Konoha
Naruto entered the realtors' building. The blonde shinobi had tired of renting an apartment and decided to find a home for himself, a place that he could proudly call his own. As the door closed behind the Jinchuuriki, the realtor at the desk looked up. Naruto approached him, slightly unsure as to what to do.
"Ohaiyo," greeted the realtor. Naruto nodded in reply.
"Ohaiyo." he answered. The realtor smiled.
"And how may I help you -?" Naruto filled in the obvious blank.
"Akuma." The realtor nodded in acknowledgement and continued.
"How may I help you, Akuma-san?" Naruto took a breath.
"I would like a house to purchase. Not too far from the town, but yet not too near to the border, with sizeable grounds and at least two bedrooms." The realtor smiled in delight.
"I have just the house for you then, Akuma-san," he said enthusiastically. "I will come with you immediately to give you the tour." The realtor came around the desk and gestured for Naruto to precede him out the building. He closed and locked the door, then began walking down the street. Naruto followed, and the two males walked in silence until they came to the edge of the village. The realtor turned off onto a small, sheltered road, barely visible to the ignorant passerby.
"The only thing this road leads to is the house," said the realtor, in a professional, sales-mode tone. "It is in complete privacy, Akuma-san." Naruto nodded in approval. Privacy was exactly what he needed; a place to train in peace and secrecy. He would probably put a Genjutsu on the house or something if he bought it, so that ninja having Doujutsu with similar properties to the Sharingan or Byakugan would have no success in seeing inside.
Their footsteps crunched over the dry leaves on the stone pathway as the realtor led his customer up to the house. They turned a few corners, and then came to a halt.
"Here we are!" announced the realtor chirpily. Naruto could only stare. The house was perfect. It reminded him somewhat of the main house on the Hyuuga compound, except that it was exceedingly more beautiful. Exotic flowers and giant oaks lined the garden and an elaborate, elegant koi pond, complete with masterfully constructed bamboo fountain and lilies, graced a corner of the property. Birds of all sizes, kinds and colors flitted from tree to tree, calling greetings to each other. The realtor turned to his customer.
"Let us go inside, Akuma-san," he said, smiling pleasantly.
Naruto numbly followed the man along the pathway and through the door of the dream house. As they surveyed the building, Naruto knew it was perfect. He decided to contact Kyuubi, knowing that the demon could see everything through his own eyes.
'Whatcha think, Kyuubi?' he asked his demon inhabitant.
"You should get the house, kit. It is a great investment." the fox recommended.
'Yeah, I know, it's perfect.' replied Naruto. It was true. The house was perfect in every way. It had three bedrooms, a bare room that could be converted to a training room if he wished; a spacious kitchen, study/library, dining room, and party room, plus a balcony with a wonderful sunset and sunrise view. Naruto turned to the ecstatic realtor.
"I'll take it," he said coolly. The realtor's eyes gleamed, and Naruto could almost hear the cogs of his brains working furiously as they added up a profitable figure for the house.
"Hai, Akuma-san, arigatou gozaimasu. We should probably head back to my office now to complete the transaction and paperwork."
Naruto and the realtor left the house and headed back to the realtor's office. The man went quickly around to his desk.
"Have a seat please, Akuma-san," he requested politely, gesturing to a wooden chair in front of his desk. He waited until Naruto sat, then seated himself.
"The price is 1,000,000 ryo." Without hesitation, Naruto drew out a chequebook and signed his name, the date and amount before handing it over to the realtor. He didn't need to worry about verifying the cheque, he had never banked money in Konoha, instead saving it in a scroll that he carried with him at all times. When he got to Kumo, he banked it. In return, the realtor filled out the property deeds, land titles, and other legal documents, and gave them to Naruto, along with the house key. As he took the key, Naruto reminded himself to have the locks changed. You could never be too careful.
"Thank you for your business, Akuma-san," said the courteous realtor, bowing him out. Naruto raised a hand in acknowledgement and continued down the street. He had some house furnishing to do.
