Author's note: First I'm going to say I love you guys. Seriously, you keep me going. Anyways, I also want to say that this chap was extremely hard to write. Like, seriously. It also brings up some more question than you'd like but... it's the true start of the Uzumaki arc.
Chapter Ten: A Strange Turn of Events.
A sudden thump to his head forced Naruto's eyes open. His shoulders hurt, his back hurt, his butt was in agony (sleeping on wood was definitely not one of his best ideas), and the floundering of the ship induced a wave of nausea.
"The hell..." he cursed, rubbing his head as he stood up against the wood of the crow's nest. His eyes darted around him as he struggled to maintain his balance.
A storm, roaring with thunder and tsunami like waves, was beating upon the ship, causing it to toss back and forth with heaps of unrestrained water. He could practically feel the ship breaking apart, groaning under the pressure of the waves. Before he could even collect his bearings, the wood jerked underneath his feet, throwing off his balance.
"Crap." He channeled chakra to his feet, gluing his sandals to the wood so he could collect himself. A giant flash of light blinded him as the storm roared, the sound entering the barrier as a loud boom rang his ears. Wincing, he grit his teeth as he collected his thoughts.
This was bad. Very, very bad.
At this rate the ship would be destroyed; he needed to help out his teammates!
He thrust his palm down on the floor, canceling the protection seal as harsh, blinding rain striked him from above. He wasted no time and jumped off the crow's nest, but before he finished his descent, a wave of air erupted from his feet, softening his landing.
He crouched looking around, the mass amounts of rain almost blinding him. However, he saw a single dark figure in the rain.
Sasuke was climbing up the ladder of the crow's nest, his teeth grit in pain as he slowly ascended up to the top. Despite Naruto's shock, something registered for blonde.
The Uchiha was worried about him. For some unforeseen reason the boy was risking his own life to see if the blonde was okay. That... shocked him.
"Sasuke!" he yelled, trying to get the boy's attention. His voice was lost in the loud pounding of the rain. "...damn." he channeled chakra to his feet, jumping and kicking off an air platform and landing right next to the Uchiha, sticking to the pole.
"Let's go!" Naruto spat.
"Huh!" Sasuke was shocked at the blonde's sudden appearance. "I thought yo-"
"No time! We need to go!" Naruto grabbed onto Sasuke, but froze at a very uncharacteristic look of horror dawned on the Uchiha's face.
"What!?"
Sasuke simply pointed behind Naruto. The blonde shifted his head, his blood running cold.
Despite the blinding downpour, he saw it; a sixty foot wave was barreling forth, threatening to swallow them up in a bittersweet, watery death.
"Fuck." The water smashed into him, knocking his breath out as he was swept away in his depths.
At that point he didn't remember much, only the fact that he couldn't breathe, and he somehow held unto Sasuke before darkness consumed him.
The first thing that Yugito noticed was that she was floating in a vast void of white.
Her dreams were sooo weird. However, she noticed that this one was much clearer. More so, she was completely aware of her situation and what she was doing.
Again... weird, but her dreams loved to screw with her.
She looked around, trying to make heads or tales of what this could mean, but then her vicinity morphed. The endless void melted away, giving way to a landscape of vast vegetation that filled her senses with the sounds of birds and the smells of lumber. She looked around, surrounded by tall trees and blinding light.
However, she was alone, safe for the chattering of the squirrels, and the songs of the birds, there was no sign of life. But before she could further investigate her surroundings, she felt it; a strong tug, almost magnetic in nature, encompassed her. Her astral form started moving, picking up velocity as the landscape melted into a blur. The endless stream images and smells attacked her senses before she jerked, her movement counteracted by a heavenly blast.
She floated above the charred remains of a village, the stench of burnt wood and flesh in the air.
"...Our family. They slaughtered them like pigs." Her eyes were drawn to the form of a man midst the wreckage. He was crouched over the black remains of a building, clenching his fists while his blood-red hair shadowed his face.
"Ryoma..." Yugito noticed the form of a small, frail woman standing behind the man. "J-just calm dow-"
"Shut up!" He spat, smashing his fist in the ground. "I'm going to kill them. I'm going to spill out their guts and smear them over the street."
