Naruto : Dragon Jinchuriki

The Forest of Death was alive with chaotic energy. Riku moved through the dense foliage silently, the eerie sounds of distant battles and the occasional rustle of disturbed wildlife filling the air. He had left Fū and Daisuke to handle the task of tracking down an Earth Scroll. This wasn't abandoning his team—it was something he couldn't resist.

He perched himself on a sturdy branch, high above a small clearing where an intense fight was unfolding. Riku's gaze gleamed with excitement, his heart racing as he watched the scene below.

It was exactly as he remembered from his first life. Orochimaru, the snake-like rogue ninja, stood tall and menacing, his presence radiating an overwhelming sense of danger. Facing him were two familiar faces: Naruto Uzumaki, scrappy and determined, and Sasuke Uchiha, calculating but clearly out of his depth.

"This is it," Riku muttered to himself, his voice barely audible. "One of the fights I've been dying to see in real life."

Naruto charged at Orochimaru with reckless abandon, kunai in hand, yelling something about protecting his friends. Orochimaru, with an unnerving smirk, casually sidestepped the attack and swatted Naruto away like he was nothing. The blonde crashed into a tree, groaning but still determined to get back up.

"Sasuke," Riku whispered, leaning forward to get a better view. "Don't wimp out now."

Below, Sasuke's body was trembling. His Sharingan was active but shaky, his confidence clearly wavering as Orochimaru advanced toward him with a predatory grin.

"You're not ready for this, are you?" Orochimaru hissed, his voice a mix of mockery and malice. "But you have so much potential, Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke launched a fireball jutsu, the orange flames roaring toward Orochimaru with impressive force. Riku grinned. "There we go, Uchiha. Show him what you've got."

But Orochimaru simply swirled into the ground like liquid, reappearing behind Sasuke with his neck stretched grotesquely long. The Uchiha barely dodged in time, stumbling backward with wide eyes.

"Damn," Riku said to himself, his excitement mounting. "This guy is even creepier in person."

Naruto re-entered the fray, determined not to let Sasuke handle the fight alone. He created a flurry of shadow clones that surrounded Orochimaru, each one attacking with a flurry of punches and kicks. Riku couldn't help but chuckle.

"Classic Naruto," he said. "All heart, no plan."

Orochimaru easily dismantled the clones, his movements smooth and almost lazy. He caught the real Naruto by the collar, his elongated tongue wrapping around the boy's neck.

"Get off me, you snake freak!" Naruto yelled, wriggling and trying to break free.

Riku leaned forward, his grin widening. This was the part where Naruto's raw stubbornness would shine.

Sure enough, Naruto summoned a burst of chakra that pushed Orochimaru back just enough for him to escape. The rogue ninja looked mildly amused, as if he were merely toying with the two genin.

The fight dragged on, Sasuke growing more desperate with every passing moment. Orochimaru was relentless, his attacks calculated and merciless. When Sasuke managed to land a lucky shuriken hit, the rogue ninja simply shed his skin, emerging unscathed.

"That's so messed up," Riku muttered, his tone more impressed than disturbed.

Then came the moment Riku had been waiting for. Orochimaru, his voice dripping with sinister intent, began his slow advance on Sasuke. The Uchiha froze, his body stiff with fear as Orochimaru closed the distance between them.

"Here it comes," Riku whispered, his heart pounding.

Orochimaru's neck stretched impossibly long as he prepared to mark Sasuke with the Cursed Seal. The rogue ninja's fangs sank into Sasuke's neck, and the boy screamed, his chakra spiking wildly as the seal began to spread.

Riku felt a shiver run down his spine. Seeing this iconic moment in real life was... surreal. The fear in Sasuke's eyes, the sinister satisfaction on Orochimaru's face—it was even more intense than he'd imagined.

Naruto's voice broke through the tension as he yelled Sasuke's name, lunging forward to save his teammate. But Orochimaru intercepted him with a swipe of his hand, sending Naruto crashing into the dirt.

Riku leaned back against the trunk of the tree, his grin fading slightly as the fight wound down. Orochimaru finally retreated, leaving Naruto to drag Sasuke's unconscious body away.

"Well," Riku said to himself, standing and stretching. "That was worth it. Even cooler in person."

As he prepared to head back to his team, he glanced at the clearing one last time. His excitement was tempered by a lingering unease. Seeing Orochimaru in action had been thrilling, but it was also a reminder of the dangers lurking in this world—dangers that he would inevitably face.

