Chapter Soundtrack: "Take Off" by 2PM

Chapter 9- Breach! The Star is seized!

Jiraiya blinked sleep from his eyes. The first rays of dawn glimpsed through the frosted glass of the window, and to his surprise, his student was still slumbering peacefully. Naruto lay on his bed on the far side of the room, position skewed, stomach innocently exposed beneath his ruffled tee.

The old man sat up and stretched, listening to the resounding cracks of his aged joints. His eyes crossed back to his pupil. How he loved the goofball. 'With him around I almost regret not having children of my own. He's like a grandkid except way higher maintenance…' As an afterthought, 'The other two knuckleheads included: my really weird misfit grandchildren.'

It was unusual that Naruto had slept in since he was accustomed to rising at the ass crack of dawn each day (by Jiraiya's order.) But seeing him there…so quiet and serene… "Ah— I'll let the kid sleep in I guess." Jiraiya decided, yawning, and hauled himself to his feet. He dressed in silence before leaving his pupil to doze.

The corridors of the palace were chilled with drafts from cracked windows. He knew that he wasn't exactly at liberty to peruse the mansion at his leisure, but Jiraiya felt that his investigation could afford no more delays, 'All these rumors I've been hearing are real shady, just like Roushi warned.' It then occurred to him that they might have come with an advantage if the Four Tailed container had gone to The Star Village with them.

'Akahoshi wouldn't have been thrilled about that.' Jiraiya snickered mentally, 'Besides, Roushi must have returned to Hidden Rock by now…I just hope the Akatsuki stay off his trail.' He rounded a corner and entered the kitchens. None of the workers had arrived yet to start serving meals, so Jiraiya happily fixed himself some tea and breakfast before continuing his exploration.

While he munched, his wandering took him to the second floor of the mansion. The hallways echoed with a soft, mechanized buzz. He strayed right down a waxed wood passage, alert, and then glimpsed into a room where the sound originated. He was taken aback. Two children were hooked up to respirators, completely bedridden. Jiraiya stared in confusion for a few more moments before a startled attendant walked by.

"Excuse m-me, sir?" The nurse stuttered, "Is there something I can h-help you with?"

Jiraiya eyed the small man suspiciously, "What is this? Akahoshi failed to mention how the children of this village are in such bad shape."

"Just a few, really." The nurse corrected him quickly, "I think it might be the Star that weakens them…not all of the trainees have a resistance to it like the older shinobi did…"

"Older shinobi?" Jiraiya pressed.

The man hesitated, and then said, "It's been over ten years now. Akahoshi-sama only recently reinstated the Star training."

"You mean you haven't allowed training near the Star for a decade?" The Sage repeated, confused, "Why the sudden change?"

The medic shrugged, "I'm not sure. Akahoshi-sama thought it was the right thing to do, being the Third died so abruptly…"

Jiraiya moved along and the nurse scuttled into the sick ward, glad to not have to answer any more nosy questions. Jiraiya continued down the empty halls, lost in thought, 'I don't understand. How could a village leader condone training that will risk the health of their genin?'

He stopped near an open window. Realizing the palace wouldn't hold many more answers Jiraiya took off into the village, ready for some legitimate reconnaissance.


"Gah! I overslept!" Naruto woke with a start. He stumbled from his bed, shuddering in the early morning cold, and attempted to clothe himself while brushing his teeth.

He had planned to train earlier that morning, but it was already halfway to noon and he knew Sumaru wouldn't appreciate the wait. He charged out of the bedroom, rocketing out of the window, and ran along the roof tiles until he was within jumping distance of the nearest tree. He stuck to the canopy until he came to the forest clearing he had found the night before.

To his relief, Sumaru had just arrived as well, and waved a brief greeting as Naruto touched down. "Hey there! Good morning!" Naruto laughed, "Did, uh…you sleep in too?"

Sumaru raised his eyebrows questioningly, "I don't make a habit of that."

Naruto chuckled and then changed the subject, "So— Mizura! How's he doing since last night, I wonder?"

"He's much better now, thankfully." Sumaru replied calmly.

Afterwards they agreed to not use weaponry while they fought, and were surprised to find how formidable their respective opponent was while they sparred. Naruto again witnessed the unique plume of chakra Sumaru's jutsu created, and could not easily devise a way to counter against it. He struck with speed, and easily avoided the tail-swipes of violet chakra Sumaru cast at him.

Sumaru was discouraged by how he had to contend defensively. Naruto's speed and strength were far superior to his own, and letting up on his ninjutsu even for a moment would leave him open to a brutal attack. Naruto's taijutsu was like nothing he had seen before in the Star Village. One punch would have him flat on his back…on the opposite side of the field.

Sumaru dodged a kick that leveled an oak tree, but the force of it had knocked Naruto off balance. The blonde boy hopped back to avoid the plummeting tree trunk, 'Man…these leg weights are a slight inconvenience.' Though it wasn't as if he needed to take them off anyway, Sumaru could not match his speed.

A coil of violet chakra struck Naruto head-on, tossing him like a rag doll into the branches. Sumaru wore a pleased smirk, "Don't let your guard down, Naruto! I'm stronger than I am quick!"

The Leaf ninja mumbled in pain as he detangled himself from the wild limbs and leapt down, only to get assailed by Sumaru's plume once more. To the Star ninja's surprise, his opponent dispersed into smoke. Naruto took advantage of his clone's distraction to land a shattering tackle that launched Sumaru to the far edge of the tree line. The Star ninja was sprawled on the ground, completely winded, aghast at how such a simple tactic had deceived him. As it so happened, Naruto was a very gracious winner.

The Leaf nin extended his hand and helped his friend to his feet, "Good fight there, buddy!" He wiped a bead of blood from his eye, "Your jutsu hurts like a bitch…"

"All the same, your power is…amazing." Sumaru admitted, slightly discouraged, "The Star Village is very far behind if the five main villages wield such strength…"

"Will you quit going on about the main villages already?" Naruto sighed, "You can't rely on that Star for everything…draw on your own power and you'll see you're just as strong as any ninja from my country."

"We are different from you people— our power is drawn only from our Star!" Sumaru contested stubbornly.

"No, you've got it wrong, and believe me…I'm not this strong on my own." Naruto said quietly, "I have help. The only time you become really strong is when you're risking yourself for the people you care for— not worshipping some space rock."

Sumaru was silent for a long moment, and Naruto briefly wondered if he might have unintentionally insulted the Star ninja. Sumaru turned as if to leave, but stopped himself, "I understand what you're trying to say, Naruto…but our way of life depends on the Star. People have died to protect it and to learn from it. Without it we would be just like everyone else…it gives us powers many ninja cannot even imagine."

Naruto could concede that the tangible chakra the Star ninja possessed was unusual if not downright extraordinary. 'The only time I've ever seen raw chakra throw someone that way…would probably be my Kyuubi chakra on the loose.' This thought worried him, 'If that's the case…what the hell kind of chakra does that rock give off? It can't be all that safe…'

Somehow they managed to avoid an argument. They continued training for the rest of the morning, with Naruto using his speed advantage to avoid being clobbered by chakra feathers. Once Naruto began complaining about food Sumaru called it quits and suggested breakfast.

Back in town they settled again at Sumaru's favorite restaurant, and while waiting for their orders Hokuto passed by on her way to the temple. Naruto looked to his friend beside him, amused at how Sumaru's eyes followed the path of the lovely kunoichi. He called her over welcomingly and she took a seat beside him. Naruto felt his gut churn, 'Jeez…he sure does like her. But with her all over that other guy yesterday…' His stomach dropped completely, 'Oh crap. They're not really friends at all! This is a…what do they call it? A pentagon. No. Triangle!'

While Naruto's thoughts spiraled Sumaru made small talk, "He's doing better today, I hope?"

