You might feel this chapter jumps around a little, but it was necessary and hopefully not too cumbersome to read! Thanks to everyone who's reviewed lately, its wonderful to know you're all enjoying the story! ^-^
Storm Cloud – Chapter 03 – Over An Alien Landscape
She was aware of the pain before anything else – and it took a moment to realise, that if she was feeling pain, then she must be conscious...and therefore alive. Her eyes snapped open at this, and she tried to ready herself for whatever she might face, it was dark, although there was enough light to make out something above her, that looked like...trees? She tried to sit up but pain shot through her arm again and she flopped back down,
"Sakura! Thank kami-sama!" Yamato appeared over her, a hand on her shoulder, as he looked a little concerned, "You've been out for hours...how are you?"
"O-ay," Her voice cracked lightly as Yamato lifted her to a sitting position and handed her a canteen of water and helped her gulp a few mouthfuls of freshwater, "My arms the worst, I think and I should be able to heal it after I've rested some more...what about you, any injuries? And the others?" Yamato shook his head slightly as she looked around, not seeing her back-pack, damn, she must have lost it in the confusion.
"I couldn't find Naruto or Kakashi – I only came across you a while ago and I didn't want to risk leaving you here alone to go and search for them, but I did send out a clone into the woods to scout around. I'm not badly injured through, apart form a few nasty bruises, but I'll live – heal yourself Sakura, as soon as you can,"
"Hai...have you come across anybody living here? They must be elite Jounin class at least to cast a jutsu like that," She tentatively reached in to summon her chakra, and, as expected she found her stores high; her body was exhausted, however, and protested at the strain of finely manipulating chakra. The kuniochi ignored it and focussed on mending the shattered bone and cartilage; Yamato looked concerned as he thought over his words,
"I know...that worries me too – I don't know how the jutsu could be maintained for all this time without someone here to do so. And they're obviously not welcoming hosts..." Sakura finished with her elbow and began on her sore ribs, "We'll wait here for the night and then we'll go in search of the others...let's just hope they aren't faring any worse than us."
…
"Hold still...we don't want to alert them to us before we have to," Kakashi whispered from his crouched position in the tree, Naruto in the same tree a few branches above; they were waiting for an elderly man and a young boy with him – who appeared to be about five or six – walking down the small trail between the trees. Kakashi was unsure how to act, he could sense chakra within them both, but were they from a village? Where there others? Were they alone? He didn't want to leap in while he was still uncertain of the situation.
"...So why was it never rebuilt, O-jii-san?" The young boy asked, pausing to bend and pick up a rock from the path,
"The other nations feared us...and hated us for our abilities. They were small minded and the stupid destroy what they do not understand," The elderly man spoke with a bitterness well known to Kakashi;
"Why?"
"Because the unknown can be frightening and it often seems easier to remove what frightens you rather than potentially make yourself vulnerable in trying to understand it," The boy looked confused for a moment, but nodded absently before throwing the stone up and catching it with the same hand; the lapsed into silence for a short while, they were almost out of sight from the two Leafs,
"O-jii-san?"
"Hmm?"
"What will happen to them?"
"Gerimaru will be along shortly to clean up," He placed his hand on the boy's head as they finally disappeared from sight; Kakashi did not like the sound of the elderly man's last comment and swiftly readied himself to leave, Naruto appeared by his side,
"What did the old man mean by that?"
"I don't know, but we need to get out of here," They darted away but only managed to leap to the next tree before a presence made itself well known to them, Kakashi span around and leapt down onto the path seeing five shinobi appear in front of him;
"Who are you?" One of the men spoke – he was dressed smartly in a yukata, the long hair sprouting from his head and down to just past his shoulders, was fiery red, he appeared to be a man into his late twenties; he was flanked by a further two shinobi on either side, all of whom were in a ready-stance.
"We are shinobi of Konoha," He eyed their headbands and attire carefully;
"Why are you here?"
"We are seeking information on a specific fūinjutsu,"
"For what purpose? What jutsu?"
"It is a very delicate situation – tell me who you are, first," Kakashi didn't take his eye of the men in front of him, watching for any untoward movements;
"I am Siina Gerimaru – I am charged with the protection of this village and we do not receive visitors often,"
"I seek only information, we do not desire to fight,"
"Why have you come here, specifically?"
