Naruto: Rise of the Espers
Chapter II
Arriving and Departing
The sun was warm on Naruto's face, the slight breeze refreshing. He slowly opened his eyes and blinked away the bright sunshine. He heard birds singing and he sat up to look.
He was on top of the Hokage Mountain, specifically on the Yondaime's forehead.
"How did I get up here?" Naruto wondered out loud and scratched his head. "Wasn't I in the hospital?"
Naruto stood up and shivered. He was naked from the waist up, clad only in his orange pants. He wasn't even wearing his hitai-ite. He wondered where his jacket was, but he remembered that Shizune had taken it when Kakashi-sensei brought him to the hospital.
He brushed some dirt off his bottom and chest. His chest…the Chidori wound! Naruto stared down at where Sasuke thrust the cursed Chidori into his chest. It was healed, completely healed; there wasn't even a scar.
"This is weird," Naruto muttered before he saw his hands. His fingernails had grown into pointed claws, like when he had fought with Sasuke. Naruto looked down at his feet and saw his toenails had grown into claws as well. He ran his tongue along his teeth, gently touching his elongated canines.
"Alright, something funny is going on around here!" Naruto shouted. "What the hell is this?"
When no one answered him (not surprising since he was on top of a mountain after all), Naruto plopped back down on the ground. He could feel the Kyuubi's chakra racing through him, but couldn't sense the fox in his mind.
Alright, I go from being on the Shinigami's doorstep to being just fine and looking like some kind of monster, Naruto thought. That damn fox has to have something to do with this.
Naruto crossed his legs lotus style and closed his eyes. Alright, what did Ero-Sennin say about tapping into the fox's chakra…
-X-
The dank sewer inside Naruto's mind that housed the Kyuubi's cage was a complete mess. Naruto walked through the sewer, stepping over broken pipes and craters in the floor.
"How could this place have gotten any worse?" he complained. He jumped over a puddle of rusty water and landed in front of the golden cage.
The cage was destroyed; its door was laying on the ground, the cage walls were buckled and bent outwards, and the surrounding walls and floor of the sewer looked like they had been scorched by a powerful Katon jutsu.
Naruto stood beside the broken door and looked inside the cage. Kyuubi was lying on the floor, stretched out and not moving.
"Hey Fuzzy! Wake up!" Naruto shouted at the fox. "I want some answers here!" But the fox didn't move.
Naruto grumbled and stepped through the cage opening. He kept his eyes on the giant fox as he walked carefully towards it. It never occurred to him that Kyuubi could actually hurt him, but Naruto wasn't exactly comfortable with being in such close proximity to the most powerful Biju to ever exist either.
"You really went all out, didn't you?" he whispered as he stood over the fox's head. He guessed that the fox was suffering from extreme chakra exhaustion (he had been there enough times to recognize the symptoms) and something about the way the fox's leg was twisted reminded him of what happened to Bushy-Brows during his fight with Gaara.
A strange desire swept over Naruto and he felt the need to pet the enormous fox. He reached out and gently scratched behind Kyuubi's ear, keeping a watchful eye out in case the giant Biju decided to wake up. The fur was softer and smoother than anything Naruto had ever felt before. He scratched harder and froze when Kyuubi let out a loud, full sigh. Terrified, Naruto bolted out of the cage and hid behind a broken sewer pipe. When nothing happened, he peeked out from behind the pipe. Kyuubi was still unconscious.
Naruto let out his own sigh and looked back at the fox. "Well, Fuzzy isn't going to be telling me anything for awhile," he said to himself. "Better get back and see Granny Tsunade. I bet she can tell me what happened."
Naruto turned to leave and tripped over the broken door. "Probably shouldn't leave this here." He picked up the large door, surprised that something so big could be so light and could contain something like Kyuubi. Naruto wasn't sure how to really repair the door, so he rested it up against its hinges for now. He clapped his hands together, brushing away the dirt, and admired his handiwork. The door was still bent and stood crooked in its frame. Basically, it still looked terrible. Naruto's face split into a fox-like grin and he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.
"Oh well," he shrugged. He turned and walked out of his mindscape, slowly fading from view.
In the cage, Kyuubi opened one of her eyes and started at the disappearing Naruto. "Stupid kit," she yawned before rolling over and falling back to sleep.
-X-
The sunlight was extra bright compared to the darkness of his mindscape and Naruto had to shield his eyes as he came back from his visit with Kyuubi.
"Well, that was a waste of time," he said and stood up to stretch his stiff joints.
"How's Kyuubi?" asked Jiraiya as he stepped out from behind a tree.
"Ero-Sennin? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be getting your ass kicked by a horde of angry women? And how did you know I went to see Kyuubi?" asked Naruto.
"I taught you how enter your mindscape kid, remember?" answered Jiraiya. "Do you remember what happened after you fought Sasuke?"
"I remember Kakashi-sensei bringing me to the hospital. Why, what's going on?"
"You don't know how you got out here?"
"Nope, not at all," smiled Naruto.
He doesn't know that he died or about the Kyuubi's chakra spike, thought Jiraiya. This could get interesting…
"Um, Naruto, you'd better come with me. Lady Tsunade needs to talk to you about some things."
"Sure, I was going to go see Granny Tsunade anyway," replied Naruto.
Jiraiya walked beside Naruto, taking in the boy's new feral appearance. "Hey kid, what's with the claws? You tryin' to hook up with Inuzuka Hana or something? Start a litter of your own?"
"Pervert," Naruto muttered as they walked towards Hokage Tower.
-X-
In a small forest clearing, five miles outside Konoha's borders, a single bolt of lightning slammed into the ground. The flash was incredibly bright and when it faded, an old man leaning over a curved staff stood where the bolt had struck the ground. He coughed, patted his long white beard back into place, and straightened out his white robes.
A fierce miniature tornado appeared behind him, stirring up a cloud of dirt, twigs, and fallen leaves. When the small tornado dissipated, it revealed a man dressed in a red cloak and mask leaning up against a tree. His face was covered by the hood and mask; only his glowing grey eyes and a stripe of grey flesh were visible.
The man in red stepped towards the old man and crossed his arms impatiently. "What are we waiting for?"
"Our third. These shinobi tend to work in teams of three. Hence so shall we," replied the old man.
"Whatever. What's the big deal about this shinobi kid anyway?"
"Perhaps if you attended Ryu-uou's meeting, you would understand the urgency and purpose of our task."
"I was conducting important business," the man in red said defensively.
"Playing poker with the Goblin and Tonberry Kings is not important business," the old man said with a glare.
"It is when you're robbing them blind," laughed the man in red.
"May I remind you that Ryu-uou has reprimanded you many times over the last several millennia that such behavior is inappropriate? Someone of your importance and prestige should show more responsibility. Ah, here comes our third now."
