Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Naruto Shippuden or it characters in any form whether it be manga, television, video games, or toys. They are owned by Masashi Kishimoto. I am not writing to make a profit in any shape or form. I simply do this for enjoyment of myself and others. I REPEAT I do not own any version of Naruto and Naruto Shippuden, or wish to make money off this property. Thank you and enjoy the story.
Rene-Phoenix of the Uchiha
Chapter 7
As the members of Team 8 stared at him Rene looked them over. Naruto seemed fine, a cut in his jacket, Hinata and Shino looked the same. His friends were unharmed, that made Rene smile. But Kurenai looked beat up and needed help, "Sakura check on Kurenai." She nodded as Rene and Ino walked over to team 8, "Are you okay?" Rene asked
"Rene that was awesome, you guys totally kicked his but!" yelled Naruto
Rene gave a small grin he now knew Naruto was all right, "Well Naruto we had the element of surprised on our side this time, next time we won't. How are the rest of you doing?" Rene asked his question directed at Hinata and Shino. They both nodded. Sakura ran up to meet them.
"Kurenai is fine, she just exhausted her charka," Sakura gave her report. Rene nodded.
Anko walked over with an older man with graying hair shooting straight up, and his breath reeked of alcohol. "I just got done explaining to the Tazuna here about that we're the back up for the mission, by the way you brats did well. Bad news Zabuza survived, good news he is out of action for at least a week, and we know he has a partner who can use ice justu. Maybe a snow ninja?" Anko mood sobered, "How is Kurenai-kun?"
"She's fine sensei; she just has a mild case of charka exhaustion." Sakura said
Anko gave a small smile, "Good now we have to get moving, blonde haired brat make a shadow clone to carry Kurenai-kun, and let's move. The village is only a few miles away." Grumbling Naruto did make a shadow clone, and the group made their to the land of waves.
As they approached a small wooden house a middle aged woman with long black hair came running out of the and hugged Tazuna. He introduced her as his daughter Tsunami. As she looked at the prone form of Kurenai her face became one of worry, "Let's get her into the house, and resting." As they entered the house Tsunami showed the Naruto clone to a room where it placed Kurenai on a bed and then puffed out of existence causing her to let out a cry of surprise. As that was happening Rene took a quick look around and noticed a picture on a shelf, which showed Tazuna, Tsunami, a young boy who Rene assumed was Tsunami's son, and another man. Before he could give it anymore thought, Tsunami came back and with a shy smile said, "I'm not sure I have enough room for all of you. "
Anko waved her off, "While be fine if it comes too it some of us can sleep outside right brats?" she asked turning to the six teenagers, with a crazy look in her eye. They all nodded. "Good now rest up, we start training nice and early." The six teenagers ran up the stairs as saw there was a total of six rooms and three of them were unused. Ino took charge,
"Okay girls we will take the far room on the left, boys on the right, and we leave the middle room for Anko and Kurenai sensei. Good night everyone." Ino finished dragging Sakura and Hinata behind her and closed the door.
Rene sighed, Ino could sometimes be a very bossy person. He turned toward Shino and Naruto, "We should get some sleep, trust me Anko can be a extreme with her training methods." With that they all retired for a good night's rest.
Only to be awoken the next morning buy the hiss of snakes, Rene who after a month of this out of instinct grabbed a kunai from under his pillow and slashed at the snake dispersing it. Shino did the same with his bugs. Naruto after a yell grabbed a kunai and got rid of the snake as well. Rene rushed over to the girl's room, and bashed the door open. Only to see all three huddled together, with a senbon needle in the floor, Sakura with a kunai and Hinata in her gentle fist stance.
"Summons?" Rene asked
"Summons." Ino answerd
"Was any one bit?" Rene asked. Ino shook her head. "Good, now we all need to do get ready, Anko does not like when we are late. Remember the time we were 30seconds late and we were forced to do the capture mission Tora mission for the next two days straight." All three members of team 11 gave a shudder at that. The cat Tora was a demon, and Rene was tempted to put it in the most horrible genjustu he could think of. As he was leaving Ino spoke up.