"We are heading to the Village Hidden in the Whirling Tides," Gerimaru looked unimpressed – but in an arrogant, mocking, way;
"It has been long destroyed,"
"It is still our destination," As soon as the last syllable was spoken, two more nin appeared from the trees behind them, throwing kunai and sebon, causing Naruto and Kakashi to snap into action; the Copy Nin lifted his sharingan and dodged the blades speeding towards him. Gerimaru didn't pause to observe the fight and began to form hand seals, which drew Kakashi's attention as he read through them, seeing they were for a suuiton based jutsu – Kakashi was quick to counter with a doton but with six other opponents – two of whom already having demonstrated skills with fire and earth (the former singeing a few silver hairs from his head) was beginning to prove tricky.
There weren't many who could stand up to the Kyuubi jinchuuriki and Copy Nin team, but even so, Kakashi had to be careful – he couldn't risk overusing his sharingan and leaving himself vulnerable – or unable to help Naruto should he loose control. He began to exchange kicks and punches with Gerimaru whilst his mangekyou sharingan activated, ready to vaporise any unavoidable jutsu into nothing – Naruto was fairing fairly well, with four clones to assist him.
Kakashi was worried, Naruto was far more likely to loose control with provocation for anger above anything else – especially without Yamato in the vicinity to help, Kakashi would have to be prepared to try and control Naruto or the Kyuubi with his sharingan for as long as possible until some control could be wrought – even if that were possible, it would still mean Kakashi would need significant strength after his current fight and that was where the problems began.
…
"And just why should I do as you ask? You are severely outnumbered and in my home village,"
"We're well aware, Wazishi-san, and we desire no trouble, only to have our team-mates back," The man frowned, his busy eyebrows twitching as he stared at the two in front of him,
"You are all shinobi from Konohagakure no sato,"
"That is correct, Wazishi-san,"
"Long ago the Hidden Leaf and Whirling Tides were allies...yet Uzushio has already been destroyed, why do you still wear the symbol for Uzu on your back?"
"Although Whirling Tides no longer exists, Konoha still chooses to display its good will and friendship towards the shinobi from that village – since there are still surviving members of that clan and the village, we will still consider them allies," The old man 'hmm-ed' for a moment, sucking on the pipe between his lips,
"And why are you here, now, when we have had no visitors for decades?"
"We are headed to Uzushiogakure, in search of information,"
"Rubble is all that remains, what do you expect to find?"
"We seek information on a specific seal which originated in Uzushio,"
"You wish for advantage over your enemies?" Yamato shook his head slightly,
"No, that's not our purpose,"
"Then what is it?" Wazishi took a slow drag on his pipe and exhaled leisurely, watching the two through the plume of smoke;
"..." Wazishi smiled lightly,
"Well, until you decided to become more forthcoming, I will allow you to remain with you team-mates – please behave yourselves," Both Sakura and Yamato hesitated for a few moments before bowing,
"Thank you, Wazishi-san," Four shinobi appeared at their sides and swiftly removed them from the room. Gerimaru stepped up the raised dais upon which Wazishi sat; his expression still schooled into neutrality, but his mind was whirring,
"Is it wise to put them all together, kenjin-san [wise man]?" The elder's eyes connected to the younger, whose disbelief and hatred evident; Wazishi merely smiled,
"I wouldn't worry, Gerimaru-kun, they will not attack us...but I am curious as to why they are being so secretive if their purpose is not to gain tactical advantage as they have said,"
"They're probably lying,"
"No, I do not believe that." The elder rose to his feet, groaning slightly at the stiffness of his joints; "Give them a few days to think it over, then we'll talk to them again...Keep an eye on them Gerimaru-kun,"
Sakura wasn't sure who to treat first – Kakashi had looked better, but at least he was conscious,
"Kakashi-sampai! Naruto!" Yamato, was just as undecided,
"Naruto's alright, I put him under a genjutsu to prevent him from loosing control, but I think he's uninjured," Sakura nodded as she knelt in front of her former sensei, "My left shoulder's been dislocated," She eyed the sebon in his shoulder, which looked to be lodged in said dislocated joint, she winced slightly as she moved her hand in ready to grip the weapon, but she paused;
"I probably don't need to tell you how much this is going to hurt, but try and bear with it," He nodded as her left hand dropped to his upper arm as she gripped the sebon and yanked it free in a split second, eliciting a bitten groan from the Jounin as he tensed with the sudden pain.