Over the next few weeks, Naruto managed to furnish his new house to his satisfaction. He had even gone back to the ninja weaponry shop and purchased quite a few items to properly outfit his training room, and stock his supplies closet. He had also placed the Doujutsu-repelling Genjutsu he had created on the house. It would do to have any shinobi or kunoichi spying on him.
As the weeks lengthened into months, Naruto became a known figure in the streets of Kumogakure. Most ninja knew to leave him alone, knowing that he preferred solitude, but the children also knew that he would not be unfriendly to them and greeted him cheerily when he passed. Naruto, or Akuma Hiai as he was known in Kumogakure, had quite a following of fangirls. He had never been so glad for the Genjutsu as he had been the morning when he woke up to find almost all of Kumogakure's kunoichi endeavoring to see through his walls with Doujutsu-similar binoculars and telescopes.
Naruto had begun a rigorous training regimen the week after he moved in, and even worked on the Chakra Separation Seal in his free moments. Sometimes he took on missions within Kumogakure, for example, escorting extremely important personnel and once, to test the Kumogakure's Chuunin shinobi before they left for the Jounin exams in Konohagakure. Naruto had managed to master the Odama Rasengan, the Kokuangyo no Jutsu, and the Shunshin no Jutsu, and, in addition to the Chakra Separation Seal, begun work on a jutsu he called Hiraishin no Jutsu.
Basically, it was an updated version of the Shunshin. He had gone to the blacksmith's to get him to create some special seal-absorbent kunai that he had design specifically for the Hiraishin technique. When Naruto had informed Kyuubi of the technique, Kyuubi had acted strangely. For the first time since Naruto had known the demon, it had actually looked shocked, and even a little intimidated. He had muttered something about "Like father....son," but Naruto didn't quite catch it, and Kyuubi stubbornly refused to repeat it. He didn't press the matter; he was too busy training and developing new techniques, mastering others he already knew, and trying to raise his chakra level so he didn't have to rely on Kyuubi's power. According to Kyuubi, his current chakra level was about equal to three and a half tails of Kyuubi's own chakra. But Naruto knew that it wasn't enough; he wanted to be strong with his own chakra. He would only use the demon's chakra in desperate situations. Or, maybe, never again; he could actually feel his chakra reserves growing with each month that passed.
In no time at all, two years had passed, and Naruto had not left Kumogakure, nor had he heard anything of a missing-nin named Uzumaki Naruto. All was well. The blonde shinobi stretched in his large, luxurious bed and padded barefoot to the adjoining bathroom to clean up before the day's training. Naruto stared at his reflection in the bathroom mirror, marveling at the changes that had hit his body as soon as he became 12. His golden-blonde hair had grown quite a bit over the past two years; the front side bangs not quite reaching his chin, and the whisker-marks had partially faded. His eyes now had a more feline slant to them, and he had overheard on kunoichi fangirl describing them as "smoky blue bedroom eyes." He also had a fairly muscular physique from all the training Kyuubi put him through. His eyes moved to the black bracelets around each forearm and wrist and ankle, each weighing 150 pounds. There were 6 in total, so that meant that he was wearing…..900 pounds?!?!? He had never really thought about it before. He dismissed the thought, and continued his lazy perusal of the changes his body had experienced. His body had experienced a major growth spurt sometime last year. He had shot up from about 4"6' to about 5'0", now on the taller end of the male height scale for his age. He had also progressed by leaps and bounds in his training, and the shinobi that now stood before the mirror was a far cry from the lost little boy who left Konohagakure at daybreak 2 years ago. His chakra had also grown. Now he had about five tails' worth if his chakra was measured against Kyuubi's; and it was still growing.
His thoughts were interrupted by Kyuubi himself.
"Kit, you should leave and search out Kana," said Kyuubi to his host. Naruto raised his eyebrow.
