Lassoed with a Rope-Dart
MRAY 4 THE WIN: Well, time for my second short story. It's not too ambitious but I'm trying to aim for 25k to 30k. However, I'm not a person to draw out things (I HATE THAT!) so if the story starts feeling watered down, I'll conclude it. This is a Naruto x Matsuri pairing, requested by Ryuujin96. Took me some time to establish the plot, won't be much of one, but I'll try; some liberties had to be taken so I don't want to hear 'This didn't happen at so and so time'. I am in control of events and time! Matsuri isn't the easiest character to work with, having very little screen time. (Cracks knuckles in preparation).
Side note: The Sunagakure Support mission happened according to the anime. Kazekage rescue arc has been altered to suit my intentions. Also, it is my belief that Gaara being the youngest of the siblings was teaching students of his own age because he was that powerful at the time. But to make it fair, all members of that generation (Naruto's generation) are around sixteen and seventeen and Matsuri is fifteen.
Summary: He's now attained perfect peace to attain the title of a Sage. But a certain Sand kunoichi whose life seems to revolve around him now threatens it. What is he to do when she is presented as the perfect imbalance agent now in his life? Naru/Matsu Naruto x Matsuri. Requested by Ryuujin96.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I don't own any show, in fact. What I own, however, are people playing first person shooters online.
1.
The group trudged through the forest, enjoying the camaraderie. On one hand, it was expected that they would be this way, seeing as how they had fulfilled their purpose. On the other hand, one would have expected them to be a bit more reserved, considering what they were returning from.
"-And then, I just created a Great rasengan and then blasted him away! And then he just smirks at me. I'm like, what was up with that, huh? I mean, he gets a supercharged ball of chakra to the gut and he uses that expression."
"So was the fight youthful, Naruto-kun?!" A spandex wearing youth yelled his question.
"If by youthful you mean easier than expected, then yes. I'm awesome, dattebayo!"
A pinkette slightly slapped her teammate in the face. "Don't let it go to your head!"
"Aww, let me have this! Even if it were just a copy of the real thing, he would still have been incredibly hard to beat."
"He's right. Besides, look at how Team Gai had it difficult with the knock off Kisame. Naruto is that strong now."
"Arigatou, Kakashi-sensei!"
"But still. I still have nightmares fighting you Naruto. That mode really packs a punch."
"Wouldn't be useful if it didn't!"
"Naruto…"
"Hai, Gaara?"
"Arigatou, for helping me. You have now saved me twice. You have saved me from a dark path, as well as my life. You have my gratitude, my friend." He said in his monotone.
The teenager grinned. "I had to do it for my best friend."
"Most of Shukaku's chakra is gone. He used to be a one tailed Bijuu. Now he's a quarter tail."
"You're still a jinchuriki."
The raccoon faced Kazekage did not answer. Instead, he looked up at the sky while he walked, breaking out in a small smile. It truly takes a close death encounter to make one feel alive. It made him wonder about his past 'life'. Did he truly feel 'alive' when he was crushing people to death?
No.
He truly owed the blond a lot. He now had his life, his family, his friends and the whole village to call his own.
Speaking of the village…
"Perhaps… anyone would like to race back to Suna?"
Two spandex people shimmied up to the Kazekage's side. "A race?!"
He felt… happy. Might as well enjoy life.
"Hai. A race."
"You hear that, Lee?!"
"Hai, GAI-SENSEI!"
"The Kazekage wishes to fuel the flames of his youth with a YOUTHFUL RACE!"
Everyone else who was aware of the proceedings shrugged, young and old alike. Might as well. It would also be a good way to see who was the fastest, as well as reach Suna faster.
"Why not."
"Sure."
The blonde at the head of the group held out his hands to the sides to stop everyone from walking any further. He then walked to the far left and toed a line in the dirt to the far right.
"Alright!" he yelled. "ALL PARTICIPANTS TOE THE LINE! WE'LL START WHEN THE PAPER BOMB GOES OFF!"
Everyone slightly panicked. "What paper bomb?!"
The blonde took one out of his pouch and wrapped it around a kunai. He then threw it as hard as he could into the sky. He then hurried to his spot on the line.
"Get ready!"
Everyone else got to the line in their own fashion. From left to right, there were Naruto, Sakura, Chiyo, Kakashi, Gai, Lee, Gaara, Tenten and Neji; all in assorted starter running stances.
