Ch. 7
Recap: On the Hokage Monument-
"Sir, the dragon is back."
"Good, that's good. Thank you. Tell your men, that I will no longer need them."
"Yes sir." the man disappeared, leaving Minato to himself.
"Naruto, I wonder how you're doing. I haven't seen you lately. I hope that you can forgive me for what i put you through." he mused. In a flash of golden light, he was gone, leaving behind no trace that he had ever been there.
"Wake up you salty old boot!" exclaimed Naruto, shaking Icefire. Whom, even after twenty minuetes of violent shaking, wouldn't get up.
"Don't wanna." he moaned, rolling over. Naruto sighed for the millionth time that morning, and hit the dragon on the head, receiving only a grunt.
"Come on! We're going to be late for training."
"It doshen't relly mutter when Kakashi's a lashy ash and would be late anyway." slurred the dragon. He kicked Naruto in the gut, sending him across the room. Naruto glared at the half asleep dragon, and got up.
"Fine, I guess that I'll just call Sakura and..."
"Don't... you... dare...!" exclaimed the now fully awake Icefire. The last time Naruto had to call Sakura over when he wouldn't get up, he was sent through the wall... and the wall was solid concrete.
"That's better. Now come on! Get up you lazy ass and lets go!" Icefire groaned and pounced off the bed, onto Naruto's shoulder, the size of Akamaru. "So, last week when we went shopping after your return, what did you buy? I saw you carrying a bag."
"I'm not telling you until the right time blondy. Now, can you move a little faster please. Weren't you just complaining about me being slow, and your dragging your feet?" Naruto 'hmphed' and picked up the pace, arriving at the bridge in no time. Sasuke was there, but Sakura wasn't.
"Where's Sakura?" asked Naruto.
"Sick. She called me earlier, asking me if I wanted to come over and take care of her. As if I would do that." repiled the raven. Mentaly, the three boys jumped and whooped of joy.
"So... I got out of bed from a threat that you couldn't carry out... Naruto?" growled the navy blue dragon. His eyes were practicaly glowing with annoyance and anger. He dug his razor sharp claws deep into Naruto's shoulder, and wouldn't let go, even when Naruto tugged with all of his might. Sasuke was smirking in amusement, watching the two quaral.
There was a puff of smoke, and Kakashi appeared, on time, and pissed looking. Naruto and Sasuke stared at him with saucer eyes, while Icefire was still glaring and growling at Naruto, his claws still embeded in his shoulder. Kakashi sighed, and looked over his shoulder nervously, as though he was expecting an attack.
"Have you seen her?"whispered the pervert
"Who?" asked Naruto, confused.
"Kurenai! She's been stealing my books, then burning them infront of me when ever she sees me reading one! I only have one left." Kakashi moaned. The look in his eyes... eye!... was pure agony.
"No, but Hinata-chan said that she was leading a mission to the Village Hidden in the Mist. So, unless she recruted the help of any other girls in the village, I don't think that you have anything to worry about." replied the blonde.
"Hmph, I'm not supprised that she's been burning those piles of rubbish. Those books are putrid! I can't see ho... actualy, I can, but that dosen't matter. You really need to stop reading those... things that you call best selling novels." grunted Icy.
"You sure are in a bad mood today." inquired Naruto.
"You would be to if you were as light a sleeper as I am, and had to listen to the cat next door yowl, and your obnoxious snoring. I was ready to stick a cork in your mouth last night. And I'm sure that Hinata thought that someone drugged your food with how you were moaning and gurrgling. In other words, long story short, I got a grand GOLDEN total of two and a half hours of sleep last night!"raved the dragon. He would have continued his rant, if it was not for Kakashi giving off a dry cough.
"Sorry to interupt your wonderful speech, but we have a mission. It was originaly for three genin, but seeing as though Icy is at least Kage level, I assumed that two genin and a dragon was enough. Its a C-ranked mission, but there's a catch. You have to escort a four year old and his older sister, AND... do everything that they say without complaint, Naruto. If you protest, then they won't pay us." Sasuke, Naruto, and Icefire groaned. "They are waiting at the village gates."
The genin plodded off to the village gates. Icefire still haden't removed his claws, but Naruto didn't seem to notice the fire like pain coming from the dragon's slightly poisonous claws. The poison was just enough to cause pain, but not enough to kill someone Naruto's size. When they reached the gates, an impaitent ten year old, and an oblivious four year old were waiting for them. Naruto had to suppress a groan when he saw them.
"Oi! I've delt with their kind before. Keep your head high, mouth shut, and shoulders straight. And don't whine, that'll just tick them off." said Icefire from inside his head.
'Thanks Icy. And do me a favour, and remove your claws from my shoulder please.'
"Oh, sorry." Icefire emeidiatly removed his claws, and moved to Naruto's head, licking blood off of his hand.
The ten year old didn't even wait for them to introduce themselves, she just nodded and started to walk away. No one spoke, but the look on the genin and dragon's faces spoke volumes, especialy Naruto's. All of a sudden, Naruto felt a tap on his shoulder, and Icy's tail swung infront of his face, pointing to the bushes to the left. Naruto gave a tiny nod, and signaled to Sasuke—who was walking behind him—to be on his guard. There was a slight rustling in the bushes, and a large wolf leaped out, it was covered in old battle wounds. The right side of its upper lip was torn, his left ear mangled—as though something had clawed it off—and its left eye was missing. There were several chunks bitten out of his tail, and his right eye was extremely clouded—meaning, he was completely blind. And his right front paw was so mangled that you couldn't even tell that it was a paw, let alone him being able to use it. He was a fadded grey color, and had several swirls of brown littering it, giving off a godly impression.