'Kana? Isn't that the famous sword master? Is that what made you so silent for the past week?' To be frank, Naruto had been not a little puzzled and worried at the demon's uncharacteristic silence over the past week. He knew Kana; he would not be worthy of wielding his kodachi if he didn't. Kana was the shinobi world's greatest swordsman ever; Kyuubi had told his host many stories and legends of the famous shinobi. Now he was telling Naruto to seek him out?
'Why?' asked Naruto. Kyuubi growled in exasperation.
"I can only teach you so much, you know," he explained. "I'm a fox demon, not a sword master. I want you to search him out; as you know, he has not been seen since about 15 years ago, just before you were born. You need to fully master your kodachi."
'Oh, okay then.' replied Naruto. He thought for a while. When should he leave?
"Why not today?" suggested Kyuubi.
'Today?' repeated Naruto thoughtfully. He pondered the idea before shrugging in acquiescence. He didn't have any missions, and his training was such that he could still do it whilst travelling; plus he hadn't left Kumogakure in 2 years. He knew no one from Konohagakure would recognize either him or his chakra signature; he had changed too much. So why not?
'Okay. I'll go today. But I'll need to notify the Raikage.' he replied to his demon.
The blonde shinobi packed some rations in a scroll, along with extra clothing, weapons and medical items such as various antidotes, and bandages. He didn't really need them, because of Kyuubi; but the demon had begun training his body to heal without the aid of Kyuubi's chakra, just in case, and it was always handy to have the bandages if someone else hurt themselves. Naruto sat down to a healthy breakfast of rice balls and fish – he had lost his obsessions with ramen sometime during the beginning of his growth spurt – then made his way out of his house, and to the Raikage's tower, greeting some persons as he went, and keeping a wary eye out for rabid fangirls.
It didn't take long to notify the Raikage, and 20 minutes later, Naruto was exiting the village gates. He nodded to the two Jounin guarding the gates and began his trek into the borders to Amegakure no sato, where Kana had passed through before going to Iwagakure, as rumored. Naruto calculated in his head. He didn't know where or if he was going to find the swords master, but he would stop in Amegakure before Iwa to refresh himself, as the journey to Amegakure from Kumogakure was about 5 days long.
The young shinobi travelled steadily for the rest of the day without any interruptions; he had seen a few shinobi, but none recognized him, and he made no threatening move towards them, so they passed in curious silence and all was well. Naruto made a detour off of the well-travelled road, going into the trees on the side of the road to set up camp. He needed to be alert if he was attacked, and sleep was essential. The shinobi made a small fire, took out his sleeping bag, and dropped into a blissful sleep as soon as his body relaxed.
'G'night, Kyuubi.' he addressed his demon inhabitant.
"Night." replied Kyuubi vaguely.
The sun's warmth on his body woke the sleeping Naruto. The blonde's blue eyes cracked open and he sat up slowly, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. His body soon awakened, and Naruto folded the sleeping bag and secured it in its former position on his backpack. His breakfast was a quick affair, and he washed his face with a handful of water before shouldering his backpack and stretching. He was ready for his second day of travel.
Naruto's blonde locks whipped about his face with the force of the wind as he sped noiselessly through the branches of trees, his booted feet barely leaving a trace as they touched down occasionally on each branch. As on the previous day, Naruto travelled for a lengthy period before seeing anyone. It was around mid-day before Naruto's sharp eyes caught sight of a group of ninja.
'Ninja up ahead, Kyuubi,' he told the demon.
"Just greet them and be on your way." replied the fox. Naruto sent back a vague affirmative. His attention had been garnered by a kunoichi in the group ahead. It looked almost like one of his former Konohagakure acquaintances – was it Ino? If it was Ino, then the group was most likely Team 10. The blonde shinobi's eyes flicked quickly over the ninja as he passed, nodding to Asuma as he went. His azure eyes rested on Ino briefly before Ino refocused on the path ahead and left them behind.
'Wow, was that Ino?' he thought in surprise. She had obviously grown much stronger. He was surprised: he never thought Ino would become as strong as she obviously was now. She was also more beautiful, if that was possible. Naruto chuckled suddenly to himself. He bet Shikamaru was racking his brain for facts about him; he wasn't in the bingo book, he knew, and this would be the first time anyone outside Kumogakure would be seeing him. He hadn't left the village for two years.