All was quiet for a total of three seconds.
Then the far off sound of an explosion somewhere above them sounded.
All of them took off like the proverbial bolt of lightening. Gai and Lee, as expected took the lead and held it, Kakashi two meters behind them in third. Chiyo was faster than her age suggested and held fourth, much to Naruto's shock. He planned to rectify that.
He closed his eyes for five seconds and reopened them, revealing a rectangular bar pupils that were amber colored. His eyes were also bordered by orange eye shadow.
His perfected Sage mode.
He exerted himself more using his now sennin enhanced legs and practically blinked out and back into reality, appearing beside Gai who was already moving at close to his top speed to stay ahead of his student who seemed to be trying his utmost. (Mind you, they still had on their weights.)
Gai laughed, seeing Naruto beside him. "YOSH! NARUTO'S YOUTH BURNS BRILLIANTLY! BUT IF I CANNOT WIN THIS RACE, I WILL DO TEN THOUSAND PUSHUPS, AND IF I CANNOT DO THAT, I WILL DO A TEN MILE RUN TEN TIES IN ONE DAY! AND IF I CANNOT DO THAT, I'LL CARRY KAKASHI N MY BACK AND HOP ON ONE LEG TO KONOHA!"
Said man's only visible eye widened before he actually slowed down a little. But to his horror, it seemed as if Naruto wanted that to happen by actually speeding up a little. Kakashi knew that his 'eternal rival's' limit was eight thousand and odd pushups and nine suicide mile runs was his time limit to a day.
Wait a minute.
Let a shadow clone take that punishment. In the meantime, he'll just catch up on his Icha Icha. Now re-spirited without the fright, he tried harder to win. After all, Gai was on fifty wins in challenges, as well as him. He needed a tiebreaker.
Gaara's speed was nothing to scoff at. After carrying his own sand with him so much when he was younger, he was quite fast. So much so that he was in fifth place, ahead of the last three chunin who trained under a hokage and a Taijutsu speed demon. While they knew they wouldn't win, it was more like a race among themselves. Neji was only quick, not fast. (All around agility, not running speed.) Sakura and Tenten however remained last but it was anyone's guess what they were chatting about back there. Naruto was sure however, that they were talking about him.
At Suna's Gates
The sand siblings waited at the gates along with a few people waiting on any news, be it good or bad about the Kazekage. All were anxious. Some were adamant that he was alright and there would be a safe return while a few others, while they were not pessimists, they fretted for the worst.
Kankuro was a prime example, having seen an omen. He had discussed this with his sister Temari but she told him off that he should have more faith.
"He'll be fine, Kankuro! Trust me!"
"That's easy for you to say, Temari-neechan. I mean, the photo was well placed on the table with fair distance from the edge. And it just falls off with the crack over Gaara. That's just not a good sign. It's not like I don't want to believe you. I want him back home too," the puppeteer stated.
"I agree with Kankuro, though." Ittetsu said. "I mean, the Akatsuki are powerful. I heard that they have ten s ranked members, including Itachi Uchiha the clan murderer and Kisame Hoshigaki of the mist. They just took Lord Gaara, just like that."
A teenage kunoichi with dark eyes clocked him in the top of his head. "Why are you guys being so negative!" she yelled angrily. "Lord Gaara's stronger than that! He'll come back!"
Temari watched the happenings with a small smile. Perhaps she should sic Matsuri on Kankuro. 'Maybe she'll straighten him out.'
"Alright. All of you settle down," Baki ordered. He looked across the desert that was the Land of Wind where heat waves rose up off the sand. There was a slightly paved section that was a 'road' used by civilians and Ninja alike. It held his attention now, seeing something far off in the distance with his uncovered eye. 'That does not look like heat waves or a mirage' "Temari."
"Hmm?"
"Look out there." Baki pointed out into the distance. "Can you see what that is?"
The blonde woman stared out into the distance. Far off, she could see nine specks. She was unsure of what they were but they seemed to be getting…bigger.
'Are those…ninja?'
"I think its ninja."
Matsuri grew excited. "I bet that its Lord Gaara coming!"
"Maybe." Temari agreed. They continued to watch.
With the Racers.
"Alright! The gates are in sight! Everything goes, people!" Naruto yelled excitedly. "It's a free for all!"
And then bedlam reigned supreme.