A slow rumble filled the clearing and the ground shook all around them. A dark brown boulder shot up out of the ground in front of the pair. The boulder towered over the two men and caused them to take a careful step backwards.
The boulder began to crumble and shattered. Bits of stone fell away from the boulder until a gigantic man stood in its place. The man was tall and had dark tan skin. His arms, legs, chest, and stomach were all ripped masses of muscle. He had long brown hair and wore a leather loincloth for clothes. He walked barefoot towards the other two and brushed a bit of dust off his massive shoulder.
"Took you long enough Rock-head," grumbled the man in red, his cloak covered in beige colored dirt.
"Did you say something little man?" the giant said and stepped towards the man in red. The man in red refused to back down, despite only standing as tall as the giant's chest.
"Enough of this squabbling!" snapped the old man. Despite his old age, his voice echoed like thunder. "You're both too old to need babysitting. Try to put your differences aside until our task is done."
The giant and man in red glared at each other, but stepped back.
"Now, we must hurry," said the old man. "It has been too quiet in Konoha since the boy's chakra spike. I fear young Naruto maybe in great danger."
-X-
"Lemme go, you old hag!" shouted Naruto as he tried to squirm out of Tsunade's bone-crushing embrace. The moment Jiraiya brought Naruto in through her office window; Tsunade leapt from her desk, spilling paperwork and sake onto the floor, and wrapped her arms around Naruto. In her excitement to see Naruto alive, Tsunade forgot to check her superhuman strength and Naruto felt as if his insides were going to burst out of his ears. He began to turn blue and then purple.
"Air…" he gasped and tapped Tsunade on the shoulder.
"Oh," exclaimed Tsunade and let go of Naruto. Naruto fell unceremoniously to the floor and gasped for air.
"Lighten up Granny Tsunade!" shouted Naruto as he stood up. "You're acting like I was gone for a month or something."
Tsunade and Jiraiya shuffled around nervously, unsure how to tell Naruto the truth.
"Um, listen kid," Jiraiya started to say, but Tsunade stopped him with a wave of her hand. She sat down behind her desk and went into "Hokage mode".
"What do you remember from after Kakashi found you?" she asked.
"Um, I remember being in the hospital and telling Sakura I lost Sasuke. I guess I fell asleep after that and then somehow woke up on Hokage Mountain," said Naruto.
"There is no easy way to explain this Naruto. You didn't fall asleep. You died," Tsunade said seriously.
Naruto was silent for a moment before he burst into a roar of laughter. "Aw man, that's terrible, that really is. You guys need to work on your practical jokes cuz that is the worst ever!"
Jiraiya rolled his eyes and Tsunade felt her blood pressure climbing as she resisted an urge to clobber some sense into the boy.
"It's not a joke, you baka!" she yelled. "I was the one trying to heal your wound, I was there! I declared you dead!" She grabbed a stack of papers off her desk and shoved them into Naruto's hands. "Look for yourself."
Naruto looked down at the papers and shuffled through them, scanning the pages. Hospital Report. Death Certificate. Killed In Action. All with his name marked deceased.
"This…this isn't a joke?" he whispered.
"I wish it was," said Tsunade and she poured herself a drink. She told Naruto what had happened: about the hospital, meeting with the Rookies, feeling the Kyuubi's chakra spike, and Jiraiya finding an empty morgue.
"I knew you favorite place in the whole village was Hokage Mountain," Jiraiya said. "It was the first place I looked."
It was a lot for Naruto to take in all at once. He sat in his chair, occasionally looking down at the Death Certificate with his name on it in his hands.
"It makes sense," he said after a few minutes. "When I went to talk to Kyuubi, the cage was all trashed. The seal was still attached to the door and all, but the place was a mess. And Kyuubi looked all tired and beat up too."
"What do you mean you went to talk to Kyuubi?" asked Tsunade.
"Well, when I woke up on Hokage Mountain, I felt all energetic and strong, like when I'm using Kyuubi's chakra. I even have claws and fangs like a fox. But I didn't feel Kyuubi at all. So I went into my mindscape like Ero-Sennin taught me to see what was going on."
"You taught him how to interact with the seal?" Tsunade turned and growled at Jiraiya.
"He'd been there before," he said and waved his hands defensively. "I just showed him how to do it consciously."
"What is it with sensei's teaching kids all these hazardous techniques today," she muttered and made a mental note to hit Jiraiya later before turning back to Naruto. "What was the Kyuubi up to? What did he say?"
"Well, he didn't say anything. He was lying on his side and sorta whimpering. He didn't even move when I walked into the cage and scratched behind his ears," said Naruto. Tsunade's and Jiraiya's jaws hit the floor.
"You petted the Kyuubi No Yoko?" Jiraiya gasped.
"You don't go around petting Biju like their puppies!" yelled Tsunade.
"I was only being nice!" Naruto shouted back.
Jiraiya stepped back and watched the two argue back and forth. He reached into his pocket and began scribbling furiously in his notebook. This is great stuff, he thought. Forbidden interaction, upsetting authority…yes, yes, this is magical!
The argument was interrupted by the sudden appearance of an ANBU wearing a Boar mask inside the office.
"I said I didn't want to be disturbed," growled Tsunade.
"I'm sorry Lady Tsunade," apologized the ANBU, "but the honorable Council has requested your presence."
"Tell Danzo and his lackeys that I'll be along after I am finished here," Tsunade said and dismissed the ANBU with a wave of her hand. When the ANBU didn't leave, Tsunade grew concerned. "What?"
"The honorable Council—"
"You can drop the honorable Council shit," Jiraiya muttered unceremoniously.
"The honorable Council," the ANBU continued, "requested Uzumaki Naruto's presence as well."
The news stunned Tsunade. How could anyone else know that Naruto is alive? she wondered. Everyone must have felt the Kyuubi's chakra spike, but could someone have seen him before Jiraiya got there?
"We'll be along shortly," she said and the ANBU vanished in a shunshin of leaves.
"How could they know Naruto is alive?" Jiraiya asked the question that burned through Tsunade's mind.
"I don't know," she admitted. "But something isn't right. Stay close to me Naruto and keep your mouth shut."
-X-
The three strange men approached the massive exterior walls of Konoha. The many Chunin and Genin guarding the gate and patrolling the walls stared at the trio as they walked closer to the gate. Several Genin even hid when they saw the enormous size of the giant and the strange grey glow in the man in red's eyes.
"Why do they fear us?" wondered the giant. "We have not threatened them in any way."
"Your face is scaring them away," muttered the man in red.
"So says the man who hides behind a hood and mask," chuckled the old man. The man in red fumed with anger, but held his tongue as they stepped up to the gate. The two Chunin guarding the gate paled, but managed to hold their ground.
