This chapter took a little longer to get done because I've been traveling back and forth a lot but was a lot of fun to write and is the second longest so far and I hope you enjoy it.
Naruto's body throbbed in pain, a searing soreness as if every single fiber was screaming in exertion but it felt dull and distant. He opened his eyes and was surprised to find himself not outside looking up in the sky or the inside of a house but the amer sewer like construct where he had met the Kyuubi.
'Better get this over with' He thought as he wandered towards the warm core deep inside. The large chamber where that bijuu was sealed gave him an eerie feeling which wasn't so unexpected considering that here he was closer than anywhere else to the mighty creature of hate and malevolence.
A dark chuckle blew a hot breath over him.
"Tell me mortal how did my power feel."
He was a little hesitant to speak with the bijuu, afraid that it would trick him somehow so he was a little reluctant to speak.
"I feel like my entire body is on fire." He said honestly after a few seconds.
"Hahahaha, like a simple mortal could stand by might. Tell me did you enjoy crushing your enemies?" The fox obviously enjoyed himself immensely, there wasn't much for him to do and he had little sense of time but now that his container had started drawing on his powers he could use this to work towards freedom. The discomfort the boy felt at this was obvious and it pleased the fox.
"No! I feel disgusted!" Naruto said defiantly.
"You can't lie here Naruto, when you drew on my tails I could feel your emotions your elation at my power flowing through you."
"Well yea. I felt invincible." He said meekly and the fox laughed in evil delight,
"You can't stand against me, your body can't take it but your mind won't allow you to not draw it forth. You will slay your enemies and if we are lucky even your friends." The fox chuckled. "Then one day you will succumb and I will be free."
"No! I will not hurt my friends or let you out dattebayo!"
A giant tail slammed against the bars of the cage. "You dare defy the fate that lies before you mortal?"
"I'll make my own fate, even if it means that I must lay down my life to protect my comrades!"
"Then you are a fool for so willingly giving up your life!" The fox raged.
"I never said I will give up but if I must I'll take whatever it takes! Even if I have to fight you myself to master you I will do it 'dattebayo!" He put a foot forward as he stood and stared at the fox.
"Then do it, try to use my power! I will enjoy watching you destroy everything around you!" Naruto was forced awake as the fox slammed multiple tails against the cage and sat right up in shock.
"Yo the fox wakes to greet the mighty ox!" Even being confused from suddenly waking up there was no mistaking killer B's rapping.
Naruto looked around and saw that he was in a small matt covered room with a single window letting in the last light of the day.
"How long have I been out?"
"You have been out for a few hours from using your powers." B nodded, obviously pleased with his successful rhyming.
"And where are we?"
"We are at this island's guard station while the team receives it's medication."
"Are Samui and Karui okay?"
"Don't fret all you three got was a little wet, the medic said they'll wake up in morning so feel free to do some exploration and see it as a small vacation."
He was surrounded by trees, he spun around in a circle and it all just became a green blur. Rain was falling and he could hear what sounded like rushing water. The trees looked like they were under water. Water was pooling around his feet.
"Wake up!"
More water fell on him, it was surrounding him, like a glass beaker made of water that was slowly filling up and with the sides shrinking, he was panicking.
"I said wake up!"
He looked up towards the sky and a massive amount of water was speeding down on him, it hit him with the power of a freight train pushing him down against the ground.
He sat up startled and spluttering, drenched his hair stuck to his head.
"Hey you are finally up lazy ass."
He looked at a pleased Karui holding an empty glass and a smirk plastered across her face. Samui was also there but did a better job hiding her mirth.
"Karui? Samui. It's good to see you are okay." He said in a somewhat subdued voice but which was easily overlooked at just being waked up.
"Thanks for saving us, B-sensei said that if it wasn't for you we'd be dead." Karui said. "Wait, you didn't do cpr or mouth to mouth did you?" She added, her eyes narrowed and honed in on him.
"That's cool."
"No I didn't. But now that you mention it I kinda wish I did." He leaned back, grinning, as Karui threw the glass at him but it just shattered harmlessly on the floor. "But I guess B did." He added thoughtfully.
Both girls froze up and several different emotions flickered across their faces. In Karui's case it was primarily anger and disgust. Samui was harder to read but, wait, was that excitement?