Sakura jumped up in to the air and did a ground pound with her fist, showing off her newfound chakra enhanced strength she learned under Tsunade. Immediately, a large crater came into being, throwing up a large plume of sand. She being the only one prepared for her stunt, everyone else lost footing and started to stumble and trip. She chakra dashed again taking the lead.
"Oh hell no!" Tenten got up quickly and threw a bolas at the rosette kunoichi. (You know, the heavy metal balls on strings that Vigilantes like Batman and Robin use.) They wrapped around the girl, pinning her arms to her sides and made her fall, resembling a weird species of caterpillar.
"Damn it Tenten!" the girl shrieked in surprise. The weapon's mistress giggled as she passed her, only to be tripped by a convenient short pillar of sand that rose up in front of her.
"Wha…! Gaara!"
Said Kazekage chuckled as he bounded forward again, now in fourth. Chiyo used a chakra string on Kakashi's left leg to pull him to interrupt his running poise and made him fall harshly to the ground at the sudden stop.
The old woman laughed out loud but the man immediately transformed into Lee, revealing the lad crying anime tears for being used as a replacement in a substitution.
Kakashi chuckled, now close to Gai because of Lee's closeness in place before. His chuckle abruptly ended when he saw a wall of sand appear in front of him. Using his sharpened reflexes, however, he darted around it and eye smiled at Gaara. He however failed to notice than by turning around, Neji passed him, now directly behind Naruto.
Said blond was having the time of his life, testing out Sage mode's natural speed against that of one of the fastest men he knew. So he naturally was unaware of what Neji intended to do.
"Eight Trigrams: Empty Palm!"
The 'wind' chakra attack caught Naruto in the back of the head, making him face plant in mid-stride. He wasn't hurt but he had sand in his mouth.
"Ugh!" he spat as he got up quickly. By now, everyone had passed him out except Sakura. 'This race is no joke!'
He channeled chakra into his legs and took off like a bullet, hoping to catch up to them at the very least before the race ended. He could see the gates coming up closer as he neared the group. Suddenly, he had an idea. (Heh-heh. I gave it to him. I take credit!) He sprinted against the loose sand a bit more before spawning a clone about ten meters ahead of him.
"Shadow clone jutsu!" he cried, forming the modified cross handseal.
As he neared the clone, the doppelganger (Sage mode is also present in clone) reached out and grabbed his creator's left arm at the shoulder/armpit and pulled him forward. In the same motion, the clone lowered his right hand close to the ground for Naruto to step in. The clone then had Naruto firmly placed in his hands and threw him forward with Sage strength at a forty five degree angle, the perfect degree for passing over his competitor's heads, unnoticed. He put his hands together in a water cutting form to go through the air easier before he landed.
The competition saw his fleeting shadow on the ground before he abruptly landed next to Gai, raising a torrent of desert sand that got into everyone's eyes.
"Agh!"
"My eyes! Naruto!"
"I'm used to getting sand in my eyes."
'Good thing I can just close my eyes and see through my eyelids with the byakugan.'
"Naruto-kun is truly youthful! I can't remove my weights…" Lee's face looked uncharteristicaly thoughtful. 'I'll open the first two gates." The spandex wearing lad leapt into the air and focused his mental energies.
"The Celestial Gates! Gate of Opening: Release!"
Chakra erupted from Lee while he was midair, attracting everyone's attention who was a bit bug eyed that he would go that far.
"Gate of Closing: Release!"
The green aura came off of Lee in earnest. As he landed, the boy flickered in and out of view nearing the gates quickly much to everyone's shock; Naruto especially.
"Oh hell no!"
Naruto started spamming clones ahead of him to kawarimi with. Gai opened his first two Gates as well, travelling in a manner like his student. Kakashi started using shunshins to body flicker closer and closer to the gates. Gaara, in an effort not to be outdone raised a sand tsunami and rode the tide of it, practically and literally everyone else behind him to eat his dust.
The first five: Lee, Gai, Naruto, Kakashi and Gaara held the race in a perfect tie. It would need an excellent trump card for one to win.
And… the kazekage cheated. (Err… again.)
The darned wind shadow raised a Very large and thick wall of sand with perfect manipulation thirty meters ahead of them. And his competition slightly panicked. To climb a wall like this even with chakra would take too long. To go around would halve that time but still would take too long. So the leaf Nins decided to go straight through.
