Chapter 8 is out!
Enjoy and please take a moment to read my A/N at the bottom
As always Naruto is owned by its creators
You can never take things at face value.
The moon was high in the sky and it was the third night since they left the leaf in search of Sasuke. They had pressed their luck on speed making it already across the boarder into the Earth country, but since night fell Naruto had ordered camp for the night. He was never going to be the one to stop first because of his stamina, but he knew from the looks on the other two faces that were with him that they appreciated the halt. Besides it would not do them any good to get there and not be ready for what was to come. If there was indeed something to face they could face it in the morning at full strength. Just a little while after crossing into the hidden grass territory it had started to snow around them, nothing heavy, but the cloaks had tightened up a bit. Now in the Earth country though they had come onto heavy hillsides and mountains of solid stone. It was not a very inviting country adding to some of the reason that he had not heard about it a lot in his schooling, but in the past couple of years he had traveled to the nation a few times to meet with the leaders. It was a warm welcoming type of place if you opened up to the idea.
Along the way per Naruto's suggestion they had shared stories with one another to pass the time. To his surprise Sakura told him about how one morning Tsunade just came into her small office at the hospital and told her flat that she was done. When he pressed her on it she smiled letting him know that it meant that she had nothing else to teach her. Granny had said that everything from now on would have to be learned from experience and that she would be there of course if she ever needed advice of any kind. It kind of shocked Naruto at first, the idea that Sakura had advanced so far that one of the greatest medic nins of their time couldn't teach her anymore. He guessed that in the time that he was away Sakura had really put nose to the grindstone. Besides it's not like she didn't get a chance to ply her trade during combat in the war prior to the year and a half of peace.
Hinata he was not surprised had to be urged along a little to share some stories of her own. It had always been that way he remembered back when they were younger, he would always do all the talking and she would just listen to him with a small smile adding in little comments here or there, but never anything more then that. She did share though after a surprisingly little amount of prodding. She told them of how soon after the war when she got back to the village the ramen shop owner found her and suggested the special name for miso ramen. This of course drew a grin from the blond loving how the shop owner sought her out for such a question. Everyone really did know. When he asked her for a story that was not really about him, but not worded exactly of course she offered one about her sister and Konohamaru. Evidently they had started to date about a year after the wars end. At this he nearly missed the next branch he was aiming for, but managed to catch it at the last moment, that little punk, always looking up to Naruto and mimicking him. The sexy jutsu, Rasengan, and now even the Hyugas? He would have to have a talk with the rival when he got back.
They set up camp some time later up against the side of a large cliff face out of the way of the normal traveling path, but not to far from it if they needed to get back to it and blend it. They of course did not know if the message had made it to the Earth leaders just yet after all; better to be safe then sorry. Hinata had proved to be invaluable with the large pack of hers carrying an assortment of things from, heavier bedding to put in the tents to keep them warm from the snow, a full array of cooking items, and even some poison remedies Sakura had suggested collecting before they left. Of course after finding out she had all that in the pack though Naruto demanded he carry it. She had given it up without much of a fight to his pleasure. He had promised them a treat for this last night before going into the fray and while they were putting up the tents he set about getting it ready.
With a bite of his thumb in the usual way he pressed his hand to the snow beside the small fire they had going and summoned a couple of his old friends to entertain the group. Old being the key word because out of the puff of smoke came two small old frogs idly bickering at one another over something as always.
"Ma I swear I didn't have anything to do with that!" Fukasaku said defending himself from what Naruto was sure he actually had a hand in.
"You can't trick me you old timer…, but lets let it sit for now we are here to visit our boy Naruto." Shima said, Pa's better half settling the argument in the usual way.
The two old sages didn't look any different then when he last saw them both cloaked completely Fukasahu with his bushy white hair and Shima with her purple locks. Over his time away from the village he had leaned on the pair many times to help him with his training, advice on nation situations, and just for company. They had come to be a sort of close family. So when he addressed them now it always felt that way.
