Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
Chapter 7
-Mission Room-
Team 9 had just gotten a mission. The dreaded Demon Cat Capture mission.
Jared had branched off from the others, to try to find it on his own. He kept his communicator on and tuned.
Naruto went another direction, while Sakura and Hinata went in different Directions, as well.
This is Kitsune. Nothing in the North.
"Roger Kitsune. Neko?" a female voice asked.
This is Neko. I've got nothing in the East.
"Damn. Cherry Blossom?" the female asked again.
This is Cherry Blossom. I've got nothing in the South.
"Fine... Liger, how about you?" This one had no response. "Liger? Liger!"
Sensei, he's turned off his communicator. He told me there was an idea he had. He didn't give any information on it, but he said it would be better if he did that little piece solo. He said he'd be in the Southeast forests.
"Kitsune, what are you saying?"
Exactly what he told me.
"Kitsune, Neko, Cherry Blossom. Head to the Southeast forests. He may be on to something there."
-Northwest Forest-
Jared sat down in a clearing with a cat in his lap. "So, you actually ran away again, huh? You always trying to find me?"
"Well, not really. I just feel drawn to you. You look powerful, but you're as calm as a breeze." The cat told him, though through his own language.
"True as that is, you really need to stop running away." Jared told the cat.
"I can't help it. I'm a free spirit. I don't like being cooped up indoors. Anyway, she's probably sent someone out there to capture me. You probably shouldn't be around, or they'll catch you, too."
"No worries there, Tora." Jared said. "The team that was sent after you was mine, and the others are heading towards the Southeast. We're in the Northwest. We're good." Jared stated.
"Wait, you were sent after me?"
"Unfortunately, yes. Everyone calls this particular mission the Demon Cat Capture mission. I take it you tend to rough them up for catching you?" Jared asked, smile never waning.
Tora then got off of his lap. "Then why didn't you take me back yet?"
"I didn't see the need to." Tora tensed. "Besides, I wanted to talk to you about something."
"What do you mean?"
"I know of a place in the forests that few can get to. Myself and one of my teammates are of them. Said teammate does not know of its existence, but I do. I could give you access to it, and you could live it up to the fullest there when you run off. It would normally seem a small area, but its actually a massive plain. It's at least twice as large as Konohagakure. There isn't much there either, and it would keep people looking for you forever." Jared explained.
"It would be lonely there, wouldn't it?" Tora asked.
"I'm sorry, but yeah, it would. That's the only downside. Luckily, if I give you access, you would be free to come and go as you please. So if you get lonely you can come back, and try to find something else to do. Also, I'd know if you went in, and if I'm free, I might come in as well. You never know. Still, with the wide space, you'd have plenty of room. Is that something you'd like?"
"Very much. Still, I doubt its any good with your team. They probably already caught on to your little diversion. They're likely to be on their way here now."
Liger, if you can hear me, respond. Your little prank is not funny! A distinctly female voice stated.
Liger, this is Cherry Blossom. I'm not sure if you can hear this, but I figure that your in the Northwest Forest. Your little plan was a diversion so you can find it solo. That's not like you.
"Yup. They figured it out." He grabbed the communicator. "This is Liger. Cherry Blossom, you're right on the location, wrong on the plan. Diversion, yes. Finding it solo, no."
What do you mean? This is Yuki.
"I've been with Tora for maybe 20 minutes. Catching up with an old friend, I know full well why he always runs off, and I found out from Tora himself." Jared told them.
You do realize you're holding up the mission.
"Jared, I don't mind going back for now. Just make the exception, and let me know where it is. I'll find it next time I get out. She never could keep a good hold on me." Tora stated.
"Well, she's willing to go back, but only with me. I'll meet you guys back at the briefing room. Tora will likely be on my head." Jared told his teammates.
We will need to talk about this later, Jared. This is not protocol.
"I know, but if what I'm thinking about works, this mission will get a hell of a lot harder for the other teams. Tora's already agreed with it. I'll fill you in on the idea later." He let go of his communicator. "Let's go Tora. I know you don't really want to see her, but I really do have to take you back."
"I'm good Jared. Thanks for doing this for me."
"No problem, Tora." Jared replied, as Tora the cat jumped on his head. "Hang on."
Jared sped off into the woods, full Knightmare speed.
-Mission Briefing room-
Jared came in, Tora clinging to his head. "Sorry I took so long. Had to make sure he didn't fall off of my head."
Team 10 was also there, none of them believing what they were seeing. Tora was hanging on to Jared's head, and he wasn't even bothered by it. Shikamaru was the first to speak up on this. "Jared, aren't you even in a little pain?"
"What do you mean?" Jared asked. "Oh this?" He pointed to Tora. "Nah, he's not hurting me. He never really does. We're kind of on good terms. Believe it or not, he doesn't like having to go back there, but this time, he agreed. I made a few points to him, and he agreed to come back. He's probably gonna try to get out again, but will probably have to wait for a while."
"I'll stay there for a month. No more."
"Hey, it's gonna have to be longer than that, Tora. I doubt I'll even be in the area, if what I think is correct." Jared told the cat on his head, confusing the others.
Sakura walked up to him. "Why are you talking to Tora?"
"We came to an agreement earlier. He doesn't really agree with the timeframe."
"Fine. 2 months. I'm not going any longer than 10 weeks."
"That should do just fine. Make sure you uphold your end, otherwise, I won't uphold mine. You realize that right?" Jared asked.
"I know. I'm not gonna like this, but if I can get to that area, I'll try to bear it."
"Good." Jared said, before the Fire Daimyo's wife came in. "Where is my Tora?" Jared sighed. "Don't hurt the head, and you don't want to squeeze him."
The woman turned to him and found Tora on his head. "TORA!" She lunged at him, but Jared stopped her with a finger. "Tora is not fond of enclosed areas. I've got a place lined up for him, but it will take a while for him to actually be able to get there. It's a safe area, and currently only 2 people can get there. Thing is, I'm the only one who knows of its existence, and Tora will find out one day. That day anyone that goes looking for him, should he reach that place, will not be able to find him. No Genjutsu, no Ninjutsu, and no other Illusions."
"What are you talking about?" the old lady asked.