The ten year old girl shreiked and grabbed her brother protectivly, but the ninjas didn't move. When she had shreiked, the wolf's head snapped to her, and he made several sniffing motions. Naruto heard Icefire give off a supprised grunt, and the dragon leaped off of his head, infront of the wolf, the same size as it.
"Ryuution (dragon release)?" the wolf's head swung to Icy, and he sniffed him.
"Icy? Is that really you? I thought you were trapped in that cave." for a wolf that had so many wounds, he didn't sound old at all. In fact, he sounded like he was quite young.
"Yeah, its realy me. What happened to you? Last time I saw ya, you had both of your eyes."
"Yeah well, times change. Fourteen years can make a huge difference."
"Uh... Icy, who is this?" Naruto piped up nervously. He had never seen this wolf before, and the fact alone that Icefire knew him meant that he could be trusted.
"Oh! This is Ryuution, an old friend of mine. But you can call him Ryuu, its easier to say and remember. And Ryuu, this is Naruto and Sasuke, a couple of genin from Konoha, where I now live as Naruto's dragon."
"So... you finaly found a rider huh? Well step forward you two so I can have a good sniff, give a blind animal some sympathy here." the two boys nervously stepped forward, and Ryuu sniffed them, to learn more about them. "Hm, the Sasuke one, smells like he has some deep buried ambitions, and feelings that he dosen't want anyone to find out. Then Naruto smells like he has power that could match yours Icy, he's different he is. Is he the one who..."
"Yes he is. But don't bring up that subject now. We're on a mission, and the screaming one that you heard earlier is one of our clients. Do you want to join us, when we get back to the village, we can have Baa-chan look at you."
"Sure! I guess, if that's alright."
"Sure its alright!" exclaimed Naruto. "Come on, let's finish up the mission, then get you home, you can stay with Icy, Hinata-chan, me too." Ryuu nodded, and they continued on. He didn't seem to have a problem moving around, and he explained that he used his hearing, sense of smell, and the ability to sense chakra through the ground when ever one of them took a step, then sensing chakra from the air. He and Icefire chatted, telling stories, and cracking jokes, that had everyone except the ten year and four year old brats laughing.
It took until around noon to get the escorties to their homes, and the two genin, dragon, and wolf hastily left. They didn't want to be around those two any longer than they needed to. When the two chunin at the gates saw Ryuu, they were a bit supprised. And when they saw Naruto, they glared at him. Icefire glared right back, making them flench. Sasuke and Naruto led the way to the Hokage Tower, to turn in their mission reports, and try and convince Tsunade to look at Ryuu. Lucy for them, she was sober, and in a good mood.
"So, what you're saying is, you want me to take a look at a wolf that you just met, that looks like he was shoved in a shredder."
"Yup!"
"Well, I've known him since we were kids, so... just do what you can."
"Fine, I'll give you a call when I'm done examining him. Now leave."
The two genin and dragon left, leaving Ryuu behind to Tsunade. Ryuu turned to her, and blinked (yes both eyes, he kept both open, even though he is missing an eye). "Do I realy look like I was shoved in a shredder?" he asked innocently.
"Kind of. I mean, you are missing a paw, ear and eye, and a good portion of your tail."
"True, and I'm blind. Now that part is just plain unfair! I'm not even in my prime yet, and I'm at least twenty years younger than Icefire."
"How old is Icefire anyway? He's never told me, or any one else."
"Do you know Kyuubi?" Tsunade nodded. "Multiply his age by two, then subtract eight, and that is Icy's age."
"So, let's see here... he's 1792 years old." Ryuu nodded. "Wow, that's old."
"Not for a dragon. Now come on! Let's see what you can do to fix me up."
Tsunade nodded again, and stepped forward.
---------With Naruto, Icy, and Sasuke---------
"Wow, Ryuu looks horrible. I wonder what happened to him to make him look like that." comented Naruto. Sasuke just rolled his eyes and snorted. They were going to see Sakura, why is beyond me, but they were. Sasuke was busy wondering why he was going along, while Icy and Naruto were talking with each other.
"Yeah, well. Don't say that to his face, or anything else about his apearance. I don't know how sensitive he is, so just watch what you say in that catigory." hissed the ice dragon. He was perched on Naruto's head, watching the villagers walk past, glaring at anyone who glared at Naruto, letting them know that the blonde was under his protection, and that they better not try anything funny. He sighed and said, "Tell me again why we are going to see the pink banshee? Her hair is so... bright and pink—someone gag me—that it burns my eyes. I wonder what her parents look like to make her hair that color, or if she dyes it. If you can call it a color."
"Because if we don't, she will get offended, then when she gets better, she will send all four of us straight to hell, in every definition of the phrase." chortled Sasuke. He had a look on his face that screamed that he was enjoying the little house call as much, if less, a Icy was. If it was possible.
-------------On a roof top near by-----------
A tall figure crouched watching the genin and dragon with a smile on his face. He couldn't hear what they were saying, but he was glad to see his son. Minato gave a small satified nod, they disappeared in a puff of smoke.
Aaaand that's a rap folks. Well, for this chappie any way. And don't worry, Naruto's gonna meet his dad soon enough, be paitient.
Naruto: That one was actualy pretty good.
Me: Thanks! And sorry about the grusome detail on Ryuu, I had to burn the image of a extremly battle scared wolf demon into everyone's heads, so... haha... yeah.
Naruto: Spirit does not own me or any other Naruto characters.
Ryuu: But she does own me, Icefire, and this plot
Ja!