Naruto Future Lost
- Thread starter Meinos Kaen
- Start date
It would help if you cut away Naruto being scared of Moegi, or at least gave a more concrete reason for him to be scared than a "Noodle Incident" that's, at best, vaguely alluded to. In addition, perhaps modify her behaviour so it is cooperative instead of imperative. More "I'd like to ask a favor of you 'cause we're both comrades/friends from the same village", and less "You'll do as I tell you because I'll do bad things to you if you don't".
Those are pretty much my main beefs with her current characterization.
Alternatively, you could keep her current behaviour, but modify Naruto's; make it clear that he isn't actually scared or afraid of her, but is merely humoring her for the most part, because she, for all her genius with plants, is still a child (10~11 years, if I get your timeline correctly?).
- Kelenas
Those are pretty much my main beefs with her current characterization.
Alternatively, you could keep her current behaviour, but modify Naruto's; make it clear that he isn't actually scared or afraid of her, but is merely humoring her for the most part, because she, for all her genius with plants, is still a child (10~11 years, if I get your timeline correctly?).
- Kelenas
Twelve. Ah, so I gave the impression that Naruto was scared of her? :huh: Then, I am sorry. Naruto as you says, just humors Moegi. He is a bit unnerved and confused by her mad scientist tendencies, but he loves her dearly. In that scene he was terrorized because... Oh, come on. You're alone in the dark in your room, in complete silence, and a little girl suddenly giggles and talks out loud behind your back. Don't tell me you wouldn't get scared, at least at the beginning... What if I made Naruto pull out a Kunai?
The fact that he reacted like that to anyone managing to sneak up on him (much less the fact it was a 12 year old that got the drop on him) doesn't inspire me with confidence in his ability to handle himself alone, especially with such an important mission handed to him and the admission that his stealth and ability to be subtle is in fact nonexistant.
Scared/Intimidated; that's the impression I got, yes, and I think the others got similar ideas as well.
Pulling a kunai would be an option, or perhaps simply Naruto adopting a defensive posture. Possibly followed by a stern, but well-meant lecture to Moegi that surprising trained a trained ninja like that is a Bad Idea? and could've gotten her hurt, with her cheerfully countering that she trusts Naruto that he wouldn't do that.
- Kelenas
Pulling a kunai would be an option, or perhaps simply Naruto adopting a defensive posture. Possibly followed by a stern, but well-meant lecture to Moegi that surprising trained a trained ninja like that is a Bad Idea? and could've gotten her hurt, with her cheerfully countering that she trusts Naruto that he wouldn't do that.
- Kelenas
Alright, edited the scene. It flows better too, I think.
ôHmm... This should be alright.ö Naruto had just finished packing up what he would need for his mission, alias, he had sealed his carpentry tools in a sealing scroll which he put in his weapon pouch along with his projectile weapons... And a plastic bag containing a few leaves of Moegi's plant. ôHmm, damn, who's gonna water the plants if I can't tell anyone I will be gone...ö
ôI will do it, Naruto-niichan!ö In a second, he took hold of the nearest object that could bring bodily harm to people, one of his hammers. He turned around holding it in front of him and there she was, giggling with a hand in front of her mouth in a sleeveless shirt and a skirt, standing on her tiptoes with the other arm behind her back like she hadn't just sneaked up on him and almost gave him an hearth attack. ôAhahahah, you should see your face!ö
ô... Moegi-chan... Don't sneak up on people like that.ö He put the hammer back to where he had found it and sighed. ôI could have hurt you.ö
ôYou didn't. I knew you would stop in time.ö He rolled his eyes, even if all that trust made him feel a bit proud of himself. Then he realized that Moegi had eavesdropped on him.
ô... Moegi-chan, it isn't nice to eavesdrop on people...ö
ôAh, it's alright, it's alright! I already knew you were going to leave on a seeeecret mission, onii-chan!ö Naruto's eyes widened. He had already failed his mission before it even started? ôDon't worry, you didn't do anything wrong. You didn't talk with anyone, not even with yourself, after all, onii-chan!ö
ô... Then how the hell do you know about it?!ö Not everyone can whisper a scream. That's another merit. Moegi seemed to be actually taken aback from the question. She stopped smiling and put a finger to her mouth, pointing her head up and moving her eyes in the same direction.
ôHmm, that is...ö Then she grinned as she turned her gaze to Naruto again. ôA seeeeeeecreeeeeeeet!ö
ô... Moegi, I'm not joking, here. A secret mission is supposed to be secret.ö Naruto narrowed his eyes, and Moegi just giggled again.
ôDon't worry, I won't tell anyone. Promise! I will also water the plants and even cover for your absence! I can do it even better than one of your Kage Bunshin. Only, onii-chan... Do me a favour?ö Moegi picked up something from her pouch and handed it to Naruto. Even in the dim lighted apartment, Naruto recognized the thing for what it was: a bunch of seeds each one as big as the fingernail of his pinky in a small plastic bag. ôPlant one of this everyday you travel?ö
ôPlant... These?ö Naruto slowly accepted the small plastic bag. ôPlant them where?ö
ôWherever is fine! Just dig a hole, cover them up and water them a little! And don't plant one if you don't travel, silly! There's no sense in planting one too close to another!ö She giggled again, and Naruto just stared at her.
