopped, the doors opened, and they stepped out of the lift and took in their surroundings.

The first floor was a living area with a large open floor plan. They searched through it briefly but found nothing interesting. There were several doors leading to multiple bedrooms and bathrooms, indicating that a group of researchers had once lived there. However, the location appeared to have been abandoned for a long time, with a musty odour permeating throughout.

“There shouldn’t be anything else to find here,” Shikamaru said. “Let’s move to the next floor.”

Ascending to the second floor, they found it to be just as unhelpful as the first, albeit more intriguing. It housed an assortment of Uzuimaki memorabilia, artwork, and relics. The floor looked like it was intended to be a display of the clan's legacy. Naruto wanted to look at everything, but there was not enough time. He promised himself that once the mission was completed, he would take everything back with him and display it for all to see.

Following a quick search, they proceeded to the third floor.

"This is more along the lines of what I was expecting," Naruto said.

They were immediately confronted with a tank of fluid in front of them, which contained a desiccated husk of something completely unrecognisable. Given how brightly lit the area was, the floor appeared to be fully operational.  The tank appeared to function as a macabre showcase, marking the entrance to this floor. A corridor branched out in both directions from the entranceway, presumably leading to additional horrors.

“What is that thing?” Hinata stepped forward and read a description of the tank on the front. "The specimen is the first failed experiment in Project Genesis. Let it be a reminder of our humble beginnings before we achieve glory.”

“That sounds like something a mad scientist would say,” Shikamaru said.

Naruto ignored him,  as something Hinata said triggered a memory. Genesis was a name he came across while investigating the control room.

"Do you know anything about it?" Shikamaru inquired, noting his expression.

Naruto paused briefly, considering whether to say anything. He decided to tell them a modified version of events to keep the true secret from them.

"I discovered an underground lab in Uzushio but was sworn to secrecy about its existence. There was a computer with some files on it relating to Project Genesis. But they were password protected, and no one has been able to open them to see what they contain."

“Like the one where we found Kushina?” Hinata asked.

“That’s right. This mission is based on some information found on the computer," Naruto explained. "So, I guess you can thank me for being here."

Hinata took another look at the tank and shuddered. “You won’t be getting thanks from me.”

Because the left corridor was significantly shorter than the right, they decided to investigate it first. They cautiously opened all of the doors along the corridor, but were relieved to discover that each only held supplies. Naruto's attention was drawn when they entered one of the rooms and discovered rows of shelving, each containing metal ingots.

"These researchers certainly had a lot of resources," Naruto murmured as he walked through the rows, inspecting the various ingots.

He stopped when he caught sight of a specific ingot. “No way! This is exactly what I need!”

The other two approached him, noticing that he had picked up one of the ingots and was running his hands over it with a greedy expression.

"What is it used for?" Hinata asked.

“It's for some special kunai I need,” Naruto replied. “It requires a specific type of ore to make, and the village doesn’t have a supply of it.”

When he returned to the village, he could have the blacksmith make the kunai. 

Naruto took out a storage scroll and placed it on the ground. He began stacking as many ingots as he could on it before using a hand seal to make them disappear. Because the scrolls essentially functioned as a teleportation device, he always left a space in his tent open so he could send items back. The same principle applied in reverse, as he kept supplies there that could be summoned from the tent whenever needed.

“Should you be helping yourself to those?” Hinata asked, her fingers poking together.

“Good question!” Naruto said, then paused for effect. “I don’t care.”

"I believe he meant to say that he is unsure whether these supplies are village property," Shikamaru sighed.

Naruto grinned. "Since they used to belong to the Uzumaki clan, there is a good argument that everything here belongs to me. Go ahead and take whatever you want. I’m feeling generous.”

They didn’t act on his suggestion. Naruto put the scroll away and stood up. “Let’s get out of here. We still need to find out what happened to Jiraiya.”

"It seems like too many supplies for a research laboratory," Hinata commented as they returned to the corridor. "It appeared that they were stockpiling supplies so that they could stay here for an extended period."

"Do you think this place is automated?" Shikamaru asked. "Or is there still someone here who is running everything?"

That suggestion made them act even more cautiously. Although the place looked abandoned, they weren’t going to take any chances and be caught off guard.

Hinata activated her Byakugan to see if she could detect any life signs, but she reported that the floor had none. They moved along the right-hand corridor, which spanned the majority of the floor. The first room they looked into was a small laboratory, but nothing as shocking as the tank at the entrance. The same was true for the following rooms until they reached the sixth one.

In the room, there was a single chair with restraints, surrounded by various torture instruments. Naruto winced involuntarily as his gaze fell on a rusted, blood-stained hook with residue clinging to it.

