oOo
(Yamanaka's Residence)
"Ino! Ino are you still in? Ino!" Inoichi Yamanaka, Ino's father, ran into his house, nearly knocking down the door as he ran in to check and make sure that his daughter hadn't left for work yet.
He didn't hear anything when he first entered, but the further he moved toward the back the more he heard the gentle buzz of static coming from the radio in the dining room. He moved quickly, worried that his daughter had gone out even with all of the rioting that started to take place within the last few hours.
With the police gone, everyone thought that the triads would be the ones running up shops all around the city, but regular civilians were the culprits. Apparently every single bending triad was being used to protect the city, including the homes of foreign dignitaries, hospitals, the docks and main roads. It was uncertain what exactly made these lifetime thugs and lowlifes pass up opportunities that a crippled police force allowed. Instead, they were actually going out of their way to eliminate most of the looting problem throughout the city.
And the source of it was apparently that "Naruto Uzumaki" who was the new owner of the Pro Bending Stadium, the same one where Inoichi's young daughter, Ino, worked part-time as a reporter and interviewer who spoke with most of the competitors to hype up the sport by getting the scoop on the audience's favorite teams.
When Inoichi stepped into the dining room, he saw his young daughter sitting there, staring at the radio as she sat backwards with her hands and lips pressing against the back of the chair, her legs straddling the back with her toes barely touching the floor. She was a little shaken up from everything that happened, but at least she was OK. Inoichi cleared his throat and his daughter turned her head to gaze up at him.
She had been crying, he realized, and his heart always hurt whenever he saw his pumpkin cry.
"Ino, honeysprout, why are you crying? Come here, pumpkin."
Ino's blank stare turned into a tearful frown as she stood up from the chair and reached out to wrap her arms around her father, who embraced her with open arms.
"Daddy… I thought I was in love with Mr. Naruto… but now he's done these terrible things… they said he killed the Chief of Police."
"I heard, I heard. I remember you told me that you had a crush on him, but you're right. You can't waste your love on a murderer. Those people aren't the same as us, darling. Normal people don't go around killing one another."
He felt her body shudder as she stifled a sob, so he gently pat her back, whispering to her, "Go ahead, just let it out, pumpkin… Listen… they said that he hasn't released Mr. Saikhan's body to the public yet, and with Ms. Beifong still on the run, there's nothing the police can do until the military arrives… Darling, I want you to stay inside, do you understand me? Do not leave this house."
Ino nodded into his chest, crying harder.
"What's the matter, hon? You can't help that he's an evil man… that he's done the things he's done…"
"Daddy, is it really wrong for me to love someone like him…? Or to love someone who has done something bad in their lives? Can't they change?"
Inoichi sighed. "I don't really know, sweetie. I think that people can change, but… I just think that sometimes people like him just have to take responsibility for their actions, and sometimes that means letting go of the good-hearted people who love them."
Ino shook her head. "Letting go? Just like that…? What if the person still loves them, despite it all? What if love is stronger than that? If you let someone go like they're just… like a change of clothes… no, if you do that then you'll definitely hurt them… even I can see that!"
Inoichi looked up at the ceiling, unsure of where the answer would be. He held his daughter firmly and said, "You're absolutely right… that person will probably be hurt… quite a lot."
Ino gripped her father's jacket tightly and started to cry even harder. Inoichi held his daughter gently and listened as Menma's speech, who he believed to be Naruto, ended and the radio station began trying to explain the situation the best they could.
He looked at the time and sighed. He still had a few more hours.
oOo
(Tama's House, Deidara's Fireworks)
"Be VERY careful with these, got it? They're extremely dangerous," warned a shaky-looking Deidara. He seemed to be slightly nervous or anxious to hand over a particular briefcase. He extended his arms out and handed Naruto a large briefcase where all of Sasori's scorpion explosives were stored. It might have looked like Deidara was scared due to all of the shaking he was doing, but there was an eerie smile on his face that said otherwise.
"How dangerous, exactly?" asked Kisame as Naruto handed him the briefcase. The man held the lightweight case in his tattooed hands and tilted his head in confusion. It couldn't be that bad...
"What you're holding there in your hands," said Deidara with pause for emphasis, "is twenty-four hand-made scorpion dolls that Sasori made himself. Each of them is easily capable of leveling my shop. Best part, hn, is that they were designed to be small enough to be hidden in the palm of your hand."
Kisame swallowed, suddenly realizing how dangerous the object in his hands was. The whole shop, he wondered? He was morbidly curious how something that was so small could cause so much destruction.
He felt Naruto tug on his nice suit and glowered at the short, blond man. "Whaddaya want?" he asked, slightly annoyed because he was starting to freak out a little bit because of how much explosives he had in his hands. What if the damn devices were defective? They could go off at any second for all he knew. For absolutely no reason, even. How was he sure that the midget's friend was any good with explosives anyways? Tough guy or not, Kisame was not dumb enough to think he'd survive if even only one of these went off while he was holding this thing. His spine definitely tingled a little bit as he held the dangerous container in his arms.
When Kisame saw Naruto point to the box, he growled. "What? You want me to open this thing? What the hell are you planning on doing with them anyways?" He looked up at Deidara who arched a brow at him until he spoke, "Hey, Mr. Tama, can you explain how these explosives work so Mr. Mime over here doesn't blow us all to hell?"
"Un... Yes," Deidara said before clearing his throat. "They have a small dial on the top, along the scorpion's back I mean, which needs to be turned sort of like one would the key to a music box. It has three functions: one, is that it activates the tiny wind-up motor that is inside each of the "toys" which allows it to move forward; two, the key also acts as a timer which turns and turns until it is brought to its original position and a small spark ignites the explosive and other pressurized contents within; and three, the sound made by the key is quite distracting and can be used to lure unsuspecting enemies to it, meaning that they will walk in on it just as it finishes moving and the explosive goes off."
Kisame shook his head. "That's just screwed up… wait, so what was that package that you had me put in the trunk of the car?"
Deidara grinned, his one visible eye narrowing eerily. "Those are the main course, obviously. We shouldn't be talking about them out in the open like this, who knows who is watching." He took a second to glance around suspiciously, but Sasori, who just walked up to them, rolled his eyes.
"I'll say one thing: Republic City is in for the fireworks display of the century."
"Those are Mr. Deidara's favorite. Also, Mr. Naruto, remember that the legs are connected to the little key on the back, so if you stop them, you stop the dial from turning, meaning the explosive can't ignite."
When Naruto nodded, Sasori reached out to Naruto and handed him the bow and quiver from earlier to let him take a look at it, with several plain-looking arrows within. Deidara grinned.
