Chapter 10: Reunion of Jinchuriki
Naruto sighed as he looked at the fire that crackled in front of him. He hated that they were being held up because of one of the Land of Wind's infamous sandstorms. They had found a cave, which they were forever thankful for, because sandstorms in this area were deadly. Naruto poked the fire with a stick absentmindedly. Jiraiya, Sasuke and Sakura were already asleep, while Kakashi was engrossed in Jiraiya's latest book, Icha Icha Fortress. They didn't really need a watch here in the desert, but neither of the Leaf ninja wanted to sleep.
"What's keeping you up?" Naruto looked up at Kakashi, who was still staring at his book. Naruto sighed and scratched his head.
"I'm just thinking about the mission. We've had good luck so far, but I have a bad feeling." Kakashi put his book down and walked over to Naruto, taking the spot next time him as his seat.
"I know how you feel. Have I ever told you the story of my first mission as a Jonin?" Naruto shook his head. "It was my first time being a mission leader too. It was a very important mission; one that could determine the outcome of the war."
"The war? You mean the Third Shinobi World War?" Naruto asked. Kakashi nodded.
"Yes. Our mission was to destroy the Kannabi Bridge in the Village Hidden in the Grass. It was a very important supply line for the Village Hidden in the Rock, and by destroying it we could severely wound Rock's supply lines. So, my team was assigned to go destroy the bridge. It was me, Minato-Sensei, and my two teammates, Rin and Obito Uchiha. I was made the leader of the mission, because Minato-Sensei was supposed to lend back up to the frontline forces. He was almost like a one man army, because of his Flying Thunder God Technique. He could take out battalions of Rock Nin by himself." Naruto's eyes widened.
"Wow, he was that strong?" Kakashi nodded.
"Yes, he truly was. I believe Jiraiya-Sama described him as 'a genius that only comes along once every century.' It was true. He was probably the strongest ninja in the world in his time. But, anyway, my mission was to destroy the Kannabi Bridge. After we encountered a Rock Jonin that attacked us with 20 Shadow Clones, and I showed Minato-Sensei my new Jutsu, the Chidori. After Minato-Sensei saved me, because of the flaws in my original Jutsu, we split up. Obito, Rin and I went to infiltrate enemy territory and destroy the bridge, while Minato-Sensei went to create a diversion by fighting the main enemy force. While my squad was on the way to the bridge, we were ambushed by two Rock Jonin. Obito and I were fine, but they captured Rin. Back in those days I…was very different. I used to be very strict and uptight. All I could think about were rules and regulations. The Shinobi Code was my Way of Ninja. So, I had decided we would forget about Rin and go straight into enemy territory without her." Naruto gasped.
"What? Why would you do that? She was your teammate!"
"I know Naruto. And, I regret it every day. But, that was what I had decided. But, Obito thought differently than me. He was a lot like you actually. He followed his heart, not some stupid code. We argued, and he punched me. Then he went off to find Rin, and he said 'I believe that the White Fang was a true hero…Sure in the world of ninja, those who break the rules and regulations are regarded as scum…But, those who abandon their comrades…are worse than scum!" Naruto's eyes widened.
"Those are the words…" Kakashi nodded.
"Yes, those are the words I told you on your first day as Genin. Those words…they really opened my eyes. Obito then went to save Rin by himself. He was attacked by the Rock Jonin that had ambushed us before, and Obito was almost killed. But, I stepped in and sliced him in the chest, wounding him, but not killing him."
"So you went back?" Naruto asked.
"Yes. Obito and I…we didn't really get along well. But, he was my friend…and I knew he was right. So I had to go back. Then, Obito and I fought the Jonin together. That Jonin had a special camouflage technique, and I couldn't track him, so he slashed my right eye. That's how I got this scar." Kakashi lifted up his headband and pointed at the scar that ran vertically through his eye. "When it looked like we were beat, Obito awakened his Sharingan, and he killed the Jonin. He then used the medkit that my other teammate gave me to wrap my eye up, and we entered the cave that the two Jonin were using as a camp. We then fought the second Jonin, and we took him down, or so we thought. We rescued Rin, and when we were about to escape, the Rock Jonin used some Jutsu to collapse the cave. We tried to make a run for it, but it was falling fast. Just as I was about to get crushed by a rock, Obito pushed me out of the way and took the hit. After the cave collapsed, Rin and I were fine…but Obito…"Kakashi looked down at the ground,"…Obito was crushed by the rock." Naruto's eyes widened. "He…he was so calm. There was nothing I could do to help him. He told me he wasn't going to make it. I was so sad…I cried. I couldn't help it." A lone tear ran down Kakashi's cheek. "Earlier that day, everyone had given me a gift, for making Jonin. But, Obito hadn't gotten me anything, because he was mad at me. But he said he wanted to give me one now…now that he wasn't going to need it. He…gave me his Sharingan."