"Mizura wanted to train but we made him stay in the dormitory. He'll be doing fine after a few days' rest." Hokuto answered brightly, "You look a bit disheveled, Sumaru. Have you been training with Naruto today?"

"I have." He confirmed, "He's…something else." He turned to his blonde friend curiously, "You're oddly quiet. Is everything alright, Naruto?"

"Ehehe! Fine!" Naruto was unbelievably grateful when the food arrived, "Itadakimasu!" He stuffed his face, hoping he wouldn't say something to incriminate himself with either of the Star ninja. Somehow Hokuto remained blissfully unaware of Naruto's awkward behavior as well as Sumaru's burning eyes.

She left to go train after they had finished eating, and while Naruto followed Sumaru down the street he felt he couldn't ignore the situation any longer. "I'm not as dense as I used to be about this sort of thing." He said quietly, "But you have a big crush on her and it might get you into trouble, you know?"

"Again, this is a matter that isn't any of your business."

"I know, and I'm sorry that I brought it up, but it's even freaking me out." Naruto apologized quickly, "It's just…somehow I know how you feel. Things get complicated…but I don't think my girlfriend has ever liked another guy before me…"

Sumaru blanched for a moment, and then said, "It is what it is."

Even if he sounded resigned about it, Naruto thought, he was clearly bitter. It was a wonder he could still remain friends with Mizura through it all. Naruto felt terrible he had exposed the other boy's pain, and wished there was a way he could take it back.

Just past the border of the village the two ninja stopped on a rock ledge. Sumaru gazed down into the crater that housed the Star temple, his face expressing an eerie detachment from his environment. Without warning of any kind, a figure bolted from the entrance of the temple, doors nearly blown from their hinges, and furious shrieks followed. Sumaru made a start, and Naruto hopped down from the ledge, unsure of what had happened.

Their stares followed the fugitive as he raced along the basin floor with something tucked under his arm. Something that exuded an unmistakable haze of mauve chakra…

"He's stolen the Star!" Sumaru roared, making a life-risking leap down the loose gravel slope. Naruto followed just as recklessly, matching the distraught boy's speed with ease. They were still a fair distance off when Hokuto and a few other trainees had staggered out of the building, looking terrified and crushed all at once.

"They need you, Sumaru!" Naruto insisted, "Go make sure they're alright and I'll take out the shithead who took the Star!"

Sumaru's first intention had been to retrieve the Star himself, but after seeing Hokuto so rattled he immediately went to check his friends first. Naruto diverged, taking a route back up the eastern slope to where the rogue had escaped. His Body Flicker speed had allowed him to gain on the rabble-rouser in less than a minute.

"Hold it there, Sparky!" He landed on a fallen log just ahead of the fleeing ninja.

The unknown shinobi stopped, uncertain of how he had been caught so quickly.

"Polite people know not to take what isn't theirs." Naruto admonished smilingly, holding out his hand, "Please return that rock now so I don't have to kick your ass?"

There was no discernable reaction from the rogue. The Leaf nin took a moment to scrutinize the fugitive, seeing that his foe was wearing a gas mask that concealed his face perfectly, most likely meaning he was aware of the nearby ravine's perils. He was also wearing tattered Black Ops armor that, as far as Naruto could tell, looked to have been stolen and worn out. Quick as lightning, the rogue formed seals and spoke in a muffled voice, "Kujaku Myoho!"

"Not the negotiating type, are ya?" Naruto grumbled, creating half a dozen shadow clones. He was momentarily cowed by the rogue's Star village technique when it generated a massive chakra plume that dwarfed Sumaru's ability by comparison. The sheer volume of chakra rippled in the surrounding air like a heat wave, almost as menacing as demonic chakra yet not quite. The plume changed shape, forming a bulky column that slammed down on the slope in an attempt to eliminate all of the doppelgangers at once.

Naruto's Shadow Clones were too quick and effortlessly avoided the assault. They scattered before charging the rogue in a combined counterattack. One clone even went as far as to use a jutsu to distract the chakra column that had whipped back around, "Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!"

A breath of flames swept over the hillside, breaking futilely on the chakra plume that then seemed to be howling. Kage Bunshin that were nearest to the enemy detonated on their creator's command, gouging a fearsome hole in the slope.

The chakra plume had fanned out just in time to shield its master from the devastating blast. Seeing his favored explosion strategy had been ineffective, Naruto felt a shred of respect for the experienced thief, 'If he wasn't stealing something super valuable right now I'd actually be having a great time! It's a shame…but I'll have to blow him into next week…'

One of his remaining clones assisted Naruto in the creation of a spiraling sphere. The fugitive, unaware of the technique's ferocity, held his ground with his chakra plume, waiting for action.

Naruto pounced, and though he had narrowly missed his target, the Rasengan had leveled the hill completely, tearing away trees and gravel as if a team of bulldozers had gone by. The thief was thrown back, somehow saved by his feathery shield, and quickly realized it was a fight not in his favor. He scurried up what remained of the slope, and Naruto could not find purchase on the destroyed incline to give chase.

He watched in astonishment as the chakra plume morphed again into a pair of swallow-like wings, permitting the unthinkable. The thief flew off into the wild blue yonder with easy grace, dumbfounding Naruto with his technique.

"He flies!" Naruto bellowed, unable to believe it even after seeing it with his own eyes. The fugitive was headed in the direction of Hell's Ravine, and though Naruto considered pursuing him into the canyon, he decided to heed Jiraiya's warning. It would be a reckless if not fatal chase.

Naruto trudged back down the ravaged hillside, taking his time in returning to the temple. Sumaru was definitely not going to be happy about this. His friend was standing over the cluster of alarmed genin, consoling them and also trying to piece together what had happened. Sumaru gave the blonde shinobi an expectant look, "How did you fair, Naruto?"

"I did everything I could at the time, but I'm sorry." Naruto reported, "He got away. We can still track him if—"

Sumaru was livid, "I don't want to hear it. I trusted you to get the Star back!"

"Sheesh! The guy was really powerful and I wasn't expecting it!" Naruto bit back, sick of Sumaru's temper, "My buddy Haku always said that, statistically, you can't win every fight you pick! And is the only thing you care about that damn star? How are THEY doing?"

Hokuto touched Sumaru's arm, calming the boy down. She took a step towards Naruto, answering on her friend's behalf, "I assure you we're all fine, Naruto. For some reason…that ninja didn't hurt anyone. He went out of his way to stun us which I find…" She smiled to herself, "Uncommonly noble for a thief."

Sumaru at last breathed a sigh of relief. At least it had been a painless encounter, but the issue still stood— the Star was lost. Naruto knew he would be dropping a bombshell by stating the next fact, "Listen, I know this is gonna sound crazy…but I am 99 percent sure that thief came from this village."

"That's absurd!" One of the genin shouted.

Sumaru also denied the possibility, "Naruto you're probably mistaken. There's no cause for a Star shinobi to commit such a treasonous act!"

"I'm sure as shit not mistaken about this! The technique that guy was using was your Peacock Jutsu, I know because I've seen you use it." He looked directly at Sumaru, "It wasn't like fighting you, though. This guy had a lot more experience…I was kind of…worried."

There was a silence. Though it was hard to accept, none of the genin could find a reason to disprove the theory. The Peacock Method technique only existed within the Star Village, so logically, a Star ninja was responsible.

Hokuto spoke up after a minute. "It must have been one of the veteran ninja, if that's the case. There aren't many jounin in this village that have altered chakra since they never trained near the Star. But just who could've done this?"

Sumaru immediately knew the severity of the situation, "We have to go after him. He could be using the Star for his own benefit or worse…be trying to sell it off to one of the main villages!"

"Whoa, hold on. If we're gonna nab this guy we should call in back up— or at least tell someone in your village, right?" Naruto didn't want to be hasty, "For all you know he could have a buddy somewhere waiting to nick off trackers or set traps."

"Then you go back and inform Jiraiya-sama. He'll know the best course to take." Sumaru agreed.

