Wave after wave of air sliced their way past him, forcing Neji to get creative in how he deflected the compression blasts that launched from every swing of the sword in his enemy's hands. There had been nothing like this on any of the reports that he'd managed to dig up on Naruto, no mention that he had either elemental techniques or advanced weapons training. The failure was his, he supposed. The matches had been finalized a month ago and he didn't take the time to observe his enemy's training regimen, focused instead on his own just as intently.
The crowd at least was eating it up, cheering with every dodge and near miss that blasted into the dirt floor of the arena, every slash that kicked his hair around like it were caught in a tornado. Forming barriers of chakra in his hands and arms, Neji ran into the next air blade, pushing his energy into the attack to burst it before it could cut into his arms and body. Clearly going on past evaluations of Naruto's skill and experience was not going to be feasible in this situation, and he had to close the distance and get in striking range of the short blade if he wanted to make any headway in this battle.
For his part, Naruto was starting to get a little strained from constantly pumping elemental chakra into a weapon that wasn't designed to handle it and which was starting to fatigue under the stresses. Against an opponent like Neji, however, he couldn't spare the time to form hand seals for one of his more powerful abilities, and there were several tricks and strategies that he didn't want to reveal so early in the game.
Faced with a Hyuuga inside his guard, Naruto let his grip on the sword slacken, dancing just out of reach and wincing anyway when the invisible blades extending from Neji's fingertips cut shallow channels into his flesh. It was more of an annoyance than any real danger, though if he took too many there would be a cumulative effect resulting in an eventual bleed-out. Stepping back from a palm strike aimed at his chest, fingers came together in the proper configuration to spawn a trio of shadow clones.
Shunting chakra into his eyes to watch his flanks and rear while focusing on the real Naruto, Neji resumed the attack, finding difficulty in actually landing blows as long as the clones were interfering. The one to his rear threw a pair of kunai with the speed of a jounin; quick reaction from Neji sent the blades careening into the flankers instead, dispersing them with a splash of blood that vanished as readily as the clones from which it had been spilled.
Grinning and sweating from the exertions, the blond stepped inside Neji's guard in the exact same way that Hinata had in their fight against each other; instead of delivering an elbow that he figured Neji would be ready for, Naruto opted for a rising knee to the gut and then a hammer blow to the upper spine. The combination folded Neji and staggered him. Not to be deterred the older teen grabbed Naruto around the waist in a decidedly unorthodox (for a Hyuuga) manner, using the advantages of size and weight to lift his foe up and into a reverse piledriver that set the viewers into hysterics of excitement.
Amidst the gathered throng, Tsunade—under an advanced change—bit her lip with disquiet at the way Naruto lay on the field, stunned by the move that Neji had pulled on him. She relaxed but only slightly when he kicked up and to his feet, lashing out at his adversary with a spinning axe kick that, inelegant though it may be, delivered enough power to crater the ground where Neji had been standing.
"Conniving little bitch," Neji sneered in a moment of emotional openness.
"Don't you just hate me?" Naruto fixed an insufferable grin to his face and then whipped his hands through a set of seals. "Wind Release: Air Pulse!" Thrusting his hands forward and letting go of the chakra he'd been building up, Naruto expanded the volume of air in front of him considerably, creating a temporary updraft strong enough to actually pull instead of push. Like a miniature tornado it spun around the field, chasing Neji as its creator guided it after the other genin.
It was of short duration, of course, and petered out after only a minute but it was a good display of the capabilities that he was holding back. The sneer deepened into disgust, and Neji decided that the time for holding back was over. Feinting twice, on the third movement he didn't draw back, accepting the knife hand to the shoulder so he could jab his fingers into the tenketsu points on Naruto's arms, locking them tight.
This was the moment he'd been waiting for. The pain he could deal with, the numbness in his limbs not so much as he endured the full onslaught of the Sixty-Four Heavenly Palms. Internally Naruto was glad that Tsunade wasn't around to see this, as the blood he was spitting up might send her into regression concerning her phobia. Though the injuries staggered him, Naruto was pleased that the plan was working so well; purposefully falling backwards his head hit the arena floor and left stars in his vision. At the moment he couldn't hear very well, Neji saying something about not being able to fight his fate.