ôEhm... But why?ö
ôThat is... A seeecreeeet!ö Again. Naruto sweatdropped, not really convinced and seriously confused, but before he could ask anything else, she put both of her hands in front of her mouth and moisture appeared in her eyes. ôSo? Pwetty pwease, onii-chan?ö
ô... Alright.ö Naruto surrendered with a groan as Moegi let out a 'Yay' of victory and latched around his neck, while the blonde shinobi just couldn't help but wonder why he had humored her. Well... It's Moegi-chan. I'm sure it's just some new kind of plant that she wants to spread out. I mean, there's just that much humus in Konoha, after all.
ôHmm... This should be alright.ö Naruto had just finished packing up what he would need for his mission, alias, he had sealed his carpentry tools in a sealing scroll which he put in his weapon pouch along with his projectile weapons... And a plastic bag containing a few leaves of Moegi's plant. ôHmm, damn, who's gonna water the plants if I can't tell anyone I will be gone...ö
ôI will do it, Naruto-niichan!ö In a second, he took hold of the nearest object that could bring bodily harm to people, one of his hammers. He turned around holding it in front of him and there she was, giggling with a hand in front of her mouth in a sleeveless shirt and a skirt, standing on her tiptoes with the other arm behind her back like she hadn't just sneaked up on him and almost gave him an hearth attack. ôAhahahah, you should see your face!ö
ô... Moegi-chan... Don't sneak up on people like that.ö He put the hammer back to where he had found it and sighed. ôI could have hurt you.ö
ôYou didn't. I knew you would stop in time.ö He rolled his eyes, even if all that trust made him feel a bit proud of himself. Then he realized that Moegi had eavesdropped on him.
ô... Moegi-chan, it isn't nice to eavesdrop on people...ö
ôAh, it's alright, it's alright! I already knew you were going to leave on a seeeecret mission, onii-chan!ö Naruto's eyes widened. He had already failed his mission before it even started? ôDon't worry, you didn't do anything wrong. You didn't talk with anyone, not even with yourself, after all, onii-chan!ö
ô... Then how the hell do you know about it?!ö Not everyone can whisper a scream. That's another merit. Moegi seemed to be actually taken aback from the question. She stopped smiling and put a finger to her mouth, pointing her head up and moving her eyes in the same direction.
ôHmm, that is...ö Then she grinned as she turned her gaze to Naruto again. ôA seeeeeeecreeeeeeeet!ö
ô... Moegi, I'm not joking, here. A secret mission is supposed to be secret.ö Naruto narrowed his eyes, and Moegi just giggled again.
ôDon't worry, I won't tell anyone. Promise! I will also water the plants and even cover for your absence! I can do it even better than one of your Kage Bunshin. Only, onii-chan... Do me a favour?ö Moegi picked up something from her pouch and handed it to Naruto. Even in the dim lighted apartment, Naruto recognized the thing for what it was: a bunch of seeds each one as big as the fingernail of his pinky in a small plastic bag. ôPlant one of this everyday you travel?ö
ôPlant... These?ö Naruto slowly accepted the small plastic bag. ôPlant them where?ö
ôWherever is fine! Just dig a hole, cover them up and water them a little! And don't plant one if you don't travel, silly! There's no sense in planting one too close to another!ö She giggled again, and Naruto just stared at her.
ôEhm... But why?ö
ôThat is... A seeecreeeet!ö Again. Naruto sweatdropped, not really convinced and seriously confused, but before he could ask anything else, she put both of her hands in front of her mouth and moisture appeared in her eyes. ôSo? Pwetty pwease, onii-chan?ö
ô... Alright.ö Naruto surrendered with a groan as Moegi let out a 'Yay' of victory and latched around his neck, while the blonde shinobi just couldn't help but wonder why he had humored her. Well... It's Moegi-chan. I'm sure it's just some new kind of plant that she wants to spread out. I mean, there's just that much humus in Konoha, after all.
Naruto really is proving that he shouldn't be trusted with serious missions in this scene, isn't he?
This is not how you use "alias" at all.
I don't know what you are going for with alias; maybe "as in"?
a heart
I've noticed that you tend to go for the indefinite article 'an' when confronted with a word that starts with an Hùmore often than not, the article 'a' goes with such words. Here's a helpful url on the subject: <a href='http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/591/01/' target='_blank' rel='nofollow'>Purdue OWL: A versus An</a>
This is not how you use "alias" at all.
I don't know what you are going for with alias; maybe "as in"?
a heart
I've noticed that you tend to go for the indefinite article 'an' when confronted with a word that starts with an Hùmore often than not, the article 'a' goes with such words. Here's a helpful url on the subject: <a href='http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/591/01/' target='_blank' rel='nofollow'>Purdue OWL: A versus An</a>
Meh, I have a bad habit of just hitting reply instead of quoting who I'm responding to. It gets really annoying when someone else replies inbetween my post and the post I was replying to. And yeah, "as in" makes a bit more sense, but then again, I've read so many stories from authors whose first language isn't English that I guess I'm just used to reading awkward looking sentences so I don't catch stuff like that at first glance.
Alright, new snippet for you. With lots, lots, lots of fore and back-shadowing. Enjoy!
ôAlright... See you later, Konoha.ö Naruto had just jumped off the palisades that divided Konoha from the rest of the world, and was now in the forest, landing on one of the tallest branches softly and then skipping down to a lower one again.
Part of him was really, really excited of finally being out of the village, and would have liked nothing more than to explore around, but the part of him that had been beaten into a ninja told him to stay on the tallest tree branches and keep on moving forward at a steady pace.