"H-honey!" She placed a hand on his shoulder but he gently pushed her away.
"... I'm going to use it..." His voice softened, but still held the steel of conviction.
"No, you're father-"
"Was too afraid of its power." He finished. "Those bandits... they killed him. They need to pay. They need to feel my pain."
The woman quivered, her breath increasing in pace. "It's not safe."
"Anything meaningful in life is never safe."
"Ryoma." The woman stepped towards him again. This time the man took her hands in his own and stared into her brown eyes with his emerald ones.
"I'm never going to sleep easy again, Setsuna. I need to do this."
"I don't approve." She finished firmly.
His eyes were filled with a tenderness. "Will you leave me?"
The small woman looked away for a second, her features drooping as she looked at the ground. "...No."
The dream evaporated into gray mist as Yugito's eyes snapped open.
Naruto gagged, wheezing as his eyes crept open to a blue, cloudless sky. He was laying on his back, his clothes drenched in salt water, while the tide washed over his feet. He wiggled his fingers, running them through shifting mineral particles.
"Where am I?"
Groaning, he twisted his head side to side, bits of the granular substance sticking to his drenched skin. He saw a vast sheet of sand spanning further than his eyes could see.
He was alone on a beach. A hot, rocky beach. Great, just great.
"Goddamit..." The blonde sat up, despite the harsh ache that protested every movement. "Just where am I?" His thoughts were answered by his warm, fuzzy friend. It
"You're on a beach..."
The blonde's eye twitched "... I knew that." He looked forward at the endless expanse of the ocean.
Shaking its head, the great being asked, "Well only stupid people ask obvious questions."
Disregarding the snide remark, Naruto grumbled in irritation. "Being stranded on a beach just seems like a horrible, cliche plot of a B-movie."
"Well, sad to say, this isn't a movie."
"Yeah, they're much more entertaining." He suddenly paused. "Wait, where's Sasuke?"
As if on cue, the sound of a foot hitting sand reached the blonde's ears.
"Nice to see you're awake."
Naruto looked behind him, noticing the disheveled form of Sasuke carrying a mass of logs and rocks. "I can tell you right now, it doesn't feel nice." He stood up, gritting his teeth against his body's protests, and brushed the flakes of sand off his clothes. "Feels like the water had its way with me."
The Uchiha set the bits of nature down, smirking. "Nice to know you stopped brooding."
Naruto froze and stared at the raven-haired boy, his mouth agape. Sasuke, of all people, had called him out for his angst.
Said boy frowned. "You okay?"
The blonde shook his head. "Y-yeah..." He cracked his neck. "Just... adjusting to our situation." It was half-true. His body ached and his chakra was racing.
"Oh..." Sasuke nodded, crouching down and setting up campfire. "Well, yeah. We're stuck on an island."
"Wait..." Naruto's eyes widened. "Island?"
"Yes." Sasuke nodded. "I've only been awake a couple of hours though, so I haven't had the chance to venture further. But yes, we're on an island."
"Yes!" Naruto grinned. "We're here!"
"Huh?" He blinked.
"This is Uzushiogakure!"
Sasuke paused. "How are you so sure?"
"How many islands were near our ship?" Naruto directed a smug smirk at the Uchiha.
Sasuke looked at the blonde with a blank expression. "Shut up." He flashed through a set of handseals before expelling a subdued flamed that ignited the logs.
Naruto chuckled before his expression softened. Stuffing his hands into his pocket he looked to the side and said, "thanks for trying to save me by the way."
Sasuke snorted. "You should be. We're stuck on an island now." He directed a peeved glance at the blonde. "I want to wring your neck right now but we need to stick together if we're going to survive."
Again, Naruto was surprised. The Uchiha was much more thoughtful than he originally believed. "Okay, okay. Sorry. Happy now?"
"Not even close."
"Meh, you'll get over it." Naruto let out a smirk at Sasuke's grunt of annoyance. "Anyways, what I want to know is why, you of all people, went out into a storm to check on me? Kakashi probably told you I'd be fine."
