Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto
The Tale of Chigatana Kenshu and Naruto the Yellow Wind
Chapter 1: Coming Home
"You bastard!" Naruto through every attack he knew at his opponent. And yet the ninja couldn't land a single blow. "He's mine!" he yelled to his team mates. Then kage bunshin surrounded the figure and flew at him launching kunai and kicks from every angle. Naruto attacked the man in the black cloak with red clouds relentlessly. "You say you were a student of Jiriya? No student of his would be such a traitor!"
Strike after strike passed the man harmlessly as he danced between the Naruto's. He made his way out of the crowd and jumped into a nearby tree. He turned to look back at the training grounds and smiled gently. "My my, so eager to call me a traitor. Why would you do such a thing?" He stood and drew off his straw hat to reveal long brown hair tied in a pony tail and brown eyes. "I show up saying I was a fellow student of our late master and you attack me? How rude!" He reached up a sleeve and pulled out a book. "Did you ever try reading his books? I find them quite deep and meaningful when you really understand them."
Naruto's rage took over as he saw this man, this traitor, reading a book that was written by his sensai. And to read it in front of him as if he didn't care! He rocketed at him with a hatred of the utmost intensity. "Don't insult Jiraiya!" A fist flew past the man's face and cracked the wood in the tree.
"How am I insulting him? I read his book to remember him, not to insult him!" Suddenly a hand shot out and struck the blond ninja in the stomach ever so gently. Naruto suddenly fell limp to the ground. "You need to calm down young man. Maybe after you do so we can have some tea? How about down at the Reddo Biinbooru? I used to love that place when I had time to visit Jiraiya-sensai." A sigh escaped his lips as he read the book. "Later." A puff of smoke appeared where the figure had been.
"Naruto!" Sakura knelt beside him and held him up. "Are you okay?" She lifted his shirt where he'd been struck but found no injuries. A strong hand gripped hers.
"I-I'm fine. Just uneasy." He stood carefully then collapsed again. "Un, maybe a little help Sakura-chan?" She smiled and helped him up as Sai and Kakashi ran over.
"Sakura, take him to the hospital and check him. Sai, go to the Hokage and report this. I'll go watch the tea shop. We are not to let the Akatsuki member leave, understand?"
"Hai!" they all said in unison and hurried off to do their job.
__
A soft sigh of contempt escaped the brunette as he set down his cup of tea. He lifted the pot to refill his cup and realized it was empty. "Excuse me miss, another pot please. And some more ohagi if it's not too much of a bother." He smiled to the waitress as she uneasily and quickly did as the man had said. 'Interesting, everyone is so hostile and nervous towards me. I wonder why?' He pulled out a pen and a piece of paper and began to write. Soon the waitress was back shakily carrying what was asked for.
"H-h-here s-sir," she stammered as she set down the tray. She placed the rice balls in front of him but as she grabbed the pot of hot water her hand slipped. She watched in horror as it fell and shattered covering the table in steaming water and clay shards. And she almost fainted in terror as the hot water covered the man's lap scalding him. But to her amazement he didn't react at first.
He grabbed a towel and began to mop up the mess on the table ignoring what had happened to him. Slowly he gathered the pieces of the pot and placed them on the tray with the now wet towel. Then he turned to the waitress and smiled softly. "Don't worry ma'am, it was an accident. No harm done and no reason to get upset over such a small incident." He stood and carefully handed her the tray. "I'll let you do your job while I go clean up right quick." Then without a word walked into the restroom to dry off.
A minute later when he came back he found a blond pouring himself a cup of tea and eating some ohagi. He sat smiling and poured himself some tea. "Well, Naruto, I see you found this place well enough." He took a sip and sat his cup down. "Now, let's get down to the important matter at hand."
A glare from the crystal blue eyes warned the man that he should be careful. "Who are you? How do you know my name? And why do you call yourself a student of Jiraiya?" He set his cup down and stared hard at the man.
The brunette cleared his throat and spoke softly. "My name is, Chigatana Kenshu. Jiraiya has spoken of you many times. And I trained under him for some time." He took another sip and a bite of his ohagi. He suddenly had a surprised look on his face as he reached up and felt the three day stubble on his face. "Oh, so that's why everyone has been acting weird!" He chuckled to himself and leaned back. "Well, now I can rest assured that I'm not in too much trouble."
"What do you mean?"
"The second I appeared everyone has been acting strange around me. Either attacking or acting as if I were a threat. I didn't know why until I remembered that I haven't shaved in three days! A man that is not clean shaven is easily suspected of!" He chuckled again and lifted his cup to take another sip. But this was not to be as a kunai struck it from his hands and shattered it on the wall next to him. He glanced sideways and saw several jonin standing in the tea shop. Naruto rose and got in a fighting stance.