With a sigh, Riku leapt from the branch and vanished into the forest, his mind racing with thoughts of what was to come.

Riku moved swiftly through the dense trees of the Forest of Death, the branches snapping softly under his weight as he leapt from one to another. The rush of witnessing the legendary fight between Orochimaru and Team 7 still coursed through his veins, but now his mind was set on finding Fū and Daisuke. They were supposed to be hunting down an Earth Scroll, but he had been gone for too long.

He cursed under his breath as he pushed forward. "I should've stayed with them. They're strong, but they're not ready for everything this place can throw at them."

Suddenly, he heard the clash of steel and the unmistakable sound of Fū's voice yelling in frustration. His white eyes flared as he zeroed in on the commotion. Picking up the pace, he darted through the trees until the battle came into view.

Fū and Daisuke were locked in a fierce fight against three opponents, and Riku's stomach dropped when he recognized them.

The Sand Siblings.

Gaara stood back, calm and menacing, his gourd leaking sand as it hovered protectively around him. Kankurō had his puppet Karasu out, the wooden construct darting toward Daisuke with menacing precision. Temari twirled her massive fan, a smirk on her face as she sent slicing gusts of wind at Fū, forcing the Jinchūriki to dodge and counter with bursts of her various lightning jutsu.

Fū was panting, sweat streaming down her face as she blocked another wave of wind with one of her blades. Daisuke was faring worse, his movements sluggish as he barely avoided Karasu's claws.

"You two just don't know when to quit," Temari taunted, swinging her fan and sending another gale-force wind at Fū.

"Get lost!" Fū shouted, flipping back and throwing a volley of shuriken.

The sand caught them effortlessly, Gaara standing still with his arms crossed. "Pointless," he said coldly, his voice devoid of emotion.

Karasu's claws grazed Daisuke's arm, drawing blood and forcing him to fall back. "Damn it!" he growled, clutching the wound and glaring at Kankurō.

"Don't let up," Fū yelled, trying to rally him. But her own strength was waning, and Temari's relentless attacks were pushing her to her limit.

From his perch, Riku's hands tightened into fists. His body tensed as he assessed the situation. Gaara. Temari. Kankurō.

"Time to step in," he muttered, leaping down into the fray.

He landed with a resounding crack, his feet smashing into the ground between his teammates and their assailants.

Fū's eyes widened. "Riku!"

Kankurō's grin faltered as he noticed the boy's presence. "Who's this guy?"

Riku stood up slowly, brushing dirt from his clothes. His white eyes locked onto the Sand Siblings, and for a moment, the forest seemed to hold its breath.

"That's enough," Riku said calmly, his voice cutting through the tension like a blade.

Temari raised an eyebrow. "Ahh… it's you again? And who do you think you are, kid?"

Without answering, Riku turned his head slightly toward his teammates. "You two okay?"

Fū nodded, though she was clearly worn out. "We're fine. Just... took us by surprise."

Daisuke huffed, still clutching his arm. "Barely."

Riku turned his attention back to the Sand Siblings, his posture relaxed but his presence radiating quiet menace. "You just had to get involved."

Kankurō chuckled, his confidence returning. "Oh yeah? You think you can take all three of us?"

Riku's gaze didn't waver. "Without a doubt."

Before Kankurō could respond, Temari swung her fan, sending a slicing wave of wind directly at Riku. He didn't move, didn't even flinch. The wind stopped abruptly, splitting around him as if repelled by an invisible force.

Temari's smirk faltered. "What the—"

Riku raised a hand, forming a single seal. A dense shadow spread from his feet, stretching unnaturally fast toward Kankurō and Karasu. The puppet jerked suddenly, its movements halting as the shadow engulfed it.

"What the hell?" Kankurō yanked at the chakra strings, but they were unresponsive.

"Shadows are tricky," Riku said, his voice calm but carrying an edge. "You might want to rethink this."

Gaara's sand shifted, swirling protectively around his siblings. The gourd on his back opened slightly, releasing more of the golden grains into the air.

"You shouldn't underestimate them," Gaara said softly, his gaze fixed on Riku.

Riku smirked. "And you shouldn't underestimate me."

The sand lunged forward, but Riku vanished beneath the ground, reappearing behind Kankurō with his sword pressed lightly against the puppet user's neck.