"He did..." Sasuke trailed off, just staring at the flames as he sat on the sand.
"Sorry." Naruto chuckled. "Your ego stopped me from hearing what you said."
If looks could kill, Sasuke's glare would have made Naruto a pile of mush on the beach, but after a few moments of futile glaring the Uchiha gave a sigh. "That place you were in..." Sasuke rested his chin on his palm. "Where you feel alone, lost, unsure of what to do. It doesn't cause you to think straight." he frowned. "It makes you angry... angry that everyone has sudden expectations now that you're the last of a clan."
Naruto's casual demeanor had shifted into one of quiet contemplation. "Wow..." he whispered, shocked yet again.
Sasuke smirked. "Plus, I didn't want you to die before you gave me those gravity seals of yours."
Naruto frowned. "I almost thought you cared."
"Che, I barely even know you." The Uchiha snorted.
The blonde laughed. "Touche."
"Anyways," the Uchiha licked his salty, dried lips, "do you have any food sealed up?"
"Wait." The blonde interrupted. "What about the ship?"
"The ship's fine." Sasuke sighed. "While you were brooding..." Naruto would never get used to Sasuke saying that. "The captain actually told us that intense, massive storms were a trademark of the Uzumaki village, and even said, and I quote..." the Uchiha coughed, clearing his throat before his voice adopted a harsh, grating tone. "'Arrrrgh!" Naruto had to stuff his fist in his mouth. "Me vessel be the finest ship that sailed the seas. She may groan and moan when the storm comes, but she'll hold up.'" He finished looking up at the orange-clad boy.
The blonde was full-blown guffawing, holding his sides in pain. "H-how..." he continued laughing for a few minutes before it finally died down. "The hell did you say that with a straight face?" He wiped away a stray tear.
"That was funny?" Sasuke quirked an eyebrow.
Naruto resumed laughing again.
(At the Hokage's office)
Hiruzen sat within the confines of this office, rays of lights streaming in as he smoked on his pipe. Giving a sigh, the aged man blew plumes of smoke from his nose, the wisps calming his senses.
"Ahh, smoking. It calms my aged soul." He blew out a ring of smoke as he resumed his paper work. But then a sound, quieter than a mouse caused the Kage to look up at the familiar form of his bandaged-face colleague.
"It's been some time, Danzo." Hiruzen said, setting down his pipe.
"Indeed, but I see that your smoking habit hasn't aged one bit." The cripple spoke, his voice withered yet poised.
"Neither have the wounds on your arm and eye." The Kage's eyes were emotionless and dreary.
Danzo disregarded the statement. "I can see that you summoning me isn't to reminiscence about our youth."
"Hardly."
"Then I don't know wh-"
"Do I have the word stupid etched on my forehead?"
Danzo was silent, although his complexion was calm and placid.
"From the very beginning, I gave you direct orders to never be apart of the boy's life." Sarutobi's voice was firm.
The bandaged-man stared at his colleague, clearing his throat. "His potential is like a dam," the old man whispered. "The largest dam that my aged-eyes have ever witnessed." His voice grew insistent. "It exceeds ours by the barrels..." He looked to the pictures of the village's past leaders on the wall. "Even the Fourth's." his voice grew soft. "It could be the greatest asset the village has ever seen."
Sarutobi shook his head. "But if that dam breaks, it could mean the end."
"Hiruzen..." Danzo insisted.
"Minato gave me specific instructions when it came to him." The edge in the Third's voice sharpened. "And he specifically said for you to stay away from him."
"But without the fox... it's like cutting off the boy at the knees. He needs guidance."
Sarutobi shook his head. "He'll learn as he matures. No more discussion." He cut off Danzo from speaking again. "I just wanted to be kind and courteous, and give you another chance. But rest assured, any more contact and there will be serious consequences."
"..." Danzo just nodded and vanished in a swirl of wind.
Ninja's Log: Entry One
First off, I have no freaking clue why I'm writing this...
"Naruto... what are you writing in that journal?" Sasuke asked as he looked at Naruto from across the fire, scribbling away like a mad man.
The blonde looked up. "Don't worry about it. Just documenting what's going on."
