Naruto Fateless (Naruto/Blood Omen crossover)
- Thread starter Fosfor
- Start date
There is a minor problem with that, As others might have already said, I am dyslexic, but if I waited for my main beta to edit stuff, the gap between the written and the edited would take months. Besides, Fateless had bever been edited before, why break the tradition? B) Still, from now on, anything I'll post will at least be edited. This is the last thing I've written that goes raw, with no beta or edit.
Naruto basically crossed paths with all of the most important characters in Blood Omen. Sometimes running from them, sometimes not. Vorador, Janos Audron, Hylden, all incarnations of Sarafan, Raziel, Elder God - you name it, he had either fought with, ran away, or did some errands for them. The fixtures in his life were Kain (who wanted to use him) Mebius (who schemed to have him erased form the tme stream and wanted to use him to complicate Kain's plots) and Vorador. Audron was sort-of mentor the first time Naruto found the Chronodisc and started jumping time in an effort to finad a way home and get free of both lunatics after him.
In the meantime he had become one of Kain's first generals (the young Kain, not the older one who hunted him) fought his private war against Hylden, visited a sort of hell, learned form Janos Audron and desperatly searched for some way to ebcome stronger as not to become temporal sushi. One thing to keep in mind is that while powerful, Naruto was always the underdog - Kain and Moebius were always stronger, and only victories he scored were through wits and surprise. And he did it constantly for a few hundred years.
In the meantime he had become one of Kain's first generals (the young Kain, not the older one who hunted him) fought his private war against Hylden, visited a sort of hell, learned form Janos Audron and desperatly searched for some way to ebcome stronger as not to become temporal sushi. One thing to keep in mind is that while powerful, Naruto was always the underdog - Kain and Moebius were always stronger, and only victories he scored were through wits and surprise. And he did it constantly for a few hundred years.
For a moment I thought I was reading Fatebreaker, and was wondering about the flashback, but then I remembered it was taken down. I'll need to reread this whole thread again, IÆve almost forgotten it. But it's still great to see more of Fosfor stuff.
Would you mind if I went through the whole thread and collected everything into a few posts in the end? Would be easier to read like that.
Would you mind if I went through the whole thread and collected everything into a few posts in the end? Would be easier to read like that.
Yeah, was thinking that at the beginning, but IÆll merge everything together to its not separate snippets anymore. I could number the scenes, but that would be a nightmare. I'll either slap them on the end or skip them altogether. Probably the end.
Fosfor? Did you know how big this thing is? Right now, after heavy copy-pasting, and before fitting everything together and running the spellcheck, it's 58230 words. 273160 characters, not counting spaces. I'll list the end result here for comparison later, but... Really, small this is not, says the (currently) 175 pages in my word document. 8197 lines.
Fosfor? Did you know how big this thing is? Right now, after heavy copy-pasting, and before fitting everything together and running the spellcheck, it's 58230 words. 273160 characters, not counting spaces. I'll list the end result here for comparison later, but... Really, small this is not, says the (currently) 175 pages in my word document. 8197 lines.
Ah. No worries then. I would much rather see updates then having them delayed because of slow betas. I normally don't see most of the errors till I re-read anyway. Running a spell check in word shouldn't wouldn't hurt though, or really delay anything much. 
...though, tradition is always important. B)
...though, tradition is always important. B)
I'm guessing Kurenai refused 'those' missions? Or petitioned the Hokaged to reduce the number of them taken, or even asked the age for kunoichi selected for them raised?
- I lol'd. Hard. That's Tsunade to a T.
Heh. Damn those pesky hormones!
I don't think you need the 'the' here, but I could be wrong.
- This entire section was well done. I particularly liked the insights into the way Anko and Naruto is handled by Konoha. Anko deserves a better chance, and is never going to get it under the current administration because of who she's associated with.
And the look into the Kazekage's thoughts are a nice thing to see. A hardliner of a shinobi, but also a politicion as well. Too many fics portray him as simply powerhungry for himself, but he does show concern for his village as well. As Slave-han said: a manipulative, and rather intelligent, leader.
And here is the very essence of Naruto - you can't get around something, force your way through it. Or blow it up, as the case may be.
Very nice addition, overall. As always, looking forward to more.
- I lol'd. Hard. That's Tsunade to a T.
Heh. Damn those pesky hormones!
I don't think you need the 'the' here, but I could be wrong.
- This entire section was well done. I particularly liked the insights into the way Anko and Naruto is handled by Konoha. Anko deserves a better chance, and is never going to get it under the current administration because of who she's associated with.
And the look into the Kazekage's thoughts are a nice thing to see. A hardliner of a shinobi, but also a politicion as well. Too many fics portray him as simply powerhungry for himself, but he does show concern for his village as well. As Slave-han said: a manipulative, and rather intelligent, leader.
And here is the very essence of Naruto - you can't get around something, force your way through it. Or blow it up, as the case may be.
Very nice addition, overall. As always, looking forward to more.
*
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I don't own Blood Omen games either. Shame, I know.
*
Fateless. (since I had NO idea what to name it)
A Naruto/Blood Omen series crossover. (Yes. I know it is not supposed to be crossed.)
*
It took nearly a minute to recognize the feeling, the subtle, electric tingle of the small device. No shifting of the plates, not yet anyway.
But he could feel his mental 'hackles' rising already.
Doubtful that the ripple itself had been directed at him since he was not even a pawn. There were far more potent figures on the board to play with.
But with the Old Man you NEVER knew.
He threw a longing, regretful glance, committing the ancient hall to memory. He had spent long, interesting hours in this Keep, time filled with knowledge, learning and, most importantly, peace from machinations and paradox.
Probably his most peaceful time since coming to Nosgoth.
The past was perilous, the future dark and each round of the game played on the chessboard called 'fate' only made it darker still. Like a maze that complicated itself on itÆs own.
'Well, maybe not on itÆs own entirely...' The young 'man' scowled darkly.
'Both Kain and Moebius... Swinging carelessly around, uncaring and unheeding of the damages they caused and things they destroyed in their machinations...'
Although he would have taken Kain over the old sorcerer any day.
'To think that a day would come that I would take side of arrogant fiend, a blood drinking monster who personifies all the faults of a haughty aristocrat with close to none of their redeeming qualities over a supposed guardian of the land.' He shook his head. 'Signum temporis.' he though with a rueful chuckle, nearly choking with laughter at the irony of the saying.
'Besides, I should be cautious who did I call a fiend, being who I am.' He growled. The rage, the old, potent rage raised it's head yet again.
The medallion tingled again and he laid his hand on it, seeking so much as to calm the agitated device as to draw the comfort from itÆs presence.
The device had nothing on MoebiusÆ Hourglass or even KainÆs Chronoplast in terms of power... In fact, until he had claimed it, it didnÆt even have a NAME. Comparing to itÆs more powerful 'cousins', it was weak and crude. But at the same time, itÆs crudeness and simplicity gave it unexpected benefit. The subtlety of stealth.
A benefit that had, apparently, ended as he noticed the chronodiscs starting to shift like mad. Spinning so fast the internal circles, usually the hardest to turn, moved so fast they became a blur.
And since there was no ripple strong enough in his current 'present' to cause such a rapid shift, there was only one explanation.
"Time Ssssstreamerrrrr..." He hissed venomously, releasing the air through clenched teeth
The Old Man knew he was here.
The Chronodiscs of the Shifter were spinning wildly, unheeding of his will. The Eye was blind to the streams of time, providing no convoluted path to follow.
There would be no escape from the hourglass gaze of the old mage this time.
But he still had cards left to play. Even if he wasn't able to kill the mage, he would make sure the esteemed Guardian of the Pillar of Time would curse his memory for a long time to come.
*
Reaching his home at leisurely pace took over two hours, but it was time well spent. The old spells were dusted off and checked, new ones committed to memory. Several interesting goodies were brought out from their hiding place. He went so far as to discretely check his claws for grime.
Since he had his 'snack' in the morning he didnÆt need to feed, which was always a plus. Stalking humans in the middle of a city, especially in daylight was not exactly his most favorite activity. Feeding on blood creeped him out, even after so many years.
Still there was one human he wouldnÆt mind hunting this afternoon.
As he pushed the door to his abode open, he didnÆt need the mournful whine of the Chronodisc to tell him of the old mageÆs presence.
The Flay was out of his hand the second the mage shifted his staff.
The spinning magical projectile almost touched the mage before it angled back to the young wraith's hand.
'Repelling spells? Magic Shell? No...' The yellow eyes, already showing hints of the ethereal blue, narrowed.
The Flay made mince meat out of static magical barriers and flesh alike, one of the reasons it was so damn dangerous.
'Something else then.' He decided finally
"You really didnÆt think a vampire weapon could have harmed me, did you, little shadow?" The mage mocked. "There are ways to neutralize your wretched powers."
'Ahh. Some sort of a Sarafan relic or spell, most probably. The old man was heavily involved with them in the old days, after all. And with his ability to scour the time stream for what he needs...' The man-wraith smirked, his eyes glimmering with barely restrained power of Ether.
"Just had to try. I have a few other tricks I want to try as well." He said with a false cheerfulness, the smile wide, sunny and more fake than the illusionary arts of his youth.
"Obstinate, to the last." The mage sighed shaking his head. "Why do you persist, little shadow? "
"IÆm just obnoxious this way, old man. Especially when someone ruins my life." He said, all pretense of good cheer gone, the malevolent energy dancing on his fingertips
"So little you know, so little you understand, little shadow." The mage made a lazy gesture with his staff, the energy dying, the glyphs drained of power. "You canÆt harm me. I, on the other hand," His smile grew malicious as the staff lit up. "Can harm you, little fledgling."
The Wraith stood there for a minute, before buffing his nails disinterestedly.
MoebiusÆ eyes bulged in a most comical way.
"Y-you... How?" He sputtered in shock.
"Yes?" The wraith raised an eyebrow in most annoyingly Kainish fashion he could. Calmly he wrestled the staff from mage's hands and dispassionately slammed the balled end to the old head.
"You and Kain." The Shadow spat throwing the anti-vampiric artifact away. "Both so sure in your own superiority, so sure of your own damn importance in the 'grand scheme of things'. So above the little pawns you play in your gambits against 'fate'. Well, here is one pawn that doesnÆt appreciate being played." He grabbed the time mage by the throat, lifting him from the ground. "You ruined my LIFE, old man." The self-dubbed wraith growled.
"You tore me from everything I knew, robbed me of life and left me a wraith! Do you know how that feels?! My life might have not been the best, I admit."
His eyes were fully blue now, instead of the vampiric yellow of the undead body he now inhabited. An ironic reflection of the past. The hard earned control unraveled, his body already letting loose the streams of ethereal power.
"My life might have even sucked... But it was MINE! MINE! MY own body, my own blood, my own LIFE! Not this MOCKERY!"
He roared, before calming down abruptly.
"But that I might me able to forgive..." He said with a strange calm. "Casually trying to erase me from the Time Stream and blaming me for that, on the other hand... I wonÆt." He bared his fangs, glaring at the Guardian of Time hatefully.
"Do you know just what I had to endure during my time in the Underworld, bastard?" The Wraith squeezed his claws tighter on the sorcererÆs neck.
"They use two-bits like me for a snack there. My soul, bereft of magic and unnatural to this Plane, was barely worth that much. I had been on the run for YEARS in this damnable limbo. Moving, escaping, plotting... It took a long time to gain some measure of power, enough to either run from or overpower my would-be captors. The things I had to do... The vile, unspeakable things that became so common to me I donÆt even have nightmares anymore... All. Because. Of. YOU." He spat the last few words, ethereal energy lashing all around.
"But you probably donÆt care." He said bitterly. "Asking you to take responsibility for your games for once in your life would be too much, wouldnÆt it? You never did so before, why should you now?"
"Responsibility...? RESPONSIBILITY?!" The mage growled and suddenly an explosion left the wraith on the ground, Moebius towering over him.
"What do you know of the responsibility, little wraith?! I had to watch my fellow guardians MURDERED by the vile creatures like vampires!" He spat.
"Murdered simply because they needed to become monsters to be worthy in their eyes. I oversaw MILENNIA, I guarded entire ERAS! I sacrificed everything and everyone I held dear on the altar of Time... DonÆt you DARE to preach to me about RESPONSIBILITY fiend!"
He snorted.
"Look at you... A soul sucking wraith... A parasite forced to drain others to survive even without the... courtesy of draining their blood." He sneered." Forced to inhabit corpses to gain even a small resemblance of life... You are an abomination even worse than the vampire body you inhabit!
"I am an abomination that YOU created!" The young man snarled.
"True." Sorcere's eyes hardened. "And I can unmake you just as easily."
"You may try." The wraith bared his fangs at the mage in a mirthless grimace.
"Strike me down now, and all you kill will be a shell. I will just shift to spectral realm, back to the Underworld. I escaped once, I can do so again. Protected by that paradox of your creation you might be, but I swear to you, you will never know peace!" He hissed. "If it takes rest of that wretched existence, I will find a way to torment you and ruin all your plans in any way possible!"
The mage looked at the wraith, his face expressionless for a minute.
"I believe you just might." he said thoughtfully after a period of silence "You are much like Kain... Or Raziel. Tenacious. But you still have a lot to learn, little wraith."
He smiled thinly and the Wraith could feel the ever-shifting chronodiscs slow down, to finally stop. The Eye of Time in the center going dim, light fading to nothingness.
His whole body felt strangely numb, as if he shifted to the Wraith form... But he was still corporeal. He tried to grab Moebius again, only for his hand to pass through the mage.
"What have you done now, old man?" The wraith asked suspiciously
The Chronodisc shouldnÆt be able to stop. Ever. As long as it kept him anchored to that era, the wheels turned...
He could feel his eyes widening as the understanding dawned.
"As I said, my little wraith, I saw millennia, I forgot more about time and the nature of Paradox than you will ever learn. I can cause it. I can repair it... And I can dismiss it." The mage smiled mockingly, retrieving his staff. "You have no place here, little wraith. Your very existence is an anomaly. I can not allow that. I might not me able to kill you, wraith of the Underworld that you are, but I can erase the very root of your presence and unmake all of your petty accomplishments. Soon nor I, or anybody else, will even remember you. The very time will forget you." He turned, walking away before stopping and throwing his opponent the last, mocking look.
"After all..." He laughed. "You were never here to begin with!"
The Wraith howled, feeling the first slips of the streams that held him anchored to Nosgoth fade.
*
Ba-bum.
...
Ba-bum.
...
"Reputed to have been torn from the chest of the greatest vampire that ever existed..."
...
Ba-BUM.
...
"...Janos Audron..."
...
Ba-BUM.
...
"...The Heart of Darkness restores vampiric unlife..."
...
Ba-BUM. BA-BUM.
...
"Life is precious, Janos discovered..."
...
BA-BUM. BA-BUM!
...
"As it was torn, throbbing and bleeding, from his own body."
...
BABUMBABUMBABUM!
...
And through the veil of unexistance shrouded over his very being, aided by the
very lifeblood of last, true ancient vampire, first guardian of the Soul Reaver, a weapon that defied fate, he screamed.
And the Void screamed with him, shattering into pieces.
*
The air burned, filling his weak lungs and throat sore from the howl. And it never felt sweeter to him.
He lived.
Or, more accurately, he survived.
Again.
And it was all thanks to Moebius. And little aid from Heart of Darkness.
He almost choked, laughing hysterically.
'I wonder how would the old mage feel knowing that I used his very energy to feed the lifeblood I had drawn from the Heart in my vampiric guise with enough power to survive my 'erasure'?' He thought, laughing like a madman.
'Using his temporal magics as a battery for one of the most potent vampiric artifacts in existence...' The young man smirked, before laughing again.
'Now THAT is an irony!'
Chuckling, he instinctively concentrated on the Path of Blood û a little vampiric trick he had learned after acquiring the Heart, trying to 'boil blood' to heal the weakness that he felt, only to feel nothing.
'Oh. Right.' He almost felt like slapping himself. 'Time Stream erasure.'
Everything was gone, back to itÆs original place in NosgothÆs time stream.
Even the energy patterns burned into his mind as he learned to manipulate NosgothÆs magics were blank, bereft of energy. Only the minor ones, those requiring his own power instead of drawing on NosgothÆs arcane aura remained.
He would miss his small collection, especially the Chronodisc and the Flay.
And not having the necromantic engine like the Heart of Darkness in his chest anymore was a sour lemon to swallow, even if it meant his survival.
'Speaking of chests...' He frowned.
He stubbornly overcame the weakness, rising hand to check his body, only to freeze.
The hand was... small. As in very.
And it wasnÆt the size, but the general feel, a slightly chubby, smooth look that could only belong to a small child.
And it was... familiar.
His eyes widened.
Slowly, his palms shaking, he touched his cheeks.
His unsteady fingers traced the gouge-like lines that had accompanied him long, long time ago. Long before the world went crazy and dark.
Back when things still made some sense.
There were six of them, three each on his cheeks.
Numbly, he looked around. There was a prevalent presence of white. The bed, the walls... Even the small chair next to his bed.
'My?' He thought dazedly. 'No... I'm sure I never...' He stopped. 'No. One thing at a time. Like with the Sarafan. Slow and steady.' His cerulean eyes focused, searching the room with renewed sense of purpose.
'No, no, no... Not this either.' His eyes swept over the window and his legs itched to get out of bed and check with his own eyes but... 'Calm. Focus. Priorities, remember?' He smiled thinly as he spied a small, shiny bowl. He took it from the nightstand next to his bed. It was metal. Poor quality, but polished more than enough.
Forcing his hands to hold it steady he looked into it... And almost forgot how to breathe.
The air came out with long hiss a long moment later.
Large cerulean orbs, fair, but not deathly pale skin, six whisker-like marks and hair that could put the sun to shame.
'I'm... me. I'm ME again...!' He thought, his eyes widening.
He sucked in the air greedily, feeling it burn and caress at the same time.
He didn't need to touch his chest to know that his heart beat and pumped blood. HIS OWN blood.
The face looking at him was slightly deformed because of the poor quality of the bowl, but it had shown him enough.
He looked at his face in wonder.
Judging by the body and the face, he was six, seven years old at most.
And he would BET he was seven. He could feel it in his guts. HIS guts.
He took in the scent of air, almost gleefully remarking just how weaker, but how REAL his senses felt without resorting to using the undead walking corpse.
He put the bowl away and threw the covers off. He got out of bed, unheeding of the early autumn chill in the air.
With purpose and determination, he stalked to the bed, only to stop mid-way.
"Ah... Right." He muttered sheepishly. He stalked back, grabbing a chair.
He didn't know if to scowl or laugh gleefully as he felt it's weight.
He dragged the chair tot he window and climbed on it. There were blinders on, but he could see the light seeping through the cracks.
The lock on the window was simple. Not that it would stop him, really. If he couldn't open it, he would smash it.
The glare of the sun almost blinded him, but he didn't care.
Greedily, he took in the familiar, yet unfamiliar sight of cramped village, buildings seemingly growing on their own haphazardly.
His sight, despite the years away from the image, unerringly drew itself to the sandy mountain side and the large visages looking over the village with their stony, yet kind, eyes.
He threw his head back, laughing wildly.
'Meobius, you FOOL!' He almost choked in his mad cackle. 'You sought to destroy me... And you only helped me to accomplish what I couldn't do for YEARS!'
He was home.
Uzumaki Naruto was finally home.
*
He flexed his palm slowly.
The lack of a slight, nearly unnoticeable numbness he was used to should be unsettling, only it wasn't.
'Well, it's only natural. It is my own body, after all.'
He frowned.
'Though something does feel... odd.' He stretched his body, feeling each and every muscle, familiarizing himself with it's workings. It wasn't anything physical... Not overtly, anyway. But something still felt odd. It took a hefty dose of his well practiced self restraint not to use some of the more... esoteric methods. But he decided not to. Home he might have been, but the need for privacy and the slight paranoia were almost second nature by now.
'Slight?' He quirked a smile. 'Well, it's not paranoia if they ARE out to get you.'
Which wasn't exactly true. About the only person out for his head was Moebius. At first, anyway.
'And the Sarafan. Damn those zealots!' He winced. 'Though the Soul Reaver...' He shuddered. That sword was a damn menace. And as much as he liked Raziel as a person, his... diet was too close to cannibalism for Naruto's tastes.
His hand went to his side instinctively, only to grasp nothing.
He cursed.
He had carried the Thorn for so damn long he had forgotten where he had found it. Loss of the ancient vampiric artifact was as annoying as the loss of the Heart of Darkness. The sword wasn't very powerful, not like the Soul Reaver... Though there was nothing quite like that accursed thing.
Person.
'Whatever.' He grimaced. 'Temporal paradoxes. Feh.'
So, no Thorn. No Heart of Darkness. No Path of Blood to heal injuries faster either. And his spells felt dead. As if they weren't even there. Even the telekinesis didn't seem to work, no that he had been that good with it in the first place.
'On the other hand, no Sarafan. No Raziel, meaning no Soul Reaver.' He perked up, a blissful smile appearing on his face. 'No Kain... And best of all... NO. MOEBIUS.' He sighed happily. 'And that's the next best thing to carving him up with a Flay one inch at a time!'
So he was back to seven (or so), weak and nearly powerless. But he was home, alive, and Meobius, Kain and the rest of the outrageously powerful egomaniacs were out of the picture for good.
Naruto chuckled, mentally toasting the Time Mage.
'Fare thee the worst, you asshole! And choke on your damn staff while you're at it, or something. Though Kain gutting you with the Soul Reaver wouldn't be bad. Kind of poetic justice, I suppose.' He smirked. 'Hell, who CARES? Not my problem anymore.'
His smirk evolved into a full blown smile.
'Shame I don't have that Bloodwine anymore. It would be JUST the occasion to break that bottle open.' He sighed longingly. 'Well, I'll get myself a drink as fast as I can, I guess.'
He clenched his palm into a fist, enjoying the small discomfort as he pressed the fingers tighter.
Vampiric bodies felt pain, but it was just pain. There was no life in it.
He was still absorbed in the sensation when the doors opened.
The nurse, an average, brown haired woman in her late thirties looked at him dourly.
"So. You're awake." She said, her mouth tightening. "Then you don't need to be here anymore. Get up and go."
Naruto's eyebrow rose.
He was in a hospital, he deduced that rather quickly. But even in the poorest parts of Nosgoth one didn't discharge the patient without at least asking how he was feeling.
Still, it wasn't like he wanted to remain in this place.
There was one problem though.
"I would like to, but I seem to lack the proper clothes." He said to the woman.
The nurse glared at him.
"Your things are in the drawer to your left. Now pick it up and go. This isn't a hotel, brat." She snapped, her lips drawn in a thin line. "I don't want to see you in ten minutes. We have other patients waiting." She turned on the heel, walking away.
The blond cocked his head to the side.
'I'm having a distinct feeling I'm not liked... or wanted. Indeed, I think she would love to get rid of me.' He smiled. 'How nostalgic. I'm already feeling at home here.'
*
Naruto frowned.
The... clothes were his. A little bit fatigued, but they fit him well. Though they were creased and unwashed. Somebody obviously just threw them in the drawer haphazardly. Though that was a minor concern.
They were orange. Loud, eye blinding orange.
Naruto's eyebrow twitched.
While he had no dislike for the color itself, his years of hiding, of straining to remain unnoticed had taken their toll. All of his well honed instincts and carefully bred paranoia started screaming bloody murder the moment he had put the ensemble on.
'Note to myself. No orange clothes in the future.' Naruto thought darkly. His hand went to his belt as he passed another darkly garbed man in a green vest. 'Minor note. Buy myself a weapon.'
He let himself relax as the man passed him, barely paying him any attention.
He sighed.
There were, it seemed, disadvantages to having a body. Involuntary tensing was one of them apparently.
'Ah, whatever.' He thought dismissing the issue for the moment. 'Now, for a matter of more importance.' He frowned, looking at the street. 'Where was my home?'
*
He had not forgotten.
Much, anyway.
He clinged to the memories of home tightly. It was one of the few things that got him through the surreal horror of the Spectral Realm.
But he was alive for a long time. Or rather he existed for a long time. He had nothing on Kain and the less said about Moebius the better. But for a human, he was very old.
Even the most precious, the most treasured memories become bleak and fade with time. And his childhood had precious little of those. His will was strong, but not that strong.
He remembered places and names, but sometimes he had trouble associating the face with the name. And some things looked different than he remembered.
'Though that might be my own perspective as much as my faulty memory.' He smiled wryly, entering his apartment.
It took a better part of the day for him to find it and he would probably fail to do so until now if not for that helpful girl.
'Ayame. From... Ichiraku...?' He frowned. 'Why is that name so... Ah, the ramen place.' He smiled. He might have been on the... liquid diet for a long time, but one never forgot the taste of ramen.
His stomach growled.
'Which reminds me. Food.' He cocked his head. "Now that is... going to take time getting used to again." He muttered.
But anything was better than sucking the life's blood out of people to survive.
Or ripping the life force from their bodies.
Not that he felt guilt for what he had done.
'Well, not that much, anyway.' He admitted.
Still, he had done what he had to to survive. Nothing more, nothing less.
Morality and pretty words quickly lost their shine when one's soul was on the line, he had learned that lesson quickly.
It was one of the first lessons he had learned in the Spectral Realm. No matter how wretched it might be, life is worth living. He wanted to live.
It was that determination, coupled with his innate stubbornness, that allowed him to escape and avoid ending as the food for one of the spectral predators.
His stomach growled again.
'Speaking of predators...' He thought with a smirk, before opening the small packet the kindly ramen girl gave him to cheer him up.
He didn't remember much of Ichiraku save the taste of their ramen, but Ayame, he decided, was worth her weight in gold.
Ravenous, he dug into his ramen.
*
The Glyphs, despite being some of the more versatile spell-like powers he managed to scrounge in his time in Spectral Realm, were a disappointment. Cast on their own, they didn't even try to work, no matter the power he tried to use.
'Not that I have much of it.' He snorted mentally.
His telekinetic abilities were completely gone, not that they were very prominent in the first place.
The spells...
He scowled.
That the High Arts, the spells drawing on Nosgoth's innate arcane aura, didn't work was understandable. That he had lost the abilities of his vampiric shell was a given.
But why would the Minor Arts fail?
He growled.
He had spent a lot of time and effort learning the theories and collecting spells. That major part of his arsenal was useless was... rather annoying. And considering he lost all of his tools and weapons...
He gritted his teeth, forcing the anger under the reins of his will.
Throwing a tantrum would be pointless.
And it wasn't like he had exhausted all of the options available.
'Speaking of which...'
He sat down comfortably, taking one of the empty sheets of paper he had found around the flat in hand.
He looked at the blank space thoughtfully, before taking a small knife and making a small incision on his finger.
Using the blood as ink, he started to draw elegant forms of Blood Script.
The ancient vampiric runes didn't have any innate power on their own, but as Janos told him so long ago, blood was power. And the runes formed a natural spell array for vampires. Being as outrageously powerful as he was, Kain never really bothered to explore the subtler magics.
Naruto, on the other hand, had learned everything and anything that might have given him even a hint of an edge.
Carefully, he drew the final mark.
He put away the brush, frowning.
'All right. Now what? Should I...' He jumped back as the paper started to melt and twist, the runes seemingly melding, until no shred of white was left, leaving a twisting, crimson mass.
He watched on, careful but curious, as the mass collapsed on itself, before suddenly expanding with a triumphal screech.
He cocked an eyebrow.
'Hmm... Now this is unexpected.' He thought, looking at the large, dark red bird of prey. "Weren't you supposed to be a farsight spell?" Naruto said out loud.
The large bird screeched again and suddenly Naruto had a unique sensation of being in two places at once. Both standing by the table and looking at himself from the height of said table.
He fought off the sudden feeling of vertigo. It was almost familiar, in a way. He felt exactly the same each time he had to change into a flock of bats.
Which was why he had never done it that much.
But unlike the transformation, the feeling of vertigo passed quickly. Though looking at himself was still odd.
He smiled.
'Farsight indeed. This might be useful. But how do I..?'
There was another feeling of vertigo and suddenly he had only one perspective. He blinked, before looking at the bird, only to see the Blood Script covered sheet of paper.
'Telepathic control?' He thought with amazement. 'Now why did I never try that spell before?' He halted suddenly, before frowning. æAnd just WHY does the Blood Script work for me when I'm human? And if it does...'
He turned around until he saw a shadowed corner.
'Perfect. Now...' He walked to the edge, until his shadow merged with the darkness partially. He concentrated, extending his arm over the shade.
'Slowly... Slowly.... Like the first time.' He thought, forcing himself to relax. His Dark Gift never worked well when he forced it. 'Don't think... FEEL. Don't force, don't push...'
For a long moment, nothing happened, but then, he felt first touch of slight chill as his fingers seemed to submerge into the shadow as if going into a cold tar pit.
Moment later, his whole hand was in.
He took a breath, turning his head to the nearest chair, partially covered by the afternoon shade.
'Now...' He moved his hand into the shadow only to smile at the familiar feeling of the dark matter... twisting, for the lack of better word. The chair slowly sank into the shadow, to vanish almost completely.
Slowly, he squeezed his palm shut.
'Come on... Come on... Just a little bit more...'
He could almost feel it, the rough wood almost touching his fingertips, the chair almost THERE in his grasp.
He cursed, the litany of the foulest Blood Script and High Ancient rolling from his tongue when the shadow snapped back, leaving his hand visible again.
He looked at the chair, now again in the very same position, as if it never moved. And on some level, it never DID.
'No walks though the shadow any time soon.' He scowled. 'At least I can manipulate it for cover. The Cloak of Shadows is useful enough on it's own I suppose.'
It was his very own Dark Gift, the ability to manipulate shadows. While not as overt or powerful as some, it was tremendously versatile. The Cloak of Shadows hid him both from prying eyes of his enemies as well as from the divination of their spells. Even Sarafan's anti-vampire magics couldn't find him. Though Moebius or Kain somehow didn't seem to have that problem.
But the shadows could do more than just hide him. Hide, befuddle, inspire terror... And even manipulate the material world in some cases. Of course, he was powerless in full daylight or darkness. He needed a shadow to work with - a price to pay for the power. There always was one, after all.
'Question is, just WHY does it work?' He scratched his chin thoughtfully. 'The Dark Gifts are vampiric powers... Granted, mine is severely weakened now, but why does it work at all? By all rights it shouldn't. Strange... Just like the Blood Script. Another mystery.' He shook his head with dismay. 'There will be time for that later. Now I have another mystery to solve.'
He laid himself on the floor, closing his eyes.
He concentrated his thoughts, focusing his will and intent in a familiar way.
'I wonder if it will...'
*
"...work?"
He blinked.
It was dark, humid and almost disgustingly familiar.
"Sewer... Now why does it HAVE to be a sewer?" He said out loud with distaste.
He had enough of them after the time he traveled to the Second Rise of the Sarafan.
"I truly detest those places." He sneered, looking at the mess of pipes, dripping water and the dark walls.
He blinked.
"How... odd."
His voice was lower and calmer. Definitely not the high pitch of his body. But it was familiar...
He raised his hand only to smirk.
True to form it was covered in pale skin, short but sharp claws adorning each finger.
"Body of a human, self image of a vampire... Last time it was the other way around. Subconsciousnes is truly the most twisted of places." He chuckled.
He looked at the claws thoughtfully.
'Obviously, since the mental trick worked, and this is my mind, I wonder...'
The bright ball rose from his palm to hover over is head.
'A paltry trick, but a useful one.' He smiled with satisfaction. 'At least here.'
He turned his attention away from the fake spell.
'Now, let's see...'
He stretched his senses beyond himself.
He wasn't the most powerful of sorcerers, but he had seen much and had learned plenty.
What he had found, though, baffled even him.
Frowning, he turned into a flock of bats, flying to the source of his surprise.
While one might think he was the lord and master of his mind, and could simply will himself where he wanted to 'be'. It was not so. Often times, mind could be the deadliest of traps, as he had found himself with a little bit of 'help' from the Nupraptor the Mentalist.
It was better to stick to things one was sure of than experiment. Self image, familiarity and practice were the best weapons here, right next to raw willpower.
'Well, maybe not too much familiarity.' Naruto winced, feeling the vertigo as he reformed. Still, he ignored it, looking at the large gate.
"Now what are you supposed to be...?" He cocked his head, noticing a large paper strip covered with a strange mark.
He extended his senses and almost recoiled at the sheer amount of power he felt there.
'What in Audron's name?!'
This wasn't some minor dabbling, or even a major spell. This was Power. Major Power.
He had no idea what was it's purpose, but he knew one thing: whatever it was, it wasn't done by a human. Or a vampire.
'Or any being I know of, to be honest.' He frowned. 'And it doesn't bear even a shred of familiarity to any nosgothian Art. That means it had been done HERE. But why? What purpose would something like that serve inside a child?'
He narrowed his eyes.
Whatever it was, he really didn't like the implications.
Slowly, cautiously, he extended his senses beyond the gate, only to grab his head in pain.
There was something there, all right. Something old, far older than him. And far more powerful than him as well. It was old, mighty, malevolent and...
He blinked.
'...dead?'
He stood still for a moment, debating with himself before drawing a familiar sheet of paper from his belt.
It didn't matter that it was new. It was his creation, therefore he could use it as he willed.
He waited until the paper once again took on the form of the bird.
"Go. Look for the source." He ordered.
The animal took out without a sound, easily fitting in between the bars.
To avoid the confusion, he closed his eyes, lowering his head.
Soon enough, he could see through the eyes of the bird clearly.
What he saw surprised him, to say the least.
'And just why would anybody put a nine tailed fox that stinks of the spirit realm inside me?' He thought puzzled. 'More importantly why would anyone put a dead nine tailed fox inside me?'
*
The flow was highly erratic, not something he was used to. Though how much was it the fault of his current body and lack of power and how much was the difference between Nosgoth and this place he couldn't tell.
His body scooped another portion of delicious noodle soup while his mind wandered.
Ayame was the first. She was closest and therefore easiest to reach.
There was warmth here, kind spirit. She focused on her job and obviously took pride in it from what he could see and sense. She radiated accomplishment, kindness and joy. But she was far from soft, he had found that quickly. Under that velvety kindness there was a hint of steel that he could appreciate.
He extended his ethereal senses.
There. A woman with a child. A daughter. The woman was absorbed with her child. She radiated a feeling of calm exasperation, something he came to associate with lecturing parents. The girls was sad, depressed. She wasn't in tears, but close.
He probed a little bit deeper before recoiling as a sharp jolt of distaste, tinged with a bit of fear ran trough the mother. The girl started to give off confusion.
'Strange...'
Soon the pair was in his field of vision, before walking by quickly, the mother dragging her pink haired daughter behind her.
He cocked an eyebrow.
'Pink hair? How... odd.'
And he could swear that the distaste was directed at him. Along with fear.
'Why?'
No matter. He had enough things on his plate as it were.
He extended his senses once again, gliding over the knots of feelings and miasma of emotions before freezing.
'What the...?!'
Something recoiled his mind with an almost physical force.
'What in Audron's name...?' He frowned , throwing discreet glances around him until he spotted a tall, blond man looking around with narrowed eyes.
Quickly, he withdrew his presence before the man noticed just where it was coming from. The blond relaxed visibly, but still looked around carefully.
'Oh now this is interesting. Some kind of mental power? And quite formidable for a human as well. Very interesting indeed.'
He would have never expected to find things like that in his home, but the place just kept surprising him.
Good. He would hate to be bored. But there was a lesson there as well, a valuable one. To avoid the overconfidence and greed.
'Something that Kain, that blasted egomaniac, had never quite learned.' Naruto scoffed. 'And look where that got him. A ruined empire, a broken world and all of his accomplishment being slowly ground to dust by his own hubris. Vae Victis, indeed.'
"..uto? Naruto?"
He blinked.
"Yes?"
Ayame looked at him carefully.
"Are you all right?"
He looked at her quizzically.
"Because you looked all... zoned out. Not here, as if thousand miles away I mean."
He smiled lightly. And here he thought the girl was absorbed in her work.
"No reason to worry, Ayame. I was just thinking."
She looked at him for a moment, before smiling.
"Well, I guess you're nervous about the Academy. It's going to be all right, you'll see."
He blinked.
"Academy?" He asked puzzled.
*
'A school... teaching the children from young age a trade of assassin. My oh my. Vorador would have loved this place.'
He had remembered ninja, of course. But his memory wasn't as accurate as he would have wished. He remembered warriors, more akin to knights than anything else.
Assassins wielding supernatural powers to stab others in the back under the cover of the night? Oh, that was much more up his alley.
Even the brown haired instructor's obvious uneasiness around him didn't manage to kill his good mood.
'There is no place like home.' Naruto decided, nodding to himself.
And his... class, was such an interesting bunch, too.
'Oh yes.' He thought with a smirk looking at the blonde girl sitting in front of him. The power was exactly the same like what he had felt in the blond man a day before, but far less focused or controlled. It had far less shields and walls placed around her mind as well.
'Placed by her, anyway.' He frowned. There were barriers, but they weren't hers. Probably made by that blond man. A father? An uncle? They seemed to far apart for siblings, though you never knew.
'No matter, I have time to find out.'
And there were plenty of other interesting brats around.
Like that boy and his dog. Naruto felt an odd link between them, almost akin to the bond formed between a vampire and his animal familiar. That alone was worth looking into.
And that boy with the glasses...
'Insects. A living hive. Ingenious.' Naruto almost shook his head in amazement. As a vampire he could command insects and vermin. He had not lost the ability but, like his Dark Gift, it was greatly weakened.
The insects barely paid any heed to his commands and the rat he had found a day before didn't listen to him at all.
But he could still sense the insects just fine. Seeing the boy 'Aburame Shino' and registering what his senses told him was a shock.
And the black haired boy with the pineapple hairdo...
There was something odd he felt ever since he had seen him. But then he saw his shadow and that was that.
The boy was a shadow user. Different from than him, but a shadow user still.
There was no mistaking that aura.
He glossed over the girl with lavender eyes. He had no idea what purpose her eyes would serve, aside from the fact she obviously wasn't blind. The black haired boy several rows down was also unremarkable save for the fact that his whole posture screamed 'noble'.
The girl next to him was familiar. With the pink hair and rather large forehead, he recognized her immediately as the same girl that was walking with her mother when he tested out his empathic powers.
Rest of the class was equally uninteresting to him.
'Though that might change.' He sat comfortably, small smile playing in the corners of his mouth. 'If anything, my world is just choke full of surprises. I have a feeling I'll like it here.'
*
Naruto almost felt like ripping the book to shreds.
'This is... inane!' The former wraith scowled 'Calculating the trajectory of a kunai in the wind? Who needs this kind of drivel?! In battle you either can or can't throw a dagger! You don't have time and a sheet of paper to calculate all the variables!'
He closed the book with a snort.
Only his deeply ingrained respect for the written word prevented him from throwing it to the ground.
The information held in old tomes often had saved his life. He had learned to prize the knowledge contained in the written word.
Even if he could barely read it.
'Bloody alphabet.' He scowled lightly. The strange symbols were nearly as hard to follow as the Low Ancient. They were familiar enough, he could read them if he concentrated and drew on his memories of home but...
'Something tells me I wasn't exactly much of a scholar before.' He thought with a wince.
A fact that he would endeavor to remedy.
Knowledge was power and ignorance could kill better than any spell or blade. He had this lesson hammered into his stubborn head quickly enough during his time in Nosgoth.
'Knowledge is the blood of the mind.' He quoted Vorador mentally with a sigh, reaching for the book again. That some things contained in it were just plain pointless wasn't a reason to shun them all.
He proceeded to open the book, before a loud, sniffing sound interrupted him.
He frowned, but ignored it. It was none of his concern.
Then it was there again. And again. And again.
There was a brief silence and the blond relaxed, paying attention to the book.
Then there was a loud cross between a squeak and a sniffle. And voices, too low for him to pick up the words but loud enough to interrupt.
Naruto gritted his teeth, eyebrow twitching.
'Well, now it seems that it IS my concern.' He thought with annoyance, closing the book.
Book in hand, he stalked to the source, only to find a small clearing with four girls in it. One was sitting on the ground and was in tears, clearly the source of the sniffles. The three other girls were standing over her, smirks on their faces.
'Bullies. No matter the age, the trash doesn't change.' He frowned. 'But they ARE interrupting me so...'
He started walking forward only to stop as several flowers flew straight into the lead bully girl's mouth.
'Oh?' He quirked an eyebrow, smiling. He turned to the source to see the familiar blonde from their class.
'Yamanaka Ino. Yes. The girl with mental powers.' He looked at her curiously
"Sorry." Ino said sweetly. "I must have mistaken that huge opening for a vase."
Naruto smirked, seeing the looks of outrage on the bullies' faces.
Ino smirked nastily.
"It might be weak, but that flower is poisonous." She looked at the black haired bully. "You better spit it out."
The ex wraith chuckled at the scared faces as they ran away.
'Vicious and effective.' He thought in amusement. 'Well done.'
He was about to turn on his heel and go back to his reading spot when he found something flying at him.
His reflexes might not be up to par with vampiric ones, but they were more than adequate to catch... A flower?
He blinked.
"Well?" The blonde said angrily. "ShouldnÆt you be following your friends?"
'Ah.'
Naruto looked at the flower, before smiling at the girl.
The pink haired girl opened her mouth, but Naruto cut in before she could utter a word.
"Those bothersome pests were not friends or even acquaintances of mine. No need to concern yourself, girl." He said twirling the flower.
Sakura nodded.
"H-he's right, Ino. He wasn't w-with Ami and the rest..."
Ino frowned.
"If you say so." She said finally, before looking at him curiously. "Hey, I know you. You're in our class! You're the odd guy that reads all day long! Uza...Uzi... Uzumaki! That's right! I knew you were familiar!"
"So it would seem." Naruto nodded curtly, ready to return to his book. "Now if you'd excuse me..."
"What were you doing here?"
Naruto blinked.
"What?"
"I asked, what were you doing here?" Ino said stubbornly. "You weren't here to bully Sakura-chan, but you came. And you laughed at the bullies. So... You must have come to rescue her!" She said triumphantly.
Naruto quirked an eyebrow.
'Well, the noise of her crying annoyed me.' He thought. 'But whatever.'
Ino didn't seem to notice his expression as she turned to 'Sakura'.
"See, Sakura-chan. You have friends! Two of them!" She frowned thoughtfully. "Well, one and the half, really since Uzumaki here isn't a real person but a living book." She grinned. "But don't worry, I can bring him up to speed." She said confidently, before turning to him. "Hey, Uzumaki, come here. Sit with us." She pointed the finger to her left.
The boy frowned.
"I'd rather not. I have some reading to do." He said, trying to walk away.
"Oh no you don't! Some boring book can wait!" Ino scowled, grasping his arm. He could have ripped free easily, but it would hurt her. Which would mean she'd be angry and she seemed a type to hold a grudge. And he DID want to learn of her mental powers.
'Who knows, this just might prove useful.'
He sat down.
'Though just why do I have a feeling I have made a very troublesome decision?'
*
His skills at ignoring interruptions had become nothing short of heroic in recent years, but even he had his limits.
Besides, only one person was stubborn enough to ram at his door at this hour.
True to form, an annoyed silhouette of Yamanaka Ino stood at his doorstep, eyebrow twitching, scowl of female indignation on her face.
"Uzumaki." She said, vein visible.
"Yamanaka." He replied in the same tone.
"Must you ALWAYS ignore the polite knocking?" She hissed.
"If you call nearly knocking my door over with that battering ram of a fist..." He shrugged.
But Ino's attention was already too far gone to react to the usual barb. She had already gone into the apartment, an intense look of focus on her face.
She stalked through the two rooms until she entered the small third room, no bigger than some closets.
She squealed as she saw the glass containers.
"Naruto-kun!" She turned to him, eyes sparkling. "For me? You shouldnÆt have!"
He glared at her.
"How many times must I tell you, woman. That perfume was an ACCIDENT!"
"I don't mind." Ino nodded sagely. "Sasuke-kun liked it, that's all that matters!"
Naruto sighed.
Ever since they entered that awkward age of 'liking' boys, most of the girls fixated on the brooding Uchiha scion like there would be no tomorrow. The 'noble' even had his own fanclub! It was utterly ridiculous.
First of all, they were too young to know what 'love' really meant. Sure, as in some parts of Nosgoth, ninja matured quickly and marriage at fourteen or fifteen wasn't unheard of. Though it was usually practiced by noble clans, it happened. But still... Second - Sasuke was as cold a fish as there ever was.
He knew the type. They obsessed over things in a way that left no room for anything else. Besides, he doubted Sasuke would choose any of his kunoichi compatriots even if he fancied any of them.
He probably wanted to rebuild his clan, not risk the potential mother of his children on missions. Ninja died often, even in times of peace.
It was the way of things. And if he ever chose a woman while still young, an older woman was a better choice anyway. He had seen enough of that in Nosgoth to know how it worked among nobles.
"No perfumes, Ino." He said forcefully. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to get enough of materials for my projects as it is?"
Though ninja practiced herbalism, the ingredients were ungodly expensive. Harvesting needed herbs on his own was much cheaper. Other materials...
Oh, how he bemoaned lack of proper alchemy shops!
He wasn't the best alchemist around, but he was more than decent. But he still couldn't make some of his more effective potions since he lacked the ingredients or even some reagents.
'Lack of proper tools is also an inconvenience.' He thought with annoyance.
Manufacturing a proper alchemist's workshop and proper stock of ingredients would take large amount of time and funds. While he wasn't as bad off financially a he was when he 'returned' several years before, he still lacked the coin for an extravaganza like that.
'I shall make do with what I have.' He thought darkly. 'Not that I have much choice.'
"...eeaseee!" Ino batted her eyelashes at him.
"No." Naruto turned to his workshop. "Now, did you have anything of importance to discuss or did you come to pointlessly pester me for the perfume once again?"
"Ah, you're no fun!" Ino huffed. "Seriously, would it hurt you to..."
"Ino." Naruto snapped. He liked the girl, but there was something about her that just seemed to annoy him at times. If she wasn't so interesting and fun to toy with...
"All right, all right. Sheesh." She muttered. "You know, Sakura's birthday is coming soon and I thought that..."
"No." Naruto turned away.
"Hey!" Ino protested. "Listen to the end, damn it!"
"No." Naruto sighed. "Ino, Sakura's mother doesn't like me. She never had. She never will. If I came to her birthday party she'd throw a tantrum like she did three years ago. No."
"That's what I'm talking about, you whisker-faced idiot!" Ino stomped angrily. "We thought about that and decided it would be best to do the party somewhere else."
Naruto frowned, before shaking his head.
"Restaurants are out. You know that."
Places of business treating him like a leper puzzled him until he found first mentions of the Kyuubi in the archives he had access to as an Academy student. He instantly connected the spirit corpse with the demon.
Obviously the Yondaime Hokage couldn't defeat the beast via brute force so he had sealed it inside a container. Naruto approved. It was the best method. Though the choice of containers irritated him. If the Yondaime was around, he would have words with the man. Not that he was all that angry, really.
More annoyed that nobody told him. And Kyuubi, even dead, was a far too useful resource to ignore.
'Not that I had found a way to use it. Yet.' He scowled mentally.
Still, he had managed to learn plenty, if less than what he wanted.
Amazingly enough, there was no jutsu manual in Konoha. Or rather, there wasn't one for anyone under the rank of chuunin, and even then you needed Hokage's permission. Aside from the course books for the Academy, but they only listed three jutsu that were available to any ninja in the world: Kawarimi, Bunshin and Henge.
It seemed inane to him at first. After all, why restrict knowledge this way? Surely, more advanced techniques should be kept from children, but some low level skills could be learned by the academy students in their later years of their schooling.
But then he realized that the system was built this way on purpose. First of, many of the children in the class were from ninja clans or families.
They were trained in their family's jutsu. It seemed unfair to other children, but such was life. And if a student didn't pass, he wouldn't be able to reveal village's secrets by accident or sell them to other villages out of spite or for monetary gain.
All the Academy gave the aspiring genin were basics that were later polished by their jounin instructors. Also, the jounin taught the genin any jutsu they deemed their students ready for.
It was a quite reasonable system, all things considered.
Naruto was shook off his train of thought by Ino's smirk. Slightly dark, gleeful and spelling trouble, it was a version of his own that Ino picked up somehow during the years of their friendship.
Naruto really didn't like that glint in her eye. It looked far too much like his own for his peace of mind.
"I'm not talking about the restaurant." She said smugly.
Naruto frowned.
'What is she...?'
Ino waved a small pamphlet and the blondeÆs eyes widened.
Naruto snagged the paper. Sure enough it was a copy of the deed to the entire building with his name on it.
The former wraith glared at his friend.
"How?" He demanded.
"Shin-ten-shin!" Ino sing songed gleefully. "Come on, Naruto-kun. I'm a kunoichi with a prime espionage technique!"
He narrowed his eyes.
"Point." He said after a while.
The 'Rose Garden' was an accident, to be true. It was a restaurant and a club ran by Ayame's friend, Yukino he met in some bizarre circumstances. It was quite a good place, with nice ambiance, discreet service and reasonable prices.
It was also practically in Red Lights district.
It was a set of rather bizarre circumstances that started with a drunken Yukino bemoaning her fate and Naruto having a bit of revenge on several entrepreneurs by summoning a swarm of roaches. It snowballed from there. Now Naruto had over twenty percent of interest in the restaurant and shared ownership of the Meridian club in the neighboring building, ran also by Yukino.
All quietly and under the table, of course.
It was mainly thanks to that that he managed to buy himself a new home. It wasn't a fortune, but it paid the bills. And buying this old, ran down apartment block was cheap. Though he still had no idea what to do with the rest of the rooms available. Not many people wanted to live next to the 'Kyuubi brat'. Not that he minded, really. Peace and quiet were worth the price.
"Ino..." He sighed. "This is..."
"Not listening."
"Be reasonable, Yamanaka." He said.
"Not listening. AT ALL."
Naruto capitulated, before smirking.
"You know your parents will kill you, right?"
Ino grinned.
Naruto sighed.
'I'm getting soft in my old age.'
*
"Please... kill me now." Ino moaned.
Naruto snorted.
"I told you so." He muttered, trying not to smile.
Somehow, Ino smuggled a bottle of sake to the party. While Sakura was too afraid of her mother's wrath, Ino had no such compulsions. It took but two saucers of the mild rice wine for Ino to get completely wasted. The hangover wasn't pretty.
'What an amusing girl...' Naruto smirked, spying Iruka. As always, the chuunin used his patented method of dealing with a bunch of rowdy brats.
"QUIET DOWN YOU WORTHLESS BASTARDS!"
"Naruto... By all that is holy...! Kill me!" Ino moaned, clutching her head.
Naruto chuckled.
"Vae Victis, Ino. Suffering to the conquered." He nodded sagely.
Ino whimpered pitifully.
*
Naruto leafed though the course book.
'Trajectory, strategy, first aid... Rubbish.' He frowned. 'And that's supposed to be our course work for another year?'
He put the book down, before staring at the ceiling contemplatively.
He could have graduated the academy early. Sure. He could have done that a year ago, even. Granted, it was a school for ninja, but the pupils were children.
Catching up on theory once he could read fast enough was no problem. Physical skills were just a matter of conditioning. They might be called kunai, but a dagger was still a dagger and he had always been good at using those. Taijutsu was almost laughably easy for somebody with his extensive battle experience. Jutsu were a different matter altogether, but after two and a half years he was confident in his abilities.
So, what was there?
'No. The question is, just what do I want to do?' He scratched his chin thoughtfully.
It was a difficult question.
In Nosgoth, it had been survival and going back home, but he had never thought beyond that. Once he returned, he just kept drifting on, amusing himself with some interesting diversions from time to time.
He wanted power. There was no question about that. But, in a way, that he already had.
'Even if I can't access it so far.' He though with annoyance.
Skill. Oh that he wanted as well. His original plan was to float through academy quietly, using the free time for research. Sadly, it was not to be.
While experimenting with his own knowledge was all fine and well, as an academy student he had very little access to Konoha's lore. And stealing it was out of the question. He had no idea what high level ninja were really capable of. Making a move like that, especially as... limited as he was now, would be foolish. He didn't survive for so long by being a fool.
'So, that leaves only the 'official' way. Promotion. Genin is only a peg above an academy student and chuunin lack anything of real worth. Jounin would be my best bet.'
Now, all that was left was to graduate the Academy.
'Now this... is going to be a problem.' Naruto admitted grudgingly.
Ever since Uchiha Itachi slaughtered his clan, the early graduation was harder to accomplish.
'Sarutobi...' The blond ex-wraith grimaced
The Hokage would be a problem as well. While the old man didn't exactly have time to take care of him, he watched him like a hawk ever since that fiasco with two upperclassmen. If not for Sakura's testimony, he would have serious problems.
Naruto had honestly tried to blend in. But as good as he was, he had no idea how to behave like a child. And he wasn't the nicest of people, he admitted that himself. Not to mention he answered rather... badly to the attempts at bullying.
He shrugged.
He still had no idea what the big deal was. The two boys were close to graduating anyway, so they should be ready for that kind of battle. And the broken bones and fractured ribs would heal. They started the fight. He just finished it. They were lucky he didn't have his sword or they'd have ended in the morgue instead of ICU.
'I did get a little bit carried away.' The blond admitted grudgingly. 'Fools. Pulling out a blade in a fight like that. They should know things would get ugly. But I did overreact a little.' He snorted. 'Little maggots.'
Sarutobi had checked his seal twice, before summoning a Hyuuga to check his tenketsu.
'Probably to see if it wasn't the Kyuubi breaking out and influencing his poor, abused host.' Naruto smirked darkly. 'Though it is kind of difficult to influence anything if youÆre dead.'
Unless you were a vampire, of course. But they weren't really dead.
'Undead, more like.' He frowned thoughtfully. 'Or should it be unliving?'
He forced his mind to get back on track.
He pondered the matter for a good while, rejecting plan after a plan until there was only one option left.
'Well, they do say that simple is best.' Naruto thought dourly.
*
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I don't own Blood Omen games either. Shame, I know.
*
Fateless. (since I had NO idea what to name it)
A Naruto/Blood Omen series crossover. (Yes. I know it is not supposed to be crossed.)
*
It took nearly a minute to recognize the feeling, the subtle, electric tingle of the small device. No shifting of the plates, not yet anyway.
But he could feel his mental 'hackles' rising already.
Doubtful that the ripple itself had been directed at him since he was not even a pawn. There were far more potent figures on the board to play with.
But with the Old Man you NEVER knew.
He threw a longing, regretful glance, committing the ancient hall to memory. He had spent long, interesting hours in this Keep, time filled with knowledge, learning and, most importantly, peace from machinations and paradox.
Probably his most peaceful time since coming to Nosgoth.
The past was perilous, the future dark and each round of the game played on the chessboard called 'fate' only made it darker still. Like a maze that complicated itself on itÆs own.
'Well, maybe not on itÆs own entirely...' The young 'man' scowled darkly.
'Both Kain and Moebius... Swinging carelessly around, uncaring and unheeding of the damages they caused and things they destroyed in their machinations...'
Although he would have taken Kain over the old sorcerer any day.
'To think that a day would come that I would take side of arrogant fiend, a blood drinking monster who personifies all the faults of a haughty aristocrat with close to none of their redeeming qualities over a supposed guardian of the land.' He shook his head. 'Signum temporis.' he though with a rueful chuckle, nearly choking with laughter at the irony of the saying.
'Besides, I should be cautious who did I call a fiend, being who I am.' He growled. The rage, the old, potent rage raised it's head yet again.
The medallion tingled again and he laid his hand on it, seeking so much as to calm the agitated device as to draw the comfort from itÆs presence.
The device had nothing on MoebiusÆ Hourglass or even KainÆs Chronoplast in terms of power... In fact, until he had claimed it, it didnÆt even have a NAME. Comparing to itÆs more powerful 'cousins', it was weak and crude. But at the same time, itÆs crudeness and simplicity gave it unexpected benefit. The subtlety of stealth.
A benefit that had, apparently, ended as he noticed the chronodiscs starting to shift like mad. Spinning so fast the internal circles, usually the hardest to turn, moved so fast they became a blur.
And since there was no ripple strong enough in his current 'present' to cause such a rapid shift, there was only one explanation.
"Time Ssssstreamerrrrr..." He hissed venomously, releasing the air through clenched teeth
The Old Man knew he was here.
The Chronodiscs of the Shifter were spinning wildly, unheeding of his will. The Eye was blind to the streams of time, providing no convoluted path to follow.
There would be no escape from the hourglass gaze of the old mage this time.
But he still had cards left to play. Even if he wasn't able to kill the mage, he would make sure the esteemed Guardian of the Pillar of Time would curse his memory for a long time to come.
*
Reaching his home at leisurely pace took over two hours, but it was time well spent. The old spells were dusted off and checked, new ones committed to memory. Several interesting goodies were brought out from their hiding place. He went so far as to discretely check his claws for grime.
Since he had his 'snack' in the morning he didnÆt need to feed, which was always a plus. Stalking humans in the middle of a city, especially in daylight was not exactly his most favorite activity. Feeding on blood creeped him out, even after so many years.
Still there was one human he wouldnÆt mind hunting this afternoon.
As he pushed the door to his abode open, he didnÆt need the mournful whine of the Chronodisc to tell him of the old mageÆs presence.
The Flay was out of his hand the second the mage shifted his staff.
The spinning magical projectile almost touched the mage before it angled back to the young wraith's hand.
'Repelling spells? Magic Shell? No...' The yellow eyes, already showing hints of the ethereal blue, narrowed.
The Flay made mince meat out of static magical barriers and flesh alike, one of the reasons it was so damn dangerous.
'Something else then.' He decided finally
"You really didnÆt think a vampire weapon could have harmed me, did you, little shadow?" The mage mocked. "There are ways to neutralize your wretched powers."
'Ahh. Some sort of a Sarafan relic or spell, most probably. The old man was heavily involved with them in the old days, after all. And with his ability to scour the time stream for what he needs...' The man-wraith smirked, his eyes glimmering with barely restrained power of Ether.
"Just had to try. I have a few other tricks I want to try as well." He said with a false cheerfulness, the smile wide, sunny and more fake than the illusionary arts of his youth.
"Obstinate, to the last." The mage sighed shaking his head. "Why do you persist, little shadow? "
"IÆm just obnoxious this way, old man. Especially when someone ruins my life." He said, all pretense of good cheer gone, the malevolent energy dancing on his fingertips
"So little you know, so little you understand, little shadow." The mage made a lazy gesture with his staff, the energy dying, the glyphs drained of power. "You canÆt harm me. I, on the other hand," His smile grew malicious as the staff lit up. "Can harm you, little fledgling."
The Wraith stood there for a minute, before buffing his nails disinterestedly.
MoebiusÆ eyes bulged in a most comical way.
"Y-you... How?" He sputtered in shock.
"Yes?" The wraith raised an eyebrow in most annoyingly Kainish fashion he could. Calmly he wrestled the staff from mage's hands and dispassionately slammed the balled end to the old head.
"You and Kain." The Shadow spat throwing the anti-vampiric artifact away. "Both so sure in your own superiority, so sure of your own damn importance in the 'grand scheme of things'. So above the little pawns you play in your gambits against 'fate'. Well, here is one pawn that doesnÆt appreciate being played." He grabbed the time mage by the throat, lifting him from the ground. "You ruined my LIFE, old man." The self-dubbed wraith growled.
"You tore me from everything I knew, robbed me of life and left me a wraith! Do you know how that feels?! My life might have not been the best, I admit."
His eyes were fully blue now, instead of the vampiric yellow of the undead body he now inhabited. An ironic reflection of the past. The hard earned control unraveled, his body already letting loose the streams of ethereal power.
"My life might have even sucked... But it was MINE! MINE! MY own body, my own blood, my own LIFE! Not this MOCKERY!"
He roared, before calming down abruptly.
"But that I might me able to forgive..." He said with a strange calm. "Casually trying to erase me from the Time Stream and blaming me for that, on the other hand... I wonÆt." He bared his fangs, glaring at the Guardian of Time hatefully.
"Do you know just what I had to endure during my time in the Underworld, bastard?" The Wraith squeezed his claws tighter on the sorcererÆs neck.
"They use two-bits like me for a snack there. My soul, bereft of magic and unnatural to this Plane, was barely worth that much. I had been on the run for YEARS in this damnable limbo. Moving, escaping, plotting... It took a long time to gain some measure of power, enough to either run from or overpower my would-be captors. The things I had to do... The vile, unspeakable things that became so common to me I donÆt even have nightmares anymore... All. Because. Of. YOU." He spat the last few words, ethereal energy lashing all around.
"But you probably donÆt care." He said bitterly. "Asking you to take responsibility for your games for once in your life would be too much, wouldnÆt it? You never did so before, why should you now?"
"Responsibility...? RESPONSIBILITY?!" The mage growled and suddenly an explosion left the wraith on the ground, Moebius towering over him.
"What do you know of the responsibility, little wraith?! I had to watch my fellow guardians MURDERED by the vile creatures like vampires!" He spat.
"Murdered simply because they needed to become monsters to be worthy in their eyes. I oversaw MILENNIA, I guarded entire ERAS! I sacrificed everything and everyone I held dear on the altar of Time... DonÆt you DARE to preach to me about RESPONSIBILITY fiend!"
He snorted.
"Look at you... A soul sucking wraith... A parasite forced to drain others to survive even without the... courtesy of draining their blood." He sneered." Forced to inhabit corpses to gain even a small resemblance of life... You are an abomination even worse than the vampire body you inhabit!
"I am an abomination that YOU created!" The young man snarled.
"True." Sorcere's eyes hardened. "And I can unmake you just as easily."
"You may try." The wraith bared his fangs at the mage in a mirthless grimace.
"Strike me down now, and all you kill will be a shell. I will just shift to spectral realm, back to the Underworld. I escaped once, I can do so again. Protected by that paradox of your creation you might be, but I swear to you, you will never know peace!" He hissed. "If it takes rest of that wretched existence, I will find a way to torment you and ruin all your plans in any way possible!"
The mage looked at the wraith, his face expressionless for a minute.
"I believe you just might." he said thoughtfully after a period of silence "You are much like Kain... Or Raziel. Tenacious. But you still have a lot to learn, little wraith."
He smiled thinly and the Wraith could feel the ever-shifting chronodiscs slow down, to finally stop. The Eye of Time in the center going dim, light fading to nothingness.
His whole body felt strangely numb, as if he shifted to the Wraith form... But he was still corporeal. He tried to grab Moebius again, only for his hand to pass through the mage.
"What have you done now, old man?" The wraith asked suspiciously
The Chronodisc shouldnÆt be able to stop. Ever. As long as it kept him anchored to that era, the wheels turned...
He could feel his eyes widening as the understanding dawned.
"As I said, my little wraith, I saw millennia, I forgot more about time and the nature of Paradox than you will ever learn. I can cause it. I can repair it... And I can dismiss it." The mage smiled mockingly, retrieving his staff. "You have no place here, little wraith. Your very existence is an anomaly. I can not allow that. I might not me able to kill you, wraith of the Underworld that you are, but I can erase the very root of your presence and unmake all of your petty accomplishments. Soon nor I, or anybody else, will even remember you. The very time will forget you." He turned, walking away before stopping and throwing his opponent the last, mocking look.
"After all..." He laughed. "You were never here to begin with!"
The Wraith howled, feeling the first slips of the streams that held him anchored to Nosgoth fade.
*
Ba-bum.
...
Ba-bum.
...
"Reputed to have been torn from the chest of the greatest vampire that ever existed..."
...
Ba-BUM.
...
"...Janos Audron..."
...
Ba-BUM.
...
"...The Heart of Darkness restores vampiric unlife..."
...
Ba-BUM. BA-BUM.
...
"Life is precious, Janos discovered..."
...
BA-BUM. BA-BUM!
...
"As it was torn, throbbing and bleeding, from his own body."
...
BABUMBABUMBABUM!
...
And through the veil of unexistance shrouded over his very being, aided by the
very lifeblood of last, true ancient vampire, first guardian of the Soul Reaver, a weapon that defied fate, he screamed.
And the Void screamed with him, shattering into pieces.
*
The air burned, filling his weak lungs and throat sore from the howl. And it never felt sweeter to him.
He lived.
Or, more accurately, he survived.
Again.
And it was all thanks to Moebius. And little aid from Heart of Darkness.
He almost choked, laughing hysterically.
'I wonder how would the old mage feel knowing that I used his very energy to feed the lifeblood I had drawn from the Heart in my vampiric guise with enough power to survive my 'erasure'?' He thought, laughing like a madman.
'Using his temporal magics as a battery for one of the most potent vampiric artifacts in existence...' The young man smirked, before laughing again.
'Now THAT is an irony!'
Chuckling, he instinctively concentrated on the Path of Blood û a little vampiric trick he had learned after acquiring the Heart, trying to 'boil blood' to heal the weakness that he felt, only to feel nothing.
'Oh. Right.' He almost felt like slapping himself. 'Time Stream erasure.'
Everything was gone, back to itÆs original place in NosgothÆs time stream.
Even the energy patterns burned into his mind as he learned to manipulate NosgothÆs magics were blank, bereft of energy. Only the minor ones, those requiring his own power instead of drawing on NosgothÆs arcane aura remained.
He would miss his small collection, especially the Chronodisc and the Flay.
And not having the necromantic engine like the Heart of Darkness in his chest anymore was a sour lemon to swallow, even if it meant his survival.
'Speaking of chests...' He frowned.
He stubbornly overcame the weakness, rising hand to check his body, only to freeze.
The hand was... small. As in very.
And it wasnÆt the size, but the general feel, a slightly chubby, smooth look that could only belong to a small child.
And it was... familiar.
His eyes widened.
Slowly, his palms shaking, he touched his cheeks.
His unsteady fingers traced the gouge-like lines that had accompanied him long, long time ago. Long before the world went crazy and dark.
Back when things still made some sense.
There were six of them, three each on his cheeks.
Numbly, he looked around. There was a prevalent presence of white. The bed, the walls... Even the small chair next to his bed.
'My?' He thought dazedly. 'No... I'm sure I never...' He stopped. 'No. One thing at a time. Like with the Sarafan. Slow and steady.' His cerulean eyes focused, searching the room with renewed sense of purpose.
'No, no, no... Not this either.' His eyes swept over the window and his legs itched to get out of bed and check with his own eyes but... 'Calm. Focus. Priorities, remember?' He smiled thinly as he spied a small, shiny bowl. He took it from the nightstand next to his bed. It was metal. Poor quality, but polished more than enough.
Forcing his hands to hold it steady he looked into it... And almost forgot how to breathe.
The air came out with long hiss a long moment later.
Large cerulean orbs, fair, but not deathly pale skin, six whisker-like marks and hair that could put the sun to shame.
'I'm... me. I'm ME again...!' He thought, his eyes widening.
He sucked in the air greedily, feeling it burn and caress at the same time.
He didn't need to touch his chest to know that his heart beat and pumped blood. HIS OWN blood.
The face looking at him was slightly deformed because of the poor quality of the bowl, but it had shown him enough.
He looked at his face in wonder.
Judging by the body and the face, he was six, seven years old at most.
And he would BET he was seven. He could feel it in his guts. HIS guts.
He took in the scent of air, almost gleefully remarking just how weaker, but how REAL his senses felt without resorting to using the undead walking corpse.
He put the bowl away and threw the covers off. He got out of bed, unheeding of the early autumn chill in the air.
With purpose and determination, he stalked to the bed, only to stop mid-way.
"Ah... Right." He muttered sheepishly. He stalked back, grabbing a chair.
He didn't know if to scowl or laugh gleefully as he felt it's weight.
He dragged the chair tot he window and climbed on it. There were blinders on, but he could see the light seeping through the cracks.
The lock on the window was simple. Not that it would stop him, really. If he couldn't open it, he would smash it.
The glare of the sun almost blinded him, but he didn't care.
Greedily, he took in the familiar, yet unfamiliar sight of cramped village, buildings seemingly growing on their own haphazardly.
His sight, despite the years away from the image, unerringly drew itself to the sandy mountain side and the large visages looking over the village with their stony, yet kind, eyes.
He threw his head back, laughing wildly.
'Meobius, you FOOL!' He almost choked in his mad cackle. 'You sought to destroy me... And you only helped me to accomplish what I couldn't do for YEARS!'
He was home.
Uzumaki Naruto was finally home.
*
He flexed his palm slowly.
The lack of a slight, nearly unnoticeable numbness he was used to should be unsettling, only it wasn't.
'Well, it's only natural. It is my own body, after all.'
He frowned.
'Though something does feel... odd.' He stretched his body, feeling each and every muscle, familiarizing himself with it's workings. It wasn't anything physical... Not overtly, anyway. But something still felt odd. It took a hefty dose of his well practiced self restraint not to use some of the more... esoteric methods. But he decided not to. Home he might have been, but the need for privacy and the slight paranoia were almost second nature by now.
'Slight?' He quirked a smile. 'Well, it's not paranoia if they ARE out to get you.'
Which wasn't exactly true. About the only person out for his head was Moebius. At first, anyway.
'And the Sarafan. Damn those zealots!' He winced. 'Though the Soul Reaver...' He shuddered. That sword was a damn menace. And as much as he liked Raziel as a person, his... diet was too close to cannibalism for Naruto's tastes.
His hand went to his side instinctively, only to grasp nothing.
He cursed.
He had carried the Thorn for so damn long he had forgotten where he had found it. Loss of the ancient vampiric artifact was as annoying as the loss of the Heart of Darkness. The sword wasn't very powerful, not like the Soul Reaver... Though there was nothing quite like that accursed thing.
Person.
'Whatever.' He grimaced. 'Temporal paradoxes. Feh.'
So, no Thorn. No Heart of Darkness. No Path of Blood to heal injuries faster either. And his spells felt dead. As if they weren't even there. Even the telekinesis didn't seem to work, no that he had been that good with it in the first place.
'On the other hand, no Sarafan. No Raziel, meaning no Soul Reaver.' He perked up, a blissful smile appearing on his face. 'No Kain... And best of all... NO. MOEBIUS.' He sighed happily. 'And that's the next best thing to carving him up with a Flay one inch at a time!'
So he was back to seven (or so), weak and nearly powerless. But he was home, alive, and Meobius, Kain and the rest of the outrageously powerful egomaniacs were out of the picture for good.
Naruto chuckled, mentally toasting the Time Mage.
'Fare thee the worst, you asshole! And choke on your damn staff while you're at it, or something. Though Kain gutting you with the Soul Reaver wouldn't be bad. Kind of poetic justice, I suppose.' He smirked. 'Hell, who CARES? Not my problem anymore.'
His smirk evolved into a full blown smile.
'Shame I don't have that Bloodwine anymore. It would be JUST the occasion to break that bottle open.' He sighed longingly. 'Well, I'll get myself a drink as fast as I can, I guess.'
He clenched his palm into a fist, enjoying the small discomfort as he pressed the fingers tighter.
Vampiric bodies felt pain, but it was just pain. There was no life in it.
He was still absorbed in the sensation when the doors opened.
The nurse, an average, brown haired woman in her late thirties looked at him dourly.
"So. You're awake." She said, her mouth tightening. "Then you don't need to be here anymore. Get up and go."
Naruto's eyebrow rose.
He was in a hospital, he deduced that rather quickly. But even in the poorest parts of Nosgoth one didn't discharge the patient without at least asking how he was feeling.
Still, it wasn't like he wanted to remain in this place.
There was one problem though.
"I would like to, but I seem to lack the proper clothes." He said to the woman.
The nurse glared at him.
"Your things are in the drawer to your left. Now pick it up and go. This isn't a hotel, brat." She snapped, her lips drawn in a thin line. "I don't want to see you in ten minutes. We have other patients waiting." She turned on the heel, walking away.
The blond cocked his head to the side.
'I'm having a distinct feeling I'm not liked... or wanted. Indeed, I think she would love to get rid of me.' He smiled. 'How nostalgic. I'm already feeling at home here.'
*
Naruto frowned.
The... clothes were his. A little bit fatigued, but they fit him well. Though they were creased and unwashed. Somebody obviously just threw them in the drawer haphazardly. Though that was a minor concern.
They were orange. Loud, eye blinding orange.
Naruto's eyebrow twitched.
While he had no dislike for the color itself, his years of hiding, of straining to remain unnoticed had taken their toll. All of his well honed instincts and carefully bred paranoia started screaming bloody murder the moment he had put the ensemble on.