"I made a deal with Tora. She'll be with you for 10 weeks, but then she will head to that very location. I will know full well when he gets there, as I have to modify the gate to allow him to get there. That will take some time, but I know full well its possible. You, on the other hand, I won't be allowing there, and for good reason. Any time you spend with Tora is overdoing it, and you don't spend much time with him. You need to learn that not everything needs to be compensated for, and pampering Tora is one of them." Jared told her, his voice stern.
The woman just stared at him. She wasn't expecting this, but, oddly enough, she liked it. "What's your name?"
"Jared Uzumaki." His voice never lost its edge.
"Well, Jared Uzumaki. I think you actually got the point of this little test." Everyone there had a look of "WTF?" on their faces. Jared, just looked confused.
"Come again?"
"You told me off, sure. However, you realized that doing so means you're not one that just follows orders. You speak up when you need to, and make your opinion known, regardless of if nobility doesn't like it."
Jared looked at Tora. "No, I didn't know about this. She probably came up with that some time ago, and used my free spirit against me."
"Why am I not surprised?" Jared sighed. "I don't give a shit about nobility, but if it comes down to it, I will respect them, should they deserve it. Before that, I highly doubted you deserved it. Now, I'm not sure what to say to that. Next time, make sure the one you're using knows that's what's going on. Tora actually hates it at your place. It's only because of the deal we made that he's even thinking of going back."
The woman nodded with a smile. "Anyway, I must thank you. And don't worry, as long as I know where he's going, I'm fine with it."
Jared looked at her. "Then you might want one of these." He pulled out a scroll, and unsealed a book. "This is what I used to learn how cats talk. If you study it, you may be able to talk with Tora after a while. Of course, it will take a while for you to get the hang of it."
"Are you sure about this?" Tora looked at Jared.
"Not really, but I'm actually doing this for your sake. Just be happy that one day you might be able to connect with each other better." Jared told him. "Just one thing. When you actually get there, if you see something like this," He pulled out a 3-point Kunai. "Don't touch it. In fact, if I'm not there, you should stick around it and wait for a light. I'll be coming out of said light. Okay?"
"Ok. Thanks for the warning."
"More like a tip, but you're welcome." Jared smiled at Tora. Tora nodded and walked up to the woman. "He doesn't want to cuddle with you right now, so he'll be walking beside you. I doubt he fully trusts you right now."
"Right on the money, as always. Thanks for the help Jared."
"No problem Tora. After all, I can tell how you feel about certain people. Right now, you're more confused than anything." Jared stated, kneeling next to Tora.
"Damn, you're good."
"Yeah, thanks I know." Jared replied. "Shouldn't you be going now?"
"Yes." Tora looked at Lady Shijimi.
They both left, Tora sending one last glance at Jared, hoping he'll get the message. He did. 'You're welcome, Tora.' Jared thought.
Everyone was staring at him, except Iruka, who was behind the desk. He was glaring at him. "Jared..."
"There's nothing to worry about Iruka-sensei." Jared stated, confusing everyone. "I doubt Tora will leave, and that mission is not likely to come up for a while."
Naruto nodded. He could also understand the cat's language. "He's right. He didn't just learn how to talk to cats himself, you know. He taught me as well. Tora thanked him several times during that little session."
Alice nodded. "In any case, Lord Hokage, do you have another mission for us? Hopefully that C-rank is good now."
Iruka stood up at her implications. "Your team is still new! The best they could hope to achieve is D-rank!"
"Iruka!" Sarutobi stated. "Alice, I have been looking for one that would work for the past few days. And wouldn't you know that yesterday, one had come in that I think could be of some use. You might also want to bring Gonta with you, as this is an Escort mission."
Jared tensed up, but no one noticed, as everyone was either looking at Alice, or Sarutobi. 'Is it really time for that?'
"I've been waiting for this, Lord Hokage." Alice stated. "What are the details?"
Sarutobi smiled at her. "The client is a bridge builder from Wave Country. You are to escort him to his home and protect him from bandits and the like. This is to continue until the bridge he is building is finished."
Jared had only one thought. 'Tazuna... Now the real shit begins.'
Sakura was the only one to catch the thought. She looked at Jared with a knowing look. 'She knows that I know something.'
"You know, you should probably keep your thoughts from being broadcasted to me. And what did you mean about "the real shit"? Surely this couldn't be that bad?"
"I think it's better if I tell you later. Not really a good idea to say this now, as I have no physical proof." Jared replied, effectively shutting everyone else up, though some still had their suspicions.
"Anyway, send in the client." Sarutobi stated.
"And try not to get pissed if he insults us." Jared added, confusing the Genin.
An old man walked in with a bottle of sake. Jared recognized him as the first one to have an impact on his life outside the village. "This is Tazuna."
"What? A bunch of green-nosed brats? They look slow, especially the pink haired one." Jared's eye twitched. 'At least it wasn't Naruto. Otherwise he'd no longer have his head on his shoulders. This is still pushing it.'
He heard Naruto in his head. "You gonna let him talk that way about Sakura?"
"The only reason he hasn't been beheaded yet is because I have more self control than most, and he didn't insult you. Had he done that, if I didn't do something, Hinata would have." Jared replied telepathically.
"Ah... point taken. Still, I don't think Sakura is that good with her emotions."
"That's what we've been working on. Controlling her temper. Same way you have."
Sakura took that moment to join in. "Jared, I seriously want to kill him. I'm holding back because I know that killing him is against the mission. I'm gonna need an outlet soon though."
"I know, and if my hunch is correct, you'll get one real quick."
Alice was listening in on the conversation. "Anyway, meet at the Main gate in an hour. We leave then."
Everyone nodded and left, aside from Alice and Sarutobi. "I'm surprised he didn't kill you already, Tazuna." Sarutobi stated, confusing him. "He has already taken several lives, and had you insulted the blonde haired boy, Naruto, if he didn't kill you, I have a feeling the Hyuuga among the group would have."
"I can vouch for that." Alice stated. "Jared is obviously suspicious of this particular mission. Tazuna tried to stay impassive. "What do you mean? A kid like that doesn't know better."