"Not a word about this." Karui growled out as she stormed out, Samui exited shortly after her and graced Naruto with a small smile and a nod. When the door closed he started laughing, it felt so surreal being here and just joking around when yesterday he had killed two men but at least this was something he could work with.
The prisoners had been collected by a black ops team and they had stayed another day to make sure their injuries wouldn't impede the journey or prove hazardous to their health. Therefore it took them longer than when they had set out on the mission as they threaded along, covered in bandages and in Karui's case also plaster.
Naruto wasn't in the best of moods, the actions of the battle still hanging over him and he was thankful for the silence that had settled over the group even though it was an awkward silence for both the girls. B had also read the mood and was unusually quiet, forgoing his rapping and just gave the necessary orders.
It was a great relief to all of them when they were finally back after being away for twelve days and were allowed to separate.
"Hey Ida how are you?"
"I'm good Kodama-san, how about you?" Idane replied.
"Mah why do you always have to be so formal aren't we buddies afteral?" Kodama said jokingly.
"Of Course, I will call you Kodama-kun instead."
Kodama cringed at that, he wanted Idane to let loose a little but atleast it was progress.
"Anything interesting happened to you?" Sayomi chirped in.
"Yes in fact I ran into Naruto-san this morning Sayomi.. -chan?" Idane said.
"Aww aren't you sweet today!" A bright smile graced her features. "So what's that baka up to?"
"He recently came back from a mission, it was a success but he seemed to be in a bad mood. It had apparently not gone entirely smoothly."
"Oh that doesn't sound good, did they lose anyone?" She asked, concern for her friend evident.
"They didn't but it must have been bad because he was with B-sama's team." Idane replied.
"Don't worry we'll cheer him up when we've got time!" Kodama said.
"Yea! And we'll get every last juicy bit out from him about what happened!" Sayomi pumped her fist as her mood changed quicker than by the flick of a switch.
"What do you have in mind?" Idane asked.
"We'll head over to him after training with a bottle of sake of course!" Kodama said as if it was obvious and Idane should have known already.
Sayomi's happy spell broke as she made a grimace at the memory of the hangover she had gotten after the last time they tried to cheer him up.
"As long as it's only one bottle this time." She said.
Naruto was walking along the paths at the center of Kumogakure, the area around the Raikage tower where the peaks stood high and the drops could reach over 200 meters. They were snaking their ways up and around to the round buildings that jutted out from the rock.
Among the hidden villages it was the least populated center and most people lived on the areas on the mountain riddled with canyons and plateaus instead. He walked up a stair carved in the rock to the building which surrounded the entire peak and knocked on a blue grayish door and waited a few moments.
"Ahh Naruto-kun it's good to see you." The stern voice of Eiko greeted him.
"Thank you Eiko-obaasama, can I come in?"
"Yes my dear boy, would you like some green tea?"
"I'd like that, thank you."
He walked inside, the house was covered in rich woods and carpets which gave it a warm and inviting feeling. He allowed himself to be led into a room with a shoji door and mats covering the floor. The outer wall was bent and large windows allowed him to look out on the nearby peaks and buildings.
He sat down and shortly Eiko came with the tea which he gracefully accepted.
"Now what brings you here ne? It's good that you remembered that my door is always open to you because I can see that something is troubling you." Eiko said.
She was a perceptive woman even for a civilian he thought while contemplating what he wanted to say.
"I-.. it's hard to explain. I feel so confused. The last mission didn't go so well and I just don't know." He said while holding his cup.
"Then tell me what happened on the mission that causes this confusion."
He looked down, he was scared to tell her. He had been so accepted here in Kumogakure but was afraid that he would lose that.
"We were attacked. B-sama wasn't there. Samui-san had come to get Karui-san and I because they had found something when it happened." It was difficult for him to retell what happened. He hadn't spoken with either Samui or Karui about what had transpired and that wasn't something he was looking forward to.
"They were Kirigakure hunter nins and we didn't stand a chance. They caught us in some sort of water prison and we couldn't get out." It felt like his throat was clamming up so he took a sip of the tea.
"I saw how they lost consciousness, the air being pressed out from their bodies and.. .. I snapped."
"You used your bijuu." Eiko filled in for him.
"Hai." He said in a slightly lowered voice. "I killed two of them before B-sama came to help."
"Where they the first persons you have killed?" She asked. Naruto flinched at that. She hadn't put emphasis on the persons but even so he was reminded that it was real people not much different to himself or his comrades that he had killed. He nodded.