Naruto was confused, "Just Ero-sensei? What about Akahoshi?"

"We don't need to shame ourselves further by informing the village leader. We'll get it back before Akahoshi-sama even hears it was missing." Sumaru answered boldly, "Go quickly now, Naruto."

He left without another word. He did consider on his way out of the crater how odd it was that Sumaru did not want to involve the Hoshikage. Of course he could understand. Akahoshi would want to flay those who lost the Star, and as it was, he already disliked Sumaru for some reason. 'Whatever that reason is I suppose I don't want to know.' Naruto decided, passing through a thin block of forest before entering the village.

He and two clones split up, frantically searching for the Toad Sage. One clone spied Jiraiya up on a palace balcony, writing up a draft for his new novel. The Naruto-alternate perched on the railing, and before Jiraiya could even greet him, started rambling, "Okay, I'm not really me but it's still me. We have a problem! A ninja who nobody knows just—"

"Wait, Naruto, you're a shadow clone?"

"Yeah, no time to explain! Some guy stole the Star and took off with it. Turns out it's a Star ninja and I couldn't catch him so we'll have to follow him out towards the ravine if we're going to find him." The clone explained, "What's your verdict, Ero-sennin?"

"Well…that doesn't sound so bad." Jiraiya answered, not all that concerned.

The Shadow Clone was baffled. "Doesn't sound so bad? Should I have made it sound more tragic or do I just bore you?" He snapped.

"You misunderstand me. The Star being gone is actually beneficial. My investigations have lead me to believe that most shinobi who train near it suffer from advanced radiation poisoning." Jiraiya explained, stowing away his draft in his gi, "Though this incident helps the trainees' health overall I can see why this is a problem. In all likelihood it was stolen to be sold to another village, which opens a whole new can of worms."

"Alright, I'm going to go back and check on how they're doing. What are you going to do?" Naruto asked his mentor.

"I'll hang back here and keep an eye on Akahoshi. He doesn't need to know what's going on because I have a feeling he already knows. He was anticipating this, wasn't he? It seems fishy that he'd have such great timing." Jiraiya answered, "Watch your step out there, squirt."

The clone released the jutsu, instantly relaying the conversation to the real Naruto who was already on his way back to the crater.


Sumaru did not wait for Naruto to return with help. He and his fellow genin had set out into the dense woodland of the Bear Country, following a route that would take them to the ravine in the shortest amount of time. Every so often they would stop and take a moment to sense the fugitive's chakra to gauge his progress. He had not gotten far, because they could sense someone nearby.

At the brink of the toxic ravine a lone ninja in shabby Black Ops attire stood waiting. Sumaru gave a silent order, and before the thief could even so much as make a hand sign, the squadron of Star shinobi had him completely surrounded. Steel-taught chakra binds lassoed around the criminal from all sides, thoroughly securing him. Sumaru could hear a grunt of discomfort beneath their captive's gas mask.

"You will surrender now and return our Star, or face the immediate consequences!" Sumaru warned venomously, "Do not test us. There will be no restraint."

"What a stunning technique...yet you should be more careful of who you choose to ensnare." The thief said softly. After a few moments some of the genin's hold began to waver. Their chakra strings eventually flickered out and they collapsed to the ground in exhaustion. Sumaru watched in horror as his friends tumbled one after another.

Hokuto caught his eye, "He's draining our chakra!" The news came a fraction too late. He and Hokuto also succumbed to the immense vacuum that extracted chakra through their own jutsu. Sumaru pushed himself to his knees, furious, and yet inwardly fearing how his team had been jeopardized by piteously low chakra reserves.

The thief bent down and lifted Sumaru up by his collar. The Star ninja struggled weakly, but had no energy to retaliate. The thief draped Sumaru over his shoulders like a lamb and stepped over the other genin on his way to the ravine. The briefest of moments later Naruto hurtled out of the tree line, quickly rushing after the fugitive he had let escape once before.

He stopped upon seeing the enemy had Sumaru. 'Aw crap...he's not going to hurt him is he? He already stole the star so why would he need a hostage?' Naruto thought frantically, seeing how all the other genin had been left untouched.

"Just...put him down nice and easy. He's got nothing to do with this." Naruto advised cautiously.

The thief did not even remotely consider the idea, "Farewell."

He took a step off the side of the cliff and plummeted into the canyon. Naruto cried out, rushing ahead, but knew it was futile when the malefactor spread wings of chakra and soared off. With night fallen it would be near impossible to track them near the ravine.

"I can't believe I let that happen!" Naruto berated himself, yanking on his hair in frustration. With Sumaru gone there was going to be a whole lot more grief back in the village. His friends and family would be distraught, and what was worse, the Star was still in enemy hands. All that was left to do was to return the rest of the squadron safely home. Naruto created a dozen Shadow Clones who assisted him in lifting the unconscious genin.

The way back through the dense forest was a dark and confused route. The Leaf ninja and his duplicates only happened upon the Star Village's crater through vague sense of direction and luck. He had expected the genin's dormitory to be abandoned since everyone had gone out to retrieve the Star, but Jiraiya was already there waiting. Naruto felt his stomach twist guiltily. His failure probably wouldn't sit too well with his mentor.

"Looks like the cat is dragging in some real carnage." Jiraiya remarked lightly, "How'd it go, Naruto?"

The blonde nin looked down, "It was...an orchestrated fiasco."

"You can tell me more about it once we see to these guys." Jiraiya suggested, holding the doors open and allowing the long row of Shadow Clones inside.

Mizura was beside himself as he watched his comrades be laid out on futons, utterly spent in energy. He sat beside Hokuto worriedly, but quickly noticed one face was missing. "Naruto-san...where is Sumaru?" He asked quietly.

The clones departed in wisps of smoke. Naruto sat on a stool beside the doorway and sighed before he explained, "They got to that thief way before I did. By the time I showed up they were all down and out and he took off with Sumaru. It probably couldn't have gone much worse..."

"Sumaru-kun." Mizura muttered to himself, "I'll go out and rescue him myself if I have to!" He rose to his feet, unsteady, but Jiraiya laid a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"You of all people should know better than to go out after a thief in this country at night." The Toad Sage admonished, "We'll regroup and start our search tomorrow."


At the first light of dawn Akahoshi ventured to a rugged hilltop with two of his guards. It had a superb view of Hell's Ravine, and overlooked the vastness of the Bear Country. Akahoshi tied a note to a messenger pigeon's foot, and imprinted some of his chakra on the paper. This note would be read and it would be considered.

"You really think this could work, Akahoshi-sama?" One of his attendants asked.

"Without a doubt." Akahoshi let the bird fly and watched as it veered off into the treacherous woods of the Land of Bears.

Akahoshi was convinced that reasoning with the thief would end the hysteria in the village, 'You will return the star to me, Natsuhi.'


The thief removed her gas mask after finally reaching her hideout. The only refuge away from the Star Village was a monolith in the depths of the surrounding forest. Through the top of the stone heap she descended to a tomb of a fellow Star ninja. She drew out the Star from her hip pouch and placed it in the sarcophagus along with a body. "Hotarubi, please protect the star and Sumaru." She said quietly. She left the cavern, sealing it shut behind her.

She wanted to retire for the day after accomplishing her objective, but Natsuhi couldn't overlook the messenger bird passing overhead. The note tied to its leg was emitting some residual chakra. Natsuhi indulged her curiosity and roped the pigeon down with a chakra string. Before evening opening the message she understood. The chilled, volatile chakra left on the note belonged to Akahoshi. She had a fair idea what his complaints would be, and for the sake of good sportsmanship, she decided to confront him. His loss of the star was definitely stinging, she bet.


Naruto found Jiraiya outside of the temple later in the morning. While smoking his pipe, the Toad Sage gave his pupil the run-down, "I'm going to be staying here in the village. Chances are I can get to the bottom of this with help from the genin. Make sure you stay away from that poison gas when you check out the ravine, got it squirt?"

