Here's chapter 8. Sorry it took so long, all I can say is I'm trying to write, but I can only write what I feel inspired to write.
Chapter 7
One Week Later
"Thank you for accepting this request for an audience on such short notice Kazekage-sama." Kushina offers from one knee, her head lowered in supplication.
Behind his veil the Kazekage smiles. Seeing other people treating him like the living god he is always pleases him. Plus, he can still remember when Kushina came to this village and she was nothing more than a foreigner. Even though through the years she's managed to cut a niche for herself in the village, to many she's still nothing but a dirty red haired foreigner.
Kushina for her part is dressed in her normal civilian attire, though she has several kunai concealed underneath her clothing. It's been seven days since she learned about the hidden text on Minato's scroll, and has spent the last week pouring over the text and learning from it.
The two of them are alone in the Kazekage's private meeting chamber. Kushina had been explicit in asking for a private audience, and with the Kazekage's confidence he never thought for even a moment that Kushina might try and kill him.
"What is it you wish to speak about Uzumaki Kushina?" The Kazekage asks curtly, his patience for the red haired Uzumaki woman thin to begin with.
"As you are already aware, I was once married to the Fourth Hokage of the Leaf, Minato Namikaze…" Kushina begins, and behind his veil the Kazekage huffs in annoyance.
"My time is precious Uzumaki Kushina." The Kazekage cuts her off with annoyance coloring his tone. "You would do best by getting to the point and not reminding me of your former relationship to one of this village's most despised enemies."
"Of course." Kushina mentally kicks herself. I'm used to talking about Minato like he's a hero, but in this place he's one of the worst villains ever. "He was called the 'Yellow Flash' because of his ability to transport nearly instantaneously from point to point."
"Obviously." The Kazekage grumbles in annoyance. "What is your point?"
Slowly reaching into her sleeve Kushina grasps a kunai there and slowly withdraws it. Pulling it out slowly Kushina reveals a three pronged kunai very similar to the same weapon Minato used as anchor points for his teleportation jutsu. On close examination though this kunai is slightly different. The mark on the hilt that serves as an anchor is different than the ones used by Minato. As every person's chakra is different, and the marks that are created by channeling chakra will create a different mark for each individual tat does it. This mark happens to be the symbols for Kushina's name in black against the white steel handle.
"What is that?" The Kazekage asks pointedly, nodding toward the knife in Kushina's right hand.
"Please take this Kazekage-sama, and everything will be made clear." Kushina explains stoically, setting the knife down on the floor and sliding it across the floor toward the village leader.
Watching the knife stop in front of him the Kazekage carefully reaches out and picks the weapon up by its hilt. Raising the weapon to his face the Kazekage carefully examines the writing on the square hilt, recognizing the symbols for Kushina's name.
"What is the point of this?" The Kazekage asks pointedly.
Standing up straight Kushina looks through the veil toward the village leader.
"Just hold on to that knife Kazekage-sama, and everything will be clear." Kushina insists evenly.
Closing her eyes the red haired woman disappears in the blink of an eye. Looking at it the Kazekage has a half moment to realize the woman is gone, when a blade suddenly presses against his throat. Out of nowhere Kushina is behind him, with yet another tri-kunai's tip pressed against his throat.
In front of him the Kazekage has a veil that hangs down to mere centimeters above the floor. The reason for the veil is two-fold. The first being that it separates him from the 'commoners' of the village, adding an air of authority to his position. Second of all the veil acts as a defensive barrier. If someone were to body flicker through the veil the veil will move and the Kazekage will know to move, allowing him to avoid the assassin's blade coming for his throat.
However in this latest instance the veil didn't move even a millimeter. A scant moment passed from when she disappeared to the moment the blade was pressed against her throat. Even a body flicker would've taken a moment for the shinobi to travel and turn, this had been instant.
"This is…?" The Kazekage mumbles carefully, making sure to keep his throat from pushing against the blade in Kushina's hand.
"I've mastered my husband's jutsu, the Hiraishin." Kushina says coldly. "Thanks to it I now hold your life in my hand."
"I can see that." The Kazekage offers amicably. "I assume you have some reason for this demonstration?"
Nodding Kushina pulls the knife away from the Kazekage's throat, slipping the three-bladed weapon back into her sleeve, sliding the knife into its appropriate sheath against her left forearm. The Uzumaki woman stepping back closer to the wall behind the Kazekage.
"With this jutsu I can grant this village the power of the Yellow Flash, now forever lost to Konoha."