The area directly around the village was periodically monitored by one of the strongest shinobi in the village. It wouldn't do to suddenly have a camp of bandits playing Yathzee under their gates, after all. Still, it was no reason to be careless. Another him, one who had not been forced to see the place he called home as shitty as it could have been tore apart, one who had not had a whole tower crumble on him, one who had not any friends to lose could maybe afford to be careless, but he was sixteen and forced to grow up much earlier.
ô... Red leaves.ö He whispered to himself once he came across a big tree with red leaves, an hour or so after starting to move. It signalled the end of the forest patrolled by Konoha. They basically told 'Out there be monsters'. Bandits, in this case, but it didn't change much.
He jumped past the red leaves and landed on the tree right behind it, his hands putting his middle and index fingers in a cross-shaped position. The only noise resounding in the air were two small 'pop' signalling the birth of two Kage Bunshin, along with slight plumes of smoke. ôAlright, you know the deal. You're me, after all.ö
With a synchronized nod, the three Naruto scattered each one in a different direction. That way they would be able to cover more ground. They would pattern the presumed borders while he would scan the inside of the territory.
After another hour of travelling over trees and he met his first enemy, or better, technically it was an enemy. The bandit he had chanced upon was not aware of his presence. He wasn't that good at stealth, but a ninja had to be at least stealthy enough to not be noticed by a civilian taking a piss behind a tree. And even if he had been aware of his presence, he doubted he could identify him as a ninja unless he looked into his pants' pouches. At the most, he would just see him as a weird kid with strange marks on his cheeks.
He could see that he was a bandit from a few things. First, his ragged clothes, which sported a few spot of dried blood. Second, the fact that he was missing an ear, clearly ripped away by a set of teeth. Memories of childhood. After all, he wasn't that submissive. If kids gave him hell, he fought right back. He also wasn't that though to not get away with scrapes. The point was, biting was not as instinctual in humans as someone could belie, it was basically a last resort reaction of a person who felt trapped or menaced against their attacker. He narrowed his eyes. On a bandit, that could only mean... He sneered in disgust and then decided that he would do just fine.
ôDamn, I really had a lot saved up...ö As the bandit turned around and began to walk in a certain direction, Naruto acted. He grabbed a kunai and let himself drop down from the tree he was standing on. For the bandit it all happened in a flash.
First there was a hand on his mouth and an arm around his neck, the next instant his neck was snapped. If he had still been alive at the time, he would have seen Naruto land silently in front of him and hold his body up so that it wouldn't fall down on the foliage on his own and make noise. There weren't any of his companions in range, but again, you can never be too careful.
ô... It really is easier the second time.ö Naruto muttered as he started removing the bandit's clothes. As he thought, they stank, and badly, but he ignored it. Moegi's fertilizers had a worse smell, after all, and he could bear those. After removing what he needed for a good disguise, he pulled out a scroll from his right pouch and opened it up a little, exposing a single circle with blank space in the middle. He immediately went through a series of handseals and then leaned a hand on the blank space and the other on the body. ôSeal.ö
In a puff of smoke, the body was gone and in the middle of the circle now stood the Kanji for 'person'. Placing back the scroll in its resting place, Naruto started undressing. ôGuess that's another thing I have to thank you Senju bastards for, huh?ö
-Breakline-
ô... All sleeping, not a single person on guard duty.ö Naruto found himself not in a camp, but in the ruined remains of what was once a small village or a farming community, he wasn't sure. If there were crops once, they had long since withered. All that remained were bandits sleeping around a few campfires, a couple dozens. That won't do. I have to get a right estimate.
Half an hour later, Naruto had counted exactly twenty six bandits and four gutted out female corpses scattered around the ruins, most chained and in a dishevelled state of clothing. He narrowed his eyes, understanding what that meant, but he really hoped that...
ôHeiji, you up early.ö He had heard him coming for a few seconds, but decided against any sudden movements. ôWhat... Oh, geez. You no thinking of... Come on! They've been dead for three days, now, with their guts in the open and everything! Who knows what you can catch...ö
ôHeh, but you know...ö That was the part that he hated the most, acting up like the person he was impersonating. It didn't bother him only transforming his body and getting dressed with the victim's clothes to minimize risks, but actually having to think like him, say things he would say... It disgusted him. He turned to the fellow bandit with a grin, pointing a thumb to his chewed out ear. ôDead bitch ain't doin' something like this anytime soon.ö
ôYour damn fault, that.ö His interlocutor spat on the ground. ôDamn Kotaro. The guy ain't right in the end, I swear. He gets off more with spilling guts than sex! That's twisted!ö
ôHeh, he's not been getting off much lately. Probably why he killed the bitches.ö He got up and started walking beside the other man, even if that simple act made his skin crawl. ôThink we going to see any action?ö
ôI doubt it, and for that I'm thankful... But seriously, can you believe the boss brought everyone with him to attack the fire temple monks? Leaving just us and three other camps between them and the other borders... I don't know. Don't make me feel comfortable, that's all.ö The bandit continued, and Naruto memorized everything. ôOf course, there's still the main camp in the middle, but that's a given. Have to guard the sheeps and all, ne?ö
ôYeah! Can't let them forget who owns them, now!ö Naruto understood that by 'sheep' they intended probably most of the people who lived in that territory. If these ones' behaviour were any indication and considering that even before the war the Fire Country hadn't those many towns and villages, it made sense that single city could hold them.