'Have fun figuring me out, Shikamaru,' thought Naruto amusedly, as he picked up his speed slightly. Little did he know, Shikamaru was indeed trying to figure him out.
The Konoha group watched as the black-clad shinobi passed them at an almost inhuman speed, his figure rapidly diminishing in the distance before disappearing completely. Ino watched until she could see no more, and then turned to their team leader, Sarutobi Asuma.
"Asuma-sensei, who was that shinobi that just passed?" she asked. Her sensei shrugged.
"I don't know, Ino, but he seemed to know us."
"Yeah," mumbled Shikamaru. "And whoever he was, he was extremely strong. Couldn't you feel it, Asuma-sensei?" Their sensei nodded.
"Yes, Shikamaru. He was probably about 2 times stronger than myself." The three Genin gaped. Asuma was an extremely strong shinobi; he had a bounty of 35,000,000 ryo on his head. To be acknowledged as stronger than him, hell, 2 times stronger than him, was no small feat.
"Wow," said Chouji in an awed tone, voicing their similar thoughts. "I guess he really is strong." The team continued in silence, until Shikamaru addressed his team leader again.
"Asuma-sensei, did you see a hitai-ate anywhere on that shinobi?" Their sensei pondered the question for a moment before attempting to answer.
"No, I didn't. Why?" he queried his genius student.
"Well, I looked him up in the bingo book, because such an obviously strong shinobi would be wanted by someone, but I didn't see a thing. And then when I thought back to when we saw him, I noticed that his hitai-ate was nowhere in sight. Plus, we don't know either his facial features or his fighting style. In short, we know nothing at all about that shinobi, and that is dangerous, since he is so strong." Asuma listened to his student's logical explanation and then replied,
"You're right, Shikamaru, knowing nothing at all about such an obviously strong shinobi is dangerous. But, one thing I can say, he is not from Konoha; his chakra signature is not even remotely familiar." Shikamaru nodded, and then continued his query.
"Then why did he look at us as if he knew us?" Their sensei shook his head. "I don't know, Shikamaru, I don't know." A contemplative silence fell over the group as they travelled. Who was that shinobi and how did he know them?
Naruto slowed his pace as he glimpsed the large iron-wrought gates of Amegakure no sato. He would stop here for a night to refresh himself. The blonde shinobi signed the ninja register handed to him by the Ame Jounin guarding the gates, and entered the busy village, mingling into the crowd easily. Naruto looked around. Now, where was a hotel to stay for the night? Or even an inn, he wasn't all that picky. His head swiveled from side to side as he walked amidst the throngs of passersby, searching for a place to rest. Then his eyes lit on a comfortable-looking nin.
Finally! he thought, slightly exasperated.
Naruto walked into the inn, and requested a single room. The pretty young woman at the desk gave him a starry-eyed look before handing him the key to his room and informing him of the price for a night's stay with entirely too much gusto. The blonde groaned. Not another fangirl, he thought, in mental anguish. Kyuubi chuckled, the sound reverberating in Naruto's mind.
"Guess you're just a babe magnet, huh kit?" he asked amusedly. Naruto growled mentally and took the key from the star-struck girl, bestowing a drool-worthy smile on her before heading towards his designated room. He really couldn't wait to get some sleep. Five days of travelling plus heavy training was no small feat, even for a Jinchuuriki. Naruto entered the room noiselessly before shedding his backpack and shoes. Then he lay down on the comfortable futon and immediately felt himself beginning to drift off into sleep. Just before he succumbed to the blackness, he tried to memorize the inn's name for future reference. What was it? His frown cleared as his brain supplied him with the answer. Oasis of Rest.
