I don't want to start any new story anytime soon. Don't think I'd have the conviction to finish them. Still, ideas come to my mind.
One shots are okay. And this is where to find him. This is the first of the bunch, which I call...
Master of Seals
ôJeez, my head...ö
ôYouÆre lucky itÆs still stuck on your shoulders, TenTen.ö Neji sighed, massaging the bridge of his nose as his female team-mate signed her release paper, her head bandaged and her right eye covered with a pad. She sighed as she started walking to the exit.
ôGet off it, Neji.ö She retorted, Neji right behind her. ôI may not be Lee, but I do enjoy a one on one challenge at times.ö
ôA challenge... What are you, a ronin?ö Neji shook his head. ôThe mission was over. There was no reason for you to fight him.ö
ôNeji, I donÆt expect you to understanf. ItÆs okay. I got used to the Hyuuga mind-frame. Just get. Off. My. Case.ö The girl punctuated each word with a harsher tone of voice, even if her head gave her hell for it. ôIÆm already going to hear it when I get home.ö
ô... Whatever. ItÆs just, I canÆt believe you actually asked Lee to restrain me when I tried to jump in.ö TenTen chuckled at the memory. Yes, that had been genius on her part. Lee was all too eager to help her ækeep the fire of youth burningÆ. Speaking of fire, she hoped she wouldnÆt catch too much heat when she got back home. ôNeed me to walk you home?ö
ôWeÆre back home, Neji. Relax! And the injury isnÆt so bad that I need a guide!ö She laughed, dismissing his concerns. Neji watched her go... ôOUCH!ö And collide with a wooden pole.
ôYour depth perception begs to differ.ö
-I-
ôStupid smartass team-mate, stupid smartass pole.ö TenTen grumbled as she fumbled with her keys. She really hoped her eye healed soon. Also, she made a mental note of training to fight in such conditions. She grinned as she thought that she could start by training with her latest prize. Finally finding the right key, she opened the door to her apartment and was immediately assaulted by smells. ôTadaima! Hmm, whatÆs that great smell?!ö
ôHey, Ten-chan! Just one moment, got something on the stove!ö His voice echoed from the kitchen, and she chuckled. He had probably started planning the homemade dinner ever since he got the message from her that she was coming back. She closed the door behind her and dropped her bag and coat before removing her shoes. A shuffling of feet could be heard as he approached her. ôHow did the missionWHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO YOUR FACE?!ö She sighed. Time to face the music. The whiskered blonde, apron tied around me, knelt and gently cradled her face in his hands. ôGod, your eye... Was it an ambush?!ö
ôHmm, no.ö She sheepishly replied, grabbing his right hand with her own. Big, calloused from working on the forge, but still so nimble and warm. She loved his hands. ôIt wasnÆt the mission. ItÆs... After we were done, I challenged another ninja to a duel.ö
ô... He had a nice weapon, didnÆt he?ö He sighed, gently leaning his head against her own one. ôWhat am I going to do with you, Ten-chan?ö
ôMaybe feed me? IÆm starving, Naruto!ö Seems like he wasnÆt up to reprimand her at the moment. He could be loud, and he was probably worried about her head. He pouted but sighed and suddenly kissed her on the lips. She mentally whined because it was just a brief one. She loved his kisses.
?ôWelcome back.ö But then he smiled at her. A smile of his was fine too. ôNow, why donÆt you go clean up while I finish cooking?ö
ôOkay.ö She promptly agreed, sighing blissfully. A caring, concerned, boyfriend who could cook and was a great kisser. What else could a kunoichi wish for?
-I-
ôHow was work?ö She asked, between a bite and the other.
ôGood, good. I had a bit of trouble with an order from a Jounin, but, I managed to get through.ö She raised an eyebrow. Her Naruto having trouble with an order? That was a first. ôI mean, itÆs not that I could do it, itÆs just... I couldnÆt really bring myself to do it, you know?ö She shook her head. ô... He wanted a very particular incision on the blade of the tanto he ordered.ö
ô... Who are we talking about, here?ö
ôSorry. Confidentiality and all.ö She snorted.