"Are you sure you want to give that one away? It took you quite a while to make those explosive arrowheads."
"I'm sure," said Sasori, grinning up at Naruto and taking back the bow and arrow set to put it away in the trunk of the car.
Naruto nodded and reached over to open the briefcase since Kisame was too freaked out to do it himself. He snatched it from the giant's hands and walked over to the trunk of his car and opened it up. Who was he to fear by messing with explosives out in the open at this point? The police were all busy worried about their little hive to be looking out for deals like this, which is what Naruto expected.
Taking out a few of the scorpions, he inspected them once more before he closed the briefcase and turned away. Deidara watched him carefully as he was messing with the toys and smirked knowingly as Naruto turned back around and handed Kisame the briefcase again before waving his friends off and returning to the car.
"This guy is going to kill me." If Kisame could look pale with all of those blue tattoos all over his body, he would be looking pretty damn pale right about now.
Deidara laughed. "That's funny because it's probably true. You would do well for yourself to stay as far away from Mr. Naruto as you are able. He's always had this sort of attraction to danger, hn."
"You seem to enjoy his company. Have you known him for a long time?" asked Kisame, holding the briefcase in one hand by its handle as the blond began to turn to walk away.
"Years. Long before he made his decision to return to Republic City…"
Kisame smirked. "Oh?"
"Hn. But that's not something you have the time to listen to, yeah." He grinned and pointed at Naruto who was handling one of the scorpion toys that he swiped from the briefcase earlier.
"What the hell is he doing with that?" Kisame was confused. He never saw him take the scorpion. "Did he swipe that when he was looking at them earlier?"
Sasori grinned and said loudly, "It looks like he's turning the dial!"
Kisame's eyes widened but he relaxed when he realized the kid was just messing around with him. Naruto seemed to be inspecting the explosive, but he still hadn't messed with it yet. "Shit, kid. Don't scare me like that…"
Deidara chuckled and pat Sasori on top of his head, "Let's go inside, Sasori, yeah? Good luck to you... Mr. Kisame, was it?"
Kisame nodded and waved him off, "Yeah, yeah. Try not to blow yourself up in that deathtrap of a business you've got going there."
All three of them shared a laugh before Kisame slowly turned around and made his way back to the car.
He better not have turned the dial on that thing. I did not sign up for this, Itachi.
As Naruto and Kisame walked down the path to a Fire Nation style building, a woman stood in the doorway staring down at them from atop a set of stairs. She is lovely. She wore her beautiful blond hair up in twin pigtails behind her head. Her honey colored eyes glittered in the afternoon sun and her lips were pulled firmly into a practiced pout.
She was certainly beautiful, but when Naruto got closer, he realized that there were now some lines on her face that weren't there before. Some veins could be seen clearly along her once creamy white arms. How old was Tsunade now, he wondered? It was strange how she seemed to age so much in just a few years. It must have been stress or something.
"Hello, brat. It's been a while."
Naruto nodded and extended his hand. She looked and saw that he was holding several strips of paper.
"What's this?" she asked, but when he didn't answer, she went ahead and took the paper from him, reading quietly to herself for a moment as she went through each individual paper.
At one point, Tsunade smirked and even scoffed at something she found written down by him. Her eyes peered up at the young blond and she shook her head, looking back down to finish off the last few words of that particular sentence.
"You and Jiraiya. All you do is need, need, need. Alright, brat. Come on in. We'll have a... chat... Sorry about your voice and all that. Some tea with honey in it might help you feel better."
Naruto smiled and she smiled back. Tilting her head toward the giant standing beside Naruto, she said, "Your friend can come in too, if he wants."
Kisame looked down at Naruto, who had turned around to look at him, and he shrugged. "Sure. Can I smoke inside?"
Tsunade chuckled, "Of course. It's a brothel, after all." She pushed the door open and held it so that the two men could make their way into the lobby. Kisame took a second to look around for any signs that the establishment was, in fact, a brothel before he walked inside. Sure didn't look like it from the outside.
When Naruto first entered, he picked up smells of perfume and alcohol, and suddenly he was standing beside Jiraiya again, laughing and messing around with the girls. Anko was there, standing just a few feet in front of him, grinning, the way she often did, as she leaned against the doorway further back into the building. She was never shy, but she had these moments where she just liked to sit or stand there and just watch. Her eyes weren't particularly alluring, but something about her gaze always made him fidget. He liked to think that he honed his own particular gaze by studying her, but he really was only echoing her. He would never be able to perfectly duplicate that heavy, ghoulish glare. Those eyes of a snake staring down its cornered prey.
Kisame looked around the room and saw that the building was probably someone's home before being turned into a brothel. The main walkway lead to a living room, but to his right and left were other rooms where couches and love seats were placed with coffee tables, incense and candles burning in the dim light of the establishment while some faint music could be heard coming from the living room further ahead.
It sounded like a shamisen, which was a string instrument that originated either in the Fire Nation or in the Earth Kingdom many years before it became the EBR. Kisame wasn't quite certain, but he remembered once visiting a brothel with Itachi in the Fire Nation, and one of the women there told him about how the style of music was something preserved through the generations for longer than anyone could remember. There was a lot of debate over where it originated from, but most people agreed that the Earth Kingdom was the most likely place. He vividly remembered the smell of lemon in her hair as the music he heard in Tsunade's brothel grew louder as they ventured further inside.
As Kisame entered the room where the music was playing, he saw a small shrine near the entrance with the statue of some figurehead he once knew, but somehow couldn't quite remember. She was depicted as grandiose, even for such a small statue, with strong, pupil-less eyes and a large fan spread out in either hand. There was some incense burning at her feet, and Kisame was just about to recall the name of the woman depicted by the statue when he heard Tsunade speak, and the music came to an abrupt halt.
"Hello, my sisters."
"Hello, my sister and Lady Tsunade," responded the women in the room, their eyes showing the reverence they had for the woman who had brought them into her brothel. Kisame noted that there were at least fifteen or twenty women lounging about the room, previously listening to music from the shamisen player while a radio buzzed faintly in the background. One blonde woman was still sitting in the back, close to the radio and listening intently while her eyes focused on the ground. He noticed that the shamisen player was pulling the straps back on for her top, which had managed to slink down from her shoulders as the women around her fawned upon her with gratified affection.
"I had hoped not to disturb any of you on your day off, but a close friend has asked a favor of me. In return, I ask if any of you are willing to lend your aid. I am certain that most of you remember Naruto, am I right? He goes by Naruto Uzumaki these days, so even those of you whom have never met him should at least know of him."