Asuma and Team 10 drew closer and closer to the gates of Amegakure, their steps unconsciously quickening at the thought of a warm futon and some rest. Konohagakure was always sunny and warm, and so the Konoha team was unused to the damp, cold, bleak climate that defined Amegakure no sato. Five days of barely interrupted travelling in unfamiliar climate had taken its toll on each ninja, and now all they wanted was to rest. Asuma signed the register, and each ninja followed suit, before the Ame Jounin waved them through the gates. Once inside, Asuma began walking purposefully into the heart of the town, brushing shoulders with many passersby in the crush of villagers.
"Where are we going, Asuma-sensei?" shouted Chouji over the noise of the villagers. Asuma shook his head at Chouji and the large boy fell silent, understanding and heeding his sensei's warning to keep silent. He motioned for them to follow him, then took a sharp right turn and continued walking until he came to a halt in front of a comfortable-looking inn called the "Oasis of Rest".
"This is one of the best inns in Amegakure," announced Asuma. "Many ninja stay here. Come, let's secure our rooms. Shikamaru and Chouji, you two will share, whilst Ino and myself will have separate rooms." The pre-teen Genin nodded in acceptance and understanding. With that said, Asuma led the way into the inn and over to the female receptionist. Giving Asuma a flirty glance and Ino a dark one, she spoke.
"What can I do for you, sir?" Asuma mentally rolled his eyes. Tch. Fangirl. he thought.
"I want three rooms two with one bed each, and the third with two separate beds."
"No problem." the girl assured him. Asuma signed the register and waited for her to tell him the total.
"Here you go-"she checked the register "-Asuma-san," she said, giving him the keys. "The price is 5,000 ryo."Asuma drew out his wallet and paid the woman, then distributed the keys amongst his students. Then they all ascended to their rooms for some much-needed rest.
Naruto strapped his kodachi onto his back and picked up his backpack.
'Alright, I'm just going to get some barbeque, then head out again for Iwagakure no sato,' he said to Kyuubi.
"Just don't take too long," cautioned Kyuubi. "People, meaning other shinobi, are bound to notice you because of your strength, so you might be challenged or something like that. Be careful."
'Uh-huh.' replied Naruto, heading down the inn's stairs as he conversed with his demonic inhabitant. He signed the register again, ignoring the flirtatious gesture and coy, fluttering lashes of the fangirl receptionist. Then he left the inn and made his way to a barbeque stand he had seen the night before. Feeling ravenous and rather well-rested, Naruto ordered 2 full plates of the excellent barbeque and devoured them with gusto.
He exited the shop over an hour and a half later. As he entered the street, he espied the same team of Konoha Genin and sensei that he had encountered at the beginning of his travels. Against his will, he found his eyes drawn to the blond. Ino. A feeling of intense sadness washed over him as he watched her laughing happily with her two teammates, Nara Shikamaru and Akimichi Chouji. Naruto had never actually known them, apart from being aware of their names and which team they were on. Even though he had a crush on Ino, he didn't know her; he had never even really spoken to her. Naruto's eyes moved to the two boys. They, like him, had grown a lot. Akimichi Chouji was even bigger, but the 'fat' of his younger years had translated to pure muscle, and his large form drew many awed looks from passing females. His formerly short, rust-red hair had grown out, and now resembled his father's, its spiky length brushing the middle of his back. He also wielded a wooden staff. Something told Naruto that the wooden staff was not entirely as it seemed. His eyes shifted to Nara Shikamaru, and his eyes widened in shock. If not for the obvious youthfulness of his face a lack of a beard, Naruto would've mistaken him for his father. A cigarette hung lazily from the corner of his mouth, and his body was relaxed, but Naruto knew that his piercing grey eyes were taking in everything around him. Naruto sighed, and his eyes returned to Ino. She was breathtakingly beautiful. The blond male had harbored a crush on the Yamanaka ever since the first day at the Academy. He still remembered it vividly.
"Demon boy!"
"Don't come near me! I don't want to sit by you!"