ôBet they really wish they still had their oh so precious ninja, now! Damn, that civil war was a heaven sent gift... For us!ö The bandit barked with laughter, while the blonde shinobi understood that with a simple conversation, he had already accomplished his mission. Now he just needed his Kage Bunshin to do their job and... The cold feeling in the back of his head. He had it.
His other two Kage Bunshin had found the other two camps, and like this one, had just above twenty people in them and were cut off from this main camp, which they could probably deduce the location of back in Konoha with the few details he had gotten. Cities big enough and easy enough to fortify/defend were very few in the Fire Country. ... Though, maybe... I'd better make another three Kage Bunshin and scout further inward. That way I can at least know about the distance and how well it's protected... Yeah, I can wait for a few more days. Then, he remembered something else. ôAh, damn! Gotta take a piss!ö
ôAgain?! What the hell did you drink?!ö The bandit eyed him strangely, but just shrugged his shoulders and headed to the other bandits. Naruto slowly walked to the bushes, opened up his pants and urinated for real. He really had to go, to tell the truth, but that was not what he had remembered.
ôI really wonder what you conjured up, Moegi-chan.ö Naruto dug a little with his fingers. Then he lifted up his shirt, pulling up one of the bandages he had used to hide a single kunai, a scroll where he had sealed everything else, including his clothes, and Moegi's seeds. He picked one up, covered it with earth closing back the humus, and then watering it with the canteen of the bandit he had killed. ôThere you go.ö
Naruto got back on his feet and left the spot, returning to the discussable company of a bunch of cut-throats, rapist and corpse-rapists, he guessed. That way, he missed the green sprout that shout out almost immediately from the spot where he had buried the seed.
-Breakline-
Two Days Later
ôSo... They agree. Seriously, everyone?ö
ôWell, of course there are some who are not too keen on going into battle, but I guess those are the one we will leave behind to defend the home front when the time comes.ö Isamu had been chosen as the one among the committee members to bring the needed news to Iruka about the thoughts of their subordinates about the 'take back the Fire Country' plan. Most of the people had given their consensus, but Iruka was expecting that even if he gave the impression of doubt. ôSo... I guess as soon as we're ready we can march, hn?ö
ôHeh. Easy there. We need to wait for our scout to come back.ö Iruka replied to the ninja/cook with a smile.
ôAhh, our master carpenter. Heh, you probably did good on sending him ahead. With how excited he was, he would have probably dismantled and rebuilt the entire village over and over again till it was time to go out to the front.ö Isamu laughed, while Iruka sweatdropped. Now that he thought about it, indeed. That was another reason why sending Naruto out as a scout had been a good idea, but it didn't occur to him at the moment. The large man stood up from his chair and put back his apron around his waist. ôGoing back to work. We're gonna need some easily transportable food, after all.ö
ôThat we will, Isamu. Keep up the good work.ö Iruka smiled and then waited for Isamu to leave the room before sitting in his chair, smiling a little. ô... Call me sentimental, but I wish my parents were alive to see this... Well, maybe not, since they would have had to see Konoha burn before, but still...ö
His thoughts were interrupted by a gentle knock on his door. Iruka spoke an equally soft 'come in'. The door slowly cracked open before an orange-haired head stuck past it. ôIruka-sensei! Good morning!ö
ôMoegi. Good morning to you.ö The small kunoichi grinned and shifted her whole body past the crack and inside the room, before skipping to Iruka's desk. ôWhat can I do for you?ö
ôWeeeeeell... There's something that I would like Iruka-sensei to see! It's a surprise for you!ö The scarred ninja was seriously surprised at that. He had been her teacher, yes, but she had never been that close to him. Moegi had always been the closest to Naruto, probably accomplice how the two had met in the first place. That she would suddenly come out of the woodwork with a present for him was quite strange. ôI promise it won't take long! Come on! Come on!ö
ô... Very well.ö
-Breakline-
Iruka had let Moegi drag him away, but he had to understand that he really didn't understand where in the blazes Moegi was taking him. They had rebuilt Konoha, yes, but that didn't meant that they had made it exactly like it was once. With far less people than before, there was no reason to do it.
They were in a zone that was completely devoid of buildings or anything else. After getting rid of the rubble they had just left it like that until it could one day be of use to them for anything. ôMoegi, where...ö
ôIruka-sensei, you should know better than me! This used to be Konoha's shopping district!ö Indeed it was, Iruka recalled, but that was not the question he was going to ask. Suddenly the young girl knelt down on the ground and started pushing a piece of earth out of the way, or what he thought was a piece of earth. It was a wooden plunk incredibly well disguised as a piece of earth covered with grass and a few flowers. ôAnd here there was the Yamanaka shop! When it got destroyed, all the fertilizers and liquids and stuff got mixed together! You can't believe how fertile the humus is in this point! It was perfect!ö
ô... Perfect for what, Moegi?ö Iruka watched in the hole that the plank was hiding. It was a staircase, the walls and the steps pretty worn down, and he understood. It was the Yamanaka Flower Shop's cellar.
ôHeheh! You'll see!ö Moegi walked down in front of Iruka, disappearing in the darkness right before him. The teacher stared at the steps for a while before doing a few handseals, with no visible effect anywhere on his body. Then he slowly began to go down the steps, and he realized that he was going much lower than the Yamanaka's basement, if the time it took him to come upon a darkened room was any indication. He could see Moegi's shape and the shape of a few tables and objects upon them, but that was...