"I assume this power would come at a price?" The Kazekage half asks, speaking over his right shoulder toward the red haired Uzumaki woman.
"I won't teach you or anyone outside of my family the secret to this jutsu." Kushina explains evenly. "This technique is to remain secret to me and my family."
Like many other Hidden Villages there are several families within the Sand that have techniques that are kept a secret amongst that specific clan within the village and not shared with the whole. These secret clan techniques are often the foundation for their loyalty to their village. The clan brings their technique to the service of the village and in return the village offers protection and belonging for a group of people that would otherwise be hunted down and eliminated.
"So long as it guarantees your service to this village that is a small price to pay." The Kazekage answers her evenly.
It's better to have this power then not have it at all.
"When my children graduate the academy I want to be their teacher." Kushina continues her demands. "Naruto is my son and there is much I have to teach him. I don't want my teachings taking backseat to the instructions of another shinobi with no idea what his abilities are."
"Your children?" The Kazekage asks pointedly. "Gaara is my daughter; it is my blood that flows in her veins, not yours."
You would never know it from the way you treated her you heartless prick…
As much as Kushina may want to give voice to her thoughts the red haired Uzumaki holds her tongue. Disrespecting the village leader now won't accomplish anything, and while it may make her feel good in the moment in the long run she'll suffer for it.
"Gaara-chan is my child as much as Naruto." Kushina responds stubbornly. "There is more to what makes a family than blood."
"That is a noble intention Uzumaki, but your son is a member of this village, and Gaara is to be a shinobi. The reason she was allowed into your care is because you agreed that she would willingly become a shinobi for the sake of protecting the village rather than feeling as though she must. If you cannot fulfill that bargain then she will placed into foster care as a ward of the village."
"Gaara will be a fine shinobi." Kushina counters evenly. "Before I left the Leaf I was a Jounin. That fact has not changed in the years since I came here."
"Then you wish for me to instate you as Jounin in the service of this village and allow you to teach not one but two Jinchuriki?"
Standing there Kushina narrows her eyes toward the Kazekage in front of her. She hadn't told the Kazekage that Naruto was a Jinchuriki, hasn't told anyone beyond Gaara. How the Kazekage could know that Naruto is a host is beyond her.
"How do you know that?" Kushina asks coldly, and behind his veiled hat the Kazekage smiles.
"Did you honestly think that we wouldn't know?" The Kazekage asks coldly. "Your son is the Jinchuriki for the Kyuubi no Kitsune, the most powerful Bijuu. Our spies knew the day after it happened that the demon was sealed into your child. When we came here we knew what you had swaddled in your arms."
"So that's the reason you allowed me to stay here? Because my son is a Jinchuriki?"
"You were a shinobi from an enemy village, retired or not." The Kazekage counters. "Were you not in possession of the Jinchuriki you would've been killed or turned away at the gate."
"Then why haven't you told everyone?" Kushina asks coldly. "The entire village knows that Gaara is a Jinchuriki, so why not do the same for Naruto?"
"Gaara has harmed people, intentional or not." The Kazekage responds evenly. "She controls sand and does not sleep, those traits set her apart from other children and the sealing of the Ichibi into her was not a secret. Your son exhibits none of these traits and for all intents and purposes appears normal. No one has reason to suspect him, unlike Gaara."
"So why not kill me?" Kushina asks astutely. "You wanted Naruto, why not just kill me and take him?"
"You came in the company of one of the Sannin." The Kazekage offers. "Had we tried to kill you the lives of several shinobi would've been lost and there's no guarantee that you or the Sannin wouldn't have killed your own child or taken it away to prevent us from getting our hands on him."
"All right then." Kushina agrees slowly. "What about my demands? I'll maintain control of the Hiraishin and I will be Naruto and Gaara's teacher when they graduate the shinobi academy."
Sitting there the Kazekage mulls over the decision.
With the Yellow Flash on their side the Leaf nearly annihilated the Cloud and Minato was lauded as a hero within the Leaf and a public enemy in every other village. His name was placed into every other village's bingo book along with a picture and in some cases a flee on sight order was issued. With that same ability and two Jinchuriki the Sand's military power could increase significantly. However now that Kushina has this power there's no guarantee that she won't use it to take her children and flee, and if she's capable of teleporting outside the village then there's very little the village could do to stop her.
"I agree to your conditions." The Kazekage assents, and Kushina solemnly nods, holding out her hand toward the Kazekage, palm up.