"So that's how you got the Sharingan…" Kakashi nodded and continued with the story.
"Yea, it was Obito's. It was his final gift to me. Rin and I escaped, with the help of Minato-Sensei, and then we completed the mission…without Obito. Ever since that day, I have changed the way I look at things. I view my comrades as precious, and I would do anything to protect them from harm. I was just…too late." Kakashi wiped the tear from his cheek. "That's why I go to the memorial stone every day. I go to apologize to Obito and Rin…for all the things I did. Because, I wouldn't be who I am today without either of them." Naruto looked down at the ground.
"I'm sorry Kakashi-Sensei…I had no idea." Kakashi put his hand on Naruto's shoulder.
"Well, it's okay now. I've become a better person because of it." Naruto smiled, and then he thought of something.
"Wait…when you told me what Obito said to you, he mentioned the White Fang. Who is that?" Kakashi sighed and looked at the fire.
"The White Fang was my father. He was a great ninja, as strong as the Sannin." Naruto gasped.
"He was that strong? Wow." Kakashi nodded.
"Yes, he was my idol. Until…that incident." Naruto looked at Kakashi curiously. "He was assigned a mission during the war that would have had a huge impact. But, before he could complete the mission, his comrades' lives were endangered. So, he aborted the mission to save his comrades lives."
"Well, what's wrong with that?" Naruto asked.
"His failure cost the lives of hundreds of people. The village began to hate him, and despise him. Even the men that he had saved on that mission hated him. The mental and physical strain it put on him was immense, and he couldn't take it…so he killed himself." Naruto's eyes widened. "After that day…I began to only follow the rules of the Shinobi Code. Because…I saw my father as a disgrace. But Obito changed me." Naruto nodded.
"I believe the White Fang was a hero too." Kakashi looked at Naruto with a wide eye, but then he smiled.
"Thank you, Naruto." Naruto smiled and scratched his head.
"Eh, no problem." Kakashi stood up and walked over to his sleeping bag. He crawled into it, and went to sleep, leaving Naruto to think about his story and his mission.
XxX
Naruto and his team stood at the massive walls of the Hidden Sand Village. The guards they had met had recognized Naruto, and immediately went to find their Kazekage. They were waiting patiently for the guard to come back, when two familiar figures jumped next to them.
"Naruto Uzumaki didn't expect to see you." One said. He was a boy, with a full black body suit and white and purple face paint on. He had three scrolls on his back. The other one had curly blonde hair, and large fan strapped to her back.
"Temari, Kankuro! How have you been?" Naruto greeted.
"Oh, well you know, being the Kazekage's personal guards is pretty tiring. Say, are you Hokage yet?" Kankuro asked with a smirk. Naruto crossed his arms and started grumbling. "What was that?"
"I said no, not yet." Naruto said through clenched teeth.
"Really? So that's five years Gaara has on you now." Kankuro said mockingly.
"At least I don't play with dolls and face paint!" Naruto shouted back.
"What! I'm gonna kick your ass!"
"Bring it on girly boy!"
"Oh will you two shut up! I swear…" Temari shouted, cupping her forehead and shaking her head. "You are like children." They both crossed their arms and turned away from each other. Temari sighed and walked up to Sakura. They exchanged a brief hug. "Sakura, it's been so long!" Sakura nodded.
"It has Temari. It's good to see you again." Temari smiled, and looked at the other three Leaf Nin.
"Hello Uchiha, Kakashi, and oh Jiraiya-Sama?" She turned to Sakura. "What's he doing here? Are you guys on a mission?" Sakura nodded.
"Yea, we are. Why don't you go ask our captain about it?" She said, pointing at Naruto.