Sasuke blinked, before nodding. "Whatever."
... but Kurama apparently says I need to vent so I stop being "emo." What the heck does "emo" mean anyways?
"Means you're being a pussy..."
But I'm getting off topic here. So let's begin. I am stranded on an island. Yes, stranded. No joke. However, there's something different about this island. I sent a clone to investigate the forest and well... since I'm also going to use this to flesh out my communication skills, here goes:
It's beautiful... to put it simply. The forest seems to hum with a mysterious, almost arcane presence. The ground is covered in a soft moss, and littered with leaves of all colors-red, purple, and green-both on the ground and in the surrounding trees. Now on to the trees. These trees were large and wide, but also rather short and stumpy. The blue sky was visible between the wide, leaf-covered treetops. I also saw many plants that I have never seen before in my life, and had a rather tempting urge to go up and pick one, but thought better... I've seen many movies where bad things happen with plants... very, very bad things.
But anyways, I can safely say, this place is freaking weird. It's like a different planet. A spiritual, arcane planet... of awesomeness! Sweet Buddha, seriously! This place is sooooo cool! It's so awesome my chakra is literally bursting in excitement! Actually, now that I think about it, my chakra actually... hurts. That might be a problem. However, I am getting off topic again, so let's get onto the bad. Or, "venting".
I am next to an individual who is very slow witted because despite months of being around me, he still does not understand my ways.
"I still can't believe you had a frying pan sealed in your arm..." Sasuke quipped as eggs sizzled in said utility over the fire.
He does not understand the sensitivities, complexities, and (... no other word rhymes)ities of seals.
"What do you have next? An entire oasis of fresh water?" Sasuke licked his dry lips. He was so dehydrated his tongue had dried up. It was a strange feeling actually. It was raw, exposed, and almost leathery.
I would do anything just to hear him stop complaining.
"Actually, I really could use something to drink. Do you have anything?"
*Poof*
A cloud of smoke appeared, unleashing a can of lemonade that bounced off Sasuke's head.
"Ow..."
Sweat poured down Yugito's brow as the humid air and hot sun baked her skin. She leaned on a tree as Setsuna was sleeping in her tent. They just had arrived at Uzushiogakure last night and had decided to rest before exploring the village, making camp near a ravine.
Licking her lips, the Jinchuuriki tapped her chin in thought. She had never been to this island before, but there was something mystical. She didn't know why, but the energy in the air seemed to calm her. It was, dare she say, spiritual in nature, which is probably why that dream was so much clearer. Speaking of said dream; it was interesting. She certainly needed to bring it up to her client, albeit in a subtle way. She didn't want to be thought of as crazy afterall... like the time when she had a dream about a giant, man-eating pasta and her dad took her to a noodle shop. She'd rather not bring it up.
Suddenly a demonic, bored voice drawled on. "Well, thank god you didn't have a dream about that baby, Ms. Pedo..." Yugito rolled her eyes at the Biju's comment. She wasn't even going to respond to that. "What's going to happen next? You going to dream that he carries you away in a wedding dress."
Yugito almost gagged. "Okay... first off: ewwww. Second off, it was just one dream. Third off: He flattened me like a pancake. How the hell is that attractive?"
She heard the creature yawn. "That's even more lame. Getting beat up by a kid."
"Gahh, you're incorrigible." The blonde shook her head before her eyes widened. "Wait, what did you mean by 'father' earlier?"
"Father was pissed." She heard a whimper. "Very, very pissed."
"I knew that..."
"If you "knew," you wouldn't have asked. Silly girl." The flame creature giggled.
Yugito let out an audible groan. "Stop dancing around the question! Who is 'father'?"
"A tree has many roots, all leading to the same trunk. Each a different path but the same destination. However, every single path comes along with its trials... and knowing Father, there are going to be a lot of trials."
"Philosophical, dumbass cat! So you won't tell me who father is?"
Silence.
"I guess not..."
She hated having the cat in her sometimes. Seriously, she was probably the only one with a pseudo-psychic, insane, all-mighty being of power stuck inside of her.
(With Naruto and his friends.)