?ôWhat are you, a doctor?ö
ôNah. But if I told what I had to use your fatherÆs forge for, the guy would need the best surgeon in Konoha. My Ten-chan loves sharp things, doesnÆt she?ö She rolled her eyes. You go after an idiot who requested a Hello Tora themed katana with a chain-and-sickle once and your boyfriend starts thinking youÆre a psycho. ôSo much that sheÆd give an eye for them.ö
ôNaruto...ö She sighed and extended her left arm across the table, covering his right hand with her own one. ôItÆs okay. IÆm alright. It was just a superficial wound. It wonÆt even leave a scar.ö
ôWhat happens the day you find someone who can make that wound deep enough?ö He answered, his stare not softening in the slightest. ôYou need to stop putting yourself into danger like this.ö
ôNaruto, IÆm a ninja-ö
ôNo. YouÆre a weapons otaku.ö She blushed at that. She couldnÆt exactly deny that. ôWho challenges other weapons otaku for their blades with the objective of, one day, catching them all.ö
ôNaruto, you know itÆs not like that...ö She sighed. Sure, she may have been a weapons otaku, but she wasnÆt looking just for any kind of weapon. ôIÆm looking for my fatherÆs works.ö
ô... Is getting back some stolen blades worth losing your life over, TenTen?ö He turned his hand over and grasped her own. She squeezed it.
ôMy fatherÆs best work. He couldnÆt even show them to me or you, his apprentice. He was killed first.ö She continued, sadness taking over. And then, that cold, sharp anger. ôWith each blade, I get closer to his killer.ö Even if she had found none in four years.
ôAnd then what, Ten-chan? You kill him? Her? It? Will that bring Toshi-sensei back?ö She shook her head.
ôNo. But whoever was it, he must be killed for what heÆs done.ö The memory of her fatherÆs corpse cut to ribbons, bathing the forgeÆs shop in crimson, a dark figure leaving through the front door would never leave her. Revenge would give her closure. ôAnd Naruto, youÆre the only one who can identify my fatherÆs work. I need you on this.ö
ô... YouÆll know IÆll do anything for you, Ten-chan.ö He grasped her hand with both of his, bringing it to his mouth for a kiss. ôI just wish youÆd stop hurting yourself like this.ö
ôWell, no pain no gain, right?ö She said, her eyes suddenly taking a mischievous glint. ôLike that spring night, when we were fifteen. There was a bit of pain involved for me, but after that-ö
ôTEN-CHAN!ö Naruto squeaked out, blushing as red as a tomato. She laughed. That always shut him up. Groaning, he stood, taking his empty plate to the kitchen. ôI-IÆm having seconds.ö
ôOkay.ö She chuckled as she watched him go, sighing blissfully. She found herself wondering, once again, where would she be if her father hadnÆt taken Naruto in fourteen years before.
He had chanced upon his shop by chance, and had accidentally damaged a tanto by trying to take a look at it. Her father had been ballistic -damage his weapons by anything but their intended use, and thatÆs what always happened-, Naruto scared shitless. She was there, five years old, sitting on the counter when it happened. He demanded Naruto to fix it. The blonde naturally said that he didnÆt know how to. His father said æWell, youÆd better learn how toÆ.
ThatÆs how Naruto started coming by every day, learning the art of the forge. She gained a new playmate at first, much more as she grew up. As time passed, Naruto became first their new æroom-mateÆ, and then her fatherÆs official apprentice, at twelve. And almost all her life, he was there.
When she hurt herself practicing with her weapons in the academy, he was there. When she became a ninja, he was there. When her father was killed, he was there. Comforting her, making things better. When the rage sometimes got too much, he was there, bringing her back, making her patient.
Some of her colleagues asked at times what exactly she found special in him. He was a civilian, a blacksmith. He smelled of fire, coals and metal most of the time, and he wasnÆt as attractive as say, Neji, or that Uchiha boy who defected years before.
Naruto had many other qualities, though. Some that were incredibly attractive. But the most important thing was that she kept her human.
Without Naruto to love her, she would have gone bad a long time before.
-I-
He watched her sleep. Her hard as nails, deadly, weapons specialist, curled against his body, her head on his bare chest. She was beautiful. She was a sweet, enjoyable, attractive girl. He loved her, more than anything else in the whole world.
And he hated himself for it.
What right did he have? After what he had done... He raised his right arm, his eyes going to the tattoo in the shape of a whirlpool on the forearm. What she believed to be a simple decoration, was much more.
Toshi hadnÆt taken him in by the grace of his heart. He was one of the few people in Konoha who knew of his mother, and most importantly, who knew of his clanÆs forgotten heritage. A talent that had made them so feared to the point of having to be destroyed.
Seals. The whole tattoo was made out of small seals, hidden to sight by a member of that array.