'Note to myself. No orange clothes in the future.' Naruto thought darkly. His hand went to his belt as he passed another darkly garbed man in a green vest. 'Minor note. Buy myself a weapon.'
He let himself relax as the man passed him, barely paying him any attention.
He sighed.
There were, it seemed, disadvantages to having a body. Involuntary tensing was one of them apparently.
'Ah, whatever.' He thought dismissing the issue for the moment. 'Now, for a matter of more importance.' He frowned, looking at the street. 'Where was my home?'
*
He had not forgotten.
Much, anyway.
He clinged to the memories of home tightly. It was one of the few things that got him through the surreal horror of the Spectral Realm.
But he was alive for a long time. Or rather he existed for a long time. He had nothing on Kain and the less said about Moebius the better. But for a human, he was very old.
Even the most precious, the most treasured memories become bleak and fade with time. And his childhood had precious little of those. His will was strong, but not that strong.
He remembered places and names, but sometimes he had trouble associating the face with the name. And some things looked different than he remembered.
'Though that might be my own perspective as much as my faulty memory.' He smiled wryly, entering his apartment.
It took a better part of the day for him to find it and he would probably fail to do so until now if not for that helpful girl.
'Ayame. From... Ichiraku...?' He frowned. 'Why is that name so... Ah, the ramen place.' He smiled. He might have been on the... liquid diet for a long time, but one never forgot the taste of ramen.
His stomach growled.
'Which reminds me. Food.' He cocked his head. "Now that is... going to take time getting used to again." He muttered.
But anything was better than sucking the life's blood out of people to survive.
Or ripping the life force from their bodies.
Not that he felt guilt for what he had done.
'Well, not that much, anyway.' He admitted.
Still, he had done what he had to to survive. Nothing more, nothing less.
Morality and pretty words quickly lost their shine when one's soul was on the line, he had learned that lesson quickly.
It was one of the first lessons he had learned in the Spectral Realm. No matter how wretched it might be, life is worth living. He wanted to live.
It was that determination, coupled with his innate stubbornness, that allowed him to escape and avoid ending as the food for one of the spectral predators.
His stomach growled again.
'Speaking of predators...' He thought with a smirk, before opening the small packet the kindly ramen girl gave him to cheer him up.
He didn't remember much of Ichiraku save the taste of their ramen, but Ayame, he decided, was worth her weight in gold.
Ravenous, he dug into his ramen.
*
The Glyphs, despite being some of the more versatile spell-like powers he managed to scrounge in his time in Spectral Realm, were a disappointment. Cast on their own, they didn't even try to work, no matter the power he tried to use.
'Not that I have much of it.' He snorted mentally.
His telekinetic abilities were completely gone, not that they were very prominent in the first place.
The spells...
He scowled.
That the High Arts, the spells drawing on Nosgoth's innate arcane aura, didn't work was understandable. That he had lost the abilities of his vampiric shell was a given.
But why would the Minor Arts fail?
He growled.
He had spent a lot of time and effort learning the theories and collecting spells. That major part of his arsenal was useless was... rather annoying. And considering he lost all of his tools and weapons...
He gritted his teeth, forcing the anger under the reins of his will.
Throwing a tantrum would be pointless.
And it wasn't like he had exhausted all of the options available.
'Speaking of which...'
He sat down comfortably, taking one of the empty sheets of paper he had found around the flat in hand.
He looked at the blank space thoughtfully, before taking a small knife and making a small incision on his finger.
Using the blood as ink, he started to draw elegant forms of Blood Script.
The ancient vampiric runes didn't have any innate power on their own, but as Janos told him so long ago, blood was power. And the runes formed a natural spell array for vampires. Being as outrageously powerful as he was, Kain never really bothered to explore the subtler magics.
Naruto, on the other hand, had learned everything and anything that might have given him even a hint of an edge.
Carefully, he drew the final mark.
He put away the brush, frowning.
'All right. Now what? Should I...' He jumped back as the paper started to melt and twist, the runes seemingly melding, until no shred of white was left, leaving a twisting, crimson mass.
He watched on, careful but curious, as the mass collapsed on itself, before suddenly expanding with a triumphal screech.
He cocked an eyebrow.
'Hmm... Now this is unexpected.' He thought, looking at the large, dark red bird of prey. "Weren't you supposed to be a farsight spell?" Naruto said out loud.
The large bird screeched again and suddenly Naruto had a unique sensation of being in two places at once. Both standing by the table and looking at himself from the height of said table.
He fought off the sudden feeling of vertigo. It was almost familiar, in a way. He felt exactly the same each time he had to change into a flock of bats.
Which was why he had never done it that much.
But unlike the transformation, the feeling of vertigo passed quickly. Though looking at himself was still odd.
He smiled.
'Farsight indeed. This might be useful. But how do I..?'
There was another feeling of vertigo and suddenly he had only one perspective. He blinked, before looking at the bird, only to see the Blood Script covered sheet of paper.
'Telepathic control?' He thought with amazement. 'Now why did I never try that spell before?' He halted suddenly, before frowning. æAnd just WHY does the Blood Script work for me when I'm human? And if it does...'
He turned around until he saw a shadowed corner.
'Perfect. Now...' He walked to the edge, until his shadow merged with the darkness partially. He concentrated, extending his arm over the shade.
'Slowly... Slowly.... Like the first time.' He thought, forcing himself to relax. His Dark Gift never worked well when he forced it. 'Don't think... FEEL. Don't force, don't push...'
For a long moment, nothing happened, but then, he felt first touch of slight chill as his fingers seemed to submerge into the shadow as if going into a cold tar pit.
Moment later, his whole hand was in.
He took a breath, turning his head to the nearest chair, partially covered by the afternoon shade.
'Now...' He moved his hand into the shadow only to smile at the familiar feeling of the dark matter... twisting, for the lack of better word. The chair slowly sank into the shadow, to vanish almost completely.
Slowly, he squeezed his palm shut.
'Come on... Come on... Just a little bit more...'
He could almost feel it, the rough wood almost touching his fingertips, the chair almost THERE in his grasp.
He cursed, the litany of the foulest Blood Script and High Ancient rolling from his tongue when the shadow snapped back, leaving his hand visible again.
He looked at the chair, now again in the very same position, as if it never moved. And on some level, it never DID.
'No walks though the shadow any time soon.' He scowled. 'At least I can manipulate it for cover. The Cloak of Shadows is useful enough on it's own I suppose.'
It was his very own Dark Gift, the ability to manipulate shadows. While not as overt or powerful as some, it was tremendously versatile. The Cloak of Shadows hid him both from prying eyes of his enemies as well as from the divination of their spells. Even Sarafan's anti-vampire magics couldn't find him. Though Moebius or Kain somehow didn't seem to have that problem.
But the shadows could do more than just hide him. Hide, befuddle, inspire terror... And even manipulate the material world in some cases. Of course, he was powerless in full daylight or darkness. He needed a shadow to work with - a price to pay for the power. There always was one, after all.
'Question is, just WHY does it work?' He scratched his chin thoughtfully. 'The Dark Gifts are vampiric powers... Granted, mine is severely weakened now, but why does it work at all? By all rights it shouldn't. Strange... Just like the Blood Script. Another mystery.' He shook his head with dismay. 'There will be time for that later. Now I have another mystery to solve.'
He laid himself on the floor, closing his eyes.
He concentrated his thoughts, focusing his will and intent in a familiar way.
'I wonder if it will...'
*
"...work?"
He blinked.
It was dark, humid and almost disgustingly familiar.
"Sewer... Now why does it HAVE to be a sewer?" He said out loud with distaste.
He had enough of them after the time he traveled to the Second Rise of the Sarafan.
"I truly detest those places." He sneered, looking at the mess of pipes, dripping water and the dark walls.
He blinked.
"How... odd."
His voice was lower and calmer. Definitely not the high pitch of his body. But it was familiar...
He raised his hand only to smirk.
True to form it was covered in pale skin, short but sharp claws adorning each finger.
"Body of a human, self image of a vampire... Last time it was the other way around. Subconsciousnes is truly the most twisted of places." He chuckled.
He looked at the claws thoughtfully.
'Obviously, since the mental trick worked, and this is my mind, I wonder...'
The bright ball rose from his palm to hover over is head.
'A paltry trick, but a useful one.' He smiled with satisfaction. 'At least here.'
He turned his attention away from the fake spell.
'Now, let's see...'
He stretched his senses beyond himself.
He wasn't the most powerful of sorcerers, but he had seen much and had learned plenty.
What he had found, though, baffled even him.
Frowning, he turned into a flock of bats, flying to the source of his surprise.
While one might think he was the lord and master of his mind, and could simply will himself where he wanted to 'be'. It was not so. Often times, mind could be the deadliest of traps, as he had found himself with a little bit of 'help' from the Nupraptor the Mentalist.
It was better to stick to things one was sure of than experiment. Self image, familiarity and practice were the best weapons here, right next to raw willpower.
'Well, maybe not too much familiarity.' Naruto winced, feeling the vertigo as he reformed. Still, he ignored it, looking at the large gate.
"Now what are you supposed to be...?" He cocked his head, noticing a large paper strip covered with a strange mark.
He extended his senses and almost recoiled at the sheer amount of power he felt there.
'What in Audron's name?!'
This wasn't some minor dabbling, or even a major spell. This was Power. Major Power.
He had no idea what was it's purpose, but he knew one thing: whatever it was, it wasn't done by a human. Or a vampire.
'Or any being I know of, to be honest.' He frowned. 'And it doesn't bear even a shred of familiarity to any nosgothian Art. That means it had been done HERE. But why? What purpose would something like that serve inside a child?'
He narrowed his eyes.
Whatever it was, he really didn't like the implications.
Slowly, cautiously, he extended his senses beyond the gate, only to grab his head in pain.
There was something there, all right. Something old, far older than him. And far more powerful than him as well. It was old, mighty, malevolent and...
He blinked.
'...dead?'
He stood still for a moment, debating with himself before drawing a familiar sheet of paper from his belt.
It didn't matter that it was new. It was his creation, therefore he could use it as he willed.
He waited until the paper once again took on the form of the bird.
"Go. Look for the source." He ordered.
The animal took out without a sound, easily fitting in between the bars.
To avoid the confusion, he closed his eyes, lowering his head.
Soon enough, he could see through the eyes of the bird clearly.
What he saw surprised him, to say the least.
'And just why would anybody put a nine tailed fox that stinks of the spirit realm inside me?' He thought puzzled. 'More importantly why would anyone put a dead nine tailed fox inside me?'
*
The flow was highly erratic, not something he was used to. Though how much was it the fault of his current body and lack of power and how much was the difference between Nosgoth and this place he couldn't tell.
His body scooped another portion of delicious noodle soup while his mind wandered.
Ayame was the first. She was closest and therefore easiest to reach.
There was warmth here, kind spirit. She focused on her job and obviously took pride in it from what he could see and sense. She radiated accomplishment, kindness and joy. But she was far from soft, he had found that quickly. Under that velvety kindness there was a hint of steel that he could appreciate.
He extended his ethereal senses.
There. A woman with a child. A daughter. The woman was absorbed with her child. She radiated a feeling of calm exasperation, something he came to associate with lecturing parents. The girls was sad, depressed. She wasn't in tears, but close.
He probed a little bit deeper before recoiling as a sharp jolt of distaste, tinged with a bit of fear ran trough the mother. The girl started to give off confusion.
'Strange...'
Soon the pair was in his field of vision, before walking by quickly, the mother dragging her pink haired daughter behind her.
He cocked an eyebrow.
'Pink hair? How... odd.'
And he could swear that the distaste was directed at him. Along with fear.
'Why?'
No matter. He had enough things on his plate as it were.
He extended his senses once again, gliding over the knots of feelings and miasma of emotions before freezing.
'What the...?!'
Something recoiled his mind with an almost physical force.
'What in Audron's name...?' He frowned , throwing discreet glances around him until he spotted a tall, blond man looking around with narrowed eyes.
Quickly, he withdrew his presence before the man noticed just where it was coming from. The blond relaxed visibly, but still looked around carefully.
'Oh now this is interesting. Some kind of mental power? And quite formidable for a human as well. Very interesting indeed.'
He would have never expected to find things like that in his home, but the place just kept surprising him.
Good. He would hate to be bored. But there was a lesson there as well, a valuable one. To avoid the overconfidence and greed.
'Something that Kain, that blasted egomaniac, had never quite learned.' Naruto scoffed. 'And look where that got him. A ruined empire, a broken world and all of his accomplishment being slowly ground to dust by his own hubris. Vae Victis, indeed.'
"..uto? Naruto?"
He blinked.
"Yes?"
Ayame looked at him carefully.
"Are you all right?"
He looked at her quizzically.
"Because you looked all... zoned out. Not here, as if thousand miles away I mean."
He smiled lightly. And here he thought the girl was absorbed in her work.
"No reason to worry, Ayame. I was just thinking."
She looked at him for a moment, before smiling.
"Well, I guess you're nervous about the Academy. It's going to be all right, you'll see."
He blinked.
"Academy?" He asked puzzled.
*
'A school... teaching the children from young age a trade of assassin. My oh my. Vorador would have loved this place.'
He had remembered ninja, of course. But his memory wasn't as accurate as he would have wished. He remembered warriors, more akin to knights than anything else.
Assassins wielding supernatural powers to stab others in the back under the cover of the night? Oh, that was much more up his alley.
Even the brown haired instructor's obvious uneasiness around him didn't manage to kill his good mood.
'There is no place like home.' Naruto decided, nodding to himself.
And his... class, was such an interesting bunch, too.
'Oh yes.' He thought with a smirk looking at the blonde girl sitting in front of him. The power was exactly the same like what he had felt in the blond man a day before, but far less focused or controlled. It had far less shields and walls placed around her mind as well.
'Placed by her, anyway.' He frowned. There were barriers, but they weren't hers. Probably made by that blond man. A father? An uncle? They seemed to far apart for siblings, though you never knew.
'No matter, I have time to find out.'
And there were plenty of other interesting brats around.
Like that boy and his dog. Naruto felt an odd link between them, almost akin to the bond formed between a vampire and his animal familiar. That alone was worth looking into.
And that boy with the glasses...
'Insects. A living hive. Ingenious.' Naruto almost shook his head in amazement. As a vampire he could command insects and vermin. He had not lost the ability but, like his Dark Gift, it was greatly weakened.
The insects barely paid any heed to his commands and the rat he had found a day before didn't listen to him at all.
But he could still sense the insects just fine. Seeing the boy 'Aburame Shino' and registering what his senses told him was a shock.
And the black haired boy with the pineapple hairdo...
There was something odd he felt ever since he had seen him. But then he saw his shadow and that was that.
The boy was a shadow user. Different from than him, but a shadow user still.
There was no mistaking that aura.
He glossed over the girl with lavender eyes. He had no idea what purpose her eyes would serve, aside from the fact she obviously wasn't blind. The black haired boy several rows down was also unremarkable save for the fact that his whole posture screamed 'noble'.
The girl next to him was familiar. With the pink hair and rather large forehead, he recognized her immediately as the same girl that was walking with her mother when he tested out his empathic powers.
Rest of the class was equally uninteresting to him.
'Though that might change.' He sat comfortably, small smile playing in the corners of his mouth. 'If anything, my world is just choke full of surprises. I have a feeling I'll like it here.'
*
Naruto almost felt like ripping the book to shreds.
'This is... inane!' The former wraith scowled 'Calculating the trajectory of a kunai in the wind? Who needs this kind of drivel?! In battle you either can or can't throw a dagger! You don't have time and a sheet of paper to calculate all the variables!'
He closed the book with a snort.
Only his deeply ingrained respect for the written word prevented him from throwing it to the ground.
The information held in old tomes often had saved his life. He had learned to prize the knowledge contained in the written word.
Even if he could barely read it.
'Bloody alphabet.' He scowled lightly. The strange symbols were nearly as hard to follow as the Low Ancient. They were familiar enough, he could read them if he concentrated and drew on his memories of home but...
'Something tells me I wasn't exactly much of a scholar before.' He thought with a wince.
A fact that he would endeavor to remedy.
Knowledge was power and ignorance could kill better than any spell or blade. He had this lesson hammered into his stubborn head quickly enough during his time in Nosgoth.
'Knowledge is the blood of the mind.' He quoted Vorador mentally with a sigh, reaching for the book again. That some things contained in it were just plain pointless wasn't a reason to shun them all.
He proceeded to open the book, before a loud, sniffing sound interrupted him.
He frowned, but ignored it. It was none of his concern.
Then it was there again. And again. And again.
There was a brief silence and the blond relaxed, paying attention to the book.
Then there was a loud cross between a squeak and a sniffle. And voices, too low for him to pick up the words but loud enough to interrupt.
Naruto gritted his teeth, eyebrow twitching.
'Well, now it seems that it IS my concern.' He thought with annoyance, closing the book.
Book in hand, he stalked to the source, only to find a small clearing with four girls in it. One was sitting on the ground and was in tears, clearly the source of the sniffles. The three other girls were standing over her, smirks on their faces.
'Bullies. No matter the age, the trash doesn't change.' He frowned. 'But they ARE interrupting me so...'
He started walking forward only to stop as several flowers flew straight into the lead bully girl's mouth.
'Oh?' He quirked an eyebrow, smiling. He turned to the source to see the familiar blonde from their class.
'Yamanaka Ino. Yes. The girl with mental powers.' He looked at her curiously
"Sorry." Ino said sweetly. "I must have mistaken that huge opening for a vase."
Naruto smirked, seeing the looks of outrage on the bullies' faces.
Ino smirked nastily.
"It might be weak, but that flower is poisonous." She looked at the black haired bully. "You better spit it out."
The ex wraith chuckled at the scared faces as they ran away.
'Vicious and effective.' He thought in amusement. 'Well done.'
He was about to turn on his heel and go back to his reading spot when he found something flying at him.
His reflexes might not be up to par with vampiric ones, but they were more than adequate to catch... A flower?
He blinked.
"Well?" The blonde said angrily. "ShouldnÆt you be following your friends?"
'Ah.'
Naruto looked at the flower, before smiling at the girl.
The pink haired girl opened her mouth, but Naruto cut in before she could utter a word.
"Those bothersome pests were not friends or even acquaintances of mine. No need to concern yourself, girl." He said twirling the flower.
Sakura nodded.
"H-he's right, Ino. He wasn't w-with Ami and the rest..."
Ino frowned.
"If you say so." She said finally, before looking at him curiously. "Hey, I know you. You're in our class! You're the odd guy that reads all day long! Uza...Uzi... Uzumaki! That's right! I knew you were familiar!"
"So it would seem." Naruto nodded curtly, ready to return to his book. "Now if you'd excuse me..."
"What were you doing here?"
Naruto blinked.
"What?"
"I asked, what were you doing here?" Ino said stubbornly. "You weren't here to bully Sakura-chan, but you came. And you laughed at the bullies. So... You must have come to rescue her!" She said triumphantly.
Naruto quirked an eyebrow.
'Well, the noise of her crying annoyed me.' He thought. 'But whatever.'
Ino didn't seem to notice his expression as she turned to 'Sakura'.
"See, Sakura-chan. You have friends! Two of them!" She frowned thoughtfully. "Well, one and the half, really since Uzumaki here isn't a real person but a living book." She grinned. "But don't worry, I can bring him up to speed." She said confidently, before turning to him. "Hey, Uzumaki, come here. Sit with us." She pointed the finger to her left.
The boy frowned.
"I'd rather not. I have some reading to do." He said, trying to walk away.
"Oh no you don't! Some boring book can wait!" Ino scowled, grasping his arm. He could have ripped free easily, but it would hurt her. Which would mean she'd be angry and she seemed a type to hold a grudge. And he DID want to learn of her mental powers.
'Who knows, this just might prove useful.'
He sat down.
'Though just why do I have a feeling I have made a very troublesome decision?'
*
His skills at ignoring interruptions had become nothing short of heroic in recent years, but even he had his limits.
Besides, only one person was stubborn enough to ram at his door at this hour.
True to form, an annoyed silhouette of Yamanaka Ino stood at his doorstep, eyebrow twitching, scowl of female indignation on her face.
"Uzumaki." She said, vein visible.
"Yamanaka." He replied in the same tone.
"Must you ALWAYS ignore the polite knocking?" She hissed.
"If you call nearly knocking my door over with that battering ram of a fist..." He shrugged.
But Ino's attention was already too far gone to react to the usual barb. She had already gone into the apartment, an intense look of focus on her face.
She stalked through the two rooms until she entered the small third room, no bigger than some closets.
She squealed as she saw the glass containers.
"Naruto-kun!" She turned to him, eyes sparkling. "For me? You shouldnÆt have!"
He glared at her.
"How many times must I tell you, woman. That perfume was an ACCIDENT!"
"I don't mind." Ino nodded sagely. "Sasuke-kun liked it, that's all that matters!"
Naruto sighed.
Ever since they entered that awkward age of 'liking' boys, most of the girls fixated on the brooding Uchiha scion like there would be no tomorrow. The 'noble' even had his own fanclub! It was utterly ridiculous.
First of all, they were too young to know what 'love' really meant. Sure, as in some parts of Nosgoth, ninja matured quickly and marriage at fourteen or fifteen wasn't unheard of. Though it was usually practiced by noble clans, it happened. But still... Second - Sasuke was as cold a fish as there ever was.
He knew the type. They obsessed over things in a way that left no room for anything else. Besides, he doubted Sasuke would choose any of his kunoichi compatriots even if he fancied any of them.
He probably wanted to rebuild his clan, not risk the potential mother of his children on missions. Ninja died often, even in times of peace.
It was the way of things. And if he ever chose a woman while still young, an older woman was a better choice anyway. He had seen enough of that in Nosgoth to know how it worked among nobles.
"No perfumes, Ino." He said forcefully. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to get enough of materials for my projects as it is?"
Though ninja practiced herbalism, the ingredients were ungodly expensive. Harvesting needed herbs on his own was much cheaper. Other materials...
Oh, how he bemoaned lack of proper alchemy shops!
He wasn't the best alchemist around, but he was more than decent. But he still couldn't make some of his more effective potions since he lacked the ingredients or even some reagents.
'Lack of proper tools is also an inconvenience.' He thought with annoyance.
Manufacturing a proper alchemist's workshop and proper stock of ingredients would take large amount of time and funds. While he wasn't as bad off financially a he was when he 'returned' several years before, he still lacked the coin for an extravaganza like that.
'I shall make do with what I have.' He thought darkly. 'Not that I have much choice.'
"...eeaseee!" Ino batted her eyelashes at him.
"No." Naruto turned to his workshop. "Now, did you have anything of importance to discuss or did you come to pointlessly pester me for the perfume once again?"
"Ah, you're no fun!" Ino huffed. "Seriously, would it hurt you to..."
"Ino." Naruto snapped. He liked the girl, but there was something about her that just seemed to annoy him at times. If she wasn't so interesting and fun to toy with...
"All right, all right. Sheesh." She muttered. "You know, Sakura's birthday is coming soon and I thought that..."
"No." Naruto turned away.
"Hey!" Ino protested. "Listen to the end, damn it!"
"No." Naruto sighed. "Ino, Sakura's mother doesn't like me. She never had. She never will. If I came to her birthday party she'd throw a tantrum like she did three years ago. No."
"That's what I'm talking about, you whisker-faced idiot!" Ino stomped angrily. "We thought about that and decided it would be best to do the party somewhere else."
Naruto frowned, before shaking his head.
"Restaurants are out. You know that."
Places of business treating him like a leper puzzled him until he found first mentions of the Kyuubi in the archives he had access to as an Academy student. He instantly connected the spirit corpse with the demon.
Obviously the Yondaime Hokage couldn't defeat the beast via brute force so he had sealed it inside a container. Naruto approved. It was the best method. Though the choice of containers irritated him. If the Yondaime was around, he would have words with the man. Not that he was all that angry, really.
More annoyed that nobody told him. And Kyuubi, even dead, was a far too useful resource to ignore.
'Not that I had found a way to use it. Yet.' He scowled mentally.
Still, he had managed to learn plenty, if less than what he wanted.
Amazingly enough, there was no jutsu manual in Konoha. Or rather, there wasn't one for anyone under the rank of chuunin, and even then you needed Hokage's permission. Aside from the course books for the Academy, but they only listed three jutsu that were available to any ninja in the world: Kawarimi, Bunshin and Henge.
It seemed inane to him at first. After all, why restrict knowledge this way? Surely, more advanced techniques should be kept from children, but some low level skills could be learned by the academy students in their later years of their schooling.
But then he realized that the system was built this way on purpose. First of, many of the children in the class were from ninja clans or families.
They were trained in their family's jutsu. It seemed unfair to other children, but such was life. And if a student didn't pass, he wouldn't be able to reveal village's secrets by accident or sell them to other villages out of spite or for monetary gain.
All the Academy gave the aspiring genin were basics that were later polished by their jounin instructors. Also, the jounin taught the genin any jutsu they deemed their students ready for.
It was a quite reasonable system, all things considered.
Naruto was shook off his train of thought by Ino's smirk. Slightly dark, gleeful and spelling trouble, it was a version of his own that Ino picked up somehow during the years of their friendship.
Naruto really didn't like that glint in her eye. It looked far too much like his own for his peace of mind.
"I'm not talking about the restaurant." She said smugly.
Naruto frowned.
'What is she...?'
Ino waved a small pamphlet and the blondeÆs eyes widened.
Naruto snagged the paper. Sure enough it was a copy of the deed to the entire building with his name on it.
The former wraith glared at his friend.
"How?" He demanded.
"Shin-ten-shin!" Ino sing songed gleefully. "Come on, Naruto-kun. I'm a kunoichi with a prime espionage technique!"
He narrowed his eyes.
"Point." He said after a while.
The 'Rose Garden' was an accident, to be true. It was a restaurant and a club ran by Ayame's friend, Yukino he met in some bizarre circumstances. It was quite a good place, with nice ambiance, discreet service and reasonable prices.
It was also practically in Red Lights district.
It was a set of rather bizarre circumstances that started with a drunken Yukino bemoaning her fate and Naruto having a bit of revenge on several entrepreneurs by summoning a swarm of roaches. It snowballed from there. Now Naruto had over twenty percent of interest in the restaurant and shared ownership of the Meridian club in the neighboring building, ran also by Yukino.
All quietly and under the table, of course.
It was mainly thanks to that that he managed to buy himself a new home. It wasn't a fortune, but it paid the bills. And buying this old, ran down apartment block was cheap. Though he still had no idea what to do with the rest of the rooms available. Not many people wanted to live next to the 'Kyuubi brat'. Not that he minded, really. Peace and quiet were worth the price.
"Ino..." He sighed. "This is..."
"Not listening."
"Be reasonable, Yamanaka." He said.
"Not listening. AT ALL."
Naruto capitulated, before smirking.
"You know your parents will kill you, right?"
Ino grinned.
Naruto sighed.
'I'm getting soft in my old age.'
*
"Please... kill me now." Ino moaned.
Naruto snorted.
"I told you so." He muttered, trying not to smile.
Somehow, Ino smuggled a bottle of sake to the party. While Sakura was too afraid of her mother's wrath, Ino had no such compulsions. It took but two saucers of the mild rice wine for Ino to get completely wasted. The hangover wasn't pretty.
'What an amusing girl...' Naruto smirked, spying Iruka. As always, the chuunin used his patented method of dealing with a bunch of rowdy brats.
"QUIET DOWN YOU WORTHLESS BASTARDS!"
"Naruto... By all that is holy...! Kill me!" Ino moaned, clutching her head.
Naruto chuckled.
"Vae Victis, Ino. Suffering to the conquered." He nodded sagely.
Ino whimpered pitifully.
*
Naruto leafed though the course book.
'Trajectory, strategy, first aid... Rubbish.' He frowned. 'And that's supposed to be our course work for another year?'
He put the book down, before staring at the ceiling contemplatively.
He could have graduated the academy early. Sure. He could have done that a year ago, even. Granted, it was a school for ninja, but the pupils were children.
Catching up on theory once he could read fast enough was no problem. Physical skills were just a matter of conditioning. They might be called kunai, but a dagger was still a dagger and he had always been good at using those. Taijutsu was almost laughably easy for somebody with his extensive battle experience. Jutsu were a different matter altogether, but after two and a half years he was confident in his abilities.
So, what was there?
'No. The question is, just what do I want to do?' He scratched his chin thoughtfully.
It was a difficult question.
In Nosgoth, it had been survival and going back home, but he had never thought beyond that. Once he returned, he just kept drifting on, amusing himself with some interesting diversions from time to time.
He wanted power. There was no question about that. But, in a way, that he already had.
'Even if I can't access it so far.' He though with annoyance.
Skill. Oh that he wanted as well. His original plan was to float through academy quietly, using the free time for research. Sadly, it was not to be.
While experimenting with his own knowledge was all fine and well, as an academy student he had very little access to Konoha's lore. And stealing it was out of the question. He had no idea what high level ninja were really capable of. Making a move like that, especially as... limited as he was now, would be foolish. He didn't survive for so long by being a fool.
'So, that leaves only the 'official' way. Promotion. Genin is only a peg above an academy student and chuunin lack anything of real worth. Jounin would be my best bet.'
Now, all that was left was to graduate the Academy.
'Now this... is going to be a problem.' Naruto admitted grudgingly.
Ever since Uchiha Itachi slaughtered his clan, the early graduation was harder to accomplish.
'Sarutobi...' The blond ex-wraith grimaced
The Hokage would be a problem as well. While the old man didn't exactly have time to take care of him, he watched him like a hawk ever since that fiasco with two upperclassmen. If not for Sakura's testimony, he would have serious problems.
Naruto had honestly tried to blend in. But as good as he was, he had no idea how to behave like a child. And he wasn't the nicest of people, he admitted that himself. Not to mention he answered rather... badly to the attempts at bullying.
He shrugged.
He still had no idea what the big deal was. The two boys were close to graduating anyway, so they should be ready for that kind of battle. And the broken bones and fractured ribs would heal. They started the fight. He just finished it. They were lucky he didn't have his sword or they'd have ended in the morgue instead of ICU.
'I did get a little bit carried away.' The blond admitted grudgingly. 'Fools. Pulling out a blade in a fight like that. They should know things would get ugly. But I did overreact a little.' He snorted. 'Little maggots.'
Sarutobi had checked his seal twice, before summoning a Hyuuga to check his tenketsu.
'Probably to see if it wasn't the Kyuubi breaking out and influencing his poor, abused host.' Naruto smirked darkly. 'Though it is kind of difficult to influence anything if youÆre dead.'
Unless you were a vampire, of course. But they weren't really dead.
'Undead, more like.' He frowned thoughtfully. 'Or should it be unliving?'
He forced his mind to get back on track.
He pondered the matter for a good while, rejecting plan after a plan until there was only one option left.
'Well, they do say that simple is best.' Naruto thought dourly.
*
*
"I want to see the Hokage."
The secretary glared at him.
"Saurtobi-sama is busy so why won't you..."
Naruto ignored her whine, nasal voice and simple walked by her.
The woman jumped from her seat, grabbing his arm.
"You can't...!" She screeched.
Naruto looked at her legs.
"Hmm.... Is that a roach?" He said thoughtfully.
The woman's looked down, her eyes widening as she noticed several big cockroaches marching cheerfully up her calves.
She screeched, letting him go momentarily.
Naruto walked by her calmly.
'How beneficial little creatures they are.' He thought with a smirk. 'Unlike that whiny waste of flesh.'
*
Sarutobi lit his pipe, looking at Naruto thoughtfully.
The request was unusual, but not unexpected.
Ever since the... incident three years ago, Naruto had changed. The blond became quiet, reserved, focused.... And far more violent, both in his taijutsu practices and out of them.
As much as he'd like to blame the Kyuubi, it seemed that that one last assassination attempt was one too many for the child. Though the change was radical, he had seen nins undergoing drastic personality changes when they had their brush with death.
And Naruto was perilously close to dying that day, three years ago.
When he had learned that the blond left hospital without his supervision, Sarutobi was furious. The woman responsible was accused of negligence, thrown out of hospital and blacklisted. There was no hospital in the Fire Country that would take her in now.
Though there was one positive aspect of the situation. The blond became focused. Some might say obsessed, but he knew better.
He had seen obsessed. He had taught obsessed. Naruto wasn't like Orochimaru. He didn't have the raw, animalistic hunger for power that overshadowed anything and everything else.
It was as if the boy was testing his limits and exploring. The pace was fast, true, but there was no rhyme or reason to it, not like Orochimaru. It seemed that the boy just studied whatever struck his fancy. He had borrowed several texts on herbs just yesterday, while he had been researching the history and uses of Fuuma shuriken just a week before.
Haphazard, but he had to admit that the boy was tenacious. When he had learned of it, he just thought the blond borrowed all the books he could find, returning them when he got bored with trying to mull through them. It astonished him, during one of their monthly ramen excursions he insisted on, that the boy not only read the books - he had understood them. Not completely and not always, but he understood enough.
It was then that Sarutobi started to pay more attention to Naruto's progress at the Academy.
After a month of careful observations and gentle prodding, he realized that the boy wasn't using half of his ability during the lectures. It was as if he simply wasn't interested.
Even his taijutsu was average, and that raised Sarutobi's eyebrow.
How can a student who sent two last year students that were a step from graduation to ICU, have average taijutsu marks?
He used his sphere to watch over the boy's training out of curiosity.
True, his form wasn't as focused as the picture perfect taijutsu that the Uchiha heir displayed and bore little resemblance to Hyuuga Neji's artful jyuuken. In fact, it didn't even look like the Konoha-ryu taijutsu taught in the academy. It was simple, violent brawling with odd mix of Konoha-ryu thrown in. Very effective brawling.
Many would scoff at that, preferring clear cut moves of standardized martial arts, but Sarutobi knew better. Good brawlers were unpredictable and could be a bane of traditionally trained martial artists. And there were taijutsu styles that were as 'free form' as they could, without losing their edge. The savage Inuzuka fighting techniques, for example.
So it was obvious to the old Hokage that the boy had potential. Problem was, he didn't seem to use it. And unless he became a shinobi, Sarutobi didn't have means to force him. Not that he wanted to, it was always better to let people develop on their own pace. Too much pushing could sometimes ruin very promising talents.
'But it isn't like it's actually pushing when he's asking, after all.' Sarutobi thought with a small smirk hidden behind his clasped hands.
"Tell me, Naruto... Out of the three major shinobi arts, genjutsu, ninjutsu and taijutsu - which one is the best?" He asked finally.
The blond blinked.
"Well, they are equal." Naruto frowned. "In theory, at least."
Sarutobi raised an eyebrow.
"I'm not asking about the official academy stance, Naruto. Which one do YOU think is best."
The blond cocked his head to the side thoughtfully.
"For me or in general?" He asked finally.
Sarutobi smiled.
'Good answer, my boy. Good answer.' He reached to the drawer, taking out a small stack of papers. He leafed through them for a few seconds, before putting them down.
'This just might work. And I will kill two birds with one stone as well.' He thought. 'But how do I... Hmm...'
He picked one of the documents and held it for a second, before throwing it at the blond.
"Here. Take it."
Rising an eyebrow, Naruto reached for the item... only to have it slide out of his fingers.
'Odd.' The blond frowned, reaching out again. The sheet fell on the desk gently. Naruto reached to pick it up. The moment his fingertips touched the surface, they slid off it again.
Naruto's eyebrows shot up.
'Why does it...' He looked at the Sarutobi, who watched him with clear interest. 'A test of some kind, then.'
Naruto looked at the sheet thoughtfully
'So he must have used chakra to somehow make it slippery. I can't grasp it normally. So how can I...? Hmm...' His cerulean eyes narrowed. 'I have a few options here. I can use the kunai... But that would be too easy. Besides, this is an official document. I can't exactly damage it. Overpowering it with raw chakra probably won't work. It would just fry the paper. So what would...' Naruto looked at the old man. 'Clever bastard.' he thought with genuine appreciation.
Carefully, he channeled some chakra into his palm. It was actually a very basic skill, but it required a good chakra control. It was easiest to do with hands. Or one's own forehead.
Calmly, unhurriedly, he let the chakra coated hand touch the document and stick to it.
Sarutobi puffed on his pipe thoughtfully.
The exercise was simple, but it had shown judgment and control as well as ability to read 'underneath the underneath'. The boy had passed with flying colors.
Now, the question was if he would agree to what the Hokage had in mind.
Sarutobi leaned forward.
"Naruto, I have a proposition for you..."
*
It took all of five minutes for Naruto to decide that he liked Kurenai. And it wasn't because she was one the most beautiful women he had a pleasure to meet either.
Though he really dreaded the day, sometime soon, when his hormones would finally make themselves known. Still, it wasn't the time, nor the place.
No. Yuuhi Kurenai, despite the deceptive softness of her alluring beauty and polite manner was a velvety covering hiding a core of purest steel. This was not a woman to be underestimated.
She reminded him far too much of Umah for that. All softness, beauty and alluring voice, but viciously effective when it was needed.
Yes. Yuuhi Kurenai was a woman he just might come to respect.
"It would seem you are to be my apprentice now." She said finally.
"As long as you will agree. The Hokage said the final decision was up to you."
She nodded.
"Before we proceed, I wan to you know that I have nothing against you personally. But I will not take on apprentice who shows no promise in genjutsu." She said looking at him seriously.
Naruto gave a curt nod.
"Hokage-sama said you already have quite an impressive chakra control for a genin, so I won't test you in that area. There is, however, one test you must pass." She indicated the small forest near the training ground. "Somewhere in the middle of this forest, there is a scarf tied around a tree. Bring it to me."
Naruto quirked an eyebrow.
"That's it."
Kurenai smiled.
'Ah.'
Naruto returned the smile before walking to the forest.
With a slight smile, Kurenai sat down, unsealing a small scroll containing a sash of tea and a water can. A quick Katon jutsu later, the fire burned merrily.
'Now, Uzumaki Naruto, let's see if you are as talented as Hokage-sama made you out to be.'
*
Naruto darted his head up, then slowly looked around the thick overgrowth.
'Bravo, Kurenai. Bravo.'
This was a splendid illusion.
It not only made the forest seem less... hospitable, making it seem bigger, more foreboding than it really was, but it actually hid the fact that it was an illusion with gentle nudges and tiniest of touches. It almost seemed to whisper to look the other way, to disregard things he saw as suspicious.
If not for his long experience in resisting mental commands, he would have never guessed that this was an illusion at all. Less experienced illusionists would go for more 'kick', setting mental pressure higher, fully into fear spectrum, adding some sounds and maybe an ominous shadow or two.
Kurenai, it seemed, was like a master painter. Conservative and gentle in using her brush, she sketched the believable image of 'truth' adding the gentlest of nudges, letting the mind fill the blanks.
Naruto almost felt like applauding her.
The woman was a true artist. Just witnessing the subtle illusion work taught him more about the genjutsu than all of the books required for the Academy coursework.
Well versed in illusion he might be, but genjutsu, while using some of the same principles, was a whole different kettle of fish. It was less powerful in some cases, but subtler. If Kurenai had the benefit of vampiric mental powers, she would be a devastatingly powerful force.
Not that she wasn't already.
For a human.
'Now, let's see...' He made a simple seal, sending a chakra pulse to his senses.
He opened his eyes... to see the illusion, untouched and unphased.
'Oh, now this is really interesting. How about...'
He took out a kunai, cutting his hand slightly.
He watched the crimson liquid splatter the leaves.
The illusion didn't budge.
He wiped his hand. The wound was superficial and a thin strip of bandage covered it well enough.
Naruto smiled slowly, a glint in his eye.
The Hokage had made him more of a favor than he could have ever guessed.
'Shall we see how deep does this rabbit hole go, then?' He thought with a grin.
Yes, Yuuhi Kurenai was an interesting woman.
*
The crimson eyed tokubetsu jounin smiled, sipping her freshly made tea gently. She had felt one of the layers of her small illusion give in to the dispel, the other layers already shifting to seal the breach seamlessly.
'So, you noticed.' She looked to the forest. 'But the real test begins now.'
Still, she couldn't help but feel a small bit of excitement welling inside her.
The true illusionists were a rare breed. Though it was often said that it took a good chakra control to make a genjutsu user, any true adept of genjutus knew the truth.
While the top notch chakra control was necessary, what made the master was not the amount of control, but mind and character.
That's why many ninja gifted with good chakra control made decent genjutsu users, but never true masters.
True, the primary illusion she had laid wasn't very powerful. She didn't want to break the boy, just to test him.
But a fact that a freshly minted genin had already realized he was in an illusion...
She smiled.
She just might have met her real apprentice.
She would have taught the boy regardless, the Hokage's offer was too tempting to ignore. While she was more than decent jounin material, she had lacked leadership experience. Nor did she know how to teach.
Most jounin-hopefuls had experience in both, but not her. Her art was too subtle to really teach to anyone without a great deal of time and her role as an illusionist meant she had less leadership experience than average.
More than good enough for the Tokubetsu Jounin, but the jounin had to be well rounded in all aspects of shinobi arts. Even the specialist.
Hokage's proposal would give her the chance to fix her weaknesses. On paper, anyway. She knew that it was really nothing more than a veiled trade.
She had no idea why or how Naruto made genin two years before reaching official graduating age. But she doubted the Hokage would allow anyone, especially Konoha's infamous jinchuuriki, to wear the hitai ate without the skill to back it up. The old man, despite his seemingly soft disposition, was not one to display any sort of favoritism in those matters.
'Just look at Asuma.' She shook her head sadly, before leaving that particular avenue.
But even if Naruto had the skill, there were no vacancies on the current genin teams, so he would have to wait at least six months.
And even then Kurenai doubted any jounin would integrate the blond into existing team. The dislike for the blond was less prevalent among ninja than the Konoha's civilians, bit it was still running deep and strong. Ten years did next to nothing to reduce it.
But young ninja weren't always put on teams. There were exceptions
Apprenticeships were not as common as during the Third Great Shinobi War, but they happened. And Hokage had the perfect excuse here, for the both of them.
She would teach the boy regardless of how he fared. Hokage's offer was simply too good to pass up.
'But if he succeeds...' She poured herself another cup of tea, smiling gently.
It was always good to have another true genjutsu adept to discuss intricacies of the art with. Better than suffering to listen to mindless fakes who thought that using some memorized jutsu with all subtlety of a hammer made them genjutsu specialists.
She felt a gentle ripple from the forest and closed her crimson orbs in pleasure, tasting the slightly bitter taste of her well made tea with a smile.
The boy just might make the cut.
*
As interesting as the illusion was, it had began to grate on his nerves.
the dispelling didn't work, pain had achieved even less.
He tried several other ways, all the way down to blanketing the area with his chakra.
To no avail.
Oh, he probably could have found the scarf by now. He was almost sure it laid to the center of the illusion, where the power was the strongest.
Kurenai could have made it more difficult, but this was a test to overcome, not a wall to crash against.
But Naruto prided himself on his illusions and that little haughty voice in him that oddly resembled Kain's arrogant tone refused to be beaten 'on his own turf'.
He had beaten Hylden's magics with naught but his mind, he had tricked Kain and withstood Moebius' wrath.
He refused to be beaten in the art of illusion by a young human ninja, no matter how skilled.
'Pride...' He grimaced.
It was a chink in his mental armor he shared with Kain and Vorador, even if his was curbed by knowing his limits.
Still...
He scrapped away the slight scab formed over his recent cut and pulled out several slips of paper from his pouch.
If shinobi arts were insufficient, he had to reach into his own bag of tricks.
The symbols of Blood Script were drawn quickly and efficiently. He made a point to remember the first array he had created. Now it was time to see if it was as useful as he had thought.
He fanned out the slips and concentrated on them, before smirking. There was power here, all right. So it was more than just a fluke.
'Good.'
He opened the palm, letting the papers slip loose.
None fell to the ground.
He looked at the dark crimson birds of prey, all unnaturally still as they regarded him with identical yellow eyes.
"You." He pointed at the majority of the birds. Fly and break." He commanded, making a sweeping motion. "You two." He looked at the leftover birds, slightly bigger than the rest.. "Find and bring it to me. Gently. Go."
There was a loud screech as the birds took to the air.
The two large birds vanished, while the rest circled above Naruto for a few seconds, before shooting up.
There was a brief period of silence, then stillness.
The illusion wavered briefly, like the air on the hot, summer day.
All was still for a briefest of moments.
Naruto frowned.
'Odd... I put plenty of blood in it so why....'
His eyes widened.
'Oh...' He nodded slowly. 'Smart woman.' He thought with genuine appreciation. It seemed his little plan needed a small modification. He had never expected he would be forced to resort to this so early, but...
He clenched his fist slowly, letting a small amount of blood from the wound pool there. He used the blade of the kunai to sketch two symbols on his palm. He looked at them critically, before nodding.
'This should do. Crude, but you can't have everything.'
He swept his hand up rapidly, releasing the droplets of blood into the air.
The liquid fell down, splattering the grass and the trees in tiny dots of crimson.
He darted his head up.
There was a silence.
Naruto smiled, looking at the small shred of paper slowly falling down.
He caught in on his palm and studied with a smile.
'Yes. Crude, but effective.'
A moment later, the illusion wavered, then started to unravel slowly, as if somebody pulled out the strings holding it together. The numerous shreds of paper fell down like rain that washed away the shadows, the trees and the bushes around him until none was left save a lone tree in the center.
He turned on his heel, quickly reaching the small campfire.
Kurenai looked at him, her face expressionless, before smiling.
"Tea?" She asked, offering him a clean bowl.
Two large birds landed, a long, wide burgundy scarf held in their beaks.
Kurenai's eyebrows shot up.
Naruto smirked.
"Yes, please."
She gave him the bowl and he sat down, sipping the hot liquid with pleasure.
Kurenai put down her own bowl, before looking at him.
She studied him for a long while.
What the boy did... was not in her plans. He was supposed to discover the small genjutsu around the 'forest'. It was supposed to test his willpower and instinct, see if he was perceptive enough to see the clues she had left there.
The more powerful secondary genjutsu, on the other hand...
This was more than just talent. No academy student, no matter how much of a prodigy he might have been shouldn't be able to break it so easily. Much less spot it.
A fully evolved sharingan would probably do it. A Hyuuga with sufficiently powerful Byakugan might.
'Is that the effect of the Kyuubi?' She wondered briefly, before rejecting the idea. The dispelling had been forceful, yes, but it wasn't abrupt. The illusion didn't come crashing down, but had rather been ripped apart from the inside.
'What an interesting boy...' Kurenai smiled, a first genuine smile since she had met her pupil. 'And those birds... Summons?'
"There are three primary aspects of the genjutsu arts..." She started, pulling out a thin scroll.
Naruto sat, listening with rapt attention, a small smile dancing in the corner of his lips.
Yes, Kurenai just might be worthy of respect.
*
"I don't get it." Ino wiped her sweaty forehead. The day was rather hot for autumn and working for several hours straight didn't help it any. "What is this supposed to be, anyway?"
Naruto straightened out, sowing the one last seed.
"A garden." He replied simply.
"Yeah, but why?" The blonde put away her shovel. "I mean, you're not even seeding anything useful here. Just some... stuff." She waved her hand. "There aren't even any good flowers here."
"Sure there are." Naruto put away the large box he spent almost a year completing.
"I just don't see the point. Most of them either worthless or just plain ugly. Or poisonous." Ino scowled.
"Ah, see? I knew you would find the answer." Naruto smiled beatifically, sitting down.
Ino looked at him.
She looked at the field.
"Oh." She said finally, sitting down as well.
"Yes." Naruto offered the lemon scented water to his friend.
Ino took it greedily, eying him with envy. Over five hours in the afternoon sun and he barely sweated.
"How do you do that?" She huffed. "Hours in this heat and you don't even look warm."
"Mental discipline." He shrugged. "I am feeling the heat as much as you do, I just don't let it bother me."
"I guess if there is a reason for graduating early, learning cool tricks like that is it." Ino sighed, drinking another gulp. "Which reminds me, I'm still pissed about that. I thought you dropped out or something and then you just waltz in after three moths without a word." She scowled.
"Bastard. Do you know how worried I was? And Sakura had been fretting since the day one. She thought you..." Ino huffed, glaring at her blond friend.
"Ino." Naruto looked at her, an eyebrow raised. "Have I ever broken a word?"
The blonde girl looked at him with a scowl.
"Don't change the subject, bas-"
"Did I or did I not?" Naruto's voice was like a whip.
Ino shut up. Often she wondered just what had drawn her to the blond in the first place. He wasn't exactly a 'friend' material. He wasn't popular, rich or respected. He wasn't one of the 'cool' crowd Ino herself belonged to. He wasn't a heartthrob like the Uchiha scion.
Naruto had his quirks. Lot's of them, in fact. He spoke oddly, somewhat like an old man or one of these stuck up Hyuuga nobles. He was occasionally unsettlingly intense or cold. He kept away from people, preferring company of books and his little workshop. He could be cruel, and his sense of humor was rather morbid at times. And he was vengeful.
She grimaced.
People who annoyed Naruto to the limit tender to suffer... accidents. Nothing life threatening, but it was frequently embarrassing and rather cruel.
But the odd blond had his good points, once you got to know him. He could snap and deliver acidic comments, shredding others verbally to pieces with no mercy, but he was calm in a crisis, had a level head and had an odd air of wisdom about him. Of course, you had to know him first.
Also, despite his cold, uncaring attitude, Ino had found that Naruto DID care, in his own twisted way, about the people he was close to.
She still didn't know what he had told Sakura over the summer break. She had been too busy with learning from the Yamanaka's last surviving elder to meet with them both but...
Sakura was still the same girl. Mostly. She was the same Forehead-girl Ino had befriended three years ago. She was the same girl that still cringed when Naruto snapped at her at times, still the same bookworm that could go starry eyed at contents of Naruto's library, but...
Most people wouldn't even notice it, but she was a Yamanaka and noticing such small things was part of her training since she was six.
Sakura was normal. Average. Just a girl.
Then she walked on the practice field during the sparring matches and something... shifted.
The jade eyes, normally bright and cheerful, dulled but sharpened at the same time. And there was that odd look, the cold, hard glint. Focused. Slightly savage even.
Like a lesser version of Naruto's usual look.
It was minute, feather light and gone once Sakura stopped her practice or walked out of the sparring circle.
But ever since it appeared, Sakura's practices went better. More focused. Sharper. And far more ruthless.
Sakura couldn't win against Hinata. The Hyuuga girl was timid and had very little faith in herself, but her jyuuken was simply too much to handle. And she got more taijutsu practice time than any of the kunoichi hopefuls due to her family.
Sakura lost to her twice. Then she used a low level explosive tag to wreck the half of the practice field and tagged Hinata with the mock kunai used for sparring purposes.
Straight at the top of the Hyuuga's head.
From the air.
The pink haired girl had been chewed by pissed off Iruka for using such a dangerous tool like an explosive tag, even as low yield as it was, in a practice match. The chuunin instructor gave her a half hour long, rather scathing lecture.
After it was over, Sakura looked at him and smiled.
"I won." was all she said.
Then she walked away, all smiles.
Naruto didn't say a word but she would have recognized that smug little smirk of his anywhere.
Ami and her cohorts never bothered Sakura again. Nor did they agree to any one-on-one sparring with her from that point on.
So yes, in his own, odd and twisted way, Naruto did care.
And if there was one other thing Ino would find good about him, it was his word. It was iron clad, concrete solid. Naruto made promises very rarely. But if he did, it was as if written in the stone.
"I did promise I'll be there for her, did I not?" Naruto quirked an eyebrow.
Ino hung her head with a sigh.
"I really don't get you, whisker face. I don't get you at all." She muttered with a tired chuckle.
Naruto smiled.
"Let's go and see how Sakura is doing." He said turning to the entrance of his building.
Ino glared.
'Not even a helping hand for the lady, that antisocial bastard...'
She got up, following the blond shinobi.
"I still don't get why does she out of all people get a nice, easy work inside while I had to sweat here with you."
Naruto sighed.
"I've seen your... drawings, Ino. You suck. Sakura, on the other hand..."
Ino scowled.
"Well gee, thanks for the compliment, bastard." She said through the gritted teeth, eyebrow twitching. Her drawings were just fine, thank you very much! And her calligraphy might not be top notch like the Forehead-girl's, but it was okay.
Naruto just chuckled, opening the door.
He made a courtly, low bow, which somehow managed to look respectful and mocking at the same time.
"After you, your majesty." He said grandly.
Ino snorted, but went inside.
And that little warmth she had felt on her cheeks was just from the sun, of course.
*
"Hey Ino, Naruto." Sakura waved to them, not moving her eyes from the large desk and the wide cloth on it.
Still, there was a brief grin she had flashed at them both.
Ino shook her head with amusement. As much as she could see most of the gears and bolts in Sakura's head spinning, she'd never understand the girl in some ways.
How could she be so damn cheerful each time she visited the sarcastic, rude pillar of antisocial behavior that was Naruto was beyond her. Was it the obscenely large library? Or was it something else?
She had no idea, but the fact remained that Sakura looked cheerful and relaxed each time she visited their mutual friend.
Not that she wasn't cheerful on other occasions, but when in Naruto's home, she allowed herself to 'let go' and let her inner geek loose.
Naruto was probably the only one who could understand Sakura's fascination with extra coursework, seeing as he probably had paper instead of blood in his veins.
Watching those two read in the same room was something Ino could do for hours. The 'discussions' were simply too amusing, especially when they went off the tangent and started brainstorming over the red material. Cutting words in half, swapping theories in several clipped sentences that meant everything to them and nothing to the observer.
And once they got in the 'zone', meaning severe lack of sleep and too much time spent over the books with coffee drank by liters....
Ino chuckled.
The conversations were odd and would be completely beyond her understanding, if not for the fact that Ino learned to keep the 'cheat sheet'. She at least skimmed through what the two big brains went through or got Naruto to tell her about it.
In layman terms, of course.
Though some things were really fascinating and she did read them in full. It was odd how seemingly boring stuff got suddenly interesting when you had two people who actually knew what they were talking about to explain things when needed.
Though as big brain as Sakura was, Naruto could go into tangents that left the Forehead-girl utterly stumped. Once she wasn't afraid of alienating her new friend, Sakura started to work her brain to death, refusing to lose in one area she excelled in - knowledge.
Ino had to admit, that if she was sufficiently motivated, Forehead-girl could be downright scary.
"Hey, Forehead girl. You finished?" Ino waved back at her friend.
"Aaaalmost!" The girl scrunched her face in concentration, her brush making one last, delicate pass. She put it away, looking at the large, red cloth for a good while. She took one of the scrolls next to her and unrolled it, putting it next to the cloth. She cocked her head to the side.
"Hmm...." She narrowed her eyes, before nodding to herself slowly. "Hand." She commanded Naruto absently. The blond peeled off his glove and put out his palm out to her.
Still concentrated on her work, the pink haired girl absently drew a kunai.
"Hold steady, okay?" She said
Naruto simply nodded and she drew a quick cut on his hand.
The blond raised an eyebrow curiously, looking over her shoulder, only to get a clean brush straight in the face.
"No looking." Said Sakura absently, before she gathered the blood fro the wound with the clean brush and started to put quick lines on the scroll.
A moment later, she put the brush away, eying the scroll critically.
"It'll do." She muttered finally, before she rolled it. "Birds." She stretched a hand to Naruto.
"How many do you need?" The blond asked, reaching to his pouch.
"Three. One for the scroll, two for the scarf." She said, rolling the scroll.
"I have no idea if they will work for you." The blond warned, giving her the paper slips. "We still haven't found a way around the imprint, after all."
Sakura just grinned, taking the bloodied kunai she had used to cut him.
Then, still grinning, she stabbed her palm.
"GEEZ!" Ino jumped down from the table she had been sitting on, running to her friend. "Sakura, are you mad or something?! Shit...! We need to-!"
Sakura waved Ino away, wincing slightly.
"It's okay. Okay!" She panted out, before she looked a Naruto, her jade eyes sharp as her grin got wider. "Hehehe..." Then she slammed her bleeding palm over the three paper slips.
There was a brief period of stillness
Naruto's eyes widened.
A long screech resounded.
Ino felt her jaw drop.
"Fuck me...." She whispered.
Three large birds of prey looked at them triumphantly, their jade eyes almost glowing in the muted light of the room.
Naruto's eyebrows shot up.
He couldn't feel form the link with any of the birds directly. But there was... something there.
Sakura's eyes glazed.
"Ohhh.... That's kinda confusing." She breathed dazedly. One of the birds stretched it's wings and flew up, hovering in front of Sakura's face.
The two others remained on the table, looking at their compatriot and Sakura sharply.
The preybird's sharp jade met Sakura's slightly duller shine.
The bird looked for a moment, before screeching loudly and diving at the girl, only to stop inches from her face.
Sakura didn't even blink
Gently, the bird pecked her forehead once. Then it calmly settled on Sakura's shoulder, as if it had been doing this all it's life.
Sakura blinked.
"Now that... was odd." she muttered in wonder.
Ino felt as if she had aged several years.
"You want me to have a heart attack, Forehead girl?" She snapped, sliding down to her chair. "Geez... You and Naruto... Always with those..." She sighed tiredly. "If I get wrinkles early because of you, I swear I'll fuckin' sue."
"Ino, you're barely eleven. You're not getting wrinkles for a long time." Naruto drawled with amusement, before turning to Sakura. "Now that was some brilliant work, Sakura." He said. " I didn't think you'd find a way, to be honest."
Sakura grinned.
"Heh... Told you! Damn, I'm good! Shannaro!" She crowed, before blinking. "Oh god, I said that out loud, didn't I?" She asked, mortified.
Naruto shrugged, his universal answer to everything.
Ino just looked at her.
'God, never a dull, moment with those two, I swear...' She rubbed her temple, before grinning. 'Well, at least they ain't boring.'
"Anyway, about that scarf..." Naruto looked at Sakura.
"Ah, right!" Sakura snapped her fingers. The two birds looked at her, then stately flew to the both sides of the large cloth.
The third one flew down from her shoulder and elegantly grabbed the scroll in his beak, settling on the table.
Sakura blinked.
"Now that'll take some getting used to." She muttered, shaking her head. "I wonder if..."
"Sakura, honey." Ino tapped her foot. "The scarf?"
"Ah. Yeah." The pink haired girl smiled sheepishly. She closed her eyes, slowly forming seal after seal, muttering something Ino couldn't make out. She stopped, closing her eyes briefly. She took a long breath, opening her eyes.
The bird opened his beak slightly and shot up. The scroll opened rapidly, twisting and swiveling over the cloth and the girl.
"Majutsu: Kessho no Mon." She intoned, slamming both of her palms into the crimson cloth.
The long line of symbols on the scroll flared briefly with red, fading slightly.
Ino looked on curiously. She had been there when they discussed the theory behind it, but seeing it with her own eyes was different.
The previously unmarked cloth now had a symbol, akin to some kind of a letter, though far more convoluted and ornate, on it.
Naruto looked at it and smiled, tracing the odd symbol.
In blinked, before looking at the blond in astonishment.
It wasn't a smile she was used to. Naruto smirked slightly mockingly or coldly. He had that nasty little chuckle and that smile that said 'I'm better than you' down to perfection. But he never smiled like that. She couldn't really tell what the smile held. It was wistful, sad, slightly angry... all at the same time.
Then, as soon as it appeared, it had vanished without a trace and the blond took the cloth from the table, folding it in half so that the symbol was clearly visible, before tying it over his arm.
He looked at it, critically, fiddling with it carefully until the symbol was fully visible.
'You know...' Ino frowned thoughtfully. 'Now that I look at it... The design is actually quite cool...'
"Thank you, Sakura." Naruto nodded to the girl. "Splendidly done. My thanks."
"No problem, no problem." The girl waved his words away with a smile. "The chance alone to work on something like that was worth it."
"And that is better than simply drawing it on the cloth... why?" Ino drawled.
"It won't wash out, it won't fade, it..." Sakura started to count on her fingers.
"Geez, okay, okay... Just asking." Ino waved carelessly. "Hey, Naruto... What's so important about that thing anyway?"
The blond ex-wraith cocked his head.
The symbol was old, ancient even for him. It was one of the letters of High Ancient that roughly corresponded to the letter N. It also meant 'shadow', and 'rage' in High Ancient, depending on the context, something Naruto had found highly amusing when he got assigned that symbol. Back when he had been one Kain's lieutenants during the First War.
Later on, Kain had used the runes of High Ancient to mark his 'sons' - Raziel among them, but the original ones were used to mark the leaders of Kain's army. He had carried the symbol even after he left, after Kain's defeat during the Second Rise of Sarafan. Somehow, he kept it over the years. Sentiment for the simpler time? Irony?
He preferred not to think about it.
Especially since he personally murdered every Sarafan soldier who had killed one of the soldiers - vampiric, demonic or otherwise - bearing his mark, even if it felt stupid and hollow.
They might have been bloodthirsty monsters, but they were HIS bloodthirsty monsters. And he never felt he belonged anywhere after that.
"You know... I have no idea." He said finally, frown on his face.
Ino looked at him for a moment, before nodding slowly.
"If you say so." She said finally, before turning to Sakura. "Hey, forehead, you have some more juice in that scroll?"
"Well, yeah. It should be good for a few more uses..." The girl said puzzled.
Ino smirked, turning to Naruto.
"Now, since I worked my ass off to plant your garden, I think I should get something for it... Don't you think so too, Naruto-kun?" She batted her eyelashes.
Naruto just sighed.
*
"Something isn't right here, Kurenai." Naruto muttered nearly inaudibly to his teacher.
The woman nodded slightly.
"I know. I feel it too." Still, she smiled to their guide charmingly, engaging in a small talk, the young man clearly intimidated by her beauty. Which was a huge progress from the last half an hour when he had been scared of her shinobi status.
Naruto schooled his features into a mask of calm professionalism, trying to calm his instincts.
They had been hired by the chief of this town to find just what had been behind the disappearances of several children. Since the circumstances indicated some kind of genjutsu, the Team 4, meaning him and Kurenai, were dispatched.
The village paid for an B-class mission and offered a bonus for resolving the situation quickly.
Naruto frowned, discretely eying one of the buildings. It wasn't exactly impressive in anything but age. It was at least fifty years old. Older if he guessed right.
And that made the warning bells in Naruto's head ring something fierce.
The Kamata village laid on the edge of the Hidden Marsh territory and some of the fiercest wars of the Third Great Shinobi war rolled through the neighboring areas, yet the Kamata seemed to have been untouched.
While nearly twenty years is more than enough to rebuild, the majority of the buildings were well over thirty years old and bore no sign of large scale repair. The neighboring villages, barely several miles to the north had been practically razed by the Iwa forces. Why would Kamata be spared the calamity?
Something didn't add up here.
And Murata, the village chief...
Naruto scowled inwardly.
There was something very wrong about that man.
And he didn't think about him undressing Kurenai with his eyes.
'That oily wretch...' The blond had to restrain himself from cutting off the man's hand after he had almost touched Kurenai's arm in a 'friendly' manner.
Though he neednÆt have worried.
One look of his teacher's crimson orbs almost froze the man in his tracks. And she didn't even start giving off the killer intent yet.
Naruto smirked.
As beautiful as Kurenai was, she could be colder than a glacier.
She could have the looks of a geisha, what with that porcelain skin of hers, make up and delicate features.
But he had seen her cut the throat of a man trapped in one of her illusions without batting an eye. He had seen her driving one of their targets mad over the course of three months with her illusions.
At first he had feared that the woman would be appalled by his own ruthlessness but he quickly understood the one important fact about his mentor.
However pleasant, friendly and accommodating Yuuhi Kurenai was in the village, once she was on the job, she could be as ruthless as the situation demanded.
Needless to say, their working relationship ran very smoothly. And personal one wasn't bad either. The woman was intelligent, bright and ruthless.
He liked her for that alone. It didn't hurt that she had taught him without restrictions or reservations and didn't hold the demon in his stomach against him. Not that it'd bother him, but it was nice to take what was freely given instead of fighting for every shred of knowledge.
'Hmm... I must thank Sarutobi next time I see him. Maybe a gift of some kind?' Naruto pondered. 'Hmm...'
"We're here." Their guide was visibly spooked. "I'm sorry... But I'm not going further. Even during the day it's..." He swallowed. "The Spirits don't like it." He muttered nearly inaudibly.
But Naruto's senses, even if duller than his vampiric ones, were still better than human.
"Spirits?" He turned to the guide.
The man looked at him, wide eyed and... utterly terrified?
Naruto quirked an eyebrow, feeling the raw fear radiating from the guide.
'Now that's strange... He isn't afraid of the place... But... us? And ... for something? What the hell?' The blond frowned, looking at the man suspiciously. He extended his empathic aura, trying to feel more, only to freeze.
'What the...'
There was something out there. Something old. And very unstable, whatever it was.
And it wasn't alive either.
'The hell...?!'
As Naruto filtered through the strange sensations, the guide managed to stammer a goodbye and vanish in the undergrowth. Kurenai waited for his presence to vanish completely, before turning to her apprentice.
She quirked an eyebrow, seeing the familiar, glazed look on his face.
She had long ago accepted that Naruto had almost unnaturally sharp senses, far beyond the mundane. If she didn't know any better, she'd think he was a bastard son of the Yamanaka, especially with that ridiculously high ability to read the emotional states of people.
Even she, despite her great control, was like an open book to him. She didn't begrudge him that, however. His talent saved their lives twice on missions, so she viewed it as an asset, a precious one at that.
And his ability to sense chakra was incredible. She had learned more about focusing her more esoteric senses just by working with him than she would ever have from scrolls and training alone.
She patiently waited until his eyes focused again.
"Well?" She asked finally.
"I don't know..." He shook his head. "But... It's trouble, whatever it is. It is old. And doesn't feel very alive... Though in some way, it feels just like a shinobi would. But..." He narrowed his eyes. "This thing.... Kurenai, there is something very wrong about it. It feels familiar, in some way but... I just don't know." He muttered, scowling.
"So there is something there." Kurenai said thoughtfully. "The villagers weren't overreacting after all. Can you track it?"
"Maybe. But I wouldn't bet on it." He cocked his head. "Kurenai... the chakra... It feels WRONG. Warped. Stale."
The woman closed her eyes, extending her senses. At first, there was silence, almost unnatural. There was no source of chakra or life in the nearby vicinity, a warning sign if she ever saw one. Not even a bird or any animal in the forest. Just emptiness. But as she focused, she could feel it. An echo, just outside of her perception. An echo and....
Kurenai grimaced.
If anything, her apprentice underestimated the feeling. She felt like retching just from it's glancing touch.
'Well, nobody said that Shinobi's life was glamorous...' She sighed.
"Let's go, then." She said, following the faint chakra trail.
Naruto nodded grimly, following.
*
Sakura opened the door to Naruto's building with a smile.
"I'm home!" She shouted, before chuckling.
It was a joke she only allowed herself when Naruto was away. It was ironic just how much she felt at home here than in her cute, well kept room.
Her mother was great, if occasionally busy. She always took care of her, she supported her and made Sakura feel loved and cherished.
Even if her father was long gone, leaving her mother when he had found out she was pregnant with Sakura and splitting without a word, Haruno Chizuru had never let her daughter feel any less love or attention that any child with two parents had.
Up until Sakura's enrollment into the ninja academy.
While Chizuru had nothing against ninjas, she didn't want her daughter to be one. She accepted Sakura's request reluctantly, thinking it a whim.
While Sakura would never say it out loud, she knew her mother was secretly happy when she brought bad marks from ninja-related exercises, while excelling at the more intellectual pursuits.
But Sakura persevered. Then Naruto came along. And things have changed.
Sakura stopped trying to 'finish academy' - she instead aimed to 'be a ninja'.
Her mother didn't like that at all. She had never said a word, never denied her her dream, but Sakura saw her eyes each time she had seen her sharpening her kunai or practicing her taijutsu.
And the fact that Sakura started to excel at the 'assassination related training' in Iruka's own words, delivered with a lot of pride over his student's achievements, didn't sit wit her mother well.
Sakura knew that her mother had resigned herself to the fact her daughter was going to be a kunoichi. Sakura had too good grades to fail, after all.
But she still hoped Sakura would choose some kind of position in the village. A medic nin, an administrative worker...
Sakura didn't have a heart to tell her mother otherwise. But she couldn't do that. Not anymore.
Haruno Sakura would NOT be an office drone.
Haruno Sakura was going to be a kunoichi. A true kunoichi, like Kurenai-san.
When she had met Naruto's mentor, the woman impressed her a lot. At first, she thought her a civilian, meeting her in a casual kimono, make up on as she sat in Naruto's home, pouring over some books.
Then she saw a second hitai ate folded neatly on the table near the two. Naruto had his on his shoulder, as always, so the second one had to belong to her.
Kurenai had opened Sakura's eyes. From that day on, she had wanted to be like Kurenai-san. Strong, proud and able to stand up to anybody.
She was tired of others defending her.
First Ino, then Naruto...
Would she still have to be defended when she was a ninja?
She was tired of that.
She, Haruno Sakura, would stand on her own two feet and walk by her own power.
Though getting help from friends wasn't bad.
She smiled, throwing her satchel on the couch.
She eyed the entrance to the library longingly, before sighing.
There would be a time for this later.
There was a reason Naruto gave her the keys, after all.
Humming a simple melody, she took a large water can and went to the garden.
The garden wouldn't take care of itself, and Ino was too busy to drop by, so it fell to Sakura, as it usually did when Naruto was out on missions.
Sakura didn't mind.
She might not be as knowledgeable as Ino, but over the last year, she got to know Naruto's garden better than the back of her hand.
Walking in she eyed the cherry tree, something Naruto had added after Sakura's pleading, proudly.
"Hi!" She smiled at the plant.
She had found the young tree devastated and nearly dead on the outskirts of Konoha after some genin used it as a practice target for a jutsu.
It took Ino one glance to deem the tree unsalvageable, but Sakura pleaded, cajoled and asked.
The two blonds - one gardener and one alchemist, poured over the problem for two days, but finally managed to salvage the tree.
Naruto had to use some of his precious ingredients and plenty of more mundane, if no less expensive, herbs to make it happen. Ino's botanical know-how helped, of course.
Of course, Naruto made her his lackey for that.
She didn't mind.
Just seeing the tree bloom was enough of a reward.
Sakura took care of the plants quickly and efficiently, not forgetting even the smallest bud. She had a lot of practice, after all. And Naruto's garden was fascinating, even if most plants were poisonous in some way.
Finally, she was left just with 'her' tree.
She patted the bark fondly, before darting her head up.
'Well, I'm a little bit tired.'
With a pleased sigh, she sat, gently touching the trunk.
"And to think they said you would die.... Shows how much they know, huh?" She smiled fondly. "Look at you, you were all broken just a year ago, but now you grow strong and bloom beautifully." She sighed, touching her cheek to the trunk and closing her eyes.
She always felt so at peace when she sat by that particular tree...
'Still... She won't water herself...' She thought lazily, reaching for the watering can blindly.
'Now, where is that...' She swept the grass, unwilling to open her eyes. 'I'm sure I...'
"AAHHH!" She jumped back, screaming in pain. "Sonova...!"
She cradled her palm, torn open by the unexpectedly sharp edge of the can. It bled profusely, splattering the red on the grass and the tree.
"Well, just my luck..." She grumbled, wincing. "I've told Naruto that this old thing needed to be fixed..." She glared at the can and then froze as the container lost focus.
'What...?'
She wobbled.
"Whaizzz....?" She mumbled, her eyelids heavy.
Her back hit the trunk and slowly, she slid down.
'I...'
Her eyes closed as she lost consciousness, surrendering to sleep.
The red liquid kept pouring from the wound slowly for a moment until several petals from the blooming cherry tree flowers fell down with uncanny precision on the wound, closing it off. The petals slowly drank the blood, gaining a stronger pinkish, then crimson tinge.
An hour later, Haruno Sakura still slept, a gentle smile on her face.
The majority of the petals on the tree she slept under were slowly turning crimson red.
But Sakura slept, unaware of that fact, dreaming of the crimson fields wind and the gentle touch of flowers.
The cherry tree extended her branches over the sleeping girl, sheltering her from wind and rain, keeping vigil over her beloved mistress without a sound.
*
"Well... This is interesting." Kurenai narrowed her eyes, forcing herself to look.
Naruto eyed the corpses warily.
He had seen worse, but not by much.
"An animal?" Kurenai speculated.