"Sooooo..." Kurama drawled. "What you doing, buddy?"
"I'm walking..." Naruto muttered in annoyance. Indeed, he and his raven-haired teammate were walking through the vast foliage of the forest.
"Che, smartass. I mean, what are you thinking about?"
"Well, it's just weird, I guess. The air of the island itself is causing my chakra to..." The blonde looked at his hand; wisps of wind were circling his finger. "...react."
"Huh, looks like that ability the archaeologist talked about."
"No, he said that we channel the power of the earth like a beacon. This seems different... like my own chakra is raging." He could feel the rush of the air brush against his skin in greater and greater heaves.
"What are you saying?"
"My body, it feels like its going to burst."
The wisps of wind started to accelerate at higher rates, becoming gusts as his clothes began to flap. The leaves began to swirl around him, churning around him like a tornado.
Sasuke had stopped his walk to stare at the orange-clad boy. "Naruto? What's going on?"
The blonde's frame was shaking, pain racking his body as he fell on his knees. He shut his eyes as chakra winds roared around him in torrents, blasting back everything in a storm of panic.
Trees groaned, dust flew, and Sasuke landed on his butt as he watched in wonder. "The hell?" the Uchiha whispered in trepidation.
The blonde's finger dug into the earth as he tried to gain his bearings, waves of hot, piercing pain stabbing at him like knives. All he could hear was the intense pace of the winds beating against his eardrums.
He was unaware that when his eyes opened they were red. All he saw was the massive waves of dust surrounding him.
He didn't even notice that his chakra was a visible burning red, searing the ground in an intense heat. All he felt was the raging gales crescendo around him.
Yugito's eyes widened as she felt chakra, unrestrained and massive, blaze to the west.
"The hell?" The Jonin could've sworn she heard the cat inside her whimper.
Kurama sat up in his cage, his eyes narrowing as he saw the entire dull, black room glow with a rich, primal blaze of crimson chakra.
"This chakra..." It was strong, vast, and full of life like his own. It raised an insurmountable number of questions. However, the fox didn't have time to ponder because the mindscape began to rumble as miniscule but growing tremors began to boom beneath its feet.
"What have you done this time, brat?"
The blonde's breath quickened as his heart rose. He couldn't move, his entire body felt like it was in a blender as the winds tore at him, leaving nothing unscathed from their rage.
"Naruto," the massive being boomed in his head. "I need you to listen quick. I don't know what's going on, but you need get rid of this chakra."
The Genin didn't reply, his entire body screaming in agony as the massive, red chakra oozed out of his skin.
"Dammit you idiot! You're going to explode! Expel it!"
Even throughout the pain, the boy could move his mouth. "Expel it..." He strained. "No..." The blonde looked up, sucking in a deep breath as he reigned his mind in, focusing his chakra in his lungs.
His red eyes burned with an ethereal power. "I'll unleash it."
He opened his maw and yelled.
Sasuke had a long time ago gotten a safe distance away behind a tree, so the massive hurricane didn't harm him as he heard a roar, scream, yell all roared to one. It was a sound that pierced his ears with several different frequencies.
He couldn't put it into words as it reverberated his head, but it was like a man, woman, and a tiger were all screaming at the same time. It created a shockwave that rocked everything in the vicinity, blasting debris, rocks, trees and all other bits of earth away in boom of chaos.
It kept on going, causing his entire body to vibrate for what seemed like hours, when it was only seconds. But then it stopped, the torrents of wind and blazing chakra vanishing along with the noise.
Gulping, the young Uchiha peered from behind the tree.
He saw his teammate, chest heaving up and down, body bloodied and bruised as he stood on his knees. But that wasn't what drew Sasuke's attention, nor was it the ten-foot crater and the decimation of charred foliage that surrounded his comrade.
What drew his attention was the red, celestial aura that enshrouded the pariah's body. It was humanoid in shape, hugging the blonde's form like a thick, second skin. But for he could fully observe it, the blonde looked up at him, blazing red eyes staring back with a strained, beaten smirk.
"You scared?"
He collapsed, the shroud of crimson chakra evaporating.