"Naruto? Really? Wow, never thought I'd see the day." Temari said in disbelief. "Well, it doesn't matter. Gaara is waiting for us, let's go." All of the ninja nodded, and the walked into the village. Temari led them through the sandy streets, until they entered the administration building. She led them up a few flights of stairs, into a hallway, and into Gaara's office. "Gaara, I brought them!" She announced as she opened the doors. Gaara was stationed behind a desk, looking as stoic as ever. He stood up, revealing his Kazekage robes, and walked around the desk. Naruto ran forward.
"Gaara!" He ran over the him and tried to put his arm around him, but his sand shot up and blocked him. "That damn sand still won't let me touch you eh?"
"No, and I'm rather grateful for that." Naruto pouted while Gaara greeted the rest of the Leaf Nin. "Hello Jiraiya-Sama, Kakashi-San, Uchiha-San." Jiraiya and Kakashi replied to his greeting with an emphatic hello, while Sasuke just grunted. Gaara turned to Naruto. "So, what is it you wanted to see me about?" Naruto looked at Gaara and sighed.
"You should sit down, this may take a while." Gaara looked at Naruto curiously, but complied. "I've come to you today as an emissary of the Leaf. We wish to ask your village to join us in the upcoming war." The Sand Siblings gasped.
"War? What do you mean war?" Temari asked heatedly.
"Just what it sounds like." Naruto answered sadly. "Soon, Leaf is going to war, and we need your help." Gaara intertwined his fingers and rested his head on them.
"That…is…troublesome."
"You sound like Shikamaru." Gaara narrowed his eyes, but then he sighed.
"I don't know what I can do for you. The council will definitely not approve of going to war."
"I know, but you have to convince them somehow. We really need you. Grass and Rain won't be enough." Gaara quirked an eyebrow.
"Grass and Rain?" Naruto nodded.
"Yes, I have just secured two alliances with Grass and Rain. But, they won't be strong enough to stop Rock." Gaara nodded.
"That would make sense. Grass and Rain are small villages, and they can't stop the sheer numbers that Rock has. But, with the combined effort of Sand, Leaf, Rain and Grass, then you have nothing to worry about." Naruto scratched his head.
"Actually, the Leaf won't really be fighting Rock…at all." Gaara stared at Naruto. "We'll have our hands full with Mist and Sound."
"Mist and Sound? You're taking both of them on?" Naruto nodded.
"We'll have a little help from Grass with Sound, but otherwise it's just us." Gaara shook his head.
"Why don't you tell me the whole story?" Naruto nodded.
"Well, a few weeks ago, I encountered Kabuto Yakushi and Zoronmaru Mizushi on the way to Hidden Sound. I was then sent on a mission to Sound to figure out why Zoronmaru Mizushi was allying himself with Orochimaru."
"Zoronmaru Mizushi, as in the Missing Nin from the Hidden Mist?" Gaara asked.
"Yes, the same one. While I was there, I learned that Orochimaru is planning to have Zoronmaru take over Mist, and then attack the Leaf with the combined might of Mist, Rock and Sound." Gaara nodded.
"And you need us to hold off Rock while you deal with Sound and Mist?" Naruto nodded. "Well, I can't guarantee you anything, but I'll try at the next council meeting, which is tomorrow. For now, I need detailed information on everything you know." Naruto nodded, and they got to work compiling reports and papers about their information.
XxX
Naruto sighed as he lied on his temporary bed. After they had gathered enough data, which had taken far too long for Naruto, he had been escorted to the Leaf's embassy in Sand. He had been lying on his bed for an hour now, and he really wanted to get some training done.
'You can train, but for the love of all that is holy, please do not destroy ANYTHING.'
Naruto laughed as he remembered Gaara's warning. He stood up, anxious to get some training down, and bolted out of his room. He ran outside, and went around back to the training field out back. It was nothing spectacular; a few training dummies, some targets on wooden posts, and a clearing for sparring. He walked into the clearing, and started focusing his chakra. He was planning and raising the gravity seal to 2 times the normal gravity. He was ready this time, when the gravity change came, but that didn't stop him from falling. He fell to his hands and knees, and stayed there for a minute.
"Man, this is just as hard as the last one." He pushed himself up after a minute of heavy breathing and panting. He stood still for a while, getting used to the new weight. He stared stretching all of his muscles, and doing some warm ups, like punches and kicks, until he felt good enough to run. Then, he did a few laps around the training field, until he could feel his muscles adjust to the weight. After the warm ups were complete, he summoned a hundred Shadow Clones, and ordered them to attack. For about ten minutes, he kicked, punched, dodged, and weaved through the clones, until all of them were defeated. At the end, he was panting heavily. He smirked, and summoned another hundred Shadow Clones.