"Its good to see you two, keeping him out of trouble Ma?," Naruto said from one of the stretches of log that he had drug over for them to sit on next to the fire, not wanting to have to sit on the cool snow and freeze to death.
At Naruto's words Pa pretended to look hurt, but Shima perked up right away leaping up onto the boys left shoulder to settle down, "Well you know the old fool couldn't tell left from right."
Grumbling Pa took a place on the other shoulder huddling down a tad closer to the boy because of the colder climate, "And she is as picky as ever…one dish out of place I swear."
"I heard that!" She answered leaning around the boys head.
Before either of them could get back into it though the girls had finished their tent make up for the night leaving Naruto to set his own up later finally returning to the fire. The both of them sunk down onto their own log on the other side of the fire cloaks seeming to weigh heavily upon them after the long day of travel not even noticing the new pair on the blond's shoulders. He just waited with a small smile the two great sages getting the hint until finally Sakura looked up across the fire to say something first and caught sight of their two visitors. She paled from the sudden shock, but quickly regained herself.
"Terribly sorry I didn't know that anyone had joined us," Shooting a knowing glare Naruto's way, but quickly put on a smile, "It's always a pleasure to see you two how have you been."
Hinata snapped up at the shock in the girl's voice to see the two toads as well her pale hues blinking a few times before she finally remembered the two of them, "Your two of those sage toads that helped Naruto against pain."
Fuka sat a little taller at the Hyugas words about the battle with Pain smiling, but it was Ma to speak up, "Yes dear I am sorry we didn't get a chance to introduce ourselves my name is Shima and this is my husband… for what its worth…Fukasahu. Naruto has told us all about you two," She paused moving her eyes to the pale eyed hinata, "Especially Miss Hinata."
When those last words crossed the fire Naruto blushed warmly, but was pleased that in the firelight it would be hard to see. In his time with the two away he had spent at least some of it talking to them about Hinata, just sometimes he was not exactly sure how to word his letters and Shima had helped him. That was not cheating was it? The feelings came from him self after all and that's all that matter. He would have to be careful not to bring that up.
"A pleasure to meet you two," Hinata said with a small bow of her head in a very formal way.
"Don't have to worry about all your clan polished manors around us girl we eat crawlers for dinner after all." Paw grinned broadly oddly proud of the statement.
"Thank you again for your help in the battle against Pain for the leaf. It means a great deal to the village I know that first hand," Sakura offered knowing that Pa himself had actually died defending the village one. Had they stuck around long enough she knew the village would have been greeting them with as much praise as they did Naruto over the few days after the battle.
The two toads smiled warmly almost in unison saying, "Oh no…that all goes to Naruto. We are very proud of the boy."
If there was any chance of Naruto hiding the red in his cheeks from before there would not be now. He knew the two girls across the fire could see how embarrassed he was getting from the praise of the two sages. Reaching his hand up he scratched the back of his head laughing it off like he always did.
"Yes well we all did our part that day didn't we guys?" Naruto pushed off hoping that someone would change the subject.
Over the next hour or so they continued to share stories, some about the village, some about old team sevens antics, but mostly about how Naruto got along with the two toads. Each of those stories bringing varying shades of red to his face. They even told the story about how many times Pa had to wack him with the stick before he got the sage mode down, Naruto had to rub his head at that one grumbling something about how not one person besides him had gotten it perfectly down, but everyone just had a good laugh at that. Before long Hinata had cooked them a simple meal of kabobs that they were all pleased to eat, of course the toads turned it down having already eaten their own brand of grub back home.
As the night wore on and the chill in the air started to hang closer to the bone they started to turn in. Sakura and Ma had been first to go, followed by Hinata leaving the two sages up to talk a while longer before Pa headed out. It had been decided that Naruto would take the first watch of the night and wake Hinata after his allotted time, but he didn't. He let them sleep far past shift change.