"Sorry," She reached to pull down the zip on his flak jacket and pushed it gently off his shoulders, "I'm surprised you didn't yank the sebon out yourself...ah," She could see a few spots of dried blood on his shirt underneath,
"I pulled out the others, and I was about to start of that one, but then I heard them talking about you and Yamato and wondered if they'd send you here,"
"I'll heal them after we've sorted this shoulder," She moved to is side and carefully gripped his arm, "How long has it been dislocated?"
"A few hours perhaps,"
"Ready?" He nodded as Sakura lifted the arm slightly, before pressing her free hand against him, just below his armpit and tugging back on his arm sharply, enough to pull it up and out so that it slid cleanly back into place, well, cleanly from a medic's perspective but apparently Kakashi didn't agree as she felt him tense with the pain. Sakura pulled up the hem of his over-shirt, noticing that he wearing his tank top beneath, shifting her hands up to his shoulder joint under the over shirt so she could begin to pour in her healing chakra and ease the burning pain whilst she restored the tension to his ligaments and tendons.
"How does that feel now?" He brought his own hand up to rub his shoulder as he rotated his arm gently,
"Better...much better, thank you,"
"Lift up your under shirt and let me heal your other sebon punctures," He did as asked and barely a second after her fingers brushed over each injury, they were healed and only smooth, taught skin was left behind. "There, anything else?"
"No, that's all," He pulled his shirts back down,
"Did they ask you any questions?" He shook his head, as he slipped his flack jacket back on,
"Not really, I think they were cautious after seeing me knock out Naruto with a look, but..." There was something else Kakashi couldn't put his finger on;
"Hmm, well he had a few questions for us; he seemed suspicious of everything we said but the elder came across as a fairly reasonable man...one of his men was very unforgiving, though..." She rose to her feet and went to check on Naruto as Yamato sat beside Kakashi to talk with him; the kuniochi shifted his haitai-ate so as to press her hand to his forehead which would allow her chakra to infuse his system and in doing so broke the genjutsu,
"Mmh...Sakura-chan?"
"Hai, Naruto, take it easy,"
"What happened?" He sat up slowly,
"Kakashi said he put a genjutsu on you to make sure you wouldn't loose control, what's the last thing you remember?"
"We were fighting in the woodland, we were steadily getting more and more outnumbered and it was difficult to fight them without killing them...I could feel myself beginning to get angry...and then...just the sharingan," Sakura nodded,
"Any injuries?"
"N-no I don't think so...but why are you here? Were you captured?"
"In a manner of speaking, we saw them carting you off and decided that the best way to approach it was to speak to the village elder," Naruto sat up as he retied his forehead protector,
"So what are we going to do?"Sakura looked over her shoulder to Kakashi and Yamato, who'd heard Naruto's comments,
"Be patient," The Copy Nin responded, "The next move is theirs."
"Please stop staring at me like that, Gerimaru-san, I'm finding it difficult to concentrate," Sakura's allowed her voice to remain fairly relaxed although she kept her undertone firm – a typical tactic to deal with difficult patients...or their equally difficult chaperones. Gerimaru had called for Sakura earlier that day to help them heal some of their wounded (after they'd discovered her ability as a medic-nin, they'd all too swiftly found a convenient use for her). Kakashi had taken her aside just before she left and told the kuniochi to keep her eyes well peeled, and not to wear her chakra down to more than half – no matter what her 'medic conscience' told her. Sakura didn't like it, but she agreed to be mindful of what the potential situation could swiftly turn into, and made certain she didn't recklessly squander her precious life-energy.
"I don't trust you, Leaf," She finished her cursory exam of the patient lying on the nearby table and began to make notes,
"But Wazishi-san does, and he has asked me to help heal these men – as hard as it may be for you to accept, I am trying to help you and your men," Gerimaru narrowed his eyes slightly as Sakura moved back to the small desk laid out with various equipment and pinned another slip of paper to the clipboard;
"I find it difficult to accept you would help your enemies of your own free will," The kuniochi rolled her eyes,
"Its hardly of my 'own free will' whilst my team-mates are held hostage and I'm surrounded by other shinobi, is it? Besides, I do not consider you my enemies...yet," She whispered the last bit under her breath but apparently her chaperone heard it,
"Yet?"