"Welcome travelers," one of the Chunin greeted. He had been born with a large and quite crooked nose that stood out prominently from the rest of his face.
"Please present your hitai-ite for inspection and identification before entering," the other, more serious Chunin said. He wore a mask that covered the right side of his face from top to bottom. His fingers crept towards the hilt of the short sword at his side.
"We aren't Shinobi," the man in red announced proudly. The two Chunin looked at each other then back at the strange trio. They didn't see any hitai-ite on the trio or any traditional Shinobi weapons. But the two Chunin knew to look underneath the underneath.
"State your names and business in Konoha," the serious Chunin ordered. His hand wrapped around the hilt of his sword, but he didn't draw it.
"No need to be hasty," the old man said calmly. "We are here for a meeting and a meal at your famous Ichiraku Ramen Bar."
"Meeting with who?" asked the big nosed Chunin.
"The Hokage of course," smiled the old man.
Big Nose pulled out a small piece of paper with the Hokage's appointment's on it. "Your names, please?"
"Of course. The gentle giant behind me is known as Titan and the fool in red is called Gilgamesh. I am Ramuh."
Big Nose quickly scanned the slip of paper, but didn't see any of the trio's names on it. "Umm, you're not on the list."
"Young man, do you really think the Hokage would tell you about all of her secret meetings?" Ramuh asked the guard. "A Hokage without secrets really isn't worth the title. Now let us pass before we are delayed any longer."
"Let them pass," Big Nose said and stepped aside.
"Thank you," smiled Ramuh and walked through the gate. Titan and Gilgamesh nodded at the guards before following Ramuh.
Once inside, the trio walked through the crowded streets. "Well, that was a joke," laughed Gilgamesh. "With security like that, it's a wonder this place hasn't been invaded and wiped off the map."
"Their security does seem lax," commented Ramuh, "but they are far from weak. Ryu-uou mentioned to me earlier that they recently fought off an enemy invasion. I suspect they are far stronger than they allow to be seen."
"When are we meeting the Hokage?" asked Titan.
"Ryu-uou said to wait at the ramen bar," answered Ramuh, "and she will come to us."
"A little vague, don't you think?" smirked Gilgamesh. "It could be hours before the Hokage shows up, if she even does. I haven't known many leaders that eat at Ramen stands," he said as they stopped in front of the small wooden building.
"Obviously, you've never had their miso and pork ramen," smiled Ramuh as he pushed aside the drapes and took a seat.
-X-
The Council Room was poorly lit as Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Naruto entered. Tsunade was shocked to see the full council, both civilian and Shinobi Clan heads, present. The Council rose to their feet as she entered, more from habit that real respect for the Hokage. They sat with a nod from Tsunade, all save for Danzo. The old, profusely bandaged, warrior remained standing.
"You were not summoned by the Council, Jiraiya-san."
"Oh, I know," smiled Jiraiya as he sat down and propped his feet up on the council table. Tsunade hid a small smile at her old friend and teammate's behavior. She collected herself and addressed Danzo with full confidence and authority.
"What do you want Danzo?" she asked, more than a little annoyed and impatient with the Council's brazen abuse of power.
"Direct and to the point as always, Lady Tsunade," said Danzo. He smiled, but his visible eye showed only disrespect and venomous hatred. "To be brief, I want the boy."
"You might want to rephrase that," chuckled Jiraiya. Several of the Shinobi Clan Heads snickered as well, but not one of the civilians broke so much as a smile.
"You know what I mean!" shouted Danzo, the flesh visible between his bandages turning bright red.
"Everyone in the Land of Fire felt the Kyuubi No Yoko's chakra spike after you had declared the boy dead," snapped Haruno Misaki, Sakura's mother. Naruto glared at her. Misaki had always gone out of her way to show her dislike for him, even going so far as to go to the Sandaime to protest Sakura being put on the same team as a "dead last, loser demon."
"The Demon Fox is taking control and must be destroyed or given to Danzo-san immediately!" Misaki concluded.
"Hey! I'm right here ya know," growled Naruto before Tsunade clamped a hand on his shoulder and gave it a slight squeeze.
"There is no proof that the Kyuubi is in control of Naruto. I have been talking with him for the last hour and he remains the normal hyperactive, unpredictable, gaki he has always been," Tsunade said evenly.
"May I remind you that you yourself declared the boy dead," stated Hyuuga Hiashi. "My apologizes, Lady Tsunade, but I would certainly hope that the greatest Medical-Nin the world has ever seen could tell the difference between a live boy and a dead one. Clearly, an outside force was at work and, as Misaki said, we all felt the Kyuubi's chakra spike."
"It is illogical and irresponsible to merely assume that Naruto is no longer in control without performing a full inquiry," said Aburame Shibi. "I move that Yamanaka Inoichi perform a full mental scan of the boy before further allegations are made."
"Second," said Inoichi, being curious about what lurked in the boy's mind for many years. Mitokado Homura stood and raised his hand.
"All in favor?" he asked. All the Shinobi heads but Hiashi raised their hands and three civilians did as well. "Majority rules," he said, somewhat depressed by the results. "Please step forward Naruto."
Naruto looked up at Tsunade. She nodded her head and he stepped to the edge of the Council table.
Inoichi rose from his chair and walked over to Naruto. He knelt down so he was eye level with the boy. "Just relax and look into my eyes," he said calmly.
"You're not gonna change my memories or anything, are you?" Naruto asked quietly.
Inoichi smiled. "No, nothing like that. I'm just going to take a quick look around. I promise I won't disturb anything, ok?" Naruto nodded and Inoichi made a few handseals before plunging into Naruto's mind.
-X-
Inoichi had dove into many minds in his years as a Shinobi, both as a part of Ino-Shika-Cho and as a consultant for ANBU Torture and Interrogation Squad. Each time had been a unique experience and he had seen many terrible things…
Naruto's mind was in a league all its own. The sewer was more vivid and complete than most mindscapes; it even had its own distinct smell. He maneuvered through the sewer, stepped around disgusting messes, until he reached an enormous golden cage. Inoichi stood in front of the cage, astonished by its size and its state of destruction. The bars were bent and twisted, the cage door hung loosely off its hinges, and the surrounding floor and walls were covered in burn marks.
Inoichi crept up to the bars and put his hands on them. He could hear the sound of something large breathing steadily from deep inside the cage, but couldn't make out anything. He stood up on his tiptoes and pressed his face through the gap in the bars to get a better look. Inoichi squinted through the darkness and saw the outline of a large, furry shape. He pulled his head away and looked closer at the door; he could see the Yondaime's seal still in place and intact.