"No." Naruto denied at once. "Unless you know animal that can cut as evenly as that." He indicated the cuts. "Too much precision. It had been done by something very sharp."
Kurenai nodded slowly.
"Yes, but why twist their limbs? Why break them?" She frowned.
"Coercion?" Naruto shrugged. "Maybe they were tortured?"
Kurenai shook her head.
"No. Look." She indicated the blood. "It had been done after they died. There are several open breaks, bones are piercing the skin, but there is no blood. As if they bled all the blood before."
"Bled... Or WERE bled out?" Naruto said, his eyes widening. Oh he really didn't like the implications here...
He knelt, overturning one of the bodies and ripping the shirt away.
"What are you...?" Kurenai looked at him sharply.
"Looking for something." He said curtly. "Where it... Ah." He sighed. "Damn."
Kurenai knelt by the body, her eyes wide.
"Damn is right." She said finally. "My god..."
Naruto scowled.
'Well, at least we know they arenÆt' vampires. But why would they need to be bled out?' He narrowed his eyes, thinking deeply as Kurenai looked for clues before freezing.
Slowly, he turned to the cave.
'Oh no... Don't tell me...' He extended his senses with a sinking feeling. 'Nobody could be THAT stupid, could they?'
He focused his senses, forming a quick mental probe before reeling back, as nearly physical force, slammed back.
'Oh yes they were!'
Naruto scowled, spitting out several foul curses in nosgothian and High Ancient.
Kurenai looked astonished as her usually calm apprentice raged.
"What is it?" She asked finally.
"I think I know why they were bled out." He said darkly. "And I guarantee you won't like it."
Kurenai looked at her partner seriously.
She had seen Naruto facing jounin level shinobi with unshakable calm. Whatever was that got him so riled up...
"Tell me." She said finally.
He did.
*
"I knew it." Naruto grimaced.
Kurenai scowled.
The seal array was large, larger than anything she had seen in her life. It covered the cave floor, good several square meters.
And it was smeared with blood.
"This... This..." She clenched her fists.
"And then some." Naruto knelt by the bloodied seal. "Odd."
Kurenai quirked an eyebrow.
"This seal... It is incomplete." Naruto explained with narrowed eyes. "It... I have no idea what it supposed to accomplish, but it is flawed. But it seems to work in some way, even if it shouldn't. Strange..."
Kurenai studied the seal fro a long while.
The strange, jagged rings were strangely familiar for some reason. They scraped at the edge of her memory like persistent mosquitoes, but why...
Her eyes widened.
She took out a slip of paper, drawing several lines on it.
"Naruto." The blond turned to her, his blue eyes oddly yellowish in the light of the chakra lamp. She gave him the paper. "Look for that symbol. It can be anywhere, so look carefully."
The ex-wraith frowned thoughtfully, looking at the paper.
"Now that looks familiar..." He muttered, before wandering off.
Several minutes of intense searching later they had finally found a symbol.
Several simple lines that formed an easily recognizable rainbow.
"Hidden Rainbow." Kurenai said, biting her lip. "I knew it. That's why this wretched thing was so familiar."
"Hidden Rainbow?" Naruto cocked his head. "Now why is this name so...?"
"The Hidden Rainbow was a small shinobi village wiped out by the joint assault from Cloud and Sand during the First Great Shinobi War nearly two hundred years ago." Kurenai said, her voice tense.
"If it's long gone, then why...?"
"Because, Naruto, the Hidden Rainbow practically re-invented the genjutsu arts. They lacked the powerful ninjutsu, but their genjutsu was the best in recorded history. In fact, most of the advanced theories on genjutsu came from the few refugees from Hidden Rainbow that survived the destruction of their village. And the strongest practitioners died in the assault so much of their advanced lore was gone, lost and beyond recovery." Kurenai explained, forcing herself to remain calm.
"Then this seal..." Naruto's eyes widened in understanding.
"Yes." Kurenai nodded grimly. "I should have recognized sooner. Two hundred years ago, this village was at the edge of Rainbow's territory. I guess this is either some kind of an old research facility...
"... or a defense mechanism." Naruto said slowly. "And we walked straight into it."
"And it is active." Kurenai said calmly.
"What?" Naruto said incuriously.
Kurenai gestured at the cave.
Naruto froze.
The cave was gone.
The moon hung high in the sky, the trees swayed gently in the breeze.
His eyes widened as he felt the familiar weight of the Thorn by his side, light enchanted armor hugging his form like a second skin.
His eyes went forward.
"No..." he whispered, his yellow eyes wide.
The Hylden's anti vampiric sigils, fully powered, stared at him mockingly.
He could feel the Thorn pulsing uneasily. His senses already felt the aura of approaching Hylden.
From behind.
From the left.
From the right.
The only path was forward.
But forward....
"Whoever you are... whatever you are... By the blood of the First... You will PAY!" Naruto growled as he dove head first into the gate to hell.
*
"Ah, little morsel." The Gate Keeper leered. "Finally, we meet. Your soul smellsssss.... delicious." He licked his spectral chops. "Not like the last time you were here, eh, morsel?" The beast laughed. "Not like this at all!"
Naruto growled, his blood, even in the Spectral Realm, running freely, his soul self bleeding.
"I'll show you morsel, wretch." The wraith hissed venomously, the sigils flaring to life. "BURN!"
The jets of flame roared, bathing the Gate Keeper in power.
The beast laughed.
"Magics of the Matter won't work on me, little morsel!"
Naruto calmed down.
"Yes. I know." He said sheathing the sword, taking the step away from the shadows.
"Eh?" The guardian blinked. "Giving up, morsel? I've had better opinion on you, Renegade. I heard you got some fighting spirit in you. But you are just trash, after all."
"Prattle all you wish, bloated one." Naruto said calmly, concentrating. "But I got the time I needed. Now.... I think it's time to say goodbye to this wretched retrospection. But before I go..."
"Scourge of the plane infernal, scourge of souls, lord of rage..." Naruto intoned with a nasty smirk
The Gate Keeper backed away.
"...What are you doing, morsel?" He asked suspiciously. "That power... What do you hope to accomplish?"
"...servant of the shadow realm, hear my voice and honor the pact. You who pledged to serve the one who defied Fate, obey the compact's words, obey my command. The Covenant calls. As was written, as was sworn, come beast of the great, dark void."
"No....NO!" The Gate Keeper turned to flee, but it was too late. Naruto smirked, finishing the incantation.
"Come forth, The Hound of Avernus!" He hissed out.
Naruto's shadow broke and the vampiric wraith threw his head back and laughed as a large paw emerged from it, followed by the rest of the pitch black body covered in soot and dancing flames.
The giant wolf snarled at the Gate Keeper, who by now was almost wetting himself in fear.
"MASTER." The beast's voice was jagged like continuously breaking glass and crackling of fire at the same time. "YOU HAVE SUMMONED ME TO A STRANGE DREAM. IT STINKS OF SPIRITS AND THE PAST FORGOTTEN, THE ONE THAT NEVER WAS."
The ex-wraith frowned.
"Now this is interesting... How do you figure?" He asked curiously.
"I KNOW NOT. BUT YOU SMELL OF HUMAN. AND TIME. AND PARADOX. BUT YOUR HELL MARK IS POWERFUL. AND I SENSE THE POWER OF SPIRIT AND DEATH UPON YOU."
"Well now... Now this... this is unexpected." Naruto said slowly. Did that mean he was still capable of this in the 'real world'?
'No... I would have felt it.' The blond frowned. 'But this is interesting.'
"MASTER, MY TIME BEGINS TO DRAW SHORT, REGRETFULLY. YOUR ORDERS?" The hound asked.
"Can you help me escape this... 'dream'?"
"NO. I AM SUMMONED HERE BY YOU AND HERE I MUST REMAIN. BUT I CAN TRAVERSE IT AT WILL AND TAKE YOU TO THE ONE THAT IS HERE BUT YET NOT."
"Here but yet not?" Naruto asked puzzled.
"THERE IS DREAM OF RED. OF CRIMSON. THE DREAMER SLEEPS AND DIES AND SLEEPS AGAIN. SHE LACKS THY POWER, LORD OF SHADOWS. HER WILL IS STRONG, BUT SHE BREAKS HERSELF."
"Kurenai...!" Naruto's eyes widened. "Damn illusion! It almost made me forget...!" He growled, before looking at the Hound. "Can you take me to her?"
"IN DANGER YOU SHALL BE, LORD." The hound frowned. "YOU NEED TO REGAIN THY STRENGTH TO BREAK OF THIS DREAM AND PUNISH THOSE WHO DARED TO BIND THEE."
"That will wait. The woman is more important. " Naruto waved his hand dismissively.
"IT WILL BE AS YOU WISH. I SHALL HELP YOU, LORD, AS LONG AS I AM ABLE."
"I want to see the Hokage."
The secretary glared at him.
"Saurtobi-sama is busy so why won't you..."
Naruto ignored her whine, nasal voice and simple walked by her.
The woman jumped from her seat, grabbing his arm.
"You can't...!" She screeched.
Naruto looked at her legs.
"Hmm.... Is that a roach?" He said thoughtfully.
The woman's looked down, her eyes widening as she noticed several big cockroaches marching cheerfully up her calves.
She screeched, letting him go momentarily.
Naruto walked by her calmly.
'How beneficial little creatures they are.' He thought with a smirk. 'Unlike that whiny waste of flesh.'
*
Sarutobi lit his pipe, looking at Naruto thoughtfully.
The request was unusual, but not unexpected.
Ever since the... incident three years ago, Naruto had changed. The blond became quiet, reserved, focused.... And far more violent, both in his taijutsu practices and out of them.
As much as he'd like to blame the Kyuubi, it seemed that that one last assassination attempt was one too many for the child. Though the change was radical, he had seen nins undergoing drastic personality changes when they had their brush with death.
And Naruto was perilously close to dying that day, three years ago.
When he had learned that the blond left hospital without his supervision, Sarutobi was furious. The woman responsible was accused of negligence, thrown out of hospital and blacklisted. There was no hospital in the Fire Country that would take her in now.
Though there was one positive aspect of the situation. The blond became focused. Some might say obsessed, but he knew better.
He had seen obsessed. He had taught obsessed. Naruto wasn't like Orochimaru. He didn't have the raw, animalistic hunger for power that overshadowed anything and everything else.
It was as if the boy was testing his limits and exploring. The pace was fast, true, but there was no rhyme or reason to it, not like Orochimaru. It seemed that the boy just studied whatever struck his fancy. He had borrowed several texts on herbs just yesterday, while he had been researching the history and uses of Fuuma shuriken just a week before.
Haphazard, but he had to admit that the boy was tenacious. When he had learned of it, he just thought the blond borrowed all the books he could find, returning them when he got bored with trying to mull through them. It astonished him, during one of their monthly ramen excursions he insisted on, that the boy not only read the books - he had understood them. Not completely and not always, but he understood enough.
It was then that Sarutobi started to pay more attention to Naruto's progress at the Academy.
After a month of careful observations and gentle prodding, he realized that the boy wasn't using half of his ability during the lectures. It was as if he simply wasn't interested.
Even his taijutsu was average, and that raised Sarutobi's eyebrow.
How can a student who sent two last year students that were a step from graduation to ICU, have average taijutsu marks?
He used his sphere to watch over the boy's training out of curiosity.
True, his form wasn't as focused as the picture perfect taijutsu that the Uchiha heir displayed and bore little resemblance to Hyuuga Neji's artful jyuuken. In fact, it didn't even look like the Konoha-ryu taijutsu taught in the academy. It was simple, violent brawling with odd mix of Konoha-ryu thrown in. Very effective brawling.
Many would scoff at that, preferring clear cut moves of standardized martial arts, but Sarutobi knew better. Good brawlers were unpredictable and could be a bane of traditionally trained martial artists. And there were taijutsu styles that were as 'free form' as they could, without losing their edge. The savage Inuzuka fighting techniques, for example.
So it was obvious to the old Hokage that the boy had potential. Problem was, he didn't seem to use it. And unless he became a shinobi, Sarutobi didn't have means to force him. Not that he wanted to, it was always better to let people develop on their own pace. Too much pushing could sometimes ruin very promising talents.
'But it isn't like it's actually pushing when he's asking, after all.' Sarutobi thought with a small smirk hidden behind his clasped hands.
"Tell me, Naruto... Out of the three major shinobi arts, genjutsu, ninjutsu and taijutsu - which one is the best?" He asked finally.
The blond blinked.
"Well, they are equal." Naruto frowned. "In theory, at least."
Sarutobi raised an eyebrow.
"I'm not asking about the official academy stance, Naruto. Which one do YOU think is best."
The blond cocked his head to the side thoughtfully.
"For me or in general?" He asked finally.
Sarutobi smiled.
'Good answer, my boy. Good answer.' He reached to the drawer, taking out a small stack of papers. He leafed through them for a few seconds, before putting them down.
'This just might work. And I will kill two birds with one stone as well.' He thought. 'But how do I... Hmm...'
He picked one of the documents and held it for a second, before throwing it at the blond.
"Here. Take it."
Rising an eyebrow, Naruto reached for the item... only to have it slide out of his fingers.
'Odd.' The blond frowned, reaching out again. The sheet fell on the desk gently. Naruto reached to pick it up. The moment his fingertips touched the surface, they slid off it again.
Naruto's eyebrows shot up.
'Why does it...' He looked at the Sarutobi, who watched him with clear interest. 'A test of some kind, then.'
Naruto looked at the sheet thoughtfully
'So he must have used chakra to somehow make it slippery. I can't grasp it normally. So how can I...? Hmm...' His cerulean eyes narrowed. 'I have a few options here. I can use the kunai... But that would be too easy. Besides, this is an official document. I can't exactly damage it. Overpowering it with raw chakra probably won't work. It would just fry the paper. So what would...' Naruto looked at the old man. 'Clever bastard.' he thought with genuine appreciation.
Carefully, he channeled some chakra into his palm. It was actually a very basic skill, but it required a good chakra control. It was easiest to do with hands. Or one's own forehead.
Calmly, unhurriedly, he let the chakra coated hand touch the document and stick to it.
Sarutobi puffed on his pipe thoughtfully.
The exercise was simple, but it had shown judgment and control as well as ability to read 'underneath the underneath'. The boy had passed with flying colors.
Now, the question was if he would agree to what the Hokage had in mind.
Sarutobi leaned forward.
"Naruto, I have a proposition for you..."
*
It took all of five minutes for Naruto to decide that he liked Kurenai. And it wasn't because she was one the most beautiful women he had a pleasure to meet either.
Though he really dreaded the day, sometime soon, when his hormones would finally make themselves known. Still, it wasn't the time, nor the place.
No. Yuuhi Kurenai, despite the deceptive softness of her alluring beauty and polite manner was a velvety covering hiding a core of purest steel. This was not a woman to be underestimated.
She reminded him far too much of Umah for that. All softness, beauty and alluring voice, but viciously effective when it was needed.
Yes. Yuuhi Kurenai was a woman he just might come to respect.
"It would seem you are to be my apprentice now." She said finally.
"As long as you will agree. The Hokage said the final decision was up to you."
She nodded.
"Before we proceed, I wan to you know that I have nothing against you personally. But I will not take on apprentice who shows no promise in genjutsu." She said looking at him seriously.
Naruto gave a curt nod.
"Hokage-sama said you already have quite an impressive chakra control for a genin, so I won't test you in that area. There is, however, one test you must pass." She indicated the small forest near the training ground. "Somewhere in the middle of this forest, there is a scarf tied around a tree. Bring it to me."
Naruto quirked an eyebrow.
"That's it."
Kurenai smiled.
'Ah.'
Naruto returned the smile before walking to the forest.
With a slight smile, Kurenai sat down, unsealing a small scroll containing a sash of tea and a water can. A quick Katon jutsu later, the fire burned merrily.
'Now, Uzumaki Naruto, let's see if you are as talented as Hokage-sama made you out to be.'
*
Naruto darted his head up, then slowly looked around the thick overgrowth.
'Bravo, Kurenai. Bravo.'
This was a splendid illusion.
It not only made the forest seem less... hospitable, making it seem bigger, more foreboding than it really was, but it actually hid the fact that it was an illusion with gentle nudges and tiniest of touches. It almost seemed to whisper to look the other way, to disregard things he saw as suspicious.
If not for his long experience in resisting mental commands, he would have never guessed that this was an illusion at all. Less experienced illusionists would go for more 'kick', setting mental pressure higher, fully into fear spectrum, adding some sounds and maybe an ominous shadow or two.
Kurenai, it seemed, was like a master painter. Conservative and gentle in using her brush, she sketched the believable image of 'truth' adding the gentlest of nudges, letting the mind fill the blanks.
Naruto almost felt like applauding her.
The woman was a true artist. Just witnessing the subtle illusion work taught him more about the genjutsu than all of the books required for the Academy coursework.
Well versed in illusion he might be, but genjutsu, while using some of the same principles, was a whole different kettle of fish. It was less powerful in some cases, but subtler. If Kurenai had the benefit of vampiric mental powers, she would be a devastatingly powerful force.
Not that she wasn't already.
For a human.
'Now, let's see...' He made a simple seal, sending a chakra pulse to his senses.
He opened his eyes... to see the illusion, untouched and unphased.
'Oh, now this is really interesting. How about...'
He took out a kunai, cutting his hand slightly.
He watched the crimson liquid splatter the leaves.
The illusion didn't budge.
He wiped his hand. The wound was superficial and a thin strip of bandage covered it well enough.
Naruto smiled slowly, a glint in his eye.
The Hokage had made him more of a favor than he could have ever guessed.
'Shall we see how deep does this rabbit hole go, then?' He thought with a grin.
Yes, Yuuhi Kurenai was an interesting woman.
*
The crimson eyed tokubetsu jounin smiled, sipping her freshly made tea gently. She had felt one of the layers of her small illusion give in to the dispel, the other layers already shifting to seal the breach seamlessly.
'So, you noticed.' She looked to the forest. 'But the real test begins now.'
Still, she couldn't help but feel a small bit of excitement welling inside her.
The true illusionists were a rare breed. Though it was often said that it took a good chakra control to make a genjutsu user, any true adept of genjutus knew the truth.
While the top notch chakra control was necessary, what made the master was not the amount of control, but mind and character.
That's why many ninja gifted with good chakra control made decent genjutsu users, but never true masters.
True, the primary illusion she had laid wasn't very powerful. She didn't want to break the boy, just to test him.
But a fact that a freshly minted genin had already realized he was in an illusion...
She smiled.
She just might have met her real apprentice.
She would have taught the boy regardless, the Hokage's offer was too tempting to ignore. While she was more than decent jounin material, she had lacked leadership experience. Nor did she know how to teach.
Most jounin-hopefuls had experience in both, but not her. Her art was too subtle to really teach to anyone without a great deal of time and her role as an illusionist meant she had less leadership experience than average.
More than good enough for the Tokubetsu Jounin, but the jounin had to be well rounded in all aspects of shinobi arts. Even the specialist.
Hokage's proposal would give her the chance to fix her weaknesses. On paper, anyway. She knew that it was really nothing more than a veiled trade.
She had no idea why or how Naruto made genin two years before reaching official graduating age. But she doubted the Hokage would allow anyone, especially Konoha's infamous jinchuuriki, to wear the hitai ate without the skill to back it up. The old man, despite his seemingly soft disposition, was not one to display any sort of favoritism in those matters.
'Just look at Asuma.' She shook her head sadly, before leaving that particular avenue.
But even if Naruto had the skill, there were no vacancies on the current genin teams, so he would have to wait at least six months.
And even then Kurenai doubted any jounin would integrate the blond into existing team. The dislike for the blond was less prevalent among ninja than the Konoha's civilians, bit it was still running deep and strong. Ten years did next to nothing to reduce it.
But young ninja weren't always put on teams. There were exceptions
Apprenticeships were not as common as during the Third Great Shinobi War, but they happened. And Hokage had the perfect excuse here, for the both of them.
She would teach the boy regardless of how he fared. Hokage's offer was simply too good to pass up.
'But if he succeeds...' She poured herself another cup of tea, smiling gently.
It was always good to have another true genjutsu adept to discuss intricacies of the art with. Better than suffering to listen to mindless fakes who thought that using some memorized jutsu with all subtlety of a hammer made them genjutsu specialists.
She felt a gentle ripple from the forest and closed her crimson orbs in pleasure, tasting the slightly bitter taste of her well made tea with a smile.
The boy just might make the cut.
*
As interesting as the illusion was, it had began to grate on his nerves.
the dispelling didn't work, pain had achieved even less.
He tried several other ways, all the way down to blanketing the area with his chakra.
To no avail.
Oh, he probably could have found the scarf by now. He was almost sure it laid to the center of the illusion, where the power was the strongest.
Kurenai could have made it more difficult, but this was a test to overcome, not a wall to crash against.
But Naruto prided himself on his illusions and that little haughty voice in him that oddly resembled Kain's arrogant tone refused to be beaten 'on his own turf'.
He had beaten Hylden's magics with naught but his mind, he had tricked Kain and withstood Moebius' wrath.
He refused to be beaten in the art of illusion by a young human ninja, no matter how skilled.
'Pride...' He grimaced.
It was a chink in his mental armor he shared with Kain and Vorador, even if his was curbed by knowing his limits.
Still...
He scrapped away the slight scab formed over his recent cut and pulled out several slips of paper from his pouch.
If shinobi arts were insufficient, he had to reach into his own bag of tricks.
The symbols of Blood Script were drawn quickly and efficiently. He made a point to remember the first array he had created. Now it was time to see if it was as useful as he had thought.
He fanned out the slips and concentrated on them, before smirking. There was power here, all right. So it was more than just a fluke.
'Good.'
He opened the palm, letting the papers slip loose.
None fell to the ground.
He looked at the dark crimson birds of prey, all unnaturally still as they regarded him with identical yellow eyes.
"You." He pointed at the majority of the birds. Fly and break." He commanded, making a sweeping motion. "You two." He looked at the leftover birds, slightly bigger than the rest.. "Find and bring it to me. Gently. Go."
There was a loud screech as the birds took to the air.
The two large birds vanished, while the rest circled above Naruto for a few seconds, before shooting up.
There was a brief period of silence, then stillness.
The illusion wavered briefly, like the air on the hot, summer day.
All was still for a briefest of moments.
Naruto frowned.
'Odd... I put plenty of blood in it so why....'
His eyes widened.
'Oh...' He nodded slowly. 'Smart woman.' He thought with genuine appreciation. It seemed his little plan needed a small modification. He had never expected he would be forced to resort to this so early, but...
He clenched his fist slowly, letting a small amount of blood from the wound pool there. He used the blade of the kunai to sketch two symbols on his palm. He looked at them critically, before nodding.
'This should do. Crude, but you can't have everything.'
He swept his hand up rapidly, releasing the droplets of blood into the air.
The liquid fell down, splattering the grass and the trees in tiny dots of crimson.
He darted his head up.
There was a silence.
Naruto smiled, looking at the small shred of paper slowly falling down.
He caught in on his palm and studied with a smile.
'Yes. Crude, but effective.'
A moment later, the illusion wavered, then started to unravel slowly, as if somebody pulled out the strings holding it together. The numerous shreds of paper fell down like rain that washed away the shadows, the trees and the bushes around him until none was left save a lone tree in the center.
He turned on his heel, quickly reaching the small campfire.
Kurenai looked at him, her face expressionless, before smiling.
"Tea?" She asked, offering him a clean bowl.
Two large birds landed, a long, wide burgundy scarf held in their beaks.
Kurenai's eyebrows shot up.
Naruto smirked.
"Yes, please."
She gave him the bowl and he sat down, sipping the hot liquid with pleasure.
Kurenai put down her own bowl, before looking at him.
She studied him for a long while.
What the boy did... was not in her plans. He was supposed to discover the small genjutsu around the 'forest'. It was supposed to test his willpower and instinct, see if he was perceptive enough to see the clues she had left there.
The more powerful secondary genjutsu, on the other hand...
This was more than just talent. No academy student, no matter how much of a prodigy he might have been shouldn't be able to break it so easily. Much less spot it.
A fully evolved sharingan would probably do it. A Hyuuga with sufficiently powerful Byakugan might.
'Is that the effect of the Kyuubi?' She wondered briefly, before rejecting the idea. The dispelling had been forceful, yes, but it wasn't abrupt. The illusion didn't come crashing down, but had rather been ripped apart from the inside.
'What an interesting boy...' Kurenai smiled, a first genuine smile since she had met her pupil. 'And those birds... Summons?'
"There are three primary aspects of the genjutsu arts..." She started, pulling out a thin scroll.
Naruto sat, listening with rapt attention, a small smile dancing in the corner of his lips.
Yes, Kurenai just might be worthy of respect.
*
"I don't get it." Ino wiped her sweaty forehead. The day was rather hot for autumn and working for several hours straight didn't help it any. "What is this supposed to be, anyway?"
Naruto straightened out, sowing the one last seed.
"A garden." He replied simply.
"Yeah, but why?" The blonde put away her shovel. "I mean, you're not even seeding anything useful here. Just some... stuff." She waved her hand. "There aren't even any good flowers here."
"Sure there are." Naruto put away the large box he spent almost a year completing.
"I just don't see the point. Most of them either worthless or just plain ugly. Or poisonous." Ino scowled.
"Ah, see? I knew you would find the answer." Naruto smiled beatifically, sitting down.
Ino looked at him.
She looked at the field.
"Oh." She said finally, sitting down as well.
"Yes." Naruto offered the lemon scented water to his friend.
Ino took it greedily, eying him with envy. Over five hours in the afternoon sun and he barely sweated.
"How do you do that?" She huffed. "Hours in this heat and you don't even look warm."
"Mental discipline." He shrugged. "I am feeling the heat as much as you do, I just don't let it bother me."
"I guess if there is a reason for graduating early, learning cool tricks like that is it." Ino sighed, drinking another gulp. "Which reminds me, I'm still pissed about that. I thought you dropped out or something and then you just waltz in after three moths without a word." She scowled.
"Bastard. Do you know how worried I was? And Sakura had been fretting since the day one. She thought you..." Ino huffed, glaring at her blond friend.
"Ino." Naruto looked at her, an eyebrow raised. "Have I ever broken a word?"
The blonde girl looked at him with a scowl.
"Don't change the subject, bas-"
"Did I or did I not?" Naruto's voice was like a whip.
Ino shut up. Often she wondered just what had drawn her to the blond in the first place. He wasn't exactly a 'friend' material. He wasn't popular, rich or respected. He wasn't one of the 'cool' crowd Ino herself belonged to. He wasn't a heartthrob like the Uchiha scion.
Naruto had his quirks. Lot's of them, in fact. He spoke oddly, somewhat like an old man or one of these stuck up Hyuuga nobles. He was occasionally unsettlingly intense or cold. He kept away from people, preferring company of books and his little workshop. He could be cruel, and his sense of humor was rather morbid at times. And he was vengeful.
She grimaced.
People who annoyed Naruto to the limit tender to suffer... accidents. Nothing life threatening, but it was frequently embarrassing and rather cruel.
But the odd blond had his good points, once you got to know him. He could snap and deliver acidic comments, shredding others verbally to pieces with no mercy, but he was calm in a crisis, had a level head and had an odd air of wisdom about him. Of course, you had to know him first.
Also, despite his cold, uncaring attitude, Ino had found that Naruto DID care, in his own twisted way, about the people he was close to.
She still didn't know what he had told Sakura over the summer break. She had been too busy with learning from the Yamanaka's last surviving elder to meet with them both but...
Sakura was still the same girl. Mostly. She was the same Forehead-girl Ino had befriended three years ago. She was the same girl that still cringed when Naruto snapped at her at times, still the same bookworm that could go starry eyed at contents of Naruto's library, but...
Most people wouldn't even notice it, but she was a Yamanaka and noticing such small things was part of her training since she was six.
Sakura was normal. Average. Just a girl.
Then she walked on the practice field during the sparring matches and something... shifted.
The jade eyes, normally bright and cheerful, dulled but sharpened at the same time. And there was that odd look, the cold, hard glint. Focused. Slightly savage even.
Like a lesser version of Naruto's usual look.
It was minute, feather light and gone once Sakura stopped her practice or walked out of the sparring circle.
But ever since it appeared, Sakura's practices went better. More focused. Sharper. And far more ruthless.
Sakura couldn't win against Hinata. The Hyuuga girl was timid and had very little faith in herself, but her jyuuken was simply too much to handle. And she got more taijutsu practice time than any of the kunoichi hopefuls due to her family.
Sakura lost to her twice. Then she used a low level explosive tag to wreck the half of the practice field and tagged Hinata with the mock kunai used for sparring purposes.
Straight at the top of the Hyuuga's head.
From the air.
The pink haired girl had been chewed by pissed off Iruka for using such a dangerous tool like an explosive tag, even as low yield as it was, in a practice match. The chuunin instructor gave her a half hour long, rather scathing lecture.
After it was over, Sakura looked at him and smiled.
"I won." was all she said.
Then she walked away, all smiles.
Naruto didn't say a word but she would have recognized that smug little smirk of his anywhere.
Ami and her cohorts never bothered Sakura again. Nor did they agree to any one-on-one sparring with her from that point on.
So yes, in his own, odd and twisted way, Naruto did care.
And if there was one other thing Ino would find good about him, it was his word. It was iron clad, concrete solid. Naruto made promises very rarely. But if he did, it was as if written in the stone.
"I did promise I'll be there for her, did I not?" Naruto quirked an eyebrow.
Ino hung her head with a sigh.
"I really don't get you, whisker face. I don't get you at all." She muttered with a tired chuckle.
Naruto smiled.
"Let's go and see how Sakura is doing." He said turning to the entrance of his building.
Ino glared.
'Not even a helping hand for the lady, that antisocial bastard...'
She got up, following the blond shinobi.
"I still don't get why does she out of all people get a nice, easy work inside while I had to sweat here with you."
Naruto sighed.
"I've seen your... drawings, Ino. You suck. Sakura, on the other hand..."
Ino scowled.
"Well gee, thanks for the compliment, bastard." She said through the gritted teeth, eyebrow twitching. Her drawings were just fine, thank you very much! And her calligraphy might not be top notch like the Forehead-girl's, but it was okay.
Naruto just chuckled, opening the door.
He made a courtly, low bow, which somehow managed to look respectful and mocking at the same time.
"After you, your majesty." He said grandly.
Ino snorted, but went inside.
And that little warmth she had felt on her cheeks was just from the sun, of course.
*
"Hey Ino, Naruto." Sakura waved to them, not moving her eyes from the large desk and the wide cloth on it.
Still, there was a brief grin she had flashed at them both.
Ino shook her head with amusement. As much as she could see most of the gears and bolts in Sakura's head spinning, she'd never understand the girl in some ways.
How could she be so damn cheerful each time she visited the sarcastic, rude pillar of antisocial behavior that was Naruto was beyond her. Was it the obscenely large library? Or was it something else?
She had no idea, but the fact remained that Sakura looked cheerful and relaxed each time she visited their mutual friend.
Not that she wasn't cheerful on other occasions, but when in Naruto's home, she allowed herself to 'let go' and let her inner geek loose.
Naruto was probably the only one who could understand Sakura's fascination with extra coursework, seeing as he probably had paper instead of blood in his veins.
Watching those two read in the same room was something Ino could do for hours. The 'discussions' were simply too amusing, especially when they went off the tangent and started brainstorming over the red material. Cutting words in half, swapping theories in several clipped sentences that meant everything to them and nothing to the observer.
And once they got in the 'zone', meaning severe lack of sleep and too much time spent over the books with coffee drank by liters....
Ino chuckled.
The conversations were odd and would be completely beyond her understanding, if not for the fact that Ino learned to keep the 'cheat sheet'. She at least skimmed through what the two big brains went through or got Naruto to tell her about it.
In layman terms, of course.
Though some things were really fascinating and she did read them in full. It was odd how seemingly boring stuff got suddenly interesting when you had two people who actually knew what they were talking about to explain things when needed.
Though as big brain as Sakura was, Naruto could go into tangents that left the Forehead-girl utterly stumped. Once she wasn't afraid of alienating her new friend, Sakura started to work her brain to death, refusing to lose in one area she excelled in - knowledge.
Ino had to admit, that if she was sufficiently motivated, Forehead-girl could be downright scary.
"Hey, Forehead girl. You finished?" Ino waved back at her friend.
"Aaaalmost!" The girl scrunched her face in concentration, her brush making one last, delicate pass. She put it away, looking at the large, red cloth for a good while. She took one of the scrolls next to her and unrolled it, putting it next to the cloth. She cocked her head to the side.
"Hmm...." She narrowed her eyes, before nodding to herself slowly. "Hand." She commanded Naruto absently. The blond peeled off his glove and put out his palm out to her.
Still concentrated on her work, the pink haired girl absently drew a kunai.
"Hold steady, okay?" She said
Naruto simply nodded and she drew a quick cut on his hand.
The blond raised an eyebrow curiously, looking over her shoulder, only to get a clean brush straight in the face.
"No looking." Said Sakura absently, before she gathered the blood fro the wound with the clean brush and started to put quick lines on the scroll.
A moment later, she put the brush away, eying the scroll critically.
"It'll do." She muttered finally, before she rolled it. "Birds." She stretched a hand to Naruto.
"How many do you need?" The blond asked, reaching to his pouch.
"Three. One for the scroll, two for the scarf." She said, rolling the scroll.
"I have no idea if they will work for you." The blond warned, giving her the paper slips. "We still haven't found a way around the imprint, after all."
Sakura just grinned, taking the bloodied kunai she had used to cut him.
Then, still grinning, she stabbed her palm.
"GEEZ!" Ino jumped down from the table she had been sitting on, running to her friend. "Sakura, are you mad or something?! Shit...! We need to-!"
Sakura waved Ino away, wincing slightly.
"It's okay. Okay!" She panted out, before she looked a Naruto, her jade eyes sharp as her grin got wider. "Hehehe..." Then she slammed her bleeding palm over the three paper slips.
There was a brief period of stillness
Naruto's eyes widened.
A long screech resounded.
Ino felt her jaw drop.
"Fuck me...." She whispered.
Three large birds of prey looked at them triumphantly, their jade eyes almost glowing in the muted light of the room.
Naruto's eyebrows shot up.
He couldn't feel form the link with any of the birds directly. But there was... something there.
Sakura's eyes glazed.
"Ohhh.... That's kinda confusing." She breathed dazedly. One of the birds stretched it's wings and flew up, hovering in front of Sakura's face.
The two others remained on the table, looking at their compatriot and Sakura sharply.
The preybird's sharp jade met Sakura's slightly duller shine.
The bird looked for a moment, before screeching loudly and diving at the girl, only to stop inches from her face.
Sakura didn't even blink
Gently, the bird pecked her forehead once. Then it calmly settled on Sakura's shoulder, as if it had been doing this all it's life.
Sakura blinked.
"Now that... was odd." she muttered in wonder.
Ino felt as if she had aged several years.
"You want me to have a heart attack, Forehead girl?" She snapped, sliding down to her chair. "Geez... You and Naruto... Always with those..." She sighed tiredly. "If I get wrinkles early because of you, I swear I'll fuckin' sue."
"Ino, you're barely eleven. You're not getting wrinkles for a long time." Naruto drawled with amusement, before turning to Sakura. "Now that was some brilliant work, Sakura." He said. " I didn't think you'd find a way, to be honest."
Sakura grinned.
"Heh... Told you! Damn, I'm good! Shannaro!" She crowed, before blinking. "Oh god, I said that out loud, didn't I?" She asked, mortified.
Naruto shrugged, his universal answer to everything.
Ino just looked at her.
'God, never a dull, moment with those two, I swear...' She rubbed her temple, before grinning. 'Well, at least they ain't boring.'
"Anyway, about that scarf..." Naruto looked at Sakura.
"Ah, right!" Sakura snapped her fingers. The two birds looked at her, then stately flew to the both sides of the large cloth.
The third one flew down from her shoulder and elegantly grabbed the scroll in his beak, settling on the table.
Sakura blinked.
"Now that'll take some getting used to." She muttered, shaking her head. "I wonder if..."
"Sakura, honey." Ino tapped her foot. "The scarf?"
"Ah. Yeah." The pink haired girl smiled sheepishly. She closed her eyes, slowly forming seal after seal, muttering something Ino couldn't make out. She stopped, closing her eyes briefly. She took a long breath, opening her eyes.
The bird opened his beak slightly and shot up. The scroll opened rapidly, twisting and swiveling over the cloth and the girl.
"Majutsu: Kessho no Mon." She intoned, slamming both of her palms into the crimson cloth.
The long line of symbols on the scroll flared briefly with red, fading slightly.
Ino looked on curiously. She had been there when they discussed the theory behind it, but seeing it with her own eyes was different.
The previously unmarked cloth now had a symbol, akin to some kind of a letter, though far more convoluted and ornate, on it.
Naruto looked at it and smiled, tracing the odd symbol.
In blinked, before looking at the blond in astonishment.
It wasn't a smile she was used to. Naruto smirked slightly mockingly or coldly. He had that nasty little chuckle and that smile that said 'I'm better than you' down to perfection. But he never smiled like that. She couldn't really tell what the smile held. It was wistful, sad, slightly angry... all at the same time.
Then, as soon as it appeared, it had vanished without a trace and the blond took the cloth from the table, folding it in half so that the symbol was clearly visible, before tying it over his arm.
He looked at it, critically, fiddling with it carefully until the symbol was fully visible.
'You know...' Ino frowned thoughtfully. 'Now that I look at it... The design is actually quite cool...'
"Thank you, Sakura." Naruto nodded to the girl. "Splendidly done. My thanks."
"No problem, no problem." The girl waved his words away with a smile. "The chance alone to work on something like that was worth it."
"And that is better than simply drawing it on the cloth... why?" Ino drawled.
"It won't wash out, it won't fade, it..." Sakura started to count on her fingers.
"Geez, okay, okay... Just asking." Ino waved carelessly. "Hey, Naruto... What's so important about that thing anyway?"
The blond ex-wraith cocked his head.
The symbol was old, ancient even for him. It was one of the letters of High Ancient that roughly corresponded to the letter N. It also meant 'shadow', and 'rage' in High Ancient, depending on the context, something Naruto had found highly amusing when he got assigned that symbol. Back when he had been one Kain's lieutenants during the First War.
Later on, Kain had used the runes of High Ancient to mark his 'sons' - Raziel among them, but the original ones were used to mark the leaders of Kain's army. He had carried the symbol even after he left, after Kain's defeat during the Second Rise of Sarafan. Somehow, he kept it over the years. Sentiment for the simpler time? Irony?
He preferred not to think about it.
Especially since he personally murdered every Sarafan soldier who had killed one of the soldiers - vampiric, demonic or otherwise - bearing his mark, even if it felt stupid and hollow.
They might have been bloodthirsty monsters, but they were HIS bloodthirsty monsters. And he never felt he belonged anywhere after that.
"You know... I have no idea." He said finally, frown on his face.
Ino looked at him for a moment, before nodding slowly.
"If you say so." She said finally, before turning to Sakura. "Hey, forehead, you have some more juice in that scroll?"
"Well, yeah. It should be good for a few more uses..." The girl said puzzled.
Ino smirked, turning to Naruto.
"Now, since I worked my ass off to plant your garden, I think I should get something for it... Don't you think so too, Naruto-kun?" She batted her eyelashes.
Naruto just sighed.
*
"Something isn't right here, Kurenai." Naruto muttered nearly inaudibly to his teacher.
The woman nodded slightly.
"I know. I feel it too." Still, she smiled to their guide charmingly, engaging in a small talk, the young man clearly intimidated by her beauty. Which was a huge progress from the last half an hour when he had been scared of her shinobi status.
Naruto schooled his features into a mask of calm professionalism, trying to calm his instincts.
They had been hired by the chief of this town to find just what had been behind the disappearances of several children. Since the circumstances indicated some kind of genjutsu, the Team 4, meaning him and Kurenai, were dispatched.
The village paid for an B-class mission and offered a bonus for resolving the situation quickly.
Naruto frowned, discretely eying one of the buildings. It wasn't exactly impressive in anything but age. It was at least fifty years old. Older if he guessed right.
And that made the warning bells in Naruto's head ring something fierce.
The Kamata village laid on the edge of the Hidden Marsh territory and some of the fiercest wars of the Third Great Shinobi war rolled through the neighboring areas, yet the Kamata seemed to have been untouched.
While nearly twenty years is more than enough to rebuild, the majority of the buildings were well over thirty years old and bore no sign of large scale repair. The neighboring villages, barely several miles to the north had been practically razed by the Iwa forces. Why would Kamata be spared the calamity?
Something didn't add up here.
And Murata, the village chief...
Naruto scowled inwardly.
There was something very wrong about that man.
And he didn't think about him undressing Kurenai with his eyes.
'That oily wretch...' The blond had to restrain himself from cutting off the man's hand after he had almost touched Kurenai's arm in a 'friendly' manner.
Though he neednÆt have worried.
One look of his teacher's crimson orbs almost froze the man in his tracks. And she didn't even start giving off the killer intent yet.
Naruto smirked.
As beautiful as Kurenai was, she could be colder than a glacier.
She could have the looks of a geisha, what with that porcelain skin of hers, make up and delicate features.
But he had seen her cut the throat of a man trapped in one of her illusions without batting an eye. He had seen her driving one of their targets mad over the course of three months with her illusions.
At first he had feared that the woman would be appalled by his own ruthlessness but he quickly understood the one important fact about his mentor.
However pleasant, friendly and accommodating Yuuhi Kurenai was in the village, once she was on the job, she could be as ruthless as the situation demanded.
Needless to say, their working relationship ran very smoothly. And personal one wasn't bad either. The woman was intelligent, bright and ruthless.
He liked her for that alone. It didn't hurt that she had taught him without restrictions or reservations and didn't hold the demon in his stomach against him. Not that it'd bother him, but it was nice to take what was freely given instead of fighting for every shred of knowledge.
'Hmm... I must thank Sarutobi next time I see him. Maybe a gift of some kind?' Naruto pondered. 'Hmm...'
"We're here." Their guide was visibly spooked. "I'm sorry... But I'm not going further. Even during the day it's..." He swallowed. "The Spirits don't like it." He muttered nearly inaudibly.
But Naruto's senses, even if duller than his vampiric ones, were still better than human.
"Spirits?" He turned to the guide.
The man looked at him, wide eyed and... utterly terrified?
Naruto quirked an eyebrow, feeling the raw fear radiating from the guide.
'Now that's strange... He isn't afraid of the place... But... us? And ... for something? What the hell?' The blond frowned, looking at the man suspiciously. He extended his empathic aura, trying to feel more, only to freeze.
'What the...'
There was something out there. Something old. And very unstable, whatever it was.
And it wasn't alive either.
'The hell...?!'
As Naruto filtered through the strange sensations, the guide managed to stammer a goodbye and vanish in the undergrowth. Kurenai waited for his presence to vanish completely, before turning to her apprentice.
She quirked an eyebrow, seeing the familiar, glazed look on his face.
She had long ago accepted that Naruto had almost unnaturally sharp senses, far beyond the mundane. If she didn't know any better, she'd think he was a bastard son of the Yamanaka, especially with that ridiculously high ability to read the emotional states of people.
Even she, despite her great control, was like an open book to him. She didn't begrudge him that, however. His talent saved their lives twice on missions, so she viewed it as an asset, a precious one at that.
And his ability to sense chakra was incredible. She had learned more about focusing her more esoteric senses just by working with him than she would ever have from scrolls and training alone.
She patiently waited until his eyes focused again.
"Well?" She asked finally.
"I don't know..." He shook his head. "But... It's trouble, whatever it is. It is old. And doesn't feel very alive... Though in some way, it feels just like a shinobi would. But..." He narrowed his eyes. "This thing.... Kurenai, there is something very wrong about it. It feels familiar, in some way but... I just don't know." He muttered, scowling.
"So there is something there." Kurenai said thoughtfully. "The villagers weren't overreacting after all. Can you track it?"
"Maybe. But I wouldn't bet on it." He cocked his head. "Kurenai... the chakra... It feels WRONG. Warped. Stale."
The woman closed her eyes, extending her senses. At first, there was silence, almost unnatural. There was no source of chakra or life in the nearby vicinity, a warning sign if she ever saw one. Not even a bird or any animal in the forest. Just emptiness. But as she focused, she could feel it. An echo, just outside of her perception. An echo and....
Kurenai grimaced.
If anything, her apprentice underestimated the feeling. She felt like retching just from it's glancing touch.
'Well, nobody said that Shinobi's life was glamorous...' She sighed.
"Let's go, then." She said, following the faint chakra trail.
Naruto nodded grimly, following.
*
Sakura opened the door to Naruto's building with a smile.
"I'm home!" She shouted, before chuckling.
It was a joke she only allowed herself when Naruto was away. It was ironic just how much she felt at home here than in her cute, well kept room.
Her mother was great, if occasionally busy. She always took care of her, she supported her and made Sakura feel loved and cherished.
Even if her father was long gone, leaving her mother when he had found out she was pregnant with Sakura and splitting without a word, Haruno Chizuru had never let her daughter feel any less love or attention that any child with two parents had.
Up until Sakura's enrollment into the ninja academy.
While Chizuru had nothing against ninjas, she didn't want her daughter to be one. She accepted Sakura's request reluctantly, thinking it a whim.
While Sakura would never say it out loud, she knew her mother was secretly happy when she brought bad marks from ninja-related exercises, while excelling at the more intellectual pursuits.
But Sakura persevered. Then Naruto came along. And things have changed.
Sakura stopped trying to 'finish academy' - she instead aimed to 'be a ninja'.
Her mother didn't like that at all. She had never said a word, never denied her her dream, but Sakura saw her eyes each time she had seen her sharpening her kunai or practicing her taijutsu.
And the fact that Sakura started to excel at the 'assassination related training' in Iruka's own words, delivered with a lot of pride over his student's achievements, didn't sit wit her mother well.
Sakura knew that her mother had resigned herself to the fact her daughter was going to be a kunoichi. Sakura had too good grades to fail, after all.
But she still hoped Sakura would choose some kind of position in the village. A medic nin, an administrative worker...
Sakura didn't have a heart to tell her mother otherwise. But she couldn't do that. Not anymore.
Haruno Sakura would NOT be an office drone.
Haruno Sakura was going to be a kunoichi. A true kunoichi, like Kurenai-san.
When she had met Naruto's mentor, the woman impressed her a lot. At first, she thought her a civilian, meeting her in a casual kimono, make up on as she sat in Naruto's home, pouring over some books.
Then she saw a second hitai ate folded neatly on the table near the two. Naruto had his on his shoulder, as always, so the second one had to belong to her.
Kurenai had opened Sakura's eyes. From that day on, she had wanted to be like Kurenai-san. Strong, proud and able to stand up to anybody.
She was tired of others defending her.
First Ino, then Naruto...
Would she still have to be defended when she was a ninja?
She was tired of that.
She, Haruno Sakura, would stand on her own two feet and walk by her own power.
Though getting help from friends wasn't bad.
She smiled, throwing her satchel on the couch.
She eyed the entrance to the library longingly, before sighing.
There would be a time for this later.
There was a reason Naruto gave her the keys, after all.
Humming a simple melody, she took a large water can and went to the garden.
The garden wouldn't take care of itself, and Ino was too busy to drop by, so it fell to Sakura, as it usually did when Naruto was out on missions.
Sakura didn't mind.
She might not be as knowledgeable as Ino, but over the last year, she got to know Naruto's garden better than the back of her hand.
Walking in she eyed the cherry tree, something Naruto had added after Sakura's pleading, proudly.
"Hi!" She smiled at the plant.
She had found the young tree devastated and nearly dead on the outskirts of Konoha after some genin used it as a practice target for a jutsu.
It took Ino one glance to deem the tree unsalvageable, but Sakura pleaded, cajoled and asked.
The two blonds - one gardener and one alchemist, poured over the problem for two days, but finally managed to salvage the tree.
Naruto had to use some of his precious ingredients and plenty of more mundane, if no less expensive, herbs to make it happen. Ino's botanical know-how helped, of course.
Of course, Naruto made her his lackey for that.
She didn't mind.
Just seeing the tree bloom was enough of a reward.
Sakura took care of the plants quickly and efficiently, not forgetting even the smallest bud. She had a lot of practice, after all. And Naruto's garden was fascinating, even if most plants were poisonous in some way.
Finally, she was left just with 'her' tree.
She patted the bark fondly, before darting her head up.
'Well, I'm a little bit tired.'
With a pleased sigh, she sat, gently touching the trunk.
"And to think they said you would die.... Shows how much they know, huh?" She smiled fondly. "Look at you, you were all broken just a year ago, but now you grow strong and bloom beautifully." She sighed, touching her cheek to the trunk and closing her eyes.
She always felt so at peace when she sat by that particular tree...
'Still... She won't water herself...' She thought lazily, reaching for the watering can blindly.
'Now, where is that...' She swept the grass, unwilling to open her eyes. 'I'm sure I...'
"AAHHH!" She jumped back, screaming in pain. "Sonova...!"
She cradled her palm, torn open by the unexpectedly sharp edge of the can. It bled profusely, splattering the red on the grass and the tree.
"Well, just my luck..." She grumbled, wincing. "I've told Naruto that this old thing needed to be fixed..." She glared at the can and then froze as the container lost focus.
'What...?'
She wobbled.
"Whaizzz....?" She mumbled, her eyelids heavy.
Her back hit the trunk and slowly, she slid down.
'I...'
Her eyes closed as she lost consciousness, surrendering to sleep.
The red liquid kept pouring from the wound slowly for a moment until several petals from the blooming cherry tree flowers fell down with uncanny precision on the wound, closing it off. The petals slowly drank the blood, gaining a stronger pinkish, then crimson tinge.
An hour later, Haruno Sakura still slept, a gentle smile on her face.
The majority of the petals on the tree she slept under were slowly turning crimson red.
But Sakura slept, unaware of that fact, dreaming of the crimson fields wind and the gentle touch of flowers.
The cherry tree extended her branches over the sleeping girl, sheltering her from wind and rain, keeping vigil over her beloved mistress without a sound.
*
"Well... This is interesting." Kurenai narrowed her eyes, forcing herself to look.
Naruto eyed the corpses warily.
He had seen worse, but not by much.
"An animal?" Kurenai speculated.
"No." Naruto denied at once. "Unless you know animal that can cut as evenly as that." He indicated the cuts. "Too much precision. It had been done by something very sharp."
Kurenai nodded slowly.
"Yes, but why twist their limbs? Why break them?" She frowned.
"Coercion?" Naruto shrugged. "Maybe they were tortured?"
Kurenai shook her head.
"No. Look." She indicated the blood. "It had been done after they died. There are several open breaks, bones are piercing the skin, but there is no blood. As if they bled all the blood before."
"Bled... Or WERE bled out?" Naruto said, his eyes widening. Oh he really didn't like the implications here...
He knelt, overturning one of the bodies and ripping the shirt away.
"What are you...?" Kurenai looked at him sharply.
"Looking for something." He said curtly. "Where it... Ah." He sighed. "Damn."
Kurenai knelt by the body, her eyes wide.
"Damn is right." She said finally. "My god..."
Naruto scowled.
'Well, at least we know they arenÆt' vampires. But why would they need to be bled out?' He narrowed his eyes, thinking deeply as Kurenai looked for clues before freezing.
Slowly, he turned to the cave.
'Oh no... Don't tell me...' He extended his senses with a sinking feeling. 'Nobody could be THAT stupid, could they?'
He focused his senses, forming a quick mental probe before reeling back, as nearly physical force, slammed back.
'Oh yes they were!'
Naruto scowled, spitting out several foul curses in nosgothian and High Ancient.
Kurenai looked astonished as her usually calm apprentice raged.
"What is it?" She asked finally.
"I think I know why they were bled out." He said darkly. "And I guarantee you won't like it."
Kurenai looked at her partner seriously.
She had seen Naruto facing jounin level shinobi with unshakable calm. Whatever was that got him so riled up...
"Tell me." She said finally.
He did.
*
"I knew it." Naruto grimaced.
Kurenai scowled.
The seal array was large, larger than anything she had seen in her life. It covered the cave floor, good several square meters.
And it was smeared with blood.
"This... This..." She clenched her fists.
"And then some." Naruto knelt by the bloodied seal. "Odd."
Kurenai quirked an eyebrow.
"This seal... It is incomplete." Naruto explained with narrowed eyes. "It... I have no idea what it supposed to accomplish, but it is flawed. But it seems to work in some way, even if it shouldn't. Strange..."
Kurenai studied the seal fro a long while.
The strange, jagged rings were strangely familiar for some reason. They scraped at the edge of her memory like persistent mosquitoes, but why...
Her eyes widened.
She took out a slip of paper, drawing several lines on it.
"Naruto." The blond turned to her, his blue eyes oddly yellowish in the light of the chakra lamp. She gave him the paper. "Look for that symbol. It can be anywhere, so look carefully."
The ex-wraith frowned thoughtfully, looking at the paper.
"Now that looks familiar..." He muttered, before wandering off.
Several minutes of intense searching later they had finally found a symbol.
Several simple lines that formed an easily recognizable rainbow.
"Hidden Rainbow." Kurenai said, biting her lip. "I knew it. That's why this wretched thing was so familiar."
"Hidden Rainbow?" Naruto cocked his head. "Now why is this name so...?"
"The Hidden Rainbow was a small shinobi village wiped out by the joint assault from Cloud and Sand during the First Great Shinobi War nearly two hundred years ago." Kurenai said, her voice tense.
"If it's long gone, then why...?"
"Because, Naruto, the Hidden Rainbow practically re-invented the genjutsu arts. They lacked the powerful ninjutsu, but their genjutsu was the best in recorded history. In fact, most of the advanced theories on genjutsu came from the few refugees from Hidden Rainbow that survived the destruction of their village. And the strongest practitioners died in the assault so much of their advanced lore was gone, lost and beyond recovery." Kurenai explained, forcing herself to remain calm.
"Then this seal..." Naruto's eyes widened in understanding.
"Yes." Kurenai nodded grimly. "I should have recognized sooner. Two hundred years ago, this village was at the edge of Rainbow's territory. I guess this is either some kind of an old research facility...
"... or a defense mechanism." Naruto said slowly. "And we walked straight into it."
"And it is active." Kurenai said calmly.
"What?" Naruto said incuriously.
Kurenai gestured at the cave.
Naruto froze.
The cave was gone.
The moon hung high in the sky, the trees swayed gently in the breeze.
His eyes widened as he felt the familiar weight of the Thorn by his side, light enchanted armor hugging his form like a second skin.
His eyes went forward.
"No..." he whispered, his yellow eyes wide.
The Hylden's anti vampiric sigils, fully powered, stared at him mockingly.
He could feel the Thorn pulsing uneasily. His senses already felt the aura of approaching Hylden.
From behind.
From the left.
From the right.
The only path was forward.
But forward....
"Whoever you are... whatever you are... By the blood of the First... You will PAY!" Naruto growled as he dove head first into the gate to hell.
*
"Ah, little morsel." The Gate Keeper leered. "Finally, we meet. Your soul smellsssss.... delicious." He licked his spectral chops. "Not like the last time you were here, eh, morsel?" The beast laughed. "Not like this at all!"
Naruto growled, his blood, even in the Spectral Realm, running freely, his soul self bleeding.
"I'll show you morsel, wretch." The wraith hissed venomously, the sigils flaring to life. "BURN!"
The jets of flame roared, bathing the Gate Keeper in power.
The beast laughed.
"Magics of the Matter won't work on me, little morsel!"
Naruto calmed down.
"Yes. I know." He said sheathing the sword, taking the step away from the shadows.
"Eh?" The guardian blinked. "Giving up, morsel? I've had better opinion on you, Renegade. I heard you got some fighting spirit in you. But you are just trash, after all."
"Prattle all you wish, bloated one." Naruto said calmly, concentrating. "But I got the time I needed. Now.... I think it's time to say goodbye to this wretched retrospection. But before I go..."
"Scourge of the plane infernal, scourge of souls, lord of rage..." Naruto intoned with a nasty smirk
The Gate Keeper backed away.
"...What are you doing, morsel?" He asked suspiciously. "That power... What do you hope to accomplish?"
"...servant of the shadow realm, hear my voice and honor the pact. You who pledged to serve the one who defied Fate, obey the compact's words, obey my command. The Covenant calls. As was written, as was sworn, come beast of the great, dark void."
"No....NO!" The Gate Keeper turned to flee, but it was too late. Naruto smirked, finishing the incantation.
"Come forth, The Hound of Avernus!" He hissed out.
Naruto's shadow broke and the vampiric wraith threw his head back and laughed as a large paw emerged from it, followed by the rest of the pitch black body covered in soot and dancing flames.
The giant wolf snarled at the Gate Keeper, who by now was almost wetting himself in fear.
"MASTER." The beast's voice was jagged like continuously breaking glass and crackling of fire at the same time. "YOU HAVE SUMMONED ME TO A STRANGE DREAM. IT STINKS OF SPIRITS AND THE PAST FORGOTTEN, THE ONE THAT NEVER WAS."
The ex-wraith frowned.
"Now this is interesting... How do you figure?" He asked curiously.
"I KNOW NOT. BUT YOU SMELL OF HUMAN. AND TIME. AND PARADOX. BUT YOUR HELL MARK IS POWERFUL. AND I SENSE THE POWER OF SPIRIT AND DEATH UPON YOU."
"Well now... Now this... this is unexpected." Naruto said slowly. Did that mean he was still capable of this in the 'real world'?
'No... I would have felt it.' The blond frowned. 'But this is interesting.'
"MASTER, MY TIME BEGINS TO DRAW SHORT, REGRETFULLY. YOUR ORDERS?" The hound asked.
"Can you help me escape this... 'dream'?"
"NO. I AM SUMMONED HERE BY YOU AND HERE I MUST REMAIN. BUT I CAN TRAVERSE IT AT WILL AND TAKE YOU TO THE ONE THAT IS HERE BUT YET NOT."
"Here but yet not?" Naruto asked puzzled.
"THERE IS DREAM OF RED. OF CRIMSON. THE DREAMER SLEEPS AND DIES AND SLEEPS AGAIN. SHE LACKS THY POWER, LORD OF SHADOWS. HER WILL IS STRONG, BUT SHE BREAKS HERSELF."
"Kurenai...!" Naruto's eyes widened. "Damn illusion! It almost made me forget...!" He growled, before looking at the Hound. "Can you take me to her?"
"IN DANGER YOU SHALL BE, LORD." The hound frowned. "YOU NEED TO REGAIN THY STRENGTH TO BREAK OF THIS DREAM AND PUNISH THOSE WHO DARED TO BIND THEE."
"That will wait. The woman is more important. " Naruto waved his hand dismissively.
"IT WILL BE AS YOU WISH. I SHALL HELP YOU, LORD, AS LONG AS I AM ABLE."
*
"THIS IS AS FAR AS I CAN GO, MY LORD."
Naruto dismounted the beast, looking around carefully.
It was a city, an extremely large one, from what he could see. Crowds of people mulled about and most of the structures were bigger than Konoha's equivalents.
'Looks normal. Too normal.'
"What can you tell me?" He turned to his servant.
"NOT MUCH, LORD. ONLY THAT THIS PLACE STINKS OF SPIRIT AND AGONY." The beast snarled. "THE AGONY IS NOT CLEAN, IT DOES NOT SUSTAIN ONE SUCH AS I. THIS PLACE IS AN AFFRONT."
"Oh now that is curious..." Naruto muttered thoughtfully. Suffering and agony weren't exactly food for the Hounds of Avernus, but they didn't mind it either. For his servant to be affected like that...
'I knew it. This is more than just an illusion. Not a normal one, anyway.'
"TAKE CARE IN THIS PLACE, LORD. SHADOWS WHISPER, BUT THEIR VOICE IS MUTED. YOU SHALL BE WEAKER HERE."
"I suspected as much." Naruto shrugged. "Any details you might give me?"
"THE DREAMER SLEEPS BUT THE DREAM BECOMES MORE CONVULTED WITH EACH PASSING MOMENT. ALREADY ONE IS MORE. ONE IS CARNAGE WITHOUT PASSION. OTHER IS OF CONFUSION. ANOTHER OF BROKEN AND UNWANTED DESIRE. IT IS A DANGEROUS PLACE. BEWARE OF THE TOWER, MY LORD."
'Avernus cryptic speech... Typical. But at least there is something useful.' The blond sighed. "Thank you, Saiger. You have done well. You may go now."
The Hound bowed and hesitated, looking at his summoner.
"THOUGH I SENSE THE HUMAN, YOUR SOUL IS THAT OF THE SHADOW LORD. OUR BOND IS UNCHANGED, YOUR DOMAIN OVER THE SHADOW REMAINS. CALL ME FORTH ONCE YOU FIND YOURSELF BACK IN THE CITADEL. THE TEDIUM OF AVERNUS WEIGHS HEAVILY ON ME AND MY BROTHERS WITHOUT A GOOD HUNT TO PARTAKE IN."
"If only that was so easy, old friend." Naruto looked at the hound. "My time is limited now. I am limited, if more whole. My power isn't what it used to be."
The Hound snorted.
"YOU HAVE CALLED ME ONCE LORD, EVEN IF IN A DREAM, A BAREST SHRED OF ESSENCE. WE BEAR YOUR MARK AS YOU BEAR OURS. YOU WILL FIND A WAY."
The blond quirked an eyebrow.
"Your faith in me is touching, Saiger." He said dryly. "We shall see. For now, this is a goodbye."
"FARE THEE WELL, SHADOW LORD." The beast bowed. "MAY THE BLOOD OF YOUR ENEMIES RUN LIKE RIVERS AND MAY YOUR HUNT BE SUCCESSEFUL."
"Oh it will, Saiger. It will." Naruto smirked. "And once I'm out of here..." He fingered the Flay in his pouch.
The hell beast chuckled, sinking into shadow.
The blond stood there, a thoughtful look on his face, before shaking his head.
He drew the Thorn, checking it over. The broadsword was a pristine matte gray despite it's age. He drew a finger over the edge, smiling as hair-thin pins emerged from the handle and bit into his palm, the blade slowly turning red.
He missed it. It was no Soul Reaver, but it was powerful in it's own way.
He sheathed the sword and quickly looked over the small, deadly collection, the Flay and the sinister cards of the Pentalich Tarot prime among them.
He reveled in the pulse of spells in his mind, anchoring several for the immediate use. Glyphs burned briefly as he checked them over.
He clenched his clawed hand, pale and thin, but powerful.
In some ways, he missed his vampiric body. He inhabited a fresh corpse once, then vampires until he had found a perfect vessel in a vampire mentally crushed by Nupraptor.
He ate his soul and shaped the body to his needs. He turned it into a finely tuned battle machine with an aid of ancient blood rituals and Blood Fountains, drinking the blood of the powerful to gain nourishment and their strength and devoured their souls for the power they held.
It took time, but the result was worth it.
'No use crying over the wasted blood.'
Naruto turned to the sprawling metropolis.
"Well now.... Time to get to work."
And once he got Kurenai out, somebody was going to pay in blood.
Too long had he remained soft and directionless.
It was time to remind some people just why they feared the shadowed corners of the world.
'Trap me in the illusion? ME?!' He scowled. 'Take what is MINE?!'
The rage almost choked him.
'How DARE they?!'
"Whoever you are, whatever you are... I do not care." He snarled into the air. "Know that once I finish here, I shall rip this illusion with my bare hands. Then I shall come to find you. And my visit shall not be kind."
*
He reigned in his rage, let it fester. Let it grow.
No matter how tempting thoughts of revenge might be, that was neither here nor now.
He needed a calm mind now, but it would be more than useful later.
'Oh yes... Useful indeed.' He thought darkly, before shaking off the thought.
'Focus. One thing at a time.' He chided himself. 'Saiger said that 'one is more'... So, a fracturing of the psyche? Difficult to accomplish but this wretched thing IS powerful... So how should I go about it then? Carnage without passion, confusion, broken and unwanted desire... Not much, but it gives me more than enough clues. Hmm...'
He moved through the throngs of humanity coated in a simple illusion. He had no idea of the mirages would act on his slightly... pale appearance, but the fangs and claws were a bit much. And taking unnecessary risks was foolish. Better to blend in.
'I might send out the spell birds, but they have no idea what to look for. A waste of time. Mental powers... Though I still don't know how this illusory world works exactly. It releases fears and doubts, along with bad memories. But it... twists them.' He winced. His fight wit the Sarafan priests hadn't been pleasant, especially since he remembered he had WON the first time around. And meeting the simulacrum of Moebius had been... less than pleasant. 'Wretched thing digs deep... If I didn't have such a powerfully warded mind...'
As skilled as Kurenai was, there was no way she would be able to stand up to such an onslaught for long.
The illusion was powerful, immensely so, and old.
'Hidden Rainbow must have had some good seal masters and genjutsu adepts to do something like this.
But he was sure that it was dead. The power was stale. It was there, but without a push in the right direction it would have remained locked in the faulty seal, leaking away slowly over the years.
Somebody had activated it and maintained it. And he had a sneaking suspicion that whoever it was, he trapped them in the illusion deliberately.
The illusion was far too well controlled and felt too 'fresh' to work on it's own.
There was a human mind and will behind it.
He would enjoy shattering both.
'Priorities.' He reminded himself.
'So how would I go about finding the pieces a shattered psyche?' He scratched his chin, deep in thought.
He was shook off the train of thought when something small and fast hit into him.
On reflex he caught the small form by the arm.
'Oh, and what do we have here?' He thought, quirking an eyebrow.
It was a child, barely six, from what he could see. A dirty and woefully underfed child at that, in tattered pieces of what might have once been a yukuta.
'A girl?' He thought, drawing in her scent. 'Hmm... Never would have guessed under that dirt.'
To girl's credit, she didn't scream. She instead slid out of one of her sleeves, leaving him with only piece of ripped material.
He blinked.
'Fast. For a human.'
Almost lazily, he caught her by the scruff of her neck.
"Now, now... No running, little girl."
The urchin remained silent. She didn't even trash around.
'What an odd child...' Naruto thought curiously.
"THERE YOU ARE!"
Naruto quirked an eyebrow at the angry bellow. A second later a burly man rumbled into the alley, red faced from exertion, two other men in garbs of shopkeepers on his heels.
"WHY YOU THIEVING BRAT! YOU'LL GET YOURS!" The large man growled at the girl, shaking his fist, before turning to Naruto. "Thank you, sir, for catching that little thief. She'd been stealing our wares fro past week and she was far too fast for us to catch her... But now the roles have changed, eh, brat?" The man smirked, raising his open hand and taking a swing.
Naruto raised an eyebrow in wonder.
The girl didn't even flinch as she saw the slap coming, but for the first time her brown eyes flashed from under her matted, dirty hair, throwing the man look of utter hatred and disdain.
'Those are good eyes...' Naruto thought with approval. 'And... Oh, now this is interesting!'
Before the slap could connect, he had caught the wrist of the burly shopkeeper.
"And what do you think you are doing?" He inquired calmly.
The man winced at the pressure.
"Let go!" He snarled. "She needs to be punished! I give her home, give her bed to sleep in and she steals my wares and wrecks my store, the little bitch!"
The girl's face remained emotionless, but the eyes darkened with utter hatred and kept getting darker still.
Naruto chuckled at the sight.
'Who would have thought...?'
The vampiric wraith gripped the wrist tighter, shattering the bones without an effort.
"Trash, you shall do noting of the kind. Indeed, you shall be lucky to be left alive. The girl is under my protection now. Unless you wish to die, you bloated sack of fat, begone and never appear in front of me again."
The shopkeeper screamed in pain.
"You can't do this!" On of the two remaining men shouted in outrage.
"And who is going to stop me? You?" The blond wraith sneered. "Begone, meat, lest I flay your very flesh off your worthless bones."
"WHY YOU....!"
Naruto smirked.
The fat man had higher threshold for pain than he suspected. That or rage clouded his senses.
Probably both.
Lazily the blond extended his hand.
"Begone." The wave of telekinetic energy ripped through the air, hurling the man on the wall.
The two men left standing paled as they heard the bones snapping from the hit.
"Well?" He raised an eyebrow.
The two ran from the alley so fast that they nearly fell over themselves.
And through all that, the girl was still and hadn't uttered a word.
But there was a glee in seeing her tormentor broken and bleeding shining in her eyes.
"Oh I know I liked you for some reason." Naruto muttered with a chuckle, hefting the girl up to his face.
The girl just looked at him, expressionless.
"My name is Naruto. Yours?"
She looked at him, not batting an eye.
He sighed.
"I shall not harm you, girl. As I said, you are under my protection now. I will do anything I can to protect you. I give you my word on that."
The dark brown eyes looked on, drilling into his.
Naruto waited for a while, before frowning.
'Stubborn. But tough. She looks on without flinching.' He thought with amusement. 'Let's try a different approach, shall we?'
"You have good eyes, young one." He said conversationally. "Good eyes. Why do you hide them?"
The girl flinched, clearly surprised.
"Oh yes. I know what is under that brown glare, girl." He smirked. "Why do you hide them?" He focused, letting his gaze pierce the illusion, unraveling it slowly.
Two orbs of purest crimson widened in wonder.
"You...." The voice was harsh, obviously unused to speaking. "Are you like me...?"
"Oh it speaks?" Naruto smiled. "And what do you mean by that?"
"Monster. Are you a monster too?" She asked wide eyed, something akin to hope flaring in her eyes.
Naruto looked at her incuriously for a moment.
"And what makes you think that?" He asked curiously.
"Pale. Yellow. Different from others. Like me. But not like mine. But monster." She nodded to herself. "Like mine. Like me?"
Naruto's eyebrows shot up.
'She can see beyond the illusion...?'
"Oh a monster, most certainly." He said amused. "Though if like you... Ah, now that remains to be seen."
"Monster." She nodded solemnly, before smiling brightly. "Monster!"
Naruto shook his head bemusedly.
'What a peculiar girl.'
"If I put you down, will you run?"
She shook her head.
Carefully, he let her stand on her own.
"So, do you have a name?" He asked.
"Name..." She scrunched. "Red Monster." She nodded to herself. "Red Brat. Red."
"Red, huh?" Naruto smiled, kneeling in front of the girl. "Tell me, little one... how does Kurenai sound?"
Her eyes widened.
"Why?" She asked suspiciously.
"Because we monsters must keep together, why else?" Naruto smirked, revealing the hidden fangs. He extended his hand to the girl.
"Kurenai..." She nodded slowly, looking at him. "Naruto." Her crimson eyes blinked once. "Kurenai." She grasped his palm firmly with a surprising strength for her underfed frame.
*
Naruto shook his head with amusement, watching Kurenai almost inhale the food in front of her with ferocity.
They stopped briefly by the public baths to clean her up, shedding an age old shell of dirt and revealing the pale features and ebony tresses. The woman in the bathhouse did a good job of styling her hair and picking a nice blue yukuta for the girl, along with accessories.
The girl didn't smile, but her eyes shone as she touched her clothes from time to time.
'Hard to believe... Is it the illusion or an actual memory? Or some kind of a mix? Is this little urchin a reflection of the epitome of graceful beauty and power that I know? Amazing.' He smiled at the glee the girl shown in decimating yet another tray of sukiyaki.
Naruto waved at the waitress for another portion.
He could have hypnotized her, but he had more than enough gold in his pouch.
He couldn't manipulate the illusion on a large scale, but some tweaks were possible.
The larger ones...
'Bloody annoyance!' He thought darkly.
At times he thought he had it, he almost felt the strings that directed the whole thing... But then it slipped out of his palms like water.
'Annoying, but powerful.' He admitted grudgingly, mentally testing the fabric of the mental web he had tried to weave into the construct.
It still slid off, but some parts actually managed to stick.
'Minor progress, but a progress none the less.'
He was shaken off his train of thought by little Kurenai tensing and stopping her meal.
'Why does...' He froze, cursing his lack of attention. 'Fool. Of course there would be countermeasures.'
He turned to the small crowd of heavily armored men led by one of the shopkeepers from before.
Kurenai looked ready to bold, but he had laid the hand on her shoulder in assurance.
"Tell me, Kurenai... Do you want to be strong?" He said conversationally, loosening the Thorn in the sheath. "Do you want to see how to be strong?"
The girl cocked the head to the side, looking at him curiously.
"Then look how us monsters fight." He said with a smirk, sitting himself in a loose position, spells whirling in his mind like a pack of ravenous wolves, begging to be let out.