"Round Two." The clones charged in at him, and he braced himself for the onslaught. After about an hour of fighting endless Shadow Clones, Naruto collapsed onto the ground, too tired to even move. He had scratches and bruises all over him, and blood caked his sweaty clothes. He closed his eyes, letting the cool breeze soothe his body. When the sun was suddenly blocked out, he opened his eyes, to see concerned emerald orbs looking back at him.
"Oh, so you're not dead." Sakura said sarcastically.
"I'd get up and hug you Sakura-Chan, but I can't seem to move my body." Naruto said with a chuckle. She sighed, and her hands started to glow green. Her face became more concerned as the soothing chakra flowed through Naruto's body.
"You need to be more careful Naruto. You're gonna end up killing yourself one day." Naruto sat up, now being able to move because of Sakura's healing powers, but Sakura didn't take her hands off him. She kept the healing up, not being nearly done.
"I'm fine Sakura-Chan. I've had much worse than this. This was just some light training to get used to my weight." Sakura shook her head.
"That's what scares me. Naruto, you have three broken ribs, you pulled almost every muscle in your body, and your ankle is sprained. This isn't training, it's suicide." Naruto just smiled.
"Sakura-Chan, I'm fine, really. And, I have nothing to worry about, because I always have you!" He said cheerfully. Sakura smiled.
"Well, I won't always be here Naruto. Just…promise me you'll be a little but more careful, please?" Naruto smiled.
"Of course, anything for you Sakura-Chan!" Naruto stood up, ignoring the stinging pain his whole body felt. "Now, if you could help to my room…" He said, chuckling nervously. Sakura sighed and shook her head. She stood and put Naruto's arm around her neck, and supported him with her arm.
"You're hopeless." They both laughed, and Sakura brought Naruto up to his room. She laid him on his bed, and activated her Mystical Palm Technique again, doing a quick diagnostic on his body. She saw nothing wrong, so she deactivated the technique stood above him.
"Thanks Sakura-Chan." She smiled and nodded.
"Of course Naruto." Sakura got up to leave, but then Naruto sat up and called out to her.
"Sakura-Chan!" She turned around and looked at him.
"Yes?"
"Do you…uh…I mean would you like to…go and explore the village tonight…with me?" Naruto stuttered. Sakura's eyes widened, but then she smiled.
"Sure Naruto, that sounds great."
"Yea okay I fig-wait. Did you just say yes?" He asked astonishment on his face.
"Yes, I did." Naruto blinked twice, and then grinned widely.
"Okay! How's seven o'clock sound?" He asked excitedly. Sakura nodded.
"Sure, that sounds great." She smiled and walked out of the room. Naruto fell back onto the bed with a smile. He fell asleep with that smile on his face.
XxX
Naruto looked at himself as he got ready for his date tonight with Sakura. He wasn't sure what to wear really, but he figured casual would be okay. The only change he made to his outfit was removing the cloak, because he only wore that when he did missions or trained. Other than that, he left everything else the way it was before. He looked at the clock, which read 6:53. He would be just on time. He waited a few minutes, not wanting to disturb Sakura in case she wasn't ready yet. At seven, he walked across the hall, and knocked on her door lightly.
"Coming!" The door swung open to reveal Sakura in her normal shinobi attire.
"Sakura-Chan, you look great!" Naruto exclaimed. She sighed.
"Naruto, this is what I wear every day." She said bluntly.
"I know, you look great every day Sakura-Chan!" He said with a smile. She blushed.
"You really think that Naruto?" He nodded enthusiastically.
"Of course!" She smiled, and stepped out of the room. They walked out of the embassy, and onto the sandy street, where the denizens of the village promenaded from shop to shop with smiles adorning their faces.
"It's really pretty at night." Sakura said dreamily, staring at the dozens of lanterns that hung from the roofs of shops and homes. Naruto nodded, looking at the village in the waning day sunlight.
"Yea, it is." He looked over at Sakura, who was still examining everything around the village with a smile. He looked away with a smile. They walked around the village for a little while longer, until Sakura started to get hungry.
"Naruto, I'm getting hungry, let's go find somewhere to eat." He nodded at her, and they walked around, looking for a nice place to eat. "Oh, that place looks cute!" Sakura exclaimed, pointing at a small outdoor café. Tables with small candles in the middle littered a small stone patio. A lattice roof was constructed over it, with vines running through it. They walked up to the place, and were seated immediately. After being given menus, and looking over them for a few minutes, an older man came over and asked what they wanted.