'It's still trapped inside,' he thought and let out a sigh of relief. Suddenly, the breathing within the cage stopped. 'It heard me…' Inoichi paled and stepped away from the cage just before a bushy tail slammed into the bars and rattled the cage. Inoichi fell backwards as a par of glowing red eyes appeared behind the bent bars.
"So, they sent a little psychic mouse for me to snack on," the Kyuubi said and Inoichi thought he heard the distinct sound of the fox licking its lips.
Terrified, Inoichi's hands stumbled through handseals. "Shinrei Inmetsu no Jutsu ( Mind Destruction Jutsu)!"
A blast of psychic energy flew from Inoichi's forehead towards the glowing red eyes, but splashing against the bars of the cage like a dribble of water against stone. The Kyuubi let out a deep, frightening laugh.
"You have no power here mouse," sneered the fox. "Be gone."
A flash of red chakra swept out of the cage and collided into Inoichi. The chakra burned and tore at Inoichi's psyche and expelled him from Naruto's mind.
-X-
Inoichi fell backwards and scrambled away from Naruto, a look of sheer terror and panic on his face.
"Inoichi, what happened?" asked Akimichi Choza as he helped Inoichi up.
"Ky-Kyuubi," stammered Inoichi before he realized he was in no real danger, that Kyuubi had only blasted his mental projection. He caught his breath and collected himself. "Kyuubi is still contained, but just barely. While the seal remains intact, its cage is badly damaged. It discovered me and expelled me from Naruto's mind effortlessly."
"So that's what that tingly thing was in my head," muttered Naruto out loud, but no one paid any attention to him. The Council was too busy arguing and whispering amongst themselves. Danzo rapped a wooden gavel on the table to restore order.
"It is clear that the Kyuubi is on the verge of escaping," he said. "I doubt even all our combined strengths could contain it for very long. For the good of Konoha, it myst be destroyed once and for all, now while it is still weak."
The Council Elders and entire civilian section nodded and shouted out statements of support. The Shinobi Clan heads lowered their heads, knowing that Danzo had a valid point; the evidence was greatly against Naruto. Tsunade fumed and turned red with rage.
"How dare you?" she shouted. "You spineless cowards! You have no right…"
"To exercise authority over a Shinobi under your command," Danzo interrupted and finished for her. "I'm afraid that is no longer the case." He picked a scroll off the table and tossed it to Tsunade. "After witnessing the devastation caused by Sabaku no Gaara and the Ichibi no Shukaku, the Council came to an emergency decision. Under Council Ordinance 501, addendum 66: in the event of a Jinchūriki within Konoha's borders losing control over his/her Biju, he/she falls immediately under the jurisdiction of Konoha's Elder Council and a vote will be called as to how to deal with the situation."
"This is ridiculous," snarled Tsunade as she unrolled and scanned over the document.
"Another one of your amendments passed after the Sandaime's death while the kid and I were out searching for Tsunade?" growled Jiraiya, aware of more than a few rumors of laws passed during the absence of a Hokage.
"I do not appreciate your accusations, Jiraiya-san," said Danzo as innocently as he could. "Anything that may have been passed in the wake of the Sandaime's death was passed purely for the sake of Konoha."
Tsunade crumbled up the scroll in her fist and tossed it like garbage onto the table. "I will fight you on this Danzo," she growled, "even if I have to go to the Daimyo himself."
"That is your prerogative, of course," smiled Danzo. "But if I were you, I would count my blessings."
"What do you mean?" asked Naruto. "What blessings?"
"This Council was never in favor of allowing you to become a Shinobi," explained Danzo. "It was only at the Sandaime's insistence that you were admitted to the Academy. We thought that it might make you into a better weapon someday. But your failure to return Uchiha Sasuke, your death, and this demonic resurrection has proven us wrong about you for the last time. Now, if you three will excuse us. A vote this delicate needs to be conducted in private."
"I'll show you teme's delicate!" shouted Naruto. Jiraiya and Tsunade quickly latched onto the boy's arms before he could launch himself at the Council and tear the Elders apart with his new claws.
"This isn't helping gaki," Tsunade hissed into Naruto's ear.
"I don't care! If they want to kill me, they'll have to do it the old fashioned way!"
Tsunade and Jiraiya struggled, but managed to pull Naruto away from the table. He fought them, kicking and thrashing, but they hoisted him up and carried him out of the room. Once outside, they lessened their grip on Naruto and Tsunade smacked the angry boy on the back of the head.
"You baka! That little stunt back there pretty much sealed the vote for Danzo."
"I don't care. That teme was going to have me executed anyway."
"What do you mean?" asked Jiraiya.
"I recognized that Boar ANBU that came to get us. He's been a part of the mobs that tried to kill me on my birthday for years," explained Naruto. Tsunade's fists cracked audibly. She had heard about the Birthday Mobs from Kakashi and some of the other Shinobi and it infuriated her to no end. How could Hiruzen-sensei have allowed things like that to happen to Naruto?
"So what are we going to do?" asked Jiraiya, the only one amoungst them trying to keep a cool head. "We don't have a lot of time."
"Haven't you been paying attention, Ero-Sennin?" asked Naruto. "The assholes want me dead and I plan on making them earn it."
"Use your head, Naruto," sighed Tsunade. "You can't fight the whole village."
"Could he leave with me?" wondered Jiraiya.
"The Council would declare you both nuke-nin within a day. You'll be hunted down by every Shinobi in the world, including Konoha Shinobi loyal to the Council."
"Do you think the Daimyo would listen to you?" Naruto asked Tsunade.
"Maybe. I think he'll be our best shot at overruling the Council. He was impressed by you at the Chunin Exams." Tsunade leaned up against a wall and ran her hands through her long blonde hair. "The only problem is that it could take days, even weeks, to get an audience."
"Get on it," said Jiraiya. "In the meanwhile, Naruto will leave with me. Even as nuke-nin, he'll be safer out in the wilds with me than anywhere else."
"Not a whole lot of other options," Tsunade nodded. "You ok with that?"
"Do I have a choice?" muttered Naruto. Tsunade smiled sadly, knelt down, and wrapped her arms around Naruto.
"I'll fix this," she whispered, her eyes forming with tears. "I promise." Naruto hugged her back, a few tears falling down his whisker-marked cheeks.
"C'mon kid, we have to pick up a few things before we leave," said Jiraiya. Tsunade and Naruto broke away from each other and Naruto stepped next to Jiraiya.
"See you later, Baa-chan," Naruto said and gave Tsunade his biggest smile.
"So long gaki," waved Tsunade as Jiraiya and Naruto vanished in a leaf shunshin.
A moment later, the doors to the Council Chambers opened and the Boar ANBU stepped into the hallway.
"The honorable Council has made its decision," he announced and looked around. "Where is Jiraiya-san and Uzumaki?"