"That's him! That's the one, captain!" The shopkeeper pointed at him, speaking excitedly to the leader of the armored samurai.
"I think I told you you'd die if I ever see you again, fleshbag?" Naruto said pleasantly to the merchant.
"Threaten me all you want, ruffian! I am not afraid!" The man puffed up in pride.
"Not afraid? Funny, I remember you nearly pissing yourself in fear as you ran away, trash." Naruto looked at him. "I warned you." He drew a card from his deck of horrors.
"Here. Catch."
The man caught the slip of paper on a reflex.
"Whaieeeeeeeeeeeeee....!" The scream cut abruptly as the man's body seemed to fall into itself rapidly before imploding with a meaty squelch.
"Ooohh. Implode. Nice." Naruto whistled in appreciation. "Guy must've been lucky at cards. It happens once in the blue moon. Imagine that." Naruto smiled as the samurai drew swords, their faces pale.
"Stay your hand, men." The captain, obviously had more brains than the rest of them put together. "We can't fight..." he swallowed heavily. "We can't fight something like this with steel alone."
He pulled out a whistle.
Naruto raised an eyebrow in amusement.
'Oh now this might be interesting.'
"Come on." He smirked. "Didn't you want to take me in, you mangy cowards?"
"Silence, monster!" The captain thundered. "We knew how to deal with foulness like you in these parts."
Naruto turned his head to the left, noticing a rapidly growing power.
'Hmm...' His eyes widened as the mist shadows twisted with obvious touch of illusionary art, revealing a pair of cold, crimson eyes and utterly expressionless face. 'Oh just my luck...'
He eyed the tall woman, garbed in drab grey, irons on her hands, chains on her feet.
"Fight fire with fire... Or fight one monster using the other." The captain smirked. "In the name of most benevolent Lady of the Tower, all monsters shall be put down without mercy!"
Naruto turned his head slowly, letting the illusion drawn over his features fade away, revealing his pale vampiric visage.
"For that alone, you are all going to die." He said calmly, before letting loose a handful of Flays.
As some soldiers had their bodies flayed alive, Naruto drew his sword and bared his fangs.
"Illusion or not... I shall enjoy breaking you." He hissed out venomously.
*
"So... What am I supposed to do with you, I wonder?" Naruto mused, his armor covered in gore as he stared at the expressionless, broken woman under his sword.
The woman remained silent.
"No will? No desire to fight back? And you cut through those civilians to get to me in such an artfully dispassionate manner, too." He shook his head.
"Passionless carnage, indeed. I wonder, which fragment are you? Ruthlessness? Duty? Ah, no matter." He swung the Thorn, breaking the chains. "From now on, you will go with me. I have a visit to pay the Lady of the Tower."
He sheathed the Thorn.
"Well?" He quirked an eyebrow. "What are you waiting for?"
"I have not been ordered to follow." The woman said tonelessly.
"I have ordered you to follow." Naruto snapped.
"You do not represent the power of the Tower. You have no power over me." She said in a perfect monotone.
"I killed your handlers. I broke you. I broke your chains. I am stronger. Therefore I have the power." The ex wraith allowed the power of the hypnotic suggestion to touch the mind gently. It was easy. Too easy, almost. The shard in front of him had been brainwashed by the illusion perfectly, creating an obedient watchdog.
'Well, not anymore.'
The woman blinked.
"You... are correct. I shall follow you now. "
Naruto grimaced.
'I hate drones.'
"Come on, Kurenai." He extended his hand t the little girl. "It's time to go."
The girl remained at the same spot through the entire fight, unflinching and unmoving.
Now she simply jumped down and took his gory hand without any reservations.
'I think I'll miss her when she gets to be whole again.' The blond thought with a smile. 'What an interesting child.'
*
The guards were already swarming the entrance tot he Tower when they arrived.
'Well, if nothing else, the illusion is swift. Nice self updating capability as well. Whoever created it must have been brilliant indeed. Deranged and without any shred of morality left without a doubt, but brilliant.
Naruto drew several Flays from his pouch.
"I shall give you a simple choice." He said to the amazed guards. "Go and live. Stay and die."
"We shall not back down an inch, monster!" One of the men screamed defiantly, brandishing a gleaming katana at the blond.
"Then you will all DIE!" Growled the blond releasing the Flays, followed by the several of his spells.
Not losing a step, he walked into he shadow, embracing the slight chill he had found there.
He stabbed the sword into the shade and one of the guards screamed, as Thorn's blade impaled him from behind, emerging from his shadow.
A large fireball followed, burning several men alive in their lacquered armors.
Naruto ducked under a sword swing and spat words that turned into torrents of blue as soon as they left his mouth, shredding the unfortunate guardsman to pieces.
The blond grinned, walking fully into the shadow, emerging at the other side of the hall.
He looked at the wall speculatively, before swinging at it with all his supernatural strength, chipping the granite and ripping several sliver-like chunks.
With a wave of his hand he sent the impromptu daggers at his victims, shredding them.
He took a step back into the shadow, appearing behind one of the soldiers and impaling the man on the Thorn and then letting loose a torrent of lightning that fried several more.
"Hahahaha! Come!" He swung the Thorn through the air, reveling in its ominous song. "One at a time or all at once! It doesn't matter, I shall rip you apart all the same!" He laughed, hefting a spear taken from the recently killed soldier and throwing it through the hall, impaling his would-be attacker. "Come, entertain me as much as you can before you die!"
He outstretched the hand and allowed a ball of magical acid to bloom in it. Then he threw under the legs of several soldiers.
He smirked, watching it burn their legs, making them fall face first into the acid.
The Sound glyph resounded, dazing and scattering.
The Fireballs reaped their victims without error.
The Shadow weaved, cutting, surprising, blinding and ripping apart.
Spell after spell, strike after strike, artifact after artifact, Naruto gleefully decimated the guards until only one was left, clad in an ornate armor.
"Now, my little illusionary wretch... As therapeutic as ripping you little illusions was, I need to get past that." He waved at the large sealed door lazily. "And you, my little phantom, are going to help me."
The man's face twisted, losing all features, his armor dissipating as if it was never there and then circling through every face he had seen in the illusion, from the Gate Keeper to the fat merchant.
"You shall fail. The Array is perfect. You will never get past it."
"Oh?" Naruto quirked an eyebrow, extending his hand and clenching his fist slowly. "I find your lack of faith... disturbing."
The phantom's ever changing features grew pale, clawing at his throat as the raw telekinetic force crushed it's windpipe.
"GH-ghuk!"
"Vanish into nothingness that spawned you, phantom." Naruto sneered, closing the fist abruptly. The phantom's neck twisted with a loud crunch. The being went still, dissipating shortly after.
"Feh." Naruto sheathed the Thorn. "Lousy cannon fodder." He muttered, turning to the large door. "Now... Let's see..."
*
Naruto looked around the large, empty space.
'Odd... There should be SOMETHING here. And Kurenai.'
He frowned, spying a crack of light in the distance.
'Is that it?'
He walked to the crack cautiously.
Seiger wouldn't say to beware of the Tower without a reason. And so far it had been a little bit too easy for his liking.
Naruto's eyes widened, as he felt his mental 'hackles' rising.
'Oh... Now that is not a good omen...' He thought warily, readying several spells.
He extended his senses warily and almost reeled.
'Aduron's Blood, what IS that STENCH?!'
It wasn't a smell, per say, but the ethereal miasma was so vile it almost made him nauseous.
He froze.
'I recognize that stench... It is... It is the very same.'
His instincts were screaming by now.
He didn't wait, loosing several spells in quick succession at the 'source'
The void shrieked, but the miasma kept growing.
'I don't understand... Mine was the Gate Keeper and Moebius... So why...' The understanding dawned on him. 'Of course! This is Kurenai's illusion! It feeds on her, meaning only SHE can break it!'
Wasting no time, he twisted his form, ignoring the vertigo, and turned into a flock of bats.
'I really should have taken the shards of the psyche with me.' He thought darkly, reforming by the crack of light that proved to be the door. 'No telling if...'
He blinked, feeling little Kurenai's hand in his own.
He looked into her serious, crimson eyes.
The emotionless woman in armor stood just behind her.
'Imagine that...' Naruto thought in wonder. 'Though how...?'
He grabbed the door open and shoved the women through it.
'No time to wonder now.'
He dove in at the last moment, closing the door behind himself, leaving the miasma to shriek in disappointment.
*
Naruto fell down on a soft carpet.
The small Kurenai's face appeared over him, looking him straight in the eye.
"Blue." She said after a while. "And gold. But still monster." She nodded sagely, smiling brightly.
'That is one odd child.' Naruto thought dazedly, getting up, noticing he was back in his own body.
'Is it...?' He extended his senses, only to scowl. "Just my luck. Still in the illusion."
'And down to ninja arsenal only...' He sighed heavily. "Well, it had been entertaining while it lasted." He muttered.
He looked around curiously, rising an eyebrow.
'Rich. Opulent.' He looked over the tapestries, rich carpets and exquisite furniture. 'All of this looks to be first class, no paltry imitation in sight. Almost the same as in Hokage's residence or in a Daimyo's manor. Where are we, I wonder? And why?'
"Why are you here? Those a re private chambers, explain yourself at once!"
Naruto slowly turned to the source of the voice.
Sure enough it was Kurenai. Only she was and wasn't.
The crimson eyes, beautiful, delicate features and the unmistakable voice were all there. But she was clad in a rich kimono, her hair styled in a traditional manner, not a strand loose.
Her make up was heavier, more extensive. Her body was also slightly different.
She was still graceful but... soft. There was no predatory, self assured confidence and deadly grace of a trained killer. Her hands lacked the discreet muscle tone, her legs moved without the sense of balance Kurenai he knew maintained at all times.
"Well?" She snapped.
'And she lacks patience as well.' Naruto smirked.
"Hello, Kurenai."
The woman narrowed her eyes.
"You speak my name in a familiar manner, yet I do not know you. You carry weapons of a man despite your youth... Who are you, child?"
"Oh, the better question is who are YOU?" Naruto waved at her vaguely. Nice kimono, by the way. Rich, opulent, gaudy... and so not you it makes me retch. I wonder how you can stand it at all."
"Child." Her voice turned chilly. "Your lack of manners is appalling. Clearly, you are of peasant stock, but even one as lowly as you should know the proper manner of addressing royalty."
Naruto quirked an eyebrow.
"Royalty?" He chuckled. "I don't think so, my dear teacher. Though you posed as a noblewoman during one of the missions, from what I remember. Hated it as well, even though that noble had been enamored with your disguise. Right to the moment you slit his throat." Naruto nodded in appreciation. "Beautiful job, that was. Flawlessly done. It was only time I've seen you take pleasure in killing somebody as well."
The woman looked at him incuriously.
"Boy, whoever you are... Clearly, you are mad or delusional. Or both. I am Yamada Kurenai, Lady of the Yamada House, wife to the most honorable daimyo Yamada Shibei. I have not killed or even injured a man in my life. Nor would I lower myself to performing some common... murder." She frowned distastefully.
"Assassination. It is called assassination, my teacher." Naruto smiled. "And it is quite a respected trade where we come from."
"Madness. I need not to listen to that drivel! G-" She turned to shout, but a quick spike of killing intent froze her in place.
"So easily cowed... They really did a number on you, Kurenai." Naruto muttered, shaking his head. He walked up to the woman and brought her down to his level, looking into her eyes.
"Listen to me.... Look into my eyes.... Yessss.... That's it. That's it." Slowly, layer by layer, he let his mental barrier fall down.
He hated doing that, but the uneasy feeling he had been having ever since escaping the odd miasma was growing and he'd bet that the malevolent energy was making a beeline to them even now.
What he was about to do wasnÆt nice, or pleasant or safe, for the both of them, but he didn't have a choice. If the miasma wasn't dealt with...
He grimaced.
He wasn't in possession of Yamanaka's mind-swap jutsu, but he had dealt with mind powers longer than any Yamanaka was alive.
And he didn't need the shintenshin. Just a shock to the system.
Quickly he cut his forearm, then hers.
The blood might not be real, but symbolism was as important for the mind.
Naruto finished last seal and grabbed Kurenai's face in between his palms.
Normally he wouldn't be capable of something like that, but the illusion had already laid the necessary base. He'd just need to tweak it a little.
"Time for the wake up call, Kurenai." Naruto growled, activating the jutsu.
Then, grabbing each and every reserve of psionic power, chakra and any bit of leftover magic he might have still possessed, Naruto threw it straight at Kurenai's mind.
*
He looked around, raising an eyebrow.
The trees swayed gently, providing cool shade. The bushes were thick and covered any possible path but one.
"Ah... Now this feels rather familiar." Naruto muttered, before looking at his forearm where the crimson scarf with the grafted on symbol rested, as it had been for the last year and the half. "So, no scarf this time, huh?"
He smirked, following the path to the center of the forest.
*
The fire blazed merrily, the canteen resting on it held the best tea one could get in the Fire Country. Skillful hands poured a bowl, offering it to him.
"Hello." Crimson lips stretched in a cheerful smile.
"Hello."
"Tea?"
He sat down, putting away his kunai pouch, as per their old agreement.
No weapons when the tea was served.
"Yes, please." He took the bowl with gratitude.
They sat down in companionable silence, drinking their favorite blend, one made by Kurenai's own hands aided by Naruto's alchemical skills.
The tea had been drank without a word exchanged, last and most bitter drops used to douse the fire.
They cleaned up in silence, like dozens of times before.
Kurenai quirked an eyebrow with a slight smile.
"Shall we?" She asked lightly.
"Of course." Naruto nodded, tightening the scarf on his right forearm.
They walked into the deeper forest in silence that was broken only by two more sentences.
"That was foolish and reckless." (Thank you)
"I know." (You're welcome)
*
Sakura opened her eyes with a sigh.
Then blinked.
There was no grogginess. She was by no means a morning person and her awakenings were always long. She needed at least half an hour to shake off
the zombie state and be somewhat coherent.
But there was none of that now.
'Odd.'
She got up, absently rubbing her palm.
There was no scar, no mark. Not even a red line on it and she was SURE she cut her hand the day before.
But after she swept off the cherry petals, there was no sign of it.
Not that she minded, really, but she had been so sure...
She pulled on a loose shirt and a pair of pants, her 'home clothes',
and got out of her room and went to the kitchen, almost recoiling
in surprise at seeing her mother by the table and preparing breakfast.
Chizuru, contrary to her daughter, was an extremely morning person. She got up shortly after six, every day. Sakura was used to the fact that when she crawled out of her bed, the breakfast was done and her mother already managed to put on make up, dress and do at least several minor morning chores.
But her mother was in a bathrobe and clearly bleary, her short, pink hair mussed.
"Sakura!" Chizuru exclaimed in surprise. "You're up this early?"
"Mhm." The girl nodded absently, smelling the breakfast. Her mother might
not be the best at being domestic, but she was a hell of a cook.
Sakura sat by the table reaching for the muffins gleefully.
'Well, it seems that the diet bug is gone. And thank the gods.' The woman thought with amusement.
It wasn't that Sakura was outrageously skinny, like when she was younger.
Oh no. As much as she disliked them, her taijutsu practices gave her the lean, but strong body. But with the amount of time she had been spending training, Sakura could use some more food, in her opinion.
Chizuru frowned, sniffing the air.
'Oh, now that's new...'
"Is that the new perfume, honey?" She asked curiously.
Sakura stopped mid-bite, looking at her mother strangely.
"What perfume?" She asked, puzzled.
"Oh now don't be coy with me, darling." Chizuru smiled. "I know you
didn't want to, but I told you cherry perfume would suit you fine. See?"
Sakura blinked.
"But I didn't..." She said slowly.
Chizuru cocked an eyebrow.
"Well you certainly smell like it." She said with a small smile, before frowning and reaching to Sakura's hair. "Though that might be the cause as well, I guess." She picked two cherry tree petals entangled in Sakura's hair. "Hmm... Very nice color... Clearly cherry tree but... Nice. Maybe you should bring some of the flowers home? They would look beautiful on the table."
Sakura's eyes widened as she stared at the petals.
The large, nearly red petals.
Slowly, she raised her hand up, tracing the line of the 'imagined' scar.
She stood up abruptly.
"Sorry mom, I gotta go." She grabbed one of the muffins, running to
the door at a speed Chizuru rarely seen her use outside her taijutsu
practices.
"But Sakura, the breakfast... And what about..." The doors slammed shut. "...clothes?"
Chizuru sighed.
Her daughter, as lovable as she was, got stranger by the day.
*
Sakura bit her lip, curbing her impatience as the security seals and several wards, among them a nasty blood-powered A-class genjutsu (and how Naruto managed to get that kind of monstrosity stationary and stable she had no idea) recognized her.
Usually, she reveled in that. The large building seemed to take a sigh and relax, turning from foreboding to inviting. She loved that feeling, especially when she recognized her own chakra resounding in the multitude of seals laid on the premises. Each time she walked in here, she felt like she belonged,
like she was a part of something.
But now, she just bit her lip with impatience.
The process of accessing the inner apartments where Naruto lived, wasn't long - it took all of five seconds. It felt like an eternity to her.
She ran through the house like a thrown kunai and jumped to the spacious garden, making a bee-line for her tree.
She stopped abruptly.
She blinked.
'What the HELL am I doing?'
She rubbed her palm absently.
'Scar. No scar, rather. Tree. I KNOW it has something to do with it. But why, how...? How to check it?' She sighed, sitting down on the soft grass with dismay, staring at the trunk. 'If Naruto was here, he'd probably know, but he's out on some mission with Kurenai-san. Again. Geez...
Doesn't he know how to take breaks?' She scowled, staring at the tree.
She touched the trunk.
'Normal. But...' She didn't have Naruto's almost unnatural
sensitivity or Ino's perceptive senses, but she was no slouch either.
'There is nothing odd but...' She quickly cast a diagnostic jutsu.
Or rather tried to.
She blinked.
"What the hell?" She molded chakra again, this time slower, only to feel it vanish into the tree.
'All right, there is definitely something wrong here. But what to do? Naruto won't help me, since he isn't here. The same for Kurenai-san. Hana is out, she isn't good for that kind of stuff anyway... So what can I do?
"And it isn't like I can talk to the tree, right?" She muttered dejectedly.
Sakura froze.
'Hold that thought... Hold it!' An odd glint appeared in her eyes. A glint that Ino knew to fear. 'And just who says I CAN'T?'
Reason just went out of the window as Mad Scientist Sakura was on the loose.
She giggled.
"Now... Where would Ino be at that time of the day?" She muttered thoughtfully.
*
"Whazzist?" Ino blinked owlishly.
Sakura rolled her eyes.
Ino was even worse in the morning than her.
"Oh just come on, you'll see when we get there."
"Huhhhh..." Ino yawned. "Cofeeeeee...." She moaned.
"Junkie." Sakura muttered with annoyance. "You'll get some when
we get to Naruto's."
Ino's eyes got clear for a second.
"Naruto's private stock?"
Sakura winced. Naruto was going to KILL her...
"Yes, Naruto's private stock." She nodded.
Ino perked up.
Sakura sighed.
'The things I do for knowledge...'
*
A heavy dose of the liquid soldier pill that Naruto called his coffee (black, five spoons of sugar for a mug - just as Ino liked it), one trip to the garden and one explanation later, Ino looked at her friend.
"Alright... And you got mental... Sorry, MORE mental, just when exactly?"
Sakura scowled.
"Look here, it is a perfectly fine idea! I even..."
Ino looked at Sakura incuriously.
"Sakura, you want me to use the Kenkyushin - which is STILL an untested jutsu, let me remind you, and my father would go ballistic if he ever heard I experimented with it - on a TREE! There is nothing 'fine' about this idea!"
"Look, Kenkyushin works... You used in on me, right? Worked? Worked." Sakura said, trying to remain calm
"Well, yeah, right. If you forget about that 'second you' thing I saw there. I'm not an expert, but shouldnÆt I be seeing your mind and thoughts, not another you?"
Sakura rolled her eyes.
"That wasn't me. Wait, no. It was. But it was second me." She halted. "Does this even make sense?"
"More sense than using a mindwalker technique on a tree, anyway, Forehead-girl." Ino drawled.
"Gah! Ino-pig, don't be so obstinate!" Sakura scowled. "Just do it, let's call it a favor and be nice abut it, okay?"
"Sakura, honey. I love you like a sister I never had and I'd do hundreds of stupid things for you with a smile..." Ino sighed. "But this. Is. A. Tree." She pointed at the blooming cherry. "Tree. As in, you know, plant?
AS in NO MIND to use the Kenkyushin ON?!"
"Have you ever tried?"
Ino froze.
"Well, no, but..."
"See!" Sakura grinned. "Just try it. If I'm wrong and it won't work,
well call it quits, okay?"
"Sakura..." Ino started.
Sakura's eyes got big and shiny.
"Please, please, please pretty please!" She batted her eyelashes at the blonde.
Ino cringed.
Sakura wasn't desperate enough to use the 'kitten eyes of mewling doom'.
Yet. But she was close. And she honestly didn't have the heart to refuse her anything when she was like that.
"All right, all right!" She grumbled. "Geez... You're stubborn as hell, forehead-girl. And you don't play fair at all."
"I play to win." Sakura smiled shamelessly.
Ino just stared.
"Naruto is bad influence on you." She muttered finally, turning to the tree
and slowly molding several seals.
Kenkyushin was her own, semi-original jutsu. It came from the higher tier of Yamanaka mind techniques that very few Yamanaka clan members were able to use. Or rather it's source came from it.
The Kenyuunesshin was closest thing to actual telepathy, an immensely powerful technique usually reserved for the Clan head and the heir. Since it was an S-class technique, both in chakra requirement and in skill needed, Ino had nowhere near of both to even try to use it.
Probably the only reason her grandmother even showed it to her. Kenkyushin, on the other hand, was her own invention. Well, somewhat.
'I'd probably never make any progress with it if not for Naruto.' She admitted to herself.
Naruto helped her to work out some snags she had on the idea and helped to forge the rough concept into a technique. The Kenkyushin didn't have a fraction of power of his older 'cousin', but it was better than Shintenshin in her opinion, for straight combat.
Fast, efficient and rather useful. And she could cast it at varying level of power and complexity, from simple 'sense' to full blown mindwalk when coupled with first stages of shintenshin.
So far, the 'sense' stage, the least powerful but fastest and least draining didn't do much else but allowed her a strange form of passive empathy, but she quickly learned it was actually pretty useful. And not only in non-combat situation as well. Coupled wit her taijutsu, she could read almost any opponent like an open book.
Oh it wasn't perfect, but she usually at least knew when the attack was coming. And sneaking up on her when she used Kenkyushin was nearly impossible. Even Kurenai-san had problems unless she used her more powerful genjutsu to mask her presence.
Pity she didn't have the stamina to keep it 'on' as long as she wanted.
'Not yet. Yet.' Ino smirked.
Her blond friend had an uncanny understanding of mental techniques. Unnatural, even, considering he wasn't a Yamanaka. She had a sneaking suspicion that if he was tested, he would prove to be in that extraordinarily small percentage of non-Yamanaka that would be able to use some of their techniques. It was rare - extremely so - but it happened.
Most people didn't have the understanding required, but nearly all lacked what her grandmother, the strongest Yamanaka in several generations, called the 'spark' and her father called the 'juice' or 'mojo'.
It was a little, ephemeral thing that was completely unrelated to chakra. You couldn't 'train' it, you couldn't learn it. You either had it, or you didn't.
Yamanaka Clan as a whole had it, in varying degrees. Most of the world didn't. Most. There were exceptions. And she would bet a year of her future genin pay that Naruto was one.
'One of this days I think I'll drag him to Grams.' She decided. 'I think she'll like him for his... sense of humor alone.'
She shook off that train of thought, pouring as much chakra as she could.
'Majutsu: Kenkyushin.' She thought letting the technique loose on the tree lazily.
She blinked.
"...NO! INO! SPEAK TO ME!" Came Sakura's scared voice. "Oh gods, I'm so sorry! I had no idea it would....! INO!"
"...not sssssooooo loud..." Ino hissed, grabbing her head. DAMN but it hurt like a bitch! "What the hell happened to me? I feel the way we did after your last birthday...!"
"Well, I kinda hoped you would tell me." Sakura said slowly. "One moment you stood before the tree, casting the technique, then you were on the ground and convulsing. And your nose started bleeding too, for some reason."
Ino blinked.
"What are you...?" She stopped, feeling something salty on her lips. Slowly, she wiped it and looked at her palm.
"Blood... Red... I..." She caught her head, whimpering. "Oh SHIT! ARGH!"
A flood hit her consciousness.
Red. Red. Pink. And red. Red haze of blood, of emotion of rage, of understanding of contact...
And. It. Went. BEYOND.
Ino's eyes widened and she screamed.
Redpinkredwhywhywhyareyouknockingonthatdoorwhydoyoutrywhy
whywhybutiknowweknownotmistresnotmostressbutweknow
wedontknowblood...
"Stop!"
...notbloodbutelsemindmindmindsofamiliarsolikebutnotofusnotof
mistressbutweknowwefeltwe...
"SHUT UP!" Ino howled, grabbing her head. "SHUT THE FUCK UP!"
Sakura backed away as she saw Ino's crazed eyes, blood gushing from her nose like a red torrent.
"SHUT UP NOW!" The blonde screeched.
And as suddenly as it stopped, the silence was back in.
The pain passed.
Ino panted, her eyes wild.
"What the FUCK... was that?!" Ino demanded, shaking Sakura by her collar, the blue eyes bloodshot, blood smeared under her nose and over her mouth. "WHAT?! TELL ME!"
"I...I DON'T KNOW!" Sakura screamed, scared. "That's why I asked to check that tree!"
"Sakura... This ISN'T a tree." Ino growled. "This...thing... It isn't a tree. It... I've NEVER felt anything like this before. EVER. Even when I tried to use the shintenshin on animals. This... Kami..." She shook her head slowly. "There is a mind there. Sort of. But..." She let Sakura go. "What the hell happened to that tree? I KNOW it was normal just a week ago. What the hell did you do, Sakura?"
"Nothing! Honest!" The pink haired girl said shaking her head rapidly. "I just cut my hand, then fell asleep. I awoke, went home and got up in the morning. That's it!"
"Cut yourself?" Ino quirked an eyebrow.
Sakura showed her palm.
"Yeah, but it was gone. As if it wasn't there. At first I thought I imagined it, but then I remembered I had my hand covered in petals, so I came here and..." She shrugged, helplessly. "You know the rest."
"Blood... Blood..." Ino muttered, frowning. "Just what do I keep returning to that...? What is that Naruto says sometimes...? Blood is power...?" Her eyes widened. "Sakura... Have you ever fed the tree your chakra since we restored it?" She asked carefully.
"Yeah... Just like the way you showed me." She said puzzled. "To help in recovery and all that. Sakura's eyes widened to the size of saucers. "Chakra... Blood... Oh my... Ino, didnÆt you and Naruto use some seals in the restoration?"
Ino nodded slowly.
"That and a shitload of other stuff. Alchemy, seals... hell, even herbs. The tree was practically gone. We had to MAKE it grow and heal, it wouldn't be able to do it on it's own then." She said thoughtfully.
"Shit... We didn't understand just WHAT worked in the first place. We still don't. We used anything and everything we could think of, no matter how stupid it seemed... Total mix and match." She trailed off.
There was a long silence.
"Sakura... I think we just might have a problem." Ino said finally.
"No. Really?" The pink haired girl said sarcastically.
*
Asuma put out a cigarette before he went into the hospital room.
The lights were out and the windows were covered, leaving the room rather dark despite the brightness of day, but he could easily see the two blue points next to the bed.
"Yo." He said.
Naruto didn't answer.
"How are you holdin'?" He asked the blond, sitting next to him.
The boy shot him a long look, before turning his eyes to the figure on the bed. Kurenai's eyes were closed, her fair skin even paler than usual. She didn't even stir. She hadn't ever since the mission.
Asuma sighed.
"Right, stupid question." He said quietly.
"It ain't your fault, you know." He said after a long period of silence. "If not for you, she'd be already dead, instead of just in coma.
The boy's fists clenched.
"We were careless. I was careless." He said, his tone dull, but angry at the same time. "We should have never went into that cave without backup..."
"Kid, Kurenai is probably the best genjutsu master in Konoha's active service in the last thirty years and you are her damn prodigy... But you, neither of you, can be held responsible for what happened, okay? You had no idea that it would be something as rare as that Hidden Rainbow shit. The ANBU genjutsu masters are honestly surprised you even managed to break free. It should be damn near impossible, according to them. And you did. That was no mean feat, kid."
The blond just glared.
"Kid, pull yourself together. You ain't the only one that misses her, goddamit!" The jounin snapped. "But she wouldn't be happy to see you spending hours by her bed right after dragging her all the way back to Konoha without a wink of sleep!"
"As if YOU would know." Naruto spat acidly. "Because your relationship, that can't fucking decide if it is 'on' or 'off' at any given day, gives you any right."
"You punk! I should...!" Asuma growled, before deflating. "Damn... I know. I know."
There was a silence.
"...sorry... Just edgy." The blond muttered nearly inaudibly.
Asuma blinked, then chuckled tiredly, rubbing his temples.
"Damn, kid. You must be really fuckin' tired if you start to be civil to people. To me, in particular That or Kurenai finally managed to beat some manners into you."
The blond snorted.
"She talks about you, you know?" Asuma again broke the long silence. "Naruto this, Naruto that...All the goddamn time. She's so damn proud of you that she almost glows at times. She's like a hen with her egg. It always pissess me off. I mean, you're the prodigy. Okay. Cool. No arguing here and shit but..." He shook his head. "What, you the second coming of the Yellow Flash, or something?"
Naruto chuckled.
"Nothing so grandiose, I'm afraid." He said. "So, she talks about me? Strange. She's rather... scarce with her praise when we train."
Asuma just smirked.
"Kid, you have no idea. I've known her since the Academy, I know, believe me. She's the type that demands more when you can give more. Or when you're close. Only as much as you can give, but all of it. There is no middle ground with her. Not really." His fingers twitched for a cigarette, but he restrained himself.
"She can be hard on people she is close to, bit she's even harder on herself. But about you, she has nothin' but good words." He looked at the ceiling thoughtfully. "Oh she's pissed at you for this detail or other at times, but she's always so damn proud of your progress it makes me want to puke. And if somebody tries, even tries, to put you down somehow... Heh." He grinned. "Lioness defending her cub has nothing on her, really."
Naruto laughed.
There was another long silence.
"You know... Listening to us, somebody might think we are the best friends." Naruto said with a smirk.
"Nah. I still think you're an arrogant punk."
"And I still think you're a lazy moron."
"See? Nothing's changed. Nice to be on the familiar ground, eh?"
"Indeed."
*
Sarutobi frowned.
"Naruto, I really think that..."
"It's not like you can stop me, really." The blond cut in. "I have a well over a month of paid vacation I never took and..."
The Hokage sighed.
He knew it would be like that.
Once the boy got something into his head, there was no stopping him.
"I'm NOT forbidding you from going. Quite the contrary." The Hokage cut in.
"..."
Naruto blinked.
"As I was saying, before I was so RUDELY interrupted..." He glared at his blond subordinate who didn't even have a grace to look sheepish.
"...I don't think it's a good idea to go alone. It would be prudent to at least take somebody with you. When you exit, take the rooster of the free chuunin that would be able and willing to accompany you. Volunteer only. Your limit is two people. I'm making this a continuous B-class mission."
Naruto frowned.
"Why chuunin?" He said, thinking of Asuma. Sure, they bickered, but even Kurenai admitted that they had one of the best natural teamworkÆs she had ever seen if the situation required it. Asuma was a very good shinobi to have around when the situation went south and he had a vested personal interest in reviving Kurenai.
"While I want to see your mentor up and about nearly as much as you, I need Asuma for the delicate and very important S-class mission in the Mist in a week. I can't spare him, even for that." Sarutobi sighed. "And most of our jounin are too busy at the moment. The mission shouldn't be combat-intensive so chuunin should be enough. Not that you have much choice here."
"Chuunin, hmm..." Naruto scratched is chin thoughtfully, before perking up. "Had Inuzuka Hana finished her patrol duty with Genma's squad?"
The Hokage frowned thoughtfully.
"A first class tracker and a combat specialist as a backup if things go bad. And one you worked many times with as well. An excellent choice."
"We have an understanding." Naruto nodded. "And we work well together."
"Providing she'll volunteer to go with you, I see no problems."
"She will. Kurenai is her friend. And she owes me too much not to."
"None the less..." Hokage said pointedly.
Naruto sighed.
Sarutobi opened one of the drawers, giving Naruto a small scroll.
"This is the latest intelligence we have on her. It is nearly three moths old, so we can't be really sure if she is still in the area. Though considering her skills..." The Hokage shrugged. "Normally I would ask Jiraya to go with you since he would be best bet and assistance in that matter, but we can't locate him right now. You are on your own, I'm afraid."
"I'll manage." Naruto said calmly. "Is that all?"
"Yes. You may go." The Hokage puffed on his pipe watching the blond genin go out. "Naruto." The blond turned to his nominal leader.
"Good luck." The old man said simply.
The ex-wraith nodded and walked out.
*
"THIS IS AS FAR AS I CAN GO, MY LORD."
Naruto dismounted the beast, looking around carefully.
It was a city, an extremely large one, from what he could see. Crowds of people mulled about and most of the structures were bigger than Konoha's equivalents.
'Looks normal. Too normal.'
"What can you tell me?" He turned to his servant.
"NOT MUCH, LORD. ONLY THAT THIS PLACE STINKS OF SPIRIT AND AGONY." The beast snarled. "THE AGONY IS NOT CLEAN, IT DOES NOT SUSTAIN ONE SUCH AS I. THIS PLACE IS AN AFFRONT."
"Oh now that is curious..." Naruto muttered thoughtfully. Suffering and agony weren't exactly food for the Hounds of Avernus, but they didn't mind it either. For his servant to be affected like that...
'I knew it. This is more than just an illusion. Not a normal one, anyway.'
"TAKE CARE IN THIS PLACE, LORD. SHADOWS WHISPER, BUT THEIR VOICE IS MUTED. YOU SHALL BE WEAKER HERE."
"I suspected as much." Naruto shrugged. "Any details you might give me?"
"THE DREAMER SLEEPS BUT THE DREAM BECOMES MORE CONVULTED WITH EACH PASSING MOMENT. ALREADY ONE IS MORE. ONE IS CARNAGE WITHOUT PASSION. OTHER IS OF CONFUSION. ANOTHER OF BROKEN AND UNWANTED DESIRE. IT IS A DANGEROUS PLACE. BEWARE OF THE TOWER, MY LORD."
'Avernus cryptic speech... Typical. But at least there is something useful.' The blond sighed. "Thank you, Saiger. You have done well. You may go now."
The Hound bowed and hesitated, looking at his summoner.
"THOUGH I SENSE THE HUMAN, YOUR SOUL IS THAT OF THE SHADOW LORD. OUR BOND IS UNCHANGED, YOUR DOMAIN OVER THE SHADOW REMAINS. CALL ME FORTH ONCE YOU FIND YOURSELF BACK IN THE CITADEL. THE TEDIUM OF AVERNUS WEIGHS HEAVILY ON ME AND MY BROTHERS WITHOUT A GOOD HUNT TO PARTAKE IN."
"If only that was so easy, old friend." Naruto looked at the hound. "My time is limited now. I am limited, if more whole. My power isn't what it used to be."
The Hound snorted.
"YOU HAVE CALLED ME ONCE LORD, EVEN IF IN A DREAM, A BAREST SHRED OF ESSENCE. WE BEAR YOUR MARK AS YOU BEAR OURS. YOU WILL FIND A WAY."
The blond quirked an eyebrow.
"Your faith in me is touching, Saiger." He said dryly. "We shall see. For now, this is a goodbye."
"FARE THEE WELL, SHADOW LORD." The beast bowed. "MAY THE BLOOD OF YOUR ENEMIES RUN LIKE RIVERS AND MAY YOUR HUNT BE SUCCESSEFUL."
"Oh it will, Saiger. It will." Naruto smirked. "And once I'm out of here..." He fingered the Flay in his pouch.
The hell beast chuckled, sinking into shadow.
The blond stood there, a thoughtful look on his face, before shaking his head.
He drew the Thorn, checking it over. The broadsword was a pristine matte gray despite it's age. He drew a finger over the edge, smiling as hair-thin pins emerged from the handle and bit into his palm, the blade slowly turning red.
He missed it. It was no Soul Reaver, but it was powerful in it's own way.
He sheathed the sword and quickly looked over the small, deadly collection, the Flay and the sinister cards of the Pentalich Tarot prime among them.
He reveled in the pulse of spells in his mind, anchoring several for the immediate use. Glyphs burned briefly as he checked them over.
He clenched his clawed hand, pale and thin, but powerful.
In some ways, he missed his vampiric body. He inhabited a fresh corpse once, then vampires until he had found a perfect vessel in a vampire mentally crushed by Nupraptor.
He ate his soul and shaped the body to his needs. He turned it into a finely tuned battle machine with an aid of ancient blood rituals and Blood Fountains, drinking the blood of the powerful to gain nourishment and their strength and devoured their souls for the power they held.
It took time, but the result was worth it.
'No use crying over the wasted blood.'
Naruto turned to the sprawling metropolis.
"Well now.... Time to get to work."
And once he got Kurenai out, somebody was going to pay in blood.
Too long had he remained soft and directionless.
It was time to remind some people just why they feared the shadowed corners of the world.
'Trap me in the illusion? ME?!' He scowled. 'Take what is MINE?!'
The rage almost choked him.
'How DARE they?!'
"Whoever you are, whatever you are... I do not care." He snarled into the air. "Know that once I finish here, I shall rip this illusion with my bare hands. Then I shall come to find you. And my visit shall not be kind."
*
He reigned in his rage, let it fester. Let it grow.
No matter how tempting thoughts of revenge might be, that was neither here nor now.
He needed a calm mind now, but it would be more than useful later.
'Oh yes... Useful indeed.' He thought darkly, before shaking off the thought.
'Focus. One thing at a time.' He chided himself. 'Saiger said that 'one is more'... So, a fracturing of the psyche? Difficult to accomplish but this wretched thing IS powerful... So how should I go about it then? Carnage without passion, confusion, broken and unwanted desire... Not much, but it gives me more than enough clues. Hmm...'
He moved through the throngs of humanity coated in a simple illusion. He had no idea of the mirages would act on his slightly... pale appearance, but the fangs and claws were a bit much. And taking unnecessary risks was foolish. Better to blend in.
'I might send out the spell birds, but they have no idea what to look for. A waste of time. Mental powers... Though I still don't know how this illusory world works exactly. It releases fears and doubts, along with bad memories. But it... twists them.' He winced. His fight wit the Sarafan priests hadn't been pleasant, especially since he remembered he had WON the first time around. And meeting the simulacrum of Moebius had been... less than pleasant. 'Wretched thing digs deep... If I didn't have such a powerfully warded mind...'
As skilled as Kurenai was, there was no way she would be able to stand up to such an onslaught for long.
The illusion was powerful, immensely so, and old.
'Hidden Rainbow must have had some good seal masters and genjutsu adepts to do something like this.
But he was sure that it was dead. The power was stale. It was there, but without a push in the right direction it would have remained locked in the faulty seal, leaking away slowly over the years.
Somebody had activated it and maintained it. And he had a sneaking suspicion that whoever it was, he trapped them in the illusion deliberately.
The illusion was far too well controlled and felt too 'fresh' to work on it's own.
There was a human mind and will behind it.
He would enjoy shattering both.
'Priorities.' He reminded himself.
'So how would I go about finding the pieces a shattered psyche?' He scratched his chin, deep in thought.
He was shook off the train of thought when something small and fast hit into him.
On reflex he caught the small form by the arm.
'Oh, and what do we have here?' He thought, quirking an eyebrow.
It was a child, barely six, from what he could see. A dirty and woefully underfed child at that, in tattered pieces of what might have once been a yukuta.
'A girl?' He thought, drawing in her scent. 'Hmm... Never would have guessed under that dirt.'
To girl's credit, she didn't scream. She instead slid out of one of her sleeves, leaving him with only piece of ripped material.
He blinked.
'Fast. For a human.'
Almost lazily, he caught her by the scruff of her neck.
"Now, now... No running, little girl."
The urchin remained silent. She didn't even trash around.
'What an odd child...' Naruto thought curiously.
"THERE YOU ARE!"
Naruto quirked an eyebrow at the angry bellow. A second later a burly man rumbled into the alley, red faced from exertion, two other men in garbs of shopkeepers on his heels.
"WHY YOU THIEVING BRAT! YOU'LL GET YOURS!" The large man growled at the girl, shaking his fist, before turning to Naruto. "Thank you, sir, for catching that little thief. She'd been stealing our wares fro past week and she was far too fast for us to catch her... But now the roles have changed, eh, brat?" The man smirked, raising his open hand and taking a swing.
Naruto raised an eyebrow in wonder.
The girl didn't even flinch as she saw the slap coming, but for the first time her brown eyes flashed from under her matted, dirty hair, throwing the man look of utter hatred and disdain.
'Those are good eyes...' Naruto thought with approval. 'And... Oh, now this is interesting!'
Before the slap could connect, he had caught the wrist of the burly shopkeeper.
"And what do you think you are doing?" He inquired calmly.
The man winced at the pressure.
"Let go!" He snarled. "She needs to be punished! I give her home, give her bed to sleep in and she steals my wares and wrecks my store, the little bitch!"
The girl's face remained emotionless, but the eyes darkened with utter hatred and kept getting darker still.
Naruto chuckled at the sight.
'Who would have thought...?'
The vampiric wraith gripped the wrist tighter, shattering the bones without an effort.
"Trash, you shall do noting of the kind. Indeed, you shall be lucky to be left alive. The girl is under my protection now. Unless you wish to die, you bloated sack of fat, begone and never appear in front of me again."
The shopkeeper screamed in pain.
"You can't do this!" On of the two remaining men shouted in outrage.
"And who is going to stop me? You?" The blond wraith sneered. "Begone, meat, lest I flay your very flesh off your worthless bones."
"WHY YOU....!"
Naruto smirked.
The fat man had higher threshold for pain than he suspected. That or rage clouded his senses.
Probably both.
Lazily the blond extended his hand.
"Begone." The wave of telekinetic energy ripped through the air, hurling the man on the wall.
The two men left standing paled as they heard the bones snapping from the hit.
"Well?" He raised an eyebrow.
The two ran from the alley so fast that they nearly fell over themselves.
And through all that, the girl was still and hadn't uttered a word.
But there was a glee in seeing her tormentor broken and bleeding shining in her eyes.
"Oh I know I liked you for some reason." Naruto muttered with a chuckle, hefting the girl up to his face.
The girl just looked at him, expressionless.
"My name is Naruto. Yours?"
She looked at him, not batting an eye.
He sighed.
"I shall not harm you, girl. As I said, you are under my protection now. I will do anything I can to protect you. I give you my word on that."
The dark brown eyes looked on, drilling into his.
Naruto waited for a while, before frowning.
'Stubborn. But tough. She looks on without flinching.' He thought with amusement. 'Let's try a different approach, shall we?'
"You have good eyes, young one." He said conversationally. "Good eyes. Why do you hide them?"
The girl flinched, clearly surprised.
"Oh yes. I know what is under that brown glare, girl." He smirked. "Why do you hide them?" He focused, letting his gaze pierce the illusion, unraveling it slowly.
Two orbs of purest crimson widened in wonder.
"You...." The voice was harsh, obviously unused to speaking. "Are you like me...?"
"Oh it speaks?" Naruto smiled. "And what do you mean by that?"
"Monster. Are you a monster too?" She asked wide eyed, something akin to hope flaring in her eyes.
Naruto looked at her incuriously for a moment.
"And what makes you think that?" He asked curiously.
"Pale. Yellow. Different from others. Like me. But not like mine. But monster." She nodded to herself. "Like mine. Like me?"
Naruto's eyebrows shot up.
'She can see beyond the illusion...?'
"Oh a monster, most certainly." He said amused. "Though if like you... Ah, now that remains to be seen."
"Monster." She nodded solemnly, before smiling brightly. "Monster!"
Naruto shook his head bemusedly.
'What a peculiar girl.'
"If I put you down, will you run?"
She shook her head.
Carefully, he let her stand on her own.
"So, do you have a name?" He asked.
"Name..." She scrunched. "Red Monster." She nodded to herself. "Red Brat. Red."
"Red, huh?" Naruto smiled, kneeling in front of the girl. "Tell me, little one... how does Kurenai sound?"
Her eyes widened.
"Why?" She asked suspiciously.
"Because we monsters must keep together, why else?" Naruto smirked, revealing the hidden fangs. He extended his hand to the girl.
"Kurenai..." She nodded slowly, looking at him. "Naruto." Her crimson eyes blinked once. "Kurenai." She grasped his palm firmly with a surprising strength for her underfed frame.
*
Naruto shook his head with amusement, watching Kurenai almost inhale the food in front of her with ferocity.
They stopped briefly by the public baths to clean her up, shedding an age old shell of dirt and revealing the pale features and ebony tresses. The woman in the bathhouse did a good job of styling her hair and picking a nice blue yukuta for the girl, along with accessories.
The girl didn't smile, but her eyes shone as she touched her clothes from time to time.
'Hard to believe... Is it the illusion or an actual memory? Or some kind of a mix? Is this little urchin a reflection of the epitome of graceful beauty and power that I know? Amazing.' He smiled at the glee the girl shown in decimating yet another tray of sukiyaki.
Naruto waved at the waitress for another portion.
He could have hypnotized her, but he had more than enough gold in his pouch.
He couldn't manipulate the illusion on a large scale, but some tweaks were possible.
The larger ones...
'Bloody annoyance!' He thought darkly.
At times he thought he had it, he almost felt the strings that directed the whole thing... But then it slipped out of his palms like water.
'Annoying, but powerful.' He admitted grudgingly, mentally testing the fabric of the mental web he had tried to weave into the construct.
It still slid off, but some parts actually managed to stick.
'Minor progress, but a progress none the less.'
He was shaken off his train of thought by little Kurenai tensing and stopping her meal.
'Why does...' He froze, cursing his lack of attention. 'Fool. Of course there would be countermeasures.'
He turned to the small crowd of heavily armored men led by one of the shopkeepers from before.
Kurenai looked ready to bold, but he had laid the hand on her shoulder in assurance.
"Tell me, Kurenai... Do you want to be strong?" He said conversationally, loosening the Thorn in the sheath. "Do you want to see how to be strong?"
The girl cocked the head to the side, looking at him curiously.
"Then look how us monsters fight." He said with a smirk, sitting himself in a loose position, spells whirling in his mind like a pack of ravenous wolves, begging to be let out.
"That's him! That's the one, captain!" The shopkeeper pointed at him, speaking excitedly to the leader of the armored samurai.
"I think I told you you'd die if I ever see you again, fleshbag?" Naruto said pleasantly to the merchant.
"Threaten me all you want, ruffian! I am not afraid!" The man puffed up in pride.
"Not afraid? Funny, I remember you nearly pissing yourself in fear as you ran away, trash." Naruto looked at him. "I warned you." He drew a card from his deck of horrors.
"Here. Catch."
The man caught the slip of paper on a reflex.
"Whaieeeeeeeeeeeeee....!" The scream cut abruptly as the man's body seemed to fall into itself rapidly before imploding with a meaty squelch.
"Ooohh. Implode. Nice." Naruto whistled in appreciation. "Guy must've been lucky at cards. It happens once in the blue moon. Imagine that." Naruto smiled as the samurai drew swords, their faces pale.
"Stay your hand, men." The captain, obviously had more brains than the rest of them put together. "We can't fight..." he swallowed heavily. "We can't fight something like this with steel alone."
He pulled out a whistle.
Naruto raised an eyebrow in amusement.
'Oh now this might be interesting.'
"Come on." He smirked. "Didn't you want to take me in, you mangy cowards?"
"Silence, monster!" The captain thundered. "We knew how to deal with foulness like you in these parts."
Naruto turned his head to the left, noticing a rapidly growing power.
'Hmm...' His eyes widened as the mist shadows twisted with obvious touch of illusionary art, revealing a pair of cold, crimson eyes and utterly expressionless face. 'Oh just my luck...'
He eyed the tall woman, garbed in drab grey, irons on her hands, chains on her feet.
"Fight fire with fire... Or fight one monster using the other." The captain smirked. "In the name of most benevolent Lady of the Tower, all monsters shall be put down without mercy!"
Naruto turned his head slowly, letting the illusion drawn over his features fade away, revealing his pale vampiric visage.
"For that alone, you are all going to die." He said calmly, before letting loose a handful of Flays.
As some soldiers had their bodies flayed alive, Naruto drew his sword and bared his fangs.
"Illusion or not... I shall enjoy breaking you." He hissed out venomously.
*
"So... What am I supposed to do with you, I wonder?" Naruto mused, his armor covered in gore as he stared at the expressionless, broken woman under his sword.
The woman remained silent.
"No will? No desire to fight back? And you cut through those civilians to get to me in such an artfully dispassionate manner, too." He shook his head.
"Passionless carnage, indeed. I wonder, which fragment are you? Ruthlessness? Duty? Ah, no matter." He swung the Thorn, breaking the chains. "From now on, you will go with me. I have a visit to pay the Lady of the Tower."
He sheathed the Thorn.
"Well?" He quirked an eyebrow. "What are you waiting for?"
"I have not been ordered to follow." The woman said tonelessly.
"I have ordered you to follow." Naruto snapped.
"You do not represent the power of the Tower. You have no power over me." She said in a perfect monotone.
"I killed your handlers. I broke you. I broke your chains. I am stronger. Therefore I have the power." The ex wraith allowed the power of the hypnotic suggestion to touch the mind gently. It was easy. Too easy, almost. The shard in front of him had been brainwashed by the illusion perfectly, creating an obedient watchdog.
'Well, not anymore.'
The woman blinked.
"You... are correct. I shall follow you now. "
Naruto grimaced.
'I hate drones.'
"Come on, Kurenai." He extended his hand t the little girl. "It's time to go."
The girl remained at the same spot through the entire fight, unflinching and unmoving.
Now she simply jumped down and took his gory hand without any reservations.
'I think I'll miss her when she gets to be whole again.' The blond thought with a smile. 'What an interesting child.'
*
The guards were already swarming the entrance tot he Tower when they arrived.
'Well, if nothing else, the illusion is swift. Nice self updating capability as well. Whoever created it must have been brilliant indeed. Deranged and without any shred of morality left without a doubt, but brilliant.
Naruto drew several Flays from his pouch.
"I shall give you a simple choice." He said to the amazed guards. "Go and live. Stay and die."
"We shall not back down an inch, monster!" One of the men screamed defiantly, brandishing a gleaming katana at the blond.
"Then you will all DIE!" Growled the blond releasing the Flays, followed by the several of his spells.
Not losing a step, he walked into he shadow, embracing the slight chill he had found there.
He stabbed the sword into the shade and one of the guards screamed, as Thorn's blade impaled him from behind, emerging from his shadow.
A large fireball followed, burning several men alive in their lacquered armors.
Naruto ducked under a sword swing and spat words that turned into torrents of blue as soon as they left his mouth, shredding the unfortunate guardsman to pieces.
The blond grinned, walking fully into the shadow, emerging at the other side of the hall.
He looked at the wall speculatively, before swinging at it with all his supernatural strength, chipping the granite and ripping several sliver-like chunks.
With a wave of his hand he sent the impromptu daggers at his victims, shredding them.
He took a step back into the shadow, appearing behind one of the soldiers and impaling the man on the Thorn and then letting loose a torrent of lightning that fried several more.
"Hahahaha! Come!" He swung the Thorn through the air, reveling in its ominous song. "One at a time or all at once! It doesn't matter, I shall rip you apart all the same!" He laughed, hefting a spear taken from the recently killed soldier and throwing it through the hall, impaling his would-be attacker. "Come, entertain me as much as you can before you die!"
He outstretched the hand and allowed a ball of magical acid to bloom in it. Then he threw under the legs of several soldiers.
He smirked, watching it burn their legs, making them fall face first into the acid.
The Sound glyph resounded, dazing and scattering.
The Fireballs reaped their victims without error.
The Shadow weaved, cutting, surprising, blinding and ripping apart.
Spell after spell, strike after strike, artifact after artifact, Naruto gleefully decimated the guards until only one was left, clad in an ornate armor.
"Now, my little illusionary wretch... As therapeutic as ripping you little illusions was, I need to get past that." He waved at the large sealed door lazily. "And you, my little phantom, are going to help me."
The man's face twisted, losing all features, his armor dissipating as if it was never there and then circling through every face he had seen in the illusion, from the Gate Keeper to the fat merchant.
"You shall fail. The Array is perfect. You will never get past it."
"Oh?" Naruto quirked an eyebrow, extending his hand and clenching his fist slowly. "I find your lack of faith... disturbing."
The phantom's ever changing features grew pale, clawing at his throat as the raw telekinetic force crushed it's windpipe.
"GH-ghuk!"
"Vanish into nothingness that spawned you, phantom." Naruto sneered, closing the fist abruptly. The phantom's neck twisted with a loud crunch. The being went still, dissipating shortly after.
"Feh." Naruto sheathed the Thorn. "Lousy cannon fodder." He muttered, turning to the large door. "Now... Let's see..."
*
Naruto looked around the large, empty space.
'Odd... There should be SOMETHING here. And Kurenai.'
He frowned, spying a crack of light in the distance.
'Is that it?'
He walked to the crack cautiously.
Seiger wouldn't say to beware of the Tower without a reason. And so far it had been a little bit too easy for his liking.
Naruto's eyes widened, as he felt his mental 'hackles' rising.
'Oh... Now that is not a good omen...' He thought warily, readying several spells.
He extended his senses warily and almost reeled.
'Aduron's Blood, what IS that STENCH?!'
It wasn't a smell, per say, but the ethereal miasma was so vile it almost made him nauseous.
He froze.
'I recognize that stench... It is... It is the very same.'
His instincts were screaming by now.
He didn't wait, loosing several spells in quick succession at the 'source'
The void shrieked, but the miasma kept growing.
'I don't understand... Mine was the Gate Keeper and Moebius... So why...' The understanding dawned on him. 'Of course! This is Kurenai's illusion! It feeds on her, meaning only SHE can break it!'
Wasting no time, he twisted his form, ignoring the vertigo, and turned into a flock of bats.
'I really should have taken the shards of the psyche with me.' He thought darkly, reforming by the crack of light that proved to be the door. 'No telling if...'
He blinked, feeling little Kurenai's hand in his own.
He looked into her serious, crimson eyes.
The emotionless woman in armor stood just behind her.
'Imagine that...' Naruto thought in wonder. 'Though how...?'
He grabbed the door open and shoved the women through it.
'No time to wonder now.'
He dove in at the last moment, closing the door behind himself, leaving the miasma to shriek in disappointment.
*
Naruto fell down on a soft carpet.
The small Kurenai's face appeared over him, looking him straight in the eye.
"Blue." She said after a while. "And gold. But still monster." She nodded sagely, smiling brightly.
'That is one odd child.' Naruto thought dazedly, getting up, noticing he was back in his own body.
'Is it...?' He extended his senses, only to scowl. "Just my luck. Still in the illusion."
'And down to ninja arsenal only...' He sighed heavily. "Well, it had been entertaining while it lasted." He muttered.
He looked around curiously, rising an eyebrow.
'Rich. Opulent.' He looked over the tapestries, rich carpets and exquisite furniture. 'All of this looks to be first class, no paltry imitation in sight. Almost the same as in Hokage's residence or in a Daimyo's manor. Where are we, I wonder? And why?'
"Why are you here? Those a re private chambers, explain yourself at once!"
Naruto slowly turned to the source of the voice.
Sure enough it was Kurenai. Only she was and wasn't.
The crimson eyes, beautiful, delicate features and the unmistakable voice were all there. But she was clad in a rich kimono, her hair styled in a traditional manner, not a strand loose.
Her make up was heavier, more extensive. Her body was also slightly different.
She was still graceful but... soft. There was no predatory, self assured confidence and deadly grace of a trained killer. Her hands lacked the discreet muscle tone, her legs moved without the sense of balance Kurenai he knew maintained at all times.
"Well?" She snapped.
'And she lacks patience as well.' Naruto smirked.
"Hello, Kurenai."
The woman narrowed her eyes.
"You speak my name in a familiar manner, yet I do not know you. You carry weapons of a man despite your youth... Who are you, child?"
"Oh, the better question is who are YOU?" Naruto waved at her vaguely. Nice kimono, by the way. Rich, opulent, gaudy... and so not you it makes me retch. I wonder how you can stand it at all."
"Child." Her voice turned chilly. "Your lack of manners is appalling. Clearly, you are of peasant stock, but even one as lowly as you should know the proper manner of addressing royalty."
Naruto quirked an eyebrow.
"Royalty?" He chuckled. "I don't think so, my dear teacher. Though you posed as a noblewoman during one of the missions, from what I remember. Hated it as well, even though that noble had been enamored with your disguise. Right to the moment you slit his throat." Naruto nodded in appreciation. "Beautiful job, that was. Flawlessly done. It was only time I've seen you take pleasure in killing somebody as well."
The woman looked at him incuriously.
"Boy, whoever you are... Clearly, you are mad or delusional. Or both. I am Yamada Kurenai, Lady of the Yamada House, wife to the most honorable daimyo Yamada Shibei. I have not killed or even injured a man in my life. Nor would I lower myself to performing some common... murder." She frowned distastefully.
"Assassination. It is called assassination, my teacher." Naruto smiled. "And it is quite a respected trade where we come from."
"Madness. I need not to listen to that drivel! G-" She turned to shout, but a quick spike of killing intent froze her in place.
"So easily cowed... They really did a number on you, Kurenai." Naruto muttered, shaking his head. He walked up to the woman and brought her down to his level, looking into her eyes.
"Listen to me.... Look into my eyes.... Yessss.... That's it. That's it." Slowly, layer by layer, he let his mental barrier fall down.
He hated doing that, but the uneasy feeling he had been having ever since escaping the odd miasma was growing and he'd bet that the malevolent energy was making a beeline to them even now.
What he was about to do wasnÆt nice, or pleasant or safe, for the both of them, but he didn't have a choice. If the miasma wasn't dealt with...
He grimaced.
He wasn't in possession of Yamanaka's mind-swap jutsu, but he had dealt with mind powers longer than any Yamanaka was alive.
And he didn't need the shintenshin. Just a shock to the system.
Quickly he cut his forearm, then hers.
The blood might not be real, but symbolism was as important for the mind.
Naruto finished last seal and grabbed Kurenai's face in between his palms.
Normally he wouldn't be capable of something like that, but the illusion had already laid the necessary base. He'd just need to tweak it a little.
"Time for the wake up call, Kurenai." Naruto growled, activating the jutsu.
Then, grabbing each and every reserve of psionic power, chakra and any bit of leftover magic he might have still possessed, Naruto threw it straight at Kurenai's mind.
*
He looked around, raising an eyebrow.
The trees swayed gently, providing cool shade. The bushes were thick and covered any possible path but one.
"Ah... Now this feels rather familiar." Naruto muttered, before looking at his forearm where the crimson scarf with the grafted on symbol rested, as it had been for the last year and the half. "So, no scarf this time, huh?"
He smirked, following the path to the center of the forest.
*
The fire blazed merrily, the canteen resting on it held the best tea one could get in the Fire Country. Skillful hands poured a bowl, offering it to him.
"Hello." Crimson lips stretched in a cheerful smile.
"Hello."
"Tea?"
He sat down, putting away his kunai pouch, as per their old agreement.
No weapons when the tea was served.
"Yes, please." He took the bowl with gratitude.
They sat down in companionable silence, drinking their favorite blend, one made by Kurenai's own hands aided by Naruto's alchemical skills.
The tea had been drank without a word exchanged, last and most bitter drops used to douse the fire.
They cleaned up in silence, like dozens of times before.
Kurenai quirked an eyebrow with a slight smile.
"Shall we?" She asked lightly.
"Of course." Naruto nodded, tightening the scarf on his right forearm.
They walked into the deeper forest in silence that was broken only by two more sentences.
"That was foolish and reckless." (Thank you)
"I know." (You're welcome)
*
Sakura opened her eyes with a sigh.
Then blinked.
There was no grogginess. She was by no means a morning person and her awakenings were always long. She needed at least half an hour to shake off
the zombie state and be somewhat coherent.
But there was none of that now.
'Odd.'
She got up, absently rubbing her palm.
There was no scar, no mark. Not even a red line on it and she was SURE she cut her hand the day before.
But after she swept off the cherry petals, there was no sign of it.
Not that she minded, really, but she had been so sure...
She pulled on a loose shirt and a pair of pants, her 'home clothes',
and got out of her room and went to the kitchen, almost recoiling
in surprise at seeing her mother by the table and preparing breakfast.
Chizuru, contrary to her daughter, was an extremely morning person. She got up shortly after six, every day. Sakura was used to the fact that when she crawled out of her bed, the breakfast was done and her mother already managed to put on make up, dress and do at least several minor morning chores.
But her mother was in a bathrobe and clearly bleary, her short, pink hair mussed.
"Sakura!" Chizuru exclaimed in surprise. "You're up this early?"
"Mhm." The girl nodded absently, smelling the breakfast. Her mother might
not be the best at being domestic, but she was a hell of a cook.
Sakura sat by the table reaching for the muffins gleefully.
'Well, it seems that the diet bug is gone. And thank the gods.' The woman thought with amusement.
It wasn't that Sakura was outrageously skinny, like when she was younger.
Oh no. As much as she disliked them, her taijutsu practices gave her the lean, but strong body. But with the amount of time she had been spending training, Sakura could use some more food, in her opinion.
Chizuru frowned, sniffing the air.
'Oh, now that's new...'
"Is that the new perfume, honey?" She asked curiously.
Sakura stopped mid-bite, looking at her mother strangely.
"What perfume?" She asked, puzzled.
"Oh now don't be coy with me, darling." Chizuru smiled. "I know you
didn't want to, but I told you cherry perfume would suit you fine. See?"
Sakura blinked.
"But I didn't..." She said slowly.
Chizuru cocked an eyebrow.
"Well you certainly smell like it." She said with a small smile, before frowning and reaching to Sakura's hair. "Though that might be the cause as well, I guess." She picked two cherry tree petals entangled in Sakura's hair. "Hmm... Very nice color... Clearly cherry tree but... Nice. Maybe you should bring some of the flowers home? They would look beautiful on the table."
Sakura's eyes widened as she stared at the petals.
The large, nearly red petals.
Slowly, she raised her hand up, tracing the line of the 'imagined' scar.
She stood up abruptly.
"Sorry mom, I gotta go." She grabbed one of the muffins, running to
the door at a speed Chizuru rarely seen her use outside her taijutsu
practices.
"But Sakura, the breakfast... And what about..." The doors slammed shut. "...clothes?"
Chizuru sighed.
Her daughter, as lovable as she was, got stranger by the day.
*
Sakura bit her lip, curbing her impatience as the security seals and several wards, among them a nasty blood-powered A-class genjutsu (and how Naruto managed to get that kind of monstrosity stationary and stable she had no idea) recognized her.
Usually, she reveled in that. The large building seemed to take a sigh and relax, turning from foreboding to inviting. She loved that feeling, especially when she recognized her own chakra resounding in the multitude of seals laid on the premises. Each time she walked in here, she felt like she belonged,
like she was a part of something.
But now, she just bit her lip with impatience.
The process of accessing the inner apartments where Naruto lived, wasn't long - it took all of five seconds. It felt like an eternity to her.
She ran through the house like a thrown kunai and jumped to the spacious garden, making a bee-line for her tree.
She stopped abruptly.
She blinked.
'What the HELL am I doing?'
She rubbed her palm absently.
'Scar. No scar, rather. Tree. I KNOW it has something to do with it. But why, how...? How to check it?' She sighed, sitting down on the soft grass with dismay, staring at the trunk. 'If Naruto was here, he'd probably know, but he's out on some mission with Kurenai-san. Again. Geez...
Doesn't he know how to take breaks?' She scowled, staring at the tree.
She touched the trunk.
'Normal. But...' She didn't have Naruto's almost unnatural
sensitivity or Ino's perceptive senses, but she was no slouch either.
'There is nothing odd but...' She quickly cast a diagnostic jutsu.
Or rather tried to.
She blinked.
"What the hell?" She molded chakra again, this time slower, only to feel it vanish into the tree.
'All right, there is definitely something wrong here. But what to do? Naruto won't help me, since he isn't here. The same for Kurenai-san. Hana is out, she isn't good for that kind of stuff anyway... So what can I do?
"And it isn't like I can talk to the tree, right?" She muttered dejectedly.
Sakura froze.
'Hold that thought... Hold it!' An odd glint appeared in her eyes. A glint that Ino knew to fear. 'And just who says I CAN'T?'
Reason just went out of the window as Mad Scientist Sakura was on the loose.
She giggled.
"Now... Where would Ino be at that time of the day?" She muttered thoughtfully.
*
"Whazzist?" Ino blinked owlishly.
Sakura rolled her eyes.
Ino was even worse in the morning than her.
"Oh just come on, you'll see when we get there."
"Huhhhh..." Ino yawned. "Cofeeeeee...." She moaned.
"Junkie." Sakura muttered with annoyance. "You'll get some when
we get to Naruto's."
Ino's eyes got clear for a second.
"Naruto's private stock?"
Sakura winced. Naruto was going to KILL her...
"Yes, Naruto's private stock." She nodded.
Ino perked up.
Sakura sighed.
'The things I do for knowledge...'
*
A heavy dose of the liquid soldier pill that Naruto called his coffee (black, five spoons of sugar for a mug - just as Ino liked it), one trip to the garden and one explanation later, Ino looked at her friend.
"Alright... And you got mental... Sorry, MORE mental, just when exactly?"
Sakura scowled.
"Look here, it is a perfectly fine idea! I even..."
Ino looked at Sakura incuriously.
"Sakura, you want me to use the Kenkyushin - which is STILL an untested jutsu, let me remind you, and my father would go ballistic if he ever heard I experimented with it - on a TREE! There is nothing 'fine' about this idea!"
"Look, Kenkyushin works... You used in on me, right? Worked? Worked." Sakura said, trying to remain calm
"Well, yeah, right. If you forget about that 'second you' thing I saw there. I'm not an expert, but shouldnÆt I be seeing your mind and thoughts, not another you?"
Sakura rolled her eyes.
"That wasn't me. Wait, no. It was. But it was second me." She halted. "Does this even make sense?"
"More sense than using a mindwalker technique on a tree, anyway, Forehead-girl." Ino drawled.
"Gah! Ino-pig, don't be so obstinate!" Sakura scowled. "Just do it, let's call it a favor and be nice abut it, okay?"
"Sakura, honey. I love you like a sister I never had and I'd do hundreds of stupid things for you with a smile..." Ino sighed. "But this. Is. A. Tree." She pointed at the blooming cherry. "Tree. As in, you know, plant?
AS in NO MIND to use the Kenkyushin ON?!"
"Have you ever tried?"
Ino froze.
"Well, no, but..."
"See!" Sakura grinned. "Just try it. If I'm wrong and it won't work,
well call it quits, okay?"
"Sakura..." Ino started.
Sakura's eyes got big and shiny.
"Please, please, please pretty please!" She batted her eyelashes at the blonde.
Ino cringed.
Sakura wasn't desperate enough to use the 'kitten eyes of mewling doom'.
Yet. But she was close. And she honestly didn't have the heart to refuse her anything when she was like that.
"All right, all right!" She grumbled. "Geez... You're stubborn as hell, forehead-girl. And you don't play fair at all."
"I play to win." Sakura smiled shamelessly.
Ino just stared.
"Naruto is bad influence on you." She muttered finally, turning to the tree
and slowly molding several seals.
Kenkyushin was her own, semi-original jutsu. It came from the higher tier of Yamanaka mind techniques that very few Yamanaka clan members were able to use. Or rather it's source came from it.
The Kenyuunesshin was closest thing to actual telepathy, an immensely powerful technique usually reserved for the Clan head and the heir. Since it was an S-class technique, both in chakra requirement and in skill needed, Ino had nowhere near of both to even try to use it.
Probably the only reason her grandmother even showed it to her. Kenkyushin, on the other hand, was her own invention. Well, somewhat.
'I'd probably never make any progress with it if not for Naruto.' She admitted to herself.
Naruto helped her to work out some snags she had on the idea and helped to forge the rough concept into a technique. The Kenkyushin didn't have a fraction of power of his older 'cousin', but it was better than Shintenshin in her opinion, for straight combat.
Fast, efficient and rather useful. And she could cast it at varying level of power and complexity, from simple 'sense' to full blown mindwalk when coupled with first stages of shintenshin.
So far, the 'sense' stage, the least powerful but fastest and least draining didn't do much else but allowed her a strange form of passive empathy, but she quickly learned it was actually pretty useful. And not only in non-combat situation as well. Coupled wit her taijutsu, she could read almost any opponent like an open book.
Oh it wasn't perfect, but she usually at least knew when the attack was coming. And sneaking up on her when she used Kenkyushin was nearly impossible. Even Kurenai-san had problems unless she used her more powerful genjutsu to mask her presence.
Pity she didn't have the stamina to keep it 'on' as long as she wanted.
'Not yet. Yet.' Ino smirked.
Her blond friend had an uncanny understanding of mental techniques. Unnatural, even, considering he wasn't a Yamanaka. She had a sneaking suspicion that if he was tested, he would prove to be in that extraordinarily small percentage of non-Yamanaka that would be able to use some of their techniques. It was rare - extremely so - but it happened.
Most people didn't have the understanding required, but nearly all lacked what her grandmother, the strongest Yamanaka in several generations, called the 'spark' and her father called the 'juice' or 'mojo'.
It was a little, ephemeral thing that was completely unrelated to chakra. You couldn't 'train' it, you couldn't learn it. You either had it, or you didn't.
Yamanaka Clan as a whole had it, in varying degrees. Most of the world didn't. Most. There were exceptions. And she would bet a year of her future genin pay that Naruto was one.
'One of this days I think I'll drag him to Grams.' She decided. 'I think she'll like him for his... sense of humor alone.'
She shook off that train of thought, pouring as much chakra as she could.
'Majutsu: Kenkyushin.' She thought letting the technique loose on the tree lazily.
She blinked.
"...NO! INO! SPEAK TO ME!" Came Sakura's scared voice. "Oh gods, I'm so sorry! I had no idea it would....! INO!"
"...not sssssooooo loud..." Ino hissed, grabbing her head. DAMN but it hurt like a bitch! "What the hell happened to me? I feel the way we did after your last birthday...!"
"Well, I kinda hoped you would tell me." Sakura said slowly. "One moment you stood before the tree, casting the technique, then you were on the ground and convulsing. And your nose started bleeding too, for some reason."
Ino blinked.
"What are you...?" She stopped, feeling something salty on her lips. Slowly, she wiped it and looked at her palm.
"Blood... Red... I..." She caught her head, whimpering. "Oh SHIT! ARGH!"
A flood hit her consciousness.
Red. Red. Pink. And red. Red haze of blood, of emotion of rage, of understanding of contact...
And. It. Went. BEYOND.
Ino's eyes widened and she screamed.
Redpinkredwhywhywhyareyouknockingonthatdoorwhydoyoutrywhy
whywhybutiknowweknownotmistresnotmostressbutweknow
wedontknowblood...
"Stop!"
...notbloodbutelsemindmindmindsofamiliarsolikebutnotofusnotof
mistressbutweknowwefeltwe...
"SHUT UP!" Ino howled, grabbing her head. "SHUT THE FUCK UP!"
Sakura backed away as she saw Ino's crazed eyes, blood gushing from her nose like a red torrent.
"SHUT UP NOW!" The blonde screeched.
And as suddenly as it stopped, the silence was back in.
The pain passed.
Ino panted, her eyes wild.
"What the FUCK... was that?!" Ino demanded, shaking Sakura by her collar, the blue eyes bloodshot, blood smeared under her nose and over her mouth. "WHAT?! TELL ME!"
"I...I DON'T KNOW!" Sakura screamed, scared. "That's why I asked to check that tree!"
"Sakura... This ISN'T a tree." Ino growled. "This...thing... It isn't a tree. It... I've NEVER felt anything like this before. EVER. Even when I tried to use the shintenshin on animals. This... Kami..." She shook her head slowly. "There is a mind there. Sort of. But..." She let Sakura go. "What the hell happened to that tree? I KNOW it was normal just a week ago. What the hell did you do, Sakura?"