" Boy you are not the first nor the last person that I have taught. All shinobi must go through their first kill."
"I know that. It's not just that I killed them its how I did it. There was so much blood and I couldn't stop and I tore their throats open with my hands and.. " Eiko raised her hand to stop Naruto who was working himself towards hysteria.
"Naruto-kun that doesn't matter now. I've lived most of my life in this village and I know what's expected of a shinobi. Almost always it's a choice between the enemy or your own and no matter what it's always your own that comes first."
"But I was.." He tried to protest but was cut off by Eiko.
"Don't speak if you are not in control of yourself, I taught you better. I don't care how you killed them and your team shouldn't either. If you are afraid of the bijuu then you must control it. If you are afraid of being a monster, that you will enjoy killing, then you must find a way to deal with it."
"Even after the many decades here I still wonder how the villages can train their children to kill but not prepare them for how to deal with it properly so I will give you the same advice I always do. Make your own rules. Decide on how to act and what's acceptable as long as you don't break the village's rules. When you have to take a life you follow your rules. If you break them then you try to see why you did it and if it was something you did wrong or the rule that didn't fit."
Naruto's attention was focused on what she said. Having rules that would prevent him of becoming a monster. Not having to wonder what he was becoming, yes he could definitely see what she meant. He could go on missions and do his job while still remaining sane.
"There is one more thing. Never ever shut yourself off from those around you. You have to be able to speak to them and remember that it's to keep them alive that you kill. If you do withdraw from those that are there for you it will lead you down a dark path."
Naruto had another cup of tea and stayed for a while after they had changed the subject to something less morbid and after leaving Eiko's he felt better about himself.
As Naruto was walking home it had started raining, nothing that bothered him but it was a steady drizzle. The air was hot and humid and from the heavy air pressure it felt like thunder wasn't far away so he had hurried his steps somewhat. 'I will have to kill again and with my luck sooner rather than later.' He thought morbidly. 'There is no way getting around that. That's just how it is. But if I can become better I will not have to use the fox again. It felt too good to kill them.'
'But if there is a threat it will have to be neutralised. Maybe that's something to consider. All threats have to be eliminated. If I can take them out they can't hurt anyone.' He furrowed his brown. 'That's not helping, that only means that I have to kill, not how I'm supposed to deal with it.'
He left the walkway as the ground leveled out and instead of the deep gulleys he was walking through a densely populated canyon. He saw a redhead wearing a white bandana in front of him walking the same way.
"Hey Karui."
She turned around and saw him. "Hi Naruto how are you."
"Fine, where are you going?" He asked.
"Home, I can't stand the weather right now."
"Same here." He said as he fell in step with her as they both walked the same way. They spoke a little, it was awfully casual. Usually they would be at eachothers throats but he didn't mind it. Eiko had said that it was bad to avoid your comrades.
They could hear thunder in the distance and the rain was increasing in intensity so when they got close to where Naruto had to split of he instead invited her up.
His little apartment was the same little thing as ever but it looked more lived in to and comfortable than the first few months. He had a few plants and pictures in there and even a princess Fuji poster.
Karui saw that. "Didn't take you for a sap."
"Hey no bashing Fujikaze, comrades or not I will throw your ass out in the rain." He said in defense of his idol.
"Hey you can't do that to a lady!" Karui said indignantly
He just snorted as if to say that she wasn't a lady but he wanted his place to remain whole and he was sure that she could whip up a storm greater than Sayumi and Kodama so he decided to play nice. "You want some tea?"
"Yes, I'm freezing."
He threw her a towel before putting a pot on the stove. She sat down on his lone chair and he on his bed.
"How did you manage to break out of the water?" She asked suddenly.
"I really don't want to talk about that."
"Fine whatever but I'm really curious if you hadn't done whatever we would have drowned."
'I murdered those two.' He thought sadly.
"I was just too weak. We shouldn't been caught if I was stronger."
"Please, they were trained hunter nins who toyed with us there wasn't anything any genin could have done."
"Then I will have to get stronger. I barely know any jutsu at all." He said a little angry.
"I know, I feel the same."
"Huh?"
"If we all had been stronger maybe we wouldn't have been in that situation. It was only your clones that saved me and Samui from getting killed." She clarified.
"I never realised that." He said honestly. "But I'm going to train harder and learn some new jutsu!"