"Don't play games with us! We know you're part of Akatsuki!" The young shinobi pointed an accusing finger at him. "No student of Jiraiya-Sensai's would join that organization!"
"Wait, what? You think I'm part of Aka-who-huh? What would make you think that?" He stood and popped another rice ball in his mouth. "I'm just a traveling writer who wanted to see the boy that my teacher talked about so much." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small book. "The boy named after the main character in this book." A tear began to form in his eye but was quickly blinked away.
"Then why do you wear the Akatsuki uniform?" asked a jonin. He drew a sword and got in a fighting stance.
"What? This?" Kenshu tugged at his cloak. "I got this off of some guy that was selling them a few towns back. He had several in different color schemes too. And he added a nice dragon to the back of each one!" He turned smiling and showed off the red dragon coiling from the bottom of the cloak to the top. He chuckled and looked at them. "You like?"
Each one face faulted as they saw the details that were different. Especially the dragon. "S-so, your aren't a criminal or missing nin?" Naruto asked shyly.
"Nope!" Just a traveling writer! He smiled again as he turned around. "Well, I guess I had a nice warm welcome from you all, eh?" He chuckled again and placed some money on the table. "Now, where's that gambling alcoholic old lady I enjoyed talking to so much?" He grinned and looked at them.
"The Hokage is seen by appointment only," stated a jonin as he raised his kunai.
A sudden look of seriousness crossed the face of Kenshu. "Take me to her." He stepped forward and glared at the jonin threateningly. "Now."
__
"Hokage-sama!" screamed Shizune as she blew through the door. "It's him! He's here! He-!" She froze dead in her tracks as Tusnade glared at her. Her gaze burnt a hole in her assistant who was clutching Pon-Pon to her.
"Who do you mean by he?" Her icy voice froze the room and sent chills down Shizune's spine.
The raven haired lady gulped down her fear and relied evenly, "Chigatana Kenshu."
"That's my name. Don't waste it." The brunette man walked into the room, his overcoat flowing behind him. He threw his hat onto the table and stood at the window looking out over Konoha. "Nice to see you Tsunade-sensai."
"Ken-" she choked back tears, "Kenshu?" She held out a hand and gently took the man's left hand. She unwrapped the white bandages and saw the mark on his palm. "It is you." She stood and embraced the man with tears falling from her eyes.
He slowly wrapped his hand and looked at the Hokage. He didn't say a word, just looked at her and smiled. A small chuckle escaped his lips. "Last time you would have tried to kill me." He turned and hugged her gently stroking her back. "Then again you always were the hot head out of the two." Tsunade laughed between sobs.
Shizune turned and walked away slowly. 'I'm glad they're reunited again. Finally, after all this time. But it's still too late.' She silently wiped away her own tears as she closed the Hokage's door and hurried off to the Hokage's mansion to prepare an extra room.
Tsunade stood carefully and held Kenshu at an arm's length. "How are you?" She smiled at him and let the last of her tears fall. "I've been worried."
The brunette dabbed at her face with a small handkerchief and spoke gently. "I'm fine. Better. You don't need to worry about me. How are you?" He put his blue cloth back in his pocket and smiled.
"I've been fine. Busy. But as of late I've fallen into a pit of despair. After Jiraiya-" she stopped and breathed deeply. "After his death, I've climbed back into the bottle. There's no hope for me." She looked down and clenched her fist. "Who am I to be Hokage anyways?"
Kenshu hugged her again and whispered to her, "let's take a break today and go talk at home. Okay?" He smiled as she nodded her head and they walked off to the mansion.
__
Naruto trudged slowly along the sandy shore of the river where Jiraiya had taught him to walk on water. Where he'd signed the contract. Where he'd learned to summon toads. He looked up ahead at the waterfall and saw a familiar cloaked figure. He stopped in his tracks and stared at him. He didn't know what to feel. Anger? Hatred? Acceptance? What?
"Naruto," said the man as he turned and waved the blond over to him.
The said shinobi walked up to him and stood next to him looking at the waterfall. "What do you want?" The poison in his voice hung in the air between them.
The brunette man turned to him slowly and said in an even tone, "Naruto, there are many things I have to tell you. Many things you should know. But I want you to know this now. I never betrayed Jiraiya. I followed his teachings every day and worshipped him like a god." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a book that he shoved into the blonde's hands. "I know you think that they're silly romance novels, but they hold a deep secret within them. Read it, learn from it, and come to me when you're done." Then without warning he disappeared in a puff of smoke.
Naruto stared at the book in his hand then stared over at where the man had been. Sticking up in the sand was a sheathed dagger. The handle and scabbard were of polished white material that seemed to glow. He gently pulled out the blade and looked at the perfect metal. It shone with life, a bright silver that reflected the world perfectly. And on the scabbard was written a message. "To: Naruto, my beloved student and son I never had. From: Jiraiya, your loving teacher and god-father."
End of Chapter 1