"Nothing! Honest!" The pink haired girl said shaking her head rapidly. "I just cut my hand, then fell asleep. I awoke, went home and got up in the morning. That's it!"
"Cut yourself?" Ino quirked an eyebrow.
Sakura showed her palm.
"Yeah, but it was gone. As if it wasn't there. At first I thought I imagined it, but then I remembered I had my hand covered in petals, so I came here and..." She shrugged, helplessly. "You know the rest."
"Blood... Blood..." Ino muttered, frowning. "Just what do I keep returning to that...? What is that Naruto says sometimes...? Blood is power...?" Her eyes widened. "Sakura... Have you ever fed the tree your chakra since we restored it?" She asked carefully.
"Yeah... Just like the way you showed me." She said puzzled. "To help in recovery and all that. Sakura's eyes widened to the size of saucers. "Chakra... Blood... Oh my... Ino, didnÆt you and Naruto use some seals in the restoration?"
Ino nodded slowly.
"That and a shitload of other stuff. Alchemy, seals... hell, even herbs. The tree was practically gone. We had to MAKE it grow and heal, it wouldn't be able to do it on it's own then." She said thoughtfully.
"Shit... We didn't understand just WHAT worked in the first place. We still don't. We used anything and everything we could think of, no matter how stupid it seemed... Total mix and match." She trailed off.
There was a long silence.
"Sakura... I think we just might have a problem." Ino said finally.
"No. Really?" The pink haired girl said sarcastically.
*
Asuma put out a cigarette before he went into the hospital room.
The lights were out and the windows were covered, leaving the room rather dark despite the brightness of day, but he could easily see the two blue points next to the bed.
"Yo." He said.
Naruto didn't answer.
"How are you holdin'?" He asked the blond, sitting next to him.
The boy shot him a long look, before turning his eyes to the figure on the bed. Kurenai's eyes were closed, her fair skin even paler than usual. She didn't even stir. She hadn't ever since the mission.
Asuma sighed.
"Right, stupid question." He said quietly.
"It ain't your fault, you know." He said after a long period of silence. "If not for you, she'd be already dead, instead of just in coma.
The boy's fists clenched.
"We were careless. I was careless." He said, his tone dull, but angry at the same time. "We should have never went into that cave without backup..."
"Kid, Kurenai is probably the best genjutsu master in Konoha's active service in the last thirty years and you are her damn prodigy... But you, neither of you, can be held responsible for what happened, okay? You had no idea that it would be something as rare as that Hidden Rainbow shit. The ANBU genjutsu masters are honestly surprised you even managed to break free. It should be damn near impossible, according to them. And you did. That was no mean feat, kid."
The blond just glared.
"Kid, pull yourself together. You ain't the only one that misses her, goddamit!" The jounin snapped. "But she wouldn't be happy to see you spending hours by her bed right after dragging her all the way back to Konoha without a wink of sleep!"
"As if YOU would know." Naruto spat acidly. "Because your relationship, that can't fucking decide if it is 'on' or 'off' at any given day, gives you any right."
"You punk! I should...!" Asuma growled, before deflating. "Damn... I know. I know."
There was a silence.
"...sorry... Just edgy." The blond muttered nearly inaudibly.
Asuma blinked, then chuckled tiredly, rubbing his temples.
"Damn, kid. You must be really fuckin' tired if you start to be civil to people. To me, in particular That or Kurenai finally managed to beat some manners into you."
The blond snorted.
"She talks about you, you know?" Asuma again broke the long silence. "Naruto this, Naruto that...All the goddamn time. She's so damn proud of you that she almost glows at times. She's like a hen with her egg. It always pissess me off. I mean, you're the prodigy. Okay. Cool. No arguing here and shit but..." He shook his head. "What, you the second coming of the Yellow Flash, or something?"
Naruto chuckled.
"Nothing so grandiose, I'm afraid." He said. "So, she talks about me? Strange. She's rather... scarce with her praise when we train."
Asuma just smirked.
"Kid, you have no idea. I've known her since the Academy, I know, believe me. She's the type that demands more when you can give more. Or when you're close. Only as much as you can give, but all of it. There is no middle ground with her. Not really." His fingers twitched for a cigarette, but he restrained himself.
"She can be hard on people she is close to, bit she's even harder on herself. But about you, she has nothin' but good words." He looked at the ceiling thoughtfully. "Oh she's pissed at you for this detail or other at times, but she's always so damn proud of your progress it makes me want to puke. And if somebody tries, even tries, to put you down somehow... Heh." He grinned. "Lioness defending her cub has nothing on her, really."
Naruto laughed.
There was another long silence.
"You know... Listening to us, somebody might think we are the best friends." Naruto said with a smirk.
"Nah. I still think you're an arrogant punk."
"And I still think you're a lazy moron."
"See? Nothing's changed. Nice to be on the familiar ground, eh?"
"Indeed."
*
Sarutobi frowned.
"Naruto, I really think that..."
"It's not like you can stop me, really." The blond cut in. "I have a well over a month of paid vacation I never took and..."
The Hokage sighed.
He knew it would be like that.
Once the boy got something into his head, there was no stopping him.
"I'm NOT forbidding you from going. Quite the contrary." The Hokage cut in.
"..."
Naruto blinked.
"As I was saying, before I was so RUDELY interrupted..." He glared at his blond subordinate who didn't even have a grace to look sheepish.
"...I don't think it's a good idea to go alone. It would be prudent to at least take somebody with you. When you exit, take the rooster of the free chuunin that would be able and willing to accompany you. Volunteer only. Your limit is two people. I'm making this a continuous B-class mission."
Naruto frowned.
"Why chuunin?" He said, thinking of Asuma. Sure, they bickered, but even Kurenai admitted that they had one of the best natural teamworkÆs she had ever seen if the situation required it. Asuma was a very good shinobi to have around when the situation went south and he had a vested personal interest in reviving Kurenai.
"While I want to see your mentor up and about nearly as much as you, I need Asuma for the delicate and very important S-class mission in the Mist in a week. I can't spare him, even for that." Sarutobi sighed. "And most of our jounin are too busy at the moment. The mission shouldn't be combat-intensive so chuunin should be enough. Not that you have much choice here."
"Chuunin, hmm..." Naruto scratched is chin thoughtfully, before perking up. "Had Inuzuka Hana finished her patrol duty with Genma's squad?"
The Hokage frowned thoughtfully.
"A first class tracker and a combat specialist as a backup if things go bad. And one you worked many times with as well. An excellent choice."
"We have an understanding." Naruto nodded. "And we work well together."
"Providing she'll volunteer to go with you, I see no problems."
"She will. Kurenai is her friend. And she owes me too much not to."
"None the less..." Hokage said pointedly.
Naruto sighed.
Sarutobi opened one of the drawers, giving Naruto a small scroll.
"This is the latest intelligence we have on her. It is nearly three moths old, so we can't be really sure if she is still in the area. Though considering her skills..." The Hokage shrugged. "Normally I would ask Jiraya to go with you since he would be best bet and assistance in that matter, but we can't locate him right now. You are on your own, I'm afraid."
"I'll manage." Naruto said calmly. "Is that all?"
"Yes. You may go." The Hokage puffed on his pipe watching the blond genin go out. "Naruto." The blond turned to his nominal leader.
"Good luck." The old man said simply.
The ex-wraith nodded and walked out.
*
*
As easy as the passage might have seemed, the dogs managed to catch his scent several times even before he walked through the gates.
In a way, the Inuzuka Clan compound had the best security in all of Konoha. It didn't need walls, gates, fancy security seals or thousand of other things.
If Inuzuka Clan didn't want you to get in, you couldnÆt get in. Not unless you wanted a pack of war dogs bigger than some ponies to tear you apart into tiny, meaty pieces.
Naruto stopped, looking at the large, one eyed black dog.
"Kuromaru." He nodded. One eye opened. Probably out of courtesy, since the beast knew Naruto had been around from the beginning. Kuromaru's senses were legendary, even for an Inuzuka war dog.
"Hana?"
Kuromaru's sole ear flicked to the left, in direction of the Inuzuka veterinary clinic.
"My thanks." Naruto was about to turn on his heel, before a low rumble stopped him.
"Naruto."
It was an odd thing, but he and Inuzuka dogs had an odd sense of... understanding, if you might call it that. One that stemmed from one of the first missions he took with more than Kurenai, when Hana was still a genin. Instead of her Haimaru kyodai, the gray triplets, her mother ordered her to take Kuromaru with her. 'Just in case.' When Naruto first saw the grizzled beast, Kuromaru just looked at the blond. Naruto stared in return.
There was no baring of fangs, no growls.
Just the focused, intense staredown.
Then the boy and the dog simply nodded to each other slowly.
That was all.
Hana and Kurenai just stood there. Kurenai bewildered, Hana seriously freaked.
The mission went off without a hitch. It went perfectly, even, to Kurenai's amazement.
Most non-Inuzuka had a difficult time adapting to working with he war dogs, finding it hard to understand just how intelligent and useful the beasts were.
Naruto had no such problems. Indeed, he and Kuromaru worked like a perfectly oiled, deadly machine without so much as missing a step, almost as well as an Inuzuka might have. Not quite, but close enough.
It was only after the mission was over that Hana noticed that the grizzled alpha-dog never once called Naruto a brat, rookie or runt, like he was prone to when dealing with young genin, sometimes even chuunin. But with Naruto, he didn't. Not. Even. Once.
"You takin' the girl on a mission." Kuromaru said as a matter of factly.
Naruto nodded.
"Bad idea." He said after a moment of silence. "The pups got wounded. Two out of commission. Not battle ready. Dangerous."
"Sorry. Can't wait." Naruto said honestly. Honesty was best policy with Kuromaru. The alpha-dog would sense a lie. And sniff it as well. And he hated liars. "It is too important."
The dog looked at him, silent for moment.
"Pack matters. Nasty business, that." He said, baring fangs in distaste.
Naruto quirked an eyebrow.
"Word travels fast, I see." He said dryly.
"Smell, not word." The huge dog snorted. "Anger. Indignation. Worry. Rage. Hurt. Like a cloud around you, all over you." He grunted. "Just mind the girl and bring her in one piece."
"It's only a simple search and retrieve mission. I need Hana for her tracker abilities. I don't think there will be any fighting." Naruto said shrugging.
"I ain't no fool, don't take me for one, pup." The dog growled. "Pack matters. They tried to take from you. You will take vengeance. Just don't lose yer head. Or her. All I'm askin'."
Naruto nodded slowly.
Sometimes he forgot jus how damn perceptive Kuromaru was.
"Understood." The blond said curtly.
"Good." The dog closed his eye again. "After the thing is done, ya don' need to hurry back. Take yer time."
Naruto looked at the dog suspiciously.
Kuromaru opened eye again minutely, a glint of amusement in it.
"Just an advice." He opened his jaws in an equivalent of a grin. "A good one."
Frowning Naruto walked in the direction of the clinic.
Kuromaru observed the blond through the half lidded eye.
The girl was ready and, in Kuromaru's opinion, would be quite willing soon.
They were already close friends. It would be only a matter of time.
After all, she was strong, cunning, capable and, as humans judged it, very attractive.
Sure, the blond pup might be a little young, but he was strong. And if what Kuromaru's nose sensed was true, he was very, very near to being ready.
The dog smirked.
There was something primal and predatory about him and it wasn't the Big Fox, of that Kuromaru was quite sure.
The boy had an aura he had rarely seen beside Inuzuka clan, something that struck a chord in the alpha-dog the moment he saw the blond genin. Something fierce, primal just under the surface.
The pups that those two would have would make his pack even stronger than it already was, his every instinct told him that.
And the two females, the blond one and the pink one... They smelled interesting. Different. Like grass, and cherry tree and blood. Strong blood. Like Naruto. Only weaker.
And they would be strong too. Not as strong as the boy, but strong. They had good blood, his nose told him that. And the blond one was loyal, a trait she shared with the pink one.
They would be good for the Pack.
Monogamy was a silly human concept, anyway.
And it wasn't like he was pushing them. He just... let the things have their course.
With a little bit of timely assistance, of course.
Kuromaru went back to his nap, very pleased with himself.
His Pack would be stronger. And in the end, that's all that mattered.
*
Hana looked at him with sympathy in her eyes.
"Heard what happened. Sorry about Kurenai."
Naruto nodded, stoically.
"That is why I'm here." He said simply. "Kurenai's coma can't be healed by the medic nins. Not those we have in Konoha at the present time, at any rate. We need a person who can go beyond them."
"Damn." Hana whistled. "No wonder you came to me. You're thinking of tracking Tsunade of the Sannin. You'll definitely need a good tracker for that."
"Yes."
"Okay." Hana nodded. "I'm in. When are we leaving?"
The blond blinked.
"Oh don't be so surprised." She snorted. "The day Inuzuka Hana leaves her friend hangin' is the day I slit my own throat. I just need to go to the Tower to inform them I'm takin' a break and I'm ready to go."
"You won't need to." Naruto informed her. "Hokage already made this a continuous B-class mission. I'm allowed a choice of two shinobi up to chuunin to accompany me on the search."
"Cool." Hana smiled. "Who else is going with us?"
Naruto shrugged.
"You're all I need, to be honest. Anyone else would be just a hindrance."
"Got it." She nodded. "When?"
"Tomorrow. I need to take care of a few things first."
"Okay." She cocked her head. "Just so you know, Nimaru and Sanmaru are wounded and I'm down to Ichimaru. So I'm not exactly hundred percent here combat wise."
"I know." Naruto nodded. "Kuromaru told me. I don't think we will be fighting at all. We just need to find her and bring her back to heal Kurenai. Nothing else."
Hana looked at him incuriously.
"Yeah, riiight. And if you believe that, I have a nice bridge in Wave to sell you." She snorted. "What do you think I am, four years old or something?"
Naruto looked at her, face utterly expressionless.
"Oooooh, the stone-cold maniac routine." Hana quirked an eyebrow ." You're really pissed. Somebody's gonna die gruesomely very soon, methinks."
'First the dog, now her.' Naruto thought with distaste. 'Perfect skill at masking my emotions. Really.'
Hana smirked.
"The nose, Naruto." She patted it lightly. "It never lies. Besides, once you get THAT look in your eyes..." She shrugged. "What's the plan, then? Vengeance before, or after?"
"Intel first." The blond said firmly. "Then Tsunade. Kurenai is the most important here. After..." He trailed off, a dangerous glint in his eyes.
Hana smirked.
That was one of the reasons she really liked Naruto.
The blond genin had his priorities straight.
*
Unlike almost every time he went there, he didn't stop to admire the masterful workmanship of gleaming weaponry gathered in the shop, but whet straight for the source.
The massive blade sang ominously as he swung it through the air carefully.
"Fifty five centimeters long, five centimeters wide. Nearly two kilograms worth of the best, chakra purified, highly carbonized steel straight from the mines of the Snow Country." Meirang lit a cigarette with a short Katon jutsu, taking a long drag.
"Wide, massive for it's size and utterly straight blade. No fireworks. Simple. Sharp. Point for thrust and an edge for cutting. The balance is flawless." She exhaled the smoke. "That is the simplest fancy weapon I have made yet. Since the last time I made something for you, anyway." She cocked her head slightly o the left. "What is your obsession with this one shape, I have no idea. Why won't you take a katana, or even kodachi, if you want a sword so much?"
Naruto made a powerful thrust, then spun in a half circle smoothly going into quarter. He made a quick swiping move to the right, followed by a diagonal cut.
It was no Thorn, but the sword moved flawlessly.
Meirang had done excellent job, as always.
"It is called a broadsword." He stopped, looking at the blade for a moment, before shrugging. "Large, modified broadsword. But still a broadsword."
"Broadsword, then." She looked at him curiously. "Why? Not that it's a bad weapon, mind you. But it's heavy, tad unwieldy comparing to the katana and I've yet to see a sword style in Konoha that would teach to wield something like that."
She smirked, eying Naruto's next, lightning quick sequence of moves that looked rather nasty, especially that diagonal cut that turned into a sudden, sneaky thrust mid-way.
"Though you don't seem to have any problems."
Naruto shrugged again.
He had wielded the Thorn for over three centuries, give or take. He would like to call himself rather proficient in the art of fighting with the broadsword.
Oh, he had used spears and axes nearly as much, but the sword was always his favorite. Axes were a little too imprecise, even if the dealt a lot of damage, and you couldn't use the spear everywhere. Not like the sword. Precision and damage in one, deadly package.
It was tad long for him, as he was now, but he would grow into it quickly. Very quickly, if what he suspected about the Kyuubi's chakra influencing his body was true.
And it wasn't like he hadn't used larger blades before. He'd adapt.
He always did.
"Flawless work, Meirang. As always. You are truly a master of your craft."
"Yeah, yeah. I'm great, true artist. Yadda, yadda, yadda and all that rot. Heard that before." The tall woman waved her bare, muscular arm. "Just don't break this one too fast."
"No promises. But I'll try."
"Brat." The woman grumbled, but smiled none the less.
Meirang was a beautiful woman, Naruto had to admit. Especially when she smiled, but delicate flower of womanhood she wasn't.
Taller than most men, and more muscular as well from working in the forge, she none the less never lacked the male admirers. She wasn't a grotesque mountain of muscle, but she was built like an amazon from legends.
She had the strength of one, too.
"How much do I owe you, Mei?"
"You know, if you weren't such a DAMN good client and came so fuckin' often that you're practically family..." She grinned, slamming her fist into the nearby rock. Her eyebrow twitched. The rock broke. "I think I'd have to smack you. But I won't. Yet."
Naruto smirked. Meirang had skin thicker than an elephant to but one thing - her name.
Any kind of shortening, cutesy additions or changes suffered a swift and merciless death. And the person who dared to speak to her suffered a concussion and a few broken bones.
So far Naruto had managed to avoid both.
"As to the payment, don't be so hasty yet. Come on. I got something to show you." Meirang closed the shop then walked deep into the forge.
Naruto followed her until they were in the testing area, that sometimes doubled as an extra storage.
Effortlessly, the blacksmith brought down a large chest, then she opened it and rummaged through it for a second.
"Ah. Here it is!" She muttered with satisfaction, taking out a medium sized, thin container.
Carefully she popped the lid.
"Go on. Look inside." She said with a smirk.
Naruto followed the command and gaped.
Matte black with silenced finish, half-shoulder pads, clearly built for swordsmen, providing protection for shoulders without lowering the mobility.
Variable, adjustable breastplate. Chakra-welded chains in vulnerable points for added protection. Thin, but durable gauntlets from reinforced mesh, covered with several strips of high-quality steel...
"Is it...?" Naruto asked slowly, his eyes devouring the armor set.
"A yup." Meirang smiled lazily. "A-class Yukigakure skirmish armor. Not some fragile shit like the current line up they are using. Chakra armor, my ass." Meirang spat. "No. This is the good, old stuff. From before that punk Doto came to power. All chakra forged steel, every ounce of it forged from highest quality materials available. Not as durable as a full set of quality assault armor, but this," she patted the breastplate. "you'd be able to hide even under normal clothes, with nobody being the wiser. It is also insulated, acid-resistant and very good at handling extreme temperatures." She grinned. "I wouldn't recommend walking into Karyuu En Dan, tho'. The armor would hold, but you'd bake alive."
"How much?" Naruto said, not taking his eyes of the armor.
"More than you can afford." Meirang said shrugging. "Hell, more than most shinobi can afford, really. It's a collector's item now. There's maybe a hundred of those left."
Naruto forced himself to shake off the slight trance to look at the blacksmith.
"You'd be surprised just what I can afford." He said flatly.
"Not this, kiddo." She shook her head. "Believe me. I know you've got money, what with the restaurant, the club and that little house in the red lights district." She smirked at Naruto's narrowed eyes. "Oh don't worry, don't worry. I won't tell anybody. As I said, you're almost family! And you always give me such damn interesting projects, too. I wouldn't dream of ending our successful relationship." She smirked.
Naruto sighed, eying the armor set with longing, before turning away.
"Now, now." Meirang stopped him before he walked out. "Not so fast, boyo. I said you can't AFFORD it. But I didn't say you wouldn't be able to get it, now did I?"
Naruto's eyebrows shot up.
"I'm listening."
"Now, we both know you are damn good with weapons. Not just the sword, shuriken and those atrocities they dare to call kunai, but I call pieces of shitty made crap."
Naruto rolled his eyes at that.
"Point is, the weapon you're using are..." Shi pointed at the sword he had in the sheath on his back. "Like that. Uncommon. Rare. Exotic. Or just plain weird. But useful and effective." She cocked her head. "Some of them, like that strange quasi-shuriken thing you insist on experimenting with, I have never even heard of. I'd LOVE to hear just what gave you THAT kind of idea, by the way." She said thoughtfully, before getting back on track.
"Now I have no idea who exactly taught you, when, how, why and for what purpose. I don't give a fuck if Kyuubi itself taught you." She said with a dry grin. "But you KNOW stuff."
Naruto frowned.
"Is there a point to this?" He asked warily.
"Oh sure there is." Meirang grinned "See, I have a daughter. Whom you know, or at least know OF. Point is, my sweet little kid wants to be the greatest weapon specialist that ever lived. And you know what? She just might make it. Girl's got talent, gotta admit. So, like every good mother, I intend to help her to achieve her dreams. So, Naruto...." Her grin got wider. "Let's make a little deal..."
*
Spin.
Kickback.
Spin.
The blade made a perfect arc, then rose and fell, a single chopping move.
Upper thrust. Back into position.
Defensive, but aggressive.
Lunge. Just enough to carve the shadow.
The blade stopped mid-swing, utterly motionless.
Slowly, ever so slowly, the tip made a perfect circle as it spun.
Naruto closed his eyes, listening to the low, almost inaudible hum.
This was good. Very good.
Last few blades he had used had been light. Flimsy.
He could use them. He did use them.
But there was nothing quite like the feel of a proper sword in your hand.
He pointed the blade down and knelt, a sheen of sweat on his brow.
He closed his eyes, resting the forehead on the hilt.
Even with current events, he felt better with a trusty sword in his grip.
Lazily, he opened his eyes and drew his palm over the edge, cutting, piercing, letting the blood fall.
Slowly, without any hurry, he drew a rune after rune, seal after seal.
It was a delicate work, the finishing touch for the weapon.
And the last resort as well.
His every attempt at recreating even the merest shadow of the Thorn failed miserably. But he did discover several... interesting applications for the Blood Script and Seal hybrids along the way.
The moment the last seal had been made, the blade drank greedily, absorbing the red liquid with abandon.
Carefully, Naruto traced the edge of the blade.
This time, there was a faint, almost electric feeling. And hunger.
The blond smirked.
He could release the little nightmare he had created only once, but when he did...
'Though a way of storing them, or casting them without such complicated measures would be welcome.' He though with a frown. 'No matter. I will find a way. Somehow'
He sheathed the weapon and grabbed a towel, wiping the sweat.
He was dead tired already, but he needed t saturate the sword with his chakra and let the little surprise he sealed into it become familiar with his presence, learn to know just who was the master here.
And for that he needed the time.
He eyed his jacket, hanging by the tree critically.
'Little short. I grew again.' He grimaced. Vampiric bodies didn't have such problems. They didn't sweat or burned with exhaustion as well. Still, he preferred it that way.
To a point.
He reached for it, before stiffening.
His hand sneaked to the hilt as he slowly turned around, sweeping the area, both with his eyes and with his senses.
'There is nothing here but...'
He frowned.
'Why am I...?'
His eyes widened and he turned his head sharply.
He looked at Sakura's tree, in full bloom and looking healthier than it had in a long time. Unnaturally healthy, even.
He touched the trunk softly and almost jumped back.
"What the HELL?!"
The tree felt... It felt...
'Alive... yet not. Of Matter.... Yet not... A Spirit creature in mortal coil.' He thought dumbly. The last time he had felt something like that had been years ago, a world apart. 'My god...'
The tree felt like a creature of Underworld. Of Spectral Realm. But it felt... hungry. Like...
'A vampire!'
He shook his head slowly.
The only creature that had similar aura, the only creature that was alive yet undead vampiric creature and a sprit wraith at the same time... Was him.
He touched the trunk again, this time extending a probe gently.
Going head on would be akin to mentally jumping down the cliff.
Head first.
It was faint, but...
'There IS something there.' He decided finally. 'It is young. Very simple. But very determined. And... unhappy?'
He blinked.
It actually felt emotions?
'So maybe not so simple after all... Just inexperienced. And young. Like... Like a child! That's what it reminds me of!' He thought astonished. 'My god... Just what are you?'
There was a brief stab of awareness. Sad. Then joyful. Like a greeting. Warm.
"Hello there, young one." Naruto murmured, smiling slightly.
The tree shook gently, a wave of recognition and fuzzy happiness rolling off it.
There was a mental 'scent' there. Blood. Chill, like when he walked through shadows. Hunger. Scent of wind in the evening. And water that was not water.
'Now what that might...?'
He felt a brief stab as feeling intensified. Blood. A sharp, even tone of...
'Edge...? Is it... Ah! She means ME!'
He had no idea how he knew the tree was a 'she'. He just did.
There was a flash of warmth, which he took as a confirmation.
Then there was another chain of thoughts.
The sweet scent, a flowery one. But nothing he could identify, as if somebody had thrown in several flowers in a haphazard mix.
There was also spice, sharp and crisp. Morning. He felt warmth of the morning sun, but crisp chill as well. Flowing river of azure and gold.
'Now why is this so fam...'
A realization hit him.
'Ino!'
It felt like Ino's mental aura when she wasn't covering it with shields and barriers!
The tree sent a jumble of emotions. Hurt. Pain. But not the tree. Other. Sad.
'Now about that, I have no idea.' Naruto thought puzzled.
The tree sent another, this one the clearest.
The touch of gentle petals. Overpowering scent of the blooming flower. The one, particular flower. Blood. Ink. Paper. Velvet.
'Sakura.' He decided immediately. 'Though that one was the clearest... And most urgent. I wonder why?'
He concentrated even further, but the tree was unresponsive, just radiating Sakura's 'signature' over and over again with the same sense of urgency.
'Peculiar.' He thought with a frown, taking his hands off the trunk and breaking the connection. 'Very, very peculiar.'
Especially since the faint mental echo followed him even after he reached the first floor of the building.
'Okay. Peculiar, as Anko says, doesn't begin to cover it.' He admitted, quirking an eyebrow. 'A vampiric tree with mental powers? Now I KNOW I've had seen everything.'
And he was DAMN sure it was vampiric, at least slightly. He'd recognize the aura anywhere.
'Question is, just WHY is it the way it is?' He sighed. 'Though considering just WHO it asked for...'
He withdrew one of the sealed blood birds and threw into the air, sending a small bit of power.
"Find her and bring her to me." He commanded. "No excuses. No delays."
The bird screeched, flying out through the open window.
'How does Ino put it? Ah.'
"Never a dull moment."
*
"Her, I sent for." He pointed at guilty looking Sakura. "You, I can understand." He nodded to Ino. "But what the hell are you doing here?"
He said to Anko. The purple haired tokubetsu jounin was, as always, shamelessly hogging his most comfortable chair and already managed to raid his personal snack stash. And liquor cabinet. Though she drank strangely sparingly.
For her, anyway.
"Blondie and the brain here had a little problem..." She threw a sideways glance at a rather pale looking Ino. "Well, a big problem. One that could very well have them thrown out of the Academy. You weren't there, Kurenai's out. Who do you think they could turn to?" She asked with a grin.
Sakura tried to mold herself into the chair she occupied.
"Does this problem has to do with rather peculiar young tree in my garden by any chance?" Naruto asked dryly.
Sakura nodded pitifully.
Naruto rubbed his temples.
"I was afraid of that." He said finally. "Tell me."
They did.
*
He sighed, taking one last bite of his herbal bar. Thanks to Sakura it was actually edible. Tasty, even.
He listened to the both girls carefully then sent both to sleep the excitement off.
He had no idea what to do about it. Nor had he the time to. For now, he had simply forbidden them from contacting the tree forcefully without his supervision. Passive scan was okay. And he doubted she would hurt the girls. The tree felt awfully protective of Sakura and he could interpret the sadness now - it felt guilty of causing Ino harm.
'What a fascinating creature.' He thought in amazement. 'What were the damned odds of something like this happening? Lower than nonexistent. The Lady of Chaos must truly love me, no doubt about it.'
He exhaled loudly, before looking at Anko.
"Might I know just WHY are you robbing me of food and drink... again?"
He liked Anko. She was wholly unlike Kurenai, but he liked her almost as much. She was impatient, arrogant, vicious, uninhibited, chaotic and flashy.
She almost radiated vitality. She was also a little twisted, and, in some ways, just like him. Pariah, to a degree. And like him, she didn't let it get to her. So what if she was twisted? He wasn't a paragon of sanity and morality even on his best days.
She was also brilliant, if unorthodox, shinobi.
Under that gung-ho attitude and brutish methods ticked a sharp, calculating mind with some surprising bits and pieces of rare knowledge. And it wasn't just because her former teacher was Orochimaru.
Anko got up, stretching lazily.
"The upper room. In an hour." She pointed to the ceiling. Dress right."
Naruto frowned, only now noticing a familiar scroll on her belt, one delicately inlaid with jade finish. Probably the only non-combat oriented scroll she had.
"I really don't think there is..."
"No excuses. I'm not askin'." She said calmly. "Be there or I'll fuckin' hunt you down. Got it?" She raised an eyebrow.
Naruto sighed.
"Understood."
*
Naruto sat calmly in seiza, listening to the crackling of fire and the sound of water, taste of traditional sweets already fading from his mouth.
He allowed himself to relax, hiding his arms in the wide sleeves of the kimono.
He eyed the room. It was probably the only one that had never, since the building had been built as an inn shortly after Konoha had been established, had been used by a guest or a tenant. It was rather large and spacious and it used to serve as storage, at least until Naruto bought it.
He had emptied it, planning to use it as a training room, but then used the basement instead. The empty space, full of tatami mats, stood empty. Then Anko somehow got to know about. And proceeded, in her usual manner, to barge in and 'adopt' it.
'Really, I should just tell her to move in.' Naruto smirked. ' Or at least give her her own set of keys. She spends enough time to warrant that.'
Indeed, he would wager that some weeks, Anko spent more time here than at her own apartment.
Though many would get a heart attack and simply die of shock knowing just how the brash jounin spent her time when not drinking and causing havoc.
'Indeed.' He nodded, taking in the offered bowl calmly. 'Who would have suspected that Mitarashi Anko, the violent, brazen and crass bitch queen, was not only interested in tea ceremony, but also performed it with grace and refined charm?'
He sipped the tea and allowed himself to relax, looking at surprisingly graceful hands handling the delicate bowls with utmost care, a dark summer kimono fitting her hair and eyes perfectly. Her face calm, a smallest of smiles dancing in the corner of her mouth.
'Indeed. Who would have thought?'
He bowed slightly.
The ceremony continued.
*
"Calm yet?" She asked.
Naruto nodded.
"Good." She said simply. "Now, where, when and who is going with us?"
Naruto didn't even try to argue.
Kurenai was Anko's best friend, she would never allow to be left out.
'Besides, she just might be useful. Who knows what we can dig up?'
"Since you know just what we are doing, I'll spare you." He threw her a brief scowl. "As to who, Hana is going with us. I'm allowed to take to chuunins with me, as it is continuous B-class, since our target is a sannin."
Anko nodded thoughtfully.
"The Dog girl is a good choice. She's probably the best tracker of her generation and one of the best Inuzuka trackers in some time. And she's handy in combat." She flashed him a savage grin. "Question is, WHO exactly are we going to eviscerate, eh?"
"No idea. Yet." He admitted. "That's why we are going to gather some intel before we start to really search for Tsunade. The village is our first step."
"Going blind. Well, I guess we have no choice here." She muttered. "Do you at last have some idea what it is all about? It might have been an accident, you know. Hidden Rainbow... Nobody knows just WHAT they were capable of when it came to genjutsu, really. But we know it was all unstable as hell and only gotten worse over the years." She grimaced. "Orochimaru-bastard had been fairly obsessed with them for a time, so I know what I'm talking about."
"No." He said simply. "It had been planned, of that I'm fairly sure. We were led there, like a mouse following breadcrumbs. And there was somebody behind that illusion. It was far to dynamic, far too fast to be a static leftover. No." He shook his head. "I don't know yet if it had been meant for us specifically or not, but I won't allow it to happen again. Whoever it is, they will be drowning in their own blood as soon as I get my hands on them."
"Vicious brat, ain't ya?" She grinned. "And you are actually useful without Kurenai to hold our hand. Who wouldda thought?"
"I'm touched." He said dryly. "Pardon me if I won't start jumping from the joy I'm currently experiencing."
*
Naruto unrolled the map.
"All right. This here..." He pointed to the west beyond Suna. "Is Hidden Marsh. Militaristic to the extreme, no civilian administration at all."
"Those guys still think the Third Great Shinobi War rages on." Hana snorted. "The band of paranoid morons, the lot of them."
"They might be morons, but their paranoia will make things difficult." Anko grimaced. "They don't like Konoha much, too. They sided with Iwa during the Wars after all."
"That's why we are going to take the detour through Suna before we get into the Marsh." Naruto pointed at the border. "We will cross the Windscar Pass, make a beeline for Suna and then go north."
Anko's eyebrows shot up.
"That's the way straight to Tenrai." She said surprised. "What are you looking for in THAT scum pond?"
"Scum pond and wretched this city might be, but if we want fresh info about the Marsh, that's the place."
"What's Tenrai?" Hana asked curiously.
"Short version or long?" Anko grinned. "Short version? It is, as the brat would call it, the most wretched hive of scum and villainy in the West. In Tenrai anything and everything has it's price in cash. Anything can be bought or sold, any vice, any favor. Lives, people, futures, pasts... Everything. You need a nukenin, a slave, a poison or an outlawed jutsu? If you have enough cash, you will get it in Tenrai."
"And Suna ALLOWS something like that to exist?" Hana said incuriously.
"They don't exactly have a choice." Naruto shrugged.
Hana blinked.
"Tenrai is controlled by the Syndicate." The blond explained. "They might be criminals, but after the Wars they were the only thing that allowed the Wind Country to rebuild. The Daimyo and Kazekage know this. If they made any move against them, the Wind's economy would take a blow they just might not be able to withstand as things are now. The situation is precarious enough as it is."
"Yeah." Anko nodded. "Even the Sunagakure made some severe budget cuts. They've been partially funded by the Court since the War ended, to help them rebuild. But almost thirty percent of that had been removed a few years ago. The Daimyo simply didn't have the resources."
"So ass long as the Syndicate keeps thing under the lid, the authorities turn the blind eye. Besides, Tenrai acts like a pressure valve of sorts. The Wind is a harsh country full of harsh people." Naruto supplied.
"Live hard. Party hard." Anko grinned. "My kind of place."
"Oh joy." Hana muttered. "Okay, what then? The Hidden Marsh?"
"And the Kamata village." Naruto frowned. "There must be some answers there."
"So, we waltz in, find what we can, shake down who we have to for info and drown the idiots responsible in their own blood and hang them by their own entrails." Anko's kunai embedded itself in Kamata's spot on the map. "Sounds like a party."
"Tsunade first. We have more than enough time." The blond genin corrected her.
"Where is she anyway?" Hana asked, frowning. "And where do we start to look?"
"The Moon Country." Naruto indicated the north-western part of the map.
Anko whistled lowly.
"Fuck me... Now that's a long hike. Though the mountains, too. Count in the Kamata thing.... It'll take us a month to get there. Three weeks if we push it."
"Give or take." Naruto nodded, rolling the map. "Now before we move out, I'd like to make something clear." He looked at both of the women calmly. "This is my mission. You both outrank me, true. But the Hokage gave the mission to me. Meaning here and now, I'm the leader. If any of you have a problem with being ordered around by a genin, speak now."
Anko looked at Hana.
Hana looked at Anko.
They shrugged in unison.
"As long as you don't do anything too stupid." Said Anko.
Hana nodded.
"Your overwhelming faith in me is simply staggering." Naruto said flatly. "Be still, my beating heart. I just might have a stroke."
Hana shrugged again, while Anko simply smirked.
The blond genin sighed.
*
"I hate the desert... That fucking sand gets everywhere." Hana grumbled, shaking off a handful of grains from her hair. Ichimaru whined, clearly exhausted by the heat. Hana wiped the sweat from her brow and eyed the tokubetsu jounin and their blond 'team leader' enviously.
"How come you guys look so fresh?" She asked incuriously.
"Mental discipline." They said in unison.
Hana blinked.
The two shinobi looked at each other and shrugged.
"Mental trick. And some chakra manipulation." Anko said simply.
"You mean... There is a WAY around this fucking heat and you didn't TELL ME?!" The Inuzuka growled.
"Chill, doggie." Anko flicked her hair. "You just didn't ask."
"Some friends you are... Bastards." Hana sulked.
"Probably. Though I can't speak for Anko." Naruto said absently, leafing through a small notepad.
"Who, me?" Anko shrugged. "Never knew my male parent. Mom was a secretive bitch and kinda slept around, so yeah. I guess."
"Oh." Hana lowered her head, cheeks burning with shame. "Sorry."
"Eh, no biggie." Anko waved airily. "Never bothered me none. And do you see blondie there caring for that kind of stuff?" She pointed to Naruto.
"Point." Hana said relieved. "Sorry, none the less. I really..."
Anko rolled her eyes.
"I think I told you it's fine, dog girl?"
Hana shut up.
There was a sudden swirl of sand as five figures in desert ANBU camouflage rose from the earth.
"Halt!" The ANBU captain barked. "Who goes there? Identify yourself! Who are you to trespass on the grounds belonging to the village of the Hidden Sand?"
"Uzumaki Naruto, Mitarashi Anko and Inuzuka Hana." Naruto said calmly. "We are shinobi of Konoha passing through the Suna territory. We are just passing through. We will resupply and rest in Sunagakure, then move on."
The Suna ANBU captain looked at the three shinobi for a moment.
"Papers."
Naruto gave him the appropriate documents without a word.
"It seems everything is in order." The ANBU concluded after a while, gathering the papers and extending them to Anko.
The tokubetsu jounin pointed to Naruto.
The ANBU paused, clearly surprised.
"My apologies." He said after a moment, extending the papers to the blond genin.
Naruto took the passports, his face expressionless.
*
"Oh HELL yeah!" Hana crowed throwing herself on the bed.
"And here I thought you Inuzuka were all wilderness types." Anko smirked. "All wild outdoors, communion with nature, animal spirit... That kind of stuff."
"Not this Inuzuka, thank you very much." Hana sniffed. "I can be as wild as I need... after I sleep." She sighed happily, hogging the pillow. "Oh yeah... That's more like it!"
"Nothing like the small pleasures in life, eh?" Anko shook her head in amusement.
"And don't you forget it!" Hana's growl was muffled by the pillow.
"Whatever floats your boat. Me and Naruto are going out to eat. You coming?"
Hana didn't even stir, already fast asleep.
"Heh." Anko closed the door after herself with a smile.
*
"Interesting place." Naruto muttered, shoveling a hefty dose of noodles in his mouth, before wincing. "But their ramen is... irredeemable." He frowned. "Waitress!" He snapped.
Soon, a petite, smiling brunette appeared by their table.
"Just what is this... thing?" Naruto asked with contempt, poking his 'ramen' with one chopstick.
The girl blinked.
"Umm.... Ramen, sir?" She said hesitantly.
"Ramen?" Naruto leaned towards the waitress, his eyes flashing dangerously. "You... DARE.. to call this... TRAVESTY ramen?" He hissed. "This is no ramen, wench! This is an insult!"
Anko grinned. Naruto's devotion to his ramen was a thing of legend among his friends. It was hilarious to see the 'creepy brat' basically melt with utter bliss at Ichiraku's. His eyes sparkled - SPARKLED - when he ate. It was one time he had showed his age.
Unfortunately, there was a different side of the coin.
Naruto's sheer hate and outrage for the bad ramen was...
"...care! This pitiful, overcooked sludge isn't even a soup. It tarnishes the name of ramen everywhere by just existing...!"
Through the whole tirade, the poor girl had been inching away a little bit more with each venomously hissed word. By now she had her back firmly on the wall and looked close to tears.
Anko shook her head in amusement, chewing on yet another dango.
It was good she didn't have such an unhealthy addiction to food...
She frowned, chewing the dango carefully.
The tokubetsu jounin scowled.
"WAITRESS!" She growled, murder in her eyes.
*
"Oh man... That was good..." Anko moaned, unwilling to move even an inch.
"And free." Naruto smirked.
Their verbal assault ended with the three waitresses in tears, the cook in a state of nervous breakdown and the owner in spasms.
It also ended with the free food from the VIP menu.
'Being a bitch pays.' Anko thought blissfully, toasting her friend with a glass of the iced tea.
Naruto raised his glass lazily.
"Sir? And miss?" The young waitress looked at them nervously. "Are you done?"
Anko quirked an eyebrow.
"We're in no rush." She said lazily.
"Miss..." The girl fretted. "The guest... It would be best if you finish your drinks and... go."
"You got something against the Leaf, eh? Is that it?" Anko scowled dangerously.
"No! Nononono!" The waitress shook her head vigorously. "In fact, we like the Leaf! We like the Leaf a lot! We like you so... drinks are on the house! But please..."
Naruto stiffened.
'What...?'
He senses swept the area.
"Anko."
The jounin looked at him.
"We're leaving." He said curtly.
"What the hell are you...?" She said with a frown.
"We are leaving." He said tonelessly.
Anko drained her tea with one sip.
Whenever Naruto sounded like that, he had a reason.
A damn good one, too.
They got up and the waitress sighed with relief, before starting to close to shop quickly.
*
"What the HELL was that about, blondie?" Anko grumbled. "I've been enjoying myself, you know. That tea was actually..."
"Didn't you find it weird that such a good little coffee shop had so few clients?" Naruto said absently. "Almost all of them foreign merchants, too."
The purple haired jounin frowned.
"Now that you said it..." She muttered. "Yeah, kind of weird." She looked at him sharply. "But that alone wouldn't be enough to spook you."
"Fear." The blond said simply. "The woman radiated fear. She practically STANK of it. It almost choked me. Not the normal fear either. Terror. Raw, unadulterated terror. And... there was something else there. Something..." He shook his head. "An echo unlike anything I have ever felt."
Anko, despite herself, was getting worried.
She had never asked just how Naruto knew, but when he said he felt something, he did.
She didn't know why. Maybe it was because of the Kyuubi? Who knew what the Nine Tails was capable of, after all. Even sealed.
But Naruto's senses were incredibly acute and his instincts spot on.
And if the usually calm blond was actually worried...
"I think it's time to get some sleep." She said finally.
Naruto nodded and they turned to go to their hotel.
The blond froze and this time even Anko felt it, a faint trace of a barely contained killer intent. But it wasn't directed at anything in particular. It just... was.
Her eyes, as if on their own, went forward.
There stood the red haired boy around Naruto's age, a large gourd on his back.
"You..." He said looking at Naruto with level of focus only madmen or possessed were capable of. "You... Mother says you stink of blood... She says... that you have lives etched on your soul by the score..."
As he spoke, Anko noticed that his eyes were sunken and had the distinct shadows of a person who hadn't slept in a long time.
She also noted with surprise that the gourd opened somehow and the sand was leaking from it slowly, but with increasing intensity.
"Are you... Can you prove it?" He smiled maniacally. "My existence? Can you... prove it? Are you... strong?" He grabbed his head for a moment, hissing in obvious pain. "Yesssss... Strong... Strong blood. The blood of the Red Tree..."
He snapped his head up.
"You..." he growled. "Mother says she longs to taste your blood... Your cursed, powerful blood!" The redhead hissed, his eyes crazed, losing even that faint trace of sanity they held before.
The gourd exploded as the sand it held rushed forward.
Anko cursed, jumping back.
Naruto tried to follow, but the sand rushed at him with unbelievable speed.
The kunoichi extended her hand, calling forth her snakes to snatch the blond, knowing it was too late.
The explosion blinded her for a moment.
"Naruto!" She screamed looking helplessly as the sound blasted all around.
She took a step forward but a strong arm caught her.
"Be silent! Don't anger HIM!" A voice she recognized as the ANBU that stopped them earlier hissed into her ear.
"Fuck you! Naruto...!" She snarled, trying to break free.
"Shut up!" The man hissed. "That boy is already dead... and he should count himself lucky that Gaara-sama didn't use his Sabaku Kyuu on him!" She could hear the undisguised fear in the man's voice. "Gods... please, let it be enough..." He muttered
Anko growled, straining, but the man had caught her well. She couldn't move.
She gritted her teeth, starting to call forth her snakes when the large dust cloud finally dissipated.
Anko smirked.
'Heh. That brat... Of course he wouldn't have died so easily.'
Naruto stood there, his left sleeve ripped wide open, the custom made seals still smoking.
He looked down at his feet at the broken pieces of steel.
His eyes narrowed.
"You know... that was my only large shield." He said looking at Gaara. "It was a custom job... The best Yukigakure steel... Do you know how much one of those costs... sand brat?"
"Oh... gods..." The man holding her whispered with dead voice.
Gaara's eyes opened wide.
"You... You survived ?!" He shrieked gleefully. "Mother... this time I will give you something nice!" The sand erupted again.
Naruto jumped left and used the wall to gain even more altitude.
The sand still followed.
'Stubborn bastard... and powerful.' He frowned, twisting away from sand wave mid air. 'And why the hell are those ANBU just standing around ?!'
He growled.
When he took care of the sand brat, somebody was going to die.
He eyed the sand as he fell down.
'Unless I do something, he will catch me... And with his level of control he can use it to reduce my mobility and crush me.' His eyes narrowed. 'I can use the gen-'
Anko's eyes widened as the sand covered Naruto from head to with an almost unreal speed.
"My god... I never knew it was this fast." The ANBU muttered, before turning to her. "That's it. I'm sorry, but your friend is dead. The desert coffin... Nobody escapes that. It's impossible."
"Sabaku Kyu!" Gaara cackled. "DIE! SABAKU SOSO!" He clenched his palms.
The sand seemed to expand briefly, before squeezing.
There was a strange, squishing sound.
Some red liquid burst from the sand cocoon.
"Blood... BLOOD!" Gaara's eyes were wild and joyful. "See mother? SEE?! Only the good blood!"
Gaara laughed on madly.
Anko snarled, before freezing.
She looked at the liquid that fell from the cocoon carefully and hung her head.
There was a strange, chocked sound from the jounin's throat.
The ANBU shook his head sadly.
"I'm sorry for your friend." He said sincerely. "It is a shame... Gaara-sama's ultimate power..."
The purple haired woman threw her head back, and the ANBU captain only now noticed that she hadn't been crying. She was laughing. Laughing like a madwoman.
"Ultimate power?" She looked at the ANBU, a mad glint in her eye. "Kid... Ultimate power...?" She smirked.
ANBU's eyes widened as the sand started to bubble, then waver and twist and expand rapidly.
"What ultimate power?" Anko sneered.
The sand coffin exploded, revealing the blond genin, his hair matted with something liquid and red, the very same liquid staining the sword in his hand.
'Blood?!' the ANBU captain thought incuriously.
Naruto glared at Gaara and, impossibly, the blood from his hair trickled down, gathering on the edge of his sword as if possessing it's own will.
A faint, crimson smoke started rising from his palms and skin.
"Heh... Now that sand brat had gone and done it...The Ketsumei.... and Shinkou as well..." The purple haired woman shook her head "I think you're gonna be one Suna brat short soon little ANBU." She looked at the shocked ANBU with glee.
Naruto growled.
"Oooh... Lookie. He's pissed. Imagine that." Anko said with interest. "I wonder if he will...?"
The former wraith put his index and middle fingers on the blade near the pommel, drawing them entire length of the edge. "...Ketsumei..." The red mist exploded. A loud shriek filled the air as sinuous form of a blood dragon rose from the sword.
"Oh yeah! I knew it!" Anko grinned, looking at the crimson form coiling around Naruto with appreciation. "Hell yeah! This never gets old!"
Naruto didn't waste time for speeches or flashy posturing.
He swung the sword.
Gaara's eyes widened.
The dragon exploded forward, a crimson river of blood, hunger and power.
The sand rose.
The blood dragon didn't even slow down, crashing into the shield with a howl of glee.
After the short struggle, the sand exploded, and the dragon moved at Gaara again.
Another wall of sand, even more desperate, rose in defense of the redhead.
Gaara's eyes were wide, but this time ha tasted a foreign emotion as the dragon crashed through another shield - fear.
The crowd watched with bated breath as the dragon ripped through the sand, a wave after a wave ripped apart by the crimson beast.
Then, with the last wave, raised so desperately by the redheaded jinchuuriki, it was over.
The Dragon exploded with a shriek, coating the alley in red.
Gaara, eyes bloodshot, sneered at Naruto, who stood there with his sword out.
"Youuuuu....!" He shrieked, making a handseal after a handseal.
The ANBU captain, having witnessed the technique once before, felt his eyes widen.
"RETREAT!"
"RYUUSA BAKUR-Aaaaah!" The ANBU stood in disbelief, watching the sword piercing Gaara's ultimate defense and cutting into his shoulder.
The blond genin slowly appeared behind Gaara as his genjutsu unraveled. The clone in the front poofed out of existence silently.
Naruto growled, struggling with the sword.
He looked up, to see the tall man, his green eyes looking down dispassionately from his veiled face as his hand held the hilt of his weapon.
Gaara stopped shrieking and just looked at his bloodstained arm dumbly.
"Blood...Blood... MY BLOOD!" He screamed.
Naruto's eyes widened as he felt an incredible surge of energy. The veiled man's arm moved with astonishing speed, hitting the Suna genin on the neck, sending him crashing down and unconscious before he hit the ground.
"Using your own blood and water to negate Gaara's ultimate defense... Well done, boy. But how did you get enough water...? Now that, is the question." The green eyes narrowed. "Boy, your name?"
"Uzumaki Naruto." The blond said, forcing himself to calm down.
His every instinct told him to kill the redhead now, eliminate him at any cost. But fighting against a Kage would be a suicide.
'And what 'ultimate defense' ?' Naruto felt like snorting. 'Enough liquid and it crumbles like the wet tissue paper. Feh.'
"Uzumaki... Naruto..." The Kazekage said slowly, as if in surprise, before nodding. "Well then, Uzumaki Naruto, I await you tomorrow in my tower. My attendants will show you the way. Until then." The man vanished in a puff of shunshin, Gaara's unconscious form vanishing with him.
Naruto frowned, before shrugging.
He sent a small pulse of chakra through the sword, clearing it of wet, sticky sand and blood, before sheathing it.
He took a step towards Anko, but stopped.
None of the ANBU moved.
He looked up, face expressionless.
"You are in my way." He said simply. "Move."
Like a one man, the Sunagakure ANBU squad cleared away from the path.
Naruto walked to the purple haired jounin.
"Let's go."
Anko smirked.
Without looking back, the duo left shell shocked ANBU, several ninja and civilian bystanders behind.
*
"...regretfully. Please enjoy the hospitality of Sunagakure to the fullest." The monotone couldn't quite hide the nervousness the young chuunin felt as Naruto's eyes bored into his.
There was no killer intent but...
Naruto looked at the man, his face utterly expressionless.
"Leave. Now." He said curtly.
Anko had to admit she had never seen a faster shunshin.
She slammed her fist into the wall angrily.
"Son of a bitch!" She spat
Naruto didn't utter a word, but Hana could easily pick the simmering rage the blond radiated. And his scent was getting angrier by the second.
"Four days. Four FUCKING days!" Anko growled. "Who the fuck does he think he is?!"
"The Kazekage?" Hana said flatly.
Anko glared at her.
"Listen, I know you aren't exactly... pleased. But we can't ignore that." Hana said placatingly. "He is the leader of an allied village. If we simply left, the political fallout for ignoring him..." She winced. "Our alliance with Suna is tenuous as it is."
"Shit..." Anko spat, biting her lip angrily. "What a goddamn fucking mess..." She threw herself on the bed, staring at the ceiling for a moment.
"This stinks." She said after a moment
"Anko, I know you're not happy..." Hana started.
"No. The situation." Anko outstretched her hand, as if to grab something. "Don't you feel it? Something... ain't right. I mean, Naruto gets in the scuffle with the freaky sand kid. All right. But... Why the invitation? If he wanted to resolve the situation, he'd tell us to meet him the very same day. And now this? Four days because he has 'urgent business to attend to, sorry, feel free to have fun'?" She snorted. "This doesn't make sense. The way it has been phrased, he's basically giving us a free ride in Sunagakure, all expenses paid by the Kazekage himself. He even went so far as o relocate us to 'more fitting quarters."
Anko waved her away impatiently.
"Don't you see? This whole situation... Fuck. It rings all sort of wrong bells, no matter how you look at it." Anko frowned. "I KNOW that there is something we don't see here, but I've got a damnest feeling there is more than first, second or even third layer of 'underneath the underneath' here."
Hana looked at her skeptically, but Naruto nodded slowly.
"The red haired sand brat. He's the key." The blond said, narrowing his eyes. "I don't know how or why, but he is at the root of this whole thing."
"We need more data." Anko frowned. "Shit, this is going to be complicated. We need to be good little shinobi. That severely limits options."
"Not necessarily." Hana took off her vest and slipped off her kunai pouch. With one swift move she let her hair, in her usual, practical ponytail, loose. "Can you do the dynamic layer genjutsu thing on me, the way Kurenai did during that infiltration mission in winter?" She threw in Naruto's general direction as she walked to the bathroom.
"It is semi-dynamic, self sustaining triple layer cover genjutsu." Naruto said offended. "Not a 'genjutsu thing'. But yes. I am more than capable of that."
"Whatever." Hana's voice floated from he bathroom. "Time?"
"Days, up to a week if necessary." Naruto shrugged. "It is not the most chakra intensive jutsu. Only problem with it is the level of complication and variables due to the differing chakra systems."
"Excellent." Hana purred.
Naruto looked at Anko quizzically.
"Don't ask me." The jounin shrugged. "I ain't got no fuckinÆ idea."
There was a sound of running water and a... hum?
"What the fuck is she doing there?" Anko muttered curiously, as she noticed steam coming from under the door.
"Hmm... I had no idea she had a singing voice." Naruto said thoughtfully. "Nice. Low but melodious. How interesting."
"What are you, a critic?" Anko grumbled, obviously dying out of curiosity, judging by her eyes focused on the door.
"Musician." Naruto corrected absently, listening to Hana's singing.
Anko turned tot he blond just stared.
"I..." She stared, before shaking her head. "You know, I don't think much more will surprise me about you anymore." She said with exasperation. "You never told me you play."
"I didn't?" Naruto asked puzzled.
"Nah." She shook her head. "So, what is it?"
"A guitar. Sort of."
"You any good?" The jounin asked curiously.
"Passable." The blond shrugged.
"Shit. Who wouldda thought." Anko grinned. "Soul of an artist. What next? Poetry?"
Naruto threw her a withering look.
"Right, forgot who I'm speaking to." Anko said with exaggerated sigh, stretching on the covers like cat. "But then you're so down to earth it'd probably go right over your head anyway. Too young to know good thing as well."
Naruto's eyebrow twitched.
Anko snickered.
"The annoying spirit
of a woman,
white-dyed coat."
The jounin looked at Naruto incuriously.
The blond smirked.
"Her body
curved on a couch
a smile."
Anko smiled pleasantly, a glint in her eye.
The blond genin frowned.
The two stared at each other without batting an eye.
"Anko, can you throw me my bag?" Hana called from the bathroom.
The purple haired jounin grabbed the satchel and threw it into the bathroom without a word.
"Sheesh! Not quite that hard!" Hana grumbled.
"Don't bitch, doggie." Anko shouted without pulling away her eyes from the impromptu staring contest. "What, you some delicate flower or something?"
"As a matter of fact..."
There was a whiff of delicate perfume and distinct sound of silk.
Contest temporarily forgotten, two pairs of eyes, one cerulean other brown, widened.
The hair were loose and shone with health, make up had been masterfully applied softening sharper Inuzuka features, making the face exotic instead of attractively fierce. The summer kimono was modest, but it was modesty that hid everything while promising all.
Inuzuka Hana smirked.
"My name
drowned,
on your tongue."
She looked at Naruto, who sat on his bed, frozen.
She snapped her fingers.
Without a word, the blond started weaving seals. A short while after, the Inuzuka kunoichi underwent a subtler, but in some respect even more drastic transformation, her features shifting gently, her crimson markings vanishing, hair gaining a more lustrous shade, eyes changing color and body softening, while becoming more alluring.
Anko whistled lowly as Naruto finished.
If she met Hana on the street now, she'd never recognize her. And, best of all, she didn't even feel the chakra used, like with the henge. Hana even felt like a civilian woman.
The Inuzuka waved at them airily, blowing a kiss and a wink, before vanishing with a silent puff of a shunshin.
Naruto gave Anko a sideways look.
"Dark rose
the sun lights it
as she blooms."
Anko chuckled, reaching for a fresh sake bottle and two saucers.
"Her hips,
swing ahead
of my taste."
She poured the alcohol to the containers, giving one to Naruto.
"Damn." The jounin sighed. "She schooled us. Who knew?"
Naruto smiled wryly, rising his saucer with a pose of overly tragic dignity.
"No blossoms and no moon
we are drinking sake,
all alone."
The woman laughed.
*
As easy as the passage might have seemed, the dogs managed to catch his scent several times even before he walked through the gates.
In a way, the Inuzuka Clan compound had the best security in all of Konoha. It didn't need walls, gates, fancy security seals or thousand of other things.
If Inuzuka Clan didn't want you to get in, you couldnÆt get in. Not unless you wanted a pack of war dogs bigger than some ponies to tear you apart into tiny, meaty pieces.
Naruto stopped, looking at the large, one eyed black dog.
"Kuromaru." He nodded. One eye opened. Probably out of courtesy, since the beast knew Naruto had been around from the beginning. Kuromaru's senses were legendary, even for an Inuzuka war dog.
"Hana?"
Kuromaru's sole ear flicked to the left, in direction of the Inuzuka veterinary clinic.
"My thanks." Naruto was about to turn on his heel, before a low rumble stopped him.
"Naruto."
It was an odd thing, but he and Inuzuka dogs had an odd sense of... understanding, if you might call it that. One that stemmed from one of the first missions he took with more than Kurenai, when Hana was still a genin. Instead of her Haimaru kyodai, the gray triplets, her mother ordered her to take Kuromaru with her. 'Just in case.' When Naruto first saw the grizzled beast, Kuromaru just looked at the blond. Naruto stared in return.
There was no baring of fangs, no growls.
Just the focused, intense staredown.
Then the boy and the dog simply nodded to each other slowly.
That was all.
Hana and Kurenai just stood there. Kurenai bewildered, Hana seriously freaked.
The mission went off without a hitch. It went perfectly, even, to Kurenai's amazement.
Most non-Inuzuka had a difficult time adapting to working with he war dogs, finding it hard to understand just how intelligent and useful the beasts were.
Naruto had no such problems. Indeed, he and Kuromaru worked like a perfectly oiled, deadly machine without so much as missing a step, almost as well as an Inuzuka might have. Not quite, but close enough.
It was only after the mission was over that Hana noticed that the grizzled alpha-dog never once called Naruto a brat, rookie or runt, like he was prone to when dealing with young genin, sometimes even chuunin. But with Naruto, he didn't. Not. Even. Once.
"You takin' the girl on a mission." Kuromaru said as a matter of factly.
Naruto nodded.
"Bad idea." He said after a moment of silence. "The pups got wounded. Two out of commission. Not battle ready. Dangerous."
"Sorry. Can't wait." Naruto said honestly. Honesty was best policy with Kuromaru. The alpha-dog would sense a lie. And sniff it as well. And he hated liars. "It is too important."
The dog looked at him, silent for moment.
"Pack matters. Nasty business, that." He said, baring fangs in distaste.
Naruto quirked an eyebrow.
"Word travels fast, I see." He said dryly.
"Smell, not word." The huge dog snorted. "Anger. Indignation. Worry. Rage. Hurt. Like a cloud around you, all over you." He grunted. "Just mind the girl and bring her in one piece."
"It's only a simple search and retrieve mission. I need Hana for her tracker abilities. I don't think there will be any fighting." Naruto said shrugging.
"I ain't no fool, don't take me for one, pup." The dog growled. "Pack matters. They tried to take from you. You will take vengeance. Just don't lose yer head. Or her. All I'm askin'."
Naruto nodded slowly.
Sometimes he forgot jus how damn perceptive Kuromaru was.
"Understood." The blond said curtly.
"Good." The dog closed his eye again. "After the thing is done, ya don' need to hurry back. Take yer time."
Naruto looked at the dog suspiciously.
Kuromaru opened eye again minutely, a glint of amusement in it.
"Just an advice." He opened his jaws in an equivalent of a grin. "A good one."
Frowning Naruto walked in the direction of the clinic.
Kuromaru observed the blond through the half lidded eye.
The girl was ready and, in Kuromaru's opinion, would be quite willing soon.
They were already close friends. It would be only a matter of time.
After all, she was strong, cunning, capable and, as humans judged it, very attractive.
Sure, the blond pup might be a little young, but he was strong. And if what Kuromaru's nose sensed was true, he was very, very near to being ready.
The dog smirked.
There was something primal and predatory about him and it wasn't the Big Fox, of that Kuromaru was quite sure.
The boy had an aura he had rarely seen beside Inuzuka clan, something that struck a chord in the alpha-dog the moment he saw the blond genin. Something fierce, primal just under the surface.
The pups that those two would have would make his pack even stronger than it already was, his every instinct told him that.
And the two females, the blond one and the pink one... They smelled interesting. Different. Like grass, and cherry tree and blood. Strong blood. Like Naruto. Only weaker.
And they would be strong too. Not as strong as the boy, but strong. They had good blood, his nose told him that. And the blond one was loyal, a trait she shared with the pink one.
They would be good for the Pack.
Monogamy was a silly human concept, anyway.
And it wasn't like he was pushing them. He just... let the things have their course.
With a little bit of timely assistance, of course.
Kuromaru went back to his nap, very pleased with himself.
His Pack would be stronger. And in the end, that's all that mattered.
*
Hana looked at him with sympathy in her eyes.
"Heard what happened. Sorry about Kurenai."
Naruto nodded, stoically.
"That is why I'm here." He said simply. "Kurenai's coma can't be healed by the medic nins. Not those we have in Konoha at the present time, at any rate. We need a person who can go beyond them."
"Damn." Hana whistled. "No wonder you came to me. You're thinking of tracking Tsunade of the Sannin. You'll definitely need a good tracker for that."
"Yes."
"Okay." Hana nodded. "I'm in. When are we leaving?"
The blond blinked.
"Oh don't be so surprised." She snorted. "The day Inuzuka Hana leaves her friend hangin' is the day I slit my own throat. I just need to go to the Tower to inform them I'm takin' a break and I'm ready to go."
"You won't need to." Naruto informed her. "Hokage already made this a continuous B-class mission. I'm allowed a choice of two shinobi up to chuunin to accompany me on the search."
"Cool." Hana smiled. "Who else is going with us?"
Naruto shrugged.
"You're all I need, to be honest. Anyone else would be just a hindrance."
"Got it." She nodded. "When?"
"Tomorrow. I need to take care of a few things first."
"Okay." She cocked her head. "Just so you know, Nimaru and Sanmaru are wounded and I'm down to Ichimaru. So I'm not exactly hundred percent here combat wise."
"I know." Naruto nodded. "Kuromaru told me. I don't think we will be fighting at all. We just need to find her and bring her back to heal Kurenai. Nothing else."
Hana looked at him incuriously.
"Yeah, riiight. And if you believe that, I have a nice bridge in Wave to sell you." She snorted. "What do you think I am, four years old or something?"
Naruto looked at her, face utterly expressionless.
"Oooooh, the stone-cold maniac routine." Hana quirked an eyebrow ." You're really pissed. Somebody's gonna die gruesomely very soon, methinks."
'First the dog, now her.' Naruto thought with distaste. 'Perfect skill at masking my emotions. Really.'
Hana smirked.
"The nose, Naruto." She patted it lightly. "It never lies. Besides, once you get THAT look in your eyes..." She shrugged. "What's the plan, then? Vengeance before, or after?"
"Intel first." The blond said firmly. "Then Tsunade. Kurenai is the most important here. After..." He trailed off, a dangerous glint in his eyes.
Hana smirked.
That was one of the reasons she really liked Naruto.
The blond genin had his priorities straight.
*
Unlike almost every time he went there, he didn't stop to admire the masterful workmanship of gleaming weaponry gathered in the shop, but whet straight for the source.
The massive blade sang ominously as he swung it through the air carefully.
"Fifty five centimeters long, five centimeters wide. Nearly two kilograms worth of the best, chakra purified, highly carbonized steel straight from the mines of the Snow Country." Meirang lit a cigarette with a short Katon jutsu, taking a long drag.
"Wide, massive for it's size and utterly straight blade. No fireworks. Simple. Sharp. Point for thrust and an edge for cutting. The balance is flawless." She exhaled the smoke. "That is the simplest fancy weapon I have made yet. Since the last time I made something for you, anyway." She cocked her head slightly o the left. "What is your obsession with this one shape, I have no idea. Why won't you take a katana, or even kodachi, if you want a sword so much?"
Naruto made a powerful thrust, then spun in a half circle smoothly going into quarter. He made a quick swiping move to the right, followed by a diagonal cut.
It was no Thorn, but the sword moved flawlessly.
Meirang had done excellent job, as always.
"It is called a broadsword." He stopped, looking at the blade for a moment, before shrugging. "Large, modified broadsword. But still a broadsword."
"Broadsword, then." She looked at him curiously. "Why? Not that it's a bad weapon, mind you. But it's heavy, tad unwieldy comparing to the katana and I've yet to see a sword style in Konoha that would teach to wield something like that."
She smirked, eying Naruto's next, lightning quick sequence of moves that looked rather nasty, especially that diagonal cut that turned into a sudden, sneaky thrust mid-way.
"Though you don't seem to have any problems."
Naruto shrugged again.
He had wielded the Thorn for over three centuries, give or take. He would like to call himself rather proficient in the art of fighting with the broadsword.
Oh, he had used spears and axes nearly as much, but the sword was always his favorite. Axes were a little too imprecise, even if the dealt a lot of damage, and you couldn't use the spear everywhere. Not like the sword. Precision and damage in one, deadly package.
It was tad long for him, as he was now, but he would grow into it quickly. Very quickly, if what he suspected about the Kyuubi's chakra influencing his body was true.
And it wasn't like he hadn't used larger blades before. He'd adapt.
He always did.
"Flawless work, Meirang. As always. You are truly a master of your craft."
"Yeah, yeah. I'm great, true artist. Yadda, yadda, yadda and all that rot. Heard that before." The tall woman waved her bare, muscular arm. "Just don't break this one too fast."
"No promises. But I'll try."
"Brat." The woman grumbled, but smiled none the less.
Meirang was a beautiful woman, Naruto had to admit. Especially when she smiled, but delicate flower of womanhood she wasn't.
Taller than most men, and more muscular as well from working in the forge, she none the less never lacked the male admirers. She wasn't a grotesque mountain of muscle, but she was built like an amazon from legends.
She had the strength of one, too.
"How much do I owe you, Mei?"
"You know, if you weren't such a DAMN good client and came so fuckin' often that you're practically family..." She grinned, slamming her fist into the nearby rock. Her eyebrow twitched. The rock broke. "I think I'd have to smack you. But I won't. Yet."
Naruto smirked. Meirang had skin thicker than an elephant to but one thing - her name.
Any kind of shortening, cutesy additions or changes suffered a swift and merciless death. And the person who dared to speak to her suffered a concussion and a few broken bones.
So far Naruto had managed to avoid both.
"As to the payment, don't be so hasty yet. Come on. I got something to show you." Meirang closed the shop then walked deep into the forge.
Naruto followed her until they were in the testing area, that sometimes doubled as an extra storage.
Effortlessly, the blacksmith brought down a large chest, then she opened it and rummaged through it for a second.
"Ah. Here it is!" She muttered with satisfaction, taking out a medium sized, thin container.
Carefully she popped the lid.
"Go on. Look inside." She said with a smirk.
Naruto followed the command and gaped.
Matte black with silenced finish, half-shoulder pads, clearly built for swordsmen, providing protection for shoulders without lowering the mobility.
Variable, adjustable breastplate. Chakra-welded chains in vulnerable points for added protection. Thin, but durable gauntlets from reinforced mesh, covered with several strips of high-quality steel...
"Is it...?" Naruto asked slowly, his eyes devouring the armor set.
"A yup." Meirang smiled lazily. "A-class Yukigakure skirmish armor. Not some fragile shit like the current line up they are using. Chakra armor, my ass." Meirang spat. "No. This is the good, old stuff. From before that punk Doto came to power. All chakra forged steel, every ounce of it forged from highest quality materials available. Not as durable as a full set of quality assault armor, but this," she patted the breastplate. "you'd be able to hide even under normal clothes, with nobody being the wiser. It is also insulated, acid-resistant and very good at handling extreme temperatures." She grinned. "I wouldn't recommend walking into Karyuu En Dan, tho'. The armor would hold, but you'd bake alive."
"How much?" Naruto said, not taking his eyes of the armor.
"More than you can afford." Meirang said shrugging. "Hell, more than most shinobi can afford, really. It's a collector's item now. There's maybe a hundred of those left."
Naruto forced himself to shake off the slight trance to look at the blacksmith.
"You'd be surprised just what I can afford." He said flatly.
"Not this, kiddo." She shook her head. "Believe me. I know you've got money, what with the restaurant, the club and that little house in the red lights district." She smirked at Naruto's narrowed eyes. "Oh don't worry, don't worry. I won't tell anybody. As I said, you're almost family! And you always give me such damn interesting projects, too. I wouldn't dream of ending our successful relationship." She smirked.
Naruto sighed, eying the armor set with longing, before turning away.
"Now, now." Meirang stopped him before he walked out. "Not so fast, boyo. I said you can't AFFORD it. But I didn't say you wouldn't be able to get it, now did I?"
Naruto's eyebrows shot up.
"I'm listening."
"Now, we both know you are damn good with weapons. Not just the sword, shuriken and those atrocities they dare to call kunai, but I call pieces of shitty made crap."
Naruto rolled his eyes at that.
"Point is, the weapon you're using are..." Shi pointed at the sword he had in the sheath on his back. "Like that. Uncommon. Rare. Exotic. Or just plain weird. But useful and effective." She cocked her head. "Some of them, like that strange quasi-shuriken thing you insist on experimenting with, I have never even heard of. I'd LOVE to hear just what gave you THAT kind of idea, by the way." She said thoughtfully, before getting back on track.
"Now I have no idea who exactly taught you, when, how, why and for what purpose. I don't give a fuck if Kyuubi itself taught you." She said with a dry grin. "But you KNOW stuff."
Naruto frowned.
"Is there a point to this?" He asked warily.
"Oh sure there is." Meirang grinned "See, I have a daughter. Whom you know, or at least know OF. Point is, my sweet little kid wants to be the greatest weapon specialist that ever lived. And you know what? She just might make it. Girl's got talent, gotta admit. So, like every good mother, I intend to help her to achieve her dreams. So, Naruto...." Her grin got wider. "Let's make a little deal..."
*
Spin.
Kickback.
Spin.
The blade made a perfect arc, then rose and fell, a single chopping move.
Upper thrust. Back into position.
Defensive, but aggressive.
Lunge. Just enough to carve the shadow.
The blade stopped mid-swing, utterly motionless.
Slowly, ever so slowly, the tip made a perfect circle as it spun.
Naruto closed his eyes, listening to the low, almost inaudible hum.
This was good. Very good.
Last few blades he had used had been light. Flimsy.
He could use them. He did use them.
But there was nothing quite like the feel of a proper sword in your hand.
He pointed the blade down and knelt, a sheen of sweat on his brow.
He closed his eyes, resting the forehead on the hilt.
Even with current events, he felt better with a trusty sword in his grip.
Lazily, he opened his eyes and drew his palm over the edge, cutting, piercing, letting the blood fall.
Slowly, without any hurry, he drew a rune after rune, seal after seal.
It was a delicate work, the finishing touch for the weapon.
And the last resort as well.