"Dynamic Entry!"
"Leaf Whirlwind!"
"Rasengan!"
"Chidori!"
All of them flew through the wall in their own respective styles. Gaara simply made the sand tsunami he was riding merge with it, making it extremely large. He then simply pushed it forward a little more, then attempted to cover his fellow racers in sand.
Kakashi, Gai and Lee went under almost instantly. Naruto merely smirked just before the sand reached him.
And in the same second Gaara saw his friend with the mischievous smirk, he saw himself closer to the ground watching his own sand, his own element about to cover him.
He had just been used in a substitution.
Gaara gave a dry chuckle before he too was covered.
Naruto, now on top of the falling tsunami, and more importantly, the lead in the race simply ninja dashed across the finish line ecstatic. He was so much so, that he failed to see his 'welcomers' who just saw him bury their Leader under his own element.
Ten minutes Later
Naruto watched the other participants 'run' through the gates. And by 'run', it meant that they limped, crawled and generally jogged across the line. He felt another tap on his head and yawned.
"Are you going to quit anytime soon? I said that my durability's 'through the roof'.
Matsuri withdrew her hand quickly with a slight scowl. "You have to get out of that mode sometime! And when you do, you're gonna pay for what you did to the Lord Kazekage!"
The blond slowly blinked his toad like eyes. "You saw Gaara about to cover me in a tidal wave of sand. I kawarimi with him and he gets caught in his own technique. It's sand; his element for Kami's sake. Besides, we were just playing around."
She tried to punch him in the head again but failed miserably because of the Sage mode's prowess. "You are to call him Lord Kazekage!"
Gaara came out of a sand shunshin next to the two, startling Matsuri. "He's right. Besides, it doesn't make me much of a kage to get replaced into my own attack."
"Lord Gaara!" Matsuri straight away left Naruto to go in front of the Kazekage before bowing at the waist. "We knew you would return!"
Naruto rolled his eyes. "Glad you finally made it. So does this mean I'm the fastest, friend?"
"Friend?" Matsuri was confused.
"You're faster than me… but not the fastest my friend. You still have a long way to go before you achieve that title." Gaara acknowledged before he turned to his pupil. "Naruto-san is my first and oldest friend, Matsuri. I trust that you welcomed him as you would an important guest?" Gaara asked, slightly narrowing his gaze at the girl.
"I…uh…" the brunette started to stumble in her speech.
"She sure did!" Naruto exclaimed with a smile. "I was welcomed warmly. Perhaps we should all go inside, ne?"
"That's fine. Let me change first into something more suitable." The raccoon eyed kage stated before exiting in another sand body flicker.
The two walked off towards the Kazekage tower. Along the way they made a little small-talk.
More like the Kunoichi of the pair asked a question that begged to be answered.
"Why did you lie for me?" Matsuri blurted out.
"Lie? Oh, you mean about when Gaara asked about…" The Uzumaki made a circular hand gesture (It's the 'spit it out, say it' gesture) that indicted for her to finish his sentence.
Which she did.
"…Your reception."
"Uh-huh. Well, he didn't need to know that you and the other sand-nin near outright attacked me when I came, going on about 'Burying the Kazekage'," he said, quoting Ittetsu.
"It did seem that way."
"You assumed. That's your mistake. Even though Temari and Kankuro vouched for me, you still tried to hit me upside the head with chakra enhanced blows."
"It would look bad if I didn't defend Kazekage Gaara." The girl defended herself.
"Well. It didn't work anyway. They felt like you were tapping my head anyway. His toad like eyes now turned back into their original cerulean state. 'Sage mode's time ran out.'
Matsuri saw the change in his eyes and fought to keep down a rising blush. 'Wow. Look at those eyes! Whoa, what am I saying?' "Wait a minute. Are you calling me weak?" She asked angrily.
"No, no. what I'm saying is that I am so strong that it looks as if you are in comparison."
She calmed down. "Oh." Realization struck her again.
"Wait, what!" she whipped out her jōhyō.
(The jōhyō is a rope-dart, as far as I can see.)
And that's the first chapter. I think I pulled off the groundwork pretty well and the structure of the story's set. By the way, you saw that Naruto has sage mode already and Kakashi's alright. There will be a few explanations next chapter. Anyway, please review and tell me what you think. That's all folks.
Sayonara.