Pressing herself up from under the heavy covers she brought with her for the trip, Hinata rubbed the grogginess from her eyes not feeling quite as tired as she thought she was supposed to. The tent was still very dark letting her know that it was not yet morning and Sakura snored lightly beside her. Undoing the flap on their little tent Hinata poked her head from it to find Naruto was still sitting beside a small fire coaching it to life with collected branches. He had not even put up his own tent up yet and from the position of the moon in the sky she could tell that not only had Naruto not woken her for her shift that it was nearly Sakura's. Stepping out onto the snow Naruto heard the crunch of the white ice underfoot and quickly shot his attention that way, but when he only saw Hinata there his expression softened, a hand relaxing on a kunai on the far side of him.
"Hinata what are you doing up?" he asked in a tired tone attention turning back to the smoldering fire that he was trying to build up again.
"What am I doing up? It's my shift isn't it?" She checked the sky again making sure she had the time right as she crossed the snow to stand beside the log he was sitting on, "It is, you didn't wake me?"
Naruto just shrugged his shoulders relieving some of the tension that built up in them when he was standing watch at night, "You two seemed like you needed the sleep a lot more then me."
The blue haired girl leaned down and took his arm at the elbow tugging up on him, "Come on Naruto I will help you with your tent so you can get some rest."
He closed his eyes at the feel of her fingers wrapping around his arm through the fabric of his heavy red and black coat smiling just a bit when she tried to lift him from the log. She only wanted what was best for him after all, but she didn't yet understand what the problem was.
"Hinata I am not sleeping well," Frowning it was painful for him to admit, "I have been having nightmares since just after the war."
This shocked the girl; it had been the last thing she had expected from him. She had just assumed he had done it in the usual Naruto fashion looking out for his friends, but for once it seemed it had a reason that was all his own. Slowly Hinata took the seat just beside him on the log and slid her fingers down from the grip she had on his elbow to wrap her fingers with his own. He needed her, just like that time before in front of his house, Naruto was showing a side of himself he never let out.
"In the past the Fox was all the nightmares I ever got, kind of got used to them after a while and I have killed before just like you have, but the war was very different." Frowning he kept his eyes down on the pair of hands that were locked together, "I don't know how my father did it. There are stories in the history books where he wiped out entire battalions single handedly, all those lives taken by just his hands."
Hinata shared a frown her thoughts going back to the stories of the fourth in the third Great War and how he had indeed racked up a shockingly high kill number, but he had done it so that none of his friends had to face the onslaught. That gave her just what she needed to cheer the boy up.
Tilting her head over Hinata rested it against his slumped shoulder looking up to him idly while she spoke in a soft tone, "Minato only killed like that for his friends. I am sure he faced the same challenges you are now and if he was here he would tell you that you did it for the good of the village. Just think of the number of lives you saved from not just our village, but all the others in the war by ending conflicts as quick as you did."
It was Naruto's turn for his frown to deepen, but he knew that she was right. He had saved lives by ending them in turn, but that didn't really make him feel all that much better. His own combat number was only rivaled by his fathers and still everyone he knew told him that his father spent every day with a smile on his face. Did they not understand that it was the Uzumaki way to wear a mask? To put up a front so that everyone could continue on around them. Naruto sighed silently knowing that he was being to hard on his father and himself, there was always going to be something hanging over a ninja's head, but it was how they dealt with it that mattered. His father seemed to understand that and it had not consumed him like Naruto had seen with so many others.
Looking down into the eyes of the woman by his side Naruto knew that he was going to be alright, that is if he didn't mess up what he had with her. His mother had been his dad's rock, she could be his.
"Thank you Hinata, your right." Smiling slightly he reached his free hand up and touched her cheek lightly, but frowned at how cold he found it, "You should get back in the tent your freezing."
Her hand shot up from the one that was holding his own at the warmth of his fingers gave her skin, quickly covered his hand keeping it there, "No, if anyone is going back to bed it's going to be you Naruto-kun."