The blonde, way in the back, spoke up, her keen eyes carving through the rest of the room like a cool wind. "He's speaking on the radio right now." She turned to the radio and turned the knob to raise the volume, smirking as her eyes caught Naruto's who stood beside Tsunade.
Tsunade turned to look at Naruto while everyone heard the end of "Naruto Uzumaki's" speech on the radio.
"And yet he stands before you now." Tsunade said, smirking when she saw the cat-like eyes staring over the rest from way in the back.
"Yeah... That's him alright." The young blonde stood up and slinked past the rest of the women in the room. She stalked like a predator of the jungle, moving swiftly and without a sound.
Kisame looked over at Naruto and then back to the young blonde who now stood before them. He felt Naruto tap him on the shoulder and so the giant turned and took the small slip of paper from Naruto's hand. "What? You want me to read this?"
Naruto gave Kisame a look, and what that look said that his voice couldn't was, 'No, dipshit, I want you to eat it.'
Getting the point, Kisame glanced at the piece of paper and then looked up at the blonde woman who had taken her first step in their direction.
"The shrimp says, 'I need three: Yugito, Temari and Karui.' Are these three here?" Kisame asked.
"Temari is actually not here right now. She's out on a task in the EBR… Karu and Yugi are here, though." Tsunade butted in, using the two young girl's shortened names affectionately.
Naruto turned back to look at Tsunade who stood in the center of the room with her hands on her hips and her head held high. Some of the women lying in the cushioned seats next to her sat upright or turned to lie on their backs as they looked up at their 'madam'.
"Listen up, sisters. Naruto here needs your assistance. He has called upon both sister Karui and sister Yugito, so: would both of you please stand?"
A red headed, dark skinned girl with golden yellow eyes looked at Tsunade incredulously as she begun to stand up to her feet. "You're serious? We're going on a mission?"
"Are you not up to the task, sister Karui?" Karui turned and snarled when she saw the smug look on Yugito's face as the stunning, long-legged blonde made her way past her and brushed her hand gently along the side of Naruto's face as she spun around him in a graceful, catlike manner.
Naruto's eyes followed Yugito as she circled him, her dark eyes watching him like he was some sort of prey. Her lips curled into a pretty smirk and she leaned in while standing in front of him, ensuring that her kimono-clad body brushed up sensually against him, from head to toe.
"I'd do anything for you, Naruto. That's why you picked me, isn't it?" She began to drape her arms over his shoulders and behind his back as she leaned in slowly for a kiss.
When Naruto pressed his palm against her belly and took a step back, Yugito let out a purring laugh. "Suddenly shy, huh? Hm… is it a girl? She must be very special if you can push me away just like that… you never used to before today." Yugito eyed him curiously for a moment and then suddenly turned her head and smirked back at Karui, saying, "Aren't you coming? You can't just stand there with your jaw scraping the ground all day, you know. Naruto is in need of our particular expertise."
Karui started walking past her toward the back, shaking her head as she muttered, "Just waiting for you to let your slut out a bit before we go back to change. Don't want you pouncing on me or anything."
Yugito grinned. "Ooh… pounce… that sounds like a fantastic idea."
Tsunade watched the two young women waltz out of the room in their kimonos before turning back to look and see if Naruto was at all affected by Yugito's advances.
"You OK there?"
Naruto grunted.
"Hey, you're the one who asked for her. Just watch out, alright? She'll eat you up and spit you out, and you know she will."
Naruto nodded and glanced back at the rest of the women in the room. Many of them he knew and they all had their own quirks and specialties about them… but right now he needed Yugito and Karui.
Karui because she was Karui; hard headed, stubborn, headstrong; yes they all meant pretty much the same thing, but it's simply too difficult to try and convey just what Karui was with just one synonym. He knew she could fight, so that was a bonus, but he also knew that if needed to get something done, Karui was the one person who would get it done or die doing it.
Yugito, meanwhile, was pretty much the opposite. Where Karui was blunt and immoveable, though a little quick to anger, Yugito was subtle and flexible, not to mention a cold-blooded killer. If she thought someone was annoying enough, she'd snap their neck without a second thought. Naruto needed someone who would put fear in his enemies' eyes, and Yugito was one that he could trust to act on a whim. He knew, for example, that everything Kisame was doing was to further Itachi's purposes and eventually the man would turn on him. When, he wasn't quite certain.
As far as her physical prowess and experience, he had to say that Konohamaru was good, but Yugito was on a whole other level due to her age and the way she enveloped herself in her work, but there was also something else…
Yugito was also dangerously secretive, to the point where even Tsunade was unsure whether or not to trust the deceptive alley cat as one of her warriors. He had this feeling about Yugito that she and he had a joint interest in taking out Jiraiya, but her reasons were slightly different from his own.
Out of the entire squad of female assassins that worked under the guise of this brothel, Yugito was the only one still alive who survived multiple training sessions with Jiraiya.
The man was notoriously bad at taking it easy on his pupils, and oftentimes Tsunade had to intervene in order to save the lives of her girls. Though many of them gained a humbling experience from the old Toad's mastery of what seemed like an infinite amount of katas, or at least more than anyone alive could count, some of them ended up broken with limbs that no longer functioned or gouged eyes and lost fingers and toes.
A few of those women continued to live life in the brothel, but many were no longer able to continue their training as Tsunade's assassins after Jiraiya's sessions. The last known trainee to take Jiraiya's test lost her sight, as both of her eyes were destroyed. Naruto couldn't recall her name, but he remembered that she was from the Hyuga family which hailed from the Northern Water Tribe. How she ended up in Republic City and under Tsunade's instruction he wasn't sure. Many of these women came from places one wouldn't expect. Karui herself was the daughter of an important representative of what was left of the Earth Kingdom that was actually recognized by the council. He was currently staying in Republic City because his home country was no longer available to him or his family, as those who fought against the EBR were cast away at the end of the war for the Earth Kingdom. Apparently she was quite the rebellious young woman, but other than that, he never asked why or how she had joined Tsunade's girls there at the brothel.
As for Yugito's parents…
Yugito was related to a very important person who was currently making a lot of moves to push for a different change than the one Naruto was going for from the council. He wasn't sure if it was the right change to make, but he knew that Yugito's father would probably pose a problem for him later in his endeavor to better represent the people of the city and fix many of its underlying problems.
That, or he could possibly be the solution. Naruto wasn't certain quite yet. He'd have to wait and see what was going to happen after the Fire Nation's troops arrived at the city's ports to bolster the police force here in the city.
Naruto found himself looking around the room, confused as to where Kisame went to all of a sudden. He hadn't seen him leave, but the big oaf was probably out smoking his cigar in the lobby. Naruto forgot about it when he heard Tsunade begin to speak.