Tsunade put on a confused face and looked around in a circle. She stopped at the spot where Jiraiya and Naruto had just been. "My goodness," she gasped theatrically. "They were just here a second ago." She turned back and looked at Boar. "You know, these Shinobi are so hard to keep track of sometimes."
-X-
"Hurry up and pack a few things," Jiraiya said as they landed on the rooftop of Naruto's apartment building. "Just take what you absolutely need. I'll be back in three minutes and then we are out of here." With that, Jiraiya took off in the direction of the Hokage Tower.
Naruto, alone for the first time since Jiraiya found him on top of the monument, wall-walked off the roof and into the window of his apartment. The tiny and dirty apartment was just as he left it.
"I give it a day before this place is turned upside down and destroyed," Naruto muttered to himself. He grabbed a small backpack and began to stuff clothes into it, not really looking to see what he was packing, but not really caring either.
Stupid Council, stupid village, he thought as he shoved his pouches of second hand shuriken and kunai into the bag. When I'm Hokage… he stopped in mid thought. Hokage. There was no way he'd ever become Hokage now. Even if Tsunade managed to keep him from being executed, the Council would oppose his every move. They would never allow him to be nominated or accepted as Hokage.
"They'd make Sasuke-teme Rokudaime Hokage before me," Naruto growled. His dream crushed, Naruto sat down on his lousy bed and stared at his clawed fingers.
"C'mon kid, time to go," Jiraiya announced as he returned from Hokage Tower, a trio of scrolls tucked into his jacket, and entered through Naruto's open window. Jiraiya's trademark grin faded when he saw Naruto sitting on his bed, staring at his clawed fingers.
"You ok?" he asked, even though it was clear that Naruto was anything but ok.
"What am I going to do now?" Naruto asked softly. "I'll never be Hokage now, will I?"
"Nope," Jiraiya frowned. "Even if Tsunade is able to clear this whole mess up, the Council would never allow it."
"Gee, thanks for cheering me up, Ero-Sennin," Naruto said with a small, but sarcastic smile.
Jiraiya sat down on the bed and patted Naruto on the shoulder. "I know you've had a tough time around here kid, but blowing smoke up your ass isn't going to help anything. C'mon, lets get out of town, do some training, and maybe, if you behave, I'll let you help me with my research."
"You go through that whole speech about blowing smoke and you still call it research. Just admit you're peeping, ya pervert!"
"Now, now, that's the attitude that's been holding you back with the ladies," laughed Jiraiya. "Now get the rest of your stuff. We're meeting Tsunade just outside the gates in twenty minutes."
-X-
Naruto and Jiraiya walked through the village streets, headed directly for the gates. After Jiraiya had been in such a hurry to get him packed and out of his apartment, Naruto was upset that they were actually walking towards the gates.
"How come we gotta walk? Why aren't we running on the rooftops or using a shunshin?" he whined and looked over his shoulder for the third time since they left his apartment.
"Running around or using jutsu will draw attention," Jiraiya explained. "We're trying to escape under the radar, not alert the Council or ANBU that we're leaving Konoha. We have to be subtle. And why do you keep looking over your shoulder?"
"The whole village keeps staring at me," muttered Naruto uneasily. "Its like they're all ready to either attack me or piss themselves as I walk by."
"Tsunade said that everyone, shinobi and civilians alike, felt Kyuubi's chakra spike," said Jiraiya. "It's sure it scared the holy hell out of all of them. You can't really blame them kid."
"I know. It'll be better once we get outta here."
"We'll be gone in a few minutes, as long as nothing happ…"
"NARUTO!" shouted a feminine voice beside them. Naruto spun around while Jiraiya smacked himself on the back of the head for jinxing them.
Flashback
Ino and Tenten did when Lady Tsunade had told them to do. They took Hinata back to the Hyuuga Compound and waited for her to wake up. When she did, Hinata looked around confused and scared.
"Wha- What happened?" she asked and stood up from her bed. "How did I get home?"
"We carried you," said Ino.
"Don't you remember what you did?" asked Tenten. Hinata shook her head.
"I remember Lady Tsunade telling us that Naruto-kun…" Hinata couldn't finish. Ino and Tenten quickly filled in their friend, who turned even paler and sat back down.
"I-I attacked Lady Tsunade?" she stammered.
"Smashed her sake good," smiled Tenten. "Shame, it was good stuff too."
"And…and I sa-said?"
"Yep. You called her a sad excuse for a Hokage," Ino said cheerfully. Hinata paled even more and wavered back and forth. "Whoa, easy Hinata. Breathe, girl, breathe. Everything's ok."
"Ok? How is it ok?" whimpered Hinata. "I insulted and attacked the Hokage! They're going to lock me away or execute me!"
"No one's going to lock you away or execute you," laughed Ino. "Lady Tsunade isn't like that. She wasn't even mad. I think what you did was just what she needed."
"I still need to apologize," said Hinata.
"Are you up for it?" asked Tenten. Hinata nodded and stood up.
End of Flashback
"Uh, hey guys," Naruto smiled and waved at the three girls, but remembered his claws and quickly lowered his hand. Hinata took one look at Naruto and collapsed in a dead faint.
"Hinata!" Naruto leapt forwards and caught Hinata just before she hit the ground. He gently lowered her down and cradled her head in his lap. Tenten and Ino just stared in shock, their jaws slack.
Jiraiya pinched the bridge of his nose and looked around. He scanned the crowded streets and surrounding rooftops for ANBU. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw no signs of pursuers.
"What are you three doing?" he whispered to Ino. People were beginning to notice Naruto holding Hinata and it was making Jiraiya nervous.
"We, uh, we were, um…" Tenten trailed off, her eyes still fixed on Naruto. "What were we doing?"
"I think we were going to see Lady what's her name," said Ino, her brain stuck in a loop. "Wasn't he dead?"
Jiraiya smiled. "It seemed the announcement of Naruto's death was a tad premature."
"So he's not dead?" Tenten asked just to be sure.
"He's alive and kicking," said Jiraiya, relieved and happy to see the girls concern for Naruto and their smiles at the news.
Meanwhile, Naruto shook Hinata gently as he tried to revive her. "C'mon Hinata-chan, wake up."
Jiraiya, Ino, and Tenten walked over and stood above Naruto and Hinata. Jiraiya smiled at Naruto's devotion and decided to have a little fun with the blonde.
"Naruto, why don't you try mouth-to-mouth?"
All three Genin turned and glared at the Sannin. Naruto opened his mouth to call Jiraiya an old, ugly pervert, but felt Hinata stir in his arms.
"Hinata-chan?" he whispered and looked down at her. Hinata's eyes slowly fluttered open and blinked away the sunlight.