"He knows more than he lets on. He always has." Sarutobi added, confusing Iruka. Alice spoke up there.
"It's obvious he knows that something up with this particular mission, but he probably thinks they can handle it. He did say that Sakura was going to get an outlet real soon. I just hope it isn't Tazuna. She's too much like Tsunade. She'd kill him in one hit."
She got to the door. "Tazuna, right now, you'd be safer with me than Sakura or Jared, and not for the reason you'd think. Let's go." they both walked out.
-1 hour later-
The entire team was waiting for Tazuna and Alice. There was only 3 minutes left.
"Hey, Jared? What did you mean about me getting an outlet soon?" Sakura asked. The others looked at him, wondering the same thing.
"I'll let you know when it's ready. It shouldn't take that long after we leave. Of course, I'll be staying back a little and stick to long range. I figure you guys should do the same. Not like she'll need it, but it would be better for all of us if we didn't get in close." Jared replied. It was at that point Alice and Tazuna walked up to them.
"Alright, everyone ready?" Alice asked. They all nodded. "Let's move."
They walked out of the gate Jared with a knowing grin on his face. He and Tazuna were the only ones that knew Tazuna had lied about the mission, and Jared also knew why he did.
They were walking for about an hour when Jared noticed the puddle up ahead. "Hey Sakura. See that puddle up ahead?"
"Is that my little outlet? I don't see how water is going to help." Sakura replied.
"Jared, what is it about that puddle that warrants it as an... Wait a minute." Alice started over that little chat.
"Finally figuring it out? That puddle is not natural. In fact, it looks to have been made by a Genjutsu. I have a feeling I know full well who's in it as well."
"That's what you meant by her having an outlet? The ones that are in it? That's at least a Chuunin Level Genjutsu." Alice told him.
"Yes, and it would do her some good. By the way, Sakura?"
"Yeah?"
"If you need to, go Vulcan on them. Either that or stick in close with the Fire or Elec sword. Or you could just use your fists."
"One fist, and a Cannon." Sakura told them, confusing Alice.
"Alice-sensei, you might want to fake your guard being down. They will likely fall for it." Jared told her. "Everyone else, get ready for an ambush."
At this point Jared had passed the puddle, sensing both presences in there. "Hey, Naru. We're going Lava."
"Ooh. I like that idea." Naruto replied mentally.
Alice and Gonta dropped their guards. It was at that point that 2 people came out of the puddle. "Here comes!"
Sakura turned around to see Alice and Gonta get shredded, all according to plan. "Heavy Cannon!" Her left hand turned into something similar to Green Blaster. She launched one shot at one of the two that came out, knocking him out easily. She launched a punch directly at the other one, who was too surprised at his brother being taken out in one hit.
After contact, he went flying through 6 trees, and cracked a 7th. "That's better." The first one groaned. Sakura pointed her Cannon at him. "Shut up." She fired it, blowing off his right arm. He was about to scream, but Jared shot a Lava Blob at his head, deforming it. He couldn't make a sound.
"Sakura, don't you think that was a little overkill?" Jared asked, as he wiped his mouth of the remaining lava.
"You're the one that said I would get an outlet later." Sakura countered.
"True." Jared looked at the one she punched. He went through a few handsigns. A clone appeared right next to him. "We're finishing off the other one though. Sorry, Naru. No Lava this time."
"Aw man!" Naruto complained.
Jared grabbed his clone's Left hand with his right. "Gemini... THUNDER!" They pushed their arms down a line, straight towards the other one. After releasing the lock keeping their fingers together, they pointed right at the other one. Right as they pointed at him with all 10 fingers, a Yellow Beam of light went straight towards him, surrounded by bright yellow lightning bolts.
The last thing they heard was a scream from that direction. "Now that... was overkill." Jared said.
Sakura and Naruto looked at him. "Agreed."
"Uh, guys?" Hinata asked, wondering what was going on.
"Tazuna, mind explaining to them why you lied about your little escort? I already know the situation in Wave, so I know full well who's after your head." Jared asked.
"You knew?" Tazuna asked, clearly shocked. "How?"
"I'm not sure if you noticed, but I know more than I let on." Jared told him. Tazuna remembered what the others stated in that room. "That Hokage of yours said the same thing."
"He knew that I knew something was up. Gato is a menace, and I will continue. First things first, Alice-sensei, Gonta-sensei, you might want to reveal yourselves now." Jared stated, quite clearly.
They both walked out of the bushes. "How did you know this was going to happen?"
"Did you forget who I am?" Jared raised an eyebrow at them. They both face palmed. "I'll take that as a yes."
"Now, Tazuna. Why don't you explain why this Gato is after your head?" Gonta asked.
Tazuna went into the full story of why he lied about the mission. "That's why Gato is after me."
"Well, he's got something coming to him." Jared stated. "I have a feeling that this mission just went off the scope. Still, I think we should continue this particular mission."
"You're right, and we are. We still need to inform the Hokage of this little development." Alice stated.
"As well as collect their bounties. They will help pay for the parts that his village can't pay for."
"Anything not gotten from bounties, will be taken from Gato when he's dead." Hinata added, confusing the others. "What?"
"You really want to kill him? I figured you would want a softer approach." Naruto asked.
"No, that bastard is going to die. Whether it be by my hand, or the hand of one of you, I won't care. That bastard Gato is going to die before we're done with this mission." Hinata stated coldly.
This sent shivers down everyone's spines, even Tazuna. 'I'm not sure whether to be glad or scared that these guys are protecting me.'
"Well then, I'll send a message to the Hokage and someone to collect the bounty on the Demon Brother's heads." Alice stated.
"You take care of the bounty. I'll let the Hokage know." Jared said, confusing her. His Lightning Clone was still there, and cleared his throat. "He'll take care of letting the Hokage know." The clone nodded.
The clone walked a bit away from the others. "Denpa Henkan! Jared Uzumaki! On air!" The clone disappeared after throwing his right arm into the air.
Alice and Gonta glared at Jared. "I didn't tell you guys because you wouldn't believe me. Naru can do it, and Sakura is obviously working on it. Hinata, I'm not sure if she can, but Sakura is currently working on that particular piece."