ôMeeeh, you took a lot of time, Iruka-sensei! Alright, one... Two... Three!ö Suddenly lights went on. He guessed that the electrical powers had been restored there too and the underground power lines hadn't been damaged... And then he saw it. ôTa-daaaaa!ö
ô... This...ö What Iruka found himself staring at was a large natural cave past the room, inside which loomed the most titanic tree he had ever seen. It looked like a big oak, with azure leaves and an ink coloured back. The patch of earth upon which it stood was surrounded by what looked a natural stream of water. Looking up, he could see a faint light coming from above, natural sunlight. ôMoegi, what is this?!ö
ôSee?! See?! But the surprise is down there! Let's go!ö
ôMoegi!ö Before Iruka could inquire further, the young Kunoichi jumped off and down into the natural cave. It wasn't that deep of a jump, but still, so reckless. He took the chance to look around. The room was filled with tables, covered with plants, seeds, powders, chemical tools filled with strange liquids. So this was where Moegi made her experiments. Looking down below, he saw her waiting for him. He followed suit. ôMoegi... What in the world is this plant?!ö
ôI don't know! I just discovered this place when I was playing in the forest and fell down that hole up there, see?!ö Iruka looked above and fifty meters above, saw one of the holes through which the sunlight and the air they were breathing came through. ôThen I discovered the stairs that went up, in old Yamanaka's basement and above! I started coming here to do my homework! When I finally got experienced enough, I was able to understand what this plant does!ö
ô... This plant does something?ö Iruka asked, staring at the tree's trunk, and then noticing something. The roots of the plant formed a strange shape: a circle, right between them and the trunk. Moegi nodded.
ôYes! Look, look!ö Moegi took hold of a root from the ground, that, though, moved as it was a simple piece of rope. ôFirst, I channel my chakra into this root! Look at the circle!ö Iruka slowly moved his gaze back to the circle in the ground, which was filling itself with sparkling water. ôThen, I focus! Fire country, fire country, fire country!ö Iruka's eyes widened as the water suddenly began showing an image of the fire country as in a map... Well, a map featuring flowers, and a chibi Moegi making cute faces in the upper right corner. ôNow, see that green spot?! Now I focus on that and...ö
Iruka had barely the time to register a green glowing spot on the map before the imaged darkened and another one 'surfaced' in the water. It looked like the live feed of a security camera. It showed a small clearing, and behind that and the line of trees, one could see a ruined building, and suddenly, a person walked behind it and in the image, consequently. ôOh, mou! Naruto-niichan didn't put it in a good position... Oh, well.ö
ôNaruto... Didn't...ö Iruka shook his head and then snarled, grabbing the small girl by a shoulder, turning her around. ôMoegi, enough! You will tell me everything that has been happening here, from start to finish!ö
ôYou're no fun, Iruka-sensei...ö Moegi pouted, and then moved her arm out of Iruka's grip, which he let her do. ôI found this thing long ago... And I started experimenting on what it does.ö
ôAnd...?ö Iruka pressed her on, crossing his arms over his chest.
ôIt's like a camera system. This big tree is the central... And if one plants a seed from one of the fruits...ö Moegi pointed up and Iruka saw that indeed, a few big pear shaped fruits of the same shade as the leaves were hanging from the branches. ôIt grows in a few hours in a big plant that becomes a camera that can be used to get feedback... And to send some back. Only images, no sound.ö
ôSend some back. How?ö Moegi pointed at another rope-like root near the one she still was holding. ô... You said that Naruto has planted a seed?ö
ôI asked him to! I went to his home when he was preparing to leave and I guessed that if he was leaving, he could help me... And when I heard about how we're about to go to war, I thought, 'I have a present for Iruka-sensei'!ö Moegi grinned again, moving her free hand to point at the tree. ôI bet this will be real useful, right?! Ne, ne?!ö
ô... Yes. It will be.ö Iruka observed the plant, thinking about just what origin could the plant have had. Maybe a leftover senju experiment which secret died with the clan's Kekkei Genkai and had continued to develop on its own. Also, Moegi still hadn't told him exactly how it worked, but there would be time. At that moment... ôMoegi, it's a beautiful present, and I'd like you to use it right now to try and contact Naruto, but...ö Moegi stared up at his eyes, and Iruka flared his chakra with killing intent in it and glared harshly at her. ôDo something like this behind my back again, and I will kill you. Do you understand?ö
ô... You're no fun at all, Iruka-sensei.ö Moegi pouted and turned around. Iruka took it for a yes. What worried him, though, was not really the big plant in the bigass cave, but the fact that Moegi had been able to go and come and experiment with this behind his back, behind everyone's back, at all.
... What is it that you're not telling me, Moegi? Has the war changed you as much as it has changed me?
ôAlright... See you later, Konoha.ö Naruto had just jumped off the palisades that divided Konoha from the rest of the world, and was now in the forest, landing on one of the tallest branches softly and then skipping down to a lower one again.
Part of him was really, really excited of finally being out of the village, and would have liked nothing more than to explore around, but the part of him that had been beaten into a ninja told him to stay on the tallest tree branches and keep on moving forward at a steady pace.