"That's good, if we can kill the enemy before they can hurt us that would be good." She smiled at him.
'Huh, kill? That's right all threats must be eliminated.' He thought but was interrupted when his door was opened.
"Naruto! I heard you were feeling down so I brought sake!" Kodama's loud voice was immediately heard.
"I knew you were a no good lazy drunk!" Karui stood up and pointed accusingly at Naruto.
As Kodama's team came inside Kodama was taken aback to find not only Naruto but someone else and didn't really hear what she had said.
"Hey I'm not drunk!" He said.
"Yet!" Sayomi smiled.
Naruto just groaned at the timing of team inconvenience and how they had burst in.
There was some "polite" discussion about how appropriate it was for young genins to indulge in the vice of drinking that went on for a few minutes but after the initial anger it turned into a little friendlier bickering. Kodama could be a little stubborn and Karui just genuinely enjoyed to argue according to Naruto.
"The rain has stopped so I'll go and leave you to your less refined friends." Karui said. "But don't let me catch you hangover when you train or the next time you are needed for a mission!"
With Karui gone Sayomi and Kodama quickly dumped themselves on either side of Naruto in his bed.
"You should really get some cushions if you are going to keep hosting these gatherings." Sayomi said. "But don't worry I'll take you out and get some nice looking ones. Teddybears or blood spatter patterns?" She grinned wickedly at him.
"Hey I'm not hosting anything here, you guys just keep inviting yourselfs." He proclaimed his position on the matter. "And no blood!"
"So teddybears are okay ne softy?" Kodama winked his eyebrows at him.
"Asshat."
"Hey don't get mad at the man who brings the sake."
"I should never have taken you out to drink. you make me worry."
"So how was it on being out on a mission camping with just to girls?" Sayomi said with an innocent smile on her face.
"Hey B was there too."
"And you wished he wasn't, right?" Kodama continued.
"You are impossible."
"Well sake makes things possible. So fill us in on what happened now!" Kodama said.
And so Naruto did, they listened attentively as he described what had happened but in contrast as to Samui and Karui he didn't leave out anything. Eiko had said that he shouldn't shut out his friends and these were the closest he had and a suggestion from her was as good as an order in his book. They took it well and as the evening progressed they all filled each other in on what they all had done as they chatted and joked almost until midnight.
"Good that you came here Eiko I want you to speak with your moronic brother than I want ships!"
"Where are you manners Raikage-sama you were thought better." The old woman admonished A.
"Dammit Eiko-dono I don't have time for this!" The man raged.
"Then you will make time, you are the Kage here act like one." She didn't raise her voice but spke in a sharp clear voice that clearly communicated that she wouldn't take anything less than the pleasantries that she required.
"Still the same old woman."
"Still the young hothead." She countered.
"Can you please at least speak to your brother?" Having the Raikage ask pleasantly was something few people had known but Eiko no Kimi was one whom was extended such courtesy.
"I'll send him a letter and explain the position yes but I highly doubt that he will want another war.
"No matter if it's a war I will make sure the Mizukage pays one way or another with or without the Daimyo's backing." He stated firmly.
"Remember what I always told you, whenever you face a decision which shouldn't be taken lightly wait until you are calm and can view it objectively. But that wasn't why I came." She stated.
A grit his teeth no matter how polite he was with Eiko she still managed to rub him the wrong way somehow.
"Then what business makes you grace my office."
"Naruto-kun."
"What did the boy do now? So far you haven't complained about him."
"I have no complaints about him, unlike others I know he remembers his lessons well. He came to seek me out yesterday and brought forth what was troubling him and I just wish to bring this to your knowledge."
"Then what got to the boy?" He had been pleased with the reports on the boy so far, nothing that indicated that he had made the wrong decision with regards to him had been presented and he had made good progress as a ninja.
"He was greatly disturbed by the fact that he had to take two lives during the last mission. He had trouble dealing with the way he apparently had brutalized his enemy as well as being in a situation where he had to go to such lengths to keep his teammates alive."
He took a moment to think about what she had told him. Compared to most genin he was fairly advanced and from where he had started he had made great strides but apparently that wasn't enough for the boy.
"Very well, I will make sure to ease his concerns. His training will be stepped up as a shinobi as well as a jinchuuriki."
Eiko nodded at that, apparently satisfied.