They were still glaring. "He better come back, and you're going to explain how this is done, and how Sakura is working on a Denpa Henkan." Alice said, tone cold.
"It's kind of a back-up for me and Naru, and Sakura tends to use the partial status to relieve stress, since she can't really do much else with it." Jared told them. "I don't really use it for anything other than long distance travel. Also, the Chakra Network tends to disappear when I do so. It comes with turning into EM waves, I guess."
They both nodded. "Let's move on. You're still going to explain this later."
-3 days later-
They were at the shore of Fire Country, ready to take a boat to Wave. "This particular boat won't be able to fit all of you." The boatman said.
Naruto and Jared looked at each other, and then looked up with Denpa Vision, as they called it. (A/N: Their Denpa Vision allows them to see the Denpa World.) They saw there was a single Wave Road going across. "Well be good. We'll cover you guys from above." Naruto stated.
"What do you... Wave roads?" Sakura asked.
"Wave Roads." Jared replied.
"Alright, that's settled. Let's get going you guys." Hinata stated.
Jared and Naruto stayed behind while the others got in the boat.
"Shall we?" Jared asked.
"Let's." Naruto replied.
"Denpa Henkan!"
"Jared Uzumaki,"
"Naruto Uzumaki,"
"On air!" The finished in unison. The was a flash of light, and they both came out different than before.
Jared was wearing mostly Jade Green around his body. His right hand differed though. It was a Sapphire Blue, with a flame jetting out from the wrist. There was a symbol on the chest that looked like an Uzumaki Swirl. On his head was Jade Green helmet with a Dark Red visor. This helmet had antennae over the ears, something that could probably pick up good reception. (A/N: Picture Rogue/Burai/Bly for the body with those colors, and the helmet of Rockman/Megaman in said colors. All of which from RnR/MMSF.)
Naruto was wearing a completely Orange and Red body suit. There was a Fox symbol on his chest. His right hand was in the shape of a Fox's head, and was a Rusty Orange color. There was Red, Yellow and Orange flames coming out from behind the head. His helmet was in the same shape as Jared's, but was a Dark Red color, instead of Jade Green. His visor was a Light Green color. There also seemed to be 2 3 pointed wings that came out of his shoulder blades, though only for about 3 inches. There also was a picture of a fox with 9 tails on the lower back. (A/N: This is basically like Rockman/Megaman in MMSF/RnR. The color scheme, and symbol are what has been stated, and the head has been switched to the other hand while being a Fox head.)
"Ready Foxman?" the transformed Jared asked.
"Ready when you are Airbeast." Foxman, the transformed Naruto, replied.
They both fazed out and got on the wave road, only to find out that the path was not directly over the boat, though it was close.
As the boat moved on, Foxman (Naruto) and Airbeast (Jared) followed from above. Jared noticed something, and altered his frequency to talk to them. "Alice-sensei. We've got 2 beings ahead. Neither of them are Denpa Life forms. One seems to have a shit load of Chakra. The other seems to have a bloodline."
Roger that, Jared.
"It's Airbeast. That's my Denpa Codename. Fitting since I use Airgod for this, right? Also, Naru is to be called Foxman." Airbeast told her.
Fine. Airbeast it is.
"Airbeast, I'm picking something up." Foxman's hand told him.
"What do you mean, Kyuubi?" Airbeast replied.
"I sense a third life form, and this one is a Denpa Life form. We all have met Dragon Sky through Sakura, and this one has the same feel as him. Any ideas on who it is?" Kyuubi asked.
Airbeast didn't even have to think on it. He just looked at Foxman with shock. "There are only 2 possibilities. Leo Kingdom, and Pegasus Magic. Pegasus is Ice based, so it could be that he's here. Leo Kingdom is Fire based. Not good for the area, so it's highly unlikely that he's here."
"Got it. We're likely to face off against this Ice Pegasus." Foxman replied.
They got into Wave country, and went back into their normal forms, their Denpa Vision still active. The others took 5 minutes to get there, and only the boatman was confused at this.
"What's the verdict?" Gonta asked.
"We didn't figure out who it was, but Kyuubi found something interesting. Sakura, we may need to unleash the Dragon on the Pegasus." Naruto stated. Sakura just nodded.
"So, you overlooked him?" Sakura asked, further confusing the others.
"No, I couldn't detect him, even after Kyuubi pointed him out. He's hiding himself well. I thought I knew who these guys were, but unfortunately for the little AMian, I can't say for sure." Jared added. This sent a look of recognition on the ninja's faces. Tazuna was still confused.
"Tazuna, it would probably be better if you led us to your house and quick. They're preparing to attack, of this I can guarantee." Jared stated, earning a nod.
They walked off. It wasn't even 5 minutes before all of them found something was wrong. Jared sensed the Snow Hare. He threw a shuriken towards a bush, half scaring everyone. "Snow Hare."
This sent a look of confusion on Sakura's face. Then she realized something. "Wait you mean..." Hinata then yelled something out. "GET DOWN!"
Gonta and Alice got on the ground, Sakura tackled Tazuna, Hinata and Naruto also got down. Jared was a different story, he turned around with an open palm. His fingers somewhat curled. He saw the giant sword coming straight for his neck. The moment his hand was in place he sent out a pulse of Red energy. The sword hit the pulse and stopped at the continuous stream.
After 15 seconds of hovering due to the continuous pulse, the Sword went backwards and clattered to the ground. 'That sword... it is him.'
"Well, I'm surprised someone could stop my sword without touching it. Was it that little Chakra Pulse?" A man standing on a branch asked him.
"It would've done more if I actually had a grip on it... Zabuza Momochi." Jared said, without turning around. Zabuza stared at him. In response to the stare, Jared turned to look at him with a glare. "Where's Haku? And what's with the Denpa life form?"
Zabuza visibly tensed at this. "I have no idea what..."
"Save it! I know that Haku helps you out of tight spots, under the guise of a Tracker Ninja from Kirigakure. I even know about his little bloodline that allows him to use Hyouton. He's not the only one who can, however." Jared stated, confusing everyone else present. Zabuza, however, was just plain shocked.
"How you know all this, I don't know. But none of you will be leaving here alive!" Zabuza snapped his fingers. "Starting with you!" He popped up in front of Jared ready to cut him in half.
