A/N: Hello everyone i hav3e some reviews to answer and started with one that will answer two at the same time.
Some one asked me why i put Fuujin instead of Kazejin. This is Simple. Because in Japanese Fuujin mean wind god and in Japanese Kazejin means wind temple. Raijin means god of lightning. Which in turn answers what element Fuujin was. Which i know i have been spelling wrong and i apologize.
Second some people asked if this was a SakuNaru. Yes and no. It is a harem. I am just putting the chapters that focus most on a certain girl in their catogory when i upload. Like this chapter focuses mostly on Naruto and Ino so hence why right now it's in the Naruto/Ino Catogory.
I am not adding any more girls actually i'm thinking of removing Ayame to make it easier to get Naruto with the other girl with out them tearing each other apart.
Someone else was kinda of angry about me complaining about my reviews. I apologize about this. I guess it's alittle sad that this story started out with having at least twenty five reviews a chapter and now it's down totwelve.
Someone also asked why Kakashi is favoring Sasuke. To tell you the truth i just see kakashi as that kind of person. So what i'm putting him to be as if he wants to live up to the "Legacy". The First and Second trained the Third, The Third trained the Sannin, Jiraiya trained the Fourth, The Fourth trained him, so he's going to train Sasuke.
I am sorry for this long note as i hate long Aurthor note more than anything but i just wanted to clear some things up.
On my final note. I will be gone for Two weeks starting November 28 through December 12. I will be going TAD to the field and will not have access to the internet. so i am updateing this now. However i do have chapter eleven finish. So if at least get seventeen reviews before Wednesday at 1200 i will update the next chapter.
Elysium
Chapter Ten
Ino
-
Coming into the training grounds of Team Asuma was a culture shock for Naruto. Being used to coming into a training ground that had burnt areas of land, fallen over trees, and three posts that were covered in dents. Not, a training ground that looked brand new, or out of a movie where everything seems peaceful. To say that he was a little skeptical that he would learn anything while training here would be an understatement.
Itachi just shook his head as he pushed Naruto forward. He didn't know why he had agreed to accompany Naruto to team 10's training grounds. Maybe to start something with Asuma, maybe to see what Asuma would be teaching Naruto, or maybe, just maybe she would be there. He shook his head not wanting to think of the last one considering that emotions just hindered one, but being with Naruto and seeing how he fights with his emotion was kind of putting a damper on that train of thought. To top things off he hadn't seen her in about a year now and it seemed to be affecting how he worked on his missions and interacted other people. It was like he didn't work well at all with other people unless it was Naruto. All he knew was that after they all had parted ways something started to seem like it was missing.
Naruto would have scowled from the push but only had to smile as he caught sight of a familiar figure. The lovely Ino was looking especially pretty covered in sweet and dirt which for some reason set off her long yellow hair as she arguing with Kiba about something that looked like the Inuzuka didn't totally agree with, with one Nara Shikamaru, standing next to them, who looked like he was too busy looking at the clouds to care. She was beautiful; he had to admit that she was one of the prettiest girls he ever seen, well maybe second. However, as he got closer to her and Shikamaru, all his good thoughts about her shattered.
Especially walking onto the training grounds just in time to here a potential girlfriend, asking why Kiba didn't agree that Sasuke-kun would be better on their team instead of the dobe, did not sit well with him.
"Well, maybe when he gets it through his head that if he stopped relying so much on others bending to his will and taking the stick from out of his ass, then maybe he can get better training other then Kakashi-teme."
The girl turned to look at Naruto who had his orange jump suit and arms crossed over his chest as he glared right back at her. She gulped before shaking her head and glaring right back at him. "Y-you're just jealous that Sasuke-kun is better then you!"
"There's only one thing I would ever be jealous of Teme for and believe me, it's not that he is better then me, which I might add, he is not." Naruto shook his head before turning to their Jounin Sensei. "Hey, Asuma-Teme, what are you supposed to be training me on."
"Arrogant, little brat." Asuma said under his breath as he adjusted his cigarette in his mouth.
"I also would like to know." Itachi spoke up eyes fixed on the smoking ninja.
"Wind manipulation." Asuma said glaring at Itachi wishing that looks could kill.
"First, I already am a master at wind manipulation, for that is my chakra's essence. And second, I'm not arrogant, I. Just. Don't. Like. You."
Asuma let the cigarette fall out of his mouth before trying to catch it like an idiot. "Why you little… hot, hot, hot!"
"It's true; he has learned wind manipulation already and mastered it." Itachi looked around at Asuma's team, a lazy genius, a crazed taijutsu specialist, and a speed beauty that was like a female version of Naruto but weaker. "From the looks of it, it doesn't seem that you could teach Naruto anything that Kurenai and I haven't already."