Deactivating his Byakugan, Neji turned to Genma, who was about to signal the Hyuuga as the winner when the debris from Naruto's earlier missed kick shifted and pounced, changing into a fourth clone that was now holding a kunai to Neji's neck. The real Naruto in the meantime briefly switched the chakra running through his body to restore control of his limbs, shutting off the flow from the fox before he noticed anything unusual.
"Three little words, Neji, and I let you keep your dignity."
"I'll never say them. Not for you, not for anyone." Why Naruto was up and moving didn't matter. The knife to his throat didn't matter. Success was the only option. Pulsing his chakra, Neji threw the clone off and spun to face Naruto, who was on his feet again and generating yet more clones. A full platoon's worth filled the arena, surrounding Neji and each armed with kunai and shuriken held ready to launch.
"Fire!" As one the clones unleashed their barrage upon Neji, forcing a response. Eyes going into overdrive again, he spun in place, shielding himself with a rotating barrier emanating from his body to deflect each and every one of the projectiles harmlessly away. "Oh that's just cheating, Neji!"
"No it isn't!" He was not going to get into a shouting match with the Uzumaki brat.
"It totally is!"
"The word 'cheating' is not in a shinobi's vocabulary!"
"Bullshit it isn't! Alright, if you want to play with shields, I'm going to play with swords!" Diving for the discarded implement Naruto rolled out of Neji's grasp and threw the weapon up into the air, where it multiplied into ten, then fifty, then a hundred and further on as it traveled skyward. As gravity reasserted itself and they began to fall back to the ground point-first, Naruto grinned. "Ninja art: Sword Rain!"
Scoffing at the attempt of yet another ranged attack, Neji raised his arms and cycled through the perfect barrier that was the Hyuuga clan's ultimate defensive strategy, bursting the cloned swords left and right. Most of them landed in the ground or bounced semi-harmlessly, at least one settling at Neji's feet as he ended his rotation. Picking it up in his hands and raising it for a charge, he found the sword replaced with a very agitated cat.
Flailing madly, Neji gave it every effort to dislodge the crazed feline from his head, amidst shouts of panic and rage. Naruto on the other hand stood there laughing his ass off, bent double at the waist. "I told you, three words and you keep your dignity, and you chose to ignore me. Last chance, Neji!"
"I – ow – will not – damn it – say those words!"
"Suit yourself!" Forming shadow clones for the last time, Naruto charged, two of them catching his distracted enemy with sharp spiral kicks that sent him flying, to be rebounded into the air by the third, and then volleyball spiked straight into the ground by the original Uzumaki himself. Stunned by the assault, Neji lay there breathlessly, rolling onto his stomach and almost making it to his feet before Genma finished the ten-count.
It was not to be, though. As Genma finished announcing the final digit in the count, the stresses of combat caught up with Neji, and he sank to his knees again. Amidst the cheers and roars of the crowd, Naruto let the clones vanish one by one, and offered his shoulder to Neji to help him back into a standing position. Grudgingly the elder Hyuuga took it, knowing he had to be diplomatic about his loss.
"I promised Hinata I wasn't going to mess you up too much," he whispered to Neji.
"Don't let it go to your head, Uzumaki. Next time I will defeat you."
"Any time you want to try, I'm game. Let's just keep it secret from Hinata. She'd kill us both."
"Without hesitation," Neji agreed.
Platitudes to his host aside, the plan had not faltered in the slightest, and in fact had gained a wonderful opportunity. Few if any in the stands would ever get the chance to become the young man's acquaintances, let alone friends, but connections could be made all the same. People looked up to those stronger than them even if that hero worship was tempered by spite and old hatred.
More and more threads went out, attaching effortlessly to the men and women who had changed and begun expressing admiration for the blond seal carrier. The original strategy was still in place, and was coming to fruition nicely.
