Chapter Seven
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A/N: Hey guys :) Just a quick apology. I hadn't realized how agonizingly short my chapters really were! TT_TT So I am going to try making them a bit longer :D Sorry if it was bothering you LOL
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I know what I need to do.
Naruto slinks out of his apartment, casting a quick glance in all directions before proceeding. Right, left, above, below...He was in the clear for now. Making sure to stick to the shadows, he drops over the railing that lines the metal staircase outside his door and lands, silently, on the balls of his feet. Once more. Right, left, above...alone. Sucking in a small breath, he sprints across the street and ducks behind a fence.
It's only when he carefully rounds another corner, that the thought of leaving sends a pang through him. Right there, across the road from Ichiraku's...the lights in Sakura's house were still on.
It's late, I wonder why she's still up. He wonders, numbly. Then, shaking his head, he reminds himself why he's leaving in the first place. I'll be back, Sakura. That's a promise. And then he makes a beeline for the village gates.
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The narrow path was completely empty. No one was stationed at the gaurd post. The gates were wide open, almost embracing his escape. Why is no one on watch? He frowns to himself. That can't be safe...someone could sneak in!
Or sneak out...
He pushes the thought away, noislessly cursing himself for his over-active mind. I've made my desicion. He tells himself. And I'm not backing down now. So, without another moment's hesitation, he slips around the corner and hurries for the gates.
"Stop."
Naruto nearly cries out at the sound of the voice. A hot pang of terror strikes his chest as he skids to a halt. He spins around to face whoever had spoken, only to become even more horrified.
A tall man, wearing an ANBU mask stands before him. His arms are crossed, looking impatient and suspicious even while his face is covered. "What's your business?" He demands.
"Uhh..." Naruto racks his mind for an excuse he hadn't bothered to come up with. He had assumed he would get out without a hitch... So that's why there's no one on gaurd duty. The Foundation must take care of that at night... "I'm running an errand for Grandma Tsunade..." He lies, quickly.
"An errand?" The masked man asks.
"Yep!" Naruto laughs, nervously. Scratching the back of his neck. "I won't be gone long..." He assures the ANBU.
"What's your name?" He asks, suddenly.
Why does he need my name? Naruto frets. "Naruto Uzuamki..."
The ANBU man twitches slightly, drawing in a small gasp.
Oh man! Now I've done it!
"O-of course! Sorry, I didn't recognize you." He stammers, awkwardly.
Naruto recoils in shock. "Huh?" Oh, right. I'm the village hero...
"You can go." The ANBU says, motioning for the gates.
Naruto nods, jerkily and thanks him before sprinting for out of the village. His legs carrying him faster than ever before. He doesn't stop running until it hurts to breathe and his legs are screaming in protest for him to stop.
"Huff, huff, huff!" He doubles over, supporting himself on his quivering knees as sweat drips down his forehead. It takes him a while to fully recover from his mad sprint away from home, and by the time he is no longer panting like a dog, he realizes he hadn't been paying attention to where he was going. Snapping up, he turns a full circle. "Shoot..." He grumbles. "Where the heck am I?" The only response he recieves is the hoot from an owl in the distance.
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The small back room of her hut is dark and hot. There is no furniture within save a large, black pot which is suspended above a roaring fire by a pair of iron pegs. All over the floors and walls are strange markings, seemingly scrawled in blood. Their words are illegible, unreadable by an untrained eye. But to her, they make all the sense in the world. To her, they remind her why she craves his death. They are promises and prophcies written in blood.
An old woman with dark gray hair and coal colored eyes sits on the floor of the room, humming a tune under her breath while she waits. She isn't sure what she is waiting for...but she has a hunch. And her hunches are usually right.
It won't be long now... She tells herself. Their deaths won't be in vain for much longer. That boy will, undoubtably, come find me sometime soon. After that...well...it's only a matter of gaining his trust. And then... A crooked, strange smile lights her ancient face. The Fox is mine for the taking.
And then that accursed Leaf Village will pay for what it has done to me.
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It had taken much longer than expected for Naruto to find his way back onto the main road. By that time, the horizon was already a deepening shade of purple. Soon, the sun would rise and he would be discovered missing. If he was really going to do this, he had to hurry.
Within minutes, he finds himself at the opposite side of the hill where he had first run into Chiasa. Almost as if the Fox could tell what his plans were, Naruto feels him squirming inside his stomach. It made him feel sick. Placing a hand over the seal on his naval, Naruto mutters, "Just relax. I'm sure the old lady has a nice, comfy jar to seal you in or something..." He smirks at his own joke but yelps, quietly, when the Fox slams his claws into the metaphorical gate. "Either way, you're not stopping me. So just get used to the idea." He continues, coldly. "You've done enough damage already."
By that time, he had reached the top of the hill and could, clearly, see the ploom of smoke rising from the chimney. I'll bet she used some kind of barrier to hide her house from us at first. That's why we didn't see it before. He frowns as something suddenly occurs to him. She must be pretty strong to be able to create a barrier like that...
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"Hmm?" Chiasa stops her humming for a moment, another odd smile creeping over her wrinkled lips. "It seems I have a visitor..." She stands up, brushing the dirt off her clothes before shrugging past the limp curtain that seperates the two rooms of her hut. She comes into the room just as he front door creaks open to reveal that same blonde boy she'd encountered on her way home.
Within him was the Nine Tailed Demon Fox...
"Hn, I was beginning to wonder when you'd show up..." She says, smiling sweetly.