"Teme," Asuma said under his breath. While Ino eyed the man with a blush, Kiba looked ready to pounce on Itachi, and Shikamaru, again, looked like he was to busy looking at the clouds to care.
"Did you say something Asuma?"
Shikamaru leaned over to Naruto as he watched the two males argue. "What's up with those two?"
"There in love with the same woman." Naruto said with a shrug.
"How romantic!" Ino yelled as she got a dreamy look in her eyes.
"Feh, like any bitch would like a mother fucker like that. Who the hell does he think he is?" Kiba asked as Akamaru barked back in agreement.
"Who does she like?" Shikamaru asked.
"Meh, I'm not sure really." Naruto scratched the back of his head.
"Probably, Asuma-sensei." Ino said with her finger on her chin.
"And why do you say that?"
"Well, Asuma looks stronger then that guy, and Asuma's a Sarutobi what else could you ask for?" Ino said glaring at Naruto as he began to laugh.
"You don't know who Itchii-nii is, do you?" Naruto began to whip the tears from his eyes. "His real name is Itachi."
Ino just shrugged. "So,"
"For being one of Sasuke's biggest stalkers you sure don't know a lot about him."
"And you do?!" Ino was about to stand and strangle the pompous prick. "And I am not a stalker!"
cough cough cough for some reason Shikamaru began to cough uncontrollably and Kiba would not make eye contact with Ino.
"Unfortunately, yes." Naruto turned back to the two yelling males, well the yelling Asuma and the emotionless Itachi. "Uchiha Sasuke, age 13, favorite color red, likes training and his family, hates weaklings and those who are stronger then himself, and his dream is to surpass the second strongest ninja in Konoha; his brother Uchiha Itachi."
"How do you know all this?" Shikamaru asked eyeing Naruto.
"Uchiha Itachi is my sensei and has been since I was five."
Ino couldn't believe it. Naruto had been training to be a ninja since he was five. Damn, Sasuke hadn't started until he was eight. Not that it matter as Sasuke was still stronger, but still. It was incredible. She took a quick peek at Naruto. She had to admit, with that mask and even with the stupid orange jump suit he was cute. But what drew her to always look at him over Sasuke all the time was his eyes. Those blue eyes that she could swear would turn neon with his emotions.
"From what I can see of you Asuma, I'm afraid to see what your students can do."
A grin, "Well then if you think he's so tough, perhaps a challenge is in order."
"What?" Naruto asked finally catching that part of the conversation.
"If he can't beat Shikamaru then you have to stay away from Kurenai forever with no explanation to her." Asuma said patting himself on the back for giving himself leeway on the matter. With this, Kurenai would have no way of finding out about this little bet, and that chicken shit wouldn't be able to mess with her or even go near here making it easier to rebuild there relationship that went down hill when she left on that long ass mission.
"Alright, if I win you have to break up with Kurenai." Asuma smiled, if there was a slim chance that Naruto won he'd just break it off for a minute then smile and add 'I'm joking' which would honor their bet seeing as how he broke up with her, even if it was only for a second…"For a month at least." Well that didn't help at all.
Asuma faltered for a minute before smiling to himself; no matter, it wasn't like the brat could win with Shikamaru's brains.
"Deal,"
-
And so that morning Asuma had stood watching as his prized pupil was slaughtered by a boy who he didn't even think took anything seriously, especially training after what Kurenai said his personality was when it came to him having to do something. Then again she told him that when the boy was four. So Kami, what on your green earth, was Asuma thinking when he made that decision to make that challenge. Ino's speed, Shikamaru's brains, Kiba's strength, the boy matched them in everything so of course Shikamaru didn't have a chance.
Itachi was right, what was he going to train him in.
Of course, he had to admit; it was entirely possible that he hadn't totally given too much credit to the boy and let his out right dislike for him make him misjudge him. The boy was trained since he was five, he couldn't be a crappy ninja, especially with Itachi as his sensei. Possible, but not probable. Itachi train a boy into a talentless ninja? Sadly he had to admit that that would never happen.
God this was going to be a long month.
He sighed as he looked over at Itachi, who seemed like the weight of the bet had just hit him, like Shikamaru also hit the ground: Hard. He slowly, and shakily I might add, ran his hand through his long hair. Now he had the opening to approach Kurenai in a manner that was other than friends, and he couldn't use the excuse that she had a boyfriend any more. He wanted to scratch his head in frustration like Naruto did all the time but he was an Uchiha. Maybe that excuse would work. He was an Uchiha and he couldn't because of his status. No, no, no, that sounded way to shallow. Err! He could go against any ninja, well except the Fourth, without fear, so why in the seven hells was he afraid to talk to a newly appointed Jounin about a date?