"I'll be careful, Ero-sensei." Naruto then added, "But you better keep an eye out for Sumaru. He might have gotten away from that thief for all we know."

Jiraiya blew a line of smoke, "Don't get your hopes up, kid."


On a ledge just beside Hell's Ravine, Akahoshi was not disappointed when Natsuhi finally did appear. Her chakra wings dissipated when she touched down on a cliff opposite where the leader of the Star Village was waiting. Behind Akahoshi, his attendants Yotaga and Shisou stood down, supposing it would be a peaceful encounter.

"Your message was…rude to say the least." Natsuhi called down to him, "I'm ready to accept your apology now."

"Did you bring the Star?"

"Certainly not. Do you take me for a simpleton, Akahoshi? I know your game!" She laughed openly at him, "The Star will never again harm anyone in that village, even if that means it must be hidden away forever."

Akahoshi bristled at the statement, "That is not your decision to make! I will take the Star back by force, if you will not cooperate…" He made hand signs, initiating his Peacock Technique, and let a plume of furious chakra sweep across the ravine towards Natsuhi.

She evaded his assaults with little effort. He had never been a match for her, and when she used her own jutsu, she caught the clearest glint of fear in his eyes. Natsuhi's chakra beast tore down, raking apart the edge of the cliff. Akahoshi was thrown back violently, and neither of his guards had the audacity to challenge the rogue kunoichi. They stood by and watched, and even suggested leaving. Akahoshi refused to leave without the Star.

"Do you really want to do this, Natsuhi? Your son will pay dearly for your criminal acts, if that's what it takes to get through to you!" He threatened, using what leverage he had left.

Natsuhi's aloof demeanor faded, "Sumaru…you couldn't…he's done nothing…"

"He's unreliable and flashy, just like his worthless parents!" Akahoshi spat bitterly, "Please, Natsuhi, just give me one reason to kill him! Tear him limb from limb every day you choose not to return the Star…"

She ended her technique, realizing that even if she did put Akahoshi in his place Sumaru would still be at risk. Natsuhi stood across from Akahoshi, unable to meet his eyes. Her resolve was beginning to crumble. Naruto had arrived at the ravine at precisely the most awkward time, as always.

The blonde nin spied Akahoshi standing off against the gas-masked thief, and immediately assumed the worst, 'This dirt bag just won't give it up will he! What's he got against this village?' Naruto reasoned that if he beat the thief to a bloody pulp he would end his shenanigans, 'And I can get Sumaru back!' Without needing the go-ahead from Akahoshi, Naruto charged for the nukenin while he created several Kage Bunshin.

Natsuhi focused on eliminating the Shadow Clones, which she was exceedingly handy at thanks to her Peacock Jutsu. An enormous violet plume became sharp as steel, eviscerating the clones and dispersing them. The real Leaf ninja had ducked out of the fray, and taking advantage of how the thief had been distracted, Naruto used his Body Flicker to catch her. He landed a devastating uppercut on the thief.

The nukenin flew backwards, stunned, losing her mask in the process. Natsuhi lay crumpled at the brink of the gorge, unable to regain her bearings. Naruto stood frozen after that, for the first time seeing the thief unmasked, 'But it's…a lady. I was so sure that…' He hesitated to do anything else.

Naruto would have done well to leave by then. To his credit, he did have sense enough to turn back to Akahoshi in the hope of asking what was really going on. Unfortunately, Akahoshi's bestial chakra plume jetted forward on his command, knocking the defenseless kunoichi, and bewildered Leaf nin, off the edge of the ravine. Naruto had been clipped in the head by the blow, and lacked the coherent thought to somehow save himself as he plummeted further down into the noxious gas below.

Natsuhi, in an act of true generosity, extended her chakra wings and held fast to the scruff of Naruto's jacket. She pulled up, soaring out of the gorge with the dead weight of a Leaf ninja, and steered back towards the heart of the forest. Akahoshi would seek her out again for the Star, she knew, but until then, she could only afford to hide and recover.


Jiraiya had returned to the palace to snoop. He had not gone on his own either. With him were Mizura and Hokuto, both in agreement with the Sage that something was amiss in the Star Village. Mizura, who had grown especially close to the old Sage in the short time he had spent with him, was glad to give him any information he asked for.

"Where the blazes did Akahoshi get to?" Jiraiya couldn't figure it, "I scoured the whole damn village twice and he's nowhere to be found in a time of crisis!"

"Gama-sennin…perhaps Akahoshi-sama went out after the Star himself." Mizura pointed out as they skulked down a creaky wood-paneled hallway, "He would never want to endanger the ninja of our village when there's so much at stake."

"Huh." Jiraiya turned a corner, and replied, "He never struck me as an intrepid kind of guy…even back when I met him in the war."

"You mean the Great Shinobi War? You fought in it too, Gama-sennin?" Hokuto asked.

"Of course I did! It was a feud between Rock and Leaf after all…other villages got mixed up too, and thankfully the Star Village sided with Leaf." He paused, "Unusual, since geographically they're nearer to the Earth country and may have suffered major consequences."

"I think we chose well in allying with the Leaf Village." Mizura said firmly.

Jiraiya patted the boy's head, "I appreciate that, kiddo." He abruptly held his arm out to stop the party. A nurse crossed an intersecting hallway, but didn't notice the shinobi that had been prowling the palace. When the coast was clear they continued their snooping.

They followed a corridor that lead to the medical wing, which Jiraiya had heard, had sent all of its patients home with a clean slate of health. Odd, since he heard the distinct hum of medical equipment nearby.

"Sir…I don't know what you could possibly expect to find here." Hokuto whispered finally, "The thief is out in the woods somewhere with our Star…so why would we look here?"

"Because I've learned in the past that the source of your troubles is always going to be closer to home than you thought." He replied smugly, and slid open the door to a recovery room that was in use. The person occupying the ward left the two genin stunned.

"Sumaru-kun!" Mizura cried, and rushed to the bed where his friend lay. Hokuto followed shortly after, equally shocked by their discovery.

Jiraiya had suspected some kind of fraud in regards to Sumaru's alleged kidnapping. 'He was in the village safe and sound while everyone worried their heads off.' Jiraiya noted, 'Makes me wonder who's responsible for reporting all this nonsense.'

"I can't believe he's alright…" Hokuto breathed a sigh of relief, "Did he get away from the thief, somehow?"

Jiraiya folded his arms thoughtfully, "Hard to tell. Maybe we should ask him." He had his own suspicions on what had actually transpired.

Mizura quickly discerned from the equipment his friend was hooked up to that Sumaru had inhaled toxic gas. "He should be alright now, if someone had treated him soon enough. Naruto did say that he was taken into the ravine by the thief, so I wonder why…"

Hokuto had stirred Sumaru with a small pat. His clear eyes opened and he almost instantly became alert. He pulled nodes from his skin as he sat up, groaning softly, and slipped a needle out of his arm that was connected to an IV drip. His friends gave him comforting words, assuring him that he was safe. When he told them he felt fine Mizura asked, "Do you remember how you got here?"

Sumaru shook his head, "I don't. I was out…but I do recall that thief. He left the ravine rather quickly and…" He inhaled sharply, "He doubled back to the village."

"He went back?" Hokuto repeated, confused.

"I think so. I know he did, it was the last thing I saw." Sumaru confirmed, "It was…very strange." As the events came back to him he became upset, "What about the others? Did they get back safely?"

"Yes, Naruto returned us to the village after you were taken." Hokuto told him, "That's why we were so worried about you. We didn't know where you were."

A silence settled upon them, and they looked to Jiraiya for guidance. The Sage scratched his chin before saying, "I hate to break it to you squirts, but we've got two thieves on our hands here. One managed to take the Star…and the other is the one that took Sumaru."