Chuckling a bit at her quick movement Naruto just watched her for some time sitting there beside him with his fingers pressed to her cheek gently. He curled the tips of his fingers against the soft skin drawing an equally soft sound from her slips that parted just so in the action releasing a fine mist into the cold air. Smiling Naruto figured if they were not going to sleep that he could at least share with her more about the time that he was away.
"Hinata you heard and I am guessing you might have seen the change in the fox seal on me the other day right?" He asked leading the question a bit along so that her thoughts would turn to the other morning.
She took a second, but the sight of her pale skin reddening was his answer, "Umm…yes?"
Naruto slowly took his curled fingers back from her cheek much to the disappointment from her eyes, but smiled hoping to curb that, "Turn on those eyes of yours and take a look at me."
Hinata looked a tad confused at his words, but forced the chakra to her eyes to make the change. Silently her blood limit activated and the world suddenly took on drastic changes. Whenever she had looked at Naruto in the past his chakra network had been blue with chakra veins that were much larger then normal and a sphere of red fox chakra in the center. What she saw now when she looked at him was something entirely different. The veins that she had once thought impossibly large were swollen and stretched, but from the looks of them had grown to accommodate his new chakra. What was once separated blue and red chakra was now one color, a bright golden color seemingly glowing that way because of how fast it was pumping through his chakra system to fit all of it in.
Gasping she snapped her eyes back to normal and regarded him with serious worry in her voice, "Naruto what have you done to yourself?" She pulled her hand quickly up to cover the space of her heart through the heavy fabric eyes demanding a logical answer.
"The fox and I came to an arrangement. I have been using my chakra which is substantial from having to put up with his ass all this time and then having to switch to his when times got tough, but now it's all one string of chakra." Naruto smiled tentatively because of the look on her face hoping that the sight that she had just endured had not freaked her out to bad, "We sort of mixed the chakra. Really I am fine, felt like I was going to explode at first, but I am fine now. Adjusted to it finally I guess you could say. Ma and Pa helped me understand the limits and the potential of the combined power."
He had not the chance to share this with anyone, but the two sages and Madara though that last one was in a far different context. Naruto didn't want her to worry for him and worst of all he didn't want her to be afraid of him. Since the bonding of chakras he had found that his limits of chakra usage was beyond anything he had ever experienced. The nine tailed fox was a being of almost solid chakra and even though only half of that was sealed within him it was still leaps and bounds past any ninja's chakra on record.
Pale eyes took account on him once more dropping low to his stomach where the beast lay, she didn't want him hurt and with that smile of his it seemed he didn't want her to worry, but she would worry it was Naruto after all. He had a history of going over the top to get the job done. She still had a look of worry on her face after he explained the change, but that didn't help settle her mind. The fox was an evil creature wasn't it? Naruto seemed to trust it with his very life these days.
"Not that I think you can't handle it Naruto-kun, but I thought that the fox was not to be trusted because it was a being of pure evil?" Hinata asked with a voice thick with worry, though she did manage to lower her hand from the place over her heart back down to her lap.
Naruto spoke softly now after hearing her question, a feeling that many villagers still had, "You heard what I said to your father about the fox being a weapon. You shouldn't hate kunai for being forced into action. Sure even before he attacked the village at Madara's order the fox would roam and cause trouble here and there, but it was only ever because he was finding a place to be alone. He never liked people, well I guess until I finally brought him around. I was cautious at first myself, but we really get along now. Sometimes he even offers advice and talks to me out of battle, but it is usually up to him to start a conversation."
The Hyuga just nodded at this answer going over it in her mind, could the fox really be trusted? Should she trust in it? Naruto had turned so many questionable minds around in the past like Gaara for example was it really outside the realm of possibility that over the time with the fox they had grown to respect each other?
"I trust you Naruto-kun you know that, so I am going to try and trust in you about the fox, but it may take me a bit to understand him in the way that you do." She said in a near whisper hoping that he would not be upset with her small concession on the point.