CLANG!
Jared didn't even flinch at this. "Is that all you've got?" His sword, Liger, was in his hand and stopped the giant Head Cleaver from even making a cut. "Cause if it is, you're screwed." His eyes went from normal with Diamond pupils to the Rinnegan, further confusing Zabuza. (A/N: You didn't think I got rid of this, did you?) He took that moment to push Zabuza off of him with a little Jutsu he remembered. "Shinra Tensei." Zabuza was blown back by an unseen force.
"The hell was that?" Zabuza shrieked as he got up. Jared still had Liger in his hand. "You've lost this match, Zabuza. It's best you break your little contract with Gato. Before I leave Wave, he's dead anyway. Whether you die before he does, is of no concern to me."
Zabuza stared into his eyes. The 3 rings finally making sense in his head. "The Rinnegan! You bastard!"
He charged Jared once again. Sakura saw this little charge and decided to help out. "Plasma Gun." She whispered. Her right arm shifted to what seemed to be a pinkish ball with 3 white balls surrounding it. There was lightning come from the inside. She fired it at Zabuza effectively paralyzing him. "You really think he came alone?" Sakura asked. "Hey, Jared. Why not use that little Shadow you showed me?"
"Good idea. I'd love to see him break." Jared replied, as he put his hands in an unknown sign. Only Sakura recognized it. "Clan Jutsu: Shadow Possession Jutsu!" His hands were together, his right above his left. Both hands had the middle and ring fingers straight up. His shadow extended to grab on to Zabuza's shadow. 'That's a Nara Clan technique! How does he know it?' This was the prevalent thought among all of the others. Naruto and Sakura were the only ones not surprised at this.
His hands separated from each other. He went through some more unknown handsigns. "Secret Jutsu: Shadow Bending." At this, Zabuza's joints were bending in ways that even Sakura thought wasn't possible. His elbows went backwards a full 180*. His knees went in reverse as well, making his feet go straight up to his face. His spine was snapping, and everyone could hear it. It was as if the spine itself was being twisted. Zabuza finally passed out, but was utterly killed when his head did a complete 180 in less than a second.
Everyone looked at Zabuza. Tazuna looked at him in fear and awe. Gonta was the first to say anything. "That's gotta hurt." Everyone looked at him.
"Gonta-sensei, that didn't do us any good." Sakura stated.
"Hey Jared?" Hinata asked.
"Yeah?"
"You said there were two people, one of which has a bloodline. If I'm correct, Zabuza doesn't have one." Hinata told him. Alice and Gonta looked at her and nodded.
"She's right, he doesn't."
"I know. What I'm surprised at is that Haku didn't interfere. My guess is he would have sent 2 senbon to his neck putting him in a false death." Jared told them. "Haku is the one with a bloodline."
Everyone stared at him. Someone else came out, no mask, but the person looked like a girl. "You're right on that. I do have one. However, I never really liked Zabuza." Everyone looked at her. "And by the way, he always had me act like a male, when really I'm female."
Jared just stared. The others glared at her. Jared shook off his shock. "From what I hear, you're grateful he saved you from a pit of loneliness. Why the sudden change?"
"It was all a facade on my part. He raised me as his tool, nothing more. There was nothing I could do at this point, and quite frankly, I'm glad that bastard is dead. He deserved it." Haku looked at the dead body. "Gato hired us to kill Tazuna. With Zabuza out of it, there is no need to fulfill that little notion."
Everyone looked relieved. Jared had a few questions. "Haku, I have some questions for you."
"I'll answer them, since you actually took care of him." Haku replied.
"Were you ever really aligned with Kirigakure?"
"No, I wasn't. He had me pose as a Tracker Ninja, just to get others from taking him out." Haku replied.
"Who is the Denpa Life form we sensed earlier?"
"You know about that too, huh?" Haku replied. "His name is Pegasus Magic. He's quite fitting for my bloodline, which I figure you already know about."
Jared nodded. "Will you be able to teach me and Naruto part of your ice style?" This one caught all of the others off guard, even Haku. "You... You can use Ice?"
"Thanks to our Uzumaki Bloodline, we can combine the 5 Nature Elements into the Sub-elements. I have a few Ice Jutsu but they mainly take the appropriate Water Jutsu to use it. Naruto can't even do that. However, I know that we can use Hyouton, so your ice Jutsu aren't really out of the question. Bloodline or not, it probably doesn't matter. The Rinnegan should allow us to use it." Jared explained.
"For a fellow Hyouton user, I would be honored. Though, I am not sure if you can use some of them." Haku replied.
"Can't hurt to try, can it?" Jared replied. Haku smiled in response. "It has been a long time since I was truly happy." Haku paused, to close his eyes. When she opened them back up, the pupils turned into a green diamond. "What do you think Pegasus?"
Jared, Sakura, and Naruto activated their Denpa Vision. "I have no problems with them. However, that girl with Pink hair has a familiar feel to her."
"Is it because Dragon Sky is with me?" Sakura asked.
"Well I'll be. Never thought that Air head would ever find someone to work well with him. I'll have to work with her personally."
"I can't even take on a full Denpa Henkan state. I still don't have enough control to do so. I can do parts of my body, but not the entire thing." Sakura replied.
"Then you and I have a lot of work to do. Haku, I will work with her, while you work with the blonde and the other one with Ice. That is what I'm good with." Pegasus stated, earning a nod from Haku.
"Then it's settled. I'll work with you on Hyouton. If you can continue with the Hyouton, and add on to what it can be used for, I will be happy with that alone." Haku told them.
They all deactivated their Denpa Vision. Haku looked at Tazuna. "I am glad to not be after you any longer, Tazuna. I have seen the state of your village, and wish to help protect you. If Gato comes, he will die for sucking this village dry."
Tazuna was immediately relieved. Jared and Naruto nodded. Alice was still suspicious. "How do we know we can trust you?"
"Haku never liked killing in the first place." Jared stated, causing everyone to look at him, even Haku.
"How did you..."
"I know this, because I saw your eyes. You hate killing, and would avoid it if at all possible. Traveling with Zabuza has forced you to either kill or fake a kill. You're a lot more kind hearted than that, and would rather send someone into a coma than kill them." Jared continued.