Sasuke didn't even speak as he just stared dumbly at the sprawled out form of his teammate.
He blinked, rubbing his eyes as he licked his lips one more time. Turning his head he surveyed the destruction around him. Then he pinched himself, a tinge of pain causing him to wince. He wasn't dreaming.
"The hell just happened?" the Uchiha yelled.
*Crack*
The tree behind him fell, missing him by a few feet.
To be continued...
So... I'm taking it the last scene really threw you for a loop. Don't worry it will be revealed what that was. It's something special and very specific to this story. That being said, was it epic? I tried to make it so. Anyways, this chap was shorter than I'd like so i decided to give you another Omake. Hopefully you enjoy it.
Omake: A Battle for the Ages.
(Two years ago)
Naruto sat in his mindscape, opposite of the fox, who sat criss-cross from the blonde, holding its chin in its palm as it drummed its fingers on the floor.
"Why are you here, brat?"
"I'm getting tired of the constant attempts to get me out of my room."
"So? Get your ass up and interact with people your own age. It'll be good for you."
"I have a better idea. How about we make a deal?"
"Pfft, like you have anything that I want."
"You'll be able to get me out of my room."
"Come again?"
"We're going to fight. If you win, I get out of my room. If I win, you leave me alone for six months."
"Interesting, so what type of fight?"
"A Yo-mama fight."
"..." It blinked. "The fucks a Yo-mama fight? Do I hit you repeatedly with your mother?"
"Umm, no."
"Then what the hell is it?" It yelled.
"We basically make jokes about eachothers mothers. Saw it on TV." Naruto quipped, his face blank.
"You think that I have a mother? I'm an embodiment of chakra!" It gestured towards itself.
"It would be a figurative mother."
"Oh, I can work with that." It mused. 'So a battle of insults, huh?" It grinned.
"Wait, wait, calm down." Naruto waved his hand.
"What?"
"You think I'm going to really engage an embodiment of hatred in an exchange of insults?" Naruto shot him an inquisitive look. "Screw that! No, its compliments."
The fox blinked and scratched its head. "We're going to try to see who can compliment the other mom better?"
"Yep," he nodded.
"Seriously!?"
"You think you'll lose?" Naruto had a playful smirk.
"Oh screw you." It narrowed its eyes. "Fine then, you start."
Naruto jumped up, pumping his fists up in triumph, before pointing at the beast. "Yo mama so cuddly, that puppies think she's adorable!"
The fox stared at the blonde for a few seconds, giving a look that said 'seriously'?
Naruto in turn gestured for the fox to respond.
"Uhhh... Yo mama so nice, she makes Buddha feel horrible!" Naruto was a little shocked. That was actually good. It caused him to fail a bit in his next comment.
"Yo mama so nice, I have to say it twice! She's... nice..." He finished lamely.
The fox grinned. "Yo mama so pleasant, instead of sweating she creates a continuous gentle breeze!"
"Yo mama so awesome, she gave a man a stroke by just staring at her!"
"Yo mama so indescribably awesome that... I have a hard time describing her!"
"Yo mama so nice, she would let me knit sweaters for homeless kittens made out of her own hair!"
"Yo mama so clean, that she makes the soap feel dirty when she takes a shower!"
"Yo mama so energetic, she equals mass times the speed of light to the second power!"
"Yo mama so unpredictable that psychics refuse to give her a reading!"
The brutal battle of compliments raged on for days on end, months even (it was thirty seconds). Both foes using their unmatched wit to outdo one another, their words of generosity and kindness bringing joys to mothers everywhere. It was truly a battle for the ages that had no clear winner until Naruto said:
"Yo mama so convincing that she convinced a guy to kill himself because he killed himself!"
Silence.
"Wait, what?" The fox scratched his head.
"Hah! I win!" Naruto grinned
It blinked before palming its face. "Wait, seriously?"
"Yes." He gave a v-sign.
"I hate you."
Anyways, yeah. There we go! I hope you all enjoyed that! A little less meaty than I would have liked but it wasn't particularly slow-paced so it should have been exciting enough.
Please Review! Seriously! I love hearing what you have to say, whether good or bad!
Storm out.