"That's all I can ask Hinata-chan." Lifting his right hand up he pressed back a strand of hair over her ear in a fashion that was quickly becoming something he loved dearly to do, "Tomorrow you may get the chance to see just what the new bond I have with the fox can do, but honestly I am looking forward to see how far you progressed."
The girl flushed silently at the touch of his fingers and the words of praise her gave her causing Naruto to crack a small smile that he saved just for moments like this, one that had not been used much until recently. The snow had just started to fall again quietly around them in an array of places coating things again here and there. Naruto could feel it starting to collect on top of his blond locks and laughed some at the sight of Hinata quickly brushing one off of the bridge of her nose.
"I want you to go and get some more sleep before tomorrow," Naruto said in the best ANBU captain voice he could muster.
Frowning Hinata slowly got up from the log beside him, "What about you?"
Naruto just shrugged his shoulders with a grin, "The fox seems to sleep enough for the both of us to get by these days since he is not worried about getting out anymore. I will be fine really. Get some sleep, that's an order."
The both of them shared a laugh at that last part until she reluctantly agreed giving him a small "Yes Sir!" before heading off to the tent leaving him alone in the light downfall of white. Naruto just stat there beside the fire slowly feeding it stick after stick that it might need throughout the night to keep it going to warm the area a bit. Tomorrow he hopped that they would find Sasuke fairly easily. If he knew the Uchiha he would leave out a hawk summon in the air searching for them for him to follow. It was a tad risky considering Kabuto knew about that summons of his, but if they were lucky they would get there before it became an issue. With one last lingering look towards the tent where the two Kunoichi sleep silently Naruto smiled then regarded the darkness around them. He settled in against the log for the rest of the dark morning talking silently to his partner in crime within until sun up.
That morning he shook them gently awake and told them to leave everything they would not need for combat behind at the camp as they were going to travel light for the day. It would mean they would have to come back by the spot if they had the time and that if they didn't he would have to come up with another idea for getting the gear back, but it was their best option. He didn't want them to have to run with all the heavy packs weighing them down if they didn't have to. They all seemed to be getting ready in their own way, Naruto shed his heavy coat folding it away into a section of his pack leaving him in his Jounin vest that he had stocked full of small scrolls the night before when he had time and his custom combat pants that still held the two larger scrolls of their own. Sakura removed her heavy cloak as well choosing to go without the extra warmth in favor of better movement. She dragged on a different set of clothes from before though, going with these reinforced grey pants that had hard looking guards across the shins, a tan Jounin vest he had never seen her wear before that had various medical tools in it that he could see sticking out of pockets with some just tied to the vest, along with another grey shirt under it with sleeves that went all the way down to the wrist reinforced at the forearm to meet the heavy gloves that had become her trademark after learning from the Hokage.
Hinata going off the other two rid herself of the cloak she wore knowing that the three could use their own chakra network to help warm themselves, but inwardly was a bit interested to see how Naruto would react to her new combat attire. She had worked with her sister for the most part to make it herself wanting it to work out perfectly for her fighting style that was slightly different then the families. Out from under the flap to meet them she had on the usual combat shoes most ninja wore dark blue in color, her pants came all the way down to the shoes made of a soft fabric that breathed and moved across the skin it was snuggly tight to like a pair of dancers tights in a lighter shade of blue with a little bit of white ninja wrapping down near the ankles. Most of her form was covered by a only Hinata fitting black dress that moved just as easily as the pants fabric cut at about the knee with slits up both sides to near her hips which normally would have been an eye opener if it had not been for the pants she wore. The dress came up and scooped over her shoulders though most it was hidden by the coat she wore the dress having a neckline that dipped down in an almost alluring v that was thankfully covered up for the most part by her leaf protector. While before she had been seen with the Jounin vest she now wore something of her own creation. It was a coat that covered her shoulders with a high collar that came up to around much like a Jounin vest then came down in the front open coming together just under the swell of her breasts in only an array of a few buttons rounding down and out on both sides to just below her waist. There on each side of the bottom of the coat she had circular pockets that one could guess held the tools that she might need in combat. The sleeves were slightly oversized to help with movement in her shoulders, but ended snuggly just after the elbow leaving the rest of her arm down to her hands wrapped in ninja white tape her fingers left uncovered. The coat itself was form fitting and colored green for the most part with a white trim, but on each shoulder it had emblems, one for the Hyuga and one for the Uzumaki clan along with the normal leaf village marker in the back.