Tsunade cleared her throat and Naruto turned his head to look at the aging mistress. "You said you wanted to know about Jiraiya? Well, he stopped by a few days ago. Told me about you fooling around with the Avatar. He also said you were getting close to making your final move against him… is that true?"
Naruto shifted his weight slightly as his eyes slowly pulled away from hers.
Jiraiya. That old toad was downright fearless, wasn't he?
"If it is… Naruto, I hope you know what you're doing. I don't want you to get killed because you acted too early… Jiraiya is dangerous… terrifying even. Please don't risk everything without some sort of backup plan, OK?"
He looked at the older woman and nodded once, still unsure whose side she was on anyways as she and Jiraiya once had a history together. A brutal, depressing history that he only knew bits and pieces of, but what he did know kept him on his toes about them and their current relationship.
"Good, now go ahead and wait outside. I'm sure Yugi and Karu are almost done getting dressed for your little party." Tsunade grinned and leaned in to kiss him on the forehead, a gesture she had done ever since he was a kid. He watched her as she walked away until, after a few minutes, he heard the pitter-patter of feet making their way up to him from his side.
When he looked down, he saw a young girl whose eyes were the color of a clear blue sky, with hair dark as coal. She was pretty and her face was still round, making her that much more adorable.
She eyed him for a moment before saying, "Hello, mister!"
Naruto stared at the young girl and nodded.
"Are you one of Auntie TsuTsu's friend's?"
Naruto smiled and shook his head yes.
The young girl offered a genuine smile and said, "What's your name? My name is Sora!"
Sora… whose daughter was this? Was she an orphan like him? How did she end up here, he wondered?
Naruto smiled and reached for his pad and pen, writing quickly and then handing the small girl the pad. Sora took it in her hand with a confused look on her face until she read what he had to say and then grinned up at him and reached out with her hand, taking the pen from him. She lied down on the ground, kicking her legs up as she wrote, 'Nice to meet you, Naruto! (heart)'.
Naruto would have chuckled if he felt he could, but instead he just sat down next to the young Sora and took the pad, writing on the next slip of paper.
How old are you?
'6 and a 1/2!'
Wow! That's a good age! I got into a lot of trouble when I was that old.
'I am a good girl.'
Is that so?
'Yup! Even my mommy says so!'
Who is your mommy?
TsuTsu!
Naruto nodded and smiled at the little girl, he grinned and wrote one last message:
When do you turn seven years old? If your mommy says you're still a good girl when I get back, I'll bring you a present.
'October 3rd!'
Naruto took the small slip of paper and stood up. Sora stood up as well and saw that Naruto was crossing his heart with his hand while he held the paper with her birthdate written on it. She smiled and crossed her heart as well. She then waved goodbye and ran off, heading toward the back where Tsunade was still.
He wasn't sure what it was, but he had this feeling like Tsunade wasn't Sora's real mother. The poor girl must've been taken in by Tsunade and her actual mother had probably abandoned her.
It made Naruto's heart wrench like a soaked rag twisted between two hands to drain out all of the water.
He folded the small piece of paper and slipped it into his pocket. As she left, he saw Yugito and Karui walking down the hall, passing the young girl. Yugito smirked at Naruto when she saw that he was still looking down the hall, watching the young girl as she ran to the back to find Tsunade.
Naruto waved the two girls over and turned around to walk back down the short hallway and past the veil toward the lobby.
When they stepped into the room, they found Kisame eyeing a small statue sitting on top of a shrine dedicated to Avatar Kiyoshi.
When Kisame looked up at Naruto and saw the two women tailing him, each dressed in a form-fitting uniform that was optimized for movement, but still had protective padding on the shoulders, wrists and shins, realization struck his face as he recalled learning of the Kiyoshi Warriors and how they disappeared nearly a decade before he was even born. There were still groups who popped up around the EBR's borders claiming to be the newly reformed Kiyoshi Warriors, but the assumption was that there was no longer an organized group that still practiced their fighting style and took on missions. The few times the name Kiyoshi came up from the rumor-mill over the years was when assassination attempts failed. That name became a bit of a scapegoat title for corrupt politicians to sprinkle here and there to add a little mystery and wonder to fool the public with misinformation.
Naruto, noticing Kisame's dumbstruck gaze, let out a tiny smirk and walked out the front door, while Yugito and Karui followed close behind him without even paying Kisame any mind.
"Holy shit… so that's why we came here."
oOo
(A short drive later)
"Is this where I turn?" Kisame asked as he looked into the rear view mirror. Naruto nodded and pointed to the left, so Kisame turned left. As they drove for a few more minutes, Yugito turned to look back at Naruto and Karui, who were sitting in the back.
"Why don't you want to snuggle with me anymore, Naruto? Don't you miss me? Or did you only miss Karui?"
Naruto ignored her, looking down at the small notepad in his hand. He looked up and tapped Kisame on the shoulder before pointing toward a small office building with a garage in the back and kept pointing until Kisame brought them behind the building and parked the car.
Naruto nodded and opened the door, stepping out and holding up his hand in a gesture to tell them to wait a minute, so they waited.
Kisame turned to look over at Yugito, who seemed to be ignoring him completely, and he felt like she must have been intimidated by his looks, so he just shrugged it off and looked into the rear view mirror again. There he saw Karui, just quietly looking out the window in Naruto's direction. She seemed to be very interested in wherever he was going, that or very protective of him. When her golden eyes shifted over slightly to gaze back into his, Kisame did not flinch or avoid eye contact. They stared at one another guardedly through the mirror, sizing one another up without even speaking a word.
Karui finally smiled and looked back over in Naruto's direction, seeing that he had entered the building after showing someone one of his pieces of paper that he had prepared while they were driving.
Kisame looked out the window and sighed, muttering, "What the hell is he doing here anyways… where are we?"
Yugito answered this, "We're here to pick up his driver."
Kisame glowered, "But I'm driving right now."
"Yeah, but you suck at it," she offered, callously.
Karui giggled in the back and Kisame glared coldly, alternating his gaze on both girls.
"Don't be mad at me because you are a bad driver. You must be a foreigner."
"If I'm so bad, why didn't one of you drive us here?"
Karui spoke up for this one, "Yugito isn't allowed to drive and I don't have a license yet."
Kisame looked up into the rearview and nodded. "So she talks, huh?"
Karui stared back at him for a moment before her eyes slowly shifted back toward the building as she continued to gaze out the window.
Sighing, Kisame sat back in his seat and asked, "So who's this driver of his?"
"I call her Pinky," offered Yugito as she inspected her nails.