"Then we have to get to the bottom of this quickly." Sumaru said, getting to his feet. Jiraiya and Mizura left the ward to keep watch for snitches, and Hokuto gave Sumaru his clothes back that had been put away in a locker. He thanked her quietly before getting dressed.

The group, plus Sumaru, stealthily navigated out of the medical wing and back out to the main hall. Mizura hurried after Jiraiya, glad to finally be of use despite his illness. Sumaru hung back a ways with Hokuto, wishing to speak with her.

"I want to apologize for last night." Sumaru told the kunoichi, "I led you on a pointless search. I should have thought things through before going after an unknown target like that…"

She shook her head, "I don't mind. I'm happy to follow you in whatever you believe is right."

They continued down the corridor slowly, far behind the Toad Sage and Mizura. It may have been better to make haste, but Sumaru couldn't bring himself to rush into another precarious situation. "Has…Mizura been treating you well?" He asked quietly.

Hokuto stopped, a bit nervous about discussing the subject. Since he had brought it up she decided to be honest, "He's good to me…though there are times that he's…hesitant." Her expression reflected doubt, "Maybe it's too soon…am I rushing him? Akahoshi-sama says people our age are not capable of real love."

"Akahoshi-sama believes in many strange things." Sumaru answered, slightly rebellious, "Just because he says it does not mean it's true."

They stood for a long moment, wondering what more there was to say. "Sumaru…do you…still have feelings for me?" Hokuto asked him softly. They were just outside the atrium of the palace, most likely where Jiraiya would be waiting for them.

"I carry love in my heart always, and it becomes heavy and lonesome because everyone I have ever cared for…I lost." Sumaru pressed his palm against her cheek, "If it means you'd be safe I'd rather you had Mizura-kun. You wouldn't want someone cursed like me." He kissed her gently, just for a moment, and then continued ahead through the archway.

Hokuto followed shortly after into the atrium, dazzled, and not sure what to make of Sumaru's response. Jiraiya gave the two a funny look, "What kept you, huh?" The Sage didn't get a straight answer so he went ahead and added, "I'm worried about Naruto. He should have come back by now…for all I know he's at the bottom of a ditch somewhere."

At the front entrance of the palace it was a small wonder when they ran into Akahoshi and his attendants. The village leader was thoroughly surprised to see Sumaru on his feet, "What are you doing up, Sumaru? Last I saw you were unconscious."

"Can I ask how you knew that?" Jiraiya chimed in airily.

Akahoshi looked a bit stilted, but replied easily, "Yotaga and Shisou recovered him. He was found this morning near the ravine where the thief must have abandoned him."

"It's true." Shisou confirmed.

The Sage remained silent, suspicious of such good fortune, but Sumaru bowed and thanked the people who had aided him. Akahoshi dismissed the boy's gratitude and said, "I want all ninja to be prepared for battle. I'm sending units into the forest to track the thief and end this tomfoolery once and for all." The genin took the orders dutifully and Akahoshi left as quickly as he had arrived with his guards in tow.

When he had gone Sumaru looked to Jiraiya, "I'm going to help you find Naruto. It's the least I can do."

Hokuto touched Sumaru's arm, "I'm going too."

When Mizura volunteered as well Jiraiya had to shoot him down, "Sorry kid, but you're still sick from your training. Give your body a chance to recover." He turned to Sumaru, "I think I can trust you to find my goofy pupil."

Jiraiya stayed behind with Mizura as they watched Sumaru and Hokuto join the ranks of ninja who were scrambling to begin a forest raid. The Sage looked to the genin beside him, "You know what's weirdest about all this?"

"I can't pick one event over everything else, I'm afraid." Mizura admitted.

"I get this crazy feeling that right now…Naruto is the one closest to the truth." Jiraiya chuckled, "Even if the truth is in a ditch."


Naruto awoke to find himself resting in a dimly lit cave. He turned his head slowly from where he was spread on a cot, and could see a woman standing over a fire. She was making broth. Seeing no immediate threat, he sat up curiously, and then became aware of the persistent throb in his head.

Natsuhi glanced over to him, "Oh…you're up."

"You saved me?" Naruto clarified, "I…don't understand why you would do that, ma'am. I mean, I attacked you!"

"I don't want any more innocent people to die because of that Star." She told him, "That is why I took it."

That, at least, he could wrap his aching head around, "Yeah, I heard the Star makes shinobi sick. But…you know that theft kind of turned the whole village on its head."

"I promise you I'm only trying to fix things." She smiled, "My name is Natsuhi."

"I'm Naruto." He greeted, and then paused, "Hm…Natsuhi…that sounds familiar." He distantly remembered Sumaru talking about Natsuhiboshi, "Your name is just like that what Sumaru was talking about…"

Natsuhi looked troubled, "That's because Sumaru is my child."

Naruto was astonished and attempted to keep his jaw from hanging ajar. Natsuhi served him soup in a small bowl and he thanked her. "Pardon me, but…if he's your son how is it that you aren't living together in the village?" Naruto inquired.

She took a seat on a chair beside the cot. "My husband, Hotarubi, and I have always held the safety of this village as our first duty. We both trained near the Star from a young age, and were two of the few shinobi who were fortunate enough to complete the Dragon Star Training. We became very powerful and were respected in our village."

Naruto figured that it meant all others had died or been crippled by the endeavor.

"But we knew better than anyone the realities of the Star training. We didn't want our young child to grow up and pursue a path that…might have harmed him." Natsuhi explained, "We left Sumaru to go on a mission, and that night we stole the Star from the temple. We intended to hide it away where it would no longer cause such grief."

"The Third Hoshikage and his Black Ops caught us before we could get very far. He was sympathetic with our cause, but we had still been branded as criminals and could not return to the village without facing consequences." Natsuhi lowered her eyes at the memory, "He asked us to stay outside of the village, faking death, so that if the Star ever posed danger to our home again we would be able to step in and stop it if the village leader could not."

"The Third Hoshikage is dead now." Naruto said, starting to see the whole picture.

"He died recently, and now Akahoshi, the scourge of our village is now overseeing things. His reintroduction of the Star training is putting shinobi in jeopardy again, even when the Third expressly forbade it from ever resuming. I had to act, you see…" She sighed, "They think of me as a villain, when the true deviant is Akahoshi. He has always had a lust for power and has a delusion of making the Star Village even better than the five main villages."

"So that's why Sumaru was always so touchy about it!" Naruto understood, "But that's just nuts…no virtuous leader would ever hurt his people just to make the village more powerful."

"You are very wise, Naruto." Natsuhi commended him, "I can only hope that Sumaru sees things the same way you do…"

"Lady, your son has a good heart and a great head on his shoulders. I'd count on him in a pinch anytime." Naruto assured her. Those seemed to be the magic words for the tormented mother. She smiled gratefully, swiping at her teary eyes with the back of her hand.

Before Naruto could delve into the discussion further a shockwave ripped through the ground and rattled Natsuhi's stone hideout. Naruto ran outside with his new comrade to meet the disturbance. Akahoshi, along with Yotaga and Shisou were waiting on the ground, wanting to get Natsuhi's attention.

"The Star." Akahoshi demanded, extending his hand expectantly.

His previous leverage of threatening Sumaru had vanished. Natsuhi refused, as before, and Akahoshi attacked with a furious chakra plume. Naruto launched himself at Akahoshi's henchmen, knocking them senseless with a combination assault with Shadow Clones. They hadn't even the time to use their own jutsu. Both guards surrendered at knife-point, and Naruto swiftly teamed up with Natsuhi, eager to dish out some justified retribution.

Natsuhi's chakra beast tore through Akahoshi's feather defense, and landed a crippling blow that left him reeling and unguarded. Naruto followed through, pinning the treacherous man to the side of the monolith, "It's over!" The blonde boy was promptly bowled over by an unexpected chakra strike.

