Makoto: Hello everyone! The rumors of the author's death have been greatly exaggerated; we're back in action after several months on hiatus! Okay everyone, here's the second entry in what'll hopefully become a series of oneshot themes. This time: the Jinchuuriki! Enjoy the show!
Friend
Nearly everyone in the Elemental Nations knows that Naruto was Gaara's first (and best) friend.
Few, however, know that Roshi was the same for Han.
Lazy
Due to his appearance, most people would assume Utakata was just a lazy as his Bijuu. That wasn't actually true, though.
There's a difference between being lazy and being carefree. The missing-nin hoped people would understand that.
Loss
Hidan and Kakuzu's first encounter with the Jinchuuriki of Waterfall, Fu, actually resulted in a loss for the zombie duo. It wasn't because she overpowered them, though.
Even immortality was no match for the raw fury of a hot spring full of angry women. Hidan admitted the beatdown he suffered was impossible for even him to enjoy.
Habit
It's common knowledge that possessing a Bijuu grants ninja huge amounts of power. But only the Jinchuuriki knew that it also left you with some rather…odd nervous habits.
Gaara was a kleptomaniac, Yugito would occasionally claw anything she came in contact with, Yagura had preferred to shelter himself in large items of clothing when he was uncomfortable, and Roshi had a soft spot for banana-chili ice cream.
Han was sometimes known to run for hours without realizing it (much to his embarrassment), Utakata refused to eat anything salty, and Fu devoured anything and everything sweet.
Killer Bee's raps actually became good ones (this tended to worry his students immensely). And Naruto famously liked to play pranks, though his nervous ones were more destructive than mischievous.
Irony
There wasn't much that escaped Fu, not even the two frightening black-cloaked ninja that were after her for some reason. She successfully got away from them the first time, but wasn't so lucky the second.
Her last thoughts were that it was pure irony that the rag doll one had captured her mid-flight. Just like a bug in a jar.
Death
There was no group of people for whom the saying 'hell is other people' could be truer than for the Jinchuuriki. Nearly everyone they knew, and all the ones they didn't, treated them as though their life meant nothing.
This was why some of them welcomed death with open arms. At last they wouldn't be mistreated.
Machine
Despite being very tall and intimidating, Han actually had image issues because his body was covered in ugly scars from the beatings her received regularly. One day, he was rummaging around an abandoned junkyard and discovered an awesome suit of armor.
After making some adjustments, he donned the suit and became known as the metallic Jinchuuriki. He still felt incomplete, however.
Then he discovered a steam generator in the same junkyard. Ever since, everyone he met mistook him for a robot. Han couldn't be happier.
Scar
When he was alive, Yagura's distinctive scar was a source of gossip, with everyone in Kiri having their own theories as to how he'd gotten it.
Some thought it was the result of a battle, or the result of an ill-advised surgery. Still others thought it was due to his Bijuu or even that it was given to him by one of the Seven Swordsmen.
The truth was that it wasn't a scar at all, but a clever henge. He had to do SOMETHING to counteract his child-like image, after all.
Smoke
Despite all outward appearances, most Jinchuuriki didn't smoke at all, thinking it a disgusting habit. They preferred to chew gum or even pieces of straw (Utakata preferred bubbles).
The same could not be said for past Jinchuuriki, however. It is said that Hashirama once found his wallet completely emptied and boxes upon boxes of cigarettes adorning his wife's closet.
Kid
On one hand, the Sanbi Jinchuuriki's young appearance was oftentimes a source of great irritation for him. No one took him seriously, not the other Kage, not the Swordsmen, not even his own shinobi.
On the other hand, it made it super easy to sneak in and out of his office when he was bored. Candy fixed everything.
Artisan
It was commonly known that Gaara suffered from a rather severe case of insomnia due to his Bijuu. This led the young Kage to seek out ways to occupy himself when his paperwork was finished.
He tried village patrols, but the other Suna shinobi already took care of that. After many days of searching, he finally found it: the one habit that could keep him busy until sunrise.
The residents of Suna are still wondering who it was that created those lovely glass sculptures at the village gates.
Spite
An impartial observer would question why any Jinchuuriki would fight for their home village, fully knowing the sort of treatment they received from the residents.
It was usually due to family loyalty or perhaps some prior obligation. Most human sacrifices were related to the village's Kage, after all. This wasn't the case for Han and Roshi, however.
The truth was that they defended the village in order to annoy those who hated them. It was sort of fun seeing them angry.
Close
Just like their tenants, the Jinchuuriki often formed friendships (or at least uneasy alliances) with each other out of necessity or a sense of kinship. Pairs such as Roshi and Han or Naruto and Bee developed from these bonds.
That was why Akatsuki found it impossible to capture the latter two. It was easy to catch one lonely demon container. It was MUCH harder to capture them once they'd made friends.
Home
When the deceased Jinchuuriki and their Bijuu spoke with Naruto and Bee, all of them discovered what it was like to know someone who had the same burden.
Naruto felt more at home with his fellow containers than he ever did in Konoha.
Related
Over the course of his long talk with the other Jinchuuriki, Naruto had a very important question. He asked Roshi if he was related to his own mother, a question posed him due to his hair color.
The Iwa nin laughed off such a question at first, but later put some serious thinking time into it. Red hair wasn't very common in the ninja world, after all.
Shrug
He wasn't related after all, as he found out later.
Silk
The long kimono that Utakata wore seemed out of place for the young man. After all, any Jinchuuriki like him was denied even the basics, never mind the luxurious. How he'd gotten it was a mystery to all who knew him.
No one had to know that it once belonged to a rich nobleman until the Jinchuuriki uh, ahem…'liberated' it from him. He didn't need it anyway.
Box
The one thing everyone wanted to know was, what exactly was in the rectangular object Fu carried on her back. Was it a weapon, maybe? Storage for medical supplies, perhaps?
It wasn't any of these. The mysterious object was in fact a box, though no one REALLY knew what was inside. Fu would kill anyone who tried to take a peek.
Mushi-chan had to stay a secret.
Number
A once wanted to know why Bee only used seven swords when he was the container of the Eight-Tailed Oxtopus (as Darui once called it). If he knew the real answer, Bee would die of embarrassment.
At the behest of his brother, he actually tried to use an eighth sword once. It was removed at Bee's insistence one day, though he never gave a reason.
Bleeding to death as a result of your own sword cutting you during your own attack was a shameful way for a shinobi to die.
After
When the Fourth Great Shinobi War ended, all of the Elemental Nations breathed a sigh of relief. Villains such as Tobi and Madara wouldn't arise for quite some time.
No one could be as happy as the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki though. Everyone in Konoha had begun treating him better after the battle with Pain, but there were still occasional glares and whispers.
After the war had been won, everyone had heard of his and Bee's heroic exploits, ninja and civilian alike. Everywhere he went he was treated as a hero, even when he went to other countries.
This in turn led to better treatment of the new Jinchuuriki that had been created as a result of the war. He personally saw to it that his brothers and sisters were well taken care of.
They weren't quite family, but they were damn near close. They'd look out for each other. Always.