"Pinky? Oh… wait, I see why." Kisame was looking out the window when he saw Naruto walking back with a hat and jacket on that he wasn't wearing before he entered the building. Walking alongside him was Sakura, who was speaking in his ear, while he offered a small nod or shake of the head to acknowledge her and agree or disagree with anything she said.
"Wait a second… damn, that means I'm going to have to move. Yugito, get in the ba-"
When Kisame turned around, he saw Yugito was now playing with a knife in her hand. Where she was hiding it before that he wasn't sure, but seeing her fiddle with the knife while giving him one of the scariest looking glares anyone has ever given him made him suddenly change his mind. "On second thought, I'll get in the back."
Kisame was about to move when Sakura appeared at his window. He arched a brow and rolled it down, sizing up the pinkette for a moment before he asked, "Yeah? Whatchu want?"
Sakura smiled softly and said, "I have been instructed to brief all of you on your mission. There has been a slight change of plans. I will accompany Naruto to the event while the three of you will target Equalist warehouses in these three locations." She handed over a folder to Kisame who lost it to Yugito who snatched it away before he could even get it open. Glancing over at the alley cat with annoyance, Kisame nevertheless remained quiet while Yugito read over its contents.
"So we're going to attack the Sato Corporation? With the explosives?"
"Says that we're going to sabotage some kind of war balloons that he's making… also something about machines." Yugito frowned as she read the information that Sakura had given to her, but then she quickly handed it off to Karui who began to read.
Sakura nodded, "Correct. Naruto asked only for the bow and arrow set for my personal use." She turned to look at Karui, who had already rolled down her window. "Would you please hand them over to me, Miss Karui?"
The redhead nodded and reached over, taking the quiver and bow and sticking it out the window so Sakura could take it. Sakura smiled at her and bowed her head, saying, "Thank you very much." Her eyes then turned back to Kisame, "He trusts that you are capable of finding Hiroshi Sato with your particular skillset? The head of the Sato Empire should be at that warehouse, he is providing a new set of mobile armor suits to the Equalists and is there to personally see them off to be used in the upcoming revolution that they are planning."
Kisame frowned, "Revolution? Taking out Hiroshi like this… This isn't what Itachi had in mind when he meant Naruto had to take over the Sato Corporation… He was supposed to do it by the books… I'll do as I'm told, but tell the pipsqueak that he damn well better know what he's doing…"
Sakura smirked. "He said you'd say that. Here, read this." Sakura handed him a slip of paper with Naruto's handwriting on it.
Kisame scowled at her and then looked down at the piece of paper in his hand.
Tell Itachi I'll be waiting for him if he ever gets the guts to come after me. If he wants, I'll even pick him up in a Satomobile with Hiroshi in the trunk.
Kisame smirked. That's one cocky bastard, that and he must be unbelievably stupid to taunt Itachi like that.
oOo
(Naruto's Apartment)
Korra set her training bag down to the side of the front door to Naruto's apartment. She closed the door behind her and walked further in, heading into the kitchen where she thought she spotted a radio the last time she was there.
Finding the radio, Korra stared at it for a bit as she stood before it, wondering if she really wanted to listen to that again. Slowly, hesitantly, Korra turned the knob that raised the volume on the radio unit. She heard another reporter's voice covering how riots had started to break out due to the smaller police presence out on the streets. The non-bending police force was trying to control the riots, but what was left of the bending force was nowhere to be found. Apparently they were waiting for the military from the Fire Nation to arrive so that they could try and rescue some of the people that were captured and regroup. At least, that's what some people thought.
The walk over to Naruto's apartment was eerily quiet. Although there were a few incidents here and there around the city, Repubic City lost the hustle and bustle that she had come to know over the past few weeks. Korra wasn't sure if she should step in and try and help calm down the populace to re-establish some sense of order. She earthbended a giant wall on one street to stop a group of men from chasing down a store clerk, but when she found out that the clerk had, in fact, stolen from those men and was not a clerk, she felt like a total idiot.
She beat the hell out of that man.
There were a lot of things she wasn't sure about… like how Naruto could lie to her face and tell her that he wasn't involved with the triads.
But was he lying, really? The triads had apparently dissolved and were now a huge syndicate under one leader. They all answered to "Naruto Uzumaki", or at least the one who spoke on the radio. It's weird, because apparently the speech had been recorded and replayed throughout the day, and it was first recorded earlier that morning, when Naruto was still lying on the couch with her. How had he made it to HQ in time to make that speech?
If Naruto had somehow managed to make it all of the way across the bridge in time to make the speech, Korra realized that he must have tricked her into thinking he was unable to speak… but then again, she was the one that told him not to. She never gave him the chance to try and see if he could in the first place.
It didn't make sense though. She knew his throat was severely damaged and that it would take several more sessions with her healing arts to get it working properly again. In fact, he probably should've gone to the hospital. The little bit that she managed before he left was not enough to fix his voice, or at least she thought it wasn't. She was only able to keep his throat from completely collapsing by regenerating the cells in the tissues around it. Lin had almost killed him.
Her ears picked up the sound of someone speaking through the radio. It took her a moment to recollect her thoughts to figure out what it was about, but she quickly realized it was more news about the military fleets coming in from the Fire Nation. Korra closed her eyes as she listened to the brief radio announcement that was coming in.
"A message has just been received by the Fire Nation regarding the military," said the reporter through the radio. "The main fleet should be arriving within two days' time. Apparently, the closest ship is the one captained by General Iroh himself, and their previous mission had them somewhere around the Northern Water Tribe a few days ago. Republic City Police are urging the public to stay indoors and only leave their homes when absolutely necessary. Any waterbenders who are willing to volunteer at hospitals should report to…
Korra opened her eyes.
Perhaps she could go help at the hospitals… there must have been a lot of injuries for them to do a massive call out to all of the waterbenders in the area, especially since they didn't specify whether or not they had to know the healing aspects of waterbending. Maybe they simply needed hands, and those who didn't know how to heal could help in other ways.
"Also, it appears like Naruto Uzumaki has sent out his triad bodyguards to quell some of the riots in the area. They started at the Ceremonial Plaza and have quickly moved to spread all of the way out to the docks. Unfortunately, the Republic City Council is still not available for questioning. It seems Councilman Tenzin is no longer on the island, though he is being guarded by White Lotus officials, and Councilman Tarrlok and the others are still missing. I'm not sure what to make of this folks, but it seems that there's more to this man and his group than we first thought. Is this a rebellion? More after commercials."
Korra shut off the radio as the report went to a commercial.
She needed to get back out there.
Even if she wasn't sure what was going on, she couldn't just sit here in the safety of Naruto's apartment. She was the Avatar. She needed to be there for her people.