It had all gone to hell when Sasuke attempted genjutsu on Gaara. The fight had gone well enough at first, Lee's advice to the young Uchiha the day before providing some benefit; Sasuke had faced worse opponents before, though not any with such omnipresent reach and offensive capability. The sand pouring from Gaara's gourd was wielded as effectively as any staff or blade, forcing distance between the two combatants while allowing Gaara to stay completely immobile.
After determining that speed and raw power wouldn't work (and leaving Naruto among others to wonder when it was that Sasuke got so fast) and not wanting to provoke Gaara into walling himself off, Sasuke had settled for a different tactic. Supposedly the Sand shinobi was equivalent to a jounin in strength if not rank and should have been able to break the spell; however, as Sasuke cast the genjutsu, Gaara had…smiled, head lolling forward as he fell asleep and began snoring. And that's when the sand started to envelop him.
Right about the same time feathers of light began to fall from the sky, or so it seemed, and the spectators began to fall into an induced slumber, one by one, then in groups and then in whole waves. Former and active ninja who could do so broke the genjutsu's hold quickly, and as the sand coving Gaara from the chest down began to grow into a larger mass, an explosion blew a hole in the wall of the stadium, accompanied by several others within the city and along the outer wall. A few of the Leaf who had shaken off the wide-area effect were moving through the crowd, reviving people that could help fight, while others drew weapons to fight off the masked ninja wearing the robes and headbands of Sound.
Inside the locker room and waiting area Neji and Shikamaru had helped to rouse their fellows, and met up with Genma to receive orders. Among the stands several real ANBU clashed with their false counterparts, trying to draw the fighting away from the civilians or barring that eliminate the infiltrators—several of the spectators were in fact enemy soldiers—before they could cause too much harm.
Gaara, or rather the beast he contained, was as the body grew trampling through Konoha, headed for the western forest for no real discernable reason other than perhaps wanting to grow to maximum size first in order to optimize the amount of destruction it could cause. Giving chase once he was awake, Naruto detoured around Baki, the Sand jounin fighting Genma without much success. Making for the breach with Shikamaru and Sakura close behind they were suddenly stopped by Kankuro and Temari.
"Out of our way, Temari! We're not going to let that monster get any bigger!" To emphasize his point, Naruto placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, glaring at the woman who dared block his path.
"You've got it all wrong, Naruto!" she pleaded with him. "Shukaku wasn't part of the plan! Don't hurt Gaara, it's not his fault!"
"What plan?" Shikamaru demanded impatiently. Naruto used the moment to push past, pouring energy into his legs to cross large spans with every leap and bound. He had to catch Gaara and couldn't spare any time to argue or get into a protracted battle. Along the way he started generating clones, sending them back into the city with orders to find and escort civilians to safety and fight only if there was no other choice.
He was being followed, both by his friends, and by the two Sand ninja whose concern for their brother overrode any desire to make war with the people that were supposed to be their allies. Kankuro was more talkative as they ran, following the path of destruction left in the monster's wake. It didn't sit well with the Leaf shinobi, who had accepted the Sand into their village as potential allies; the marked shift in the Kazekage's behavior had started just a month ago, strange ambitions and a dangerous plan being formulated.
At the same time he'd grown distant and cold to his children, even more than previously or was normal for a leader in harsh conditions such as the desert he ruled over. For gains that they couldn't be sure of, Sand had formed a partnership with the unknown factor that was Sound for the sole purpose of invading the Leaf. No mention had been made of the end objective from such an act, and if the plan failed as it was sure to with things going out of control like this, it could mean another war.
"The only way to break Shukaku's hold on Gaara is to wake him up. The beast feeds him nightmares so he doesn't sleep well. The few times he's actually rested we've had to restrain him in an underground prison. Everyone is afraid because of the demon he carries—"
"So he's got a monster sealed inside him, too?" Naruto inquired without hesitation. "And don't tell me, nobody loved him so he shut himself off…"
"How could you know that?" The similarities were obvious, Sakura thought, only unlike Naruto, Gaara didn't get the advantage of people to look past the demon he carried and see the person holding it at bay. No wonder he'd turned out so…freaky. Shikamaru, on the other hand, realized he'd just been told two S-class secrets in less than an hour and saw his chances of survival dwindle rapidly.