At the sight of her Naruto was taken back, he shot a look towards Sakura that showed that she to was a tad bit confused. Neither one of them had seen this look before it seemed. Naruto was used to seeing her in heavy coats and loose fitting fighting pants, but this was very different. These clothes were more form fitting like Sakura's had always wore and moved freely with Hinata's every stride. Though he knew it was meant for combat he could already feel his mind moving to wonder just what she might look like without that original combat coat of hers.
"What do you to think…?" Hinata asked her teammates eyes down to the snow and her shoes evidently a tad apprehensive about the new combat gear she had been making.
"You look great!" Naruto nearly blurted out shocking everyone including himself. Blushing harshly he glanced at his scroll on his left thigh pretending her had to fix the tie on it suddenly, "I mean I think it will work great for you."
Sakura was a tad more refined in her answer stepping forward to circle the shy kunoichi once tugging at the bottom of the coat Hinata had evidently made. Raising a brow she had to ask, "Are you going to be warm enough?"
"Yes, the coat is lined with a type of fur Kiba suggested. I am very warm," Hinata said quietly having started to smile at bit at Naruto's reaction already. It was true that the outfit was a little outside of the norm of what he might be used to with her, but she had grown a lot since he was away and the old gear just tended to get in her way these days.
"Well I think you look great as well. Seems you got the correct amount of movement for how much you bend and such in your fighting style, you should be much warmer then us in that coat of yours." Sakura said with a tad bit more jealously in her voice than she had meant to let on.
"Thank you guys, my sister and I spent a lot of time after I got back from the war on it. Wanted to make I had something that would work best for me," Hinata said raising her eyes giving them both a long look finding Naruto extremely interested in his scroll had her blush gaining just a bit more.
Naruto snapped up from the tie on his pants and adjusted the scarf he still wore around his neck so it was a bit tighter for the speed they would be heading out in, "Well then now that we are all ready lets be on our way hu?"
The two watched for the second time since they were given the mission Naruto leap off quickly ahead of them, but this time they both new the reason giving each other a knowing smile before following the blond.
They had only been traveling just an hour when Hinata spotted the hawk high in the sky. The three of them made it to the top of a large tree and Naruto called out to the bird in a sound that could only be described a bird drowning in a bathtub, but the Hawk got the message turning north leaving them to follow. The three followed in a tense silence with Hinata on point watching the bird with the aid of her Byakugan. They came to a large open expanse of rock that was covered in a light dusting of snow with a cliff face off in the distance that seem to have a small cave at the base of it. Naruto called a halt when his eyes focused on the sight of combat near the mouth of the cave.
"Hinata you can see better then I what's the condition at the cave over there," he asked the tension in his voice palpable.
Pale hues focused and she took account of the battle at hand before giving him a concise answer, "four ninja, three baring the rock village protector and Sasuke are fighting." She paused causing the other two to watch her intently in turn, "All three at least Jounin level, Sasuke seems to be uninjured, but is moving much slower then he should be. His Sharingan is activated."
Taking this all in Naruto thought on the situation and the best way to go about handling it so that when Sakura took a step forward he was already ready, "Follow me in I will distract the three. Sakura you take Sasuke aside to assess his condition, Hinata you provide support while she does that then report to me when you have an answer. "
After a short nod from the two, "Understood," Naruto was just gone. Flashing across the expanse to where Sasuke was engaged at the moment Naruto came out the other end between a strike from the rock Jounin closest to his old teammate slamming an elbow roughly between the rock nins lower left two ribs sending him spiraling back into the darkness of the cave opening.