"Go to your seat, Uzumaki!" The harsh, strident tones of Umino Iruka, his Academy teacher, cut through the jeers and taunts of the young boy's tormentors. Pained azure eyes looked up at his teacher before the eight-year old walked slowly to an empty seat at the center of the classroom. The seats around it were all deserted; no one wanted to sit near him, let alone beside him. Iruka's hard gaze followed him until he sat, then the teacher surveyed the classroom, his eyes softening as they landed on various students.
"My name is Umino Iruka, and I will be your Academy teacher until you graduate and become Genin. Is that clear?"
"Yes, sensei," chorused the class. Iruka nodded.
"Alright, now be good, I have to deliver your student forms to the principal." The teacher left the classroom, closing the door behind him. As soon as he left, the jeers and taunts began again, all focused at Naruto. The girls giggled and whispered behind their hands, shooting him venomous glances every once in a while. One pink-haired girl was the meanest.
"Demon-boy! What are you doing in a classroom? Shouldn't you be off dying somewhere?" The class laughed heartily at her cruel words. Naruto's gaze met the pinkette's and moved away to the long-haired blonde beside her. She didn't look at him, instead, tugged on the pinkette's blouse, smiling triumphantly.
"Sakura? Sakura? Forehead!" she yelled when Sakura ignored her. The pinkette turned away from tormenting Naruto and faced the other girl.
"What?!?!?" she said aggressively. It didn't bother the blonde. She grinned even more.
"Sasuke-kun looked at me! He likes me more than you!" Sakura let out a shriek of fangirl fury and the two girls battled it out with insults until the other fangirls realized what they were arguing about and joined the disagreement, screaming about 'Sasuke-kun'. Naruto couldn't tear his eyes away from the blonde. She was so pretty. Suddenly, she looked straight at him, and he flinched, ready to receive a cruel smirk and rude comment, but she smiled, a small, beautiful smile, and he realized. She had distracted Sakura from tormenting him. The small blonde boy smiled tentatively back and they both turned away before they were caught. Then Iruka came back, scowling at Naruto, and his hell of a life began again. But he never forgot Ino, or that moment.
Naruto came back to the present. He sighed again. That was why he had had a crush on her for so long. But she didn't like him romantically; she didn't even notice him, her attention was all on 'Sasuke-kun.' The blonde shinobi looked back at the team. He had unconsciously followed them into a slightly seedy part of town. Then a cry rang out, and his eyes widened, and he shifted into full attack mode, becoming the dangerous shinobi he was. They had been attacked. Three shinobi had accosted the team, one occupying both Shikamaru and Chouji and the second, obviously the leader, Asuma. The third one had thrown a bucking Ino over his shoulder, bound her hands and ankles with chakra rope, and sped away. Naruto frowned. That shinobi was not getting away. Maybe if it was Sakura, but not Ino. Naruto left the shadows he had been in, and sped after the ninja, vaulting rooftops and walls as he pursued the kidnapper. Within minutes, he had caught up to the ninja.
Ino's eyes widened as she recognized the shinobi pursuing them. It seemed that her kidnapper also realized, because he stopped and placed her on the ground behind him, drawing a kodachi. The other shinobi didn't hesitate at the sight of the kidnapper's weapon, instead, he drew out one of his own, and the two began to spar, kodachis clashing hard enough to create sparks. Ino took the chance to study her kidnapper and would-be savior. She looked at the kidnapper first; she might have to identify him if he was apprehended. His appearance was that of a missing-nin. The first thing she noticed was his clothing and lack of hitai-ate, combined with his menacing aura. He had bright orange hair, and wore a blue wide-collared shirt, with blue arm-warmers, knee-length loose pants with bandages calves and dark blue shinobi sandals. He wielded his sword expertly, but he was obviously no match for the other shinobi. Ino's gaze moved to the other ninja, recognition dawning in her eyes again. It was that same shinobi she saw on the way to Amegakure, she was sure. He was hot.