"I've got the Nine-Tails. So all I have to do is wake him up, right? And that'll stop Shukaku from forming?"
"That's right, but hurry! If he grows any larger then he won't relinquish control!"
"I've got just the thing. I couldn't find a use for it lately…better cover your ears." Pushing down hard, Naruto focused and took a deep breath, about to pull out a simple, silly trick that was devised to chase down beasts just like this one. Then just to make it better, he guided wind chakra from the air around him, puffing up as large as he could before yelling out mightily. "GAARA! I GOT YOUR SISTER PREGNANT!" The noise resonated through the forest, and even with their ears covered the others heard it rattling around inside their skulls.
Gaara and Temari's heads both snapped towards Naruto at the same time, abject horror spreading across their features, and then for Gaara, pure unadulterated fury.
"He what…?" the redhead muttered to himself as Shukaku began to dissolve and he came out of his Sasuke-induced stupor. "He WHAT?"
"He what?" Temari repeated needlessly. Sakura palmed her forehead and prepared to fight again.
"Damn it, Naruto!" Heedless of the imminent danger that would result if he allowed Shukaku to completely disintegrate beneath him, Gaara fixed his eyes on Naruto's position. The Armor of Sand dissipated, the gourd fell away forgotten, and with a bloodcurdling scream he launched himself after the blond.
"Uh oh." Seeing the predicament, Naruto started off back towards Konoha, running as fast as his legs could carry him. Gaara was in hot pursuit, intent on wringing Naruto's neck himself, Temari and Sakura keeping up without much trouble either, shouting for Gaara not to kill him because they wanted a turn.
Kankuro turned to Shikamaru, shaking his head in disbelief. "Where does he hide those massive balls of his?"
Before he could reply another shout echoed through the forest. "We've gotta find the old man!"
Sending another ninja wearing the emblem of Sound to join the first two, Tsunade brushed her palms together and looked around the empty street. Most of the fighting was centered near the stadium and administrative district, though quite a few ninja teams had been dispersed through the city to wreak general havoc and tie up the defenders chasing them down.
More than a few of Konoha's better warriors had been occupied in holding off the assault from a summon, a giant snake that was all too familiar to the retired ninja. Shizune's arrival in Konoha had been later than hoped, though still in time to be of help. It depleted her reserves of poisons but the snake had been defeated with minimal losses, which was good; the bad side to it was that now they had to fight the invaders hand to hand.
By now they were going through the city systematically, hunting down the enemy infiltrators and giving them the option of surrender. The stubborn ones got beaten to a pulp. The really stubborn ones were gifted with coffins. As more and more of the chuunin and city guard realized that they had a Sannin assisting them, spirits rose and resolve quickened; sketchy reports were coming in that the Kazekage that had been in attendance at the stadium was actually an impostor and that a duel was now raging on the stadium's roof, confined by a barrier.
Tsunade had other concerns, at the moment. There were still plenty of civilians that hadn't managed to be evacuated in time that required protection, and not enough ninja teams to escort them all. Then there were the injuries that were beginning to pile up, the hospitals unable to handle them all. At this rate, Tsunade felt she may have to give up the battle and recruit volunteers to help with the wounded. And worst of all she heard whispers that it was the Hokage who was locked in the duel, that he was losing badly to his opponent.
If her suspicions were correct, and she had no reason to doubt herself…Konoha was playing host to a reunion party for the legendary Sannin, and oh what a party it was. Torn between needing to aid in the defense of Konoha's residents and wanting to go help her teacher, Tsunade could not decide between the two. Seeing the indecision on her mentor's face Shizune told her to go, run to Sarutobi's side and make sure he didn't die. She could handle things here.
As she ran along to reach the stadium, employing intermittent body flickers to increase the speed of her travel, Tsunade saw something odd. The ninja wearing Sand insignia were being intercepted by runners and told to stand down on pain of exile. A few were reluctant to obey the order but most that she passed were already under guard, handing over their weapons peacefully. It was a good sign for the future of relations between the two villages. Whoever was really responsible for this assault, however, would not get off so easily.