"That's what I feel would do him best, just make sure he isn't separated from those he has bonded with in the village. I will send that letter. Good day raikage-sama."
That woman was a true force to be reckoned with. The daimyos sister with a solid education and she had lived most of her life in this very village and know far more about being a shinobi than most chunins. She was damned perceptive and very valuable to their forces for her advice, teachings and analysis and one of the best therapists they had despite no formal education on the subject.
Kakashi kept a steady pace during the journey on which he led his team. Behind him in a loose formation where his own team as well as team 8 and 10 and along he had an extra 4 tokubetsu and jonin. The mission was a fairly standard one for genins during wartime and since they were in a semi state of war with otogakure they would guard supply lines behind their own border. He had been on many such assignments during the third shinobi war with Minato and his now dead teammates. It was good experience for genins with only moderate risk, especially since they weren't at war with any major nations at the moment.
What the genins didn't know was that they had a secondary mission. He had been ordered to bring Sasuke on this mission on hope that dangling him would draw out orochimaru or some of his more valuable assets. Combat teams in the area had been alerted so they had extra backup if they needed or too cut of any possible enemy retreat and Jiraya-sama would join them in the area but keep hidden to lend assistance if his ex teammate came himself. It was a win situation as long as it didn't backfire. If they failed to draw anything out they would still do a valuable job with keeping the rear clear.
Naruto had been feeling better with himself the last three weeks. While killing still didn't feel very well and his actions still creeping to the forefront of his mind every once in a while he was starting to accept them. What had done the biggest difference was that he felt that he had a goal to work towards. He had to be strong enough to take out the threats to himself, his comrades and Kumogakure as a whole before they could do harm so he had to train and that kept him pushing himself.
He had run into J-sensei which had promised to help him with developing tactics and see what jutsu he could learn that would fit in to his style of combat and if he was satisfied with Naruto's progress maybe even start elemental training. He had also been reminded of what awaited him if he was made chunin which helped spur him on. J couldn't dedicate too much time but getting directions and help with what he should do on his own was a great help and he would be getting a more dedicated tutor when one was available to him.
He had said to J that he had been thinking about learning sealing as Fumio-sensei had said that he was willing to help him but J had warned that it was a difficult art that was had to learn, harder to become adept at and still harder to apply in direct combat situations but that it still carried a great amount of support functions that he could learn. This was something that he had been recommended to religate to when he was unable study if he wanted when he wasn't able to do physical or other training and just look at when there was extra time to help build a foundation to future studies.
He had yet to visit Fumio again but was determined to atleast try and learn some, if not only to learn more about his heritage.
The most difficult training he had recently had to step up was with Yugito-san. She was in charge of training him in how to use his bijuu. At the moment it was by far the most demanding training he had started but it was a necessity. He didn't really like it but he had to in order to prevent the bloodlust from overtaking him and he was obligated to do everything he could in order to protect those around him.
They had just had not done much so far as he needed a few days recovery to be able to get the most from it. She had laid out how she was planning on training him and he didn't like it but he persevered. It was fairly straight forward mostly just special conditioning for jinchuuriki where at first he would learn how to quickly bring forth the chakra cloak in the right quantity until he could do it at will and from there they would step up the amount to help his body adapt as well train him to control it. It wouldn't help him gain access to the full power by itself but a stepping stone for the more advanced training that B would put him through some time in the future.
The biggest plus side was that he got to learn Yugito better, she was friendly and even pleasant to be with even if a little distant. She tended to keep a lot of people at arms length with slightly stiff pleasantries but she was fiercely loyal and could understand his own determination and was therefore willing to help with giving pointers on his other training. It was also a great relief to talk to her about his fears of using Kyuubi's powers as she herself understood them, to him she was becoming something of an older sister.
It's a little difficult to write Naruto being in Kumogakure as you have so few cannon characters to use and they are not so fleshed out as Konoha's but it gives me a lot of room to experiment and create my something of my own. One of the easiest characters to understand but not so easy to write is Samui. She easily becomes flat and just written as rehashing the same lines with things being cool or not but the way I picture her especially now that she is younger than when she is introduced in cannon is that she wishes to be seen as mature. Things she find interesting or cool are actions that can be perceived as mature or adult behavior. So where Karui gets angry when a hangover Naruto shows up she instead sees him acting or at least doing something that adults do.
Please review and let me know what's you like and dislike and what I can do better!