But first she needed help… should she go to Mako and Bolin? That seemed like the best idea. It wouldn't be a bad idea to go for Naga either. She had been neglecting her poor Polar Bear Dog for the past few days.
Korra decided she was going to leave, so she poured herself a glass of water to rehydrate herself and turned and started walking back down the hallway toward the living room, but stopped dead in her tracks when she saw a tall figure standing there at the end of it.
Cautiously, though slightly miffed, Korra called out, "Who's there?" She couldn't quite see any of his features, so she said simply, "I am not in the mood right now to deal with damn looters right now! I'm the Avatar and I won't take it easy on you, even if you're a non-bender!"
A light chuckle rolled out from the living room as the figure turned away and disappeared, giving Korra only a glance of white hair.
White hair. Did she know anyone who had white hair? Korra frowned and took her first step toward the living room, a ball of flame coming to life in her hand. She didn't know why, but something about all of this didn't seem right. It felt… supernatural. Like some sort of spirit resided in the room.
Korra shivered when she took another step and felt cold all of a sudden. What in spirits' name was happening?
"Don't make me go in there! If I have to then I'm coming in swinging!" Korra warned, yelling out despite the fear she felt from her head to her toes.
She turned and looked to the left, where Naruto's painting room was, and to her dismay, Korra saw someone peering in from behind the door, which was cracked open just slightly.
Before she could react in any way, Korra was dragged into the room by a pale white arm and flung toward the back, crashing into a pile of paintings and old sketches. The loud crash could probably be heard all of the way outside. She was now lying on a mess of broken painting frames and panels.
Korra looked up but saw only the light coming in from outside of the room. Slowly, the door closed completely and Korra found she was alone in the darkness.
"What the heck just happened?" Korra asked, looking around and still unable to see. She clenched her fist and then opened it up in front of her. She couldn't see it, but the flame she expected to be there at the end of her arm did not appear.
She didn't know how or why, but her ability to bend fire was gone!
oOo
(With Naruto and Sakura)
"Are you ready?" she asked, tugging at his coat while they stood inside of the garage and adjust his hat on top of his head.
Naruto nodded.
"Are you sure… what if this doesn't work?"
Naruto smiled and cupped the beautiful young woman's cheek. He then proceeded to speak to her in sign language.
Sakura responded to him and said out loud, "I promise… I'll watch after her."
Naruto grinned and opened the door to the car, getting in and sitting in the back behind the driver's seat.
Sakura frowned and adjusted her driver's hat and formal suit before stepping into the Cabbage Corp. car and turning on the engine. They left, quickly heading toward the site of the Equalist rally.
oOo
(Naruto's Apartment)
Jiraiya walked over to the bar to pour himself a drink. Bourbon, Brandy, Rum, Scotch… Sake. Sake worked. He took the bottle and poured himself a glass, which he then took a sip of. He savored the flavor, though he realized this particular make would be better if it was warmed up first. He shrugged and downed the rest of it before turning back toward the long hallway that separated the kitchen and living room. He put his glass down and stepped forward, making his way ever so slowly toward the room on his right, which Korra had clumsily fallen into earlier. She must have been quite afraid, he realized, and he smirked, deciding that it was smart to be afraid of him, in particular. Avatar or not.
Instead of saying anything, Jiraiya simply reached for the door and slowly turned the handle. He pressed his ear up against the door for a moment and arched a brow. No more movement inside… had she knocked herself out on accident when falling in? Jiraiya chuckled and pushed the door open, his eyes glowing in the dark like a predator in the wild. He gripped the frame of the door as he stepped in, his head turning left to right, searching for her.
However, it was just an empty, dimly-lit room.
Strange, he thought, looking up at the ladder nearby. He had purposefully bolted the roof access before coming in so that she wouldn't be able to escape through there. Did she know how to metalbend? Climbing up, Jiraiya tried to open the door above him and found that he couldn't.
How strange.
oOo
Korra's eyes widened when the light returned to the room, but instead of seeing a man there, she saw a terrifying monster peer in from the lit doorway with huge, clawed hands and eyes made of fire. The white she had seen were these tendrils that snaked out from his back as he looked around the room. Just a glimpse of the strange creature made her cringe with fright. She thought once that she had been scared of Amon, but never again. This thing that was hunting for her was worse than any nightmares she had ever had before. She could hear the soft rattling of its breath as it drew near, almost like a man embracing death on his last breath.
He searched for her, even taking in a deep breath as if searching for her scent, but eventually he extended up the ladder, his huge upper torso stretching so that he could open the door above, his feet staying on the ground. It wouldn't budge. The monster shook it a few times, but to no avail. It was locked, apparently.
You would have died today, if it wasn't for me, my darling dear.
Korra's eyes widened. Where was that voice coming from?
She turned to look around, but on her first glance around the room she noticed a pair of red eyes staring back at her from behind a pale white mask with small markings on it. Korra flinched when she saw the rest of this person's body, and realized quickly that it was a very naked she lounging right beside her as they hid right underneath the monster's nose.
"Who are you?!" Korra blurted out, but was shocked when the monster suddenly reared up and let out a terrible roar, shaking the room and possibly even the building's foundations as it seemed to go on and on and on, leaving her breathless on the ground next to the nude, masked woman.
Do not use your voice… form the words in your mind, where the spirit lies.
The spirit lies in the mind?
Yes, little one. That's how you do it.
What in the Spirit World is that thing over there?
That, child, is the dark spirit of a man who has allowed himself to be corrupted.
Allowed himself? What do you mean?
Inside of him, he houses many dark spirits which grant him resistances to the elements, and also power over them. In return, however, they have degraded his mind to the point where he has become fixated on certain… things.
Why is this man searching for me?
Well, my little one, the reason lies in memories you made upstairs on that bed of his.
Korra blushed. Naruto? He's looking for me because of Naruto?
Because of your relationship to him, she corrected, her eyes showing a hint of mirth as the monster snorted and turned away in annoyance.
So… that man… am I seeing how he really is inside?
Who's to say? For all we know, he could be trapped within his own body, and the spirits that have become corrupted are somehow in control of him… or he could just be a pigslug of a man.
Korra looked at the monster as it continued to move about the room. She looked at her new companion and asked, How come he cannot see us? You said he could hear us earlier if I spoke aloud, right?
That is correct. He is unable to hear us because I am hiding you in my presence, which he is unable to detect because he has not yet made a pact with me.
Korra took another glance at the woman's nude form and saw writing on it. She must have missed it before due to her terrified state.
So… if you walk alongside me, you can keep hiding me from him?
Yes! My, my. You seem to be much brighter than that miserable little blond boy who is bonded to me.