Haku nodded. "You are good. I realize I can truly trust you, however, I can't say the same for some of them. They obviously don't trust me."
Alice and Gonta glared at her. "I can tell you don't like me, but without a family, I have no where else. However, with Pegasus Magic along for the ride, I can travel as a Denpa Human. Since I was never aligned with any Ninja Village, I am not considered a Rogue. You have no reason to trust me since I was with Zabuza. He may have taught me everything aside from my Jutsu concerning my bloodline, but I hold no affection towards him, and would even accompany you to collect his bounty. Thanks to me, it went up a lot." Haku walked to Zabuza's body.
"You were always a stubborn, reckless, fool. I looked up to you once, you saved me, but it turns out everything was for your benefit alone. You're dead, and I feel nothing for you." She walked to his sword. She picked it up with relative ease. "Zabuza, you may have trained me with weapons of all kinds, even your sword, but I never thought I would be using it next. Maybe you'll get better luck in the afterlife, because I sure as hell know you won't here." She sheathed it on her back.
Jared walked up to her, Sakura right beside him. "There is nothing more for me to say on Zabuza. If he wanted me to be sad for his death, I'm not even sorry to say that I'm not. He was a Royal bastard."
Jared smirked at that. "I wasn't looking for anything on Zabuza. So you know, he probably did grow to like you, but no where near enough to consider you family. Being alone with only one other person does that to you. Trust me on this one." Jared sighed, losing his smirk.
"Anyway, I've gotten some training with EM waves done with Sakura, but she doesn't have full control over that particular ability. However, it's not that she doesn't lack the potential to do so. No, that's not it. It's her reserves. They're too low to use it frequently. Her control is much better than her reserves, which are Mid-Genin level, at best. If not for the fact she can use Dragon Sky's life force as her Chakra, she wouldn't even be able to take part in a certain combo that she, Naruto, and I can use."
Haku looked at her. "I have no need for the information on your combination Jutsu. Once I have taught you what I know, it is up to you how you use it. I will also leave you both to your devices at that point. Even if I must stick to the shadows, I will still protect this place from any threat I can, or die trying."
They both nodded. Haku walked back with them to the team. "Alright, let's go. Tazuna, even after we are gone, she will protect this village. Just as Kaiza had done before he fell to Gato." Jared stated, shocking Tazuna once more.
"Kaiza?" Sakura asked. Jared nodded. "You can ask them about him later. Just make sure his grandson Inari is not present when you do."
Everyone nodded. Tazuna was looking at Jared with a lot of interest. 'He knows more than the rest, obviously. Question is: How much does he really know?'
They all walked silently towards a pier with a 3 story house on it.
Tazuna walked right in the door. "Tsunami, I'm home! And I've got the best bodyguards I could ever ask for."
Tsunami looked at them. "Well, thank you for getting my father home safe."
Naruto smiled at her. "It's no problem, ma'am. It's what we do."
That was the moment a boy came into the room. Jared immediately knew who this was. Tazuna looked at Jared, and saw something on his face he didn't think he would see so soon. "I take it you already know who this is, Jared?"
Jared didn't say a word. His reply was a simple. "Inari, you and I need to talk." The boy visibly flinched at the tone. "If you're going up against Gato, you're going to die." He had a face of indifference, but Jared knew better. 'I figured it would be like this.'
"And that's exactly why we need to talk." Jared's tone didn't lose its edge. That statement had all of the Ninja there look at him. "It would be best to do this privately. You don't want others hearing about your little problem, and I sure as hell know some of them don't want to hear of mine again."
Naruto and Sakura covered their mouths. Alice was suspicious of what he was saying. "Jared, what are you doing?"
"I'm going to convince him his ideals are wrong, and the only way to do that is by telling him of the pain others gain. I won't hurt him physically. He may not like what he hears, however, right now, it's one of the few ways, and the least painful." Jared replied. "I'm not going into details of what I'll tell him, but they'll thank me later."
"Let's go Inari." Jared walked out of the door. Inari was looking at him in shock. He just walked out, wondering what had to be so private.
-outside-
Jared was sitting at the edge of the pier. Inari saw him and was obviously wary of what he was going to say. "Sit down, cause this is gonna take a while to go through."
Inari was hesitant, but sat down a bit away from him. "What is so private your friends can't even hear it?"
"It's not that they can't hear it, its that they don't want to listen to it again. The last time I told them, a few trees went crashing to the ground in their rage. In reality, Naruto and Sakura, the blonde male and pink haired girl, are the only ones who know what I'm about to show you. I sugarcoated it for them. I didn't show them, like I'm about to show you." He went through some handsigns. "Just remember that what you see, though only an illusion, is the truth. You also will not be seen, heard, or even felt during this particular illusion." He finished up the handsigns. "Secret Jutsu: Memory Projector." Inari had flinched, about to fall off the stump he was on. Instead, he fell on his hands and knees.
"What...What was that?" Inari asked. He looked into Jared's eyes.
"You saw a life. My life before I met Naruto. Something I truly regret going through, but I don't regret any of it. All of what happened led me to him. He had it worse than me." Jared stated, his eyes strangely void of anything. Happiness, anger, hope, boredom... Life. His eyes were dead. "Naruto's life was worse than mine. Like me, he had a smile on his face as if nothing were wrong. However, only one person ever knew the truth. That one is the purple haired girl, and she is currently his girlfriend. Growing up an orphan does a number on someone. He was alone from Day 1."
Inari gasped. "How is he even alive? I saw what happened to him. How could he survive all of that torture and still have the will to move on?"
"It's an Uzumaki thing. Our stubbornness is one of our greatest strengths. It is also one of our greatest weaknesses. I managed to bring his mother back to life when he was 6. Had I not come into his life, he wouldn't have met his mother, wouldn't have known a thing about his father until a few years from now, and what's more, he still doesn't hate the village for what they did to him. Sure he doesn't like the fact they tortured him for days on end, but that doesn't mean he gave in and killed himself. It just meant he had nothing to lose, and everything to prove." Jared added.