"Naruto-kun?"
"Are you ok? You kinda went all limp and fell all of a sudden."
Hinata didn't answer. The sight of her crush alive and holding her overloaded Hinata's mind and she flung her arms around Naruto's neck. Naruto froze for a moment, startled by Hinata's sudden embrace, but recovered quickly and returned the hug.
Ino and Tenten smiled and Ino even grew a little teary-eyed at the sight. Jiraiya, however, grew more and more nervous. They had been in one place too long and had drawn too much attention for his taste. He tapped Naruto lightly on the shoulder.
"We have to go Naruto," he said. "We don't want to be late."
Hinata looked up at Jiraiya, her arms still slung around Naruto. "Where are you going? You just came back."
"Naruto and I are going on a little training trip," Jiraiya lied. He didn't want to tell the girls the real reason they were leaving Konoha; they would find out soon enough.
"I'll be back soon, Hinata-chan," smiled Naruto. He looked into Hinata's lavender eyes and gave her a soft kiss on the cheek. Hinata's knees wobbled and she would've fallen in a faint again if Naruto hadn't been holding her.
Naruto-kun kissed me! she exclaimed inside her head. What should I do? Summoning all her courage, Hinata craned her neck up, her lips pursed to kiss Naruto back on the cheek.
"C'mon Naruto," interrupted Jiraiya, "time to go."
Naruto turned his face towards Jiraiya to say something back and turned right into Hinata. Her lips pressed onto Naruto's slightly open mouth and both their eyes snapped open in surprise. For a heartbeat, they stood there with their eyes open and lips locked. Then Naruto's eyes slowly fluttered closed and he kissed Hinata back. Hinata's eyes rolled back in her head and she melted against Naruto's body.
Behind them, Tenten and Ino laughed and Tenten let out a loud wolf whistle. Jiraiya temporarily forgot all about gathering too much attention and scribbled down every detail of the kiss in his notebook.
A sudden breeze alerted Jiraiya's senses. He looked around and saw the shadow of an ANBU appear in a nearby alley. Idiot, he thought. An ANBU should know better than to shunshin that obviously so close to his target. He put his notebook away and grabbed the back of Naruto's jacket.
"Time to go Romeo!" he yelled and yanked Naruto away from Hinata, nearly knocking Hinata over in the process. Jiraiya ran as fast as he could towards the gates, dragging Naruto behind him.
Ino and Tenten watched as the two Shinobi ran off in a blur of white hair and orange jacket, shocked by their sudden departure. They jumped out of the way as a squad of ANBU suddenly appeared and took off after Jiraiya and Naruto.
"What the hell was that?" asked Tenten.
"I have no idea?" answered Ino before she remembered Hinata. The Hyuuga heiress was still standing there, eyes half-closed, and lips pursed. "You ok Hinata?" Ino asked and waved her hand in front of Hinata's face.
"I think Naruto broke her," snickered Tenten when Hinata didn't react to Ino's hand.
"Maybe I should do a quick mind scan, see if she's ok?" suggested Ino. Tenten nodded in agreement. Ino made a quick hand seal and focused her mind.
"Mind Scan," she said and closed her eyes. A second later, Ino's eyes snapped back open and she scrambled backwards away from Hinata.
"What's the matter?" asked Tenten, concerned. "What did you see?"
Ino shook her head back and forth. "She-she's fine," she stammered, flustered. Tenten raised an eyebrow; she smelled something gossip worthy.
"What did you see Ino?"
"Really, I didn't see anything out of the ordinary," Ino replied as she wiped away Hinata's nosebleed before Tenten noticed and, after witnessing the provocative images on the surface of Hinata's mind, prayed she didn't have one herself.
-X-
"Slow down Ero-Sennin!" yelled Naruto as Jiraiya dragged him through the streets. "What's the big idea anyway?"
"Shut up gaki!" Jiraiya yelled back. "If you hadn't made such a scene making out with your girlfriend, Danzo's ANBU never would have caught up with us!"
"ANBU?" Naruto craned his neck and saw Boar running after them; an entire squad of ANBU ran behind Boar and along the rooftops. "What are we gonna do?"
"We're running, aren't we?"
"But there's not that many of them. We can take em!"
"And kill half the village doing their shopping in the crossfire? Think about it kid; that's just what Danzo wants," said Jiraiya, but he let go of Naruto's arm.
Naruto ran beside Jiraiya; together they dodged and jumped over villagers in their way, no longer caring if they drew attention to themselves. More ANBU appeared in the alleyways and rooftops around them. They ran alongside Jiraiya and Naruto, occasionally moving ahead to block a side street or alley.
They're herding us, Jiraiya quickly realized. "Be ready for anything kid. We're almost at the gate, but they're not gonna make things easy for us."
"Wouldn't have it any other way," Naruto said, his voice a deep growl. Jiraiya looked over at Naruto and saw him stretch his fingers, splaying his clawed fingers out wide instead of clenching them into fists. Killing intent leaked out of Naruto's pores and Jiraiya wondered just how contained the Kyuubi really was.
Might have to reinforce that seal when we get out of here, Jiraiya thought as they rounded a corner and came to a screeching halt.
Two dozen ANBU stood in a loose semi-circle in front of them, blocking their route to the gates. The ANBU each had weapons drawn or their hands in various handseals. Jiraiya smirked as more ANBU filed in behind them, sealing off their escape.
"Looks like you'll get to fight a little after all kid."
-X-
Ramuh sipped the last of his ramen broth and let out a small burg. "Pardon me," he smiled apologetically at Ayame.
"Don't worry about it," she laughed. "Around here, that's a compliment to the chef." Gilgamesh laughed and took a deep breath to pass along his own compliments when Titan covered his mouth with his massive hand. Gilgamesh let out a series of muffled shouts and curses until Titan raised a finger to his mouth.
"Shh," he whispered. "Listen." He removed his hand from Gilgamesh's mouth and the trio listened carefully. A low whisper filled the air and, suddenly, a Fuuma Shuriken tore through a wall and twirled towards Ayame. The girl screamed and tired to move out of the way, but was just too slow. All she could do was close her eyes and wait for it to tear into her.
There was a crimson blur and a clang of metal on metal. When she didn't feel the Fuuma Shuriken slice into her, Ayame opened her eyes and saw the shuriken fall to the floor, cut to pieces. She looked up and saw Gilgamesh standing in front of her holding the largest sword she had ever seen.
The sword was shaped like a butcher's knife with a single edge along its bottom and had a pair of circular holes cut into the blade near the hilt. The sword was nearly as long as Gilgamesh was tall and looked like it was incredibly heavy, although Gilgamesh hefted it onto his shoulder with one hand quite easily. Ayame wondered where he hid the massive sword, but was too flabbergasted to speak.