"A torture room," Hinata exclaimed, holding her nose. Even after all this time, there was a lingering metallic odour from the numerous dried blood stains on the floor.

"They must have been capturing Shinobi and torturing them for information," Naruto said. "What other reason would they have to resort to torture?"

"Based on what we have seen so far, your clan wasn’t so principled after all," Shikamaru grimaced.

"There are always bad eggs in every batch," Naruto defended, though the logic sounded weak to his ears.

“We have seen enough of this,” Hinata declared, pushing the boys out of the room.

The next interesting room they came across was an office. It was sparsely furnished, with only a desk, chair, and bookshelf. They searched through the desk, but it didn’t have anything interesting.

The majority of the books on the bookshelf were primarily about biology, including human anatomy, chakra, and cellular reprogramming. The latter caused them to frown, as it seemed to suggest that they were conducting human experiments. There were also a lot of books on animal and plant biology, which could help explain some of what they had seen on the island.

"Look at this," Shikamaru said as he removed a folder from the bookshelf. "Genesis Project."

Naruto and Hinata huddled around him, and they read some of the entries together, which revealed some of what was going on here.

Project Genesis

My goal is to establish the Uzumaki clan as the dominant force among the Five Elemental Nations. I chose to build this laboratory on this island so that I could conduct scientific experiments in secret to create superior Shinobi. Although the experiments are questionable, I believe they are necessary for the clan's survival. I have gathered like-minded allies, and we are working together to realise our vision.

…………..

The initial results are promising. We are experimenting with genetic modifications on the island's wildlife. Some animals react better to the experiments than others, and the rest usually die. Primates are especially useful because their biology is most similar to that of humans. Some are even able to wield chakra, though their application is still crude.

We must conduct additional experiments on them before moving on to human test subjects. It may take some effort, but we have plenty of time and resources at our disposal.

…………..

I am currently investigating an incident in which one of the gorillas went berserk and killed one of my scientists, who was conducting an interesting line of research. I was forced to put it down as we couldn’t bring it back under control. Its corpse has yielded some intriguing findings, and I believe the area of research warrants further investigation.

…………..

We have hit the jackpot. The serum we created has a remarkable effect of increasing the subject’s power by at least two-fold. It also has a fascinating effect on the animal’s chakra, which transforms before our very eyes. It’s a chakra we have never seen before and can be identified by the characteristic red aura.

There are still a few wrinkles to iron out before we can move on to human subjects. The most important of these is the adverse effects it has on the subject. It causes extreme rage in the animals, transforming them into mindless killing machines. It is not the desired outcome if we want to strengthen our Shinobi forces. One of our scientists is working on a delivery system that will allow us to test the serum on a wider range of animals on the island. Perhaps we can see different phenomena when they are in their natural environment.

They stopped reading because they had a general understanding of what the rest of the contents were about. It could be studied in greater depth later when they had more time.

"These guys are crazy," Naruto exclaimed. “Whatever serum this is, it has already escaped the island. Do you think it was taken off the island so it could be used on others? How widespread is this thing?"

"It cannot be that bad," Hinata said with a frown. "Otherwise, we would have heard more about it over the last thirty years. What I find most perplexing is the presence of computers. They weren’t around much back then, and they weren’t as sophisticated as they appear here.”

That could be attributed to the effects of the Yin-Yang release. Perhaps they invented computers first, and they spread throughout the world from there. With the brush, the Uzumakis would have likely been the most technologically advanced clan at the time. How many things could they have invented with their imagination alone? Was there a limit? Perhaps the other hidden villages weren’t wrong to fear them as they did.

“We can figure it out later,” Shikamaru said, rubbing his neck. “Let's explore the rest of this place.”

After searching the rest of the floor, they discovered nothing noteworthy, with the exception of a large room filled with empty cages, most likely used to house animals. When they got to the next floor, they discovered another open floor plan, but there was a sea of lab equipment and machines that divided the space into small, segmented areas.

They made their way through the obstacles and arrived at the back wall, which housed several tanks, as well as some computers and other lab equipment. The space was filled with the sounds of hums, beeps, and other mechanical noises from the equipment, all of which looked like they were used to keep the tanks running.

“Bloody hell,” Naruto swore.

All the tanks were dim except for the largest one, placed prominently in the centre. Inside this tank, something was floating in green liquid—a tall man with a breathing apparatus over his face. Seeing it reminded Naruto of Kushina, a comparison he didn’t wish to make.

They approached for a closer look and discovered that his right arm had undergone a horrifying transformation. It now resembled a purple tentacle with several smaller appendages, each with razor-sharp teeth. Who could commit such a heinous act against another person?