Inari looked at him. He saw what both Jared and Naruto had been through. "You really want him to be happy, don't you? That's why you stick up for him."
"Bingo. Looks like showing you what we've been through worked wonders for you." Jared replied.
"I still don't get most of what you've been through, but I know its worse than what I've been through. Even you being here is probably hurting others, thinking you're dead." Inari stated, making Jared flinch. "What was that?" His tone was concerned.
"You showed me everything from your life. Even in that Texas area. I still don't know where that is, but the last thing I saw about you explained that. You're not even from this dimension. I never thought about that. A lot of people have it worse than me. Still, when you showed me that Naruto's life, I never once saw you in there." Inari added.
Jared sighed. "That explains a lot for me. You saw my life, and Naruto's life without my interference. That's not really a good thing to see."
"Maybe not, and I saw some things I wish I didn't. Still, at least it showed me how good I have it compared to you and Naruto-niisan. I also saw him telling me off. If not for that, I probably wouldn't have done anything on it. I'm glad you showed me all that." Inari told him with a smile.
"I see. Just don't tell anyone what you saw about me. Those last moments before I ended up in Uzushiogakure. I can't let anyone find out about that. Not now, not ever." Jared told him. Inari simply nodded.
"I know. Something like that probably isn't worth telling anyway." Inari smiled a real smile. "Anyway, let's go back inside. I probably won't be better right away, because Gato is still alive, but at least I know he'll die before you guys leave. Now I have hope. Something I haven't had for a long time. For that, I thank you."
Jared nodded with a small smile on his face. Sakura was right on top of the roof, able to hear everything they said. She was hoping to ask Jared what was so bad, but to say that he sugarcoated his life before Naruto? She wanted to know why he had it so hard, and was going to ask him, until he told Inari that what he found out was not to be told to anyone. She couldn't tell him she heard what he said. As much as she wanted to find out what he meant by from another dimension, she wouldn't ask. She couldn't betray his trust. If what he said was true, then it really explains him better than anything else.
'I have to find out for myself, but now is not the right time. I have to wait. He'll tell me when he's ready, or when it catches up to him. Whichever comes first.'
-the next day-
Sakura and Haku were in the forest.
"Alright. It's obvious you have been given a riddle to solve. Have you done so yet?" Haku asked.
Sakura shook her head. "I know what to do, but I haven't figured out how to do so." Haku nodded at this. "He said your reserves are your problem. You say it is your control. I figure it is a little of both."
They both activated their Denpa Vision. "Pegasus, why don't you share a little light on this? I'm not sure if I can explain it properly."
"Gladly. He said it was your reserves, which is only partially correct. You see, going for a complete Denpa Henkan uses up a lot of Chakra at first. By ninja standards, it would be close to Mid-Chuunin level. Once you do it a few times, it tends to take less chakra. Do it enough times it will go down to about Low-Genin level in Ninja terms."
"So that's why the reserves are a problem. What about control?" Sakura asked.
"You see, you have the control over your chakra. There's no doubt about that. However, you cannot fully control the power of Dragon Sky until you solve his riddle, and execute it. Thing is, there is a way around it, and only I know of it."
Haku stared at him. "You knew of a way around the whole riddle and you didn't tell me?"
"If I did, it would've taken even longer. Trust me. This would have taken years for you. Listen up, because this is more of a long term thing. You already have some control over his power." Sakura's eyes widened. "You simply lack the knowledge of how to use it completely. Use it often, and you will slowly gain control over it."
"Wait, so you mean that if I use his power for long enough, then I can slowly gain control over it?" Sakura asked.
"That's basically it. However, doing this will be highly taxing on your body if you do so for too long."
Sakura was in thought. "Jared told me about the Denpa Viruses. Is it possible to bring them here so I can do this effectively?"
Haku stared at her. "Why would you want to do that? You probably have no experience with them."
"Maybe not in this area, but in Konohagakure, I've taken out a few of them. Mainly those Hard Hats, that damn crow, and a few of those cannons." Sakura replied.
"Ah, so you do have some experience with this. Try to flare Ole Air head's Denpa energy. That would bring them straight to you. Just be ready for an onslaught." Sakura nodded, and tried doing so.
She activated her Denpa vision, and saw several Mettenna, and a few things that looked like ghosts. "Heavy Cannon!" Her right hand turned into the same cannon she used on the Demon Brothers.
She started firing it at the Ghosts, thinking that they are probably a bigger threat than the Mettenna. "Wide sword!" Her left hand turned into a sword that got wider as it went down the blade. She cut the Mettenna that got too close, and started firing at the others that were getting too close. Those that got close enough to hit her got cut in half by the sword.
After 10 minutes of this, Sakura was panting. The Denpa Viruses were wary of this and continued to charge her. "You are doing something that is beyond your reach. You will end up killing yourself if you continue."
"I don't care right now. If I can learn to harness your power completely, even if only to help out Jared, I won't care."
"Stubborn to the end. I like that."
"Right now, I could care less."
She fired another few shots. She was basically running on empty. Haku was about to intervene when Pegasus told her to stop. Sakura started glowing on her neck. She continued to fight them off. However, now she was doing it with renewed vigor. Haku was a little surprised when her Chakra jumped up. "Pegasus?"
"It's progressing faster than I thought. I don't know how or why, though, so don't ask."
Haku sweatdropped.
The Cannon on Sakura's right arm went from Green and white to Black and Blue. She didn't even call out the name of it, but Pegasus knew that she upgraded it. She fired it and got rid of 9 Viruses, shocking them all.
"Sakura Haruno. Your determination to learn to control something to help someone else is heartwarming. You have earned this in my opinion. Behold my power!"
Sakura collapsed, enticing the Viruses. However, they were blown back due to the scream she emitted. The remaining Viruses were deleted by the sheer sound of it.
Sakura glowed a Jade Green, causing Pegasus to gape. Haku noticed, and gaped at him. When the glow died out around Sakura. She was in a new form, though prone.
"I...did it..." Sakura said, before releasing the Denpa Henkan when she fell unconscious.
"That could've gone better, wouldn't you say?"
"No kidding." Haku replied.
-elsewhere-
Jared sensed something that was familiar. Naruto picked up on it. "What's up?"
