A True Dragon

Before I knew it, the day where all of the new genin were able to summon their Chakra Beasts had come, causing the village to erupt into a festive atmosphere. This included Hayake and Ayame, but Kakashi and I were somewhat hesitant to allow them to summon a Chakra Beast. We both believed that they would be swallowed by their Chakra Beasts, forcing us to end their lives before the Beast could completely manifest in the real world.

Hayake just thought we were looking down on them, but we had actual concerns. Needless to say, no matter what we said Hayake refused to back down. I have to say, I do admire his courage, but it's the courage of a fool. Ayame just hid behind Hayake and shook her head when we asked if she wanted to back out and, only rarely, she would add "I want to follow Big Brother...I don't want him to leave me behind..."

So, here we are. Standing outside the heavily fortified building meant to keep everything inside if the worst-case scenario happens. To make the situation worse, more often than not, you would see kids walking out of the building with downtrodden expressions more than you saw kids with happy expressions, signaling that they were unsuccessful in their summoning's. I heard Hayake swallow audibly as the guard called our team number to step inside.

"Team 20, step inside and follow your Captain."

Kakashi nodded toward the guard and motioned for us to follow behind. The only reason I was there was to add extra security, though I wanted to try and summon another Chakra Beast Kakashi had shut the idea down before it could go too far.

We walked down a seemingly endless flight of stairs and, combined with the dimly lit torches on the walls, it gave off an almost creepy vibe. I gave Hayake a heavy pat on the back, causing him to nearly fall down the stairs face first, to help him loosen up. I shook my head with a small smile before saying "You have to be completely relaxed during the summoning or else you might not be able to form the contract. It'll be alright, we're here to make sure you two come out alive."

I saw the sibling's shoulders visibly relax as they adopted nervous smiles with Hayake rubbing the back of his head and muttering "Yeah, thanks. I'll keep that in mind..." Hayake and I have yet to form a friendly relationship, but it's not like I want him as a friend. He's a little too competitive.

I shrugged and conjured a tiny flame at the tip of my finger before sending it out in front of us to light the way. I heard Hayake mutter something about me being a showoff, but I ignored his remark and kept a slight smile on my face.

After quite a long walk, we finally caught sight of two large metal doors, which were big enough to fit at least three Tokage's side by side, with four jonin level guards standing by a large wooden bar that locked the door from the outside. Kakashi walked up and presented a little badge before quickly dipping his head toward the four guards.

The guards then turned and began to lift the massive bar from its perch before swinging the large doors open like one would open a car door. I shook my head and walked into the large room with Kakashi and the siblings, nodding my head in appreciation as I looked toward the equally large formation carved into the floor.

Kakashi motioned for us to wait as he walked up toward a hooded figure standing next to where the summoner would in the formation. My brow raised slightly in curiosity as I turned my head slightly, keeping my 'eyes' on the two, asking "So, which one of you are going first...?"

Hayake opened his mouth to say something, but Ayame cut him off with a surprisingly excited voice, saying "I will! I want to make sure that Brother's summoning goes without problems, so I'll go first in order to show him how to do it!" Hayake's face reddened from embarrassment as he hissed "Ayame, stop making me look stupid!"

To be honest, these two reminded me of how my sister and myself would act. A slight chuckle left my lips before being covered up by a nostalgic smile. "Alright, it's settled then. Hayake, make sure you watch your sister and give her plenty of support. Remember, you have to be calm and show no fear, or else you'll be worrying about more than getting embarrassed..."

As I finished my little 'pep talk', Kakashi had finished conversing with the figure and made his way toward us. As he neared, Ayame took a step toward him and said "I-I'll go first..." in a low tone. Kakashi's steps got shorter as he stopped in front of Ayame and asked "Are you sure?"

Seeing Ayame's determined look, Kakashi acquiesced to her demand and walked her toward the center of the large formation. I guided Hayake off to the side, so we wouldn't be standing in the formation, and watched as Kakashi guided Ayame through the steps of how to form a contract with a Chakra Beast.

Kakashi finished and disappeared before appearing next to me as we watched the hooded man walk to the second layer of the formation and slowly cycle through every hand sign three times before slamming his palm down on the ground and saying "Come forth, Beasts of Destruction!" in an oddly familiar voice.

A warm and gentle blue light filled the room as a soft growling echoed around the room. I slowly brought my left hand to gently rest on [Reaper's Caress]'s sheath as I waited for the light to fade. I heard the soft sounds of footsteps, but they sounded nothing like a humans. The Chakra Beasts was prowling.

I instinctually moved my right hand to rest above my katana's handle, but Kakashi held his arm out in front of me as he motioned for me to be quiet. I pushed my hearing to the max and heard the quiet sounds of someone mumbling. The light began to slowly fade, bringing a beautiful midnight blue panther into view.

The Chakra Beast was standing a few meters in front of Ayame with its eyes trained on her. Ayame smiled and tried to speak, but the panther growled and spat "Do not speak to me, Human! Your kind deserves to die for their sins and leave Earth to us!" in a womanly voice. I fought every urge in my body to keep from slicing the bitch in two.