Bright, spiky blonde hair spilled over the sides of his face and down the nape of his neck, and a black silken cloth graced his forehead instead of a hitai-ate. She frowned slightly. Did that mean he was a missing-nin? This was the second time she was seeing him, and she had yet to see any trace of a hitai-ate, even a scarred one. She continued to peruse the unknown shinobi. He wore a black cloak which fluttered every time he moved; a mesh undershirt just barely visible through the flaps of the cloak, black shinobi pants and a pair of obviously expensive leather shinobi boots. His hands were covered in black fingerless gloves and metal knuckles. The skin of his face was tanned – well, the small amounts that she could see, since he wore a face mask that covered everything except his azure eyes.
Suddenly, she heard the sound of running footsteps behind her, and she tensed and spun, but relaxed when she saw the other members of her team. They all looked relieved to see her unhurt, but then looked shocked when they recognized the shinobi fighting her kidnapper.
"Him again?" asked Chouji in amazement. "Is that weird or what?" They murmured words of general agreement, and then Ino turned to Asuma.
"Asuma-sensei, I have a feeling that he is a missing-nin himself. Even now I haven't seen a hitai-ate, and I got closer than before."Asuma nodded thoughtfully. He had come to that conclusion himself before. But there was still one question. How did he know them? Ino looked away from her sensei and re-focused on the battle. She gaped. It was over?!?!? The kidnapper was lying on the ground bleeding profusely from a fatal would. Her savior walked over to the team.
"Did you get any information on these shinobis' identities?" he asked. Ino shuddered mentally. His voice was deep and smooth. Asuma nodded, and shifted his cigarette so he could speak clearly.
"That one is Fuso, the other two were Aito and Suigite. All missing-nin from Iwagakure no sato. B-class." The stranger nodded and began to turn away, but Asuma's voice stopped him.
"Thank you - "he paused, waiting for identification. The stranger half-turned away before filling in the blank.
"Akuma Hiai. You are welcome." Then he walked away at a sedate pace, quickly blending into the crowd of villagers who had gathered at the scene, leaving them to look after him in puzzlement. Asuma looked at the three Genin.
"Well, are we ready to leave?" They nodded, and Team 10 set out for Iwagakure. They had a mission there; to protect the daimyo. It was a B-class mission, and the sooner they got there, the better.
Naruto's tense body relaxed as he disappeared into the crowd of excited villagers. He let a grim smile spread across his masked face at the thought of the dead shinobi who had attempted to kidnap Ino. It disappeared, however, when he realized how stupid he had been. Kuso! he cursed mentally. Now Asuma's curious about me. I bet the next bingo book will have an Akuma Hiai in it.
"Exactly, kit." said Kyuubi wryly. "At least they didn't recognize you. But they are curious as to how you seem to know them." Naruto cursed again. He was so stupid. The blonde's body tensed again when a shinobi suddenly appeared in front of him.
"The daimyo would like to see you, shinobi-san," he related politely. Naruto mentally groaned. What was it with him and daimyos? Wordlessly, he followed the shinobi messenger to the daimyo's office. The daimyo met him at the door.
"Come in – "he paused, realizing that he had no name for the shinobi that stood before him.
"Akuma Hiai," filled in Naruto. The daimyo nodded.
"Come in, Akuma-san." Naruto followed the man into the comfortable office, sitting down on one of the many embroidered chairs in the room. After settling himself, the daimyo began.
"I would like to reward you, Akuma-san," he began. Naruto's eyes grew more alert, and he scanned the daimyo. He didn't seem like a threat. The daimyo was obviously a former shinobi gone to seed. He wore civilians' clothing under his green robes. He was of average height, and slightly pudgy. His short black hair was neatly cut, and a small black beard was on his chin. Piercing blue eyes stared at Naruto.
"My name is Garaki Naro."
Naruto nodded, noticing a piercing on his left ear. Maybe he should get one. He considered it more seriously. He would get one.
"Pay attention!" yelled Kyuubi from inside Naruto's mindscape. Naruto refocused and began to listen.
"-they were shinobi that plagued this village for 5 years. We hired countless shinobi to kill them, but they never ever survived against them. That is why I wish to give you this." The daimyo held out a medium-sized scroll. Naruto reached out and took it, looking at it with slight suspicion.