Sumaru descended on the scene, horrified at what he was seeing, "Are you crazy, Naruto? You can't attack Akahoshi-sama!" He helped his injured leader to his feet.

Naruto quickly tried to reason with his friend, "Jeez, Sumaru, you've got to see that guy isn't trustworthy! If you don't believe me at least believe her!" He gestured to Natsuhi who stood at the opposite side of the clearing, "Your mom has been protecting the Star Village all this time from creeps like him."

Sumaru halted, overcome by the sight of her, and then inched closer, "….Mother? But…you were…"

He fell silent again once Akahoshi used a last-resort jutsu, lashing out with a chakra string, a chakra-binding technique that took control of the distraught genin. Sumaru, with the motions of a zombie, drew a kunai from his leg holster and then pressed it against his own throat.

"Give me the Star or this worthless child dies!" Akahoshi snarled, "Do it now, Natsuhi! I won't be tested any longer!"

Her confidence had again been shattered seeing Sumaru in such imminent danger. Her spirit wilted and she answered almost inaudibly, "I…can't."

Naruto had rushed forward, grasping his friend's hand in an effort to keep the blade away. Sumaru's (Akahoshi's) grip was strong and not easily restrained. "Don't do this!" Naruto rasped, watching Sumaru's blank face, praying for a flicker of lucidity.

Akahoshi spoke gravely, "Are you really willing to let your only child die, Natsuhi? What kind of mother is that?"

She was paralyzed with fear.

"Don't listen to him! He only wants the Star!" Naruto called back to her, "It's okay, I've got this under control!" Naruto recalled Shikamaru's Kage Mane, and assumed that just as in the Nara's technique, attacking the user of the jutsu would set the captive free. Naruto struggled to make a Shadow Clone while prying the kunai away from Sumaru's neck.

The Bunshin charged for Akahoshi, poised to strike, but was caught in a tendril of chakra strings. The remaining troupe of Star shinobi who had been sent to the forest had caught up, and acted quickly to protect their leader, despite not knowing the current situation. Hokuto was the most baffled by the scene, and Naruto desperately appealed to her.

"Hokuto-chan, please! You've gotta help me out!" Naruto hollered, "Sumaru really cares about you, so would you really let this happen to him?"

Realization immediately dawned on her that Sumaru had suddenly become a bargaining chip. Without even stopping to think of the repercussions she rushed to Akahoshi. "Please…Akahoshi-sama…this has all gone too far! Let Sumaru-kun go!" She pleaded, "He's only ever tried to help this village!"

Akahoshi knocked her aside, his mind focused on only one thing, "The Star must be retrieved at all costs! This boy's life will be a small price to pay…"

The other Star ninja looked unsure after their leader had resigned to such extreme measures. They stood unmoving, hesitant to act. Naruto continued to restrain Sumaru from hurting himself. Akahoshi drew a line of blood across the boy's neck and Naruto pulled back, unable to sway the jutsu's control over his friend. He looked back, expecting Natsuhi to help him, but she had gone.

When she reappeared the Star was with her, and the look of defeat about her made Naruto's heart jump into his mouth. He understood. No parent could offer up their child for the sake of a mission, 'Because when someone does that…they're not really a parent at all.' He relaxed when Akahoshi freed Sumaru, and Hokuto stumbled over to them, holding the unconscious boy in her arms protectively.

Naruto made a start towards Akahoshi but the large platoon of Star ninja mirrored him, unwilling to let him attack their leader. Akahoshi lashed out at Natsuhi with a chakra plume and she did not even move to defend herself. She tumbled back, and the Star fell into the possession of the self-proclaimed village leader.

"We may now return to the village. Leave the traitors here." Akahoshi crowed, setting out, and his platoon followed after him, slightly perturbed by the unorthodox victory.

Naruto did not pursue them. He knew he was outnumbered, and without Jiraiya's support, would not be able to convince the Star Village of Akahoshi's treachery. He checked on Natsuhi instead, who had been knocked out by Akahoshi's previous attack. Hokuto assisted the Leaf ninja in moving mother and son to the safety of the hideout.


The sun was beginning to set. Naruto watched it sink slowly below the horizon as he sat on top of the monolith. He and Hokuto had been working in shifts, one monitoring Sumaru and his mother, and the other guarding the hideout (although this, Naruto assumed, was not an imperative task.)

During Hokuto's watch within the cave Sumaru had finally come to. She smiled at him, but he looked still too disoriented to speak. "I'll go tell Naruto that you're awake now. Don't try to move around too much." She told him before she exited quietly.

After she had gone Sumaru could only stare at his mother nostalgically. How long had he lived and trained fully believing she was dead? It didn't explain why his father was absent too, but at least he had one remaining family member, he thought, to hold onto and treasure. Natsuhi stirred a short time after from where she rested on a futon. She opened her eyes, regarding him for a moment, and then asked, "Do you hate me, Sumaru?"

"W-what?" He stammered.

"It's alright if you resent your father and I for being away all this time. We were perfectly capable of returning, even with the risk of being punished…" Natsuhi was deeply remorseful, "I could never hold it against you if you…felt that way."

Sumaru clutched at his father's necklace around his neck, "No…I couldn't…not when you were protecting us all along." He paused, "Where is father?"

"He passed away. He was very sick from the Star's after effects…" She was still grieving over it, "He wanted to see you one last time before he died, but…it was so sudden. There was nothing I could do for him."

Sumaru fought back a sob. Natsuhi sat up on the mat, "I missed you every day…everything I toiled for was for you. And now…you've grown into a fine and talented ninja. I couldn't be more proud!" She crossed the small gap and embraced her son, joyful for their reunion, but rueful for the poor circumstances.

Hokuto had returned with Naruto. The blonde boy smiled at the two Star ninja before asking, "So…who's up for the trip back to your village?"

Sumaru stood, newly energized to retaliate against Akahoshi's deception. "I'm ready," He said, "But Akahoshi-sama will be expecting us."

"Yeah, but don't forget that my sensei is back there waiting for me." Naruto looked to be hatching a plan, "He'll back us up no problem…but we're still kind of short-handed, huh?"

"If we can expose Akahoshi-sama for the fraud he really is we might get some of the villagers on our side." Hokuto suggested as they left the sanctuary of the hideout.

"That's easier said than done. Right now he has most of the village under the impression of us being the enemy." Sumaru reminded her, "We have our work cut out for us."

Once outside Natsuhi patted Naruto's shoulder, "Could I have a moment with Sumaru and Hokuto?"

"Take several moments, if you want."

She thanked him and then turned to the young Star shinobi. "How far into the Dragon-Star training are you? It's been a few years now."

"I'm…not certain how you want us to gauge it, Mother." Sumaru replied uncertainly.

"You are both able to freely manipulate the shape of your chakra?" She gave a sample indicator.

"I can manage that." Sumaru confirmed, and then smiled at Hokuto, "Hokuto has always had considerable skill with shape manipulation, though."

Natsuhi beamed, "I am glad to hear it."

She demonstrated the technique she wished to teach them by extending her chakra wings, and then explained, "You channel your chakra to form a tail, most often, when you enter a battle. What I'm showing you is not an offensive ability. In this case you will split your chakra to form two separate channels."

They seemed to understand her instructions, even when Naruto clearly didn't. Both Sumaru and Hokuto coaxed their chakra to fan out and take the shape of avian wings. "Good." She told them, "You control your chakra the same way you would command a tail. Flight is sustained through minimal exertion, so flying, you might say, is the easiest part of being a Star ninja."

Naruto grumbled, a bit peeved such an ability didn't exist back where he lived. Before he could comment on the jutsu his friends had taken off, 'Wow. They sure picked that up in a hurry…'

Natsuhi smiled at him, "Do you think you'll be able to keep up with us, Naruto?"

"Heh! I'll buy you all ramen if you can find someone faster than me!" He chortled, bolting off into the forest and easily overtaking the ninja soaring overhead.