"Continuing to interfere with the treatment of my patients – your subordinates – are hardly the actions of an ally, wouldn't you agree?" She locked eyes with him as she raised an eyebrow, obviously unimpressed;
"You think I would leave my subordinates at the mercy of a potentially hostile unknown?" She huffed slightly,
"Yamato and I could have attacked you outright but we didn't, we waited to speak with your leader,"
"A clever tactic," She looked at him carefully,
"You know, there are modifications to your diet and certain meditative exercises you can do to alleviate all of that paranoia," Gerimaru unfolded his arms and opened his mouth to speak, looking furious, when the fusuma slid open and another nin close to Wazishi entered,
"Have you finished your examinations?"
"Hai, Hishima-san,"
"Good, then come with me," She replaced her pen back to the desk and picked up the clipboard full of notes and followed the other nin out of the door, slowly followed by Gerimaru, as they traced the way back towards the main hall,
"Aah! Sakura-san, how are the wounded?"
"Stable, now, Wazishi-san; I've healed the flesh wounds and other injuries – there are quite a few cases of iron deficiency among your men and I'm willing to bet that there are more cases than those in the infirmary. I've written out a course of treatments and modifications to their diets to rectify the problem and prevent it from occurring again – I would expect you all to make such adaptations, lest you risk befalling the same afflictions," Wazishi eyed her carefully for a few moments,
"Thank you, Sakura-san, but I will not give my men any drugs,"
"Oh no, that won't be necessary – a simple change to their diets will be sufficient and for the men worst affected a few extra supplements and a short term stricter regiment will be all that's needed." He nodded,
"Very well, thank you – Gerimaru-kun, take her back to the cell and bring me the blonde young man," The nin took the papers from Sakura and handed them to another, before gesturing for the kuniochi to follow his lead. The return walk was fairly slow, the wooden boards creaking with each footfall as they traced the steps down the side of the main building; the sky was dark for the time of day and there was a thickness in the air, forewarning of the fat, round rain drops which plummeted from the clouds.
"You, blondie, come with me," A sizeable vein pop immediately appeared on Naruto's forehead; he stepped forward, ready to fight back,
"Cool it," Kakashi's reassured voice brought him back to reality, "Sakura," The kuniochi walked over to he and Yamato, as Naruto and Gerimaru disappeared, "Well?" She shrugged unconcernedly,
"Most of the men had a few minor injuries, broken bones, lacerations – no doubt thanks to you – as well as a general iron deficiency among them, and I suspect the other villagers," Kakashi nodded, not giving much away, but Sakura knew him well enough, "Disappointed?" He looked surprised for a moment, but shook his head,
"No...well, not really – hoping, perhaps for something a little more in our favour, but..."
"What is your name?"
"Uzumaki Naruto!" The flamboyant blonde flashed his signature grin as Wazishi choked on a badly-timed drag of his pipe;
"Wha – are you sure?" Naruto frowned for a moment,
"Sure? Ha-ha, what do you mean 'sure'? How can I be unsure of my name?"
"Your surname is 'Uzumaki'..."
"Mmh! It was my mother's,"
"Who was she?" Naruto wondered why the old man was so intrigued with his name, but he answered nonetheless,
"Uzumaki Kushina," Wazishi's eyes widened slightly, as a short ripple of whispers ran through the men flanking either side of the room,
"K-Kushina-chan? Are you certain? Where is she? Is she still alive?" Naruto averted his eyes to the floor,
"No...unfortunately she's dead, she died some years ago,"
"She was taken to the Leaf in her childhood, was she not?"
"Yeah! She was taken there to become the–" He cut himself short remembering that the information was probably not something he should freely share; "...To train as a kuniochi of the Leaf," Wazishi cocked his head slightly, sensing that Naruto had almost let something important slip;
"Would it surprise you to know, young man, that I knew your mother?" The jinchuuriki's eyes sparkled,
"What? Really?-!" A smile tugged at the elder's lips,
"Indeed I did...she was a very spirited child...like you, I think;" Naruto's smile turned slightly embarrassed as he brought a hand to the back of his head,
"Ahahaha...I've been told that before..."
"Hmm, she was well gifted with the powerful life-force of the Uzumaki clan, the best of her generation...her skill with sealing techniques was wonderful too...it made her an excellent student, despite her occasionally pricklynature,"
"Y-you taught her in sealing techniques?" Wazishi took another slow drag of his pipe as he nodded,
"Most of the fundamental ones of Uzushiogakure, yes,"
"But...my mother left here when she was young, of academy age...how could you have taught her?" Naruto asked, his maturity evident in his ability to more tactfully query the man's apparent age; he looked old, yes, but not more than about sixty, he thought.