The area directly around the village was periodically monitored by one of the strongest shinobi in the village. It wouldn't do to suddenly have a camp of bandits playing Yathzee under their gates, after all. Still, it was no reason to be careless. Another him, one who had not been forced to see the place he called home as shitty as it could have been tore apart, one who had not had a whole tower crumble on him, one who had not any friends to lose could maybe afford to be careless, but he was sixteen and forced to grow up much earlier.
ô... Red leaves.ö He whispered to himself once he came across a big tree with red leaves, an hour or so after starting to move. It signalled the end of the forest patrolled by Konoha. They basically told 'Out there be monsters'. Bandits, in this case, but it didn't change much.
He jumped past the red leaves and landed on the tree right behind it, his hands putting his middle and index fingers in a cross-shaped position. The only noise resounding in the air were two small 'pop' signalling the birth of two Kage Bunshin, along with slight plumes of smoke. ôAlright, you know the deal. You're me, after all.ö
With a synchronized nod, the three Naruto scattered each one in a different direction. That way they would be able to cover more ground. They would pattern the presumed borders while he would scan the inside of the territory.
After another hour of travelling over trees and he met his first enemy, or better, technically it was an enemy. The bandit he had chanced upon was not aware of his presence. He wasn't that good at stealth, but a ninja had to be at least stealthy enough to not be noticed by a civilian taking a piss behind a tree. And even if he had been aware of his presence, he doubted he could identify him as a ninja unless he looked into his pants' pouches. At the most, he would just see him as a weird kid with strange marks on his cheeks.
He could see that he was a bandit from a few things. First, his ragged clothes, which sported a few spot of dried blood. Second, the fact that he was missing an ear, clearly ripped away by a set of teeth. Memories of childhood. After all, he wasn't that submissive. If kids gave him hell, he fought right back. He also wasn't that though to not get away with scrapes. The point was, biting was not as instinctual in humans as someone could belie, it was basically a last resort reaction of a person who felt trapped or menaced against their attacker. He narrowed his eyes. On a bandit, that could only mean... He sneered in disgust and then decided that he would do just fine.
ôDamn, I really had a lot saved up...ö As the bandit turned around and began to walk in a certain direction, Naruto acted. He grabbed a kunai and let himself drop down from the tree he was standing on. For the bandit it all happened in a flash.
First there was a hand on his mouth and an arm around his neck, the next instant his neck was snapped. If he had still been alive at the time, he would have seen Naruto land silently in front of him and hold his body up so that it wouldn't fall down on the foliage on his own and make noise. There weren't any of his companions in range, but again, you can never be too careful.
ô... It really is easier the second time.ö Naruto muttered as he started removing the bandit's clothes. As he thought, they stank, and badly, but he ignored it. Moegi's fertilizers had a worse smell, after all, and he could bear those. After removing what he needed for a good disguise, he pulled out a scroll from his right pouch and opened it up a little, exposing a single circle with blank space in the middle. He immediately went through a series of handseals and then leaned a hand on the blank space and the other on the body. ôSeal.ö
In a puff of smoke, the body was gone and in the middle of the circle now stood the Kanji for 'person'. Placing back the scroll in its resting place, Naruto started undressing. ôGuess that's another thing I have to thank you Senju bastards for, huh?ö
-Breakline-
ô... All sleeping, not a single person on guard duty.ö Naruto found himself not in a camp, but in the ruined remains of what was once a small village or a farming community, he wasn't sure. If there were crops once, they had long since withered. All that remained were bandits sleeping around a few campfires, a couple dozens. That won't do. I have to get a right estimate.
Half an hour later, Naruto had counted exactly twenty six bandits and four gutted out female corpses scattered around the ruins, most chained and in a dishevelled state of clothing. He narrowed his eyes, understanding what that meant, but he really hoped that...
ôHeiji, you up early.ö He had heard him coming for a few seconds, but decided against any sudden movements. ôWhat... Oh, geez. You no thinking of... Come on! They've been dead for three days, now, with their guts in the open and everything! Who knows what you can catch...ö
ôHeh, but you know...ö That was the part that he hated the most, acting up like the person he was impersonating. It didn't bother him only transforming his body and getting dressed with the victim's clothes to minimize risks, but actually having to think like him, say things he would say... It disgusted him. He turned to the fellow bandit with a grin, pointing a thumb to his chewed out ear. ôDead bitch ain't doin' something like this anytime soon.ö
ôYour damn fault, that.ö His interlocutor spat on the ground. ôDamn Kotaro. The guy ain't right in the end, I swear. He gets off more with spilling guts than sex! That's twisted!ö
ôHeh, he's not been getting off much lately. Probably why he killed the bitches.ö He got up and started walking beside the other man, even if that simple act made his skin crawl. ôThink we going to see any action?ö
ôI doubt it, and for that I'm thankful... But seriously, can you believe the boss brought everyone with him to attack the fire temple monks? Leaving just us and three other camps between them and the other borders... I don't know. Don't make me feel comfortable, that's all.ö The bandit continued, and Naruto memorized everything. ôOf course, there's still the main camp in the middle, but that's a given. Have to guard the sheeps and all, ne?ö
ôYeah! Can't let them forget who owns them, now!ö Naruto understood that by 'sheep' they intended probably most of the people who lived in that territory. If these ones' behaviour were any indication and considering that even before the war the Fire Country hadn't those many towns and villages, it made sense that single city could hold them.
