Seeing the Darkness
Well, here I am again. Posting another chapter to this story. All that's here to say is that this arc will introduce a very important character to the rest of this story. You'll see what I mean soon enough.
Chapter IX: Under the House
Quote of the Day: "The act of dying is one of the acts of life." -Marcus Aurelius
[Konohagakure Mission Board, Two Months Later]
"This one looks like it should be simple enough." Hayate coughed out as he took a mission from the C-rank board.
"That... actually looks easy." Naruto said with surprise as his Byakugan allowed him to see what was written on it. The other two looked at him and Hayate shrugged, allowing him to explain. "The mission objective is simply to deliver a package from one of the merchants here to the village leader of Kusagakure. It pays 2800 ryo, so 700 for each of us."
"You're right..." Yakumo muttered. "It doesn't sound like any fighting will be involved." She paused in thought. "It's only a C-rank because it requires travel outside the village, isn't it?" Hayate nodded once.
"That is true. That is one of the ways a mission goes from D-rank to C-rank. The other main reason a mission may be C-rank is if bandit encounters are probable or if there is a chance that the team may encounter a ninja of mid C-rank or below in a battle."
"So... we've got an easy mission?" Daihi asked. Hayate didn't nod or shake his head, rather, he looked at the mission's paper.
"Do not ever assume such a thing exists." He said. "A mission's parameters are always subject to change. A mission is never over until we report to the Hokage it's success, otherwise the rank of a mission can always go up, the risk to our lives is very real even on such a easy mission as a simple courier one. Remember... never let your guard down and never underestimate the value of overpreparation."
The genin squad listened to Hayate's speech, ignoring the coughs as they had gotten used to them, and nodded. "Hai, Hayate-sensei." They answered.
"Alright... we will leave in two hours. Gather all the supplies necessary for this mission and meet at the East Gate." Hayate disappeared in a swirl of leaves, leaving Naruto, Daihi and Yakumo in the room.
"I guess we'll see each other in two hours." Daihi said and was suddenly consumed in black fire, before he disappeared in a swirling vortex of fire. Naruto and Yakumo looked at each other.
"Does he seem a little... off, to you?" Naruto asked Yakumo who thought a moment and shrugged.
"He's probably just excited to leave the village again." The Kurama heir said and Naruto thought about it.
"You're probably right." He said as he saw Yakumo's Yin chakra expand over her body and shadows envelop her body.
"See you at the gate." She said as she disappeared into nothingness as shadows swallowed her form and he nodded before focusing his chakra and reverse-summoning himself to his room through a seal he kept there.
His room wasn't packed with too much in the way of furniture. He had a simple bed with white sheets and blue covers, a single dresser, a closet and two shelves filled with scrolls he had either written himself, bought from a traveling merchant , been given or checked out from the Hyuga library. The walls were a pale white that normal Hyuga had for their Byakugan.
The most unique factor of his room, though, were three things. The first was that seals were written on the floor, walls and ceiling of his room. The second was that items were littered over his room that could quickly be transported to his location through the two-way space-time seals he had. The final was that on one wall was a desk covered in scrolls, paper tags, ink jars and brushes – his fuinjutsu workshop.
Glancing at the room, he tapped his chin. "Well... what to do, what to do?" He asked himself as he wanted to figure out how to best prepare for this mission. He heard a knock at the door then... "Come in, jiji." He said, already knowing who it was.
The old man came in, using a cane to walk. It was something he had taken to using six weeks ago and was the most obvious sign of his age. "You're back earlier than I thought. No D-ranks today?" Naruto shook his head.
"Nope. Sensei is letting us take another C-rank today. It's just a courier mission to Kusagakure no Sato and the threat of bandits or opposing ninja is pretty small." Hido nodded and took a step inside, glancing around the room.
"I suppose you have some time to gather supplies?" Hido asked and Naruto held up two fingers. "Two hours? Hm... have a Shadow Clone pack your supplies, I have something I want you to see before you go."
This piqued Naruto's curiosity and he nodded, forming a cross-like handseal with the first two fingers of both hands and two clones popped into existence who already knew what to do. Hido left and Naruto followed right behind him.
Silence reigned in their house as the two walked up a set of stairs and traveled down the hallway of the second floor until they came to a bookcase on the left side of the hall. "Um... jiji?" Naruto asked.
"Patience, my boy." Hido lightly scolded as he held up his left hand in a ram seal and it glowed a deep brown, signifying that he was molding Earth chakra in a specific way. He pressed the tips of his two finger – still in the one-handed seal – against the top shelf and slid his hand down the bookcase. When he lifted his hand, Naruto was surprised by the result.