"It might startle you to realise just how old I am...even she used to call me an old man back then! Hahah, but perhaps, they were her attempts to spite me for annoying her," Naruto was aware that he really shouldn't, but a laugh escaped him in thinking back to his own insults to Kakashi being along the same vein and for similar reasons when he was a little younger.
"I thought...that everyone was killed with the destruction of Uzushio?"
"Not quite, but it was in our interests to have others believe that," The blonde nodded in understanding; Wazishi's expression became slightly pained; "It saddens me more than I can say to hear my dear student has died...tell me, how did it happen?"
"...She was killed in an attack by the Kyuubi..." He hoped the half truth would suffice, the knowledge that if the fox escaped then it would surely be the death of himself and everyone else on the island Uzu.
"Hmm...I'm am sure she defended her home honourably..." Wazishi, as calm as his voice was, couldn't quite hide the twinge of regret and something else Naruto couldn't quite decipher,
"...She did." She saved him honourably, too;
"I've been told you are looking for information on a special seal," Naruto nodded,
"That's right – we believe that Uzushiogakure would hold some information we're looking for," The jinchuuriki's instincts telling him to buy as much time as possible before telling Wazishi exactly what they were really after was a good idea...especially as it would seem that the elderly man had precisely what they were after; their ignorance was currently to the Leaf's advantage.
"And what will you do should you find this information?"
"We will leave and not bother you again, if that is your wish," The elder paused, taking a few further puffs on his pipe whilst he considered his response;
"Then perhaps it would be in my interest to take you to where you wish to go...but I am still concerned with what you are planning to do with one of your seals," Naruto took a chance and hoped that a show of good faith would get him somewhere;
"If I am honest with you, Wazishi-san, the seal is for Konoha's jinchuuriki, the seal containing the demon fox – one which is from the village of Uzushio – is weakening and it needs to be recast, but we have no knowledge of the seal there – so our Hokage asked us to come here to discover what we could about it before disaster strikes." It pained Naruto to use precisely the language which hurt him to hear so often when he was young, but allowing Wazishi to realise he was the host, was not a good idea. The elder didn't respond immediately,
"...I can see how that situation would certainly prompt desperate measures..." The man rose to his feet and nodded to Gerimaru, "Go and get the others, I think its time we showed our guests what they're after,"
"Really?-!" Both Naruto and Gerimaru responded identically – for polar opposite reasons;
"Kenjin-san, you can't be serious-"
"You mean it, Wazishi-san? You'll-"
"Silence. Gerimaru-kun, bring Naruto-kun's comrades here. Naruto-kun, you will remain here, quietly," Gerimaru turned on his heel and marched stiffly out of the door and returned within a few minutes with a confused looking Yamato, Kakashi and Sakura; they knelt in front of Wazishi,
"After speaking with Naruto-kun, I've decided to take you all to what remains of Uzushiogakure. But I will remind you that you will still be my prisoners and I expect you all to behave – as skilled shinobi as you are, my men are able to immobilise you in seconds, I do not wish for any further conflict, do you understand?" Kakashi nodded;
"Hai, Wazishi-san...we're very grateful to you for this opportunity," He eyed Kakashi carefully,
"Very well..." He departed the room as Sakura broke into a grin,
"Save it Naruto to win-over even the most hardened of sceptics," Even Kakashi let out a breath of laughter at the statement. Before long, Wazishi returned, dressed slightly differently with a few extra guards who stepped up to each Leaf, flanking them on both sides as they left the buildings and began the long walk towards Uzushiogakure. Gerimaru walked next to Sakura,
"You won't want to test my...paranoia, kuniochi," Sakura only just managed to resist rolling her eyes at the apparent sore spot for Gerimaru. Wazishi, meanwhile, fell into step close to Kakashi,
"You are a Hatake, aren't you?" Kakashi barely managed to hide his surprise,
"Why would you think that, Wazishi-san?" The elder narrowed his eyes slightly, his disdain evident,
"Typical Hatake, always making sure he has the upper hand...you should feel lucky you are here as an ally of Naruto-kun," Wazishi swiftly walked on leaving Kakashi to decipher the fairly cryptic response – well, apparently his family connection certainly did extend to Uzushiogakure, after all.
..
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