"By the way Rene-kun if you want to see us in our pajamas you could just ask?" Ino finished in a sultry voice as the other girls giggled.
Rene gave a smirk, "I'll remember that, now Hinata if Naruto saw you we would cleaning up a sea of blood." Hinata who was wearing a white t-shirt with the leaf village symbol blushed like mad. Rene returned to the boys room, and in less than five minutes the group walked down the stairs and into the dining room, and only now realized that the sun was still down. As they entered the dining room, they saw Kurenai and Anko sitting at the table drinking tea.
"Summons make a great alarm clock don't they." Anko said smirk on her lips.
"I understand myself and rest of my team, but why involve team 8-." He stopped and looked at the slight smirk on Kurenai's face. "I can see why you two are friends."
Anko smiled slightly, "Okay brats it's time to train. Come on." She led the six young ninja to a clearing not far from the house, with a few trees and a river. "Okay Kurenai-kun has told me all three of you have mastered tree-walking, and water-walking, and have decent charka control, so I am going to have you practice elemental justu. But first you have to know them, so brats channel your charka into these pieces of paper." The members of team 8 did, and it showed that Naruto had a wind nature, Hinata had a water nature, and Shino had an earth nature. "Good a mixture of natures, now for some justu." Anko pulled out three scrolls, "Up first Blondie, that is a justu know as "Wind Style: Wind Scar" good for mid range. Rabbit, for you it is "Water Style: Water Bullet" good for long or mid range. Finally Glasses, me have "Earth Style: Mud Wall" good to use to block attacks from tai or nin justu and it can give you a few seconds to catch your breath and even trap some enemies. Now I want you to have these mastered by the time Zabuza and his friend are ready to attack that gives you about a week. It could be the difference between bringing all of you home or none of you got it?" The three nodded, then a few moments passed. "Well, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR GET MOVING!" Anko yelled and they scattered. She then turned to team 11, "Now, Brat, Pinkie, and Mini-me I want you to spar with each other on the water, and I will send a shadow clone or two to test you, Got it? "
Ino crossed her arms and gave a humph, "I am not a mini version of you sensei."
Anko gave a grin, "Not yet, but give it a couple years."
Ino let out another humph, as Rene put a hand to his chin, "You know Ino, I wouldn't mind if you become a little more like Anko, I mean look how she dresses." Indicating Anko's trench coat and fishnets.
Ino's face went from blushing, to confused, then angry. "Rene-kun, y-y-you you PERVET!" She screamed as she chased Rene onto the pond trying to hit him. Sakura just sighed and followed them.
It was a few hours later and the six teenagers were resting that Rene noticed that someone was watching them from a window. When the figure saw that Rene was watching quickly ducked out of sight, giving an excuse to his friends Rene made his way into the house. As he reached the room where the window was Rene peeked into to see a boy about eight hiding underneath the window pane.
"You know if wanted you to you could watch us train from outside." He said. The boy jumped at his voice. Rene entered the room and saw the same photo as he saw down stairs, "I'm Rene."
"Inari" the boy replied as his eyes darted the picture, and you didn't have to have the sharngan to see the sadness in his eyes.
"Was the man in the photo your father?"
"His name was Kaiza, and he met have well been. Gato killed him."
Rene, "I'm sorry to hear that"
Inari's face became one of rage, "Keep your sorry you don't how I feel!"
Rene gave a sad smile, "Actually I do." He sat down across from Inari. "You're feeling sad for him dying, angry that you couldn't do anything to stop it, maybe even angry at him for dying, but the worst of it is the loneliness, the huge hole that you have. You try to fill it with anything, pride, hate, you settled on anger. Myself, I fancied obsession, I become obsessed with getting stronger. Thinking that if I just kept getting stronger maybe I could do something to make up for her death, but I was wrong. Plus you have something I didn't, other people that care about you, I didn't get that for an almost a year. I have a friend who has had it worst then both of us, but he keeps moving forward. It is fine to grieve Inari, but you have to move on and let yourself heal with the help of other people."