ôBet they really wish they still had their oh so precious ninja, now! Damn, that civil war was a heaven sent gift... For us!ö The bandit barked with laughter, while the blonde shinobi understood that with a simple conversation, he had already accomplished his mission. Now he just needed his Kage Bunshin to do their job and... The cold feeling in the back of his head. He had it.
His other two Kage Bunshin had found the other two camps, and like this one, had just above twenty people in them and were cut off from this main camp, which they could probably deduce the location of back in Konoha with the few details he had gotten. Cities big enough and easy enough to fortify/defend were very few in the Fire Country. ... Though, maybe... I'd better make another three Kage Bunshin and scout further inward. That way I can at least know about the distance and how well it's protected... Yeah, I can wait for a few more days. Then, he remembered something else. ôAh, damn! Gotta take a piss!ö
ôAgain?! What the hell did you drink?!ö The bandit eyed him strangely, but just shrugged his shoulders and headed to the other bandits. Naruto slowly walked to the bushes, opened up his pants and urinated for real. He really had to go, to tell the truth, but that was not what he had remembered.
ôI really wonder what you conjured up, Moegi-chan.ö Naruto dug a little with his fingers. Then he lifted up his shirt, pulling up one of the bandages he had used to hide a single kunai, a scroll where he had sealed everything else, including his clothes, and Moegi's seeds. He picked one up, covered it with earth closing back the humus, and then watering it with the canteen of the bandit he had killed. ôThere you go.ö
Naruto got back on his feet and left the spot, returning to the discussable company of a bunch of cut-throats, rapist and corpse-rapists, he guessed. That way, he missed the green sprout that shout out almost immediately from the spot where he had buried the seed.
-Breakline-
Two Days Later
ôSo... They agree. Seriously, everyone?ö
ôWell, of course there are some who are not too keen on going into battle, but I guess those are the one we will leave behind to defend the home front when the time comes.ö Isamu had been chosen as the one among the committee members to bring the needed news to Iruka about the thoughts of their subordinates about the 'take back the Fire Country' plan. Most of the people had given their consensus, but Iruka was expecting that even if he gave the impression of doubt. ôSo... I guess as soon as we're ready we can march, hn?ö
ôHeh. Easy there. We need to wait for our scout to come back.ö Iruka replied to the ninja/cook with a smile.
ôAhh, our master carpenter. Heh, you probably did good on sending him ahead. With how excited he was, he would have probably dismantled and rebuilt the entire village over and over again till it was time to go out to the front.ö Isamu laughed, while Iruka sweatdropped. Now that he thought about it, indeed. That was another reason why sending Naruto out as a scout had been a good idea, but it didn't occur to him at the moment. The large man stood up from his chair and put back his apron around his waist. ôGoing back to work. We're gonna need some easily transportable food, after all.ö
ôThat we will, Isamu. Keep up the good work.ö Iruka smiled and then waited for Isamu to leave the room before sitting in his chair, smiling a little. ô... Call me sentimental, but I wish my parents were alive to see this... Well, maybe not, since they would have had to see Konoha burn before, but still...ö
His thoughts were interrupted by a gentle knock on his door. Iruka spoke an equally soft 'come in'. The door slowly cracked open before an orange-haired head stuck past it. ôIruka-sensei! Good morning!ö
ôMoegi. Good morning to you.ö The small kunoichi grinned and shifted her whole body past the crack and inside the room, before skipping to Iruka's desk. ôWhat can I do for you?ö
ôWeeeeeell... There's something that I would like Iruka-sensei to see! It's a surprise for you!ö The scarred ninja was seriously surprised at that. He had been her teacher, yes, but she had never been that close to him. Moegi had always been the closest to Naruto, probably accomplice how the two had met in the first place. That she would suddenly come out of the woodwork with a present for him was quite strange. ôI promise it won't take long! Come on! Come on!ö
ô... Very well.ö
-Breakline-
Iruka had let Moegi drag him away, but he had to understand that he really didn't understand where in the blazes Moegi was taking him. They had rebuilt Konoha, yes, but that didn't meant that they had made it exactly like it was once. With far less people than before, there was no reason to do it.
They were in a zone that was completely devoid of buildings or anything else. After getting rid of the rubble they had just left it like that until it could one day be of use to them for anything. ôMoegi, where...ö
ôIruka-sensei, you should know better than me! This used to be Konoha's shopping district!ö Indeed it was, Iruka recalled, but that was not the question he was going to ask. Suddenly the young girl knelt down on the ground and started pushing a piece of earth out of the way, or what he thought was a piece of earth. It was a wooden plunk incredibly well disguised as a piece of earth covered with grass and a few flowers. ôAnd here there was the Yamanaka shop! When it got destroyed, all the fertilizers and liquids and stuff got mixed together! You can't believe how fertile the humus is in this point! It was perfect!ö
ô... Perfect for what, Moegi?ö Iruka watched in the hole that the plank was hiding. It was a staircase, the walls and the steps pretty worn down, and he understood. It was the Yamanaka Flower Shop's cellar.
ôHeheh! You'll see!ö Moegi walked down in front of Iruka, disappearing in the darkness right before him. The teacher stared at the steps for a while before doing a few handseals, with no visible effect anywhere on his body. Then he slowly began to go down the steps, and he realized that he was going much lower than the Yamanaka's basement, if the time it took him to come upon a darkened room was any indication. He could see Moegi's shape and the shape of a few tables and objects upon them, but that was...