Ramuh stood up and pulled a small leather pouch out of his robes. "It seems out appointment has been stepped up," he said and placed a large amount of ryo on the counter. "Thank you for the meal, my dear. I suggest you and your father leave out the back." Ayame was still too bewildered and shocked to move; she stood still and muttered a few nonsensical syllables. "Go!" commanded Ramuh. His voice echoed like thunder and startled Ayame into action. She quickly swept up the ryo off the counter and ran into the back to get her father.
Once Ayame was gone, the trio walked out of the ramen stand and into the chaotic streets. All around them, villagers ran to and fro in a panic, small fires burned on rooftops and storefronts, and the sound of fighting filled the air.
"Sounds like we missed the beginning of the party," Gilgamesh said, his giant Buster Sword tapping impatiently on his shoulder. Titan nodded and cracked his meaty knuckles loudly. Ramuh tapped the base of his staff against the ground and blue-white lightning danced up the staff and across his body. When Ramuh tapped his staff again, a swell of white light engulfed the trio and when it faded, they were gone.
-X-
Jiraiya cursed as he ducked under another Fuuma Shuriken thrown by one of the ANBU. These guys are better than regular ANBU. What has Danzo been up to? he wondered. He his hands flew through several seals and he shouted, "Katon: Endan!" A steam of burning oil spewed out of the Toad Sage's mouth and quickly incinerated the ANBU into smoldering ash.
A loud cry of pain caught Jiraiya's attention. He turned and saw Naruto engaged in a taijutsu brawl with the Boar masked ANBU from the council meeting. Naruto threw a wild punch that Boar easily ducked and countered with a vicious kick to the chest. Naruto careened across the street and crashed into a storefront. Jiraiya hurried to help, but was cut off by several ANBU. They surrounded him in a tight circle, their various weapons pointed at Jiraiya's neck.
"Our orders are not to kill you if possible," an ANBU said emotionlessly from behind a fish mask. "Please surrender and allow us to complete our mission."
"Not gonna happen," Jiraiya growled and slapped away the nearest ANBU blade before smashing its wielder's mask with his fist.
-X-
Naruto carefully picked himself up, his chest aching with pain from Boar's kick. "Damn it, guess I'm not as healed as I thought," he groaned. "Oh well. I've wanted a piece of you for a long time Pig Boy and I'm not gonna let anything stop me now!" Naruto crossed his fingers in front of his chest and shouted: "Kage Bushin no Jutsu!"
Four copies of Naruto poofed into existence on either side of the original. "Here we go!" the five Naruto's shouted in unison and rushed at Boar. The first clone sprinted past Boar as a diversion to give the second a chance to kick the ANBU into the air. Boar hung in the air for a moment before orange flashes began to dance around him. The four clones shouted as they pummeled Boar with punches, claw swipes, and kicks.
"U!"
"Zu!"
"Ma!"
"Ki!"
Naruto, the original Naruto, sat perched on the back of the last clone. He jumped off the clone's back and twirled in the air above Boar.
"Naruto Rendan!" he shouted and drove his foot into Boar's neck. The kick crushed Boar's collarbone and drove him into the ground, leaving him in the center of a small crater.
Naruto landed over him and dispersed his clones with a thought. "Gotcha," he smiled until Boar's body burst in a cloud of smoke and a large log covered in footprints, knuckle marks, and claw scars appeared in its place.
"Kawarimi no Jutsu?" Naruto whispered and searched his surroundings for Boar, but didn't see any trace of the ANBU. He concentrated on finding him so much that Naruto didn't notice a small silver ball wrapped in an explosive tag roll out of the log and come to rest at his feet.
It wasn't until the tag began to glow and pulse with chakra that Naruto picked up on it. The ball exploded at Naruto's feet and released hundreds of senbon needles at him. Naruto let out a loud gasp of pain as dozens of barbed needles sank into his flesh. He fell to one knee and felt dizzy and nauseous.
Boar appeared in front of Naruto and drew a tipless tanto from inside his sleeve. "It is called Loci Venom. It is made from the poison of a rare spider from the Land of Wind," explained Boar. "It starts by causing disorientation and nausea in its victims, leaving it vulnerable just long enough for it to attack again. But in a high enough dosage, it causes complete paralysis accompanied by a wave of euphoria. Do you feel it?"
"Euphoria?" Naruto growled through grit teeth. "No."
"That is unfortunate," Boar sighed. His voice was completely casual and without a trace of emotion. "It seems that being a demon has given you a degree of immunity to the Loci," he observed, "replacing paralysis with extreme pain as your metabolism burns through the poison."
"Lucky me," Naruto smirked between grimaces.
"I'm afraid not. It means I will not be able to take you back to Danzo-san as he had hoped. But I will be rewarded for bringing you back dead as well."
Jiraiya saw Boar moving in for the kill and struggled to reach Naruto before it was too late. He kicked and punched at the ANBU surrounding him, but for every ANBU Jiraiya knocked away, another two appeared in its place.
Naruto struggled to get to his feet and fight back against Boar, but the Loci venom sent waves of fiery pain through his body each time he tried to move.
Where the hell are you when I really need you fox! he shouted inside his mind. I can't believe you wasted all that energy and chakra to bring me back to life and now you won't do a damn thing to keep me that way!
Boar reached out and grabbed Naruto's blonde hair and jerked it back to expose Naruto's neck. The motion sent a flash of pain down Naruto's spine and he let out a terrible howl of pain. Boar grinned beneath his mask and pulled Naruto's head back farther.
"Stay dead," Boar spat and pulled his tanto back to strike.
A soft buzzing filled the air and the hairs on Naruto's arm stood on end. A bright light flashed beside Naruto and startled Boar, who thought it was one of Jiraiya's jutsu that had gotten through the other ANBU, and he jumped away from it. When the light faded, three men stood in its place.
"Is that him?" Gilgamesh asked and pointed the tip of his boot at Naruto.
"He doesn't look like much," rumbled Titan as he bent his massive frame in half to inspect the injured boy.
"Looks can be deceiving. Look underneath the underneath," Ramuh said. "He is the one Ryu-uou sent us to retrieve."
"Who are you?" Boar asked. "What are you doing here?"
"Oh, I am sorry, I forgot you were still there," Ramuh said and waved Boar away. "You may go now." Boar started to take a step away when he remembered that he was the one in charge and that these three strangers were the ones interrupting his mission.
"You are interfering with a mission given to me directly from the honorable Council of Konoha. Step away from my target or face execution beside him," he ordered.
"Aren't you the big bad soldier?" teased Gilgamesh. "You must be some kind of tough guy, beating up on a poor kid." Ramuh glared at him, silencing the swordsman, before looking back at boar.