"I'll have the Soba noodles and eel Sushi please." Sakura ordered. The man nodded and turned to Naruto.
"Uhh…I'll have the Yakitori and a bowl of Fried Rice." The man nodded, and took the couple's menus. Sakura stared incredulously at Naruto. "What?" He asked, checking his clothes, and patting his face. "Is there something on me?"
"You didn't order ramen." She said bewilderedly. He looked at her and laughed.
"I don't have ramen all the time Sakura-Chan."
"It's all I've ever seen you eat." He cocked his head.
"Really? I guess you've never seen me eat dinner at home." She shook her head.
"No I haven't. I just figured you made instant ramen." He chuckled.
"No, I actually eat a healthy diet…well most of the time."
"Is that why you were so short as a kid?" Naruto pouted.
"I wasn't short…I just hadn't gotten my growth spurt yet…" He muttered under his breath. Sakura laughed, and their food was delivered. They ate, occasionally making small talk, until they were the last ones at the café. When they left, it was completely dark now; only the only light came from the lanterns that lined the sandy streets. They walked towards the hotel, until Naruto made a wrong turn.
"Naruto, the hotel is the other way." Sakura said, pointing in the other direction.
"I know, we're not going to the hotel yet." Sakura looked at him curiously.
"Why not?"
"You'll see." Naruto led her through the village, until they were at the giant walls. Naruto then started climbing the wall with his chakra.
"Naruto! What are you doing? We can't go up there!" Sakura yelled in whisper. Naruto shrugged.
"Sure we can. I just want to see something. No one has to know." He continued his walk, ignoring the warnings from Sakura. She sighed, and quickly caught up to him.
"If we get arrested, I'm telling them you kidnapped me." Naruto looked at her and smiled. They walked all the way up to the top of the wall, until they were on the flat surface. Naruto saw that no one was around, so he pulled Sakura up, and led her to the edge. "What are you…wow." Sakura stared over the vast expanse of desert that stretched as far as the eye could see. Above the desert was the most beautiful night sky Sakura had ever seen, with stars twinkling in space. "Naruto…this is amazing." He smiled.
"I'm glad you like it." He sat down, and she followed suit, both of their legs dangling over the edge. "I always see you staring at the sky at night during missions. I figured you were trying to look at the stars, but most of the time you can't because your vision is blocked by all of the trees. I thought you would like this." Sakura turned to Naruto.
"I love it Naruto. It's so beautiful." She turned back out to look at the view, but Naruto's eyes never left her. After about an hour, Sakura said she was getting tired, and they walked back to the embassy. When they entered, Jiraiya winked at Naruto, who scowled at him when Sakura wasn't looking. He led her up to her room, and said goodnight before returning to his own room. He fell asleep quickly, with the largest smile on his face.
XxX
A/N: And there's chapter 10. Sorry it is so late, but I've been sorta busy. I just recently got my copy of Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep back, and I've been playing it like non-stop. And, I've had a massive case of writer's block, which I can hopefully cure soon. Before I talk about the chapter, I would like to show you something that made me laugh. As I'm sure most of you know, there was a very large wedding in England recently, between Prince William and Princess (well now she's a Princess) Catherine. I was reading about it online, when I came across what Prince William's new title is. His Royal Highness Prince William Arthur Philip Louis, Duke of Cambridge, Early of Strathearn, Baron Carrickfergus, Royal Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, Master of Arts. That is thirty words. Holy shit. I wish I had a title like that. But isn't that insane? I mean, imagine if every day you had to address him like that. I don't think I would be able to even memorize all of that. Anyway, onto the chapter. This chapter was kinda short. I originally intended to write more, but I just cannot think of how to go on right now. Like I said, writers block. Hopefully I can get the next chapter going, but who knows. I hope you liked my NaruSaku date scene. It was a spur of the moment thing, and I think it fit really well. I guess that's the start of the true NaruSaku romance, so be ready for more. As for what will happen story-wise, you're guess is almost as good as mine. I need to get through this arc, and then the story will progress a lot faster I believe. I need to finalize my Seven Ninja Swordsmen first, and then everything should be smooth sailing from there. So, enjoy this chapter, and hopefully the next will be up sooner than this one was.