"Get back!," Was all he shouted to Sasuke before the other two got over the shock of the blond nin appearing out of no where and attacked.
Sasuke didn't seem to be in a mood to argue dodging back just as the larger one who wore an ANBU mask of a bear came down upon Naruto with fists covered in chakra knuckles that effectively tripled his strength. Luckily Naruto caught sight of them at the last moment flashing around to the side of the man with a kick already coming up to catch him in the midsection. To bad though that the moment his foot met the mans stomach it just stopped like he had just met solid stone causing him to grimace. The rock nin reached down for the foot that stuck him and gripped Naruto leaning back then threw him high into the air. Spiraling through the air Naruto was able to see that the two from his team had reached Sasuke. They had him on his back and Sakura was going over his body with a glowing hand while Hinata stood facing the two rock nin waiting.
From down below he heard a sound like something cutting through the wind and he was instantly brought back to the task at hand. The second rock nin used a stone ninjutsu to shoot shards of stone from the ground around him up at the blond, a perfect situation for the two fighting on their home turf. Instead of blocking them Naruto flashed again, but this time ended up standing just a foot before Hinata a Kunai already in hand.
"He is a stone form user Naruto," Sasuke shouted over the action of the moment and Sakura's stern look to calm down.
"Really? You don't say? Tell that to my foot," Naruto grumbled and shook his left leg just as another volley of rock shards were sent incoming, "Heads up."
Just after he flashed away Hinata made quick work of the shards pinpointing their placement and easily deflected them with small bolts of chakra from her palms. Coming out of the moment Naruto ended up just behind the nin that had been sending them flying in the back with a growl in his voice.
"Long ranged nin backed up by a near impenetrable wall up front hu?" Slashing his arm down at the mans neck he had to vault back away suddenly because of the array of spines that burst from the mans form made of a sharp stone.
"Who are you to have a right to interfere with us leaf ninja!" the long range nin demanded of him.
Naruto now stood on the field with the two between him and the rest of his team, listening to the question. If he wanted to answer it he didn't have the chance when another call came from the downed Uchiha.
"They are working for Kabuto Naruto." He couched out alluding to just what might be wrong with him.
The third finally drug him self up out of the mouth of the cave holding his ribs that Naruto had shattered in an instant. He didn't seem to possess any weapons so when he raised his hand in the direction of Naruto and formed the needed seals the blond knew just what to expect. The world around him instantly fell into one of terror with a cyclone of sharp stone spinning around him cutting his form in what felt a thousand or so times, but as quick as the image came it receded at the influx of attention from his partner.
"No one messes with Naruto, but me…" the blond said in a low animal like growl of a response to the genjutsu.
The power of the voice and what was behind it was enough to give everyone on the field pause, eyes shooting to him in shock. To which Naruto just rolled his shoulders and held up his classic hand sign.
"Time to go to work," he said lowly just before the area was suddenly filled with ten more of him in a half circle around the mouth of the cave and all of the combatants.
The genjutsu user quickly recovered from his failure and turned to shoot his trade across the field to the pale eyed woman that staggered a bit under the attention, but for a moment when one of Naruto's clones flashed over to put a hand on her shoulder.
All eleven of them reached to the pack on their left side and drew a kunai at the same time growling in response to the rock nins action, "Mistake."
An instant later the air was a blur of yellow and red from his hair and scarf as the Naruto clones disappeared and reappeared around the three rock nins at an amazing speed. Not one of them that slashed and disappeared went for a killing blow though only cutting through vital tendons and nerve groupings as they all moved in a rapid array of teamwork. Appearing and disappearing so quickly that one could not even lift a finger before they were gone again. Silence followed as Naruto came to a stop sending his clones away in a flurry of pops eyes focused on the three rock nin who stood for only a second until two of them slumped to the ground. Having come to a stop just in front of Hinata Naruto held the crimsoned dipped kunai out in front of him at the ready waiting for the last of the rock nin to make a move.