His every attempt at recreating even the merest shadow of the Thorn failed miserably. But he did discover several... interesting applications for the Blood Script and Seal hybrids along the way.
The moment the last seal had been made, the blade drank greedily, absorbing the red liquid with abandon.
Carefully, Naruto traced the edge of the blade.
This time, there was a faint, almost electric feeling. And hunger.
The blond smirked.
He could release the little nightmare he had created only once, but when he did...
'Though a way of storing them, or casting them without such complicated measures would be welcome.' He though with a frown. 'No matter. I will find a way. Somehow'
He sheathed the weapon and grabbed a towel, wiping the sweat.
He was dead tired already, but he needed t saturate the sword with his chakra and let the little surprise he sealed into it become familiar with his presence, learn to know just who was the master here.
And for that he needed the time.
He eyed his jacket, hanging by the tree critically.
'Little short. I grew again.' He grimaced. Vampiric bodies didn't have such problems. They didn't sweat or burned with exhaustion as well. Still, he preferred it that way.
To a point.
He reached for it, before stiffening.
His hand sneaked to the hilt as he slowly turned around, sweeping the area, both with his eyes and with his senses.
'There is nothing here but...'
He frowned.
'Why am I...?'
His eyes widened and he turned his head sharply.
He looked at Sakura's tree, in full bloom and looking healthier than it had in a long time. Unnaturally healthy, even.
He touched the trunk softly and almost jumped back.
"What the HELL?!"
The tree felt... It felt...
'Alive... yet not. Of Matter.... Yet not... A Spirit creature in mortal coil.' He thought dumbly. The last time he had felt something like that had been years ago, a world apart. 'My god...'
The tree felt like a creature of Underworld. Of Spectral Realm. But it felt... hungry. Like...
'A vampire!'
He shook his head slowly.
The only creature that had similar aura, the only creature that was alive yet undead vampiric creature and a sprit wraith at the same time... Was him.
He touched the trunk again, this time extending a probe gently.
Going head on would be akin to mentally jumping down the cliff.
Head first.
It was faint, but...
'There IS something there.' He decided finally. 'It is young. Very simple. But very determined. And... unhappy?'
He blinked.
It actually felt emotions?
'So maybe not so simple after all... Just inexperienced. And young. Like... Like a child! That's what it reminds me of!' He thought astonished. 'My god... Just what are you?'
There was a brief stab of awareness. Sad. Then joyful. Like a greeting. Warm.
"Hello there, young one." Naruto murmured, smiling slightly.
The tree shook gently, a wave of recognition and fuzzy happiness rolling off it.
There was a mental 'scent' there. Blood. Chill, like when he walked through shadows. Hunger. Scent of wind in the evening. And water that was not water.
'Now what that might...?'
He felt a brief stab as feeling intensified. Blood. A sharp, even tone of...
'Edge...? Is it... Ah! She means ME!'
He had no idea how he knew the tree was a 'she'. He just did.
There was a flash of warmth, which he took as a confirmation.
Then there was another chain of thoughts.
The sweet scent, a flowery one. But nothing he could identify, as if somebody had thrown in several flowers in a haphazard mix.
There was also spice, sharp and crisp. Morning. He felt warmth of the morning sun, but crisp chill as well. Flowing river of azure and gold.
'Now why is this so fam...'
A realization hit him.
'Ino!'
It felt like Ino's mental aura when she wasn't covering it with shields and barriers!
The tree sent a jumble of emotions. Hurt. Pain. But not the tree. Other. Sad.
'Now about that, I have no idea.' Naruto thought puzzled.
The tree sent another, this one the clearest.
The touch of gentle petals. Overpowering scent of the blooming flower. The one, particular flower. Blood. Ink. Paper. Velvet.
'Sakura.' He decided immediately. 'Though that one was the clearest... And most urgent. I wonder why?'
He concentrated even further, but the tree was unresponsive, just radiating Sakura's 'signature' over and over again with the same sense of urgency.
'Peculiar.' He thought with a frown, taking his hands off the trunk and breaking the connection. 'Very, very peculiar.'
Especially since the faint mental echo followed him even after he reached the first floor of the building.
'Okay. Peculiar, as Anko says, doesn't begin to cover it.' He admitted, quirking an eyebrow. 'A vampiric tree with mental powers? Now I KNOW I've had seen everything.'
And he was DAMN sure it was vampiric, at least slightly. He'd recognize the aura anywhere.
'Question is, just WHY is it the way it is?' He sighed. 'Though considering just WHO it asked for...'
He withdrew one of the sealed blood birds and threw into the air, sending a small bit of power.
"Find her and bring her to me." He commanded. "No excuses. No delays."
The bird screeched, flying out through the open window.
'How does Ino put it? Ah.'
"Never a dull moment."
*
"Her, I sent for." He pointed at guilty looking Sakura. "You, I can understand." He nodded to Ino. "But what the hell are you doing here?"
He said to Anko. The purple haired tokubetsu jounin was, as always, shamelessly hogging his most comfortable chair and already managed to raid his personal snack stash. And liquor cabinet. Though she drank strangely sparingly.
For her, anyway.
"Blondie and the brain here had a little problem..." She threw a sideways glance at a rather pale looking Ino. "Well, a big problem. One that could very well have them thrown out of the Academy. You weren't there, Kurenai's out. Who do you think they could turn to?" She asked with a grin.
Sakura tried to mold herself into the chair she occupied.
"Does this problem has to do with rather peculiar young tree in my garden by any chance?" Naruto asked dryly.
Sakura nodded pitifully.
Naruto rubbed his temples.
"I was afraid of that." He said finally. "Tell me."
They did.
*
He sighed, taking one last bite of his herbal bar. Thanks to Sakura it was actually edible. Tasty, even.
He listened to the both girls carefully then sent both to sleep the excitement off.
He had no idea what to do about it. Nor had he the time to. For now, he had simply forbidden them from contacting the tree forcefully without his supervision. Passive scan was okay. And he doubted she would hurt the girls. The tree felt awfully protective of Sakura and he could interpret the sadness now - it felt guilty of causing Ino harm.
'What a fascinating creature.' He thought in amazement. 'What were the damned odds of something like this happening? Lower than nonexistent. The Lady of Chaos must truly love me, no doubt about it.'
He exhaled loudly, before looking at Anko.
"Might I know just WHY are you robbing me of food and drink... again?"
He liked Anko. She was wholly unlike Kurenai, but he liked her almost as much. She was impatient, arrogant, vicious, uninhibited, chaotic and flashy.
She almost radiated vitality. She was also a little twisted, and, in some ways, just like him. Pariah, to a degree. And like him, she didn't let it get to her. So what if she was twisted? He wasn't a paragon of sanity and morality even on his best days.
She was also brilliant, if unorthodox, shinobi.
Under that gung-ho attitude and brutish methods ticked a sharp, calculating mind with some surprising bits and pieces of rare knowledge. And it wasn't just because her former teacher was Orochimaru.
Anko got up, stretching lazily.
"The upper room. In an hour." She pointed to the ceiling. Dress right."
Naruto frowned, only now noticing a familiar scroll on her belt, one delicately inlaid with jade finish. Probably the only non-combat oriented scroll she had.
"I really don't think there is..."
"No excuses. I'm not askin'." She said calmly. "Be there or I'll fuckin' hunt you down. Got it?" She raised an eyebrow.
Naruto sighed.
"Understood."
*
Naruto sat calmly in seiza, listening to the crackling of fire and the sound of water, taste of traditional sweets already fading from his mouth.
He allowed himself to relax, hiding his arms in the wide sleeves of the kimono.
He eyed the room. It was probably the only one that had never, since the building had been built as an inn shortly after Konoha had been established, had been used by a guest or a tenant. It was rather large and spacious and it used to serve as storage, at least until Naruto bought it.
He had emptied it, planning to use it as a training room, but then used the basement instead. The empty space, full of tatami mats, stood empty. Then Anko somehow got to know about. And proceeded, in her usual manner, to barge in and 'adopt' it.
'Really, I should just tell her to move in.' Naruto smirked. ' Or at least give her her own set of keys. She spends enough time to warrant that.'
Indeed, he would wager that some weeks, Anko spent more time here than at her own apartment.
Though many would get a heart attack and simply die of shock knowing just how the brash jounin spent her time when not drinking and causing havoc.
'Indeed.' He nodded, taking in the offered bowl calmly. 'Who would have suspected that Mitarashi Anko, the violent, brazen and crass bitch queen, was not only interested in tea ceremony, but also performed it with grace and refined charm?'
He sipped the tea and allowed himself to relax, looking at surprisingly graceful hands handling the delicate bowls with utmost care, a dark summer kimono fitting her hair and eyes perfectly. Her face calm, a smallest of smiles dancing in the corner of her mouth.
'Indeed. Who would have thought?'
He bowed slightly.
The ceremony continued.
*
"Calm yet?" She asked.
Naruto nodded.
"Good." She said simply. "Now, where, when and who is going with us?"
Naruto didn't even try to argue.
Kurenai was Anko's best friend, she would never allow to be left out.
'Besides, she just might be useful. Who knows what we can dig up?'
"Since you know just what we are doing, I'll spare you." He threw her a brief scowl. "As to who, Hana is going with us. I'm allowed to take to chuunins with me, as it is continuous B-class, since our target is a sannin."
Anko nodded thoughtfully.
"The Dog girl is a good choice. She's probably the best tracker of her generation and one of the best Inuzuka trackers in some time. And she's handy in combat." She flashed him a savage grin. "Question is, WHO exactly are we going to eviscerate, eh?"
"No idea. Yet." He admitted. "That's why we are going to gather some intel before we start to really search for Tsunade. The village is our first step."
"Going blind. Well, I guess we have no choice here." She muttered. "Do you at last have some idea what it is all about? It might have been an accident, you know. Hidden Rainbow... Nobody knows just WHAT they were capable of when it came to genjutsu, really. But we know it was all unstable as hell and only gotten worse over the years." She grimaced. "Orochimaru-bastard had been fairly obsessed with them for a time, so I know what I'm talking about."
"No." He said simply. "It had been planned, of that I'm fairly sure. We were led there, like a mouse following breadcrumbs. And there was somebody behind that illusion. It was far to dynamic, far too fast to be a static leftover. No." He shook his head. "I don't know yet if it had been meant for us specifically or not, but I won't allow it to happen again. Whoever it is, they will be drowning in their own blood as soon as I get my hands on them."
"Vicious brat, ain't ya?" She grinned. "And you are actually useful without Kurenai to hold our hand. Who wouldda thought?"
"I'm touched." He said dryly. "Pardon me if I won't start jumping from the joy I'm currently experiencing."
*
Naruto unrolled the map.
"All right. This here..." He pointed to the west beyond Suna. "Is Hidden Marsh. Militaristic to the extreme, no civilian administration at all."
"Those guys still think the Third Great Shinobi War rages on." Hana snorted. "The band of paranoid morons, the lot of them."
"They might be morons, but their paranoia will make things difficult." Anko grimaced. "They don't like Konoha much, too. They sided with Iwa during the Wars after all."
"That's why we are going to take the detour through Suna before we get into the Marsh." Naruto pointed at the border. "We will cross the Windscar Pass, make a beeline for Suna and then go north."
Anko's eyebrows shot up.
"That's the way straight to Tenrai." She said surprised. "What are you looking for in THAT scum pond?"
"Scum pond and wretched this city might be, but if we want fresh info about the Marsh, that's the place."
"What's Tenrai?" Hana asked curiously.
"Short version or long?" Anko grinned. "Short version? It is, as the brat would call it, the most wretched hive of scum and villainy in the West. In Tenrai anything and everything has it's price in cash. Anything can be bought or sold, any vice, any favor. Lives, people, futures, pasts... Everything. You need a nukenin, a slave, a poison or an outlawed jutsu? If you have enough cash, you will get it in Tenrai."
"And Suna ALLOWS something like that to exist?" Hana said incuriously.
"They don't exactly have a choice." Naruto shrugged.
Hana blinked.
"Tenrai is controlled by the Syndicate." The blond explained. "They might be criminals, but after the Wars they were the only thing that allowed the Wind Country to rebuild. The Daimyo and Kazekage know this. If they made any move against them, the Wind's economy would take a blow they just might not be able to withstand as things are now. The situation is precarious enough as it is."
"Yeah." Anko nodded. "Even the Sunagakure made some severe budget cuts. They've been partially funded by the Court since the War ended, to help them rebuild. But almost thirty percent of that had been removed a few years ago. The Daimyo simply didn't have the resources."
"So ass long as the Syndicate keeps thing under the lid, the authorities turn the blind eye. Besides, Tenrai acts like a pressure valve of sorts. The Wind is a harsh country full of harsh people." Naruto supplied.
"Live hard. Party hard." Anko grinned. "My kind of place."
"Oh joy." Hana muttered. "Okay, what then? The Hidden Marsh?"
"And the Kamata village." Naruto frowned. "There must be some answers there."
"So, we waltz in, find what we can, shake down who we have to for info and drown the idiots responsible in their own blood and hang them by their own entrails." Anko's kunai embedded itself in Kamata's spot on the map. "Sounds like a party."
"Tsunade first. We have more than enough time." The blond genin corrected her.
"Where is she anyway?" Hana asked, frowning. "And where do we start to look?"
"The Moon Country." Naruto indicated the north-western part of the map.
Anko whistled lowly.
"Fuck me... Now that's a long hike. Though the mountains, too. Count in the Kamata thing.... It'll take us a month to get there. Three weeks if we push it."
"Give or take." Naruto nodded, rolling the map. "Now before we move out, I'd like to make something clear." He looked at both of the women calmly. "This is my mission. You both outrank me, true. But the Hokage gave the mission to me. Meaning here and now, I'm the leader. If any of you have a problem with being ordered around by a genin, speak now."
Anko looked at Hana.
Hana looked at Anko.
They shrugged in unison.
"As long as you don't do anything too stupid." Said Anko.
Hana nodded.
"Your overwhelming faith in me is simply staggering." Naruto said flatly. "Be still, my beating heart. I just might have a stroke."
Hana shrugged again, while Anko simply smirked.
The blond genin sighed.
*
"I hate the desert... That fucking sand gets everywhere." Hana grumbled, shaking off a handful of grains from her hair. Ichimaru whined, clearly exhausted by the heat. Hana wiped the sweat from her brow and eyed the tokubetsu jounin and their blond 'team leader' enviously.
"How come you guys look so fresh?" She asked incuriously.
"Mental discipline." They said in unison.
Hana blinked.
The two shinobi looked at each other and shrugged.
"Mental trick. And some chakra manipulation." Anko said simply.
"You mean... There is a WAY around this fucking heat and you didn't TELL ME?!" The Inuzuka growled.
"Chill, doggie." Anko flicked her hair. "You just didn't ask."
"Some friends you are... Bastards." Hana sulked.
"Probably. Though I can't speak for Anko." Naruto said absently, leafing through a small notepad.
"Who, me?" Anko shrugged. "Never knew my male parent. Mom was a secretive bitch and kinda slept around, so yeah. I guess."
"Oh." Hana lowered her head, cheeks burning with shame. "Sorry."
"Eh, no biggie." Anko waved airily. "Never bothered me none. And do you see blondie there caring for that kind of stuff?" She pointed to Naruto.
"Point." Hana said relieved. "Sorry, none the less. I really..."
Anko rolled her eyes.
"I think I told you it's fine, dog girl?"
Hana shut up.
There was a sudden swirl of sand as five figures in desert ANBU camouflage rose from the earth.
"Halt!" The ANBU captain barked. "Who goes there? Identify yourself! Who are you to trespass on the grounds belonging to the village of the Hidden Sand?"
"Uzumaki Naruto, Mitarashi Anko and Inuzuka Hana." Naruto said calmly. "We are shinobi of Konoha passing through the Suna territory. We are just passing through. We will resupply and rest in Sunagakure, then move on."
The Suna ANBU captain looked at the three shinobi for a moment.
"Papers."
Naruto gave him the appropriate documents without a word.
"It seems everything is in order." The ANBU concluded after a while, gathering the papers and extending them to Anko.
The tokubetsu jounin pointed to Naruto.
The ANBU paused, clearly surprised.
"My apologies." He said after a moment, extending the papers to the blond genin.
Naruto took the passports, his face expressionless.
*
"Oh HELL yeah!" Hana crowed throwing herself on the bed.
"And here I thought you Inuzuka were all wilderness types." Anko smirked. "All wild outdoors, communion with nature, animal spirit... That kind of stuff."
"Not this Inuzuka, thank you very much." Hana sniffed. "I can be as wild as I need... after I sleep." She sighed happily, hogging the pillow. "Oh yeah... That's more like it!"
"Nothing like the small pleasures in life, eh?" Anko shook her head in amusement.
"And don't you forget it!" Hana's growl was muffled by the pillow.
"Whatever floats your boat. Me and Naruto are going out to eat. You coming?"
Hana didn't even stir, already fast asleep.
"Heh." Anko closed the door after herself with a smile.
*
"Interesting place." Naruto muttered, shoveling a hefty dose of noodles in his mouth, before wincing. "But their ramen is... irredeemable." He frowned. "Waitress!" He snapped.
Soon, a petite, smiling brunette appeared by their table.
"Just what is this... thing?" Naruto asked with contempt, poking his 'ramen' with one chopstick.
The girl blinked.
"Umm.... Ramen, sir?" She said hesitantly.
"Ramen?" Naruto leaned towards the waitress, his eyes flashing dangerously. "You... DARE.. to call this... TRAVESTY ramen?" He hissed. "This is no ramen, wench! This is an insult!"
Anko grinned. Naruto's devotion to his ramen was a thing of legend among his friends. It was hilarious to see the 'creepy brat' basically melt with utter bliss at Ichiraku's. His eyes sparkled - SPARKLED - when he ate. It was one time he had showed his age.
Unfortunately, there was a different side of the coin.
Naruto's sheer hate and outrage for the bad ramen was...
"...care! This pitiful, overcooked sludge isn't even a soup. It tarnishes the name of ramen everywhere by just existing...!"
Through the whole tirade, the poor girl had been inching away a little bit more with each venomously hissed word. By now she had her back firmly on the wall and looked close to tears.
Anko shook her head in amusement, chewing on yet another dango.
It was good she didn't have such an unhealthy addiction to food...
She frowned, chewing the dango carefully.
The tokubetsu jounin scowled.
"WAITRESS!" She growled, murder in her eyes.
*
"Oh man... That was good..." Anko moaned, unwilling to move even an inch.
"And free." Naruto smirked.
Their verbal assault ended with the three waitresses in tears, the cook in a state of nervous breakdown and the owner in spasms.
It also ended with the free food from the VIP menu.
'Being a bitch pays.' Anko thought blissfully, toasting her friend with a glass of the iced tea.
Naruto raised his glass lazily.
"Sir? And miss?" The young waitress looked at them nervously. "Are you done?"
Anko quirked an eyebrow.
"We're in no rush." She said lazily.
"Miss..." The girl fretted. "The guest... It would be best if you finish your drinks and... go."
"You got something against the Leaf, eh? Is that it?" Anko scowled dangerously.
"No! Nononono!" The waitress shook her head vigorously. "In fact, we like the Leaf! We like the Leaf a lot! We like you so... drinks are on the house! But please..."
Naruto stiffened.
'What...?'
He senses swept the area.
"Anko."
The jounin looked at him.
"We're leaving." He said curtly.
"What the hell are you...?" She said with a frown.
"We are leaving." He said tonelessly.
Anko drained her tea with one sip.
Whenever Naruto sounded like that, he had a reason.
A damn good one, too.
They got up and the waitress sighed with relief, before starting to close to shop quickly.
*
"What the HELL was that about, blondie?" Anko grumbled. "I've been enjoying myself, you know. That tea was actually..."
"Didn't you find it weird that such a good little coffee shop had so few clients?" Naruto said absently. "Almost all of them foreign merchants, too."
The purple haired jounin frowned.
"Now that you said it..." She muttered. "Yeah, kind of weird." She looked at him sharply. "But that alone wouldn't be enough to spook you."
"Fear." The blond said simply. "The woman radiated fear. She practically STANK of it. It almost choked me. Not the normal fear either. Terror. Raw, unadulterated terror. And... there was something else there. Something..." He shook his head. "An echo unlike anything I have ever felt."
Anko, despite herself, was getting worried.
She had never asked just how Naruto knew, but when he said he felt something, he did.
She didn't know why. Maybe it was because of the Kyuubi? Who knew what the Nine Tails was capable of, after all. Even sealed.
But Naruto's senses were incredibly acute and his instincts spot on.
And if the usually calm blond was actually worried...
"I think it's time to get some sleep." She said finally.
Naruto nodded and they turned to go to their hotel.
The blond froze and this time even Anko felt it, a faint trace of a barely contained killer intent. But it wasn't directed at anything in particular. It just... was.
Her eyes, as if on their own, went forward.
There stood the red haired boy around Naruto's age, a large gourd on his back.
"You..." He said looking at Naruto with level of focus only madmen or possessed were capable of. "You... Mother says you stink of blood... She says... that you have lives etched on your soul by the score..."
As he spoke, Anko noticed that his eyes were sunken and had the distinct shadows of a person who hadn't slept in a long time.
She also noted with surprise that the gourd opened somehow and the sand was leaking from it slowly, but with increasing intensity.
"Are you... Can you prove it?" He smiled maniacally. "My existence? Can you... prove it? Are you... strong?" He grabbed his head for a moment, hissing in obvious pain. "Yesssss... Strong... Strong blood. The blood of the Red Tree..."
He snapped his head up.
"You..." he growled. "Mother says she longs to taste your blood... Your cursed, powerful blood!" The redhead hissed, his eyes crazed, losing even that faint trace of sanity they held before.
The gourd exploded as the sand it held rushed forward.
Anko cursed, jumping back.
Naruto tried to follow, but the sand rushed at him with unbelievable speed.
The kunoichi extended her hand, calling forth her snakes to snatch the blond, knowing it was too late.
The explosion blinded her for a moment.
"Naruto!" She screamed looking helplessly as the sound blasted all around.
She took a step forward but a strong arm caught her.
"Be silent! Don't anger HIM!" A voice she recognized as the ANBU that stopped them earlier hissed into her ear.
"Fuck you! Naruto...!" She snarled, trying to break free.
"Shut up!" The man hissed. "That boy is already dead... and he should count himself lucky that Gaara-sama didn't use his Sabaku Kyuu on him!" She could hear the undisguised fear in the man's voice. "Gods... please, let it be enough..." He muttered
Anko growled, straining, but the man had caught her well. She couldn't move.
She gritted her teeth, starting to call forth her snakes when the large dust cloud finally dissipated.
Anko smirked.
'Heh. That brat... Of course he wouldn't have died so easily.'
Naruto stood there, his left sleeve ripped wide open, the custom made seals still smoking.
He looked down at his feet at the broken pieces of steel.
His eyes narrowed.
"You know... that was my only large shield." He said looking at Gaara. "It was a custom job... The best Yukigakure steel... Do you know how much one of those costs... sand brat?"
"Oh... gods..." The man holding her whispered with dead voice.
Gaara's eyes opened wide.
"You... You survived ?!" He shrieked gleefully. "Mother... this time I will give you something nice!" The sand erupted again.
Naruto jumped left and used the wall to gain even more altitude.
The sand still followed.
'Stubborn bastard... and powerful.' He frowned, twisting away from sand wave mid air. 'And why the hell are those ANBU just standing around ?!'
He growled.
When he took care of the sand brat, somebody was going to die.
He eyed the sand as he fell down.
'Unless I do something, he will catch me... And with his level of control he can use it to reduce my mobility and crush me.' His eyes narrowed. 'I can use the gen-'
Anko's eyes widened as the sand covered Naruto from head to with an almost unreal speed.
"My god... I never knew it was this fast." The ANBU muttered, before turning to her. "That's it. I'm sorry, but your friend is dead. The desert coffin... Nobody escapes that. It's impossible."
"Sabaku Kyu!" Gaara cackled. "DIE! SABAKU SOSO!" He clenched his palms.
The sand seemed to expand briefly, before squeezing.
There was a strange, squishing sound.
Some red liquid burst from the sand cocoon.
"Blood... BLOOD!" Gaara's eyes were wild and joyful. "See mother? SEE?! Only the good blood!"
Gaara laughed on madly.
Anko snarled, before freezing.
She looked at the liquid that fell from the cocoon carefully and hung her head.
There was a strange, chocked sound from the jounin's throat.
The ANBU shook his head sadly.
"I'm sorry for your friend." He said sincerely. "It is a shame... Gaara-sama's ultimate power..."
The purple haired woman threw her head back, and the ANBU captain only now noticed that she hadn't been crying. She was laughing. Laughing like a madwoman.
"Ultimate power?" She looked at the ANBU, a mad glint in her eye. "Kid... Ultimate power...?" She smirked.
ANBU's eyes widened as the sand started to bubble, then waver and twist and expand rapidly.
"What ultimate power?" Anko sneered.
The sand coffin exploded, revealing the blond genin, his hair matted with something liquid and red, the very same liquid staining the sword in his hand.
'Blood?!' the ANBU captain thought incuriously.
Naruto glared at Gaara and, impossibly, the blood from his hair trickled down, gathering on the edge of his sword as if possessing it's own will.
A faint, crimson smoke started rising from his palms and skin.
"Heh... Now that sand brat had gone and done it...The Ketsumei.... and Shinkou as well..." The purple haired woman shook her head "I think you're gonna be one Suna brat short soon little ANBU." She looked at the shocked ANBU with glee.
Naruto growled.
"Oooh... Lookie. He's pissed. Imagine that." Anko said with interest. "I wonder if he will...?"
The former wraith put his index and middle fingers on the blade near the pommel, drawing them entire length of the edge. "...Ketsumei..." The red mist exploded. A loud shriek filled the air as sinuous form of a blood dragon rose from the sword.
"Oh yeah! I knew it!" Anko grinned, looking at the crimson form coiling around Naruto with appreciation. "Hell yeah! This never gets old!"
Naruto didn't waste time for speeches or flashy posturing.
He swung the sword.
Gaara's eyes widened.
The dragon exploded forward, a crimson river of blood, hunger and power.
The sand rose.
The blood dragon didn't even slow down, crashing into the shield with a howl of glee.
After the short struggle, the sand exploded, and the dragon moved at Gaara again.
Another wall of sand, even more desperate, rose in defense of the redhead.
Gaara's eyes were wide, but this time ha tasted a foreign emotion as the dragon crashed through another shield - fear.
The crowd watched with bated breath as the dragon ripped through the sand, a wave after a wave ripped apart by the crimson beast.
Then, with the last wave, raised so desperately by the redheaded jinchuuriki, it was over.
The Dragon exploded with a shriek, coating the alley in red.
Gaara, eyes bloodshot, sneered at Naruto, who stood there with his sword out.
"Youuuuu....!" He shrieked, making a handseal after a handseal.
The ANBU captain, having witnessed the technique once before, felt his eyes widen.
"RETREAT!"
"RYUUSA BAKUR-Aaaaah!" The ANBU stood in disbelief, watching the sword piercing Gaara's ultimate defense and cutting into his shoulder.
The blond genin slowly appeared behind Gaara as his genjutsu unraveled. The clone in the front poofed out of existence silently.
Naruto growled, struggling with the sword.
He looked up, to see the tall man, his green eyes looking down dispassionately from his veiled face as his hand held the hilt of his weapon.
Gaara stopped shrieking and just looked at his bloodstained arm dumbly.
"Blood...Blood... MY BLOOD!" He screamed.
Naruto's eyes widened as he felt an incredible surge of energy. The veiled man's arm moved with astonishing speed, hitting the Suna genin on the neck, sending him crashing down and unconscious before he hit the ground.
"Using your own blood and water to negate Gaara's ultimate defense... Well done, boy. But how did you get enough water...? Now that, is the question." The green eyes narrowed. "Boy, your name?"
"Uzumaki Naruto." The blond said, forcing himself to calm down.
His every instinct told him to kill the redhead now, eliminate him at any cost. But fighting against a Kage would be a suicide.
'And what 'ultimate defense' ?' Naruto felt like snorting. 'Enough liquid and it crumbles like the wet tissue paper. Feh.'
"Uzumaki... Naruto..." The Kazekage said slowly, as if in surprise, before nodding. "Well then, Uzumaki Naruto, I await you tomorrow in my tower. My attendants will show you the way. Until then." The man vanished in a puff of shunshin, Gaara's unconscious form vanishing with him.
Naruto frowned, before shrugging.
He sent a small pulse of chakra through the sword, clearing it of wet, sticky sand and blood, before sheathing it.
He took a step towards Anko, but stopped.
None of the ANBU moved.
He looked up, face expressionless.
"You are in my way." He said simply. "Move."
Like a one man, the Sunagakure ANBU squad cleared away from the path.
Naruto walked to the purple haired jounin.
"Let's go."
Anko smirked.
Without looking back, the duo left shell shocked ANBU, several ninja and civilian bystanders behind.
*
"...regretfully. Please enjoy the hospitality of Sunagakure to the fullest." The monotone couldn't quite hide the nervousness the young chuunin felt as Naruto's eyes bored into his.
There was no killer intent but...
Naruto looked at the man, his face utterly expressionless.
"Leave. Now." He said curtly.
Anko had to admit she had never seen a faster shunshin.
She slammed her fist into the wall angrily.
"Son of a bitch!" She spat
Naruto didn't utter a word, but Hana could easily pick the simmering rage the blond radiated. And his scent was getting angrier by the second.
"Four days. Four FUCKING days!" Anko growled. "Who the fuck does he think he is?!"
"The Kazekage?" Hana said flatly.
Anko glared at her.
"Listen, I know you aren't exactly... pleased. But we can't ignore that." Hana said placatingly. "He is the leader of an allied village. If we simply left, the political fallout for ignoring him..." She winced. "Our alliance with Suna is tenuous as it is."
"Shit..." Anko spat, biting her lip angrily. "What a goddamn fucking mess..." She threw herself on the bed, staring at the ceiling for a moment.
"This stinks." She said after a moment
"Anko, I know you're not happy..." Hana started.
"No. The situation." Anko outstretched her hand, as if to grab something. "Don't you feel it? Something... ain't right. I mean, Naruto gets in the scuffle with the freaky sand kid. All right. But... Why the invitation? If he wanted to resolve the situation, he'd tell us to meet him the very same day. And now this? Four days because he has 'urgent business to attend to, sorry, feel free to have fun'?" She snorted. "This doesn't make sense. The way it has been phrased, he's basically giving us a free ride in Sunagakure, all expenses paid by the Kazekage himself. He even went so far as o relocate us to 'more fitting quarters."
Anko waved her away impatiently.
"Don't you see? This whole situation... Fuck. It rings all sort of wrong bells, no matter how you look at it." Anko frowned. "I KNOW that there is something we don't see here, but I've got a damnest feeling there is more than first, second or even third layer of 'underneath the underneath' here."
Hana looked at her skeptically, but Naruto nodded slowly.
"The red haired sand brat. He's the key." The blond said, narrowing his eyes. "I don't know how or why, but he is at the root of this whole thing."
"We need more data." Anko frowned. "Shit, this is going to be complicated. We need to be good little shinobi. That severely limits options."
"Not necessarily." Hana took off her vest and slipped off her kunai pouch. With one swift move she let her hair, in her usual, practical ponytail, loose. "Can you do the dynamic layer genjutsu thing on me, the way Kurenai did during that infiltration mission in winter?" She threw in Naruto's general direction as she walked to the bathroom.
"It is semi-dynamic, self sustaining triple layer cover genjutsu." Naruto said offended. "Not a 'genjutsu thing'. But yes. I am more than capable of that."
"Whatever." Hana's voice floated from he bathroom. "Time?"
"Days, up to a week if necessary." Naruto shrugged. "It is not the most chakra intensive jutsu. Only problem with it is the level of complication and variables due to the differing chakra systems."
"Excellent." Hana purred.
Naruto looked at Anko quizzically.
"Don't ask me." The jounin shrugged. "I ain't got no fuckinÆ idea."
There was a sound of running water and a... hum?
"What the fuck is she doing there?" Anko muttered curiously, as she noticed steam coming from under the door.
"Hmm... I had no idea she had a singing voice." Naruto said thoughtfully. "Nice. Low but melodious. How interesting."
"What are you, a critic?" Anko grumbled, obviously dying out of curiosity, judging by her eyes focused on the door.
"Musician." Naruto corrected absently, listening to Hana's singing.
Anko turned tot he blond just stared.
"I..." She stared, before shaking her head. "You know, I don't think much more will surprise me about you anymore." She said with exasperation. "You never told me you play."
"I didn't?" Naruto asked puzzled.
"Nah." She shook her head. "So, what is it?"
"A guitar. Sort of."
"You any good?" The jounin asked curiously.
"Passable." The blond shrugged.
"Shit. Who wouldda thought." Anko grinned. "Soul of an artist. What next? Poetry?"
Naruto threw her a withering look.
"Right, forgot who I'm speaking to." Anko said with exaggerated sigh, stretching on the covers like cat. "But then you're so down to earth it'd probably go right over your head anyway. Too young to know good thing as well."
Naruto's eyebrow twitched.
Anko snickered.
"The annoying spirit
of a woman,
white-dyed coat."
The jounin looked at Naruto incuriously.
The blond smirked.
"Her body
curved on a couch
a smile."
Anko smiled pleasantly, a glint in her eye.
The blond genin frowned.
The two stared at each other without batting an eye.
"Anko, can you throw me my bag?" Hana called from the bathroom.
The purple haired jounin grabbed the satchel and threw it into the bathroom without a word.
"Sheesh! Not quite that hard!" Hana grumbled.
"Don't bitch, doggie." Anko shouted without pulling away her eyes from the impromptu staring contest. "What, you some delicate flower or something?"
"As a matter of fact..."
There was a whiff of delicate perfume and distinct sound of silk.
Contest temporarily forgotten, two pairs of eyes, one cerulean other brown, widened.
The hair were loose and shone with health, make up had been masterfully applied softening sharper Inuzuka features, making the face exotic instead of attractively fierce. The summer kimono was modest, but it was modesty that hid everything while promising all.
Inuzuka Hana smirked.
"My name
drowned,
on your tongue."
She looked at Naruto, who sat on his bed, frozen.
She snapped her fingers.
Without a word, the blond started weaving seals. A short while after, the Inuzuka kunoichi underwent a subtler, but in some respect even more drastic transformation, her features shifting gently, her crimson markings vanishing, hair gaining a more lustrous shade, eyes changing color and body softening, while becoming more alluring.
Anko whistled lowly as Naruto finished.
If she met Hana on the street now, she'd never recognize her. And, best of all, she didn't even feel the chakra used, like with the henge. Hana even felt like a civilian woman.
The Inuzuka waved at them airily, blowing a kiss and a wink, before vanishing with a silent puff of a shunshin.
Naruto gave Anko a sideways look.
"Dark rose
the sun lights it
as she blooms."
Anko chuckled, reaching for a fresh sake bottle and two saucers.
"Her hips,
swing ahead
of my taste."
She poured the alcohol to the containers, giving one to Naruto.
"Damn." The jounin sighed. "She schooled us. Who knew?"
Naruto smiled wryly, rising his saucer with a pose of overly tragic dignity.
"No blossoms and no moon
we are drinking sake,
all alone."
The woman laughed.
*
*
"The red headed kid is Gaara." Hana gratefully accepted a saucer of Sake from Anko. "He is the Kazekage's youngest son. And the village nightmare."
"Spoiled?" Naruto quirked an eyebrow.
"Psycho." Hana grimaced. "As in homicidal, bloodthirsty little fuck who thinks wrapping people in sand and crushing them into a pulp is the greatest thing since the sliced bread."
"Well isn't he a cheerful little brat." Anko drawled. "How nice. See Naruto, there ARE creepier brats than you." She toasted the blond
Naruto smiled wryly, returning the toast.
"Oh, you have no idea." Hana shook her head. "Most of this village... they all fear Gaara. Even the shinobi."
"Oh come on!" Anko snorted. "Genin and chuunin I can understand, the kid has some nice tricks... But jounin? The elite ones? Shit, Naruto put down the mother of all smackdowns on him with the Chiryuu and one genjutsu! If not for the Kazekage, the sand brat would be in the fucking pieces!"
"Excellent comparison. Because Naruto is the most normal genin there is." Hana rolled her eyes.
"As good as our blondie is, he ain't no jounin." Anko waved her hand dismissively, before looking at the blond. "Sorry 'ruto, but that's the cold, hard truth. You're the prodigy and shit, but you've got ways to go before you can equal a jounin. Even if you have bigger chakra reserve than any jounin in the village, save maybe the Hokage."
Naruto smiled amusedly.
"Don't worry. I know my limits." he said with a shrug, taking a sip of his sake. 'Doesn't mean I have to like them, but I know them.'
"Now I admit, that the kid got a real fancy blood limit. No question about that. But any Elite Jounin should be enough to handle the kid." Anko grumbled. "What are they, retarded?"
"This sand isn't a blood limit. The boy is a jinchuuriki."
Anko spat her sake.
"WHAT?!"
"You heard me." Hana sipped her sake calmly. "There is nothing sure, but... It would fit. During one of the Council meetings my mother heard about the Ichibi, Shukaku, being sealed. I remember it because she got drunk and pissed and started raving about that." Hana looked into her saucer, before gazing at Naruto. "Shukaku's main ability is linked to sand, from what I remember. If that Gaara can really control the sand in such an advanced way..." She shrugged.
Anko poured herself another cup.
"Shit... Now that complicates things." She admitted finally.
"Indeed." Naruto frowned. "But that would explain the surge of power I had felt during the fight. As well as the odd resonance. The boy has more than one source of chakra. That's why he had such an odd presence."
"So... How does a bijuu end up in Kazekage's son?" Anko looked at Hana.
The Inuzuka woman shrugged.
"No idea. I didn't exactly have the time and it was hard enough to get the info as it was." She growled. "Bloody lechers."
"Now now, little bitch." Anko leered. "Don't blame them. You looked so good that I wouldn't mind jumping you myself."
Hana just looked at her flatly.
"Don't you ever get tired of that?" She asked finally. "All that teasing, trash talk, flirting..."
"Never!" Came the empathic answer. "Besides, it's teasin' only if you don't deliver." Anko grinned, licking her lips.
Hana just hid behind her saucer.
Naruto tried to pretend he wasn't looking down the cleavage of her now-loose Yukata.
'Damn hormones.'
He had been afraid of that.
The signs have been there for the past three moths, but he had ignored them.
Now, with emotions buzzing, the leash on his temper had slipped enough.
As useful as demon was...
'Well, potentially useful.' Naruto scowled inwardly.
...having it wired, more or less, inside his chakra system meant some... difficulties.
It seemed that even when not accessed, the demonic chakra still influenced his energy, as well as body to a degree. A small one, but still noticeable if you knew what to look for.
And with the beast dead and it's soul gone, the process got tad... complicated. To put it bluntly, the energy ran unchecked.
It wasn't anything life threatening - he had long ago learned that the seal simply wouldn't let it happen - but it did came with it's share problems.
The chakra coil system matured along with the body. While it was fully capable of channeling larger amounts of energy around seven or eighth years old, it reached it's full maturity the same time the body did - in the late teens.
Chakra was like muscle - the more you used it, the more your reserves grew. His chakra had been strained by the constant presence of Nine Tails nearly since his birth - probably that was why he had a chuunin level chakra reserve before even starting his formal shinobi education.
But the fox never really DID anything. Not to his knowledge, anyway.
But now, the entity guiding the energy was gone. And the energy remained.
Behind the seal, true, but it was there. Rampant. Unchecked. Aimless.
And forcing his chakra system into maturing faster. Along with his body.
While it wasn't that bad, all things considered, it did have a price tag. And, as he had recently discovered, it reacted to his emotions.
Oh DID it react to his emotions.
While he had been genuinely upset and furious because of Kurenai's state, he should have known better than to allow his emotions fuel him.
He should have analyzed things with cold, impassive logic and devise some sort of a plan.
Not drop into indignant, rage that clouded his judgment and made him fly half blind, like he was doing now.
His face was as if carved of stone as Anko leered at the growling Hana, the purple haired Kunoichi's body coiled in a rather suggestive pose.
Naruto had an epiphany.
'I... HATE... being a teenager.'
Still, he looked on.
And tried to ignore the quick, amused glance sent his way by a pair of mischievous brown eyes as he stoically sipped his alcohol.
*
The Kazekage leafed through the papers carefully. Suna might not have possessed as good intelligence as one boasted by Konoha, thanks to a certain Toad Sannin, but it was more than adequate.
'Interesting...' He thought picking up first of the folders readied by his subordinates. 'Mitarashi Anko. Tokubetsu Jounin, specialization in sabotage and assassination. B-rank summoner. Jutsu rating is.... WHAT?!' Ho halted, reading the passage again. 'Why is she just a tokubetsu jounin and not... ah! I knew she was familiar! Orochimaru's pupil. No wonder.' He put down a folder taking another one. 'Inuzuka Hana. Hmm... Clan heiress. Chuunin. Specialist tracker... Well she IS an Inuzuka. Frontline combat, scout. Par of the course. And... oh? A B-ranked infiltration training? Inuzuka skilled in stealth and avoidance... What is the world coming to?' He thought with amusement, before picking up the last folder. 'Now, let's see. Uzumaki Naruto, genin... earned the ranking at ten? Prodigy, then. Assigned to... Wait, that can't be right.' He frowned, re-reading the material. 'Genjutsu specialist training? And not even taught by a full jounin. Curiouser and curiouser...' He kept on reading until he reached the end of the file and put it down.
"Baki." The jounin snapped to attention. Many would think the large man a typical war shinobi, a frontline fighter. Which he was, of course. But very few knew he was the Sunagakure's ANBU commander and head of Intelligence. Which was one of the reasons he assigned the scarred jounin to train Gaara. He needed somebody who could think as well as fight as Gaara's... guardian. "The file on the boy is... unusually complete. Very through. Tell me, just how did you compile it?"
"We managed to find a person in the Konoha's administration who had direct access to the genin files, Kazekage-sama. This file is practically a copy of Uzumaki Naruto's data straight from Konoha's archives." The jounin responded dutifully.
"Oh?" Kazekage raised an eyebrow with interest. "Now that must have cost quite a bit, I imagine."
"Not as much as one might think, Kazekage-sama." Baki shook his head. "The woman was... rather eager to give our spies the needed data."
"So the boy IS as disliked as I heard." The Kazekage smiled thinly, leaning back in his seat. "Interesting."
"So it would seem, Kazekage-sama." The grizzled man said carefully.
The Kazekage nodded thoughtfully.
"And the women he travels with... One is rather well known."
Baki nodded.
"Mitarashi Anko, the infamous student of the renegade Sannin, Orochimaru."
"And one of Konoha's best assassins as well." The Kazekage threw a glance at the opened folders on his desk. "Add to that the Inuzuka Clan heiress... What an interesting combination. Interesting... and unusual." He picked up the ANBU report. "Even more unusual is the fact that, while both outrank him by a fair margin, he seems to be in command of an official mission. Curious. Is that data accurate?"
Baki nodded again.
"The team leader who met them on the road to Suna reported that he was the one holding the documents and passes. Also, when the captain tried to give them to the highest ranking shinobi, Mitarashi pointed directly at the boy without hesitation."
Both men knew what it meant. The official duties were always left to the team leader.
"So, there is no mistake here." The Kazekage rubbed his chin. "Curiouser and curiouser. Just why does a teenage genin commands two shinobi of higher rank?"
The jounin said nothing as Kazekage looked at the paper in his hand thoughtfully, before putting it down.
"Tell me Baki... Why do we have a such a comprehensive study of a one, teenaged genin?" He asked finally.
"As per your orders, all of the jinchuuriki are monitored by Sunagakure's Intelligence." Baki said stiffly.
He had no idea why his leader would ask such an obvious question, but whatever it was, he had a bad feeling about it.
"You have also ordered to keep an even closer attention to Uzumaki, as he is the container of strongest of the Tailed Beasts, as well as the first container to the Kyuubi ever recorded."
"So I did, so I did." The Kazekage nodded absently, leafing through the papers on his desk. "And you seem to have made a good job, Baki. The childhood, the medical file... Even the grades from academy. Yes... A very good job." He nodded again, before looking at the jounin.
"Thank you, Kazekage-sama." Baki said carefully.
"But... If you had done such a good job..." The Kazekage's eyes narrowed. "Why is there nothing on his BLOOD LIMIT?!" The man snarled. "Or why has the fact that the GENIN, placed in a two-man team with his teacher, performs B-CLASS missions in such quantity that it might be as well called routine manner, is written off as 'inconsequential'?!" He leaned forward menacingly. "And why has a... genin, who is able to beat Sunagakure's most valued WEAPON has not been brought to my attention before he casually CRUSHED the weapon in question? In my own 'backyard as it were? In a full view of Suna's citizens no less?!"
The jounin took a step back, paling. The Kazekage prided himself on being a calm and collected individual but after years of working for the man, Baki knew better. Most of the time he presented a calm, nearly emotionless facade, but his temper was as fierce as it was unreasonable when roused. The father ad the son were very alike in that respect.
"WELL?!" The Kazekage snapped. "Anything to say for yourself, oh Intelligence Director? Anything at all?"
"Kazekage-sama, there was no mention on a blood limit of any kind in Konoha's archives!" Baki tried to defend himself, sweating. "And no evidence of any such thing had ever been found before!"
"Evidence? You want EVIDENCE, Baki?" The Kazekage sneered. "Go out on the street and take a good look at that alley, you fool! Take a good, long look at the dried blood there that ripped through the sand that can stop the B-class attack jutsu! Then take a look at our jinchuuriki's body. You know, the one that was supposed to be protected by an 'absolute defense'?" His voice dripped venom. "And you speak to me of evidence?"
"Kazekage-sama... There never was a jinchuuriki holding the Kyuubi before." Baki desperately looked for an argument. "It might be possible that-"
"Are you a complete idiot, Baki?" The Kazekage scoffed. "The bijuu's energies leave a mark a half blind genin would spot! There was not even a drop of bijuu's energy used there, fool!" He closed his eyes, trying to calm down.
Baki simply stood his ground, without a word.
"Sarutobi is indeed crafty." The Kazekage said finally. "Leaving that boy such an 'open secret'... Nobody would think to dig deeper. Whatever for? Crafty old codger. Seems he's nowhere near as soft or senile as he likes to appear nowadays. And even his treatment..." The Kazekage shook his head slowly. "Poor, mistreated boy, hated by the village that spawned him. Disliked, people won't associate with him - he is the hated symbol of Kyuubi's rampage, after all. I imagine the Uchiha massacre must have helped quite a bit in that." The green eyed man rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Yes... After all, the eyes are on the 'tragic survivor' of the 'mighty Uchiha Clan'. An ideal sleight of hand. Make them look one way and nurture a powerful blood limit right in the open without rousing anyone's suspicion. Seems the famed Professor hasn't lost his touch after all. Hiding behind his age in a way that fooled even his own shinobi... Shrewd, old man." He admitted grudgingly, rubbing his temples.
Baki stood on, face expressionless, as his commander sat, deep in thought.
"Baki, tell my servants to prepare a formal dinner. Not too lavish, but no expense is to be spared." He said after a few moments of silence. "Send the notice to your men - I want Uzumaki Naruto watched, albeit with extreme caution. But I want to know everything and anything that there is to know about this boy. Everything, Baki. "He looked at his head of Intelligence sharply. "Likes, dislikes, lodgings, friends, enemies, habits, hobbies, childhood crushes..." He paused, before nodding to himself. "Crushes... Yes. Find what kind of girls he likes."
Baki blinked.
"Kazekage-sama... The seduction angle?" He said carefully. "Isn't Uzumaki a little... young?"
The Kage shook his head.
"He is thirteen, Baki. Had he been from a prestigious Clan, heÆd already have several suitors lined up for him. Besides..." He smirked. "Every boy becomes a man one day Baki, and men need women in their lives. And when a boy becomes a man, his first is always the closest to his heart." A calculating gleam appeared in his eyes. "Tell Temari to report at once. I have a very important mission for her." He smiled, the gears of politics and intrigue already humming their seductive song in his mind. "Yes, A very important mission. Probably the most important mission of her life. And the longest."
The jounin nodded simply.
Other might find such thing abhorrent, but Baki was a shinobi. It was one of the time honored tactics. Often a one woman in a right bed could change the course of war.
"You may leave." The Kazekage waved absently.
After the jounin closed the door. the Kazekage leaned back, a smile on his face.
Sarutobi was indeed wise in his strategy. It was a god thing he caught on. Many thought Sarutobi soft, but the cold, calculating logic that bore the fruit known as Uzumaki Naruto had shown him that Sarutobi was far from a fangless wolf. Indeed, his age - instead of making him weaker - gave him a great deal of freedom.
After all, who is to be watched more, the famed Professor of the shinobi, the ninja who held title of the 'strongest in history' since his late teens to his early fifties? The man who mastered more jutsu than people even knew existed, a leader and general who nearly crushed the Mist with unerring precision, outmaneuvered the Cloud and humbled the Grass and the Marsh in one, swift stroke without rising a finger? The one kept Konoha strong through the two Great Shinobi Wars? Or the old, tired and burned out man, tired of bloodshed, longing for peaceful tomorrow and wishing to avoid war at all cost?
Yes, this was an invaluable piece of intelligence.
'Hmm.... It seems that you won't find Konoha as easy prey as you think, Orochimaru.' The Kazekage rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
He briefly entertained a notion of declining the snake's offer, but he decided against it. Too much of Suna's resources had been already committed.
'Besides... it isn't as I can't betray him to Konoha, if things turn out unfavorably.' He thought with a smirk. 'Fool. His hatred and greed blind him.'
While the invasion stood a very good chance of success, there was a remote possibility of failure.
'Not so remote anymore.' The Kage admitted grudgingly. 'If Sarutobi managed to pull something like this under everyone's nose... I wonder what other aces does he hide in his sleeves?'
Contingency plans would have to be put in motion, thanks to that tasty morsel of intelligence.
'And all thanks to our young genin.' He thought with a chuckle. 'You have made a mistake, Sarutobi. Your plan was nearly flawless... Making him disliked turned the curious eyes away, but it can be a double edged sword.'
He went wrong with Gaara, he saw that now.
In his haste to get a weapon, he pushed too hard. While Gaara was powerful weapon, he was like a lit explosive note. Powerful, destructive and deadly, no doubt. But also volatile, unfocused and out of control.
He had been too impatient back then, too greedy. Now he had paid the price.
'Well, he is still usable... somewhat.' The Kazekage grimaced. 'But nowhere nearly as... efficient as the Uzumaki boy.'
But that could be changed, now that he tasted defeat and knew fear.
And the other jinchuuriki...
He smiled.
No mater how good shinobi the blond would become, Konoha would always remember what he was. Their hate was almost unreasonable.
So the boy was hated, treated as a pariah in his own home?
How inhuman.
Well, it is time for the boy to know generosity. For the 'fate' to pay back the debt it owed.
And Suna would shoulder that... burden with grace, dignity and honor.
The Kazekage chuckled.
Yes, indeed. Sunagakure would shoulder the burden of having the strongest of jinchuuriki, a genjutsu prodigy and his powerful bloodlimit gladly.
*
"Hey, Naruto?"
The blond looked up from his book.
"What is one of your birds doing on the table?" Anko asked, pointing at the creature.
Naruto blinked.
"Now that was fast." He muttered. "Sakura had a right idea. Increasing quantity of blood DOES make them faster." He stretched out his arm and the large prey bird flew to it, settling down gently. "Now, my little friend, what do you have for me?"
Anko and Hana watched with fascination as the large, red bird opened his beak, then opened it wider that should be possible for any animal and spitting out a small scroll that Naruto took calmly.
"Wow. That's some summon." Hana said in amazement.
Anko looked at her quizzically.
"You don't know?" She asked incuriously.
"Know what?" The Inuzuka woman asked.
The bird looked at the pair and screeched, before melting onto a large sheet of paper with a Blood Script seal attached.
Hana stared.
"Okay... What the HELL was that thing?" She said blinking.
"Blood Hawk." Anko grinned. "No fucking idea what they are, but Naruto makes them through some crazy seals. Useful little buggers."
"They are NOT called blood hawks, blood eagles or anything else like that." Naruto scowled.
"Then what they are called?" Anko smirked.
Naruto shut up.
"Never thought of that." He admitted finally.
"So, Blood Hawk it is." The jounin shrugged.
Naruto snorted, but didn't say a word as he unsealed the scroll.
He blinked, noticing that instead of one, larger one he got two, one thin and one considerably thicker. The first one bore a simple seal he knew well and he opened it first.
/Naruto.
First let me express my condolences on Kurenai's state. I know you two are close and I sincerely hope she does get better. If her state is as serious as I heard, you do need to find Tsunade and fast. I have had a misfortune of stumbling upon the Hidden Rainbow artifacts - none of them ended well.
I write this to let you know that if not for my professional respect for Kurenai and yourself, as well as some degree of interest, the information you have received with this letter would come at far steeper price. Especially considering the manner in which you approached me.
Let me make this clear - as much as I respect you both, I demand respect in return. I extended an open hand to you, but decorum must be maintained, as we both well know. Next time you feel the need to contact me, do so personally or don't do it at all.
Sending one of your pets to me was impolite and disrespectful, no matter how dire your situation might be. I will let it slide this one time.
Never again.
I hope we have an understanding?
Now, to the meritum. In the sealed scroll you got along with the letter there is all of the data I could find about Tsunade. The woman is crafty and uncommonly hard to locate. You are in luck, however. In four weeks there is an annual yearly Candle Festival held on the Coral Island. From the scraps of data I managed to gather, Tsunade is heading there for the festival. The fact that the Sea Country also opens a few new casinos on their Eastern Island at the end of the month, which is a short way from Coral, adds to the credibility./
Naruto cursed.
Coral was practically on the other side of the continent! It would be faster to reach it from Konoha, far faster, indeed.
/For the second matter you detailed in your letter... As odd as it might seem, it had been a far harder case of the two. Far stranger as well./
Naruto raised an eyebrow. For Shiro, of all people, to put it this way...
/Although you will get every scrape of data I managed to gather on that place, it is heavily out of date. But I think it is understandable, considering that Kamata village had ceased to exist nearly a hundred years ago./
Naruto froze, re reading the paragraph.
/Despite the disbelief that you are probably feeling right now, I assure you it is true. Kamata village was been destroyed by the Third Cloud Mobile Battalion during the Second Great Shinobi War barely five years after the Village hidden in the Rainbow fell. The Hidden Cloud burned it to the ground and killed every man, woman and child in it. They went so far as to salt the land, burn it to the ground and wipe it's location from any maps and then made it an S-class secret.
I doubt that Hidden Marsh knows there had been a village there.
For all intents and purposes, the Kamata village simply doesn't exist.
Even the few scraps of information I managed to get my hands on are fragmented and very inconclusive. If what you say is true, then whatever you stumbled in was enough to scare even the hardened warmongers of the Cloud. I would tread very lightly when you go back there, if I were you. Whatever is enough to scare the power hungry Cloud war hawks is not something to be treated lightly.
I included any kind of data I could in the package, but I don't know how useful it will be for you. The information is heavily out of date, after all.
Now, that ties in with your payment. Whatever you discover in that village, I want the report on. Although the Syndicate as an organization holds no interest in the matter, it intrigued me personally. That is a first part of the payment.
Second is a favor that I want you to perform in return for the one I'm making you.
Added to the data on Tsunade and Kamata Village case, you will find an intelligence report detailing the movements of one Isamu Araki. He is a weaponÆs merchant, quite a prominent one. We had an amiable business relations with him for quite some time until recently. I won't go into details, but let's just say that he owes me a debt, both in cash and in blood.
I can't exactly touch him, since he is under Orochimaru's protection and you know full well our tenuous hands off policy regarding that madman, so I can't use my own agents without sparking a conflict with the renegade sannin.
I will not let a two bit weapon's merchant with delusions of grandeur make a fool of me, however. It is bad for business.
I want you to locate and assassinate mister Araki in a way that leaves a... lasting impression but can't be traced to our organization. Since you are not affiliated with the Syndicate, you will do nicely. And I imagine your dear lady friend you are traveling with will enjoy it quite a bit, considering the man does supply her former teacher.
Also, you are free to help yourself to anything you find in his home.
I imagine there will be one item of a particular interest to you. Araki is something of a collector and holds in his possession an item that can be of great use to you in your journey to the Coral - the Cat summoning contract. Not one for the particular tribe, but for the whole Clan. Including the Cheetah Tribe.
Consider it a token of good will on my part.
I must warn you, however, that the Cat summon had never been used by anyone in recent history and is known to be extremely unpredictable. There is a reason it isn't in use, after all, aside from it's rarity.
Still, if there is anyone capable of bargaining with the whimsical summons in a day or two, it is you./
Naruto smirked.
Shiro would never admit it, but the contract was no 'token of good will'. The man was probably just curious, but didn't want to risk himself.
'His curiosity will one day lead him to his grave.' He thought with amusement. 'Still, the ability to call on the aid of the Cheetah Tribe... Now that would speed the journey quite a bit. If I can cut a deal with them.' He frowned. 'Cats. That might be difficult. Wolves would be better. Pity the Wolf contract had been lost since before Konoha's founding.'
He got back to the letter.
/Now since I know how your esteemed Hokage is about his ninja doing unsanctioned missions, especially for organizations like ours, and since I want information about our connection leaking even less for now... Let's keep this our little secret, shall we?
On a vaguely related note, once you are finished with your more pressing matter, come and visit me. There are certain matters in Wave that would benefit from your expertise in handling such matters. Situation is delicate and I don't want to commit my own resources just yet so you would be ideal. I believe you will find the pay more than satisfactory and the bonus very to your liking.
Reliable mercenaries are hard to find nowadays. I always have a job for man of your skills and talent.
Give it some thought.
Sincerely yours,
Shiro./
Naruto shook his head.
'That man...' He looked at the letter thoughtfully, before putting it down and looking at his companions thoughtfully.
"Anko. Could you put a A-class security seal here for a brief moment? I will mask it." He said finally.
The jounin raised an eyebrow, but nodded, pulling out a slip of paper and cutting her finger. With few quick strokes she set up the array and Naruto drew a 'silencer' ring around it, keeping chakra leakage to minimum.
"On three." Anko said, putting the tag on the table. "One, two... three!" They put their palms on the seal in the same moment, activating the 'come of silence'.
Naruto looked at the kunoichi seriously.
"Our mission just got more complicated." He said simply. "Far more complicated, even. I have the necessary data, but it gives more questions than answers. Also... the price was higher than I expected. What I am about to show you, NEVER leaves this room. Nobody can know about it, especially not the Hokage."
The women looked at each other before nodding.
Naruto gave them the letter.
Anko grabbed it first, reading it quickly, Hana reading over her arm.
"...Fuck." The purple haired Kunoichi said finally.
"I say." Hana muttered, before looking at Naruto with a scowl. "Naruto... all the stuff about the village aside... An unsanctioned mission without Hokage's approval? For a criminal organization? Shit... Sarutobi-sama would have a fit if he ever got to know about it!"
"Not as big one you might think." Anko said thoughtfully. "This is a B-class mission, we are mostly free to act as we see fit to complete it. There were precedences."
"Anko, are you a total moron? This isn't pissing off some touchy noble!" Hana threw her hands up. "This is an assassination on a foreign soil!"
"Assassination of a CRIMINAL." Anko said unperturbed. "A criminal aiding an S-class nukenin Konoha had been after for a good part of the decade. The intel alone would be worth it."
"Yeah. And the fact that it involves Orochimaru has nothing to do with it." Hana said sarcastically. "Yeah, right. If you won't fly of the handle at the f-"
"Watch it, Inuzuka." Anko growled dangerously. "Don't speak about shit you have no fucking idea about, little bitch!"
"Anko!" Naruto snapped.
The jounin turned tot he blond, eyes flashing dangerously.
"That is no time for your personal vendetta!" He said forcefully. "We already have enough matters to deal with. Kurenai comes first."
Anko looked at him for a moment, before forcing her temper down and turning to Hana.
"I admit that giving that bastard a headache is a nice bonus, and believe me - I will enjoy it to the fullest." Anko smirked briefly, a dangerous gleam in her eyes. "But Naruto is right - Kurenai comes first here. So don't worry. I'll do my part."
"Hana?" Naruto looked at the Inuzuka heiress. "Anko is committed, so am I. You don't need to help us - we can meet in Coral."
"Fuck you!" Hana growled. "I told ya, didn't I? The day I leave a friend is the day I slit my own throat. And Kurenai is a friend. So are you and even the snake bitch here. "She pointed at Anko. "So shut the fuck up and don't say stupid shit, asshole."
"Why, how touching. You say the nicest things." Anko smirked. "You got me all mushy here, little bitch."
"Screw you!" Hana grumbled, clearly pissed, before glaring at the blond. "And screw you too, blondie!"
"You know you want to!" Anko leered. "And I bet he wouldn't say no, too. Hell, I know I wouldn't." She grinned, leaning over to Hana, her face directly in front of the Inuzuka, light jacket strategically opened and showing off Anko's cleavage as if by magic.
Naruto raised an eyebrow.
'How does she do it?' He though with amazement. 'I was sure that it was buttoned just a second ago!'
Hana looked at the jounin flatly.
"I hate you." She said finally. "Just for the record."
"Aww!" Anko cooed. "Such a sweet talker you are, honey. Don't you think so, Naruto?"
Naruto snapped off his slight trance that the enticing view put him in.
"What?" He blinked.
Anko snickered and Hana palmed her face.
"Perverts... I'm surrounded by perverts..." She muttered, before pointing accusingly at the jounin. "You corrupted him!"
"Yeah. I know." Anko nodded sagely. "Ain't it neat?" She licked her lips playfully, leaning over to Hana, her hot breath on Inuzuka Heiress ear. "Wait till I start with you. It is going to be fun... little bitch." then she blew a little hot air into Hana's ear, before biting it gently.
The Heiress froze, paling and flushing slightly, a faint whimper escaping her throat.
She couldn't help it, damn it! Inuzuka were more in touch with their primal, feral natures! In all respects. And Anko, goddamn her, knew just WHICH buttons to push!
Four hundred years of experience or no, nothing managed to get him ready for something like this. Not even nearly.
Naruto simply sat there, unable to move a muscle, his eyes a little bit glazed.
'Damn you, hormones! Curse you, puberty!'
Anko whistled cheerfully as she stood up and casually walked to the table laving two shell shocked shinobi in their places.
"Who's the pervert now?" She snickered, pouring herself some sake.
Helping Kurenai was all well and good and a priority, but between Naruto's puberty hitting full force lately, Hana's sensitivity as well as some mayhem and a chance to spit into Orochimaru-bastard's face while riding on an edge all the while...
She felt a pleasurable shiver running down her spine and grinned wickedly, sipping her sake.
Well, there was no reason not to have some fun along the way. After all, you needed to seize the moment as long as you lived. The sooner her blond friend understood it, the better.
*
"Any preference towards colors?" Hana asked, leafing through the clothes she had brought to their apartment after she picked them in the Suna's shops.
Naruto glared.
It wasn't like he didn't understand the value of proper clothes for the occasion, but with such a minor thing...
"What is wrong with my current attire?"
Hana sighed, turning to her friend.
"Naruto... You are wearing black. While this is indeed a universal color, your cut looks like a uniform. At it has armor plates." She rubbed her temples. "Add the full assault armor, a fur coat and the helmet and you'd look just like the Nidaime Hokage in the war gear, for Kami's sake!"
"So?" He raised an eyebrow. "Uniform is appropriate for most official occasions."
"No it isn't!"
She snapped.
"Don't you get it? You're not meeting the leader of the village. Not entirely, anyway. You are meeting with a high ranked shinobi of high status that invited you by name. A shinobi of an allied village! If you enter his home wearing something so uniform-like, even if archaic looking, you imply you took his invitation for official purposes only and that you don't exactly feel you can trust him. You can't do that when asked for a semi-formal dinner! If he invited you to come in an official manner as a Konoha nin, then yes, war gear minus weapons and armor is appropriate. It shows that you respect him and his position and that you treat him as an ally."
"Ah. So it is a matter of politics." Naruto said with understanding.
"Partly." Hana nodded. "It is also about the unwritten shinobi protocol and the code of conduct. We might not be the samurai, but we have our own customs, even if they aren't as rigid."
Hana looked at Naruto thoughtfully.
"You know, this is odd." She muttered quietly. thankfully, she didn't need to worry about anyone listening on them since the seal still held.
"Why would he invite you in that manner? He basically treated you as if you were a member of an allied clan, a prestigious one at that. Clan Heads would be treated this way, not an unknown genin, even from an allied village." She cocked her head tot he side. "Anko is right, there is something wrong about it."
"Appeasement. Bribe. Political maneuvering." Naruto smiled thinly. "The man is up to something, that much is clear. And judging by how he wants to compliment me, according to what you say, whatever he wants from me won't be a small thing."
"Politics." Hana growled with distaste. "Feh. I prefer an honest fight to all that crap."
"You seem quite well versed in the matter you profess to hate so much none the less." Naruto smiled with amusement.
"I'm the Clan Heiress." Hana shrugged. "I'm expected to know this stuff, since I will be the Clan Head one day. The Inuzuka might not be as big or rich as some of the other Clans in Konoha, but we are the actual nobility, like the Hyuuga. Though they care for that crap far too much and never let anyone forget. Stuck up assholes." She shook her head with distaste. "Since we are the actual nobility, not just the major shinobi Clan that gained it by the virtue of power and status... Bah. Decorum, manners, protocol and shit. Had to learn it."
"Oh?" Naruto coked an eyebrow with interest. "You never told me that you are an actual blue blood."
"Eh. I don't think about it much, really." Hana muttered, pulling up the shirt next to Naruto, before discarding it. "Since we have been shinobi for so long, it hardly matters anymore, except to other nobles."
"So how does one go from blue blooded nobility to a fierce clan of war shinobi?" The blond looked at her.
"Usual shit. War. Little bit of exile, some power struggle. "Hana shook her head. "My ancestors lost some squabble or other with a rival clan some three hundred years ago, according to the Clan history. Since the daimyo then was rather corrupt, he looked the other way as they took our lands and stuff. But since we were never disgraced or shit, they couldn't take the title. The remaining Inuzuka lost everything, so they went to live in the forests, partially because they didn't have the home to return to anymore, but mostly because they were hunted left and right by the hired goons." She frowned thoughtfully. "Actually, we were supposed to have lived somewhere near the Konoha. Or the place where Konoha would later be. Though I'm not exactly clear on the details."
"So, where do the dogs come in?" Naruto asked curiously. "Did you have them before and took them with you?"
"Ah hell no!" Hana chuckled. "According to the records, our clan was full of pampered, fat bastards with a fucking lot of pride and refinement in arts and shit, but very little common sense or any practical skills." She shook her head. "No, the 'dogs' came later. Actually they weren't dogs. Not at first, anyway."
Hana picked up a dark red haori and looked at it thoughtfully, before putting it to Naruto's chest. She nodded to herself with a grin, putting it away from other clothes.
"As I mentioned" She said, rummaging through the smile pile of clothes. "the Inuzuka of that time didn't know shit about how the real world worked. Plenty of us died and more would have followed, if not for a single fact."
She took a pair of black pants up, before shaking her head and throwing them away.
"The forests were thick, dangerous and shit, but they weren't as empty as the Inuzuka of that time believed. They had inhabitants. Large, furry and rather unfriendly inhabitants. Wolves. A-ha!"
She pulled out a dark blue haori, even better quality than the red one.
"Good. This will do nicely. Now, where was I. Ah, right. Wolves. Well. Wolves didn't like the human intruders. We didn't like the wolves. Lot's of bad blood, people dead, wolves hunted in revenge... That kind of shit. But soon the both sides saw that killing each other was pointless. A wolf pack could hunt a human or two, but then a whole gaggle of Inuzuka, as many of them as there were left, would hunt the pack. The forest was big enough for two, so a kind of understanding had been reached. The humans didn't venture near the wolf lands, wolves stayed away for territories where Inuzuka lived. The forests were fucking big, far bigger than today, and they aren't exactly small now. Slowly, with pains, lot's of grumbling, whining and hardship, the Inuzuka learned to live in the forest. Nothing glamorous, especially compared to the palaces we had before, you understand. Simple survival, basic needs like food, shelter and mediocum of safety met. No frills. But it wasn't a bad life, all things considered. Better than any peasant during that time, that's for sure. And far better than a hunted noble from a decimated clan with shitload of enemies usually led."
Hana fished out several more articles of clothing, the most prominent being a pair of formal burgundy pants as well as two pair of coats, one sandy beige, the other dark red.
"Now, while Inuzuka might have whined and bitched, they actually got used to that kind of life. And the new generation of Inuzuka, ones who were either young or were born there, knew no other life. So, life wasn't bad. And the longer we stayed in the forests, the more we got used tot he forest, and the forest to us. Life was actually good. Of course, like every good thing, it had to end. And it did."
Hana snorted.
"It seems the rival clan never forgot that some Inuzuka still lived. Since we had apparently been squabbling wit them for at least three generations, the hate ran pretty deep. So they finally found us. They came en masse, but they didn't know shit about the forest. So they died. But still, there was a shitload of them and only a few of us. Then, the drought came and the idiots had a bright idea - they couldn't find us, so they started killing things that we could hunt, trying to starve us. Normally, the Inuzuka would simply move somewhere else, but they'd find us then. We were between rock and the hard place. Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide and fighting was a suicide, pure and simple. But then, the idiots did the biggest mistake of their lives and went overboard."
Hana pulled out another formal outfit, looking at ii critically, before nodding and putting it tot he small pile she had apparently deemed good enough.
"You see, the idiots, drunk with bloodshed, started to kill the wolves. And that was a major mistake. Over the years, the wolves bred a little, gaining a large population and coexisted with the Inuzuka of that time. It wasn't easy or painless, but we had an understanding. The wolves accepted us as apart of the forest, and we accepted the wolves. Then the idiots with iron fangs, ones not smelling of the forest or Inuzuka blood, but of fire and blood, came in. They weren't part of the forest. They were the enemy. Now the wolves were smart. Not your garden variety. From what I remember of my mom's rambling about it, it has something to do with large concentration of leylines or some shit. I have no idea about that stuff. Suffice to say, the wolves were smarter, bigger and meaner. They noticed that Inuzuka fought the invaders. More, they won. Inuzuka noticed that the wolves fought and hunted the invaders. It was a crazy, desperate time, it called for crazy, desperate measures. Some Inuzuka, over the years, learned some tricks with their chakra, even ninja techniques form the very few retainers that remained by their side."
Hana grimaced.
"Ninja were reviled then, but it was no time to be picky. So, Inuzuka swallowed their pride and learned. They concocted a plan, a crazy, desperate plan. A... melding of sorts. I have no idea what it was exactly, it was long lost even to us, but form what I understand it linked the Man and Wolf. It shared strengths, feelings and other shit. Sorta like our current jyuujin bunshin, but on a far more deeper level. Deadlier one as well, since if any of the partners died, other followed shortly after. Some Inuzuka and wolves died, some went mad and had to be put down. But those that survived... Heh."
Hana grinned.
"Well, let's just said that the idiot invaders soon learned to fear the 'howling spirits'. Eventually, the men left, falling out of favor with the daimyo for something or other. The daimyo, a new one and not as corrupted as his predecessor, wanted to 'heal the land', asked Inuzuka to come back, offering back most of their former land in exchange for fealty to the daimyo. Well, my ancestors basically told him that they liked their current lodgings. Then they said that any moron stupid enough to come and disturb their forest, would learn how sharp our fangs really were. The daimyo's delegation, which was quite frankly rather unnerved by big wolves that walked among Inuzuka freely and were treated as equals, agreed and left post haste."
The girl shrugged.
"The threat was over, but the bond was pretty much permanent. And we found we actually didn't mind it. The wolves didn't either. So from that day onward every Inuzuka bonded with a young wolf puppy for life. They grew up together, played together, fought together... and died together as well."
Hana cocked her head.
"Over the years, things changed, Shodai came, founded Konoha, made truce with Inuzuka and invited them to become the part of Konoha. We changed, we grew and adapted. Now, we are Inuzuka Clan. Konoha's war dogs. Hot headed, vicious savages with dogs as our loyal companions, weapons and friends. And we wouldn't have it any other way."
She grinned.