Ahead lay the stadium, and as she approached the dark shimmer of a negative energy barrier was clearly visible. Four points, a good strong defense and likely anyone who tried to breach it directly would be consumed by dark fire and killed rather quickly. The barrier was being maintained by ninja, obviously, each protected by half a dozen other fighters. But every barrier had a weakness. Dropping down onto the main avenue and dashing onto the arena floor, Tsunade was surprised and quite relieved to see Naruto running through a large hole in the wall, fleeing for his life.
Not quite fast enough as the sight of the barrier sapped his speed until a trio of figures tackled him, Gaara shouting obscenities as he shoot the blond underneath him, Temari and Sakura working vainly to pull him off. Temari was saying something about Naruto not being serious; she didn't care. Striding up to them she cast a stern shadow and an imposing figure (with the aid of a little alteration technique), pointing a finger at the menacing vessel for the One-Tailed beast. "You, get off my boyfriend, now."
Startled back into a modicum of control, Gaara's grip relaxed enough for the girls to finally succeed in pulling him away from Naruto, who wheezed out a weak word of thanks. Sufficiently rebuked Gaara looked for the first corner he could sit in, looking up at the stands where the officials had been situated to watch the finals.
His voice was back to its normal half-whisper when he lifted his eyes to Tsunade to ask "Is father alive?" As Naruto got to his feet he became aware of his roommate and by her definition girlfriend lifting him by the collar, showing him the field. As for Gaara she had no answers and simply shrugged, stating that they'd know soon enough.
"Is the Hokage in there? We've got to go help him! Let go!"
"Not so fast, Naruto! Damn you're lucky that I was watching the broadcast. That barrier will shred you if you go near it! But I think I may have a plan."
"Hurry up already! The old man's in trouble!"
"And we're going to go help him, but we've got to get in from underneath without hurting us and him in the process so listen good." Sparing a glance over to the Sand trio she beckoned for Sakura and then Shikamaru who appeared at a most leisurely pace considering the danger. Baki showed up looking a little ragged, escorted by a white-haired ANBU in a wolf mask, and proceeded to check on his students.
Outlining a quick plan to the Leaf ninja who had survived the onslaught she put it into motion without hesitation, trusting the ANBU operative to be capable of handling a few noncombatants. Just to be safe though she took their weapons and sealed them in a scroll that she promised to give back once the fighting was over and proper guilt could be determined; then, with her forces in tow Tsunade entered the building directly beneath the chosen dueling ground.
As hoped the force field didn't extend down through the roof and into the structure below, meaning that it could be penetrated. With very precise movements, Tsunade punched her way up through several floors, and then made a hole up onto the very apex of the observation deck. She couldn't stop Naruto from being the first one through, not even if she'd wanted to. The anguished cry tore through her heart and resounded through the city.
Four elite ninja of the Sound heard his voice from within the shroud of darkness they were maintaining, and briefly faltered.
Men and women shrouded in the feathered slumber rose to their feet with red-eyed glares of vast and terrible intent.
And the invasion fell apart.
Little was said about the aftermath. None spoke of the crimson-irised terrors that rampaged through the city, annihilating anyone that wore the emblem of Sound. No mention was made that the enemy who orchestrated the attack managed to escape, at the cost of several pawns and plants within Konoha. The surrender of the so-called Sound Four in the wake of their abandonment was accepted with little fanfare, their transfer to holding cells done quickly and quietly; they would eventually be released, after having their curse marks and ninja abilities sealed (as they had not actively participated in any battles).
Memory of the fight that claimed Kabuto Yakushi as a casualty of war did not exist. There were no witnesses and no record. Nor was there any import given to the short-lived rampage that ended with the near-total annihilation of Orochimaru's forces. It was classified as an emergency militia response, filed away in a drawer deep in the archives, and never spoken of again.