Itachi looked at Naruto who pumped his hand in the air. The Nara boy hadn't even laid a finger on the boy, which was amazing. Yeah, Itachi had high expectations of Naruto and would be very disappointed in him if he wasn't able to meet them, but he had to admit that he was just saying half the things about Asuma's team just to piss him off… Okay, okay, all of that shit about Asuma's team was said just to piss the bastard off. The Nara was good, and Itachi had to admit that he was skeptical when Naruto went into the fight. But yet again the little Hokage freakin' surprised him again. Going into a battle like it was nothing and coming out of it with a beaten opponent not letting any of the guy's attacks touch him. Itachi was impressed.
Itachi watched as Naruto stopped his parading around to watch as Ino, and Kiba picked up Shikamaru and made sure he was okay. He watched the boy's eyes as they dimmed. Maybe just hanging out with them for a month would help the boy out in the long run, if not making him physically stronger, but emotionally as well. Especially watching as not just a moment ago his eyes were glowing and the wind had picked, and now the wind seemed to be suffocating him now, which reminded him of something he had to ask the Hokage.
--------------
The Hokage was not in a good mood at the moment. Piles and piles of paper work were every where on his desk and he had yet to start on one single peace of paper. He glared at the paper work hoping that they would vanish or something would save him from this evil demon that would make Kyubi want to die. He grinned manically as he went through a couple of hand seals ready to set the paper work to flame.
That's when a pounding on his door broke his glare and drew his attention.
"Come in!"
Instantly the door swung opened to reveal Itachi who strolled to the front of his desk before kneeling in a bow. This made Arashi raise an eyebrow.
"Hokage-Sama, I request permission to speak to you on a certain matter that concerns you and your son."
Arashi raised both brows at this, before waving his hand for the Anbu to shut his door to his office. He relaxed once done and turned his gaze to Itachi who was still kneeling. "It's alright Itachi, they have left."
Itachi stood and for the first time in a long time Arashi saw that the man before him seemed troubled.
"What seems to be troubling you?" Arashi stood, paused for a moment before shaking his head, and walked around his desk only to stand and lean against the front of it as he stared at the younger male.
"This matter has been bothering me since I first met your son, and I just haven't had the time to ask you about it." He looked at the window before turning back to the Hokage and speaking. "When I brought your son back and explained what Orochimaru did to him, I told you I didn't think the Kazama's had a blood line and you said you did. I have been meaning to ask you what it is."
Arashi sighed as he adjusted his Hokage robes before crossing his arms around his chest. "You have heard of the four Clans that were around before ninja, right?"
"The ones that brought us Ninja to exist?" A nod, "It was said that each had a blood line, one for Ninjutsu, one for Genjutsu, one for Taijutsu, and the Samurai in Kenjutsu."
"What they didn't tell you about was the fifth clan that brought in element manipulation."
"You mean-?"
"The clan was divided by five brothers, each with a certain element they were best at. One with red eyes and the angry fire, one with yellow eyes and the roaring lightning, one with teal eyes and the raging sea, one with brown eyes and the waiting earth, and one with blue eyes and the overpowering wind. It's said that the five brothers were in a power struggle."
Arashi looked away from Itachi to look out the window, "People say that each element is equal in a sense but this is a lie. Wind is the most powerful element."
Itachi raised and eye brow. "But if a fire were to attack the wind all the wind would do would make it stronger."
"What's stopping the wind from stopping all together and killing the fire where it stands or blaring and sending it back from whence it came?"
Itachi had to admit he did not think of this. It would take immense control to eliminate the air and wind around a fire but it could be done.
"Seeing this, the four brothers sought out allies to help fight each other and the fifth brother thus commencing the first shinobi war and the creation of ninja."
Itachi looked at the window with a thoughtful gaze. "So we ninja come from the shinobi of the earth who couldn't put their differences aside."
"After the war they say that the people who didn't agree with the intermingling of clans left to die out or to be lost. The wind brother was one of those people."
"But there are still wind users?"
"It wasn't that he could only use wind, it was that his strongest quality was the wind. Able to manipulate it with one finger, able to control it with out chakra it was one Kekkai Genkai one of the five original."
"This puts a new prospective on what I should be teaching him." Itachi headed for the door before stopping. "What kind of Kekkai Genkai is this?"
Arashi tilted his head to look at Itachi. "Just like yours, through the eyes."
Itachi nodded before leaving completely.