Naruto, you mean? Why can't you use names when speaking about someone?
The masked woman's eyes widened and she smirked behind the mask.
Interesting that you ask that question, little one. However, that is for another time and place. Perhaps we should get moving? The creature is leaving.
Korra nodded and took the woman's hand and led her out the door, surprised that she was now able to see everything around the room as if it were lit up in some strange light. She snapped her fingers and saw a flame spark to life in her hand. Just about to sigh in relief, she flinched when she realized she made a sound and was worried that the creature had heard it. However, when she looked up, she saw it had not heard her snap her fingers at all. Confused, she looked over at her new companion for an explanation.
Why couldn't he hear me snap my fingers? I thought he could hear any sounds that I made?
Your voice is the only part of you which I cannot mute, even if you wish me to. You see, it has to do with an agreement which we made.
You and Naruto?
Yes… you may read as much as you like if you wish. I will even lie down so you may read as you please. You can even brush my tail if you want.
Korra blushed and shook her head. No, no, that's fine… uh… wait, you have a tail? Ok, you know what? Nevermind… alright, you'll keep following me if I stop holding your hand, right?
Letting out a soft chuckle, the spirit said, I might…
Korra frowned and held on tighter. This one was a trickster, if she ever met one.
She then looked out into the living room and saw that she could see the man's human form for the first time. She noticed from time to time that small bits of the monster would resurface, but for the most part he retained his human features.
"I know you are here, Avatar Korra." He said, smiling as he crossed his legs while sipping from a glass of bourbon. Korra glared at the man through her surprise that he had somehow sensed her presence.
"You know, I came here today to kill you. But then you disappeared somehow… it's strange, but it's the same way Naruto was able to from time to time… perhaps there is something I cannot see quite yet, but don't worry, very soon I will be able to see all.
"Naruto is my pupil, Korra. I taught him many things, including how to kill. My spies have told me that you two are very close. We saw you by the docks, chasing after him as he left one day. Another day, we watched the two of you sharing a moment inside of the Air Bender's home. I've allowed Naruto to continue playing his little game for Lord Zuko, but enough is enough. I am going to put a stop to this boy's meddling soon enough, and trust me when I tell you that I will steal you from him, and I will break you, bone by bone, piece by piece, until what is left of you is nothing more than a discarded rag that used to be a corpse… you will wish you were dead, or perhaps that you'd never have met Naruto in the first place. You will cease to cry, for you will be completely, irreversibly broken, and tears will simply no longer flow.
"I want you to know something about Naruto… something that may surprise you."
Korra was standing right in front of him as he took another sip from his glass. She glared straight into his eyes, not an ounce of fear in them anymore. What replaced that fear was anger.
Beside her, the fox spirit was watching curiously as her tail swiped back and forth behind her.
"Two things actually… the first… is that his portraits here in this room are not what they seem… don't you find it a little odd that the boy doesn't put any of his paintings up here in the living room, where other people can see them? Instead he stacks them on the ground there, behind that couch in front of me… how strange... but perhaps if one were to look more closely, they'd find something, quite amazing.
"The second thing, would be that Naruto is a father."
Naruto is… a dad?
Korra felt a pain in her chest. He kept that from me?
For a good reason.
To her surprise, Korra heard a voice in her head and turned to look at the spirit.
What do you mean? What reason could he possibly have that is good enough to keep that sort of thing a secret? After we've slept together, after everything he's told me already… why would he-
Because he doesn't know.
Korra's eyes widened. Wait… how do you…?
I saw her once when we visited that address after he returned from my shrine in the Fire Nation.
Korra gave her a skeptical look and the fox spirit tilted her head.
Little one, know that I am an old and powerful spirit, and trust me when I say that I know he is unaware that he has a child.
"Here, let me write the address for you."
Korra looked back over to Jiraiya as he wrote out the address. He smiled and stood up, searching around for a pen and paper, but only found a pen, so he rifled through the liquor cabinet at the bar and smirked when he found a small coaster. Taking it out, he wrote down the address and said, "Go give the kid a visit. Tell Tsunade I sent you. I'm sure you'd make a great adoptive mother."
Jiraiya stood up and walked toward the front door. He looked back around the room once more before leaving, but eventually he was gone, leaving the door wide open as he made his way down the walkway alongside the entrances and headed for the stairs.
Suddenly it felt like she could breathe again. She let go of the spirit standing beside her and turned to her, asking, "Are you willing to follow me some more? I need to find out more about this."
Smiling, the spirit spoke finally, saying, "I would love to, my dear."
"What do I call you?"
"I go by the name Kurama, though you may call me Fox Spirit, if you so desire."
Korra nodded and said, "Alright… Kurama the Fox Spirit, let's get going… First I need to get some help. There's no way I'm going there without some backup."
"That is an excellent idea, little one."
"Please call me Korra."
"Of course, darling."
Korra sighed, "Well… no one else but me can see you, right? I mean, we can't go running around with you all nakey like that."
Kurama nodded, "I see, yes, you humans tend to put a lot of stock in this artificial fur you wear, don't you?"
Korra just stared at her and shook her head. "Are you going to be invisible or not?" she asked, grumbling.
"Of course, dear. Let us be off!"
Korra smacked herself in the face and started walking. Hopefully this was actually a spirit and not just a manifestation of her repressed sexuality or something… well, repressed for a whole ten or twelve hours, at least.
She looked down at the coaster in her hand and saw a white lotus flower design on the bottom of it. Arching a brow, Korra took one last glance at the apartment before they left. She imagined the paintings that were lying there on the ground in the living room… he said there was something more to them than just the content of the paintings themselves, right?
Unsure, Korra decided she'd have a look at them later. For right now, her priorities were about finding out more about Naruto's alleged kid… no, it wasn't jealousy…
Seriously, it wasn't!
oOo
(Inside the Satomobile, on the way to the first warehouse)
Karui was busy reading what their objectives were, while Yugito and Kisame were sitting in the front, quietly watching the city fly by.
"It's strange… seeing so few cars out right now. People are staying inside for the most part, though you do see a few out. I wonder where they are going. To see family, maybe?"
Yugito arched a brow and turned to look at Kisame. "What do you expect people to do when their police force has been all but disbanded? After this, you can be assured that Republic City will have its own army… if there's anything left standing after Naruto's done with it."
Kisame frowned. "I thought I knew the little shrub… that he was just a cocky son of a bitch who liked to push people's buttons and move around like a sneaky rat… but how do you keep all of the gangs in an entire city like this one under your control? Look over there… those are Agni Kai patrolling the streets."
"You know a bit about Republic City's gangs?"