"Return that kunai please." Kushina asks politely. "It takes more than a tagged kunai to figure out how to use the Hiraishin, and without me your chances of gleaming the knowledge are zero."
"Here." The Kazekage says, holding the knife out by the loop for Kushina to take.
Carefully the red haired Uzumaki woman takes the knife from the Kazekage's finger, slipping it into her clothes and concealing it.
"The day Naruto graduates from the academy you are to come here to be formally inducted into military service for the village." The Kazekage explains for Kushina. "Once that's done you will be made the Jounin instructor for Uzumaki Naruto, Uzumaki Gaara and a third, as of yet undetermined student. You will do whatever missions are given to you and you will follow orders without question, is that clear?"
"Of course." Kushina answers matter of factly. "Is there anything else for us to discuss?"
"No." The Kazekage answers curtly. "This audience is over."
"Thank you, Kazekage-sama." Kushina offers with a half bow.
Once the motion is done the red haired Uzumaki woman disappears into thin air. Sitting there the Kazekage watches her disappear, the veil in front of him remaining motionless.
Show off foreigner…
XXX
"YES!" Naruto's enthusiastic victory cry echoes throughout the neighborhood.
"…Naruto-kun!"
Standing in the backyard with Naruto the red haired Gaara scolds her adopted younger brother. It's been over a week since Kushina began to teach Naruto the Rasengan and the blonde haired Uzumaki has just now learned to pop the balloon using his chakra.
Standing there Naruto's hands are both wet, bits and pieces of balloon littered around in front of him. The two of them are both dressed in their normal clothes, Gaara clutching her precious teddy bear to her chest.
In spite of his younger sister's words the blonde haired Uzumaki can't help but grin a wide, victorious grin. He's spent over a week popping balloon after balloon and after over a hundred balloons he's just finally gotten his chakra control to the point where he can spin it fast enough to burst the balloon rather than just pop it.
From the house the door opens, and Kushina pokes her head out. She left to speak to the Kazekage first thing that morning, and got back over an hour prior. She made them both lunch and once that was done Naruto went straight back to work on trying to burst a balloon.
"You finally manage to burst the balloon?" Kushina half asks, and Naruto nods, his grin never faltering as he jogs toward his mother.
"I did it, I really did it!" Naruto insists. "Gaara-chan saw me and everything!"
Chuckling Kushina waves her hand dismissively. Walking up behind them Gaara silently watches the entire scene play out. This is her family, and she's happy just to be here and feel like she belongs rather than as an outcast.
"OK, OK, I believe you." Kushina assures her young son. "I take it you want to learn what the second step is?"
"YES!" Naruto screams the word; his hands balled together in front of his chest, the blonde haired boy practically shaking out of his skin with excitement.
"One second Naruto." Kushina assures him, closing the door and stepping back inside.
The two of them look at one another, both Naruto and Gaara curious as to what Kushina is going to go retrieve. Together the two of them wait in silence for a few moments before the door opens and Kushina emerges holding a blue rubber ball about the same size as the balloons she made for Naruto.
"Here." Kushina offers, handing the blue ball toward Naruto.
"A…rubber ball?" Naruto asks curiously, taking the proffered ball and looking at it in his right hand, slowly rotating the sphere to examine it.
"Yes Naruto, a rubber ball." Kushina explains as she steps outside, closing the door behind her. "Now that you've learned to spin your chakra violently enough to pop a water balloon you have to learn to do the same thing with a rubber ball filled only with air. Air is thinner then water and requires a denser more powerful chakra to break it."
"So, I just have to break this rubber ball the same way I broke the balloon?" Naruto asks, scratching the back of his head while looking between the ball and his mother.
"It will be much harder to break than the balloon." Kushina informs him. "Since you've got the basic principle down now all you have to do is just get better at it until you can destroy the ball. It shouldn't take as long as it did to pop to the balloon, so just keep at it and you'll get it in no time."
"Got it!" Naruto agrees, giving his mother a thumb up. "I swore that I'm going to have this technique mastered by the time I start the academy, and I meant it!"
With that the young Uzumaki boy turns around and heads back into the yard, both the red haired Jinchuriki and former Jinchuriki watching the young blonde go. Once Naruto is back in his former spot in the yard the blonde boy immediately goes to work on trying to destroy the rubber ball.
"Do you honestly think it won't take him as long Okaa-san?" Gaara asks curiously, and Kushina smiles, crossing her arms over her chest, her eyes fixated on her son diligently working to master one of his father's techniques.