Ayame smiled and asked "Why must you hate Humankind so much? There are bad people, yes, but there are so many kind and caring people who will do anything to keep you safe and happy." She glanced over at us and her smile blossomed as she continued "There are so many beautiful places here in this world, and I wish to see them all. However, I wish to keep those close to me safe and happy, so I'll do anything to make that happen..."

The panther scoffed and said "You're too naïve. You'll die on the battlefield before you can fulfill your dreams. Girls like you should just stay in the walls and live a life ignorant from the horrors of war..." I could hear the faint traces of sadness lining the Chakra Beasts words, even if its snarling face denied any emotion except anger and disgust.

Ayame shook her head and said "No, I want to stand side-by-side with them and overcome every obstacle together. I could never forgive myself if I just sat by and waited for them to come home while they were off fighting for their lives..."

The panther sneered and said "Fine, I'll make a deal. If you can beat me in mental combat, I'll let you form a contract. However, if you lose...I'll take your body and murder your loved one and leave you to stare at their disfigured corpses! Do you dare accept?"

I watched as Ayame nodded her head, a gentle smile across her face, and the panther leapt toward her. I ran forward and shouted "Ayame, get away from it!" while drawing my weapon and activating [Fire Scales] and [Skin Hardening].

As I stepped onto the formation I was suddenly flung backward, landing on my back with a confused look. I lifted my head to see a gentle blue aura surrounding Ayame as her hair fluttered around like it was alive. I waited for an eternity with only the sound of my heartbeat steadily thumping in my chest disturbing the silence.

I watched as the panther slowly reappeared in front of Ayame as she opened her eyes and said "I, Ayame, hereby declare my contract with this Chakra Beast and bind our souls through blood." before biting the tip of her thumb, drawing a seal on her left arm, and doing the same to the panther. In a confident and crystal clear voice, Ayame said "From here on out, your name shall be Aoi..." before collapsing with the same gentle smile spread across her pale features.

I appeared and caught her just before she could hit the ground. I can't believe it. She actually beat a Chakra Beast in a mental battle. A smile made its way onto my face as Ayame opened her eyes and stared at me, causing a subtle blush to make its way up her cheeks.

I picked her up in a princess carry and walked back toward Kakashi, passing Hayake on his way to the middle of the formation. I saw his nervous and fearful expression. I saw through his character in its entirety. He was just a scared boy putting on a tough front for his sister.

"Hayake..." I called out, causing him to turn and cock an eyebrow, prompting me to continue. I looked back with a slight smile and said "Go show the Chakra Beasts that you can't be beaten!" My words seemed to have revived his usual self. Hayake puffed out his chest and said "Just you wait Ryuujin, I'll get a strong summon and kick your ass in a duel someday!" before turning and continuing his walk with confidence.

I shook my head in exasperation as I neared Kakashi, who gave me an amused look. I gave him a deadpan look and said "Do not mention this to anyone, or else..." in a flat voice. Kakashi snickered slightly before saying "Aww my boy! Oh how I remember when you were a shy little boy playing with kunai's! Oh you've grown too fast!" as he wrapped his arms around me with a vice-like grip as he rubbed his cheek against mine.

"Gah! Stop that you old bastard! This is disgusting, cut it out!" I desperately tried to pry the old man off of me, but nothing worked. Ayame laughed in a lighthearted manner before climbing out of my embrace. She winked at me and said "You two seem to be closer than I thought. I just can't seem to understand how you're so young, yet have a son who's around half your age, Kakashi Sensei..."

Kakashi froze for a second, giving me ample time to break from his hold and create some distance between us. Just as Kakashi was about to speak, a booming voice echoed around the room, saying "Come forth, Beasts of Destruction!"

I whipped my head around and saw a bright white light on my left, and a suppressive black on my right. It felt oddly familiar and reminded me of the time I had summoned my Chakra Beasts. Two ear shattering roars shook the very ground I was standing on and caused Tokage to become restless.

Another roar sounded out, but this was no Beast. It was Hayake. I fused with Kenshi and Tokage before drawing my blade and saying "Ayame, stand back." in a firm voice. Hayake's voice was growing more feral with each passing second, and I felt my instincts acting up. I still have three souls in [Reaper's Caress] so if anything goes south I can end things quickly...

I gripped my katana's handle tighter and resolved myself before raising my sword high and sending it crashing down atop the invisible barrier that formed when the Chakra Beast was summoned. The barrier shattered like glass and Kakashi jumped toward the fierce aura in the center of the formation. I followed shortly after, the intense light growing dimmer the closer we got.

I burst through into the second layer and saw it. I saw Hayake standing and looking at his right hand, which was a solid black like the darkness I had seen. He flexed his hand and looked at his claw-like fingers before looking at his left hand, which was a pure white. The most prominent feature was actually the four horns on his head, the ones on the right were a solid black while the left was pure white. Another prominent feature of his was the jawbone mask that covered the entirety of his bottom face and it even moved when he opened his mouth. (basically a full version of Grimmjow's jawbone hollow mask.)

Hayake looked a lot like me when I fused with Tokage, except black and white with an immense and oppressive aura that made it hard to breathe. His two thin, whip-like tails smacked the ground with a loud snap as he looked up toward me and said two words.

"Let's duel."