ôMeeeh, you took a lot of time, Iruka-sensei! Alright, one... Two... Three!ö Suddenly lights went on. He guessed that the electrical powers had been restored there too and the underground power lines hadn't been damaged... And then he saw it. ôTa-daaaaa!ö
ô... This...ö What Iruka found himself staring at was a large natural cave past the room, inside which loomed the most titanic tree he had ever seen. It looked like a big oak, with azure leaves and an ink coloured back. The patch of earth upon which it stood was surrounded by what looked a natural stream of water. Looking up, he could see a faint light coming from above, natural sunlight. ôMoegi, what is this?!ö
ôSee?! See?! But the surprise is down there! Let's go!ö
ôMoegi!ö Before Iruka could inquire further, the young Kunoichi jumped off and down into the natural cave. It wasn't that deep of a jump, but still, so reckless. He took the chance to look around. The room was filled with tables, covered with plants, seeds, powders, chemical tools filled with strange liquids. So this was where Moegi made her experiments. Looking down below, he saw her waiting for him. He followed suit. ôMoegi... What in the world is this plant?!ö
ôI don't know! I just discovered this place when I was playing in the forest and fell down that hole up there, see?!ö Iruka looked above and fifty meters above, saw one of the holes through which the sunlight and the air they were breathing came through. ôThen I discovered the stairs that went up, in old Yamanaka's basement and above! I started coming here to do my homework! When I finally got experienced enough, I was able to understand what this plant does!ö
ô... This plant does something?ö Iruka asked, staring at the tree's trunk, and then noticing something. The roots of the plant formed a strange shape: a circle, right between them and the trunk. Moegi nodded.
ôYes! Look, look!ö Moegi took hold of a root from the ground, that, though, moved as it was a simple piece of rope. ôFirst, I channel my chakra into this root! Look at the circle!ö Iruka slowly moved his gaze back to the circle in the ground, which was filling itself with sparkling water. ôThen, I focus! Fire country, fire country, fire country!ö Iruka's eyes widened as the water suddenly began showing an image of the fire country as in a map... Well, a map featuring flowers, and a chibi Moegi making cute faces in the upper right corner. ôNow, see that green spot?! Now I focus on that and...ö
Iruka had barely the time to register a green glowing spot on the map before the imaged darkened and another one 'surfaced' in the water. It looked like the live feed of a security camera. It showed a small clearing, and behind that and the line of trees, one could see a ruined building, and suddenly, a person walked behind it and in the image, consequently. ôOh, mou! Naruto-niichan didn't put it in a good position... Oh, well.ö
ôNaruto... Didn't...ö Iruka shook his head and then snarled, grabbing the small girl by a shoulder, turning her around. ôMoegi, enough! You will tell me everything that has been happening here, from start to finish!ö
ôYou're no fun, Iruka-sensei...ö Moegi pouted, and then moved her arm out of Iruka's grip, which he let her do. ôI found this thing long ago... And I started experimenting on what it does.ö
ôAnd...?ö Iruka pressed her on, crossing his arms over his chest.
ôIt's like a camera system. This big tree is the central... And if one plants a seed from one of the fruits...ö Moegi pointed up and Iruka saw that indeed, a few big pear shaped fruits of the same shade as the leaves were hanging from the branches. ôIt grows in a few hours in a big plant that becomes a camera that can be used to get feedback... And to send some back. Only images, no sound.ö
ôSend some back. How?ö Moegi pointed at another rope-like root near the one she still was holding. ô... You said that Naruto has planted a seed?ö
ôI asked him to! I went to his home when he was preparing to leave and I guessed that if he was leaving, he could help me... And when I heard about how we're about to go to war, I thought, 'I have a present for Iruka-sensei'!ö Moegi grinned again, moving her free hand to point at the tree. ôI bet this will be real useful, right?! Ne, ne?!ö
ô... Yes. It will be.ö Iruka observed the plant, thinking about just what origin could the plant have had. Maybe a leftover senju experiment which secret died with the clan's Kekkei Genkai and had continued to develop on its own. Also, Moegi still hadn't told him exactly how it worked, but there would be time. At that moment... ôMoegi, it's a beautiful present, and I'd like you to use it right now to try and contact Naruto, but...ö Moegi stared up at his eyes, and Iruka flared his chakra with killing intent in it and glared harshly at her. ôDo something like this behind my back again, and I will kill you. Do you understand?ö
ô... You're no fun at all, Iruka-sensei.ö Moegi pouted and turned around. Iruka took it for a yes. What worried him, though, was not really the big plant in the bigass cave, but the fact that Moegi had been able to go and come and experiment with this behind his back, behind everyone's back, at all.
... What is it that you're not telling me, Moegi? Has the war changed you as much as it has changed me?
This. It's a bit strange.
Not a bad update. Naruto's operating as well as I expected, though a bit more detail on his handling of the bandits would have been nice. And as much as I dislike Moegi, her character here's taken a bit more rounding out that I like. She's broken, in her own way. Though Iruka saying he'd kill her was a bit ... out there?
Also, DhampyrX2 makes a good point. Moegi not realizing that though, gives her a touch of fallibility.
Not a bad update. Naruto's operating as well as I expected, though a bit more detail on his handling of the bandits would have been nice. And as much as I dislike Moegi, her character here's taken a bit more rounding out that I like. She's broken, in her own way. Though Iruka saying he'd kill her was a bit ... out there?
Also, DhampyrX2 makes a good point. Moegi not realizing that though, gives her a touch of fallibility.