"Kazama, Uzumaki, Kageshin… and those two clans." He sighed touching just below his right eye. "Kibigan(Blazing eye)"
His eyes began turn neon as a yellow hue surrounded him. As one thought came through his head.
Naruto had another reason to watch his back.
--------------
Her long pale golden tresses manifest platinum hues in departing sunlight. It swayed against her backside as she treads the familiar roads leading towards Konaha's busy streets. The dissolving daylight guides her until she reaches the residential area of town. She tilts her wrist and reads the time off of the oval shaped face of her watch. The archaic needles point to half past seven (she found more style in it than something digital). She was not enjoying the feel of the aches in her joint at the moment, and nothing seemed to help. Not even the hot spring on the north side of Konoha. Not to mention she was tired as hell.
After her training session, watching Naruto beat Shikamaru, two weeks of training with Itachi, and watching Asuma reluctantly brake up with Kurenai-sensei. She was pooped. She sighed as she rolled her neck only to stop and stare at the sky. "Shikamaru must be highly disappointed," she thought as she stared at the clear blue sky that seemed to bring her back to her thoughts on another blonde. For some reason she felt ashamed for how she treated him today. But she was still angry that that forehead girl got to be with her Sasuke-kun while she had to be with a lazy ass and a dumb ass. She was even angrier last month when she found out the billboard brow was with Naruto also for a teammate. To say she was frustrated was an understatement.
She was so frustrated that she looking for a good reason to vent her anger. So when she heard that Naruto was coming to her team she was ecstatic, but her anger from last month was still fresh. Now, she had a reason to vent, even if the reason was a poor one. She sighed, which caused her to promptly insert her foot in her mouth. She wasn't paying attention as she was too busy ranting, she tried to defend herself from… well, herself. But that just made her feel worse. That she couldn't sense one of her crushes as he came into the area. This whole mess was making her even more frustrated.
She wanted to grab and pull out her hair with frustration, and she was going to too, only to stop when she saw something that caught her eye. There in front of her stood Ichiraku's ramen stand, this wasn't what caught her attention though. What did catch her attention was the orange wearing teen who was just sitting there with out a care in the world. Like him running through her head and making her confused was nothing. She'd give him a piece of her mind for taking this so lightly.
From the doorway she saw him hunched over a bowl of ramen next to a small boy with spiky brown hair sitting next to him. She approaches him quietly, watching as he stops every so often to talk to the young boy who looked to be clinging to every word. Seeing nothing but the back of his head and his warm golden hair, which glows both brilliant and soft against the fading light of day, she muses on how he must be squinting as he talks and eats, that same look that makes him look like he's trying to see into the sun.
Upon noticing her presence in the ramen bar, the boy marvels at Ino with doe-like eyes. "Sensei? Who's that pretty onee-san? Is she an admirer of yours?" the boy grinned which caused Ino's eyebrow to twitch and her eye to tick.
After one glance behind him, Naruto turns back to the boy and thrusts a thumb over his own shoulder, pointing towards the only other person in the ramen bar other then the chefs. "You mean the scary looking one behind me?" The remark earns him a bump on the head. "See what I mean about scary?"
The boy giggles at their antics before grinning and showing his missing teeth. Before he hoped off the stool he was on and stood up beside Naruto. "Well sensei, Oji wants to talk to me a bit. I'll stop by to see you and Goldy-chan later."
"Alright, I'll see you later Konohamaru." Naruto said with a wave, and with that the boy left with his blue scarf blowing behind him.
Ino sighed as she sat down beside her fellow blonde. "Who was that?" she asked as the bar tender of the ramen bar took her order, which at first started off in a glaring contest as the girl didn't seem to happy that Ino was sitting where she was sitting. After the girl had left Ino looked over at Naruto to see if he even heard her. He was just starring into his ramen with a far off look. She was about to repeat herself before he gave her an answer.
"He is Sarutobi Konohamaru, grandson of the third Hokage." With that said Naruto quickly lowered his mask and to a quick bite before lifting the mask in place. Ino wanted to scream when he did this as he did it so fast that she couldn't see his face at all.
"How do you know the Third's grandson?" She didn't mean for it to come out of her mouth the way it did, all condescending and disbelieving. But she was a little irritated that she was unable to see his face that it showed in her voice her frustrations. God, today wasn't a good day for her and it just seemed to be getting worse and worse.
Naruto looked at her from the corner of his eye as he finished off his twelfth bowl of ramen. Setting the bowl gently and still looking at her from the corner of his eye he asked, "What? Surprised a lowly person like me knows the legendary "Professor" or even has any type of relations with him?"