"B-B-But what about Gato, you can't possibly beat him he's too strong." Inari, his voice shaking
Rene gave a smile, "Come on let me show you something." He led Inari to the window. "Do you see the two girls, the ones with blonde and pink hair?" Inari nodded, "There my teammates, and together we took down a ninja that was far stronger than us. Teamwork is an amazing thing, and with it anything is possible, even defeating Gato." With a smile Rene left the room. As he was passing a room a voice caught his attention.
"That was very nice what you said." Kurenai commented coming out of the room.
"It was the truth, but the fact Gato and his men need to die if this village is going to make it." Rene replied
"That is mine and Anko's problem not yours, just focus on getting stronger." Rene just nodded in reply.
It was a few days later and with team 8 still practicing there Justus, Ino and Sakura watching over Tsunami and Inari, and Anko and Kurenai were guarding Tazuna. Rene decide to walk around the village. It was a place void on any hope, the houses were in shambles there was no food, people were begging and dressed in nothing but rags and there was a sadness in the air that was unnatural. Gato has to be stopped Rene thought as he felt a hand in his back pocket, and the sound of running feet. He jerked back and saw a shadow run down an alley. He followed the shadow down the alley way. As he turned a corner he heard the sound of chewing, standing in front of him was a little girl no more than four years old dressed in rags with long brown hair and eyes. She was munching on a protein bar that Rene had kept in his back pocket. The girl noticed his presence, she turned toward him slowly. Rene couldn't help but think she looked adorable with her cheeks puffed out. A small smile appeared on his face and he crouched to her level, and pulled out another protein bar, and held it out to her. She approached slowly and cautiously, and grabbed the bar. A noise caused Rene to turn around only to turn back a moment later and see the little girl gone.
After searching for the girl for a few hours to no avail Rene returned to house to see everyone well almost everyone at the table eating. He noticed that Naruto wasn't there, "Where's Naruto?" Hinata was the one that answered him. "Naruto-Kun is training." Rene nodded "Well I'll find him." Rene headed back out the door. He ran across the tree limbs searching for Naruto only to find him talking to a beautiful girl with black hair, and something about her felt familiar. It took a moment but he made the connection, the girl was Zabuza's partner! Instantly a kunai knife was in the palm of his hand. Naruto and girl talked for a while and he heard something about "precious people", until Naruto realized that he was missed and ran back to the house.
"You can show yourself now." The girl spoke in a soft voice with her back to Rene. Rene dropped out of the tree a few feet from her. "Why were you hiding?" she asked
"I was seeing if you were going to attack my friend." Rene replied
"If I had?" she asked
"I would have cut you down where you stood." Rene replied his voice cold as steel.
"So you would have hardened your heart and ended my life?"
"On the contrary, my heart would have wept for ending the life of such a strong ninja, all because she follows a fool."
"Zabuza-sama is a great man!" she shouted now facing Rene
"He is a prideful fool that only cares about his ambition of taking back Water Country. "Great-men" don't work for scum like Gato. There is no dream, no ambition that is worth helping that greedy little man tear apart this village." There were silent for a few moments. "Where and when?" he asked
"Tomorrow at and bridge and bring Tazuna."
"Will you harm his family?"
"We won't, the same can't be said for Gato"
"Understood" As Rene turned to leave, Haku said one last thing
"If you come I won't hesitate to harden my heart, and kill you and your friends."
"And if you lay a finger on my friends" He turned around sharingan blazing. It sent a shiver down her spine "I will kill you bleeding heart or not." Haku nodded and shunshined away. As Rene ran toward the house.