He didnÆt understand why Toshi had insisted on him to start training his chakra control. He never ever thought about being a ninja, after meeting him and moving in with him and TenTen when he was barely more than five. Nor did he understand why he was so convinced he could master the art of seals. He didnÆt understand why he was right.
He only understood the night a visitor came to the village, when he was fourteen. A visitor who had come for his commissioned work. Ten weapons, the product of ToshiÆs mastery in blacksmithing and his mastery of seals. Incredibly powerful, deadly in the wrong hands.
And someone who claimed to work with Orochimaru of the Sannin, of all people, qualified as wrong hands in his eyes.
Toshi had made him attend the meeting because he trusted him. He firmly believed that he wouldnÆt care about Konoha, that he would be his partner in that. Leave the village, become traitors. Live as kings, from what he heard. And he was right. He didnÆt care about Konoha.
But he cared about TenTen. And the proud kunoichi, fifteen then, whose dream was to become as strong and respected as Tsunade of the Sannin, would never leave the village. He could see it. The scorn, the mark of being the daughter of a traitor... Konoha people were petty. They were mean spirited vermin who took their frustrations out on the easiest target.
He could never do that to her. If Toshi had saved him from the streets, it was TenTen who saved him from loneliness. From that same darkness which threatened to now engulf her.
So, he took a decision. And he showed Toshi exactly why he had taken up a habit of bandaging his forearm.
He killed his sensei, that night. His surrogate father. But the ninja was too strong for him. He still took the blades. All but one, which he kept in the central seal on his arm. When he asked why he was leaving without killing him, and why was he leaving one weapon behind, the man said...
ôAlready got a blade of mine. And I think you could be fun to play with, given a few more years.ö Those shark-like teeth... Forever engraved in his mind.
It had been years since then. He had stood by TenTen, helped her master that last blade. Supported her in every decision. Ended up loving her, even if she would surely kill him if she knew the truth. And one day, she would. She deserved to.
But not before he got her fatherÆs blades back. Not before he made sure that nothing could tarnish his name and by connection her own one. Before he secured her future, and her happiness.
Then... He would gladly die. For her.
For his Ten-chan.
A shiver ran through his spine. One of the seals.
-I-
ôHuh. YouÆre the one who called me out here? Seriously?ö He had gotten out silently, to the meeting place he had chosen for his informants. ôYouÆre a civilian.ö
ôYes. I am.ö He touched one end of one of the outer spirals of the whirlpool, a pouch filled with money appearing in a puff of smoke. He launched it at the scrawny individual, who deftly caught it, his eyes now wide. ôNow talk.ö
ôHeh... Seals, huh? Interesting.ö The figure pocketed the money before continuing. ôThe people who youÆre looking for are a little group of ten ninjas known as Akatsuki.ö
ôMissing nins?ö
ôAll S-Class. Orochimaru of the Sannin is an ex-member.ö He narrowed his eyes. Special class. That was troubling. ôSome of their members are pretty infamous, but theyÆve been covering up their tracks pretty well in these last years.ö
ôHow did you find out about their existence, then?ö
ôSimple. They let people know.ö The figure continued, chuckling and tossing him a small scroll. ôIt seems theyÆve stopped hiding. TheyÆre preparing for something big.ö
ô... I see.ö Naruto caught the scroll, placing it in the same seal he had recovered the money from. ôAmong them, whoÆs the man with the shark teeth?ö
ôHoshigaki Kisame. Former member of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. Deadly with his sword, Samehada.ö
ô... Hoshigaki Kisame.ö He nodded, filing away that information. ôThanks.ö
?ôOh, donÆt thank me. I think IÆve just signed your death penalty if youÆre planning to go after these guys.ö The informant replied, amused. ôI mean, no offense, but you donÆt look like you may stand a chance. YouÆre a civilian. Buff, but still... You rely on seals. Without them, you canÆt do much, can you?ö
ô... True.ö Naruto nodded, kneeling on the ground, touching his right hand to the floor. The man observed him amused... Before an invisible forced snapped his spine in half, killing him instantly. The blond observed with calm as the body crushed itself under his eyes, before disappearing into the giant sealing array he had drawn on the ground before hand. ôBut with seals, I can do everything.ö
He set to cleaning the array by removing his chakra. The body had been crushed and stashed meters underground. No sign of excavation or disturbance of the ground. It would never be found.
ô... Akatsuki.ö He had names, now. He knew who to blame. He knew who to hunt down.
HeÆd find them. HeÆd take the blades back. He would give them to his Ten-chan.