*
"The red headed kid is Gaara." Hana gratefully accepted a saucer of Sake from Anko. "He is the Kazekage's youngest son. And the village nightmare."
"Spoiled?" Naruto quirked an eyebrow.
"Psycho." Hana grimaced. "As in homicidal, bloodthirsty little fuck who thinks wrapping people in sand and crushing them into a pulp is the greatest thing since the sliced bread."
"Well isn't he a cheerful little brat." Anko drawled. "How nice. See Naruto, there ARE creepier brats than you." She toasted the blond
Naruto smiled wryly, returning the toast.
"Oh, you have no idea." Hana shook her head. "Most of this village... they all fear Gaara. Even the shinobi."
"Oh come on!" Anko snorted. "Genin and chuunin I can understand, the kid has some nice tricks... But jounin? The elite ones? Shit, Naruto put down the mother of all smackdowns on him with the Chiryuu and one genjutsu! If not for the Kazekage, the sand brat would be in the fucking pieces!"
"Excellent comparison. Because Naruto is the most normal genin there is." Hana rolled her eyes.
"As good as our blondie is, he ain't no jounin." Anko waved her hand dismissively, before looking at the blond. "Sorry 'ruto, but that's the cold, hard truth. You're the prodigy and shit, but you've got ways to go before you can equal a jounin. Even if you have bigger chakra reserve than any jounin in the village, save maybe the Hokage."
Naruto smiled amusedly.
"Don't worry. I know my limits." he said with a shrug, taking a sip of his sake. 'Doesn't mean I have to like them, but I know them.'
"Now I admit, that the kid got a real fancy blood limit. No question about that. But any Elite Jounin should be enough to handle the kid." Anko grumbled. "What are they, retarded?"
"This sand isn't a blood limit. The boy is a jinchuuriki."
Anko spat her sake.
"WHAT?!"
"You heard me." Hana sipped her sake calmly. "There is nothing sure, but... It would fit. During one of the Council meetings my mother heard about the Ichibi, Shukaku, being sealed. I remember it because she got drunk and pissed and started raving about that." Hana looked into her saucer, before gazing at Naruto. "Shukaku's main ability is linked to sand, from what I remember. If that Gaara can really control the sand in such an advanced way..." She shrugged.
Anko poured herself another cup.
"Shit... Now that complicates things." She admitted finally.
"Indeed." Naruto frowned. "But that would explain the surge of power I had felt during the fight. As well as the odd resonance. The boy has more than one source of chakra. That's why he had such an odd presence."
"So... How does a bijuu end up in Kazekage's son?" Anko looked at Hana.
The Inuzuka woman shrugged.
"No idea. I didn't exactly have the time and it was hard enough to get the info as it was." She growled. "Bloody lechers."
"Now now, little bitch." Anko leered. "Don't blame them. You looked so good that I wouldn't mind jumping you myself."
Hana just looked at her flatly.
"Don't you ever get tired of that?" She asked finally. "All that teasing, trash talk, flirting..."
"Never!" Came the empathic answer. "Besides, it's teasin' only if you don't deliver." Anko grinned, licking her lips.
Hana just hid behind her saucer.
Naruto tried to pretend he wasn't looking down the cleavage of her now-loose Yukata.
'Damn hormones.'
He had been afraid of that.
The signs have been there for the past three moths, but he had ignored them.
Now, with emotions buzzing, the leash on his temper had slipped enough.
As useful as demon was...
'Well, potentially useful.' Naruto scowled inwardly.
...having it wired, more or less, inside his chakra system meant some... difficulties.
It seemed that even when not accessed, the demonic chakra still influenced his energy, as well as body to a degree. A small one, but still noticeable if you knew what to look for.
And with the beast dead and it's soul gone, the process got tad... complicated. To put it bluntly, the energy ran unchecked.
It wasn't anything life threatening - he had long ago learned that the seal simply wouldn't let it happen - but it did came with it's share problems.
The chakra coil system matured along with the body. While it was fully capable of channeling larger amounts of energy around seven or eighth years old, it reached it's full maturity the same time the body did - in the late teens.
Chakra was like muscle - the more you used it, the more your reserves grew. His chakra had been strained by the constant presence of Nine Tails nearly since his birth - probably that was why he had a chuunin level chakra reserve before even starting his formal shinobi education.
But the fox never really DID anything. Not to his knowledge, anyway.
But now, the entity guiding the energy was gone. And the energy remained.
Behind the seal, true, but it was there. Rampant. Unchecked. Aimless.
And forcing his chakra system into maturing faster. Along with his body.
While it wasn't that bad, all things considered, it did have a price tag. And, as he had recently discovered, it reacted to his emotions.
Oh DID it react to his emotions.
While he had been genuinely upset and furious because of Kurenai's state, he should have known better than to allow his emotions fuel him.
He should have analyzed things with cold, impassive logic and devise some sort of a plan.
Not drop into indignant, rage that clouded his judgment and made him fly half blind, like he was doing now.
His face was as if carved of stone as Anko leered at the growling Hana, the purple haired Kunoichi's body coiled in a rather suggestive pose.
Naruto had an epiphany.
'I... HATE... being a teenager.'
Still, he looked on.
And tried to ignore the quick, amused glance sent his way by a pair of mischievous brown eyes as he stoically sipped his alcohol.
*
The Kazekage leafed through the papers carefully. Suna might not have possessed as good intelligence as one boasted by Konoha, thanks to a certain Toad Sannin, but it was more than adequate.
'Interesting...' He thought picking up first of the folders readied by his subordinates. 'Mitarashi Anko. Tokubetsu Jounin, specialization in sabotage and assassination. B-rank summoner. Jutsu rating is.... WHAT?!' Ho halted, reading the passage again. 'Why is she just a tokubetsu jounin and not... ah! I knew she was familiar! Orochimaru's pupil. No wonder.' He put down a folder taking another one. 'Inuzuka Hana. Hmm... Clan heiress. Chuunin. Specialist tracker... Well she IS an Inuzuka. Frontline combat, scout. Par of the course. And... oh? A B-ranked infiltration training? Inuzuka skilled in stealth and avoidance... What is the world coming to?' He thought with amusement, before picking up the last folder. 'Now, let's see. Uzumaki Naruto, genin... earned the ranking at ten? Prodigy, then. Assigned to... Wait, that can't be right.' He frowned, re-reading the material. 'Genjutsu specialist training? And not even taught by a full jounin. Curiouser and curiouser...' He kept on reading until he reached the end of the file and put it down.
"Baki." The jounin snapped to attention. Many would think the large man a typical war shinobi, a frontline fighter. Which he was, of course. But very few knew he was the Sunagakure's ANBU commander and head of Intelligence. Which was one of the reasons he assigned the scarred jounin to train Gaara. He needed somebody who could think as well as fight as Gaara's... guardian. "The file on the boy is... unusually complete. Very through. Tell me, just how did you compile it?"
"We managed to find a person in the Konoha's administration who had direct access to the genin files, Kazekage-sama. This file is practically a copy of Uzumaki Naruto's data straight from Konoha's archives." The jounin responded dutifully.
"Oh?" Kazekage raised an eyebrow with interest. "Now that must have cost quite a bit, I imagine."
"Not as much as one might think, Kazekage-sama." Baki shook his head. "The woman was... rather eager to give our spies the needed data."
"So the boy IS as disliked as I heard." The Kazekage smiled thinly, leaning back in his seat. "Interesting."
"So it would seem, Kazekage-sama." The grizzled man said carefully.
The Kazekage nodded thoughtfully.
"And the women he travels with... One is rather well known."
Baki nodded.
"Mitarashi Anko, the infamous student of the renegade Sannin, Orochimaru."
"And one of Konoha's best assassins as well." The Kazekage threw a glance at the opened folders on his desk. "Add to that the Inuzuka Clan heiress... What an interesting combination. Interesting... and unusual." He picked up the ANBU report. "Even more unusual is the fact that, while both outrank him by a fair margin, he seems to be in command of an official mission. Curious. Is that data accurate?"
Baki nodded again.
"The team leader who met them on the road to Suna reported that he was the one holding the documents and passes. Also, when the captain tried to give them to the highest ranking shinobi, Mitarashi pointed directly at the boy without hesitation."
Both men knew what it meant. The official duties were always left to the team leader.
"So, there is no mistake here." The Kazekage rubbed his chin. "Curiouser and curiouser. Just why does a teenage genin commands two shinobi of higher rank?"
The jounin said nothing as Kazekage looked at the paper in his hand thoughtfully, before putting it down.
"Tell me Baki... Why do we have a such a comprehensive study of a one, teenaged genin?" He asked finally.
"As per your orders, all of the jinchuuriki are monitored by Sunagakure's Intelligence." Baki said stiffly.
He had no idea why his leader would ask such an obvious question, but whatever it was, he had a bad feeling about it.
"You have also ordered to keep an even closer attention to Uzumaki, as he is the container of strongest of the Tailed Beasts, as well as the first container to the Kyuubi ever recorded."
"So I did, so I did." The Kazekage nodded absently, leafing through the papers on his desk. "And you seem to have made a good job, Baki. The childhood, the medical file... Even the grades from academy. Yes... A very good job." He nodded again, before looking at the jounin.
"Thank you, Kazekage-sama." Baki said carefully.
"But... If you had done such a good job..." The Kazekage's eyes narrowed. "Why is there nothing on his BLOOD LIMIT?!" The man snarled. "Or why has the fact that the GENIN, placed in a two-man team with his teacher, performs B-CLASS missions in such quantity that it might be as well called routine manner, is written off as 'inconsequential'?!" He leaned forward menacingly. "And why has a... genin, who is able to beat Sunagakure's most valued WEAPON has not been brought to my attention before he casually CRUSHED the weapon in question? In my own 'backyard as it were? In a full view of Suna's citizens no less?!"
The jounin took a step back, paling. The Kazekage prided himself on being a calm and collected individual but after years of working for the man, Baki knew better. Most of the time he presented a calm, nearly emotionless facade, but his temper was as fierce as it was unreasonable when roused. The father ad the son were very alike in that respect.
"WELL?!" The Kazekage snapped. "Anything to say for yourself, oh Intelligence Director? Anything at all?"
"Kazekage-sama, there was no mention on a blood limit of any kind in Konoha's archives!" Baki tried to defend himself, sweating. "And no evidence of any such thing had ever been found before!"
"Evidence? You want EVIDENCE, Baki?" The Kazekage sneered. "Go out on the street and take a good look at that alley, you fool! Take a good, long look at the dried blood there that ripped through the sand that can stop the B-class attack jutsu! Then take a look at our jinchuuriki's body. You know, the one that was supposed to be protected by an 'absolute defense'?" His voice dripped venom. "And you speak to me of evidence?"
"Kazekage-sama... There never was a jinchuuriki holding the Kyuubi before." Baki desperately looked for an argument. "It might be possible that-"
"Are you a complete idiot, Baki?" The Kazekage scoffed. "The bijuu's energies leave a mark a half blind genin would spot! There was not even a drop of bijuu's energy used there, fool!" He closed his eyes, trying to calm down.
Baki simply stood his ground, without a word.
"Sarutobi is indeed crafty." The Kazekage said finally. "Leaving that boy such an 'open secret'... Nobody would think to dig deeper. Whatever for? Crafty old codger. Seems he's nowhere near as soft or senile as he likes to appear nowadays. And even his treatment..." The Kazekage shook his head slowly. "Poor, mistreated boy, hated by the village that spawned him. Disliked, people won't associate with him - he is the hated symbol of Kyuubi's rampage, after all. I imagine the Uchiha massacre must have helped quite a bit in that." The green eyed man rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Yes... After all, the eyes are on the 'tragic survivor' of the 'mighty Uchiha Clan'. An ideal sleight of hand. Make them look one way and nurture a powerful blood limit right in the open without rousing anyone's suspicion. Seems the famed Professor hasn't lost his touch after all. Hiding behind his age in a way that fooled even his own shinobi... Shrewd, old man." He admitted grudgingly, rubbing his temples.
Baki stood on, face expressionless, as his commander sat, deep in thought.
"Baki, tell my servants to prepare a formal dinner. Not too lavish, but no expense is to be spared." He said after a few moments of silence. "Send the notice to your men - I want Uzumaki Naruto watched, albeit with extreme caution. But I want to know everything and anything that there is to know about this boy. Everything, Baki. "He looked at his head of Intelligence sharply. "Likes, dislikes, lodgings, friends, enemies, habits, hobbies, childhood crushes..." He paused, before nodding to himself. "Crushes... Yes. Find what kind of girls he likes."
Baki blinked.
"Kazekage-sama... The seduction angle?" He said carefully. "Isn't Uzumaki a little... young?"
The Kage shook his head.
"He is thirteen, Baki. Had he been from a prestigious Clan, heÆd already have several suitors lined up for him. Besides..." He smirked. "Every boy becomes a man one day Baki, and men need women in their lives. And when a boy becomes a man, his first is always the closest to his heart." A calculating gleam appeared in his eyes. "Tell Temari to report at once. I have a very important mission for her." He smiled, the gears of politics and intrigue already humming their seductive song in his mind. "Yes, A very important mission. Probably the most important mission of her life. And the longest."
The jounin nodded simply.
Other might find such thing abhorrent, but Baki was a shinobi. It was one of the time honored tactics. Often a one woman in a right bed could change the course of war.
"You may leave." The Kazekage waved absently.
After the jounin closed the door. the Kazekage leaned back, a smile on his face.
Sarutobi was indeed wise in his strategy. It was a god thing he caught on. Many thought Sarutobi soft, but the cold, calculating logic that bore the fruit known as Uzumaki Naruto had shown him that Sarutobi was far from a fangless wolf. Indeed, his age - instead of making him weaker - gave him a great deal of freedom.
After all, who is to be watched more, the famed Professor of the shinobi, the ninja who held title of the 'strongest in history' since his late teens to his early fifties? The man who mastered more jutsu than people even knew existed, a leader and general who nearly crushed the Mist with unerring precision, outmaneuvered the Cloud and humbled the Grass and the Marsh in one, swift stroke without rising a finger? The one kept Konoha strong through the two Great Shinobi Wars? Or the old, tired and burned out man, tired of bloodshed, longing for peaceful tomorrow and wishing to avoid war at all cost?
Yes, this was an invaluable piece of intelligence.
'Hmm.... It seems that you won't find Konoha as easy prey as you think, Orochimaru.' The Kazekage rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
He briefly entertained a notion of declining the snake's offer, but he decided against it. Too much of Suna's resources had been already committed.
'Besides... it isn't as I can't betray him to Konoha, if things turn out unfavorably.' He thought with a smirk. 'Fool. His hatred and greed blind him.'
While the invasion stood a very good chance of success, there was a remote possibility of failure.
'Not so remote anymore.' The Kage admitted grudgingly. 'If Sarutobi managed to pull something like this under everyone's nose... I wonder what other aces does he hide in his sleeves?'
Contingency plans would have to be put in motion, thanks to that tasty morsel of intelligence.
'And all thanks to our young genin.' He thought with a chuckle. 'You have made a mistake, Sarutobi. Your plan was nearly flawless... Making him disliked turned the curious eyes away, but it can be a double edged sword.'
He went wrong with Gaara, he saw that now.
In his haste to get a weapon, he pushed too hard. While Gaara was powerful weapon, he was like a lit explosive note. Powerful, destructive and deadly, no doubt. But also volatile, unfocused and out of control.
He had been too impatient back then, too greedy. Now he had paid the price.
'Well, he is still usable... somewhat.' The Kazekage grimaced. 'But nowhere nearly as... efficient as the Uzumaki boy.'
But that could be changed, now that he tasted defeat and knew fear.
And the other jinchuuriki...
He smiled.
No mater how good shinobi the blond would become, Konoha would always remember what he was. Their hate was almost unreasonable.
So the boy was hated, treated as a pariah in his own home?
How inhuman.
Well, it is time for the boy to know generosity. For the 'fate' to pay back the debt it owed.
And Suna would shoulder that... burden with grace, dignity and honor.
The Kazekage chuckled.
Yes, indeed. Sunagakure would shoulder the burden of having the strongest of jinchuuriki, a genjutsu prodigy and his powerful bloodlimit gladly.
*
"Hey, Naruto?"
The blond looked up from his book.
"What is one of your birds doing on the table?" Anko asked, pointing at the creature.
Naruto blinked.
"Now that was fast." He muttered. "Sakura had a right idea. Increasing quantity of blood DOES make them faster." He stretched out his arm and the large prey bird flew to it, settling down gently. "Now, my little friend, what do you have for me?"
Anko and Hana watched with fascination as the large, red bird opened his beak, then opened it wider that should be possible for any animal and spitting out a small scroll that Naruto took calmly.
"Wow. That's some summon." Hana said in amazement.
Anko looked at her quizzically.
"You don't know?" She asked incuriously.
"Know what?" The Inuzuka woman asked.
The bird looked at the pair and screeched, before melting onto a large sheet of paper with a Blood Script seal attached.
Hana stared.
"Okay... What the HELL was that thing?" She said blinking.
"Blood Hawk." Anko grinned. "No fucking idea what they are, but Naruto makes them through some crazy seals. Useful little buggers."
"They are NOT called blood hawks, blood eagles or anything else like that." Naruto scowled.
"Then what they are called?" Anko smirked.
Naruto shut up.
"Never thought of that." He admitted finally.
"So, Blood Hawk it is." The jounin shrugged.
Naruto snorted, but didn't say a word as he unsealed the scroll.
He blinked, noticing that instead of one, larger one he got two, one thin and one considerably thicker. The first one bore a simple seal he knew well and he opened it first.
/Naruto.
First let me express my condolences on Kurenai's state. I know you two are close and I sincerely hope she does get better. If her state is as serious as I heard, you do need to find Tsunade and fast. I have had a misfortune of stumbling upon the Hidden Rainbow artifacts - none of them ended well.
I write this to let you know that if not for my professional respect for Kurenai and yourself, as well as some degree of interest, the information you have received with this letter would come at far steeper price. Especially considering the manner in which you approached me.
Let me make this clear - as much as I respect you both, I demand respect in return. I extended an open hand to you, but decorum must be maintained, as we both well know. Next time you feel the need to contact me, do so personally or don't do it at all.
Sending one of your pets to me was impolite and disrespectful, no matter how dire your situation might be. I will let it slide this one time.
Never again.
I hope we have an understanding?
Now, to the meritum. In the sealed scroll you got along with the letter there is all of the data I could find about Tsunade. The woman is crafty and uncommonly hard to locate. You are in luck, however. In four weeks there is an annual yearly Candle Festival held on the Coral Island. From the scraps of data I managed to gather, Tsunade is heading there for the festival. The fact that the Sea Country also opens a few new casinos on their Eastern Island at the end of the month, which is a short way from Coral, adds to the credibility./
Naruto cursed.
Coral was practically on the other side of the continent! It would be faster to reach it from Konoha, far faster, indeed.
/For the second matter you detailed in your letter... As odd as it might seem, it had been a far harder case of the two. Far stranger as well./
Naruto raised an eyebrow. For Shiro, of all people, to put it this way...
/Although you will get every scrape of data I managed to gather on that place, it is heavily out of date. But I think it is understandable, considering that Kamata village had ceased to exist nearly a hundred years ago./
Naruto froze, re reading the paragraph.
/Despite the disbelief that you are probably feeling right now, I assure you it is true. Kamata village was been destroyed by the Third Cloud Mobile Battalion during the Second Great Shinobi War barely five years after the Village hidden in the Rainbow fell. The Hidden Cloud burned it to the ground and killed every man, woman and child in it. They went so far as to salt the land, burn it to the ground and wipe it's location from any maps and then made it an S-class secret.
I doubt that Hidden Marsh knows there had been a village there.
For all intents and purposes, the Kamata village simply doesn't exist.
Even the few scraps of information I managed to get my hands on are fragmented and very inconclusive. If what you say is true, then whatever you stumbled in was enough to scare even the hardened warmongers of the Cloud. I would tread very lightly when you go back there, if I were you. Whatever is enough to scare the power hungry Cloud war hawks is not something to be treated lightly.
I included any kind of data I could in the package, but I don't know how useful it will be for you. The information is heavily out of date, after all.
Now, that ties in with your payment. Whatever you discover in that village, I want the report on. Although the Syndicate as an organization holds no interest in the matter, it intrigued me personally. That is a first part of the payment.
Second is a favor that I want you to perform in return for the one I'm making you.
Added to the data on Tsunade and Kamata Village case, you will find an intelligence report detailing the movements of one Isamu Araki. He is a weaponÆs merchant, quite a prominent one. We had an amiable business relations with him for quite some time until recently. I won't go into details, but let's just say that he owes me a debt, both in cash and in blood.
I can't exactly touch him, since he is under Orochimaru's protection and you know full well our tenuous hands off policy regarding that madman, so I can't use my own agents without sparking a conflict with the renegade sannin.
I will not let a two bit weapon's merchant with delusions of grandeur make a fool of me, however. It is bad for business.
I want you to locate and assassinate mister Araki in a way that leaves a... lasting impression but can't be traced to our organization. Since you are not affiliated with the Syndicate, you will do nicely. And I imagine your dear lady friend you are traveling with will enjoy it quite a bit, considering the man does supply her former teacher.
Also, you are free to help yourself to anything you find in his home.
I imagine there will be one item of a particular interest to you. Araki is something of a collector and holds in his possession an item that can be of great use to you in your journey to the Coral - the Cat summoning contract. Not one for the particular tribe, but for the whole Clan. Including the Cheetah Tribe.
Consider it a token of good will on my part.
I must warn you, however, that the Cat summon had never been used by anyone in recent history and is known to be extremely unpredictable. There is a reason it isn't in use, after all, aside from it's rarity.
Still, if there is anyone capable of bargaining with the whimsical summons in a day or two, it is you./
Naruto smirked.
Shiro would never admit it, but the contract was no 'token of good will'. The man was probably just curious, but didn't want to risk himself.
'His curiosity will one day lead him to his grave.' He thought with amusement. 'Still, the ability to call on the aid of the Cheetah Tribe... Now that would speed the journey quite a bit. If I can cut a deal with them.' He frowned. 'Cats. That might be difficult. Wolves would be better. Pity the Wolf contract had been lost since before Konoha's founding.'
He got back to the letter.
/Now since I know how your esteemed Hokage is about his ninja doing unsanctioned missions, especially for organizations like ours, and since I want information about our connection leaking even less for now... Let's keep this our little secret, shall we?
On a vaguely related note, once you are finished with your more pressing matter, come and visit me. There are certain matters in Wave that would benefit from your expertise in handling such matters. Situation is delicate and I don't want to commit my own resources just yet so you would be ideal. I believe you will find the pay more than satisfactory and the bonus very to your liking.
Reliable mercenaries are hard to find nowadays. I always have a job for man of your skills and talent.
Give it some thought.
Sincerely yours,
Shiro./
Naruto shook his head.
'That man...' He looked at the letter thoughtfully, before putting it down and looking at his companions thoughtfully.
"Anko. Could you put a A-class security seal here for a brief moment? I will mask it." He said finally.
The jounin raised an eyebrow, but nodded, pulling out a slip of paper and cutting her finger. With few quick strokes she set up the array and Naruto drew a 'silencer' ring around it, keeping chakra leakage to minimum.
"On three." Anko said, putting the tag on the table. "One, two... three!" They put their palms on the seal in the same moment, activating the 'come of silence'.
Naruto looked at the kunoichi seriously.
"Our mission just got more complicated." He said simply. "Far more complicated, even. I have the necessary data, but it gives more questions than answers. Also... the price was higher than I expected. What I am about to show you, NEVER leaves this room. Nobody can know about it, especially not the Hokage."
The women looked at each other before nodding.
Naruto gave them the letter.
Anko grabbed it first, reading it quickly, Hana reading over her arm.
"...Fuck." The purple haired Kunoichi said finally.
"I say." Hana muttered, before looking at Naruto with a scowl. "Naruto... all the stuff about the village aside... An unsanctioned mission without Hokage's approval? For a criminal organization? Shit... Sarutobi-sama would have a fit if he ever got to know about it!"
"Not as big one you might think." Anko said thoughtfully. "This is a B-class mission, we are mostly free to act as we see fit to complete it. There were precedences."
"Anko, are you a total moron? This isn't pissing off some touchy noble!" Hana threw her hands up. "This is an assassination on a foreign soil!"
"Assassination of a CRIMINAL." Anko said unperturbed. "A criminal aiding an S-class nukenin Konoha had been after for a good part of the decade. The intel alone would be worth it."
"Yeah. And the fact that it involves Orochimaru has nothing to do with it." Hana said sarcastically. "Yeah, right. If you won't fly of the handle at the f-"
"Watch it, Inuzuka." Anko growled dangerously. "Don't speak about shit you have no fucking idea about, little bitch!"
"Anko!" Naruto snapped.
The jounin turned tot he blond, eyes flashing dangerously.
"That is no time for your personal vendetta!" He said forcefully. "We already have enough matters to deal with. Kurenai comes first."
Anko looked at him for a moment, before forcing her temper down and turning to Hana.
"I admit that giving that bastard a headache is a nice bonus, and believe me - I will enjoy it to the fullest." Anko smirked briefly, a dangerous gleam in her eyes. "But Naruto is right - Kurenai comes first here. So don't worry. I'll do my part."
"Hana?" Naruto looked at the Inuzuka heiress. "Anko is committed, so am I. You don't need to help us - we can meet in Coral."
"Fuck you!" Hana growled. "I told ya, didn't I? The day I leave a friend is the day I slit my own throat. And Kurenai is a friend. So are you and even the snake bitch here. "She pointed at Anko. "So shut the fuck up and don't say stupid shit, asshole."
"Why, how touching. You say the nicest things." Anko smirked. "You got me all mushy here, little bitch."
"Screw you!" Hana grumbled, clearly pissed, before glaring at the blond. "And screw you too, blondie!"
"You know you want to!" Anko leered. "And I bet he wouldn't say no, too. Hell, I know I wouldn't." She grinned, leaning over to Hana, her face directly in front of the Inuzuka, light jacket strategically opened and showing off Anko's cleavage as if by magic.
Naruto raised an eyebrow.
'How does she do it?' He though with amazement. 'I was sure that it was buttoned just a second ago!'
Hana looked at the jounin flatly.
"I hate you." She said finally. "Just for the record."
"Aww!" Anko cooed. "Such a sweet talker you are, honey. Don't you think so, Naruto?"
Naruto snapped off his slight trance that the enticing view put him in.
"What?" He blinked.
Anko snickered and Hana palmed her face.
"Perverts... I'm surrounded by perverts..." She muttered, before pointing accusingly at the jounin. "You corrupted him!"
"Yeah. I know." Anko nodded sagely. "Ain't it neat?" She licked her lips playfully, leaning over to Hana, her hot breath on Inuzuka Heiress ear. "Wait till I start with you. It is going to be fun... little bitch." then she blew a little hot air into Hana's ear, before biting it gently.
The Heiress froze, paling and flushing slightly, a faint whimper escaping her throat.
She couldn't help it, damn it! Inuzuka were more in touch with their primal, feral natures! In all respects. And Anko, goddamn her, knew just WHICH buttons to push!
Four hundred years of experience or no, nothing managed to get him ready for something like this. Not even nearly.
Naruto simply sat there, unable to move a muscle, his eyes a little bit glazed.
'Damn you, hormones! Curse you, puberty!'
Anko whistled cheerfully as she stood up and casually walked to the table laving two shell shocked shinobi in their places.
"Who's the pervert now?" She snickered, pouring herself some sake.
Helping Kurenai was all well and good and a priority, but between Naruto's puberty hitting full force lately, Hana's sensitivity as well as some mayhem and a chance to spit into Orochimaru-bastard's face while riding on an edge all the while...
She felt a pleasurable shiver running down her spine and grinned wickedly, sipping her sake.
Well, there was no reason not to have some fun along the way. After all, you needed to seize the moment as long as you lived. The sooner her blond friend understood it, the better.
*
"Any preference towards colors?" Hana asked, leafing through the clothes she had brought to their apartment after she picked them in the Suna's shops.
Naruto glared.
It wasn't like he didn't understand the value of proper clothes for the occasion, but with such a minor thing...
"What is wrong with my current attire?"
Hana sighed, turning to her friend.
"Naruto... You are wearing black. While this is indeed a universal color, your cut looks like a uniform. At it has armor plates." She rubbed her temples. "Add the full assault armor, a fur coat and the helmet and you'd look just like the Nidaime Hokage in the war gear, for Kami's sake!"
"So?" He raised an eyebrow. "Uniform is appropriate for most official occasions."
"No it isn't!"
She snapped.
"Don't you get it? You're not meeting the leader of the village. Not entirely, anyway. You are meeting with a high ranked shinobi of high status that invited you by name. A shinobi of an allied village! If you enter his home wearing something so uniform-like, even if archaic looking, you imply you took his invitation for official purposes only and that you don't exactly feel you can trust him. You can't do that when asked for a semi-formal dinner! If he invited you to come in an official manner as a Konoha nin, then yes, war gear minus weapons and armor is appropriate. It shows that you respect him and his position and that you treat him as an ally."
"Ah. So it is a matter of politics." Naruto said with understanding.
"Partly." Hana nodded. "It is also about the unwritten shinobi protocol and the code of conduct. We might not be the samurai, but we have our own customs, even if they aren't as rigid."
Hana looked at Naruto thoughtfully.
"You know, this is odd." She muttered quietly. thankfully, she didn't need to worry about anyone listening on them since the seal still held.
"Why would he invite you in that manner? He basically treated you as if you were a member of an allied clan, a prestigious one at that. Clan Heads would be treated this way, not an unknown genin, even from an allied village." She cocked her head tot he side. "Anko is right, there is something wrong about it."
"Appeasement. Bribe. Political maneuvering." Naruto smiled thinly. "The man is up to something, that much is clear. And judging by how he wants to compliment me, according to what you say, whatever he wants from me won't be a small thing."
"Politics." Hana growled with distaste. "Feh. I prefer an honest fight to all that crap."
"You seem quite well versed in the matter you profess to hate so much none the less." Naruto smiled with amusement.
"I'm the Clan Heiress." Hana shrugged. "I'm expected to know this stuff, since I will be the Clan Head one day. The Inuzuka might not be as big or rich as some of the other Clans in Konoha, but we are the actual nobility, like the Hyuuga. Though they care for that crap far too much and never let anyone forget. Stuck up assholes." She shook her head with distaste. "Since we are the actual nobility, not just the major shinobi Clan that gained it by the virtue of power and status... Bah. Decorum, manners, protocol and shit. Had to learn it."
"Oh?" Naruto coked an eyebrow with interest. "You never told me that you are an actual blue blood."
"Eh. I don't think about it much, really." Hana muttered, pulling up the shirt next to Naruto, before discarding it. "Since we have been shinobi for so long, it hardly matters anymore, except to other nobles."
"So how does one go from blue blooded nobility to a fierce clan of war shinobi?" The blond looked at her.
"Usual shit. War. Little bit of exile, some power struggle. "Hana shook her head. "My ancestors lost some squabble or other with a rival clan some three hundred years ago, according to the Clan history. Since the daimyo then was rather corrupt, he looked the other way as they took our lands and stuff. But since we were never disgraced or shit, they couldn't take the title. The remaining Inuzuka lost everything, so they went to live in the forests, partially because they didn't have the home to return to anymore, but mostly because they were hunted left and right by the hired goons." She frowned thoughtfully. "Actually, we were supposed to have lived somewhere near the Konoha. Or the place where Konoha would later be. Though I'm not exactly clear on the details."
"So, where do the dogs come in?" Naruto asked curiously. "Did you have them before and took them with you?"
"Ah hell no!" Hana chuckled. "According to the records, our clan was full of pampered, fat bastards with a fucking lot of pride and refinement in arts and shit, but very little common sense or any practical skills." She shook her head. "No, the 'dogs' came later. Actually they weren't dogs. Not at first, anyway."
Hana picked up a dark red haori and looked at it thoughtfully, before putting it to Naruto's chest. She nodded to herself with a grin, putting it away from other clothes.
"As I mentioned" She said, rummaging through the smile pile of clothes. "the Inuzuka of that time didn't know shit about how the real world worked. Plenty of us died and more would have followed, if not for a single fact."
She took a pair of black pants up, before shaking her head and throwing them away.
"The forests were thick, dangerous and shit, but they weren't as empty as the Inuzuka of that time believed. They had inhabitants. Large, furry and rather unfriendly inhabitants. Wolves. A-ha!"
She pulled out a dark blue haori, even better quality than the red one.
"Good. This will do nicely. Now, where was I. Ah, right. Wolves. Well. Wolves didn't like the human intruders. We didn't like the wolves. Lot's of bad blood, people dead, wolves hunted in revenge... That kind of shit. But soon the both sides saw that killing each other was pointless. A wolf pack could hunt a human or two, but then a whole gaggle of Inuzuka, as many of them as there were left, would hunt the pack. The forest was big enough for two, so a kind of understanding had been reached. The humans didn't venture near the wolf lands, wolves stayed away for territories where Inuzuka lived. The forests were fucking big, far bigger than today, and they aren't exactly small now. Slowly, with pains, lot's of grumbling, whining and hardship, the Inuzuka learned to live in the forest. Nothing glamorous, especially compared to the palaces we had before, you understand. Simple survival, basic needs like food, shelter and mediocum of safety met. No frills. But it wasn't a bad life, all things considered. Better than any peasant during that time, that's for sure. And far better than a hunted noble from a decimated clan with shitload of enemies usually led."
Hana fished out several more articles of clothing, the most prominent being a pair of formal burgundy pants as well as two pair of coats, one sandy beige, the other dark red.
"Now, while Inuzuka might have whined and bitched, they actually got used to that kind of life. And the new generation of Inuzuka, ones who were either young or were born there, knew no other life. So, life wasn't bad. And the longer we stayed in the forests, the more we got used tot he forest, and the forest to us. Life was actually good. Of course, like every good thing, it had to end. And it did."
Hana snorted.
"It seems the rival clan never forgot that some Inuzuka still lived. Since we had apparently been squabbling wit them for at least three generations, the hate ran pretty deep. So they finally found us. They came en masse, but they didn't know shit about the forest. So they died. But still, there was a shitload of them and only a few of us. Then, the drought came and the idiots had a bright idea - they couldn't find us, so they started killing things that we could hunt, trying to starve us. Normally, the Inuzuka would simply move somewhere else, but they'd find us then. We were between rock and the hard place. Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide and fighting was a suicide, pure and simple. But then, the idiots did the biggest mistake of their lives and went overboard."
Hana pulled out another formal outfit, looking at ii critically, before nodding and putting it tot he small pile she had apparently deemed good enough.
"You see, the idiots, drunk with bloodshed, started to kill the wolves. And that was a major mistake. Over the years, the wolves bred a little, gaining a large population and coexisted with the Inuzuka of that time. It wasn't easy or painless, but we had an understanding. The wolves accepted us as apart of the forest, and we accepted the wolves. Then the idiots with iron fangs, ones not smelling of the forest or Inuzuka blood, but of fire and blood, came in. They weren't part of the forest. They were the enemy. Now the wolves were smart. Not your garden variety. From what I remember of my mom's rambling about it, it has something to do with large concentration of leylines or some shit. I have no idea about that stuff. Suffice to say, the wolves were smarter, bigger and meaner. They noticed that Inuzuka fought the invaders. More, they won. Inuzuka noticed that the wolves fought and hunted the invaders. It was a crazy, desperate time, it called for crazy, desperate measures. Some Inuzuka, over the years, learned some tricks with their chakra, even ninja techniques form the very few retainers that remained by their side."
Hana grimaced.
"Ninja were reviled then, but it was no time to be picky. So, Inuzuka swallowed their pride and learned. They concocted a plan, a crazy, desperate plan. A... melding of sorts. I have no idea what it was exactly, it was long lost even to us, but form what I understand it linked the Man and Wolf. It shared strengths, feelings and other shit. Sorta like our current jyuujin bunshin, but on a far more deeper level. Deadlier one as well, since if any of the partners died, other followed shortly after. Some Inuzuka and wolves died, some went mad and had to be put down. But those that survived... Heh."
Hana grinned.
"Well, let's just said that the idiot invaders soon learned to fear the 'howling spirits'. Eventually, the men left, falling out of favor with the daimyo for something or other. The daimyo, a new one and not as corrupted as his predecessor, wanted to 'heal the land', asked Inuzuka to come back, offering back most of their former land in exchange for fealty to the daimyo. Well, my ancestors basically told him that they liked their current lodgings. Then they said that any moron stupid enough to come and disturb their forest, would learn how sharp our fangs really were. The daimyo's delegation, which was quite frankly rather unnerved by big wolves that walked among Inuzuka freely and were treated as equals, agreed and left post haste."
The girl shrugged.
"The threat was over, but the bond was pretty much permanent. And we found we actually didn't mind it. The wolves didn't either. So from that day onward every Inuzuka bonded with a young wolf puppy for life. They grew up together, played together, fought together... and died together as well."
Hana cocked her head.
"Over the years, things changed, Shodai came, founded Konoha, made truce with Inuzuka and invited them to become the part of Konoha. We changed, we grew and adapted. Now, we are Inuzuka Clan. Konoha's war dogs. Hot headed, vicious savages with dogs as our loyal companions, weapons and friends. And we wouldn't have it any other way."
She grinned.
*
*
"Temari."
The Kazekage's words were calm, if far from smooth. It was the tone belonging to a man who didn't just expect to be obeyed but one who actually couldn't imagine it being otherwise.
"As you know, we will have... guests." The tall, redheaded man looked out on the genkan of his traditional home. It was a luxury, given the sheer amount of resources needed for the upkeep of the garden alone, but he didn't see it as extravagant or opulent.
Rather it was one of the means to an end, harshly reminding visiting dignitaries and citizens alike who held enough power and influence to afford such whim and make it reality. It always put things into perspective for them, just the way he liked it.
Temari just nodded without a word. She wasn't blind or deaf - the rumors among the house staff alone would have been sufficient. Considering the... theatrics of the past two days. It was hard not to notice.
"Contrary to what you might think, those are rather prestigious guests, people of status." The Kazekage smiled thinly under his veil as he noticed the flash of surprise lifting Temari's eyes briefly.
'What, you thought I was inviting them for that matter with Gaara alone? Fool girl, you still miss the whole picture. I guess the youth is a bit of an obstacle, hmm?' The man thought with a bit of regret.
Temari was splendid in many ways - brighter and more intelligent than both of her brothers, but far too straightforward. He sometimes wished she showed at least a bit of Kankuro's guile and talent for deceit. It would certainly make things easier in the long run.
'Though I guess her nature might prove a boon.' He pondered. 'Sometimes the best way to hide things is in the plain sight, as Sarutobi had shown. Yes. This might be a good thing.'
"They are people of interest, those guest of ours." The Kazekage said thoughtfully. "A very surprising group, for traveling companions or... otherwise. The Snake's apprentice, the Inuzuka Clan heiress... and the boy." He said pointedly. "Interesting, not even taking Gaara's little setback into account."
It took all of Temari's willpower not to flinch at that. Her father saw Gaara as an extension of Suna's - therefore his own - power, and he never suffered challenges to such power lightly. And yet he was almost... pleased. She had no idea why and it unsettled her. Because when her father made moves no one was expecting, it never ended well for anyone but him. Given how much of his personal attention he was giving the whole thing...
"That yukata in forest green... it really suits you." The older man said suddenly, and Temari blinked. "Yet I have never seen you in it. It would be a good occasion, given the weather, hmm?"
The blonde froze, her eyes widening a fraction.
'...what?'
She felt her hands, clenched in the 'relaxed' looking pose she trained for last few years to perfection to hide her nervousness, going numb. War kunoichi she might have been, but she wasn't stupid - she witnessed enough of politics to last a lifetime as her father's daughter.
"Yes. That forest green really does suit you." The Kazekage decided thoughtfully. "Pity you do not have more of those." He sighed. "But I guess it is my fault. I never paid as much attention as I should, never noticed how quickly you have been growing, not just as a shinobi but as a woman."
"I have never paid much... attention to those matters, father." The blonde said carefully. "There is not much use for those here."
"Nonsense!" The man waved her weak protests away. "One does not live by strength of arms alone." He said calmly. "After all, shinobi are still people, aren't we?"
"Ah." Temari nodded.
After all, what could she say to that?
"Temari..." The older man looked at her thoughtfully and the blonde cocked her head waiting for her father's words, but the redheaded shinobi simply trailed off, not finishing the sentence for a long moment, as if pondering something.
"The boy... pay attention to him." He said finally. "But not just to him. This house... I am leaving it in your hands. Hazuki-san will help you with whatever you might need."
The kunoichi simply sat there, eyes wide. This wasn't what she expected. While her father never shunned her she was always little more than an observer, even if not the most passive one. In fact it suited her - politics, while she understood them, were not something she wanted in her life anymore than they already were.
She had enough of it living in her house as it was. But to do something like this... she would have to play the role of a host, something she had completely no experience with.
"...father?" she said with confusion. "But-"
The Kazekage raised an eyebrow.
"Is there some kind of problem, daughter?" He asked calmly.
"...I..." Temari swallowed. "No. No problem, father."
"That's good." The man said, before turning away to look at his garden again. "Then I am sure you have much to do."
Temari looked at her father's back, face expressionless, before walking out without a word.
The Kazekage smiled under his veil.
*
The windows were open, the drinks made and the clothes went again back where they belonged, to Naruto's gratitude. While Hana opted for a shirt and shorts, Anko fished for a suitably slinky yukata, though one in burned oranges and blacks. And, Naruto suspected, nothing more besides given the amount of leg and cleavage she displayed, and the... outline of her silhouette under it. Though the most unusual part of her new look was the subtle make up, the first time Naruto had ever seen her use any.
Her face, contrary to Hana's, wasnÆt' exactly... softened by it. It wasn't aggressive, but the color of the lipstick and the shade she used for her eyes made for a striking touch while remaining elegant. It was, in fact, a style he was very familiar with after last few years. Though where Kurenai made it look smooth and elegant, on Anko it was subtly changed and looked more... something. It was that something that left him trying to grasp it, but failing each time.
"This is a kunoichi skill as well, boyo." Anko said with amusement, taping his head with a fan.
"Battle make-up?" He quirked an eyebrow sardonically.
"Partially." Anko agreed with a grin. "Remember, kunoichi get the missions when you have to run like a goddamn cheetah though the roofs and then be back in a blink of an eye, looking fresh, lazy and like a proper giggling little piece of ass just itching to be picked up by the rich fucks on the party."
"Cute." Hana rolled her eyes. "But could you please be a bit less crude, Anko?"
"Crude?" The jounin quirked an eyebrow. "Girl, that's our daily bread, like it or not. Sex is as much of a weapon as any and you'd be surprised how many times it is used."
"Not really." Hana shrugged. "It is a basic tactic, after all, and you need a suitable specialist for that anyway, like with everything. Not just anyone would do."
"And where do you think Konoha _gets_ those specialists? There are only so many kunoichi, kiddo."
The younger kunoichi blinked in confusion, and Anko gave her a half amused, half pitying look.
"You really _are_ green, ain't 'cha? One of those days you should have a good, long sit-down with Kurenai." The jounin drawled. "Ask her why did her jounin promotion hit... snags. Or better yet - ask Yukino why did she resign her commission."
Hana frowned, but nodded.
"All right, let's talk shop." The purple haired jounin said decisively, waving her fan back and fro lazily. The weather in Suna was hellish, as far as Naruto was concerned. It, paradoxically, wasn't as bad outside, but with the air standing still in the hotel as it was he would have far preferred outdoors with its breeze even if he had to risk sunrays hitting like a hammer of god. The little trick he picked from Kurenai could only go so far, after all, and it wasn't exactly suited for such weather.
The Inuzuka heiress raised an eyebrow.
"How many security seals _are_ there in this room?" She asked curiously.
"Security? One." The jounin tapped her fan on the table, pointing at the large seal covering a sheet of paper.
"Diffusion? Twenty three." Naruto took a sip of tea calmly.
"Diffusion?" Hana blinked.
"Remember that little swirly thing you got to add at the end of every storage seal? It is a diffusion array. When you seal the stuff in, you use chakra - when you get it out, you use chakra too, but there are precious few people capable of matching _exact_ amount of chakra given in and later out." Explained Anko. "That's... well, that's _high_ class stuff, and you need chakra control that puts most jounin to shame. Not to mention downright freaky memory. The diffusion siphons off the fringe chakra, one either going 'in' or 'out'."
The younger kunoichi looked at the jounin oddly.
"See, when you set up overpowered diffusion seals, they sort of 'blanket' the area in a fog of released chakra. Now, an individual might do the same, BUT!" Anko smirked. "The diffusion seals are chaotic, irregular and change patterns - if you might call it that - constantly. Any listening, scrying, or otherwise spying seal? Goes on a fritz, immediately."
Hana said nothing, simply staring at Anko.
"What? That not simple enough for you?" The dango addict frowned.
"I guess you could write a diagram or something. One picture being worth a thousand words and all that." Naruto added thoughtfully.
"Hey, that's not such a bad idea!" Anko snapped her fingers, before grabbing a sheet of paper and a pencil they used to create the seal with Naruto, and scribbling something furiously on it. "See, it is like that - when the chakra goes into the seal, it isn't static-
"Are you kidding me?" Hana said incuriously.
"Huh?" Anko looked up form her paper.
"Girl, are you fucking _kidding_ me?!" The Inuzuka heiress repeated. "Did someone forget to pay the reality bill this month or something?!"
Naruto and Anko blinked, looking at each other with confusion.
"I get that Naruto is a bookworm - he has no life and either goes on missions or closes himself off in that library of his for weeks. I get that. But since when were _you_ the library girl?" The brunette said incuriously.
Anko looked at her blankly for a long moment.
"You _do_ remember who I was apprenticed to, right?" she asked dryly, and Hana's eyes widened as the understanding dawned.
"...oh." The dog master said weakly.
"Yeah, oh, my perfect ass." The purple haired jounin sighed. "Also, for your information, dog girl - I graduated at ten, setting one of the highest records for overall grade until that freak of nature Itachi came along - that's for theoretical AND practical. What, you though that snake bastard took me on because I kicked our instructor's ass in combat exercises?" She snarked.
"She also wrote a standard security manual for counter-genjutsu/seal diffusion teams when she was seventeen." Naruto added helpfully, causing Anko to freeze.
"How the HELL do _you_ know about that?" She asked incuriously.
"One, I work closely with one of the premier genjutsu masters - who is your best friend - of her generation as her apprentice. Two, it relates to genjutsu which is my primary field of expertise. And, last but not least, it is a _book_." Naruto deadpanned. "Did you expect me _not_ to get it?"
"You _do_ know it is classified for anyone without lower B-class security ranking, right?" The purple haired jounin said suspiciously. "How the hell did you manage to get your grubby hands on it?"
"Oh that's easy." Naruto smirked. "I am the _only_ genin with genjutsu as specialization. Coincidentally, the only other genjutsu specialists are at least chuunin level for trainees, and tokubetsu jounin for full-on experts. It just so happens that my access file has 'genjutsu specialist' on it, and somehow no one took my actual rank into account, oddly enough."
The two kunoichi's eyes widened in unison.
"...are you telling me that you have access to the classified information I need an official permission to even _see_... because of a... a _technicality_?" Hana muttered with disbelief.
"More or less." Naruto said glibly, taking a sip of tea with relish. "Well, that and the fact I have A-class, special restricted personal security rating. So that might throw them off a little, I guess. Assumptions and all that... what can I say?" He shrugged philosophically.
Anko blinked.
"...you what?" She said incuriously. "But.. but... that's for tokubetsu jounin-level operatives and upwards! That's MY security clearance, you little bastard!" She pointed at him accusingly. "How the HELL does a _genin_ rate one?!"
"Genin? Not really." Naruto's smirk widened. "But, see... there is a cute little fox in my stomach and most files are marked with that in mind. After all, they can't exactly execute _me_ for unlawful knowledge about myself, now can they? It isn't _my_ fault the bureaucracy is as blind as it is stupid."
Anko and Hana simply stared blankly at the blond.
"A genin... with A-class rating." Hana said woodenly, before blinking. 'Scratch that - _Naruto_ with an A-class restricted security clearance.'
"A-class restricted rating..." Anko said slowly. "On a bureaucratic technicality." Her lips twitched despite her best wishes. "Bureaucratic. Technicality."
'...did she say team manuals? But only specialist chuunin teams are-' Hana's eyes widened enough to pass off as saucers in a pinch as she stared at the angelic smile on Naruto's face. Only angels shouldn't look so damn smug, or show so many teeth when smiling. Suddenly, the fact that Naruto spent most of his free time reading stopped being so amusingly adorable. Given Naruto's innate chakra levels and access to high-end genjutsu instruction from Kurenai _and_ high-level manuals most genin didn't even know about...
"Bureaucratic. Fucking. Technicality." Anko chocked out with a mad giggle escaping, before giving up and erupting into mad laughter.
"It isn't _that_ funny." Hana grumbled.
"Hell yeah it is!" The jounin continued to laugh on, gabbing Naruto by the neck. "Kid, I am fucking amazed you didn't raid the archives for all that wasn't nailed down, and then went for crowbar to pry the nails, consideration how you eat books."
"Didn't have the time, to tell the truth." The blond sighed forlornly. "...all those pretty scrolls... besides, even desk morons would get suspicious if I checked out my own weight in books. Haste makes waste, as Kurenai says. Little patience..."
"Goes a long way." Anko's grin widened. "That's my girl!" She laughed.
Han blinked owlishly.
"Wait a minute..." she muttered. "Kurenai... knows?"
"Who do you think helps me search through that garbage to find something useful?" Naruto looked at her oddly.
"Well, I guess that would make sense." The jounin said thoughtfully. "Her clearance is a level lower, after all. That way she can get her hands on the tricks and nicnaks without all that stupid red tape."
"But... but...!" The Inuzuka woman struggled in reconciling the image of calm, refined and elegant kunoichi with what she was hearing. Yuuhi Kurenai was supposed to be a lady and a smooth professional - not someone who resolved to her trumped-up security clearance to all but _steal_ data from Konoha's vaults under the cover of some borderline legal loophole. "But... that's _Kurenai_!" She protested weakly.
"Exactly." Anko smirked. "Girl, one of these days we'll grab Kurenai-chan for a night out and I'll show you Little Miss Perfect walking on the wild side. Amusing and hot as hell."
"You're kidding me." Hana said skeptically.
"'Fraid not." The jounin shrugged. "Hell, you should see what motivated Suzu-chin can do when she feels like it."
"Suzu-chin...?" The younger kunoichi frowned.
"Suzume. Man, now _that_ one's got fire."
"...Suzume?" Hana said slowly. "As in... Namida Suzume?"
"No other." Anko grinned. "Trust me, it is an experience that has to be lived through."
"Huh." The Inuzuka heiress frowned. "Man... that's something I just have to see it with my own eyes."
"Sure, after we get Kurenai and all." Anko shrugged.
"Yes, would someone please remember _why_ we are here in the first place?" Naruto snapped.
"Sit, boy." Hana said absently, earning herself a strange cross between a drawn-put growl and a hiss that made her hair stand in a worst, most primal way. It took all her self control not to leap on her feet and growl back, or smash something.
She still bared her teeth, hackles rising as her body tensed visibly, canines and claws bared and ready. Naruto just stared back, looking more animal than man even more so than Hana did, which was odd since he lacked Inuzuka's animalistic traits.
There was just something... sharp about him, something predatory that made Anko's own instincts stand at attention and ready for battle.
The tense silence reigned for a moment, before the two younger shinobi chose to lean back slowly without a word, never losing a sight of each other.
Anko blinked, looking between the duo. "Hey, somethin' wrong?" She asked, straining to keep her voice cheerful and light.
"Nothing." Hana said, her voice tense, hands forcibly relaxed, palms pointing straight down.
"Nothing at all." Naruto echoed, his own hands relaxed, bur fingers curling slightly. In some odd way, the younger blond looked more like a wolf than the young kunoichi did.
The two looked at each other, eyes half-lidded and teeth bared slightly. The staredown continued until Hana gave Naruto a slightest of nods, and the blond, ever so slowly, nodded back. As if on command, their shoulders and arms relaxed, the odd feeling of not quite hostility vanishing as if it was never there.
"Okay." Anko's eyes narrowed. "Can somebody tell me what the hell that was? And the first one to say nothing will get their ass kicked, just so you know." She said darkly.
"To be honest... I am not quite sure." Hana said, looking at Naruto speculatively.
"Like hell!!" The jounin snarled. "You two looked to be fucking _inches_ from tearing each others' throats! With your fucking TEETH! What the HELL?!"
"My fault. I think." Naruto said reluctantly. "I didn't know it'd be like... that, though."
"That's primal stuff. Closer to the surface, for me." Hana shrugged. "Didn't know he was so... in tune, though."
"I'd _say_." Anko threw him a dirty look. "Since when do you go howling at the moon, brat?"
"Always, to tell the truth." The jinchuuriki shrugged.
"The fox?" The jounin asked, a speculative gleam in her eyes.
"Possibly." Naruto nodded noncommittally.
The jounin looked at her friend for a long moment, before sighing.
"Whatever." she said finally. "Okay. now to more important matters."
"The Kazekage." Naruto nodded, eager to change topics.
"Precisely."
"I call bullshit." Hana said bluntly. "This whole thing is out of whack, no matter how you look at it. He wants something."
"The political pressure on the Hokage?" Naruto speculated.
Anko rolled her eyes.
"With the kid's rep? Possible but... you don't rate the attention, and they lose either way if they do that given how things are. Besides, the way the whole town is afraid of him? No." She frowned, fanning herself lazily. "There is something about it... it stinks of power-play. But what kind?"
"Well, I am a host..." the young ninja speculated out loud.
"A non-issue." Anko shook her head. "Too high-profile either for elimination _or_ for recruitment. He'd have tried it before, and there are a hundred and one factors that make it implausible. So... what's left?"
"A bargaining chip of some kind?" Suggested the blond.
"Possible but unlikely." The jounin murmured. "But... you might be on to something here."
"You know... we might be looking at it the wrong way." Hana said thoughtfully. "We are looking for some kind of detrimental angle - but what if it is the other way around?"
Anko and Naruto blinked.
"What do you mean?" The older kunoichi asked.
"Well, we are an odd group." Hana pointed out. "Mismatched, for one, our genin pulls a smackdown on a jinchuuriki in public, we are here for no defined reason... he might not seek some angle - he might think _we_ have an angle."
"Hey, that's... actually good thinking." Anko murmured. "Yeah. If he thinks we have something going on... which we _do_, just not in the way he thinks... yeah I can see that."
"Which doesn't mean he won't want to use us anyway." Naruto pointed out.
"Exactly." Hana nodded, before grimacing. "...god, I hate politics."
"Hey, be glad it is the ninja version." Anko smirked. "When all fails, you can simply slit their throats."
"I'd rather not." The Inuzuka woman said dryly. "Since the other side has that option too - and we are in the middle of their village."
"Which make us official and removing us a non-issue." Naruto pointed out.
"Oh, I don't know. Stranger things had happened." Anko said lightly. "But overall, he has little to gain by pissing us off - especially after we let slip we are on a rescue mission of sorts."
"Don't." Hana said immediately. "That will imply we are holding him responsible for keeping us here and obstructing our mission."
"Oh. That would be... bad." Naruto winced.
"Yeah, like 'Kage' bad." The older kunoichi said darkly. "We _do_ need to tell them _something_, though - and I guarantee talking about dragging Tsuande-hime back to Konoha won't go down easily."
"Why? She's a medic, we have a need for one." Naruto shrugged. "Case closed."
"No, Anko is right dammit." Hana grimaced, combing her dark hair through with her hand. "This just might be very shaky ground if we mention that."
"Nowadays, Tsunade is remembered for her medical skill, but it wasn't always that way." Anko explained, seeing Naruto's questioning look. "When I was still a kid she was an active shinobi, and the hospital shifts... well, that was secondary." The woman sighed, leaning back. "You are both too young to have met her, but I was a Sannin's apprentice, I saw her in battle. You have no idea what she was capable of. I mean, all of them were scary fucks, yeah. But Tsunade... if there ever was a woman fit to be called the queen of kunoichi, she was it."
"I heard stories from mom." Hana said with a wistful smile. "They always seemed like some... well, you know, fantastic tales - like 'one man facing a thousand' larger than life, like those heroes of old and stuff."
"Girl, you have _no_ idea." Anko said softly. "There was this conflict, don't really remember the reasons. Two local daimyo just decided to kill each other dead. Rich guys, real rich. At first it didn't seem like our business - I mean, let them kill each other - unless it spilled over to our borders, who cares? In that time, shadow war was basically all out and minor conflicts were daily occurrences."
She shrugged
"Then the zone became a hotspot, most of our troops were busy with different stuff and that war needed to end _fast_. Problem was, the guys hired a lot of nukenin, and even some legit shinobi from smaller villages and they had money to burn to fortify themselves. Also, instead of sending out the armies to kill each other like the proper noble fucks should, they went for raids. Sorta 'you hit me - I'll hit you twice and burn your farm' shit and so on. Worst of all, the honchos were guarded _well_, so simple assassination was out. The situation was getting more messed up by a minute."
"So what happened?" Hana asked curiously.
"Well, instead of sending an ANBU team, or a contingent, Sarutobi sent one nin. Tsunade." Anko chuckled. "Thing is, Tsunade was pissed, didn't much like to be called away and shit. So... she decided to wrap the matters fast. Real fast."
Anko smirked.
"Next thing we know, the small army of cutthroats was meekly forced into reconstructing shit lost in the war - sans castles - and Tsunade was having a grand time drinking the best sake money could by, waited on by two daimyo who would probably have a heart attack if she frowned at them. As for the castles... well, there were two new lakes in the vicinity that weren't there before."
"Holy shit.." Naruto blinked. "What did she do? Stuffed the castles to the roof with explosive notes or something?"
"She stomped." Anko deadpanned. "Real hard."
*
There was something about the night air that made him feel more aware. Not more alive, but there was that tiny splinter in his awareness, widening with each moment as the sun set and the shade fell, before being replaced by the night's cloak. It felt... good. Familiar, which was rather strange.
True, he spent the most time in the vampire shell over the years but shades, not the night, were his true home - neither light nor dark, feeding off either. Sort of in-between of everything, which suited him fine. Only fools dealt in absolutes, after all. Still, the night did feel good, and there were torches to cast plenty of shadows around, just an arm's length away. Suna's architecture was good like that, though not as good as the hodgepodge that was Konoha.
Take a step to the balcony, let the moon wash over you and then take a step to the left - the shadows beckoned like old friends, inciting in their soft way. Like an old, comfortable cloak you couldn't bear to part with, one that was warmer than any fancy new jackets you might have bought. Well worn in to his silhouette - so much that every fold seamlessly settled on the skin.
The blond smiled lazily, sinking into the shadow deeper, letting the immaterial shade play between his fingers, half imagined, half substance.
Even in this body his 'gift' was beckoning and shadows were still old friends eager to meet him, despite anything else.
The blondeÆs palm tightened around the ephemeral cord of shade, but like quicksilver it was gone with but a teasing kiss on the tips of his fingers, flickering away and out of his grasp as if it was never there.
'I guess... this is only to be expected, huh?' He thought, letting his arm fall, before he slammed it into the wall angrily. "...dammit. Not much is left, is there? Pale fucking shadow indeed. What a joke..."
"Naruto...?"
The blond looked up form his corner of the balcony, noticing Hana standing in the moonlight, looking around cautiously.
"Here."
"...shit!" The chuunin whirled, zeroing on his voice. "don't do that to me!"
"Aren't you a shinobi?" The jinchuuriki said dryly. "Night should be your element."
"Not like yours." The Inuzuka grumbled, her eyes slowly piercing the darkness. "God, youÆre like some jack-in-the-box or something... how do you do that?"
"Practice." He smirked. "A lot of practice."
"Yeah, I just bet." Hana looked at him for a long moment, her face unreadable and her emotions a bundle of confusion even she couldn't make heads and tails of. "Come on, its time to get ready."
*
"Hmm." Hana frowned, tugging at the collar of the dark red gi tighter, taking a step back to inspect the effect critically "Hmm.... hm? Mmmm?" She nodded with satisfaction grabbing a voluminous (for Naruto's current frame, at least) haori. It was burgundy, trimmed with grey so dark it was almost black. Given ash-grey hakama, it made for a surprisingly decent combination with Naruto's sun-kissed hair. "A-ha!"
"You are enjoying this far too much." The blond said sourly
"Ah, give it a rest!" Hana pouted. "Let the girl have her fun, would you? It was just... what, an hour or two?"
"'Just'?" The blond protested. "You have been using me as your personal mannequin for hours!"
"We need to be presentable." she reminded him.
"Presentable is one thing - making me try on _all_ out of the - needlessly large, let me add - pile clothes you have bought is completely another."
"It isn't _my_ fault you can't dress worth a damn." Hana rolled her eyes. "And we need to see which one looks best on you."
"I still don't know what's the fuss about it all." The blond grumbled, itching to pull the collar, before having his hand slapped away by Hana. "As long as it looks official enough it is good, right?"
Hana quirked an eyebrow, giving Naruto a look.
"You never had a girlfriend, had you?" she said with amusement.
"What has that got to do with anything?" Naruto blinked in confusion.
"One day, some poor idiot girl with more heart than brain will take pity on you, and then I'll remind you of that." Hana said with a smirk. "And laugh like crazy."
The blond just shrugged.
"You'll see." The older girl chuckled.
"Oh stop trying to play 'old wise woman' with me, Inuzuka." Naruto rolled his eyes. "What are you, fifteen?"
"Still older than you, shrimp." She pointed out.
"Now _that_ is something I'll delight in pointing out later on." Naruto said smugly. He might have not known much about women (aside form Ino and Sakura, but those two hardly counted in his mind) but he had yet to meet a woman that wasn't sensitive about her age, one way or another. Well, save Anko at times - but she was Anko, so that should explain all.
"How the hell did you manage to get such a mouth under Kurenai-san I have no idea." Hana sighed. "How could such a nice woman get such a rude, antisocial ball of acid as a student I'll never know."
"Be happy you don't." Naruto said, his eyes losing their focus for a moment.
Hana paused in her dress-up ministrations, looking at her blond friend oddly. His face was strangely pensive and for some reason looked... it looked the same way Hokage-sama did during the Kyuubi Defeat festival. Old, but not in any way regarding age. More like feeling each day he lived with perfect clarity. While it wasn't out of place on the face of an old man - especially if he was the Hokage - seeing it on Naruto's youthful one was just surreal and rather unsettling.
Then it covered by the cocksure, bold face she was used to seeing, so rapidly that she was wondering if she didn't imagine it all.
'...goddamn illusionists.'
"The one who should be happy is Kurenai, don't you think?" The duo blinked, turning to the door, freezing in wide-eyed stare. "After all we do it all for her. Or Naruto is, rather."
While Naruto couldn't exactly understand the fuss over the clothes, he had to admit that Hana looked... nice in that dark red yukata she managed to find. the color was a few shades darker than the Clan marks she displayed on her face proudly, and bore a delicate white outline of wolves. A little ostentatious but very fitting given her slightly wild aura, even one softened by make-up. Anko, however...
If one was expecting something extravagant or outrageously skimpy, one would be in for a great surprise. The yukata was completely classical, even little longer than Hana's, with wider sleeves. It was purple but so dark it seemed black at a first glance, which only served to bring out subtle, a tone lighter pattern of concentric rings that seemed to ripple through the garment with each move like water after a pebble was thrown into it.
While it made quite an impression in daylight, Naruto had to admit stunning when it was dark, especially given the serpentine grace the older kunoichi moved with.
Unlike Hana, who had a very nice pair of silver hairpins, Anko chose to wear no jewelry but instead picked up - gods knew how and when - a bamboo umbrella in shades of dark purple that completed the attire.
"So?" She asked, opening her umbrella in a fluid move and letting it rest on her shoulder in a manner not unlike an expensive geisha might.
"This... this is..." Hana said, trying to reconcile the image of the brash, crass and devil-may-care Mitarashi Anko she knew with the yukata-clad graceful beauty in front of her. She expected Anko either to either wear something simple or outrageously flashy - not something like... this. In fact, right now she regretted picking that more subdued yukata rather than that burgundy, more elaborate one she had in mind. "...all right, I admit, this isn't what I expected. At all." She conceded finally.
Naruto just nodded dumbly, not saying a word.
"Geez... you actually make that weird yukata look... good." The Inuzuka woman said with amazed shake of her head. "And here I bought it just because it was on a bargain sale... well, live and learn, eh Naruto?" Hana blinked, turning to look at her friend, before sighing at his vacant stare. "Naruto? Hey, Naruto!"
"...huh?" He turned to her dazedly.
"Yay!" Anko made a V sign with a grin. "Flawless victory!"
Hana just sighed.
*
It was an odd procession that arrived at the doors of the Kazekage's home. Led by a smooth-faced, elegant maid who called herself Hazuki, the trio left the VIP hotel. The maid herself didn't hurry as she walked, lantern in hand, through the Sunagakure. What bothered Naruto a little was the fact that she didn't seem to avoid any of the main streets, as he would have expected her to.
Suna, as a desert village, was even more active during the evening when the burning sun finally set, than it was in the middle of the day, thus citizens and shinobi alike still crowded the streets. He would bet his sword on the fact that some of the faces out there saw the Kazekage's son rather ignoble defeat - a suspicion that turned into certainty when he caught some hushed murmurs as he passed one of the main avenues of the village.
And yet, the Kazekage's head maid didn't hurry. If anything she seemed to take a scenic route, almost making certain the citizens had seen them.
He threw a questioning look at Anko, who only nodded slowly, while Hana's face had an unreadable look she settled on even before they left the hotel.
'Anko was right. It stinks to high heaven and has the grubby palms of politics all over it.' He thought with distaste. 'Taking a blow to his power like that? No one is that even tempered, not unless he wants something. Politics, dammit. Seems like it doesn't go away no matter who or where you are.'
He was a loner, but he was also a general and part of Kain's court for decades, before things started to go so very wrong for them all. Besides, escaping a hundred and one plots that could kill him honed that fine tuned survival instinct to a razor's edge. The rust that gathered over it was just the patience of less than half a decade compared to the centuries of survival.
But the first and last rule was always 'don't underestimate your enemy'. Just next to 'know your enemy', and the Kazekage he knew very little about.
'About most of the leaders, actually. Or their villages, aside from the military preference.' He realized suddenly. '...fool, fool, FOOL!' Naruto berated himself. 'You naive brat! Thinking yourself impervious to machinations, now that you're just a face in the crowd? You deserve everything you get you arrogant child!'
It took all of his self-control not to growl, or otherwise show his anger in any visible manner. He became too complacent, too used to the ease of life and forgot that no matter who you were, how much power you got and how strong you believed yourself to be there was always someone better out there, and it took one slip up for his precious little world to come apart at the seams.
'As if!' He growled inwardly. 'You want to take what is mine form me? Come and try! I will guarantee the price will be steep.'
A warm hand grasped his arm almost painfully, nails digging deep. The blond blinked, to see Hana's impassive face next to him, her hand holding his, covered as they were by the folds of their clothes.
He forced himself to relax, noticing the maid throwing a quick look behind, her eyes skimming over them.
Was it his imagination, or did she seem to slow there for a minute.
'...dammit.'
"Are you trying to make us look bad, kids?" Anko murmured form behind her violet fan, her voice almost inaudible for normal ears, but clear enough for their enhanced senses. "Get a grip. Or rather lose one and fast."
Hana stepped away without word, Naruto falling in step next to her.
'Idiots.' Anko mouthed, her fan angling just enough for Naruto and Hana to see it.
The Inuzuka woman stared stubbornly ahead, absently smoothing out the folds of her Yukata, while Naruto just forced himself to relax even more. It was so much _harder_ to keep the emotions reigned in like that. Flesh did have its downsides, after all, and at times he had been just... buzzing with emotions.
Not that he was the most controlled individual out there, but the hormones were a nightmare to deal with at times. He sometimes had an urge to slam his head against the nearest wall after the emotions ran calmer and he wasn't in the thick of it.
'Here is to hoping I don't lose it in front of the Kazekage.' The blond thought sourly. 'Yeah. This just keeps on looking better and better. somehow, I have no doubt that Kain is out there somewhere and he is laughing at me right now.'
"Honored guests, we have arrived." The maid stopped as they reached a large, elegant house standing in some distance from the center of the village. Close enough to be still a part of Suna proper, but far enough not to be bothered by noise and daily grind of humanity passing the streets. Naruto had seen the setting many a time - after all, it was identical to the location of the castles of various nobles he met in Nosgoth over the centuries.
'Some things don't change at all.' He thought, somewhat regaining his equilibrium thanks to that. 'Thank the gods for small favors.'
"Good evening, honored guests." The blonde standing in tidy garden greeted them smoothly, bowing slightly. Not much, but just enough to be courteous and proper without seeming submissive.
Her yukata, unlike Hazuki's blue, was forest green with a tree pattern on it and of fine make.
'Very fine.' Naruto thought privately. He was all for utilitarian clothes, but he spent a lot of time around Kurenai and the woman loved the finer things in life that were on the more elegant side. Not to mention the recent shopping trip with Hana helped to enlighten him to the prices some of those slips of fabric could cost.
The yukata Hana bought wasn't cheap by any means, but what the girl wore easily outstripped it several times. In fact Naruto didn't remember seeing anything quite of that quality on sale when they were shopping. Which was odd, given that the elegant, fine-boned Hazuki, as pretty a woman as any he had seen, seemed to fit it more.
The blonde, while very attractive, didn't seem to... fit the fabric she wore. He didnÆt' know why that was - she was graceful, carried her head high and had a regal air around her, if a very stark one. Though she held herself somewhat stiffly, there was no denying she was very attractive, if different from a delicate maid. Her body under the yukata was more voluptuous, even if she didn't look to be older than Hana, and there was the elusive grace only kunoichi possessed.
The girl was trained, and judging by her coordination and frame, trained well. She was an odd dichotomy of fine silk and strength, a whiff of perfume but no jewelry, not even a pendant or an earring.
'A warrior.' He thought, noticing as her eyes took them in even as she bowed. 'Strange. Why is she-'
"I am Temari and on the behest of my father, the Kazekage of Sunagakure, I welcome you to his home."
'Oh.' Naruto blinked.
*
Temari was tense, she would even admit that if someone asked her. In fact Hazuki did, but that was neither here or now. Contrary to what one might think, it wasn't the technical aspects of the 'party' - Hazuki was an extremely capable host and her help would mean everything would go smoothly on that front.
The former chuunin was a an uninspiring kunoichi but an unparalleled organizer and much happier with her current duties than with the frontline assignments, of that Temari had no doubt.
No, the reason for her apprehension laid within the guests.
Honestly, she didn't know what to expect when she heard of Gaara's defeat. The jinchuuriki - for she wouldn't call that maniac her brother the way things were - was unstable, but also strong. Anyone who defeated him would have to be just as strong, and as she knew well. But there was strength and there was strength.
The amount of power needed to put Gaara down was enormous - she wouldn't be able to do it even if the redhead somehow got rid of that invincible defense of his, and she was far from week. Gaara was simply beyond her and she knew that.
For someone to manage it while surprised, and do it with an apparent Suiton technique in the middle of Suna? That was almost so ridiculous she'd have dismissed it if she didn't visit the scene herself and didn't hear people talking. But that was nothing comparing to the fact that Gaara's 'prey' turned out to be a boy around the jinchuuriki's age. She didn't want to believe it - it was just absurd.
She trained diligently since she was six, honing her abilities thanks to the best teachers and jutsu she was privy to as the Kazekage's daughter, and Gaara was so far beyond her abilities it wasn't even funny. And there comes a Konoha brat, waltzing into their village and pulls it off after an order of... of ramen? It wasn't even absurd - it was just plain freaky.
And then Hazuki, calmly as you please, with that smile of hers she used to instruct Temari when she messed up in one of the softer and more feminine arts, there she goes and calls the brat a _genin_?
She didn't know if to feel amazed at the audacity, or insulted. After all, what kind of genin could fight a jinchuuriki?
Then she saw the boy in question, and her confusion reached its zenith.
He was short, though not puny considering his strong, if youthful frame. At a first glance he looked to be in his early teens, most certainly younger than her. Then she noticed the bright cerulean eyes and her whole perspective just felt.... off. Eyes like that should be bright and cheerful, open and honest in their vibrancy - coupled with that sunk-kissed hair of a deeper shade of gold than her own faded straw one, they almost begged to be. Instead they looked... odd.