The sun had set when Naruto plus three Star shinobi reached the crater. They huddled behind a pile of debris that had been gouged up by Naruto and Natsuhi's earlier fight. Out of sight of any possible sentinels they devised a way to take the Star back.

"Usually I'm all about full-frontal offense." Naruto admitted, "But it looks like you guys want to be a little more discreet?"

"Yes, please." Natsuhi smiled.

When the coast was clear they crossed to the temple, figuring it was a good place to begin looking. Sumaru headed up the front, followed closely by Hokuto, while Natsuhi and Naruto brought up the rear. They had not been followed inside, but were quickly discouraged to see the Star was not in its usual resting place. Hokuto mumbled to herself in frustration and jumped when the doors of the temple slammed shut, locking the ninja inside.

Outside a unit of Star ninja fired arrows fixed with exploding tags at the establishment. Akahoshi was grinning when he gave the command, and watched as the shrine went to pieces, smoldering and spewing smoke. His ninja, though loyal, all looked equally disturbed by what they had done. It didn't help ease their guilt when Jiraiya appeared.

The Toad Sage stood a reasonable distance away from Akahoshi, his expression smug, "Why on earth would you be so proud about defeating a bunch of Shadow Clones?"

The fraudulent Hoshikage's face went ashen. He sputtered furiously when Naruto and his cohorts came up from behind him, intending to challenge him directly. Natsuhi, with the moonlight in her hair, looked like a vengeful specter when she spoke, "Surrender the Star now, Akahoshi."

"You really expect me to consent to such demands?" He spat, turning to his squadron, "They want it for themselves, the traitors!"

"It's only commonplace that a Sage like myself would see the truth in a situation like this…" Jiraiya also addressed the Star shinobi with Akahoshi, "But it's a shame that none of you have recognized this man's crimes."

It was the first seed of reasonable doubt that had been placed on Akahoshi. Naruto could see some of the shinobi were already swayed, and his sensei hadn't even begun to explain.

Sumaru, unexpectedly, spoke up, "It's important that you heed Jiraiya-sama. We have only ever had the best interests of this village at heart! If the Star-training ended, students would no longer suffer from its effects."

"They suffer because they are weak!" Akahoshi sneered dismissively, "Only the truly strong are capable of completing the training!"

Mizura came forward to stand between Sumaru and Hokuto. "I know I am not weak, Akahoshi-sama, and I never was…but I also know that I can never complete that training…" He slid his arm out of his sleeve, opening his gi wide enough to show the scars and lesions criss-crossing his chest that had been caused by the Star's radiation.

The older ninja that had already started to doubt their leader's motives were instantly horrified. Years earlier under the rule of the Third, they had skipped the Star training altogether since it had been outlawed. The reason why was now clear.

"We do this to protect the future generations." Natsuhi assured them.

"And this jerk wants it to continue!" Naruto accused Akahoshi who, it looked to the Leaf nin, was beginning to slowly back away from his squadron.

"How could the Sandaime have allowed such training to be reinstated if he was aware of its consequences?" One of the jounin asked in confusion.

Jiraiya looked solemn, "Why don't you ask Akahoshi?"

Silence penetrated the barren crater, and the ninja of the Star village looked questioningly to their dedicated leader, expecting a straight answer. Akahoshi, aware he couldn't avoid the truth, smiled darkly, "Isn't it obvious? No matter how hard I pressed, Hoshikage-sama refused to bring back the training that was legendary to our village…"

"You killed him." Jiraiya announced with composed certainty.

A ripple of astonishment and wrath rang through the present Star ninja. They knew it to be true, and some who had been close friends of the Third had even recoiled as if physically struck by the news.

"He was in the way." Akahoshi admitted lowly, turning to Natsuhi, "You claim to be acting in the village's best interest? No, it's quite the opposite! I want to improve the standard and power of Hoshigakure so it will equal that of the main villages…exceed that of the main villages!"

"That goal cannot be achieved through your skewed means! You killed the Sandaime and risked the lives of our children!" Natsuhi was prepared and poised to kill him, "I will never forgive you for your crimes!"

Sumaru stepped in front of his mother, knowing her hot-blooded attitude could get her into trouble. "You don't have the strength to fight yet." He reminded her.

The Star ninja who had once followed Akahoshi without question had him surrounded in a wide ring of furious, betrayed villagers. They, along with Natsuhi and their Leaf comrades, demanded the Star's immediate return. Akahoshi clutched it close to his chest, refusing to part with it under such circumstances.

"Don't make the mistake the Third made!" Akahoshi snarled at them, "If any of you have half a brain you'd see-"

A toad's tongue lashed out from behind him like a whip, knocking the breath out of him, and swiped the stone after the village leader had been bowled over.

Jiraiya crossed over to his faithful servant, patting the toad on the head, and then glanced back to Naruto, "Ready to clean up here, Naruto?"

While Akahoshi was spitting furious curses Naruto charged wordlessly. He was more than happy to finish off the baggy-eyed cretin. Yotaga and Shisou, Akahoshi's loyal guards (who had also helped him murder the Third) stood off to the side, unwilling to get their hands dirty a second time. Akahoshi initiated his jutsu, letting chakra rip ahead towards the blond ninja who was multiplying as he crossed the basin floor.

Sumaru made a start to help his friend, but Jiraiya shook his head at him. "Don't sweat it. Naruto is more than a match for your dear leader over there." He lit his pipe and added, "Just enjoy the show."

Akahoshi's chakra tail vectored down, smashing the ground before sweeping along to eradicate the shadow clones closing in. Two of the five clones dissipated, and one of the remaining trio detonated near Akahoshi. His violet plume coiled just in time to shield him from the explosion.

The Star ninja went on the offensive abruptly but Naruto was quicker, "Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!" Flames swept down, forcing Akahoshi to retreat to the far side of the crater behind his chakra shield. The watching Star ninja were impressed, if not a little itchy to get in on the action.

Akahoshi split his chakra into two separate beasts, one of which dove down on Naruto and his clones; the other shot back across the basin towards the observing villagers.

Sumaru countered, half expecting a dirty trick from the desperate nin, "Kujaku Myoho!" His own lavender plume of chakra rose up, meeting Akahoshi's strike with nullifying force. Natsuhi looked very pleased with her son's quick response. The second tail swept through the crowd without warning.

Jiraiya had managed to grab Mizura and leap to safety, but the majority of the unsuspecting Star shinobi were toppled over, landing on the rough crag of the crater's slope. Akahoshi had completely abandoned his fight with Naruto and turned on easier prey. The blonde boy countered against tail swipes his enemy threw back to stall him.

'The rotten old guy goes for his own people!' He hurled a storm of shuriken as a chakra beast slammed down next to him. 'This isn't working very well, is it?' He backed off, reaching back in his holster and seeing he had tossed just about all of his projectiles, 'I might have to summon a weapon from my scroll…' Naruto was pleasantly surprise to see he still had one kunai on him.

It dawned on him that it was not a knife he would be too happy about parting with. Naruto gave the three-pronged kunai in his hand a lingering stare before something in the recesses of his mind clicked together. 'Did I just say summon?' He smiled to himself, 'I had it right, hee hee.' He let his chakra contact the formula seals on the blade. He let it fly.

The knife had been tossed with some of Naruto's Kyuubi chakra, and it whistled an eerie tune as it shot past Akahoshi with unnatural speed. No one had caught the movement, save for a blink of a golden flash that plowed into Akahoshi. The tremendous speed of the assault tore the traitor's chakra beast apart, canceling his jutsu, and Akahoshi was flattened against the side of plateau wall much like a discus.

When Naruto reappeared he was off to the left of his defeated opponent, but was not his usual, grinning self after the victory. He looked rattled and ill, possibly moments away from puking.

"Aw…" He muttered, "That kind of sucked." Naruto fell backwards, rigid as a board, and hit the ground with a quiet thud.