"Of course." Kushina agrees easily, turning her gaze to the insomniac Jinchuriki. "You know, I know a lot of different jutsu, and if you want I could teach you one or two. Your sand powers are useful but you shouldn't ever put your faith in just one thing. If you somehow are ever cut off from your sand or someone finds a way to neutralize that power you should have some other means of fighting."
"Would you?" The red haired girl asks scandalously.
No one has ever wanted to teach her before. For as long as she can remember people have always thought she was dangerous enough as it is. No one has ever wanted to make her stronger or try to help her improve. The best she'd ever gotten had been Yashamaru, and he'd only taken care of her and treated her like he actually cared a little rather than just as a burden.
"Of course." Kushina answers casually, favoring her little girl with a smile. "You're my child and being a shinobi is dangerous. I want you to live a long happy life, so I'm going to do whatever I can to help you and make sure that you aren't killed."
"Thank you Okaa-san." Gaara whispers, her eyes dropping to the sand at her feet, slowly writhing back and forth.
Uncrossing her arms Kushina reaches out and puts her left hand on Gaara's head, the Uzumaki woman playfully ruffling the younger girl's hair. Feeling Kushina's hand on her head Gaara instinctively pulls away, her hair already ruffled in spite of her attempt to prevent it.
"Don't worry about it." Kushina assures the girl, Gaara removing one hand from her bear to reach up and run her hands through her hair to try and smooth it.
XXX
Sitting in the Kazekage's office the Kage of the Village Hidden in the Sand has assembled in front of him his most trusted advisors and top shinobi. Each and every one of the men and women in front of him has proven their loyalty to not only the village but to him countless times over and over again. Amongst the entire Sand military there are no other people the Kazekage trusts more.
"You summoned us all Kazekage-sama?" His advisor Kazuto asks curiously.
When he'd summoned them he intentionally left out the reason why. The information he intends to share with them is something that he wants kept secret. If this information were to get out and make its way back to the Leaf it could start a war.
"Yes, I did." The Kazekage assures them all. "What I'm about to tell you all is to be considered an S class secret and to never leave this room, am I absolutely clear?"
Slowly looking around the room the various heads all nod their agreement. In each of their faces the Kazekage can see curiosity and guarded interest. For all of them to be assembled whatever he has to say must be important, and to insist that it is an S rank secret only further confirms that. With bated breath each of the Kazekage's most trusted allies and subordinates waits for their leader to inform them of whatever secret he has gathered them all together to reveal.
"I recently acquired the power of the Yellow Flash." The Kazekage explains slowly, his voice even and completely serious.
Hearing his words several of the assembled shinobi and government officials glance toward one another. Looking around the room the Kazekage cannot miss the obvious questions being silently exchanged between the assembled men and women: what is he talking about, has he lost his mind?
"Kazekage-sama…" Kazuto begins slowly, his voice filled with respect and admiration. "I'm afraid that you must elaborate. Not even the Leaf has been able to replicate that power, so how is it that you've acquired it?"
"How I acquired the power is not important, what is important is this: the village now has someone with the same capability of the Yellow Flash."
"'Someone?'" Hitomi, his only female advisor speaks up. "Who are you talking about?"
Slowly looking around the room from behind his veil the Kazekage of the Village Hidden in the Sand can see that same question reflected in nearly every gaze looking back at him.
"At the moment this person is not in service to the village, however I procured their services for the near future. You will all be informed immediately once they have become an active shinobi. Once that happens when can finally bring the downfall of that accused upstart village once and for all."
Hearing the anticipation in his voice; each of the assembled men and women nod their understanding of the Kazekage's statement.
"Of course, Kazekage-sama."
XXX
4 days later.
"HA!" Gaara lets out a martial arts yell, thrusting the kunai held in her right hand out into the training dummy in front of her.
Behind her Naruto clutches a rubber ball in both hands, his six year old face screwed up in concentration. For the last four days Naruto has been constantly trying to master the second stage of learning whatever jutsu Kushina is trying to teach him. Like the balloon Naruto has easily managed to poke a hole in the side of the ball, but so far has been unable to burst it into several little pieces.
Since Naruto has been constantly training in his new jutsu Kushina decided to teach Gaara a new technique as well. Due to the Uzumaki woman's proficiency for wind element jutsu Kushina began to instruct her in what Kushina referred to as a 'basic' technique. Said basic technique involves using wind chakra as a blade, molding the chakra around a weapon or her hand to create an elemental blade capable of cutting steel. At its most basic level Kushina explained that the jutsu can be used to extend the length of a weapon's blade by a few centimeters, allowing for a near miss to actually inflict a cut and cause the opponent to bleed. As mastery of the technique increases the length of the blade along with the amount of chakra required to create and maintain it increases.