Not cold, like her father's calculating gaze she was used to, or angry. Just unexpectedly... old. And like steel, unbending and somewhat chilly in that arrogance she had only seen in accomplished shinobi, which was both right and so wrong coupled with that whiskered face that seemed more fit for a roguish smile or a carefree grin.
It was such a disturbing dichotomy she couldn't stop but stare for a moment. She expected some answers, but instead meeting Uzumaki Naruto just raised more questions and confusion.
The two women, though somewhat easier to read, didn't help the matters any, though they did add their two ryo to the pile of oddities.
Inuzuka Hana, for one, looked surprisingly elegant for a heiress of the clan famed for their fierce, beast-like battle prowess, managing to make this red yukata she wore look undeniably good, even if it wasn't exactly tailored for her.
Temari expected a fierce woman, claws and utilitarian clothes that would be easier to move in. Instead she got a rather attractive young woman with only hints of the more bestial traits swimming under the surface. The calm hazel eyes and the fang-like clan marks on her cheeks, accompanied by the elegant yukata were a mite confusing. The large dog walking beside its mistress, the rich ash-grey fur obviously well groomed and taken care of, just deepened it.
As for Mitarashi Anko, she didn't know much of her, but she knew more than enough of Orochimaru to see that the jounin didn't seem at all like her former teacher. That is until she started moving.
The ripple-like pattern of her yukata coupled with serpentine, almost arrogant grace of the older woman made for a disturbingly attractive and dangerous combination when one remembered why she was so much like a serpent. Indeed, at some point, Temari expected one of the snakes the sannin was infamous for slink out of the wide sleeves of her yukata. Instead, the only thing that hid in the jounin's sleeve was a nice if common fan she had to have bought in Suna judging by the style.
In fact, the fan had to be bought in the very same store she often frequented herself for minor fixes and upkeep of her own dai-tessen collection. While the woman was a weapon-smith specializing in fans, her husband was a craftsman making a range of fans and accessories and that looked to be one of his works, if she wasn't mistaken. Which meant Mitarashi didn't usually hold a fan... though the easy grace she held and moved it with would deny that.
Not to mention, from what Hazuki told her, Mitarashi Anko was a loud and brash battle kunoichi. A war nin contrary to her more insidious teacher, always happy to be in the thick of it rather than stab at the back. She certainly didn't mention a woman capable of wearing the yukata as gracefully as Hazuki herself could, and Temari could see from the slight, troubled glances at the jounin, the head maid was a mite uneasy about it.
Somehow, some way, she couldn't help but think that whatever her father was planning wasnÆt going to unfold like he had planned neither fast, nor easily.
'No.' She thought, biding the guests to follow her to the dining hall. 'Not easily at all.'
*
No one could in their right mind call the Kazekage charming - even when he was in his teens, the redheaded man was a very focused individual. However he was a politician and over the years he had found that while using the stick was something he was really good at, sometimes the carrot was even better.
It was a harsh lesson, one that cost him some ninja and one somewhat wasted jinchuuriki, but then he was a very capable shinobi and only those didn't make mistakes who didnÆt try. Contrary to others, he always learned from his, and tended not to repeat the failed moves twice.
As such, when the small banquet -for it was most certainly no party - started, the Kazekage turned out to be an amiable and cultured host. He didn't joke with the guests, but he wasn't cold either, instead letting Temari shoulder the more overt responsibility for the supper, while he let the relaxed bits and pieces of his usual acidic humor seep through. Nothing overt, just enough to let the sting out of the barbs and draw the responses from the guests.
Considering the etiquette did demand one to talk to their host, the momentary awkwardness was quickly smoothed into a free-flowing, if cautious, chat over the excellent meal, thanks to Hazuki's gentle guidance and Temari's somewhat stiff attempts at imitating their father, though in a far more neutral way.
'Pay attention.' her father had said, and so she did. To be honest she'd have done that regardless. As any good nin, Temari hated mysteries unless they were her own - especially ones laid on her doorstep so to speak, and the trio of Konoha nins was choke full of those. It... irked her. It unnerved her. It made her curious. In short, it pushed all the right buttons.
The Kazekage said nothing, his dry smile widening slightly for a briefest of moments. Contrary to what one might think, he did know his children pretty well and understood them better than most parents would. Seeing Temari's mind working to catch the bait he had thrown her was an entertainment by itself.
Not as much as watching the guests, to be sure, but quite interesting as well. The two kunoichi and the young 'genin' though... well, he had to admit there was something to be said for social niceties.
If anything, the boy and his companions were... entertaining, even if that was a marginal case. Above all, they were interesting. And 'they' was quite appropriate in this case - at first he thought he'd have to tediously deal with two older shinobi, steering them away slightly until he had a chance to talk to the young ninja properly, but to his surprise the women seemed to back off.
'Though 'back off' might be a wrong way of putting it.' He admitted. 'More like... let him?'
In essence, that might have been it, though he wasn't quite sure. The blond on his own was a mite confusing, but throw in the two women and that confusion only deepened. His ANBU's report wasn't a mistake - while the kunoichi were both older and outstripping him in rank, he was the one calling the shots, albeit if it was official or not, he could only guess.
His money was on 'not' but you never knew. It was still a shock that someone like that was a genin - he had reasons for keeping Gaara where he was, but Konoha loved their geniuses far too much to allow a prodigy remain of low rank for long. why wasn't the boy promoted, then?
Disliked or not, he was obviously an asset - powerful as his fight had shown, and smart to know how and when to sue that power from what he could judge by his behavior. There was of course that arrogant streak, like in every young, up and coming shinobi he had met, but then the strong were entitled to it. It was, however, curiously... muted. Or should it rather be 'tempered'? By what he had no idea, but he would have to look up the boy's teacher.
Yuuhi Kurenai wasn't someone he knew anything about since she didn't seem of much consequence, but if she was Naruto's teacher it might explain some curious oddities he had noticed during the youth's time in Suna so far. After all, if he became her apprentice at mere age of ten, the influence that woman held over his development would have been considerable. Every child needed a mother - or a mother figure. And however friendly the Mitarashi woman seemed to have been with the jinchuuriki, she was certainly no mother material.
The mere thought of the Sannin's former apprentice almost caused him to smile. Anko's presence, which he at first regarded as a curious obstacle at best, turned out to be a boon. Considering the obvious bond of camaraderie the two shared, others might think her a hindrance, but he knew better.
After all, the woman was an excellent example of what he wanted the boy to see - like most prodigies, Naruto craved power, wished to see his limits and realize his potential. No matter his strength, the way things were Konoha would never let him do that, of which Mitarashi was a proof. Even when eh was a Konoha nin, Orochimaru was too much of a threat - like every Sannin - not to keep tabs on, even if discreetly and it was obvious Mitarashi Anko, Orochimaru's personal apprentice, would come under the scrutiny as well, especially given the girl's potential displayed as a genin.
However, the moment the snake sannin defected, the mere fact of her long association with Orochimaru and that inane cursed seal business ruined her career completely, which was laughable given she was the one who had chosen to stay loyal as far as he could read the events. Instead of keeping tabs on her, Konoha seemed to decide to all but throw her and the promise of her future strength altogether, keeping her from more sensitive missions and causing the girl to hit the glass ceiling when it came to the jounin promotion.
He simply couldn't understand why did Sarutobi allow such a potential to degrade like that. Given some attention and access to high-level data, Mitarashi Anko could have been one of the sharpest swords in Konoha's arsenal, one of the gems of the jounin ranks on par with Hatake Kakashi or Sarutobi Asuma.
Instead she was a mere tokubetsu jounin with no particular assignment, her only reason for the rank being the fact she simply did more high level assassination missions than an ANBU assassination team. It was just plain ridiculous as far he was concerned, but he wasn't going to complain. After all, she was a living proof of the blond genin's future fate in Konoha. The boy just needed some nudges to see it - and how better than by letting him see what Suna had to offer?
'How better indeed.' He smiled faintly, sipping some sake as the chatter around him flowed, assisted by Hazuki's skilled nudges. The woman was a marvel and completely wasted in chuunin position as far as eh was concerned. Pretty, smart and useful, his only regret was not pulling her from her duties previous earlier - she did a splendid job raising Temari, and the girl would learn so much more if she met Hazuki earlier. Strength alone wasn't going to win all battles and sometimes softer touch was all the better, something Temari missed most of the time.
Though, truth to be told, it was something only his mistake with Gaara taught him, so he supposed he wasnÆt blameless in that respect.
'No matter. She will do as she is.' He decided, eying the blond jinchuuriki and his companions speculatively.
If the boy's choice in companions indicated anything, then Temari was more than sufficient. He was yet young, but the line between the man and the boy was a very thin thing in the end, at least as far as his needs were concerned.
"I must say, it is unusual to have Konoha nin taking Windscar pass." He said quirking an eyebrow. ôIt is a treacherous place, even at this time of the year. Indeed, most of Wind citizens avoid unless they need to. Your need must be grave."
"Grave is a good way to describe it, Kazekage-dono." Naruto said calmly, not noticing or caring for Anko's monetary tensing grip on her fan. "My mentor requires some assistance."
"Ah." The Kazekage's brow furred slightly. "An accident during the mission, if I remember correctly?"
"An accident... maybe." Naruto looked at the older shinobi.
"Life of shinobi is full of shadows, Naruto-kun." The man smiled knowingly. "Be careful, sometimes man can mistake the reflection on the water for the moon."
"Reflection or not... anything can die." The blond said flatly and the older man quirked an eyebrow at the tone of unwavering confidence in the genin's voice.
"Your devotion does you credit." He said seriously. "That mentor of yours must be a fascinating woman to inspire such."
"She is indeed." Naruto nodded in thanks for the compliment. "Thank you for your kind words."
"As Konoha's ally I would like to offer any assistance Suna might give you in your endeavor." The Kazekage took a sip of sake, looking at the blond. "Had I known that your need is so urgent I wouldn't have kept you. However... I think that in light of our little.. mishap, I can offer you substantial aid." The redhead put down his saucer, Hazuki refilling it almost at once. "We have a contract with Eagle tribe, I imagine that would hasten your journey considerably."
"The Kazekage is most gracious." Anko said, quirking an eyebrow. "But can one nin summon something sufficient to our needs? We do need to leave the country in a hurry."
While she had no doubt that the offer was genuine - especially given how Naruto seemed hellbent on mentioning the whole thing to the Kazekage regardless of their previous warnings - Suna's meddling was the last thing they needed considering the borderline illegal actions they were about to take, and flat out illegal assassination from the Syndicate that awaited them.
Though how was she going to explain to Hana that they needed to off some civilian witnesses she had no idea - she just hoped Naruto's resolve was as strong as it was at the beginning, or it would all go to hell very quickly. Kurenai was her best friend and she'd sooner start a war with her own hands than see her dead, regardless of the cost involved.
"I assure you that I can summon more than enough number of my feathery friends to hasten your journey my dear Mitarashi-san." The kage said with amusement, and Anko had to stop herself from biting her lip.
She didn't expect that. But it confirmed her suspicions - the man did want something, though for the life of her she couldnÆt' figure it out. he jumped all over, mostly enjoying the chatter and asking about mundane things, like a proper host would. There was no rhyme or reason to him, and that worried her. Because a Kage always had an angle, any Kage. They couldn't afford not to.
"If you can assist us, I would be grateful, Kazekage-sama." Naruto cut and Anko had to forcibly restrain herself from standing up and throttling the blond brat but good. What the holy fuck was he thinking?!
"It is the least I can do for you, considering you won't accept my offer to enjoy Suna's hospitality for a while." He waved the young man's word away lazily. "Had I known earlier I would have assisted you outright, rather than merely holding you in suspense. However..." he shrugged.
"Leader's work is fraught with peril and never really ends." The blond nodded with understanding, smiling a little, which made the Kazekage pause. Temari picked that moment to single out the green tea that the young shinobi had shown preference to, and nodding at Hazuki to refill it. The blond nodded in thanks to the kunoichi, which only made the Kazekage smile inwardly.
"Indeed, it never ends." he noted with amusement. "Not for a moment."
"Neither does shinobi's one." Anko said smoothly.
"Yet if it is our vocation, or simply fate?" The older man shrugged.
"I prefer to make my own choices." Naruto said stiffly.
"Then it is as it should be." The Kazekage could barely restrain a smile. he couldnÆt' have even given better cards if he had dealt them himself. "One should always reach for his own future."
"I choose my path and make my own way." Naruto said, his eyes darkening, ignoring Anko's sharp look. "I have seen too much 'fate' to bow to it."
"While I am far from blindly believing in fate, there are some things that are unavoidable which one might think as such." The redheaded man pointed out. "Sometimes the mountain is too difficult to climb it any other way than that one path after all."
"Well, you can always blow it up then." Naruto said serenely, taking a is of tea. "No mountain, no problem."
The Kazekage blinked, his iron self-control slipping for a moment, while Anko alternated between glaring and resisting a smirk. Hana simply opted to close her eyes and pretend she most certainly wasn't there, didn't hear anything and didn't see Naruto break one rule of etiquette of dealing with Very Powerful People after another, thank you very much.
The Kazekage kept on staring at the blond, before smirking
"I guess that in the end, there is always that option to fall back on, isn't it?" he chuckled. "Isn't it nice that shinobi arsenal is so varied?"
*
"Temari."
The Kazekage's words were calm, if far from smooth. It was the tone belonging to a man who didn't just expect to be obeyed but one who actually couldn't imagine it being otherwise.
"As you know, we will have... guests." The tall, redheaded man looked out on the genkan of his traditional home. It was a luxury, given the sheer amount of resources needed for the upkeep of the garden alone, but he didn't see it as extravagant or opulent.
Rather it was one of the means to an end, harshly reminding visiting dignitaries and citizens alike who held enough power and influence to afford such whim and make it reality. It always put things into perspective for them, just the way he liked it.
Temari just nodded without a word. She wasn't blind or deaf - the rumors among the house staff alone would have been sufficient. Considering the... theatrics of the past two days. It was hard not to notice.
"Contrary to what you might think, those are rather prestigious guests, people of status." The Kazekage smiled thinly under his veil as he noticed the flash of surprise lifting Temari's eyes briefly.
'What, you thought I was inviting them for that matter with Gaara alone? Fool girl, you still miss the whole picture. I guess the youth is a bit of an obstacle, hmm?' The man thought with a bit of regret.
Temari was splendid in many ways - brighter and more intelligent than both of her brothers, but far too straightforward. He sometimes wished she showed at least a bit of Kankuro's guile and talent for deceit. It would certainly make things easier in the long run.
'Though I guess her nature might prove a boon.' He pondered. 'Sometimes the best way to hide things is in the plain sight, as Sarutobi had shown. Yes. This might be a good thing.'
"They are people of interest, those guest of ours." The Kazekage said thoughtfully. "A very surprising group, for traveling companions or... otherwise. The Snake's apprentice, the Inuzuka Clan heiress... and the boy." He said pointedly. "Interesting, not even taking Gaara's little setback into account."
It took all of Temari's willpower not to flinch at that. Her father saw Gaara as an extension of Suna's - therefore his own - power, and he never suffered challenges to such power lightly. And yet he was almost... pleased. She had no idea why and it unsettled her. Because when her father made moves no one was expecting, it never ended well for anyone but him. Given how much of his personal attention he was giving the whole thing...
"That yukata in forest green... it really suits you." The older man said suddenly, and Temari blinked. "Yet I have never seen you in it. It would be a good occasion, given the weather, hmm?"
The blonde froze, her eyes widening a fraction.
'...what?'
She felt her hands, clenched in the 'relaxed' looking pose she trained for last few years to perfection to hide her nervousness, going numb. War kunoichi she might have been, but she wasn't stupid - she witnessed enough of politics to last a lifetime as her father's daughter.
"Yes. That forest green really does suit you." The Kazekage decided thoughtfully. "Pity you do not have more of those." He sighed. "But I guess it is my fault. I never paid as much attention as I should, never noticed how quickly you have been growing, not just as a shinobi but as a woman."
"I have never paid much... attention to those matters, father." The blonde said carefully. "There is not much use for those here."
"Nonsense!" The man waved her weak protests away. "One does not live by strength of arms alone." He said calmly. "After all, shinobi are still people, aren't we?"
"Ah." Temari nodded.
After all, what could she say to that?
"Temari..." The older man looked at her thoughtfully and the blonde cocked her head waiting for her father's words, but the redheaded shinobi simply trailed off, not finishing the sentence for a long moment, as if pondering something.
"The boy... pay attention to him." He said finally. "But not just to him. This house... I am leaving it in your hands. Hazuki-san will help you with whatever you might need."
The kunoichi simply sat there, eyes wide. This wasn't what she expected. While her father never shunned her she was always little more than an observer, even if not the most passive one. In fact it suited her - politics, while she understood them, were not something she wanted in her life anymore than they already were.
She had enough of it living in her house as it was. But to do something like this... she would have to play the role of a host, something she had completely no experience with.
"...father?" she said with confusion. "But-"
The Kazekage raised an eyebrow.
"Is there some kind of problem, daughter?" He asked calmly.
"...I..." Temari swallowed. "No. No problem, father."
"That's good." The man said, before turning away to look at his garden again. "Then I am sure you have much to do."
Temari looked at her father's back, face expressionless, before walking out without a word.
The Kazekage smiled under his veil.
*
The windows were open, the drinks made and the clothes went again back where they belonged, to Naruto's gratitude. While Hana opted for a shirt and shorts, Anko fished for a suitably slinky yukata, though one in burned oranges and blacks. And, Naruto suspected, nothing more besides given the amount of leg and cleavage she displayed, and the... outline of her silhouette under it. Though the most unusual part of her new look was the subtle make up, the first time Naruto had ever seen her use any.
Her face, contrary to Hana's, wasnÆt' exactly... softened by it. It wasn't aggressive, but the color of the lipstick and the shade she used for her eyes made for a striking touch while remaining elegant. It was, in fact, a style he was very familiar with after last few years. Though where Kurenai made it look smooth and elegant, on Anko it was subtly changed and looked more... something. It was that something that left him trying to grasp it, but failing each time.
"This is a kunoichi skill as well, boyo." Anko said with amusement, taping his head with a fan.
"Battle make-up?" He quirked an eyebrow sardonically.
"Partially." Anko agreed with a grin. "Remember, kunoichi get the missions when you have to run like a goddamn cheetah though the roofs and then be back in a blink of an eye, looking fresh, lazy and like a proper giggling little piece of ass just itching to be picked up by the rich fucks on the party."
"Cute." Hana rolled her eyes. "But could you please be a bit less crude, Anko?"
"Crude?" The jounin quirked an eyebrow. "Girl, that's our daily bread, like it or not. Sex is as much of a weapon as any and you'd be surprised how many times it is used."
"Not really." Hana shrugged. "It is a basic tactic, after all, and you need a suitable specialist for that anyway, like with everything. Not just anyone would do."
"And where do you think Konoha _gets_ those specialists? There are only so many kunoichi, kiddo."
The younger kunoichi blinked in confusion, and Anko gave her a half amused, half pitying look.
"You really _are_ green, ain't 'cha? One of those days you should have a good, long sit-down with Kurenai." The jounin drawled. "Ask her why did her jounin promotion hit... snags. Or better yet - ask Yukino why did she resign her commission."
Hana frowned, but nodded.
"All right, let's talk shop." The purple haired jounin said decisively, waving her fan back and fro lazily. The weather in Suna was hellish, as far as Naruto was concerned. It, paradoxically, wasn't as bad outside, but with the air standing still in the hotel as it was he would have far preferred outdoors with its breeze even if he had to risk sunrays hitting like a hammer of god. The little trick he picked from Kurenai could only go so far, after all, and it wasn't exactly suited for such weather.
The Inuzuka heiress raised an eyebrow.
"How many security seals _are_ there in this room?" She asked curiously.
"Security? One." The jounin tapped her fan on the table, pointing at the large seal covering a sheet of paper.
"Diffusion? Twenty three." Naruto took a sip of tea calmly.
"Diffusion?" Hana blinked.
"Remember that little swirly thing you got to add at the end of every storage seal? It is a diffusion array. When you seal the stuff in, you use chakra - when you get it out, you use chakra too, but there are precious few people capable of matching _exact_ amount of chakra given in and later out." Explained Anko. "That's... well, that's _high_ class stuff, and you need chakra control that puts most jounin to shame. Not to mention downright freaky memory. The diffusion siphons off the fringe chakra, one either going 'in' or 'out'."
The younger kunoichi looked at the jounin oddly.
"See, when you set up overpowered diffusion seals, they sort of 'blanket' the area in a fog of released chakra. Now, an individual might do the same, BUT!" Anko smirked. "The diffusion seals are chaotic, irregular and change patterns - if you might call it that - constantly. Any listening, scrying, or otherwise spying seal? Goes on a fritz, immediately."
Hana said nothing, simply staring at Anko.
"What? That not simple enough for you?" The dango addict frowned.
"I guess you could write a diagram or something. One picture being worth a thousand words and all that." Naruto added thoughtfully.
"Hey, that's not such a bad idea!" Anko snapped her fingers, before grabbing a sheet of paper and a pencil they used to create the seal with Naruto, and scribbling something furiously on it. "See, it is like that - when the chakra goes into the seal, it isn't static-
"Are you kidding me?" Hana said incuriously.
"Huh?" Anko looked up form her paper.
"Girl, are you fucking _kidding_ me?!" The Inuzuka heiress repeated. "Did someone forget to pay the reality bill this month or something?!"
Naruto and Anko blinked, looking at each other with confusion.
"I get that Naruto is a bookworm - he has no life and either goes on missions or closes himself off in that library of his for weeks. I get that. But since when were _you_ the library girl?" The brunette said incuriously.
Anko looked at her blankly for a long moment.
"You _do_ remember who I was apprenticed to, right?" she asked dryly, and Hana's eyes widened as the understanding dawned.
"...oh." The dog master said weakly.
"Yeah, oh, my perfect ass." The purple haired jounin sighed. "Also, for your information, dog girl - I graduated at ten, setting one of the highest records for overall grade until that freak of nature Itachi came along - that's for theoretical AND practical. What, you though that snake bastard took me on because I kicked our instructor's ass in combat exercises?" She snarked.
"She also wrote a standard security manual for counter-genjutsu/seal diffusion teams when she was seventeen." Naruto added helpfully, causing Anko to freeze.
"How the HELL do _you_ know about that?" She asked incuriously.
"One, I work closely with one of the premier genjutsu masters - who is your best friend - of her generation as her apprentice. Two, it relates to genjutsu which is my primary field of expertise. And, last but not least, it is a _book_." Naruto deadpanned. "Did you expect me _not_ to get it?"
"You _do_ know it is classified for anyone without lower B-class security ranking, right?" The purple haired jounin said suspiciously. "How the hell did you manage to get your grubby hands on it?"
"Oh that's easy." Naruto smirked. "I am the _only_ genin with genjutsu as specialization. Coincidentally, the only other genjutsu specialists are at least chuunin level for trainees, and tokubetsu jounin for full-on experts. It just so happens that my access file has 'genjutsu specialist' on it, and somehow no one took my actual rank into account, oddly enough."
The two kunoichi's eyes widened in unison.
"...are you telling me that you have access to the classified information I need an official permission to even _see_... because of a... a _technicality_?" Hana muttered with disbelief.
"More or less." Naruto said glibly, taking a sip of tea with relish. "Well, that and the fact I have A-class, special restricted personal security rating. So that might throw them off a little, I guess. Assumptions and all that... what can I say?" He shrugged philosophically.
Anko blinked.
"...you what?" She said incuriously. "But.. but... that's for tokubetsu jounin-level operatives and upwards! That's MY security clearance, you little bastard!" She pointed at him accusingly. "How the HELL does a _genin_ rate one?!"
"Genin? Not really." Naruto's smirk widened. "But, see... there is a cute little fox in my stomach and most files are marked with that in mind. After all, they can't exactly execute _me_ for unlawful knowledge about myself, now can they? It isn't _my_ fault the bureaucracy is as blind as it is stupid."
Anko and Hana simply stared blankly at the blond.
"A genin... with A-class rating." Hana said woodenly, before blinking. 'Scratch that - _Naruto_ with an A-class restricted security clearance.'
"A-class restricted rating..." Anko said slowly. "On a bureaucratic technicality." Her lips twitched despite her best wishes. "Bureaucratic. Technicality."
'...did she say team manuals? But only specialist chuunin teams are-' Hana's eyes widened enough to pass off as saucers in a pinch as she stared at the angelic smile on Naruto's face. Only angels shouldn't look so damn smug, or show so many teeth when smiling. Suddenly, the fact that Naruto spent most of his free time reading stopped being so amusingly adorable. Given Naruto's innate chakra levels and access to high-end genjutsu instruction from Kurenai _and_ high-level manuals most genin didn't even know about...
"Bureaucratic. Fucking. Technicality." Anko chocked out with a mad giggle escaping, before giving up and erupting into mad laughter.
"It isn't _that_ funny." Hana grumbled.
"Hell yeah it is!" The jounin continued to laugh on, gabbing Naruto by the neck. "Kid, I am fucking amazed you didn't raid the archives for all that wasn't nailed down, and then went for crowbar to pry the nails, consideration how you eat books."
"Didn't have the time, to tell the truth." The blond sighed forlornly. "...all those pretty scrolls... besides, even desk morons would get suspicious if I checked out my own weight in books. Haste makes waste, as Kurenai says. Little patience..."
"Goes a long way." Anko's grin widened. "That's my girl!" She laughed.
Han blinked owlishly.
"Wait a minute..." she muttered. "Kurenai... knows?"
"Who do you think helps me search through that garbage to find something useful?" Naruto looked at her oddly.
"Well, I guess that would make sense." The jounin said thoughtfully. "Her clearance is a level lower, after all. That way she can get her hands on the tricks and nicnaks without all that stupid red tape."
"But... but...!" The Inuzuka woman struggled in reconciling the image of calm, refined and elegant kunoichi with what she was hearing. Yuuhi Kurenai was supposed to be a lady and a smooth professional - not someone who resolved to her trumped-up security clearance to all but _steal_ data from Konoha's vaults under the cover of some borderline legal loophole. "But... that's _Kurenai_!" She protested weakly.
"Exactly." Anko smirked. "Girl, one of these days we'll grab Kurenai-chan for a night out and I'll show you Little Miss Perfect walking on the wild side. Amusing and hot as hell."
"You're kidding me." Hana said skeptically.
"'Fraid not." The jounin shrugged. "Hell, you should see what motivated Suzu-chin can do when she feels like it."
"Suzu-chin...?" The younger kunoichi frowned.
"Suzume. Man, now _that_ one's got fire."
"...Suzume?" Hana said slowly. "As in... Namida Suzume?"
"No other." Anko grinned. "Trust me, it is an experience that has to be lived through."
"Huh." The Inuzuka heiress frowned. "Man... that's something I just have to see it with my own eyes."
"Sure, after we get Kurenai and all." Anko shrugged.
"Yes, would someone please remember _why_ we are here in the first place?" Naruto snapped.
"Sit, boy." Hana said absently, earning herself a strange cross between a drawn-put growl and a hiss that made her hair stand in a worst, most primal way. It took all her self control not to leap on her feet and growl back, or smash something.
She still bared her teeth, hackles rising as her body tensed visibly, canines and claws bared and ready. Naruto just stared back, looking more animal than man even more so than Hana did, which was odd since he lacked Inuzuka's animalistic traits.
There was just something... sharp about him, something predatory that made Anko's own instincts stand at attention and ready for battle.
The tense silence reigned for a moment, before the two younger shinobi chose to lean back slowly without a word, never losing a sight of each other.
Anko blinked, looking between the duo. "Hey, somethin' wrong?" She asked, straining to keep her voice cheerful and light.
"Nothing." Hana said, her voice tense, hands forcibly relaxed, palms pointing straight down.
"Nothing at all." Naruto echoed, his own hands relaxed, bur fingers curling slightly. In some odd way, the younger blond looked more like a wolf than the young kunoichi did.
The two looked at each other, eyes half-lidded and teeth bared slightly. The staredown continued until Hana gave Naruto a slightest of nods, and the blond, ever so slowly, nodded back. As if on command, their shoulders and arms relaxed, the odd feeling of not quite hostility vanishing as if it was never there.
"Okay." Anko's eyes narrowed. "Can somebody tell me what the hell that was? And the first one to say nothing will get their ass kicked, just so you know." She said darkly.
"To be honest... I am not quite sure." Hana said, looking at Naruto speculatively.
"Like hell!!" The jounin snarled. "You two looked to be fucking _inches_ from tearing each others' throats! With your fucking TEETH! What the HELL?!"
"My fault. I think." Naruto said reluctantly. "I didn't know it'd be like... that, though."
"That's primal stuff. Closer to the surface, for me." Hana shrugged. "Didn't know he was so... in tune, though."
"I'd _say_." Anko threw him a dirty look. "Since when do you go howling at the moon, brat?"
"Always, to tell the truth." The jinchuuriki shrugged.
"The fox?" The jounin asked, a speculative gleam in her eyes.
"Possibly." Naruto nodded noncommittally.
The jounin looked at her friend for a long moment, before sighing.
"Whatever." she said finally. "Okay. now to more important matters."
"The Kazekage." Naruto nodded, eager to change topics.
"Precisely."
"I call bullshit." Hana said bluntly. "This whole thing is out of whack, no matter how you look at it. He wants something."
"The political pressure on the Hokage?" Naruto speculated.
Anko rolled her eyes.
"With the kid's rep? Possible but... you don't rate the attention, and they lose either way if they do that given how things are. Besides, the way the whole town is afraid of him? No." She frowned, fanning herself lazily. "There is something about it... it stinks of power-play. But what kind?"
"Well, I am a host..." the young ninja speculated out loud.
"A non-issue." Anko shook her head. "Too high-profile either for elimination _or_ for recruitment. He'd have tried it before, and there are a hundred and one factors that make it implausible. So... what's left?"
"A bargaining chip of some kind?" Suggested the blond.
"Possible but unlikely." The jounin murmured. "But... you might be on to something here."
"You know... we might be looking at it the wrong way." Hana said thoughtfully. "We are looking for some kind of detrimental angle - but what if it is the other way around?"
Anko and Naruto blinked.
"What do you mean?" The older kunoichi asked.
"Well, we are an odd group." Hana pointed out. "Mismatched, for one, our genin pulls a smackdown on a jinchuuriki in public, we are here for no defined reason... he might not seek some angle - he might think _we_ have an angle."
"Hey, that's... actually good thinking." Anko murmured. "Yeah. If he thinks we have something going on... which we _do_, just not in the way he thinks... yeah I can see that."
"Which doesn't mean he won't want to use us anyway." Naruto pointed out.
"Exactly." Hana nodded, before grimacing. "...god, I hate politics."
"Hey, be glad it is the ninja version." Anko smirked. "When all fails, you can simply slit their throats."
"I'd rather not." The Inuzuka woman said dryly. "Since the other side has that option too - and we are in the middle of their village."
"Which make us official and removing us a non-issue." Naruto pointed out.
"Oh, I don't know. Stranger things had happened." Anko said lightly. "But overall, he has little to gain by pissing us off - especially after we let slip we are on a rescue mission of sorts."
"Don't." Hana said immediately. "That will imply we are holding him responsible for keeping us here and obstructing our mission."
"Oh. That would be... bad." Naruto winced.
"Yeah, like 'Kage' bad." The older kunoichi said darkly. "We _do_ need to tell them _something_, though - and I guarantee talking about dragging Tsuande-hime back to Konoha won't go down easily."
"Why? She's a medic, we have a need for one." Naruto shrugged. "Case closed."
"No, Anko is right dammit." Hana grimaced, combing her dark hair through with her hand. "This just might be very shaky ground if we mention that."
"Nowadays, Tsunade is remembered for her medical skill, but it wasn't always that way." Anko explained, seeing Naruto's questioning look. "When I was still a kid she was an active shinobi, and the hospital shifts... well, that was secondary." The woman sighed, leaning back. "You are both too young to have met her, but I was a Sannin's apprentice, I saw her in battle. You have no idea what she was capable of. I mean, all of them were scary fucks, yeah. But Tsunade... if there ever was a woman fit to be called the queen of kunoichi, she was it."
"I heard stories from mom." Hana said with a wistful smile. "They always seemed like some... well, you know, fantastic tales - like 'one man facing a thousand' larger than life, like those heroes of old and stuff."
"Girl, you have _no_ idea." Anko said softly. "There was this conflict, don't really remember the reasons. Two local daimyo just decided to kill each other dead. Rich guys, real rich. At first it didn't seem like our business - I mean, let them kill each other - unless it spilled over to our borders, who cares? In that time, shadow war was basically all out and minor conflicts were daily occurrences."
She shrugged
"Then the zone became a hotspot, most of our troops were busy with different stuff and that war needed to end _fast_. Problem was, the guys hired a lot of nukenin, and even some legit shinobi from smaller villages and they had money to burn to fortify themselves. Also, instead of sending out the armies to kill each other like the proper noble fucks should, they went for raids. Sorta 'you hit me - I'll hit you twice and burn your farm' shit and so on. Worst of all, the honchos were guarded _well_, so simple assassination was out. The situation was getting more messed up by a minute."
"So what happened?" Hana asked curiously.
"Well, instead of sending an ANBU team, or a contingent, Sarutobi sent one nin. Tsunade." Anko chuckled. "Thing is, Tsunade was pissed, didn't much like to be called away and shit. So... she decided to wrap the matters fast. Real fast."
Anko smirked.
"Next thing we know, the small army of cutthroats was meekly forced into reconstructing shit lost in the war - sans castles - and Tsunade was having a grand time drinking the best sake money could by, waited on by two daimyo who would probably have a heart attack if she frowned at them. As for the castles... well, there were two new lakes in the vicinity that weren't there before."
"Holy shit.." Naruto blinked. "What did she do? Stuffed the castles to the roof with explosive notes or something?"
"She stomped." Anko deadpanned. "Real hard."
*
There was something about the night air that made him feel more aware. Not more alive, but there was that tiny splinter in his awareness, widening with each moment as the sun set and the shade fell, before being replaced by the night's cloak. It felt... good. Familiar, which was rather strange.
True, he spent the most time in the vampire shell over the years but shades, not the night, were his true home - neither light nor dark, feeding off either. Sort of in-between of everything, which suited him fine. Only fools dealt in absolutes, after all. Still, the night did feel good, and there were torches to cast plenty of shadows around, just an arm's length away. Suna's architecture was good like that, though not as good as the hodgepodge that was Konoha.
Take a step to the balcony, let the moon wash over you and then take a step to the left - the shadows beckoned like old friends, inciting in their soft way. Like an old, comfortable cloak you couldn't bear to part with, one that was warmer than any fancy new jackets you might have bought. Well worn in to his silhouette - so much that every fold seamlessly settled on the skin.
The blond smiled lazily, sinking into the shadow deeper, letting the immaterial shade play between his fingers, half imagined, half substance.
Even in this body his 'gift' was beckoning and shadows were still old friends eager to meet him, despite anything else.
The blondeÆs palm tightened around the ephemeral cord of shade, but like quicksilver it was gone with but a teasing kiss on the tips of his fingers, flickering away and out of his grasp as if it was never there.
'I guess... this is only to be expected, huh?' He thought, letting his arm fall, before he slammed it into the wall angrily. "...dammit. Not much is left, is there? Pale fucking shadow indeed. What a joke..."
"Naruto...?"
The blond looked up form his corner of the balcony, noticing Hana standing in the moonlight, looking around cautiously.
"Here."
"...shit!" The chuunin whirled, zeroing on his voice. "don't do that to me!"
"Aren't you a shinobi?" The jinchuuriki said dryly. "Night should be your element."
"Not like yours." The Inuzuka grumbled, her eyes slowly piercing the darkness. "God, youÆre like some jack-in-the-box or something... how do you do that?"
"Practice." He smirked. "A lot of practice."
"Yeah, I just bet." Hana looked at him for a long moment, her face unreadable and her emotions a bundle of confusion even she couldn't make heads and tails of. "Come on, its time to get ready."
*
"Hmm." Hana frowned, tugging at the collar of the dark red gi tighter, taking a step back to inspect the effect critically "Hmm.... hm? Mmmm?" She nodded with satisfaction grabbing a voluminous (for Naruto's current frame, at least) haori. It was burgundy, trimmed with grey so dark it was almost black. Given ash-grey hakama, it made for a surprisingly decent combination with Naruto's sun-kissed hair. "A-ha!"
"You are enjoying this far too much." The blond said sourly
"Ah, give it a rest!" Hana pouted. "Let the girl have her fun, would you? It was just... what, an hour or two?"
"'Just'?" The blond protested. "You have been using me as your personal mannequin for hours!"
"We need to be presentable." she reminded him.
"Presentable is one thing - making me try on _all_ out of the - needlessly large, let me add - pile clothes you have bought is completely another."
"It isn't _my_ fault you can't dress worth a damn." Hana rolled her eyes. "And we need to see which one looks best on you."
"I still don't know what's the fuss about it all." The blond grumbled, itching to pull the collar, before having his hand slapped away by Hana. "As long as it looks official enough it is good, right?"
Hana quirked an eyebrow, giving Naruto a look.
"You never had a girlfriend, had you?" she said with amusement.
"What has that got to do with anything?" Naruto blinked in confusion.
"One day, some poor idiot girl with more heart than brain will take pity on you, and then I'll remind you of that." Hana said with a smirk. "And laugh like crazy."
The blond just shrugged.
"You'll see." The older girl chuckled.
"Oh stop trying to play 'old wise woman' with me, Inuzuka." Naruto rolled his eyes. "What are you, fifteen?"
"Still older than you, shrimp." She pointed out.
"Now _that_ is something I'll delight in pointing out later on." Naruto said smugly. He might have not known much about women (aside form Ino and Sakura, but those two hardly counted in his mind) but he had yet to meet a woman that wasn't sensitive about her age, one way or another. Well, save Anko at times - but she was Anko, so that should explain all.
"How the hell did you manage to get such a mouth under Kurenai-san I have no idea." Hana sighed. "How could such a nice woman get such a rude, antisocial ball of acid as a student I'll never know."
"Be happy you don't." Naruto said, his eyes losing their focus for a moment.
Hana paused in her dress-up ministrations, looking at her blond friend oddly. His face was strangely pensive and for some reason looked... it looked the same way Hokage-sama did during the Kyuubi Defeat festival. Old, but not in any way regarding age. More like feeling each day he lived with perfect clarity. While it wasn't out of place on the face of an old man - especially if he was the Hokage - seeing it on Naruto's youthful one was just surreal and rather unsettling.
Then it covered by the cocksure, bold face she was used to seeing, so rapidly that she was wondering if she didn't imagine it all.
'...goddamn illusionists.'
"The one who should be happy is Kurenai, don't you think?" The duo blinked, turning to the door, freezing in wide-eyed stare. "After all we do it all for her. Or Naruto is, rather."
While Naruto couldn't exactly understand the fuss over the clothes, he had to admit that Hana looked... nice in that dark red yukata she managed to find. the color was a few shades darker than the Clan marks she displayed on her face proudly, and bore a delicate white outline of wolves. A little ostentatious but very fitting given her slightly wild aura, even one softened by make-up. Anko, however...
If one was expecting something extravagant or outrageously skimpy, one would be in for a great surprise. The yukata was completely classical, even little longer than Hana's, with wider sleeves. It was purple but so dark it seemed black at a first glance, which only served to bring out subtle, a tone lighter pattern of concentric rings that seemed to ripple through the garment with each move like water after a pebble was thrown into it.
While it made quite an impression in daylight, Naruto had to admit stunning when it was dark, especially given the serpentine grace the older kunoichi moved with.
Unlike Hana, who had a very nice pair of silver hairpins, Anko chose to wear no jewelry but instead picked up - gods knew how and when - a bamboo umbrella in shades of dark purple that completed the attire.
"So?" She asked, opening her umbrella in a fluid move and letting it rest on her shoulder in a manner not unlike an expensive geisha might.
"This... this is..." Hana said, trying to reconcile the image of the brash, crass and devil-may-care Mitarashi Anko she knew with the yukata-clad graceful beauty in front of her. She expected Anko either to either wear something simple or outrageously flashy - not something like... this. In fact, right now she regretted picking that more subdued yukata rather than that burgundy, more elaborate one she had in mind. "...all right, I admit, this isn't what I expected. At all." She conceded finally.
Naruto just nodded dumbly, not saying a word.
"Geez... you actually make that weird yukata look... good." The Inuzuka woman said with amazed shake of her head. "And here I bought it just because it was on a bargain sale... well, live and learn, eh Naruto?" Hana blinked, turning to look at her friend, before sighing at his vacant stare. "Naruto? Hey, Naruto!"
"...huh?" He turned to her dazedly.
"Yay!" Anko made a V sign with a grin. "Flawless victory!"
Hana just sighed.
*
It was an odd procession that arrived at the doors of the Kazekage's home. Led by a smooth-faced, elegant maid who called herself Hazuki, the trio left the VIP hotel. The maid herself didn't hurry as she walked, lantern in hand, through the Sunagakure. What bothered Naruto a little was the fact that she didn't seem to avoid any of the main streets, as he would have expected her to.
Suna, as a desert village, was even more active during the evening when the burning sun finally set, than it was in the middle of the day, thus citizens and shinobi alike still crowded the streets. He would bet his sword on the fact that some of the faces out there saw the Kazekage's son rather ignoble defeat - a suspicion that turned into certainty when he caught some hushed murmurs as he passed one of the main avenues of the village.
And yet, the Kazekage's head maid didn't hurry. If anything she seemed to take a scenic route, almost making certain the citizens had seen them.
He threw a questioning look at Anko, who only nodded slowly, while Hana's face had an unreadable look she settled on even before they left the hotel.
'Anko was right. It stinks to high heaven and has the grubby palms of politics all over it.' He thought with distaste. 'Taking a blow to his power like that? No one is that even tempered, not unless he wants something. Politics, dammit. Seems like it doesn't go away no matter who or where you are.'
He was a loner, but he was also a general and part of Kain's court for decades, before things started to go so very wrong for them all. Besides, escaping a hundred and one plots that could kill him honed that fine tuned survival instinct to a razor's edge. The rust that gathered over it was just the patience of less than half a decade compared to the centuries of survival.
But the first and last rule was always 'don't underestimate your enemy'. Just next to 'know your enemy', and the Kazekage he knew very little about.
'About most of the leaders, actually. Or their villages, aside from the military preference.' He realized suddenly. '...fool, fool, FOOL!' Naruto berated himself. 'You naive brat! Thinking yourself impervious to machinations, now that you're just a face in the crowd? You deserve everything you get you arrogant child!'
It took all of his self-control not to growl, or otherwise show his anger in any visible manner. He became too complacent, too used to the ease of life and forgot that no matter who you were, how much power you got and how strong you believed yourself to be there was always someone better out there, and it took one slip up for his precious little world to come apart at the seams.
'As if!' He growled inwardly. 'You want to take what is mine form me? Come and try! I will guarantee the price will be steep.'
A warm hand grasped his arm almost painfully, nails digging deep. The blond blinked, to see Hana's impassive face next to him, her hand holding his, covered as they were by the folds of their clothes.
He forced himself to relax, noticing the maid throwing a quick look behind, her eyes skimming over them.
Was it his imagination, or did she seem to slow there for a minute.
'...dammit.'
"Are you trying to make us look bad, kids?" Anko murmured form behind her violet fan, her voice almost inaudible for normal ears, but clear enough for their enhanced senses. "Get a grip. Or rather lose one and fast."
Hana stepped away without word, Naruto falling in step next to her.
'Idiots.' Anko mouthed, her fan angling just enough for Naruto and Hana to see it.
The Inuzuka woman stared stubbornly ahead, absently smoothing out the folds of her Yukata, while Naruto just forced himself to relax even more. It was so much _harder_ to keep the emotions reigned in like that. Flesh did have its downsides, after all, and at times he had been just... buzzing with emotions.
Not that he was the most controlled individual out there, but the hormones were a nightmare to deal with at times. He sometimes had an urge to slam his head against the nearest wall after the emotions ran calmer and he wasn't in the thick of it.
'Here is to hoping I don't lose it in front of the Kazekage.' The blond thought sourly. 'Yeah. This just keeps on looking better and better. somehow, I have no doubt that Kain is out there somewhere and he is laughing at me right now.'
"Honored guests, we have arrived." The maid stopped as they reached a large, elegant house standing in some distance from the center of the village. Close enough to be still a part of Suna proper, but far enough not to be bothered by noise and daily grind of humanity passing the streets. Naruto had seen the setting many a time - after all, it was identical to the location of the castles of various nobles he met in Nosgoth over the centuries.
'Some things don't change at all.' He thought, somewhat regaining his equilibrium thanks to that. 'Thank the gods for small favors.'
"Good evening, honored guests." The blonde standing in tidy garden greeted them smoothly, bowing slightly. Not much, but just enough to be courteous and proper without seeming submissive.
Her yukata, unlike Hazuki's blue, was forest green with a tree pattern on it and of fine make.
'Very fine.' Naruto thought privately. He was all for utilitarian clothes, but he spent a lot of time around Kurenai and the woman loved the finer things in life that were on the more elegant side. Not to mention the recent shopping trip with Hana helped to enlighten him to the prices some of those slips of fabric could cost.
The yukata Hana bought wasn't cheap by any means, but what the girl wore easily outstripped it several times. In fact Naruto didn't remember seeing anything quite of that quality on sale when they were shopping. Which was odd, given that the elegant, fine-boned Hazuki, as pretty a woman as any he had seen, seemed to fit it more.
The blonde, while very attractive, didn't seem to... fit the fabric she wore. He didnÆt' know why that was - she was graceful, carried her head high and had a regal air around her, if a very stark one. Though she held herself somewhat stiffly, there was no denying she was very attractive, if different from a delicate maid. Her body under the yukata was more voluptuous, even if she didn't look to be older than Hana, and there was the elusive grace only kunoichi possessed.
The girl was trained, and judging by her coordination and frame, trained well. She was an odd dichotomy of fine silk and strength, a whiff of perfume but no jewelry, not even a pendant or an earring.
'A warrior.' He thought, noticing as her eyes took them in even as she bowed. 'Strange. Why is she-'
"I am Temari and on the behest of my father, the Kazekage of Sunagakure, I welcome you to his home."
'Oh.' Naruto blinked.
*
Temari was tense, she would even admit that if someone asked her. In fact Hazuki did, but that was neither here or now. Contrary to what one might think, it wasn't the technical aspects of the 'party' - Hazuki was an extremely capable host and her help would mean everything would go smoothly on that front.
The former chuunin was a an uninspiring kunoichi but an unparalleled organizer and much happier with her current duties than with the frontline assignments, of that Temari had no doubt.
No, the reason for her apprehension laid within the guests.
Honestly, she didn't know what to expect when she heard of Gaara's defeat. The jinchuuriki - for she wouldn't call that maniac her brother the way things were - was unstable, but also strong. Anyone who defeated him would have to be just as strong, and as she knew well. But there was strength and there was strength.
The amount of power needed to put Gaara down was enormous - she wouldn't be able to do it even if the redhead somehow got rid of that invincible defense of his, and she was far from week. Gaara was simply beyond her and she knew that.
For someone to manage it while surprised, and do it with an apparent Suiton technique in the middle of Suna? That was almost so ridiculous she'd have dismissed it if she didn't visit the scene herself and didn't hear people talking. But that was nothing comparing to the fact that Gaara's 'prey' turned out to be a boy around the jinchuuriki's age. She didn't want to believe it - it was just absurd.
She trained diligently since she was six, honing her abilities thanks to the best teachers and jutsu she was privy to as the Kazekage's daughter, and Gaara was so far beyond her abilities it wasn't even funny. And there comes a Konoha brat, waltzing into their village and pulls it off after an order of... of ramen? It wasn't even absurd - it was just plain freaky.
And then Hazuki, calmly as you please, with that smile of hers she used to instruct Temari when she messed up in one of the softer and more feminine arts, there she goes and calls the brat a _genin_?
She didn't know if to feel amazed at the audacity, or insulted. After all, what kind of genin could fight a jinchuuriki?
Then she saw the boy in question, and her confusion reached its zenith.
He was short, though not puny considering his strong, if youthful frame. At a first glance he looked to be in his early teens, most certainly younger than her. Then she noticed the bright cerulean eyes and her whole perspective just felt.... off. Eyes like that should be bright and cheerful, open and honest in their vibrancy - coupled with that sunk-kissed hair of a deeper shade of gold than her own faded straw one, they almost begged to be. Instead they looked... odd.
Not cold, like her father's calculating gaze she was used to, or angry. Just unexpectedly... old. And like steel, unbending and somewhat chilly in that arrogance she had only seen in accomplished shinobi, which was both right and so wrong coupled with that whiskered face that seemed more fit for a roguish smile or a carefree grin.
It was such a disturbing dichotomy she couldn't stop but stare for a moment. She expected some answers, but instead meeting Uzumaki Naruto just raised more questions and confusion.
The two women, though somewhat easier to read, didn't help the matters any, though they did add their two ryo to the pile of oddities.
Inuzuka Hana, for one, looked surprisingly elegant for a heiress of the clan famed for their fierce, beast-like battle prowess, managing to make this red yukata she wore look undeniably good, even if it wasn't exactly tailored for her.
Temari expected a fierce woman, claws and utilitarian clothes that would be easier to move in. Instead she got a rather attractive young woman with only hints of the more bestial traits swimming under the surface. The calm hazel eyes and the fang-like clan marks on her cheeks, accompanied by the elegant yukata were a mite confusing. The large dog walking beside its mistress, the rich ash-grey fur obviously well groomed and taken care of, just deepened it.
As for Mitarashi Anko, she didn't know much of her, but she knew more than enough of Orochimaru to see that the jounin didn't seem at all like her former teacher. That is until she started moving.
The ripple-like pattern of her yukata coupled with serpentine, almost arrogant grace of the older woman made for a disturbingly attractive and dangerous combination when one remembered why she was so much like a serpent. Indeed, at some point, Temari expected one of the snakes the sannin was infamous for slink out of the wide sleeves of her yukata. Instead, the only thing that hid in the jounin's sleeve was a nice if common fan she had to have bought in Suna judging by the style.
In fact, the fan had to be bought in the very same store she often frequented herself for minor fixes and upkeep of her own dai-tessen collection. While the woman was a weapon-smith specializing in fans, her husband was a craftsman making a range of fans and accessories and that looked to be one of his works, if she wasn't mistaken. Which meant Mitarashi didn't usually hold a fan... though the easy grace she held and moved it with would deny that.
Not to mention, from what Hazuki told her, Mitarashi Anko was a loud and brash battle kunoichi. A war nin contrary to her more insidious teacher, always happy to be in the thick of it rather than stab at the back. She certainly didn't mention a woman capable of wearing the yukata as gracefully as Hazuki herself could, and Temari could see from the slight, troubled glances at the jounin, the head maid was a mite uneasy about it.
Somehow, some way, she couldn't help but think that whatever her father was planning wasnÆt going to unfold like he had planned neither fast, nor easily.
'No.' She thought, biding the guests to follow her to the dining hall. 'Not easily at all.'
*
No one could in their right mind call the Kazekage charming - even when he was in his teens, the redheaded man was a very focused individual. However he was a politician and over the years he had found that while using the stick was something he was really good at, sometimes the carrot was even better.
It was a harsh lesson, one that cost him some ninja and one somewhat wasted jinchuuriki, but then he was a very capable shinobi and only those didn't make mistakes who didnÆt try. Contrary to others, he always learned from his, and tended not to repeat the failed moves twice.
As such, when the small banquet -for it was most certainly no party - started, the Kazekage turned out to be an amiable and cultured host. He didn't joke with the guests, but he wasn't cold either, instead letting Temari shoulder the more overt responsibility for the supper, while he let the relaxed bits and pieces of his usual acidic humor seep through. Nothing overt, just enough to let the sting out of the barbs and draw the responses from the guests.
Considering the etiquette did demand one to talk to their host, the momentary awkwardness was quickly smoothed into a free-flowing, if cautious, chat over the excellent meal, thanks to Hazuki's gentle guidance and Temari's somewhat stiff attempts at imitating their father, though in a far more neutral way.
'Pay attention.' her father had said, and so she did. To be honest she'd have done that regardless. As any good nin, Temari hated mysteries unless they were her own - especially ones laid on her doorstep so to speak, and the trio of Konoha nins was choke full of those. It... irked her. It unnerved her. It made her curious. In short, it pushed all the right buttons.
The Kazekage said nothing, his dry smile widening slightly for a briefest of moments. Contrary to what one might think, he did know his children pretty well and understood them better than most parents would. Seeing Temari's mind working to catch the bait he had thrown her was an entertainment by itself.
Not as much as watching the guests, to be sure, but quite interesting as well. The two kunoichi and the young 'genin' though... well, he had to admit there was something to be said for social niceties.
If anything, the boy and his companions were... entertaining, even if that was a marginal case. Above all, they were interesting. And 'they' was quite appropriate in this case - at first he thought he'd have to tediously deal with two older shinobi, steering them away slightly until he had a chance to talk to the young ninja properly, but to his surprise the women seemed to back off.
'Though 'back off' might be a wrong way of putting it.' He admitted. 'More like... let him?'
In essence, that might have been it, though he wasn't quite sure. The blond on his own was a mite confusing, but throw in the two women and that confusion only deepened. His ANBU's report wasn't a mistake - while the kunoichi were both older and outstripping him in rank, he was the one calling the shots, albeit if it was official or not, he could only guess.
His money was on 'not' but you never knew. It was still a shock that someone like that was a genin - he had reasons for keeping Gaara where he was, but Konoha loved their geniuses far too much to allow a prodigy remain of low rank for long. why wasn't the boy promoted, then?
Disliked or not, he was obviously an asset - powerful as his fight had shown, and smart to know how and when to sue that power from what he could judge by his behavior. There was of course that arrogant streak, like in every young, up and coming shinobi he had met, but then the strong were entitled to it. It was, however, curiously... muted. Or should it rather be 'tempered'? By what he had no idea, but he would have to look up the boy's teacher.
Yuuhi Kurenai wasn't someone he knew anything about since she didn't seem of much consequence, but if she was Naruto's teacher it might explain some curious oddities he had noticed during the youth's time in Suna so far. After all, if he became her apprentice at mere age of ten, the influence that woman held over his development would have been considerable. Every child needed a mother - or a mother figure. And however friendly the Mitarashi woman seemed to have been with the jinchuuriki, she was certainly no mother material.
The mere thought of the Sannin's former apprentice almost caused him to smile. Anko's presence, which he at first regarded as a curious obstacle at best, turned out to be a boon. Considering the obvious bond of camaraderie the two shared, others might think her a hindrance, but he knew better.
After all, the woman was an excellent example of what he wanted the boy to see - like most prodigies, Naruto craved power, wished to see his limits and realize his potential. No matter his strength, the way things were Konoha would never let him do that, of which Mitarashi was a proof. Even when eh was a Konoha nin, Orochimaru was too much of a threat - like every Sannin - not to keep tabs on, even if discreetly and it was obvious Mitarashi Anko, Orochimaru's personal apprentice, would come under the scrutiny as well, especially given the girl's potential displayed as a genin.
However, the moment the snake sannin defected, the mere fact of her long association with Orochimaru and that inane cursed seal business ruined her career completely, which was laughable given she was the one who had chosen to stay loyal as far as he could read the events. Instead of keeping tabs on her, Konoha seemed to decide to all but throw her and the promise of her future strength altogether, keeping her from more sensitive missions and causing the girl to hit the glass ceiling when it came to the jounin promotion.
He simply couldn't understand why did Sarutobi allow such a potential to degrade like that. Given some attention and access to high-level data, Mitarashi Anko could have been one of the sharpest swords in Konoha's arsenal, one of the gems of the jounin ranks on par with Hatake Kakashi or Sarutobi Asuma.
Instead she was a mere tokubetsu jounin with no particular assignment, her only reason for the rank being the fact she simply did more high level assassination missions than an ANBU assassination team. It was just plain ridiculous as far he was concerned, but he wasn't going to complain. After all, she was a living proof of the blond genin's future fate in Konoha. The boy just needed some nudges to see it - and how better than by letting him see what Suna had to offer?
'How better indeed.' He smiled faintly, sipping some sake as the chatter around him flowed, assisted by Hazuki's skilled nudges. The woman was a marvel and completely wasted in chuunin position as far as eh was concerned. Pretty, smart and useful, his only regret was not pulling her from her duties previous earlier - she did a splendid job raising Temari, and the girl would learn so much more if she met Hazuki earlier. Strength alone wasn't going to win all battles and sometimes softer touch was all the better, something Temari missed most of the time.
Though, truth to be told, it was something only his mistake with Gaara taught him, so he supposed he wasnÆt blameless in that respect.
'No matter. She will do as she is.' He decided, eying the blond jinchuuriki and his companions speculatively.
If the boy's choice in companions indicated anything, then Temari was more than sufficient. He was yet young, but the line between the man and the boy was a very thin thing in the end, at least as far as his needs were concerned.
"I must say, it is unusual to have Konoha nin taking Windscar pass." He said quirking an eyebrow. ôIt is a treacherous place, even at this time of the year. Indeed, most of Wind citizens avoid unless they need to. Your need must be grave."
"Grave is a good way to describe it, Kazekage-dono." Naruto said calmly, not noticing or caring for Anko's monetary tensing grip on her fan. "My mentor requires some assistance."
"Ah." The Kazekage's brow furred slightly. "An accident during the mission, if I remember correctly?"
"An accident... maybe." Naruto looked at the older shinobi.
"Life of shinobi is full of shadows, Naruto-kun." The man smiled knowingly. "Be careful, sometimes man can mistake the reflection on the water for the moon."
"Reflection or not... anything can die." The blond said flatly and the older man quirked an eyebrow at the tone of unwavering confidence in the genin's voice.
"Your devotion does you credit." He said seriously. "That mentor of yours must be a fascinating woman to inspire such."
"She is indeed." Naruto nodded in thanks for the compliment. "Thank you for your kind words."
"As Konoha's ally I would like to offer any assistance Suna might give you in your endeavor." The Kazekage took a sip of sake, looking at the blond. "Had I known that your need is so urgent I wouldn't have kept you. However... I think that in light of our little.. mishap, I can offer you substantial aid." The redhead put down his saucer, Hazuki refilling it almost at once. "We have a contract with Eagle tribe, I imagine that would hasten your journey considerably."
"The Kazekage is most gracious." Anko said, quirking an eyebrow. "But can one nin summon something sufficient to our needs? We do need to leave the country in a hurry."
While she had no doubt that the offer was genuine - especially given how Naruto seemed hellbent on mentioning the whole thing to the Kazekage regardless of their previous warnings - Suna's meddling was the last thing they needed considering the borderline illegal actions they were about to take, and flat out illegal assassination from the Syndicate that awaited them.
Though how was she going to explain to Hana that they needed to off some civilian witnesses she had no idea - she just hoped Naruto's resolve was as strong as it was at the beginning, or it would all go to hell very quickly. Kurenai was her best friend and she'd sooner start a war with her own hands than see her dead, regardless of the cost involved.
"I assure you that I can summon more than enough number of my feathery friends to hasten your journey my dear Mitarashi-san." The kage said with amusement, and Anko had to stop herself from biting her lip.
She didn't expect that. But it confirmed her suspicions - the man did want something, though for the life of her she couldnÆt' figure it out. he jumped all over, mostly enjoying the chatter and asking about mundane things, like a proper host would. There was no rhyme or reason to him, and that worried her. Because a Kage always had an angle, any Kage. They couldn't afford not to.
"If you can assist us, I would be grateful, Kazekage-sama." Naruto cut and Anko had to forcibly restrain herself from standing up and throttling the blond brat but good. What the holy fuck was he thinking?!
"It is the least I can do for you, considering you won't accept my offer to enjoy Suna's hospitality for a while." He waved the young man's word away lazily. "Had I known earlier I would have assisted you outright, rather than merely holding you in suspense. However..." he shrugged.
"Leader's work is fraught with peril and never really ends." The blond nodded with understanding, smiling a little, which made the Kazekage pause. Temari picked that moment to single out the green tea that the young shinobi had shown preference to, and nodding at Hazuki to refill it. The blond nodded in thanks to the kunoichi, which only made the Kazekage smile inwardly.
"Indeed, it never ends." he noted with amusement. "Not for a moment."
"Neither does shinobi's one." Anko said smoothly.
"Yet if it is our vocation, or simply fate?" The older man shrugged.
"I prefer to make my own choices." Naruto said stiffly.
"Then it is as it should be." The Kazekage could barely restrain a smile. he couldnÆt' have even given better cards if he had dealt them himself. "One should always reach for his own future."
"I choose my path and make my own way." Naruto said, his eyes darkening, ignoring Anko's sharp look. "I have seen too much 'fate' to bow to it."
"While I am far from blindly believing in fate, there are some things that are unavoidable which one might think as such." The redheaded man pointed out. "Sometimes the mountain is too difficult to climb it any other way than that one path after all."
"Well, you can always blow it up then." Naruto said serenely, taking a is of tea. "No mountain, no problem."
The Kazekage blinked, his iron self-control slipping for a moment, while Anko alternated between glaring and resisting a smirk. Hana simply opted to close her eyes and pretend she most certainly wasn't there, didn't hear anything and didn't see Naruto break one rule of etiquette of dealing with Very Powerful People after another, thank you very much.
The Kazekage kept on staring at the blond, before smirking
"I guess that in the end, there is always that option to fall back on, isn't it?" he chuckled. "Isn't it nice that shinobi arsenal is so varied?"
*
Now, for the Omakes:
*
Omake #1
The Limited Harem Works
Conversation before the Tea Ceremony:
***
Anko got up, stretching lazily.
"The upper room. In an hour." She pointed to the ceiling. Dress right."
Naruto frowned, only now noticing a familiar scroll on her belt, one delicately inlaid with jade finish. Probably the only non-combat oriented scroll she had.
"I really don't think there is..."
"No excuses. I'm not askin'." She said calmly. "Be there or I'll fuckin' hunt you down. Got it?" She raised an eyebrow.
Naruto sighed.
"Understood."
The jounin frowned thoughtfully.
"And you know...You need a laid."
"...Excuse me?" Naruto looked at her incuriously.
"Well yeah. You DO." She nodded sagely. ôMaybe then you'd stop being such a creepy, old man talking bratty egomaniac."
"Well it's better than an immature, oversexed harpy whose main goals in life include scaring and traumatizing people for life, insane schemes, eating dango and mooching off of others." He snapped
"Aww!" She ruffled his hair with a grin. "Look at you! All grown up and dryly acidic! Kurenai would be gushing her boy is turning out so fine. Next thing I know you'll start collecting a gaggle of girls to have the wild monkey sex with!" She tapped her chin in mock thoughtfulness, before snapping her fingers.
"But wait! Yamanaka - blondie, smart cookie. Judging by her mother and her looks, a stone cold fox in a few years. Hell, sheÆs already stacked for her age and she'll just get better!"
She counted out.
"Pinky. Kind of exotic. Little shy, but tough cookie. Imaginative. And you know what they say about the quiet ones..." She leered.
"The dog girl. Fierce, like the rest of her clan. Nice ass, lean, mean killing machine. With good boobs. Likes you. Winner!"
The jounin raised her hand and pointed upwards." And you have the incarnation of the awesome sexappeal that is me and the cool refined piece of one HOT babe that is Kurenai as well! See? You already HAVE your little harem! So, now you just need the wild monkey sex!" She nodded sagely.
Naruto just sighed.
"For now, let's practice!" Anko said shedding her coat and taking off her undermesh. "It wouldn't do to disappoint the girls, eh?"
Naruto froze.
Anko chuckled darkly.
'Heh. Nothing quite like a delicious shota to spice things up.' She smirked. 'Maybe a threesome? Kurenai IS his teacher, after all... Let her teach him. She can even discipline me after. I plan on being a bad, bad girl.'
"Ready, my sweet, blond morsel?" She purred.
Naruto paled. Four centuries of vampiric existence didn't cover THIS!
Anko pounced.
Omake #2
'All grown up, stud.'
*
Naruto nodded, rolling the map. "Now before we move out, I'd like to make something clear." He looked at both of the women calmly. "This is my mission. You both outrank me, true. But the Hokage gave the mission to me. Meaning here and now, I'm the leader. If any of you have a problem with being ordered by a genin, speak now."
They grinned.
Naruto's eyes widened and tried to take a step back.
It was futile, of course.
'Three centuries as a vampire... Gods know how many years a s a wraith... commanded demons, fought outrageously powerful beings as an equal...'
"Awwww! Look at him! All grown up, commanding, vengeful and stuff!" Anko cooed. "Look at that cute scowl and that sweet murderous glint in his eyes....Ain't he just adorable?"
Hana grinned.
"Naruto, you forward, commanding stud you!"
Omake #3
*
"Why are you here? These are private chambers, explain yourself at once!"
Naruto slowly turned to the source of the voice.
Sure enough it was Kurenai. Only she was and wasn't.
The crimson eyes, beautiful, delicate features and the unmistakable voice were all there. But she was clad in a rich kimono, her hair styled in a traditional manner, not a strand loose. Her make up was heavier, more extensive. Her body was also slightly different. She was still graceful but... soft. There was no predatory, self-assured confidence and deadly grace of a trained killer. Her hands lacked the discreet muscle tone, her legs moved without the sense of balance Kurenai he knew maintained at all times.
"Well?" She snapped.
'And she lacks patience as well.' Naruto smirked.
"Hello, Kurenai."
The woman narrowed her eyes.
"You speak my name in a familiar manner, yet I do not know you. You carry weapons of a man despite your youth... Who are... Oh!"
Her eyes widened momentarily, before her face slipped into a more confident expression.
"I see." She gave a broad smile as she approached Naruto. "Mother really shouldn't have."
"What?" Naruto was caught off guard at the sudden change of mood from the new Kurenai, and didn't react when she slipped her arms around him.
"H-hey... wha...?" Naruto started to splutter as Kurenai's hands began to get amorous. "Kurenai, stop this immediately!"
"Mmm, mother really knows just what to get me for my birthday..."
'Oh crap,' Naruto thought as he discovered a new side to his teacher. His exasperation was so great that he didn't start to actually struggle until Kurenai started pull off his trousers. "STOP THAT!"
"A monster..."
The voice caused Naruto to glance at the child-Kurenai. Oddly, her gaze wasn't directed at his eyes, but instead towards...
"Y-you... perverts!" Naruto yelled indignantly, blushing furiously as he realized where all of Kurenai's attention was directed.
---Later---
"That was foolish and reckless." (Thank you)
"I know." (You're welcome)
"..." (...)
"...?" (What?)
"Hmm, Naruto...?" (Is it...?)
"...?" (What?)
"Uh... Good weather, we're having?" (Is it really that big?)
"..." (...)
"..." (...)
*
Don't remember any more. Point it out if there's any missing, and IÆll go get them.
*
Omake #1
The Limited Harem Works
Conversation before the Tea Ceremony:
***
Anko got up, stretching lazily.
"The upper room. In an hour." She pointed to the ceiling. Dress right."
Naruto frowned, only now noticing a familiar scroll on her belt, one delicately inlaid with jade finish. Probably the only non-combat oriented scroll she had.
"I really don't think there is..."
"No excuses. I'm not askin'." She said calmly. "Be there or I'll fuckin' hunt you down. Got it?" She raised an eyebrow.
Naruto sighed.
"Understood."
The jounin frowned thoughtfully.
"And you know...You need a laid."
"...Excuse me?" Naruto looked at her incuriously.
"Well yeah. You DO." She nodded sagely. ôMaybe then you'd stop being such a creepy, old man talking bratty egomaniac."
"Well it's better than an immature, oversexed harpy whose main goals in life include scaring and traumatizing people for life, insane schemes, eating dango and mooching off of others." He snapped
"Aww!" She ruffled his hair with a grin. "Look at you! All grown up and dryly acidic! Kurenai would be gushing her boy is turning out so fine. Next thing I know you'll start collecting a gaggle of girls to have the wild monkey sex with!" She tapped her chin in mock thoughtfulness, before snapping her fingers.
"But wait! Yamanaka - blondie, smart cookie. Judging by her mother and her looks, a stone cold fox in a few years. Hell, sheÆs already stacked for her age and she'll just get better!"
She counted out.
"Pinky. Kind of exotic. Little shy, but tough cookie. Imaginative. And you know what they say about the quiet ones..." She leered.
"The dog girl. Fierce, like the rest of her clan. Nice ass, lean, mean killing machine. With good boobs. Likes you. Winner!"
The jounin raised her hand and pointed upwards." And you have the incarnation of the awesome sexappeal that is me and the cool refined piece of one HOT babe that is Kurenai as well! See? You already HAVE your little harem! So, now you just need the wild monkey sex!" She nodded sagely.
Naruto just sighed.
"For now, let's practice!" Anko said shedding her coat and taking off her undermesh. "It wouldn't do to disappoint the girls, eh?"
Naruto froze.
Anko chuckled darkly.
'Heh. Nothing quite like a delicious shota to spice things up.' She smirked. 'Maybe a threesome? Kurenai IS his teacher, after all... Let her teach him. She can even discipline me after. I plan on being a bad, bad girl.'
"Ready, my sweet, blond morsel?" She purred.
Naruto paled. Four centuries of vampiric existence didn't cover THIS!
Anko pounced.
Omake #2
'All grown up, stud.'
*
Naruto nodded, rolling the map. "Now before we move out, I'd like to make something clear." He looked at both of the women calmly. "This is my mission. You both outrank me, true. But the Hokage gave the mission to me. Meaning here and now, I'm the leader. If any of you have a problem with being ordered by a genin, speak now."
They grinned.
Naruto's eyes widened and tried to take a step back.
It was futile, of course.
'Three centuries as a vampire... Gods know how many years a s a wraith... commanded demons, fought outrageously powerful beings as an equal...'
"Awwww! Look at him! All grown up, commanding, vengeful and stuff!" Anko cooed. "Look at that cute scowl and that sweet murderous glint in his eyes....Ain't he just adorable?"
Hana grinned.
"Naruto, you forward, commanding stud you!"
Omake #3
*
"Why are you here? These are private chambers, explain yourself at once!"
Naruto slowly turned to the source of the voice.
Sure enough it was Kurenai. Only she was and wasn't.
The crimson eyes, beautiful, delicate features and the unmistakable voice were all there. But she was clad in a rich kimono, her hair styled in a traditional manner, not a strand loose. Her make up was heavier, more extensive. Her body was also slightly different. She was still graceful but... soft. There was no predatory, self-assured confidence and deadly grace of a trained killer. Her hands lacked the discreet muscle tone, her legs moved without the sense of balance Kurenai he knew maintained at all times.
"Well?" She snapped.
'And she lacks patience as well.' Naruto smirked.
"Hello, Kurenai."
The woman narrowed her eyes.
"You speak my name in a familiar manner, yet I do not know you. You carry weapons of a man despite your youth... Who are... Oh!"
Her eyes widened momentarily, before her face slipped into a more confident expression.
"I see." She gave a broad smile as she approached Naruto. "Mother really shouldn't have."
"What?" Naruto was caught off guard at the sudden change of mood from the new Kurenai, and didn't react when she slipped her arms around him.
"H-hey... wha...?" Naruto started to splutter as Kurenai's hands began to get amorous. "Kurenai, stop this immediately!"
"Mmm, mother really knows just what to get me for my birthday..."
'Oh crap,' Naruto thought as he discovered a new side to his teacher. His exasperation was so great that he didn't start to actually struggle until Kurenai started pull off his trousers. "STOP THAT!"
"A monster..."
The voice caused Naruto to glance at the child-Kurenai. Oddly, her gaze wasn't directed at his eyes, but instead towards...
"Y-you... perverts!" Naruto yelled indignantly, blushing furiously as he realized where all of Kurenai's attention was directed.
---Later---
"That was foolish and reckless." (Thank you)
"I know." (You're welcome)
"..." (...)
"...?" (What?)
"Hmm, Naruto...?" (Is it...?)
"...?" (What?)
"Uh... Good weather, we're having?" (Is it really that big?)
"..." (...)
"..." (...)
*
Don't remember any more. Point it out if there's any missing, and IÆll go get them.