Sumaru and his mother had reached the exhausted boy and Jiraiya came up behind them.

The Sage was somewhere between delighted and befuddled by what his student had accomplished. Sumaru tried to gently shake his friend awake but Jiraiya advised against it. "He'll be alright. That was just the Hiraishin…which I did not expect him to master so soon." He pulled the boy up, slinging him over his shoulder, "Not very graceful, was he?"

"It was an incredible spectacle, so the most graceful version of it would be…with more of a flourish?" Sumaru wondered. Little did he know Naruto and victory-swagger had an on/off relationship.

Natsuhi didn't even have to give a command for the other Star ninja to close in. They dragged the crumpled and bleeding Akahoshi, along with his cowardly henchmen, back towards the village in an angry yet vindicated mob. Mizura and Hokuto waited for Sumaru's half of the group before continuing out of the crater.

"It's hard to believe a shinobi his age could have such enormous ability." Natsuhi commented quietly to the Toad Sage.

"Sweet-cheeks, Naruto got that strong just by his own determination." Jiraiya told her, looking to Sumaru as well, "This village would prosper from following his example…but I guess you've already realized that."


Naruto awoke with the warm caress of sunshine on his face. He was groggy and his eyes were crusty from sleep. He sat up, spotting Jiraiya in a corner of the room smoking while working on a smutty novel. Naruto didn't recognize the room or their current location, for that matter. A few alarmed exclamations were mixed in with his mutterings.

Jiraiya looked over to him, frowning slightly, "What was all that verbal diarrhea you puttered out just now, kid?"

Naruto rubbed at his eyes, "I said: where are we, Ero-sensei?"

"In the Star Village's palace, of course. This is the medical ward." Jiraiya extinguished his pipe, "You were out for a day and a half, squirt. Not that I blame you; the first time's a bitch, huh?"

The blonde boy nodded, scratching his head, "Next time I'll…brace myself."

His mentor laughed.

There was a brief knock at the door before Sumaru and Natsuhi entered. It was the second time that day they had stopped by to check on Naruto. Naruto waved weakly to them, and Sumaru crossed over, looking far more relaxed than usual, "You're awake, finally. I want to thank you for all of your help…is there any way I can repay you, Naruto?"

"You could lighten up, how about that?" Naruto suggested, "Not everyone from outside your village is untrustworthy."

The Star ninja actually smiled, "I believe that now."

Naruto glanced over to Sumaru's mother, who was positively glowing. She had cleaned up and without dirt and scratches all over her she resembled a princess. The idea was further supported by the fancy robes she was wearing. "Hi, Natsuhi-donno. Er…why are you dressed so weird?"

"That's Hoshikage-sama to you, Naruto." Her smile was radiant, "I was elected shortly after Akahoshi was defeated."

He held up his hand for a high-five of congratulations and Sumaru was a bit peeved when his mother obliged. "That's awesome! You'll definitely set this place on the right track!" Naruto then added, "But what happened to that Star of yours?"

"It's safe in Natsuhi's hands. That's all you need to know, kid." Jiraiya tried to change the subject.

"It's alright, Jiraiya-sama, I want to tell him." Natsuhi trusted Naruto to keep the secret, "It rests now in my husband's grave, and to make sure it is not found again…Sumaru is the Star's guardian." Sumaru was humbled by his mother's confidence in him.

"He has a strange resilience to it." Jiraiya pointed out, "Sumaru can continue the training on his own if he wants to."

Natsuhi looked to him, "I leave that up to you, son."

He was silent for a moment, considering it, and then said, "I will do my best."

"As for the other students who are still sick," Jiraiya continued, "My friend Tsunade would be happy to help them out. Send a message to the Hokage in the Leaf Village so they can get treatment."

"Thank you for your offer." Natsuhi was grateful for the chance to help the suffering genin.

They left Naruto and his sensei after that, and less than an hour later Naruto was dressed and on his feet again. Jiraiya handed him back the three-pronged kunai he had used, "I'll advise you not to lose this. It's the only one you've got for now."

Naruto thanked his teacher and set out into the village, which was already looking far less gloomy than he remembered. Mizura quickly spotted him and invited him to lunch along with Hokuto and Sumaru. He enjoyed telling them stories about Konoha and his friends, mostly revolving around Gaara and Haku, and several sappy anecdotes about Hinata that Hokuto found endearing. 'Maybe Sumaru too.' Naruto thought, but knew the boy would never admit it.

Later in the afternoon Jiraiya dropped by. "I hate to break up the party, kids, but Naruto and I need to split now." He told them, "We're a bit behind schedule as it is."

With Hoshigakure in capable hands, he knew it would be safe to return should they ever need to.

Mizura and Hokuto weren't ready to see him go, but wished Naruto well and gave him several rations of ramen that he could take with him on his journey. He was very pleased with the gift.

Before he left, he had one last word with Sumaru, "Hey! Just remember that when I'm Hokage…and you're Hoshikage," Sumaru grinned, "Our villages are going to be allies."

The Star ninja figured there was no better time than the present to begin a new friendship, "It would be my honor, Naruto."


Ino and Sakura returned home from their mission with Shizune in very high spirits. That was, if it could be called a mission at all; it had been a routine medical examination for the daimyo's family. The pay from the Lord of the Fire Country was, as always, extravagant, especially since his wife and children checked out with a clean bill of health.

They chatted about their respective patients while they walked, and just outside of the Hokage's tower ran into Shikamaru. With a sigh he handed a small scroll to Sakura and said, "From Gaara."

Ino raised her eyebrows somewhat coquettishly. It appeared Sakura's dating life was still alive and kicking, 'Good for Forehead!' She thought cheerily.

Sakura accepted the message with composure before dashing into the building and whooping loudly on her way up the stairs.

'As if we wouldn't see her do that.' Shikamaru observed the side-effects of a relationship to be strikingly similar to recreational substances. He was in no hurry to check in with Tsunade with his mission report if Sakura was going to be bouncing off the walls of the office.

"So Gaara was with you on your mission, was he?" Ino asked keenly, "That must have been rough, Shika."

"Even when he's in another village he's still a grouch." He didn't deny the hardships he had faced, "I actually had to fight back there. I'm sore all over…"

She consoled him with a pat on the back that lingered just a moment too long. "Where's Chouji?" She asked him.

"Training with his dad, why?"

Ino flashed two slips of paper in front of the Nara's eyes, "The daimyo's wife was really impressed by how I cured her rheumatism. She gave me two passes to an exclusive hot springs as thanks." She explained, "I thought Chouji might want to go since Sakura already turned me down."

Shikamaru felt a twitch in his eye. It wasn't like her to instantly pick Chouji for a high-class outing, ergo he quickly got the hint that it was a subtle, unexplainable jealousy tactic. It hardly made sense to him; they had all been lifelong friends who didn't disagree or bicker…often.

Ino took her friend's expression as a sign of disapproval, "Um…maybe you'd like to unwind from your desert excursion?" She suggested, "What do you say, Shikamaru?"

"I could just as easily unwind napping on a park bench." He informed her, not wanting to be too easy.

"But that's such a predictable routine for you. Why don't you laze about in an uncommon way for once?" With that she added, "I'm going to drop off my stuff at home so you have twenty minutes to decide."

He'd already made his decision; he just didn't like being played like a harp.

"The place is just outside Tanzaku Quarter, so if you're willing to pass up a relaxing afternoon at a serene resort with tranquil, warm waters and great snacks that's really up to you, Shika-"

"I'll go," Shikamaru replied, defeated, "I'll pick you up in twenty minutes."

Like a harp.

On that note, Ino continued on, turning the corner towards home, deciding not to revel in her triumph. She had known all along that he wanted to go; she just wasn't going to communicate that fact with him, 'Men just can't agree to something willingly if it wasn't their idea in the first place…'


Next: Chapter 10- A Land of Endless Snow