"Rest assured that our orders come from a much higher power than your corrupt and mortal council. Leave the boy and his companion your teammates are delaying," Ramuh commanded, his voice steady as steel. "Go back and tell your council that Uzumaki Naruto is under the protection of Ryu-uou, ruler of the Nether, and you shall pursue him no more!"
"If you stand with the boy then you will share his fate!" shouted Boar and threw another Loci Bomb at Ramuh. The glowing ball sped through the air as Titan stepped away from Naruto and in front of Ramuh, moving faster than Boar believed a being of his size could move. His huge hand wrapped around the glowing bomb, caught it, and contained the explosion. Smoke leaked out from between his fingers and Boar smiled beneath his mask, certain that the Loci venom would paralyze the giant in seconds. Titan looked at Boar and smirked. He opened his hand and hundreds of broken senbon needles fell from his palm; not a single one had pierced Titan's rock-hard skin.
Gilgamesh vanished and reappeared beside the astonished Boar. "Impressed?" he whispered and swung the broadside of his Buster Sword at Boar. Boar jumped away from the blade, only to be hit by a gust of hurricane force winds. The winds propelled the ANBU backwards through the air and he crashed into his teammates surrounding Jiraiya.
Not one to ever look a gift horse in the mouth, Jiraiya leapt through the hole the crashing Boar made. He landed near Naruto and spun around, his hands already flying through handseals. A hand fell on his wrist and Jiraiya flinched from a small shock of static electricity.
"Allow me," Ramuh said, his eyes cold and dangerous. Jiraiya shrugged and stepped aside, letting his curiosity getting the better of him. Ramuh stepped towards the pile of ANBU just as Boar was picking himself up and tapped his staff on the ground.
A bolt of lightning, starting from his hand clutching the staff, traveled down the staff and raced along the ground. It arced up the ANBU's legs and held them in place while disrupting the bodies' nervous system. They fell backwards, feet still glued to the ground, and twisted and jittered from the lightning.
"Impressive," Jiraiya clapped and nodded.
"Thank you," smiled Ramuh in return. Gilgamesh and Titan walked over to the two, Titan cradling an unconscious Naruto.
"Naruto…" Jiraiya started to say, worried, and fearing the worst.
"He's fine," Titan said. "The poison is wearing off; he's just unconscious."
"Thank goodness," Jiraiya sighed in relief. He held out his arms for Titan to hand Naruto over to him, but the giant didn't move. Jiraiya looked from Titan and Ramuh and asked, "What's going on?"
"I'm sorry, but Naruto needs to come with us," explained Ramuh. "He has a capacity and ability that will be greatly needed against the growing darkness."
"What darkness? Just who the hell are you guys? Akatsuki?" Jiraiya demanded and slipped into his taijutsu stance.
Ramuh held up his hand. "Save your strength. We are not members of the Akatsuki? We are Espers of the Nether, Guardians of the Planet. This is Titan of the Earth and Gilgamesh of the Four Winds. I am Ramuh of the Storms."
"Jiraiya, Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku. Pleased to meet you," Jiraiya said without being very friendly or relaxing from his taijutsu stance. He ignored Gilgamesh's sudden look of recognition and exclamation. "You mentioned a coming darkness?"
"There are many threats to the Planet and its peoples. Should they unite, they will swallow all the world in poison and darkness," explained Titan.
"There are forces at work far more sinister and powerful than Orochimaru and the Akatsuki," said Ramuh.
"So where does Naruto fit into this picture?"
"I do not know," Ramuh admitted. "But Ryu-uou said that Naruto was our only hope and if Ryu-uou believes that than it is good enough for me to follow my orders."
Jiraiya sighed and lowered his fists. "I couldn't stop you, not even if I wanted to, could I?"
"I doubt it," Ramuh smiled kindly. "Nor should you want to. From what I have seen, Naruto doesn't have many reasons to stay. It doesn't seem safe for him here."
"You got that right," Jiraiya muttered before digging into his pocket. "Give these to Naruto once you get to wherever it is you're going. They are from his mother, father, the Hokage, and me," he said and handed Ramuh the three scrolls he took from the Hokage Tower. Ramuh took the scrolls with a nod and tucked them away in his white robes.
"Farewell Jiraiya," he turned and placed a hand on Titan's shoulder. He raised his staff and lightning danced across his chest and arms.
"Wait!" shouted Jiraiya. "When will we be able to see Naruto again? Will he be able to come back?"
"That will be up to him," smiled Ramuh. He tapped his staff on the ground and vanished with Titan and Naruto in a bolt of lightning.
That is so cool! Jiraiya thought with boyish envy before he noticed Gilgamesh was still standing there. The brash swordsman stared at his feet and mumbled something Jiraiya couldn't make out.
"What did you say?"
"Can I have your autograph?" Gilgamesh asked and held out an old and battered looking Icha Icha Paradise #1. Jiraiya chuckled and took the book.
"I didn't know I had an audience in the Nether, wherever the hell that is."
"Ryu-uou and I are the only ones, although I caught Shiva reading over Ryu-uou's shoulder a few times."
Jiraiya finished autographing the book and handed it back to Gilgamesh. "Keep an eye out for the next one."
"Of course. I have every single one. Thank you," Gilgamesh said. He tucked the book back into his cloak and was about to leave when Jiraiya stopped him.
"Take care of the kid for me," the Sannin said seriously. "He's all the family Tsunade and I have left."
"We will," Gilgamesh said and smiled beneath his mask before disappearing in a roar of wind.
"I have to learn how they do that," Jiraiya smirked. He heard a painful moan behind him and remembered about Boar and the ANBU squad. He trotted over and stood over the jittery and unconscious shinobi.
"What should I do with you guys? Feed you to my Fire Toads or let Tsunade decide what to do with you?" Jiraiya threatened before he felt a shiver up his spine.
How the hell am I going to explain all this to Tsunade-hime? he wondered and realized that Tsunade was going to hit him for all this.
Translations:
Shinrei Inmetsu no Jutsu - Mind Destruction Jutsu
Katon: Endan - Fire Style: Flame Bullet
Kage Bushin no Jutsu - Shadow Clone Jutsu
Uzumaki Naruto Rendan - Naruto Uzumaki Barrage
Kawarimi: Body Replacement Jutsu/Substitution Jutsu
Author's Notes:
Chapter II in the books. I hope you liked it. Originally, it was a much shorter chapter, but when I added the arrival of the Esper Trio, things began to just go on and on. I apologise if the Espers seem a little OOC, but there really isn't a whole lot of history in dealing with their personalities and traits outside of their attacks.
Please read and review! For those new to my writing, I always respond to my reviewers before I post the next chapter/update of that particular story. So please make sure you sign your review and I promise to get back to you.
Later