The bookcase shimmered and then simply phased from existence. No... it disappeared into a storage seal, Naruto realized. In its place was a set of stone stairs leading downwards in a spiral formation. "What... is this?" Naruto asked.
"You'll see." Hido said and led the way down. Naruto noted that the walls were lined with illumination seals – a type of fuinjutsu which lit up an area indefinitely by converting the chakra in an area into light energy – and used the light to follow the form of his grandfather.
When they reached the bottom of the stairs, the Uzumaki whistled as he saw the size of the chamber. "Welcome, Naruto, to the ancient Underground Complex of the Uzumaki."
"Is this... under Konoha?" Hido shook his head.
"I have no idea where it is. All I know is that there is an entrance to it here through this house. I was given the instructions on how to create the entrance by... Miko-koi. She gave me a sealing array which I placed in my branch's house which leads to this place. There are other entrances, but all of them are currently closed off and so I can't get to them from here."
"Wow..." Naruto breathed in surprise. "The arrays needed for that are rather impressive. And so is this..." Naruto said as he looked around the newest scenery.
The Complex – this room at least – was a large stone chamber lit by more illumination seals and it looked to be some sort of training ground if the elemental absorption seals on the walls and the various wooden targets and dummies set up. Not to mention the wide arsenal of weaponry that was hanging on one of the walls and an entire library's worth of scrolls that were set up on two of the walls and looked to be protected by a multi-layered barrier if his Byakugan was seeing clearly. The final wall had a single, large door which led to a hallway holding multiple doors.
"It is. The entire Complex is large system which I haven't even fully explored. I also know where a few of the other exits are, but they are locked from the other side and I just don't have any time to go looking for them around the Elemental Nations... that's not something a ninja can do." He said sadly. "But, I have had a chance to figure out the rough locations of a few of the entrances based on how space-time is distorted down here and the history of the Uzumaki clan as written in some of the scrolls here."
Naruto's eyes widened. "There are scrolls here about the Uzumaki's history?" Hido nodded once.
"There are, my boy. For decades I have kept this place a secret to everyone of Konohagakure. I can't do that much longer though... so I need to let you finally have it. I have acted as guardian for far too long, but you are now old enough to bear this burden. I showed you this place now because... I may not be here when you return."
Naruto's eyes widened. "No! D-don't say that, jiji!" Naruto exclaimed, his voice echoing in the open area. He saw the old man smile sadly.
"It is true, my boy. I have only a short time... I've done my best to try and hide it, but I am sick, Naruto. I am slowly dying from a disease that has plagued my branch for generations... I believe Tsunade was the one who named our problem... Neurofibrosis. She explained it as tumors filling our central nervous system, slowly killing us painfully. Mine has already spread through parts of my legs and lungs... and my only saving grace is that it somehow has left my chakra untainted. It is only a matter of time befo-" suddenly Hido fell into a raspy, coughing fit and when he removed his hand from his mouth, blood coated his palm.
"Jiji... why didn't you tell me before?" Naruto asked quietly. "Maybe I could've..."
"Studied medical seals more and neglected the rest of your training?" Hido asked with a smile. "I don't think so. How could I be responsible for you doing something like that? What..." Hido paused momentarily and winced in pain. "What sort of grandfather would I be then?"
"J-jiji..." Hido smiled and reached into his robe, handing Naruto a scroll.
"There is one last thing. This scroll here was a gift from... from your baa-chan. I was to give it to you on my deathbed... but I don't know if you'll be here when that happens. So, the only thing I have to say is... I love you, Naruto, my boy. Once I'm gone, this branch will be under your control... and I know you'll make me proud."
Naruto's eyes brimmed with tears, turning completely crimson, not pale crimson as usual, but a bright, bright red which shone in the pale light of the Complex. "I..." He saw into Hido's body, saw the very life force of the man weak, and knew... he knew in his heart's heart that there wasn't anything he could do... except one thing. "I will make you proud, jiji." Naruto said and hugged the man, trying his best not to hurt the one person who had been there for him all the time.
"There is also something I must tell you, Naruto..." Hido whispered to the boy. "Something... regarding Konoha and the Uzumaki Clan which I have come to find out. As I have little time left... I feel you should know this."
"Know what?" Naruto asked, looking at Hido intently.
"The truth behind the Uzumaki Clan's massacre..."
And... I'm ending it right there!
Because I'm evil.
While I am sorry that this chapter is short, I did that on purpose. Next chapter will be much longer and much less dark than this one. It will also hold the first appearance of a certain character who will be around the rest of the fic.
Hm... that's all, so...
Orpheus out! Ja ne!