"You've got skill," Riku said, his voice low. "But this isn't your fight."

Temari raised her fan, ready to strike again, but Fū appeared beside her in a flash of green, her wind-enhanced swords sparking dangerously close to Temari's throat.

"You're outmatched," Fū said, her voice steady despite her exhaustion.

For a moment, the forest was silent, the tension thick enough to cut with a blade.

Gaara's eyes narrowed, but he didn't make a move. Finally, he spoke. "Enough."

Temari hesitated but lowered her fan. Kankurō grumbled as Riku released him, stepping back with his hands raised.

Gaara's sand retreated, coiling back into his gourd as he turned away. "Let's go."

Kankurō shot Riku a glare but followed his brother, muttering under his breath. Temari lingered for a moment, her sharp eyes studying Riku before she turned and walked after her siblings.

As soon as they were out of sight, Fū let out a sigh of relief, collapsing to the ground. "Finally."

Daisuke slumped against a tree, wincing as he examined his arm. "That was insane. We were so close to—"

"Don't say it," Fū interrupted, shaking her head.

Riku walked over to them, crouching down next to Fū. "You okay?"

She nodded, giving him a tired but grateful smile. "Thanks for showing up when you did."

Riku glanced at Daisuke, who gave a sheepish grin. "Yeah, thanks. You saved our butts."

Riku shrugged. "That's what teammates are for."

As Fū and Daisuke recovered from their near-defeat, Riku leaned back against a tree, an uncharacteristic grin tugging at his lips. He crossed his arms, watching his teammates catch their breath.

"You guys look like you've been through a war," he teased, his eyes glinting with amusement.

Fū shot him an annoyed glare, though her exhaustion dulled the edge. "Easy for you to say. You didn't just go toe-to-toe with them."

Daisuke groaned, still clutching his wounded arm. "Seriously, Riku. Next time, stick around and help us instead of wandering off."

Riku chuckled, pushing off the tree and walking toward them. "Oh, I was helping," he said casually.

Fū raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

Riku reached into his pouch, pulling out a scroll with a deliberate flourish. The green "Earth" symbol gleamed in the dim forest light. He twirled it between his fingers, his grin widening. "This is what you needed, right?"

Fū and Daisuke stared, their jaws dropping in disbelief.

"No way," Daisuke said, eyes flicking from the scroll to Riku's face. "You're telling me you got that... from them?"

Riku nodded, his grin turning cheeky. "Yep. While you two were keeping them busy, I sent Shiro in to snag it. Gaara might be a monster, but he's not exactly paying attention to tiny birds flying around his head."

As if on cue, Shiro flapped down from the treetops, landing on Riku's shoulder with a soft chirp. The small magpie gave a proud puff of its feathers, as if basking in the praise it knew was coming.

Fū gawked, then burst out laughing, a mix of relief and astonishment in her voice. "You're kidding me. You actually pulled that off?"

Riku gave an exaggerated bow. "What can I say? I'm a multitasker."

Daisuke groaned, burying his face in his hands. "All that fighting, all that stress, and you're telling me we didn't even need to go through that?"

"Pretty much," Riku said, shrugging nonchalantly. "But hey, you distracted them long enough for me to make the move. Team effort, right?"

Fū shook her head, though she couldn't suppress a grin. "You're impossible."

Riku tossed the scroll to her, his expression softening. "You're welcome."

Fū caught it, staring at the scroll for a moment before looking up at Riku. "Thanks, Riku. Seriously."

He nodded, leaning back against the tree again. "Don't mention it. Now let's get moving before they realize what happened and come looking for us."

Daisuke sighed, pushing himself to his feet. "Next time, maybe warn us before pulling something like that."

Riku smirked. "Where's the fun in that?"

Fū rolled her eyes but smiled as the three of them began to move deeper into the forest. Despite the tension and exhaustion, the mood had lightened considerably.

As they walked, Riku couldn't help but glance back in the direction the Sand Siblings had gone. He knew stealing the scroll had been risky, but it had been worth it. He couldn't help but feel a small flicker of pride at pulling one over on someone as dangerous as Gaara.

Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that this wasn't the last they'd see of the Sand Siblings. And next time, it might not be so easy.

A/N : SO sorry for the lack of chapters, it's exam season annndddd im still in school so this will probably be the last chapter for a while 😔