And then, heÆd put his fate in her hands. As it had always been.
One shots are okay. And this is where to find him. This is the first of the bunch, which I call...
Master of Seals
ôJeez, my head...ö
ôYouÆre lucky itÆs still stuck on your shoulders, TenTen.ö Neji sighed, massaging the bridge of his nose as his female team-mate signed her release paper, her head bandaged and her right eye covered with a pad. She sighed as she started walking to the exit.
ôGet off it, Neji.ö She retorted, Neji right behind her. ôI may not be Lee, but I do enjoy a one on one challenge at times.ö
ôA challenge... What are you, a ronin?ö Neji shook his head. ôThe mission was over. There was no reason for you to fight him.ö
ôNeji, I donÆt expect you to understanf. ItÆs okay. I got used to the Hyuuga mind-frame. Just get. Off. My. Case.ö The girl punctuated each word with a harsher tone of voice, even if her head gave her hell for it. ôIÆm already going to hear it when I get home.ö
ô... Whatever. ItÆs just, I canÆt believe you actually asked Lee to restrain me when I tried to jump in.ö TenTen chuckled at the memory. Yes, that had been genius on her part. Lee was all too eager to help her ækeep the fire of youth burningÆ. Speaking of fire, she hoped she wouldnÆt catch too much heat when she got back home. ôNeed me to walk you home?ö
ôWeÆre back home, Neji. Relax! And the injury isnÆt so bad that I need a guide!ö She laughed, dismissing his concerns. Neji watched her go... ôOUCH!ö And collide with a wooden pole.
ôYour depth perception begs to differ.ö
-I-
ôStupid smartass team-mate, stupid smartass pole.ö TenTen grumbled as she fumbled with her keys. She really hoped her eye healed soon. Also, she made a mental note of training to fight in such conditions. She grinned as she thought that she could start by training with her latest prize. Finally finding the right key, she opened the door to her apartment and was immediately assaulted by smells. ôTadaima! Hmm, whatÆs that great smell?!ö
ôHey, Ten-chan! Just one moment, got something on the stove!ö His voice echoed from the kitchen, and she chuckled. He had probably started planning the homemade dinner ever since he got the message from her that she was coming back. She closed the door behind her and dropped her bag and coat before removing her shoes. A shuffling of feet could be heard as he approached her. ôHow did the missionWHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO YOUR FACE?!ö She sighed. Time to face the music. The whiskered blonde, apron tied around me, knelt and gently cradled her face in his hands. ôGod, your eye... Was it an ambush?!ö
ôHmm, no.ö She sheepishly replied, grabbing his right hand with her own. Big, calloused from working on the forge, but still so nimble and warm. She loved his hands. ôIt wasnÆt the mission. ItÆs... After we were done, I challenged another ninja to a duel.ö
ô... He had a nice weapon, didnÆt he?ö He sighed, gently leaning his head against her own one. ôWhat am I going to do with you, Ten-chan?ö
ôMaybe feed me? IÆm starving, Naruto!ö Seems like he wasnÆt up to reprimand her at the moment. He could be loud, and he was probably worried about her head. He pouted but sighed and suddenly kissed her on the lips. She mentally whined because it was just a brief one. She loved his kisses.
?ôWelcome back.ö But then he smiled at her. A smile of his was fine too. ôNow, why donÆt you go clean up while I finish cooking?ö
ôOkay.ö She promptly agreed, sighing blissfully. A caring, concerned, boyfriend who could cook and was a great kisser. What else could a kunoichi wish for?
-I-
ôHow was work?ö She asked, between a bite and the other.
ôGood, good. I had a bit of trouble with an order from a Jounin, but, I managed to get through.ö She raised an eyebrow. Her Naruto having trouble with an order? That was a first. ôI mean, itÆs not that I could do it, itÆs just... I couldnÆt really bring myself to do it, you know?ö She shook her head. ô... He wanted a very particular incision on the blade of the tanto he ordered.ö
ô... Who are we talking about, here?ö
ôSorry. Confidentiality and all.ö She snorted.