Kisame shook his head. "Not really, but Agni Kai have a strong presence in the Fire Nation. It wasn't just a bunch of guys who thought 'Agni Kai' sounded like a cool name and so then they went around collecting firebending thugs to establish their gang… an Agni Kai is a traditional duel between firebenders that has been going on for centuries. The people who originally formed the Agni Kai Triad were a small group of men who felt that Lord Zuko's stance on how the duels should be held was wrong, as he felt that one should show mercy to a defeated opponent, so as not to create bitter hatred among the people involved."
"Only two people are involved though," Yugito pointed out, kicking her legs up on the dash and shrugging, "It's not like two people killing one another affects anyone else there."
Kisame's eyes widened just slightly, but he shook his head and said, "You're wrong."
Yugito turned to look back at him and narrowed her eyes, "Excuse me?"
"I said, 'You're wrong'. A duel, or a fight between two people doesn't just affect them, it affects their loved ones and everyone around them. When two people have two opposing views or arguments, they often clash, and it becomes amplified when those two people were fighting for two different causes, even if their outcomes would have been the same…
"In other words, when someone lays down their life for something in which they believe in… when their leader goes and demeans their sacrifice by stripping them of that, of stealing this opportunity to die for the cause, they feel as if they are castrated, and stripped of their honor."
Yugito huffed. "Just sounds like a bunch of crap to me… you really think a lot, don't you?"
Kisame shrugged and eyed the pretty psychopath for a moment. "A lot of people take me for a big brute. Naruto did."
Yugito chuckled and nodded, "Naruto thinks everyone is dumber than he is…"
Kisame smiled. Well, that was an amusing tidbit of information.
oOo
"So, Karui, what are we blowing up with all of those explosives back there anyways?"
Kisame arched a brow and looked through the rear view to watch the red head as she spoke. They had stopped just outside of the first point and Karui had been the only one who either was able or had the patience to read through the whole thing.
"Mr. Naruto has been thinking about this for a long time… Yugito, you are going to sabotage that Sato guy's stores of these tank like things he has hidden underground. Apparently Konohamaru and Sasuke have been collecting information for the past couple of months while a lawyer, Shino Aburame, has been figuring out the floor plans and collecting all of the information on permits for Hiroshi's mansion and warehouses. Apparently there's nothing more than vehicles there, but two of them, that we know about, have underground factories hidden underneath their Satomobile front factories."
Yugito shrugged, "Duh, they're not going to keep any of these above ground if they're illegal and off the books."
"Excuse me," asked Kisame, furrowing his hairless, tattooed brow for a bit, "But what do legal permits have to do with trying to figure out what is hidden underneath? I mean… it's not like he can get a permit for a secret underground lair."
Karui nodded, "Apparently it has to do with irrigation and electrical services that are not controlled by the company, and so they had to build bigger to better protect their Equalist investments by keeping most of the people who come to work outside of the company as far away from these 'lairs' as possible so that they don't accidentally find something they shouldn't."
"Ah, well that makes sense. So, what will you be doing?"
Karui smiled. "Mine is really fun… actually, I could use your help before you go off to find Hiroshi Sato."
Kisame arched a brow and shrugged, saying, "Alright, sure."
"Good. Let's go drop off Yugito and she can use the scorpion explosives that I have right here."
"Ooh, explosives? How do they work?"
"Just turn a dial and set them down. If you put them on their little wheels, they'll scurry about and the legs will move. Apparently these were some last minute notes added by Mr. Naruto before Sakura gave me this file. They're in his handwriting too"
"How many are there?"
"Huh, let's see."
"There's supposed to be two dozen," said Kisame, a little angry that he just now realized that they were carrying some dangerous-ass explosives in the car.
"Two dozen? Huh… um… there are two missing then."
Kisame shook his head in disbelief. "The bastard must have snuck them out before when he was in the car… I was wondering what he was doing playing around with those."
Yugito smirked. "Knowing Naruto, he's going to do something dangerous with them."
Kisame turned to look at her, "More dangerous than sitting in a car with enough explosives to take a huge bite out of the city? More dangerous than what we're doing right now?"
Yugito giggled at his nervous tone of voice. "Way more dangerous."
oOo
(With Naruto and Sakura; on their way to the Equalist Rally)
Naruto sat in the back of the Cabbage Corp. car and eyed the small scorpion in his hand. He could almost close his hand around it. It really looked like a child's toy.
He really did appreciate the craftsmanship that went into building this beautiful little work of art, and it was a real shame that it had to go and get blown up by Deidara's explosive that was tucked somewhere inside.
Actually, who knew, maybe both Deidara and Sasori had this weird thing about blowing shit up, and got their kicks out of seeing it or something.
Naruto looked at the rearview mirror and saw that Sakura was staring at him. Her eyes spoke volumes, but she kept her mouth shut, only biting her lower lip in some sort of fearful anticipation or regret. He smiled for a moment, then he turned the small dial on its back several times and lifted the scorpion up as its legs began to move.
Then he opened his mouth.
oOo
Author: No quote, because I felt like the beginning part with Ino was important.
I'm sorry for the long wait. I've been living with family for a while and I just was always either too busy or I just never felt comfortable enough to write, so instead I have been drawing a lot lately. I just got back to my apartment a few days ago and so I've been working through this chapter, trying to get through some parts that were just busting my huevos.
I really wanted to have Naruto and Amon meet up this chapter, but it seemed like a good place to end. If things are starting to get confusing, please let me know because I'm still trying to keep track of everything that is going on since a lot of important facts were unveiled in the last few chapters.
Here are a few things that might help:
Kurama or "the fox spirit", if you remember, was a spirit who inhabited a shrine for the Phoenix in the Fire Nation. She and Naruto have a bunch of agreements that I will make clear in the next few chapters. Whether she is good or bad, I will leave up to you to decide.
Yes, Tsunade's brothel is where the Kiyoshi Warriors have taken up residence as a hidden assassin's group. Yes, they have changed over the years. A lot of things have. Just look at the Earth Nation. More on them later.
Edit: I noticed there was some confusion about Sora, so here's the hint: 24th of October is the mother's birthday. :) Yay for scavenger hunts! If you know it, keep it to yourself or PM me and tell me so people don't go looking for it in the reviews, lol
Also I made an adjustment to Sora's age because... well, I totally forgot that when women get pregnant they have to carry the baby for 9 months.
ROFL, I know. I've made that change. Jeeze, I'm such a guy.
Anyways, she's 6 1/2 now (which basically means 6 and any amount of months I want her to be to make her fit the time line because fuck all, you know lol).
And you might be happy to know that I'm working on chapter 11 right now because yes.