"No, no, no, no, no, no, I didn't mean it like that! It was just that I was so frustrated that…" she looked over at him to see that he fully turned to her so she mumbled the last part. He was sure he heard the word "mask" under her breath. She sighed as she realized nothing was going as she planned.
She turned to face that familiar spiky blonde hair, furrowed brows and intense eyes. She could feel a sort of unease coming over her, the memories of him sitting by his self on the swing still clearly etched in her mind. His strong build, protective eyes and his body covered in injuries that she knew was there from his training session with Itachi, especially if the stories she heard from Kurenai-san telling Asuma about her "Nephew" that she took on the training trip were true. She could not even begin to describe the relief she had felt when she found out he was still alive, nor could she describe the pain she felt when she thought that he had died at the age of five.
"So," she began looking everywhere but directly at him. "How exactly do you know the Third and his grandson?"
"Through my dad…" his eyes widened and he quickly looked over at Ino who had her head tilted to the side in a confused manner.
"I thought you were an orphan?"
Sigh, he had fucked up and he knew there was no way he could cover up his mistake. So he did the only thing that seemed right.
He told her the truth… well not all of it.
"I kind of am, I live by myself over in District D, and sometimes live with my father when he's not to busy to deal with me." Naruto looked back forward not wanting to see her face as he told her. He hated seeing the sympathy.
"So, when Konohamaru said 'Goldy-chan' he must have been talking about your dad?" she asked softly.
"Ha! Yeah, the old man hates it when the little guy calls him that. He says that Kon reminds him of himself when he was younger… I just can't picture that though." He sighed one last time as he stood and through his money on the counter to pay for his ramen. "Well Ino it was nice talking to you and all but I got to get to bed. It's been a good week but since Itachi can't find a reason to stay with your team any longer I will be moving to my next team. It's been a crazy two weeks and-."
He felt a pair of arms wrapping around him, pulling him tightly into her embrace. He was stunned and his first instinct was to yell and push her away. However, his body refused to react to his instinct and instead, he just stayed still in her arms. Then tentatively, nearly irrationally, his trembling hands slowly reached up and returned the hug, grabbing tightly onto her purple shirt. The comfort of Ino's warmth against him was beyond description, beyond anything he had ever dared to desire.
"I'm sorry."
It was all he heard through the sobs that were muffled as she buried her face into his chest. To say he was confused would have been an understatement as he slowly, unwillingly actually, lowered his arms to his side. He looked down to catch the sad smile she gave him as she quickly wiped her tears away.
"I'm sorry for how I've treated you all these years… I'm sorry for-."
"Ino," She stopped instantly as she heard the sadness in his voice that was mixed with a tinge of happiness. "You don't have to worry about it. Half of the stuff we went through happened eight to nine years ago. The crap that happened in the academy, well you had an image to up hold, and a Haruno to beat." That got him a giggle. He smiled softly and cupped her left cheek which she leaned into. "Even so, thank you." He bent down and kissed her forehead before stepping back and disappearing in a poof of smoke, leaving behind, a very Ino-like tomato.
-
Naruto lay on his bed, not realizing how exhausted he actually was. Not exactly physically worn out, but more of emotionally drained. He was in his own apartment. This familiar bed, this familiar room, this familiar world… yet none of them could comfort him. He felt so stupid, thinking that perhaps life would change her mind at the very last moment and would grant him something good for once… stupid, truly, utterly stupid.
After awhile of staring at the ceiling the sound of light tapping could be heard. Small movement to his right caught his eye causing him to look at the opened window and watch as the rain began to pick up drenching the inside of his room. Sitting up slowly Naruto pushed off the bed and walked over to the window setting his hand on the window seal getting a real good look out side see some villagers running to get to shelter with their loved ones or friends. Oh how he wished he could share that feeling with them.
Naruto pushed his window closed as the rain had begun to lighten up. The rain was a light drizzle, falling like a soft curtain of mist, encompassing the night in its soft embrace. The village was blurry canvas in the background with its busy sounds, but Naruto was not listening as he stared at the rain. He placed his hand on the window pane, feeling the coolness of the glass against his palm. The night was descending, the last shades of indigo was disappearing and changing into a deep navy blue, the sky visibly adorned only by a hazy thin crescent moon that hung low near the horizon.
The sound of the rain, he realized, was strangely rhythmic. The sound was nearly pleasing to the ear, nearly soothing to the soul. He had never really observed the rain in this manner before. He had always avoided it because of the, euphemistically described, unpleasant memories it held for him. So it felt odd as he sat there staring at the rain so calmly right now.
It was a symphony to his soul.