?ôWhat are you, a doctor?ö
ôNah. But if I told what I had to use your fatherÆs forge for, the guy would need the best surgeon in Konoha. My Ten-chan loves sharp things, doesnÆt she?ö She rolled her eyes. You go after an idiot who requested a Hello Tora themed katana with a chain-and-sickle once and your boyfriend starts thinking youÆre a psycho. ôSo much that sheÆd give an eye for them.ö
ôNaruto...ö She sighed and extended her left arm across the table, covering his right hand with her own one. ôItÆs okay. IÆm alright. It was just a superficial wound. It wonÆt even leave a scar.ö
ôWhat happens the day you find someone who can make that wound deep enough?ö He answered, his stare not softening in the slightest. ôYou need to stop putting yourself into danger like this.ö
ôNaruto, IÆm a ninja-ö
ôNo. YouÆre a weapons otaku.ö She blushed at that. She couldnÆt exactly deny that. ôWho challenges other weapons otaku for their blades with the objective of, one day, catching them all.ö
ôNaruto, you know itÆs not like that...ö She sighed. Sure, she may have been a weapons otaku, but she wasnÆt looking just for any kind of weapon. ôIÆm looking for my fatherÆs works.ö
ô... Is getting back some stolen blades worth losing your life over, TenTen?ö He turned his hand over and grasped her own. She squeezed it.
ôMy fatherÆs best work. He couldnÆt even show them to me or you, his apprentice. He was killed first.ö She continued, sadness taking over. And then, that cold, sharp anger. ôWith each blade, I get closer to his killer.ö Even if she had found none in four years.
ôAnd then what, Ten-chan? You kill him? Her? It? Will that bring Toshi-sensei back?ö She shook her head.
ôNo. But whoever was it, he must be killed for what heÆs done.ö The memory of her fatherÆs corpse cut to ribbons, bathing the forgeÆs shop in crimson, a dark figure leaving through the front door would never leave her. Revenge would give her closure. ôAnd Naruto, youÆre the only one who can identify my fatherÆs work. I need you on this.ö
ô... YouÆll know IÆll do anything for you, Ten-chan.ö He grasped her hand with both of his, bringing it to his mouth for a kiss. ôI just wish youÆd stop hurting yourself like this.ö
ôWell, no pain no gain, right?ö She said, her eyes suddenly taking a mischievous glint. ôLike that spring night, when we were fifteen. There was a bit of pain involved for me, but after that-ö
ôTEN-CHAN!ö Naruto squeaked out, blushing as red as a tomato. She laughed. That always shut him up. Groaning, he stood, taking his empty plate to the kitchen. ôI-IÆm having seconds.ö
ôOkay.ö She chuckled as she watched him go, sighing blissfully. She found herself wondering, once again, where would she be if her father hadnÆt taken Naruto in fourteen years before.
He had chanced upon his shop by chance, and had accidentally damaged a tanto by trying to take a look at it. Her father had been ballistic -damage his weapons by anything but their intended use, and thatÆs what always happened-, Naruto scared shitless. She was there, five years old, sitting on the counter when it happened. He demanded Naruto to fix it. The blonde naturally said that he didnÆt know how to. His father said æWell, youÆd better learn how toÆ.
ThatÆs how Naruto started coming by every day, learning the art of the forge. She gained a new playmate at first, much more as she grew up. As time passed, Naruto became first their new æroom-mateÆ, and then her fatherÆs official apprentice, at twelve. And almost all her life, he was there.
When she hurt herself practicing with her weapons in the academy, he was there. When she became a ninja, he was there. When her father was killed, he was there. Comforting her, making things better. When the rage sometimes got too much, he was there, bringing her back, making her patient.
Some of her colleagues asked at times what exactly she found special in him. He was a civilian, a blacksmith. He smelled of fire, coals and metal most of the time, and he wasnÆt as attractive as say, Neji, or that Uchiha boy who defected years before.
Naruto had many other qualities, though. Some that were incredibly attractive. But the most important thing was that she kept her human.
Without Naruto to love her, she would have gone bad a long time before.
-I-
He watched her sleep. Her hard as nails, deadly, weapons specialist, curled against his body, her head on his bare chest. She was beautiful. She was a sweet, enjoyable, attractive girl. He loved her, more than anything else in the whole world.
And he hated himself for it.
What right did he have? After what he had done... He raised his right arm, his eyes going to the tattoo in the shape of a whirlpool on the forearm. What she believed to be a simple decoration, was much more.
Toshi hadnÆt taken him in by the grace of his heart. He was one of the few people in Konoha who knew of his mother, and most importantly, who knew of his clanÆs forgotten heritage. A talent that had made them so feared to the point of having to be destroyed.
Seals. The whole tattoo was made out of small seals, hidden to sight by a member of that array.