"Sakura just released a massive amount of Dragon Sky's power. Much more than she should be able to control." Jared's tone denoted his worry. "I'm heading to see what happened." Jared jumped up. "Denpa Henkan! Jared Uzumaki, On air!" He flashed, and then landed on a wave road. He went towards Sakura and Haku. 'I hope I make it in time.'
-back with Haku-
"You know, Haku. Jared probably will think she drew on too much of his power."
"I know. The best we can do right now is tell him what happened when he gets here. I know that massive increase in her Chakra levels was from the Dragon." Haku replied.
Right then, Airbeast came down. "Haku, what did you do to her?" His tone was cold.
"It's alright, Jared. She fell unconscious after successfully performing a Denpa Henkan." Airbeast tensed.
"First off, in this form, it's Airbeast. Second, how did she manage to do that?"
"That would be my fault." Pegasus told him. "You see, there was a way around the riddle, and normally it would have taken time. A lot of time. She managed to show the determination for something. What it was, I have no idea. However, through that determination she upgraded the Heavy Cannon into a Black and Blue version of it. One not even I know of."
Airbeast looked at them. "Do you mean this? Omega Cannon." Jared's left hand turned into a Black and Blue version of the Heavy Cannon. "This is the only Cannon above the Heavy Cannon, and it fits the description you gave."
"That's the one, alright. It's power was destructive. I'm not human, so I can't say for sure if she's okay, but I know for a fact she's alive. Her frequency has not died out."
"Her Chakra is dangerously low right now. It's Chakra Exhaustion." Airbeast told them.
"Chakra Exhaustion, huh? That means she pushed her to her limits to do all of that. She was probably ready to die in order to do this. For what reason, however, I don't know." Haku told him.
"I'll take her back to Tazuna's. She'll need to rest up for a while." Airbeast told her. He went back to his completely human form. "Don't worry. Even in this form I'm fast." He placed a hand on Sakura's stomach before placing 2 fingers to his forehead. They both fazed out.
"What was that?" Haku asked.
"I don't know. That wasn't a Denpa move."
"Not Chakra based, either."
"What's more is, he doesn't have an FMian or AMian with him. In fact, I don't even see how he can Denpa Henkan."
"What?" Haku was truly surprised. "He's able to Denpa Henkan without a Denpa Life Form? Is that even possible?"
"Oh, It's possible." A voice stated behind her. She turned around, ready to throw a Senbon. She noticed it was Jared. "So you know, this is only a Pyre Clone. A Jutsu unique to me and Naru."
"What do you mean by it's possible?"
"I know of a few that have been able to Denpa Henkan without the aid of anything, or anyone, else. On earth, there was once a civilization called Mu. That civilization was more like Planets FM and AM than Earth. They were highly adept with Denpa Life forms, and even created some of their own. Some of the more powerful ones could Denpa Henkan without any outside help. However, they were rare, and only showed up when they were needed. I, on the other hand, use a being of Pure Spirit Energy to accomplish the same result." Jared paused to let it sink in.
Haku, for one was a little shocked. Pegasus, on the other hand, just gaped. "You...You found a way to Denpa Henkan without a Denpa Life Form?"
"It started out as an experiment. Turns out that any being of pure Energy can be used to perform a Denpa Henkan, sealed or not." Jared stated. "This means the Bijuu can do the same thing. After all, Naru uses a Bijuu to do so. We call him Foxman when he goes Denpa Ningen."
Haku nodded. "Just one question."
"Fire away."
"Do you know where the other Bijuu are? With this information, we could pass it on to other Jinchuuriki." Haku stated.
"I know one for a fact is in Sunagakure. His name is Gaara, and currently is the Kazekage's son. Currently a little unstable. There are two in Kumogakure. Their names are Yugito Nii, and Kirabi something. Gaara has the 1-tail. Yugito has the 2-tails. Kirabi has the 8-tails. 3 tails, as far as I know, doesn't have a container, especially since once the Mizukage Yagura dies, Sanbi will be released. The others, I don't know who they are, or where they are." Jared told her.
"Then the 1-tail, 2-tails, 8-tails, and 9-tails will know of it when we are done." Haku replied.
"One more thing. Before you go, ask the original about a seal you could use to strengthen theirs. Some of them will not work properly. 8-tails, I don't have any worries, since I believe Kirabi and the Hachibi get along just fine. Yugito and the Nibi are probably the same as well. Gaara and Shukaku don't get along easily, and he's bound to have some troubles. There is also the threat of Akatsuki. He'll give you the details at the same time." he told her before looking up. "Looks like it's time for me to go. Later." He melted back into the tree he was sitting on.
"That is one strange boy. I'd really like to pleasure him. Something I have never done, or even thought about." Haku told herself.
"I'd forget about that Haku. Sakura has his heart already, and he has her's. There's nothing you can do about that. And if you kill her, he'll kill you." Pegasus told her.
"I see that, but I don't believe I was talking to you." Haku retorted calmly.
00000x00000
That was a weird explanation at the end.
Yes, that was a bit of an addition to the Denpa Henkan. Something I kinda came up with myself. When you think about it, all the FMians really are are beings made of electromagnetic waves. They don't have a physical form, however, with certain means they can be seen, just like a ghost. Airgod is the same way, being similar to a ghost, but technically alive.
The Bijuu are beasts made entirely of Chakra. They have no true physical form, and therefore can do the same. They are simply a mass of condensed Chakra.
Yes, I know that Chakra is a combination of Physical and Spiritual Energy, they have no physical form on their own. For this reason, he can do so, by converting his Chakra into Denpa waves, thus becoming a temporary Denpa Life Form.
The Chakra basically becomes the Denpa energy to use in that form, thus getting rid of the Chakra Network. However, due to a lack of EM technology, the Denpa weapons will work against Ninja. In fact, they could be used to kill the dead, though it's not completely confirmed yet. I just know that the Zombie Duo is not gonna like going up against them if they ever do. When they turn back into human form, the Denpa Energy becomes Chakra once more, though it's still possible that you'll be exhausted.
This is not something I feel should be used often, and in reality, the only times it will be used are in certain situations which I am not naming.