Since the technique requires a target to be practiced upon, Kushina has put together four humanoid training dummies and set them up in the backyard, telling Gaara to use them as practice for mastering the Wind Blade.
Thus, the young red haired Jinchuriki now stands in front of one of said dummies, stabbing a kunai given to her by Kushina repeatedly into said dummy.
THUNK.
Once again the blade penetrates halfway into the wooden dummy, the opposite side of the human sized target completely unaffected by the strike. If she'd perfected the technique it would've been as though she'd stabbed all the way through the wooden target. Instead Gaara's chakra blade barely caused any additional damage to the wood at all.
Giving the knife a tug Gaara pulls the kunai from the dummy, inspecting the hole created by the weapon. Like nearly every other hole in the wooden statue the 'wound' is what it looks like when you stab into a wooden block with a sharp knife. The first day Kushina had performed the jutsu for her as a demonstration, shoving the very same kunai Gaara holds in her right hand into one of the dummies and stabbing a hole clean through to the other side.
"Oh…" A depreciated sigh escapes the red haired girl's lips, self pity welling up inside the six year old Jinchuriki.
I've been at this for days and I've hardly made any improvement. Maybe learning this was a mistake. My sand powers are really strong and almost nothing can hurt me…
"You're doing good Gaara-chan." Kushina speaks from behind her; the red haired Uzumaki woman's words are encouragement, as though the former Leaf shinobi can sense her adopted daughter's thoughts.
"But…" Gaara protests quietly, looking over her right shoulder toward her adopted mother turned teacher.
"No buts." Kushina cuts her off. "When I learned this jutsu it took me over a week, and you're already making more progress on it then I did."
"Really?" Gaara asks quietly, and the Uzumaki woman nods encouragingly, smiling at her adopted child.
"Really." Kushina insists, stepping forward and kneeling down next to Gaara to examine the 'wounds' left on the wooden dummy.
Looking at the remains with a critical eye Kushina nods approvingly. In spite of Gaara's apparent lack of progress she has in fact been improving. At first glance one would hardly notice, save if they were looking for it. With each thrust the section of target cut away has been gradually increasing, both in depth and in width. While the progress may be miniscule, in the world of shinobi one hardly ever learns by leaps and bounds without some form of assistance, be it a kekkei genkai or whatever method, learning a jutsu from scratch does not happen overnight.
"Okaa-san?" Gaara whispers quietly, her green eyes large, her voice tinged with the beginnings of fear. Standing there watching Kushina closely examine her handiwork in utter silence Gaara can't help but feel apprehensive, like she's being judged… condemned for her apparent lack of progress.
"You're actually doing really well Gaara-chan." Kushina assures the little girl standing next to her.
"…Really…?" Gaara whispers scandalously, the concept of receiving positive encouragement still a relatively new to the red haired Jinchuriki.
"Really." Kushina parrots the word, her voice strong and sure. "With each attempt the amount of damage you're inflicting on the target is increasing, and with enough practice you'll be able to stab the target and run it through using the chakra blade. Just keep working on it and you'll get it. I'm actually very proud of you."
Standing there Gaara's green eyes go as wide as a large bowl of ramen.
She's proud of me…?
No one, not her father, not her siblings, not even her Uncle has EVER said that to her and meant it. She's heard the words several times before, but every time they were showy and fake, they weren't REAL…
Tears at the edges of her eyes Kushina blinks in surprise at the sight of them. Immediately the Uzumaki woman turns her full attention toward her daughter, concern etching her brow and overflowing in her dark eyes.
"Why are you crying Gaara-chan?" Kushina asks softly, keeping her voice down to spare the girl the embarrassment of Naruto overhearing.
The knife slips from numb fingers, landing in the sand with a thunk. Kushina quickly glances down, making sure the kunai didn't hurt Gaara before her gaze snaps up, immediately returning to her adopted daughter.
"No…no one has ever said that to me before…" Gaara whispers fragilely, her gaze dropping to the ground in embarrassment.
Immediately and without second thought Kushina wraps her arms around the red haired girl, pulling her close and comforting her, whispering into the little girl's ear.
"It's all right…" Kushina soothes, feeling the patter of Gaara's tears against her blouse. "It'll be OK Gaara-chan, I promise."