He didnÆt understand why Toshi had insisted on him to start training his chakra control. He never ever thought about being a ninja, after meeting him and moving in with him and TenTen when he was barely more than five. Nor did he understand why he was so convinced he could master the art of seals. He didnÆt understand why he was right.
He only understood the night a visitor came to the village, when he was fourteen. A visitor who had come for his commissioned work. Ten weapons, the product of ToshiÆs mastery in blacksmithing and his mastery of seals. Incredibly powerful, deadly in the wrong hands.
And someone who claimed to work with Orochimaru of the Sannin, of all people, qualified as wrong hands in his eyes.
Toshi had made him attend the meeting because he trusted him. He firmly believed that he wouldnÆt care about Konoha, that he would be his partner in that. Leave the village, become traitors. Live as kings, from what he heard. And he was right. He didnÆt care about Konoha.
But he cared about TenTen. And the proud kunoichi, fifteen then, whose dream was to become as strong and respected as Tsunade of the Sannin, would never leave the village. He could see it. The scorn, the mark of being the daughter of a traitor... Konoha people were petty. They were mean spirited vermin who took their frustrations out on the easiest target.
He could never do that to her. If Toshi had saved him from the streets, it was TenTen who saved him from loneliness. From that same darkness which threatened to now engulf her.
So, he took a decision. And he showed Toshi exactly why he had taken up a habit of bandaging his forearm.
He killed his sensei, that night. His surrogate father. But the ninja was too strong for him. He still took the blades. All but one, which he kept in the central seal on his arm. When he asked why he was leaving without killing him, and why was he leaving one weapon behind, the man said...
ôAlready got a blade of mine. And I think you could be fun to play with, given a few more years.ö Those shark-like teeth... Forever engraved in his mind.
It had been years since then. He had stood by TenTen, helped her master that last blade. Supported her in every decision. Ended up loving her, even if she would surely kill him if she knew the truth. And one day, she would. She deserved to.
But not before he got her fatherÆs blades back. Not before he made sure that nothing could tarnish his name and by connection her own one. Before he secured her future, and her happiness.
Then... He would gladly die. For her.
For his Ten-chan.
A shiver ran through his spine. One of the seals.
-I-
ôHuh. YouÆre the one who called me out here? Seriously?ö He had gotten out silently, to the meeting place he had chosen for his informants. ôYouÆre a civilian.ö
ôYes. I am.ö He touched one end of one of the outer spirals of the whirlpool, a pouch filled with money appearing in a puff of smoke. He launched it at the scrawny individual, who deftly caught it, his eyes now wide. ôNow talk.ö
ôHeh... Seals, huh? Interesting.ö The figure pocketed the money before continuing. ôThe people who youÆre looking for are a little group of ten ninjas known as Akatsuki.ö
ôMissing nins?ö
ôAll S-Class. Orochimaru of the Sannin is an ex-member.ö He narrowed his eyes. Special class. That was troubling. ôSome of their members are pretty infamous, but theyÆve been covering up their tracks pretty well in these last years.ö
ôHow did you find out about their existence, then?ö
ôSimple. They let people know.ö The figure continued, chuckling and tossing him a small scroll. ôIt seems theyÆve stopped hiding. TheyÆre preparing for something big.ö
ô... I see.ö Naruto caught the scroll, placing it in the same seal he had recovered the money from. ôAmong them, whoÆs the man with the shark teeth?ö
ôHoshigaki Kisame. Former member of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. Deadly with his sword, Samehada.ö
ô... Hoshigaki Kisame.ö He nodded, filing away that information. ôThanks.ö
?ôOh, donÆt thank me. I think IÆve just signed your death penalty if youÆre planning to go after these guys.ö The informant replied, amused. ôI mean, no offense, but you donÆt look like you may stand a chance. YouÆre a civilian. Buff, but still... You rely on seals. Without them, you canÆt do much, can you?ö
ô... True.ö Naruto nodded, kneeling on the ground, touching his right hand to the floor. The man observed him amused... Before an invisible forced snapped his spine in half, killing him instantly. The blond observed with calm as the body crushed itself under his eyes, before disappearing into the giant sealing array he had drawn on the ground before hand. ôBut with seals, I can do everything.ö
He set to cleaning the array by removing his chakra. The body had been crushed and stashed meters underground. No sign of excavation or disturbance of the ground. It would never be found.
ô... Akatsuki.ö He had names, now. He knew who to blame. He knew who to hunt down.
HeÆd find them. HeÆd take the blades back. He would give them to his Ten-chan.
And then, heÆd put his fate in her hands. As it had always been.