"Why is there a computer installed beside the tank?" Hinata questioned. "It almost seems like it’s there for the man inside the tank to use."

Shikamaru pulled out a kunai as if he sensed something. “Troublesome.”

Hinata was right. The tank had a computer screen pressed up against the glass, and there was a small compartment inside it that housed a keyboard. It was designed in such a way that none of the liquid could touch it, but something as flexible as a tentacle could reach in and use it. What the hell was this setup?

The man suddenly opened his eyes, and they jumped back in surprise.

"How come he is still alive?" Naruto shouted. “That’s some freaky shit!”

"I had a feeling we were going to have another fight," Shikamaru grumbled. "This feels like one of those final boss fights in the computer games that Choji enjoys."

The man looked at them for a moment, and his gaze seemed to be fixated on Naruto. He moved his tentacle arm to tap some keys on the keyboard. With a hiss, the tank's lip popped open, allowing him to pull himself out of the liquid. He collapsed to the ground in an awkward heap, looking weak and helpless. But the trio didn’t move forward to assist him because this man was completely unknown.

“You’re an Uzumaki?” The man asked, looking at Naruto as he kneeled on the floor. His long strands of scraggly blonde hair covered up his expression.

“How do you know?” Naruto asked. He released his chains, and they extended forward to grasp the man’s leg.

An array of emotions flooded his senses: regret, fear, joy, sadness, greed, and determination. Yet, amidst it all, there was an overwhelming sense of rage that seemed to overshadow everything else. The feelings were so intense that Naruto quickly removed his chains. He realised that this approach wouldn’t yield any information from the man; rather, it would leave him vulnerable as a result of being overwhelmed by the man's feelings.

"You smell like an Uzumaki," the man said as he slowly climbed to his feet. “My name is Yasuhiro. I was a scientist in this laboratory.”

“Who did that to you?” Hinata asked. The girl looked visibly distressed by the man’s condition.

“Nobody,” Yasuhiro said, raising his arms. “I did it to myself. Isn’t it glorious?”

"You are a sick freak," Naruto told him. “Is that a result of the serum?”

“That is a part of it,” Yasuhiro replied. "Of course, I made a few modifications of my own. The other scientists thought I was crazy, but look who is the only one left after all this time."

Yasuhiro began emitting a red aura, which made them nervous. It appeared to help him recover, as he straightened up and no longer appeared as frail as before.

"Why do you need that tank?" Shikamaru questioned. "It appears that you are reliant on it, as you are still stuck in the lab after all this time."

"Just a minor inconvenience," Yasuhiro said, shrugging. "Once I get my hands on you, Uzumaki, I will be able to continue my experiments and find a cure for my affliction."

"Not a chance, mister," Naruto replied, slamming his fists together. “Now tell me what happened to Jiraiya or I will beat it out of you.”

“Who? Oh, you mean the old man that accompanied you. He has probably fallen prey to my beautiful creations down below. Now, obediently come to me.”

Yasuhiro's tentacle arm shot forward, stretching to an impossible length in an attempt to grab Naruto. The speed was so fast that it almost caught Naruto off guard. He threw himself to one side, and the tentacle smashed through a machine behind him.

"Beware of that tentacle," Naruto yelled as he rose to his feet. “If you don’t want to experience the wrong kind of pleasure.”

"This is not the time for jokes, dumbass," Shikamaru said. He retreated behind a bench, and his shadow appeared, extending out to incapacitate the man.

Hinata also retreated, before she threw some kunai with explosive tags at Yasuhiro. The man retracted his tentacle and blocked the kunai with it. They exploded, temporarily obscuring him in smoke, only to be revealed a moment later with no injuries.”

“You are going to have to do better than that,” Yasuhiro said before he looked down to see that a shadow had attached itself to him.

“Got him,” Shikamaru yelled.

Naruto rushed forward, summoning a Rasengan into his hand. He thrust the swirling ball of chakra at Yasuhito's stomach, only to be struck in the face by the tentacle, causing an explosion of pain. He flew backwards through the air and crashed through a table.

"As I said," Yasuhiro declared. "You need to do better than that."

“My shadow doesn’t work on him,” Shikamaru said. “Troublesome.”

"I believe I received the memo," Naruto groaned as he rose to his feet. Only to be hit again, which sent him flying backwards, this time clearing the obstacles behind him. He landed on the opposite side of the room with a painful thud.

Naruto got up slowly, tasting blood in his mouth. He spat it out and wiped his face, only to find that he was bleeding from his forehead as well.

"Once I get my hands on that tentacle," Naruto growled. "I am going to tear it off him and make him feel the pain of being tickled."