The nin took a step back nearly tripping over his two down comrades with what had to be a look of fear behind the bear mask that he wore, but because of the hard skin jutsu he used none of the cuts had been directed towards him because of the futility of it. Getting over the shock of what just happened though he held up his fists getting down into a fighting stance facing the four leaf nin with a look of determination about him.
"I will get you for that demon," He growled like the bear his mask depicted.
Naruto though did not move to attack leaving the nin the time to think about his situation, "Where is Kabuto rock nin."
There was a long pause between the time he asked and the time the rock nin said anything evidently thinking over if he could get away with lying to the blond nin across from him, "The nin you call Kabuto resides in the Rock Village now and is protected. You will be attacked further if you advance."
This was unexpected to say the least. Why would the Hidden Rock Village be hiding Kabuto among there people after what had happened in the war. Gritting his teeth Naruto wondered just what else he did not know about the situation and his thoughts drifted to Sasuke behind him. Perhaps he knew more about the situation.
"Sasuke can you tell if he is speaking the truth," Naruto asked quickly over his shoulder blue hues never coming off of the bear mask.
From somewhere behind him a head lifted from the snow underfoot and answered, "It's far more then that Naruto, but yes it's the truth. We need to talk."
Upon hearing the agreement to his words the rock nin let down his guard just a bit, but the moment he did Naruto flashed across the snow until he was standing side by side the nin whispering lowly, "Your men are not harmed enough for death to take them. Take your comrades from the field, but know that my team will not halt our chase of Kabuto and we will climb the walls of the Rock village if we have to." Naruto's tone was grave sounding almost like a promise to the Bear ANBU of what was to come, but true to his word he flashed back across the expanse of the field to where Sakura was crouched over Sasuke, "Can he move we are heading back to camp."
Sakura gave him a small nod in answer and went to pick the Uchia up, but he refused getting to his feet of his own will with a grunt.
"Shouldn't just let him head back Naruto he will tell the village about us," The dark haired nin said with a dart of his eyes to the blond he had not seen in so long, "They will send hunter teams after us."
Naruto just shook his head eyes up watching the ANBU work to fashion a way to get both his teammates back home safe, "Perhaps they will, but from his report they will know just who I am. If they send a team after us they will know what they are up against. Let's get out of here and back to camp so you can tell us what's going on with Kabuto."
Even with the discouragement Sasuke had given her Sakura worked his arm over her shoulder to help support his weakened form, "He has something in his system I need to check out more when we get back to camp."
With a look from Naruto, Hinata leapt off in the lead scouting ahead to make sure there was no one in their path leaving the three behind. Sighing Naruto put the weapon he still held away eyeing team seven with a small smile, "Just can't stay out of trouble can you Sasuke? Kabuto too much for you?"
Although Naruto's tone had been joking Sasuke did not share the smile only reaching out a hand to set on Naruto's shoulder leveling his dark hues towards the blond nin's, "Not Kabuto, but Orochimaru for some reason still is."
Silence enveloped the three at the comment and the situation just got a hell of a lot more serious.
Whoo Chapter 8 is out! Had to really pull my punches for this small skirmish because i have all these ideas for how Naruto's and the rest of their combat abilities might have progressed, but I didn't want to waste them on these throw away characters. You will start to see them soon though that is a promise.
Coming up with the new outfit for Hinata was a challenge and I am still not to sure if I am happy with the way it came out, but in my mind at least it makes some sense.
Also I personally love the two sage toads and thing that Naruto would have grown very close to them in the time away. You will hear from them again believe it.
Thank you for the reviews and as always I hope you enjoy it.
Wanted to take a second to call out a reviewer in particular though you guys know I read all your stuff. "Wtf Tobi" thank you for your detailed review. You seem to have a pretty good grasp of my writing style. As for a kid I have already thought down that far, though its way off in way of chapters, but I would never forget something as simple as the blood line trait. Hope you keep reading and reviewing
Naruto is of course owned by its creators.