"You can open it," said Kyuubi. "They don't know you're a Jinchuuriki, so anything that might be dangerous to a normal person would not affect you."Naruto deftly opened the scroll, and his eyes widened. The daimyo smiled.
"Yes, it is the summoning contract for ravens. It has not been used since the death of my brother, the famous 'Raven Ryuu.'" Naruto began to hand it back, but the daimyo stopped him.
"No, keep it. I understand that you are a missing-nin, but I have powers of intuition, a gift I was born with. I can feel that you are not the usual missing-nin. Take it." Naruto reluctantly put the scroll in his backpack. Then he and the daimyo rose to their feet. Naruto bowed.
"Arigatou Gozaimasu, Garaki-san." The daimyo smiled in response.
"You are welcome." The two men walked to the door of the building, and the daimyo saw the blonde out the door.
Naruto walked down the street, looking for a certain place. The blonde walked from street to street, until he found the place he was looking for. He glanced up at the sign and nodded in satisfaction. 'Shinobi Piercings.' That was the name of the shop. He stepped inside, blinding as his eyes refocused in the darker interior of the shop. A young woman came out from the back of the shop and smiled brightly at him, fangirl sparkles fully activated.
"Yes sir?" she asked, eager to help the handsome male standing before her.
"My name is Akuma Hiai. I would like two piercings on my right ear." The girl busily wrote down his name and specification, and then looked up.
"What kind of piercings, Akuma-san?" Naruto thought for a while, and then decided.
"Two small hoops." The female nodded, and then gestured to the room she had exited earlier.
"Come, Akuma-san, our piercer is behind here." Naruto followed the girl behind the counter and into a white room. It was clearly very sanitary. All the piercing tools shone and glimmered in the sunlight from the window and the light bulb on the ceiling. A man, dressed similarly to a medic in a long white coat and pants, was standing by the only chair in the room. He bowed slightly to Naruto.
"My name is Kusaka; you are to be pierced, correct?"
"Hai." Naruto replied in the affirmative. The girl gave Kusaka the paper she had been writing on and exited the room quietly. Kusaka read the paper and then motioned for Naruto to sit on the chair.
"This paper says you would like two small hoops on your right ear?" Naruto nodded in answer, and Kusaka smiled.
"Well then, let's begin."
The piercer made Naruto lean to his left, exposing his ear. Then he attacked a small iron hoop onto the piercing machine he held in his hands and brought it to the rim of Naruto's ear. The shinobi braced himself for the pain. Since the hole had to stay, Kyuubi could not heal it, and so he would have to bear the pain. He heard the sound of the machine being clicked into place, and then suddenly felt an awful stinging sensation on his ear, twice. The blonde flinched, and then relaxed as the piercer's presence withdrew.
"Finished!" said Kusaka brightly. "You were a brave one, I must say. Take a look." He turned the chair, angling the blonde's head slightly, so Naruto could see his newly pierced organ. A smile spread over Naruto's masked face, and his eyes crinkled; a telltale sign of his pleasure. He straightened his head, and a lock of sun-kissed hair fell onto his ear, partially obscuring the piercing. He nodded mentally. Good- one less thing to identify him.
"Arigatou Gozaimasu, Kusaka-san," he said to the piercer, handing him 1,000 ryo. "I like it very much."
"No problem!" beamed Kusaka. "You can just go through the same door you came in." Naruto nodded and exited the stark white room. When the receptionist saw Naruto and his new piercing, she turned a cherry red. Kyuubi snickered, and Naruto stared.
"The fangirls seem to like the piercing," the demon fox snickered. Naruto growled.
'Shut up.' He returned his attention to the fangirl. She had not yet recovered. Naruto looked at her incredulously, and then left the piercer's, picking up speed as he vaulted from rooftop to rooftop. He was leaving Amegakure no sato now; he had delayed too much. The shinobi passed through the large iron-wrought gates and began to move faster, running at an almost inhuman pace. He had to get a start on his travels.