Maybe he was concussed, because he would not normally say something like that.

When he heard Hinata cry out, he stood up. He staggered forward, which made him realise that he needed a moment to recover. Performing a hand seal, he summoned twenty shadow clones around him.

“Go help the others,” Naruto said, pointing ahead. “They are fighting a tough opponent.”

“You got it, boss!” The clones rushed ahead.

Naruto waited until the dizziness subsided before rushing back to the battlefield. When he arrived, he noticed that his teammates were not faring any better than him. Shikamaru was kneeling on the ground, clutching his arm, which was bleeding heavily. Meanwhile, Hinate kept Yasuhiro distracted by leading him on a chase through the maze of machinery. She could only stay ahead of him because his clones were doing their best to assist her, throwing jutsu at Yasuhiro and forcing him to dodge constantly.

Naruto's eyes narrowed. The man was powerful, given that he could send him flying with his tentacle arm alone. His ears were still ringing from the damage he sustained. However, the man appeared to be taking precautions to avoid being hit. Could it be that his body was unable to withstand much damage due to his time in the tank? If this is the case, landing some hits on his body would significantly weaken him.

That was easier said than done. With the red aura swirling around him, Yasuhiro was really fast. Even in his tailed-beast form, he didn’t know if he could keep up with him.

He waited for the perfect moment to inject himself into the fight. When Yasuhiro dodged another attack, he acted. Just as the man continued running forward, Naruto summoned an earth wall in front of him. Yasuhiro slammed into the wall and stumbled backwards.

“Formation: Burning Cage,” Naruto yelled. “Burn him to ashes.”

His shadow clones reacted quickly. Three of them summoned earth walls around Yasuhiro to completely encircle him, and the others jumped on top of the wall. Right as the wall cracked open, the clones let out a stream of fire from their mouths. It created a conflagration of flames within the walled-off space and was so intense that the clones were destroyed by their own attack.

It was the first combination attack he had developed with his clones. Although it could be improved, it provided a good starting point. The clones also needed to learn how to use their abilities more effectively, as they usually relied on basic attacks to attack their opponents. Even if they were exact copies of him, it didn’t mean they were as effective as him.

Yasuhiro emerged from the flames, slightly singed, but otherwise looking unharmed. However, he was coughing, which meant he had inhaled some smoke. Naruto imagined that the man’s lungs couldn’t be that great after spending so much time in a tank.

Shikamaru appeared to realise this as he raised his hands to perform a sequence of hand seals. He unleashed the Great Fireball jutsu, but this time it manifested as a massive fireball that rocketed across the room. Yasuhiro avoided the attack, and it exploded against the wall.

“Keep attacking him with fire jutsu,” Naruto yelled. “Make him choke on the flames.”

The three Shinobi took back the initiative, due to Yasuhiro’s weakened state. Along with the cones, they stood at different positions and continued to fire continuous fireballs at him. Yasuhiro couldn’t avoid all of them, as they were working together to time their attacks.

Yasuhiro roared, and his body erupted in a rush of red aura. He brushed off the next attack and exploded forward with incredible speed. He approached Hinata, and before she could respond, she was grabbed. Hinata screamed as he squeezed her head, threatening to pop it like a balloon. Naruto’s clones surged forward and began attacking him, hoping to buy her some time.

“Bastard!” Naruto yelled.

There was no time to waste. Hinata would die if he did not act quickly. Naruto immediately transformed into his tailed beast form. He quickly pulled out the kunai his father had given him and threw it at Yaruhiro. Naruto drew a breath before he began vibrating his chakra to a specific frequency. He hadn’t practised this particular aspect of Hiraishin much, but he was feeling desperate and he unleashed all of his potential.

He vanished from the spot and reappeared in the air next to Yasuhiro. Naruto drew his arm back and punched forward with all his strength. Yasuhiro's eyes widened at the unexpected attack, but he had no time to react. He was smashed to the ground, and Hinata was thrown to the side as she was released.

Naruto coughed up blood and felt like his intestines were destroyed, but he refused to stop. He climbed on top of Yasuhiro and started pummeling his head into the ground. He felt a red haze settle over his eyes, and everything in his surroundings vanished.

It wasn’t until he heard a voice that he blinked, breaking out of his stupor.

“Naruto, are you okay?” Hinata gasped, massaging her head.

He looked down at his bloodied hands and the mangled remains of Yasushiro's head.

“Did I do that?” Naruto asked before he fainted.

So, what do you think? Naruto has used Hiraishin for the first time, but how much damage has he caused to his body as a result of not using it correctly?

Thanks for reading.