Konoha had suffered heavy damage in the fighting and though most of the civilian population had been spared, homes and businesses had not. Rebuilding would take months at best. Temporary homes were set up, and those clans whose holdings had been spared opened their doors to refugees. Sand's involvement was not overlooked, but the consequences were lessened severely due to the fact that they were given orders under false pretenses. Both Konoha and Suna had lost their leaders on the same day and neither side felt like escalating the conflict in admission of this fact. Sanctions were made, but not pursued. Too much had been sacrificed.
Naruto hated the rain in November. It always made him think he was drowning beneath an endless sea of clouds, stifling any and all creativity and dragging him into a funk that was difficult to get out of. Today, he hated the rain for a different reason: it shrouded the bitter sorrow he felt gnawing at his heart as he stood stone-like at the forefront of the mourners.
"The old man should be remembered in sunlight," he heard himself murmuring, ignorant of the eulogy being offered by one of Konoha's councilmen, when the service should really have been given by a fellow ninja, such as one of his students, or a member of his family or hell even those he fought beside in his final moments. Head bowed, Naruto's eyes slid over to Konohamaru, not even bothering to stifle his feelings, crying openly into his tutor's formal wear in total ignorance of how childish it looked.
He didn't blame him. Naruto felt like crying himself. But could he, really? The time for tears was over; the old man had told him that. "Shed no tears for me," he'd said as the last breaths faded from him. "Remember me as I lived and honor that with strength and silence." Screw that noise. He had his own strength and it demanded that he make his thoughts known. And besides, he wouldn't be the only one.
At his side, Tsunade knelt in the wet grass, the black kimono thoroughly soaked by the rain, gingers bunched up in the cloth for want of something more physical to vent her grief on. Crouching down beside her, Naruto guided her head into his lap and stroked her back consolingly, letting the droplets of moisture he shed mingle with the rain that fell onto the woman's face. Her voice didn't carry, she didn't wail or cry out, respecting her old master that much at least.
When the memorial concluded men and women began to filter away from the cemetery and the obsidian monument that contained Hiruzen's ashes, until eventually only Tsunade and Naruto were left sitting in the downpour. He didn't really feel like leaving—there was no home to return to anyway. It had been smashed in the attack and taken everything he owned with it save for the reserves of cash that he kept at Sakura's home. If he had any consolation it was that Miyuki and her newborn were in good health.
That didn't change the fact that they were homeless now, too, just like him. There were plans to rebuild, but until then… Staying in the tent city might have to suffice. Naruto's only real option was the strange key that he'd gotten in the mail the night before his birthday, coupled to an address and a deed of ownership. Whichever door it unlocked was likely to be broken down as well, and that only added to the weight in his heart.
Might as well see where it leads. "Come on, Tsunade. We should go. If you got sick I'd never forgive myself. We'll come back another day when it's sunny, and share a drink with him." That managed to rouse her and shakily she got to her feet, looking town to Naruto and seeing that he was just as reluctant to leave but couldn't justify staying any longer. "There's something I want to check out, anyway."
For once nobody bothered him as he made his way through the streets. Even on a day like this business had to continue, though it was muted due to the state of the city and the palpable sense of despair hanging on every word that he passed close enough to hear. Konoha was leaderless, drifting on a sea of uncertainty once again. It had only been thirteen years since the last time they had lost the guiding force in their lives and now without any successors in line, the future was shrouded in darkness.
The address led to a boarded-up gate beyond which stood a two-story house with a small and overgrown garden, and a back yard large enough to hold several trees. The wood was easily smashed and the key inserted into the gate's lock. The flash of chakra being released alerted him to a seal being broken and Naruto silently pushed on the iron, listening for the squeak of rust and hearing nothing. It was the work of preservation techniques, most likely. A few of the wealthier citizens who endured long periods abroad and didn't have the need for weekly housekeeping services sometimes invested in sutras that would essentially seal their residence the same way he might a weapon or valuable item.
His mystery key unlocked the front door as well, though he was disappointed to find only basic furnishings inside as he explored the cold space beyond. Who gives someone a house as a birthday present anyway? Dimly aware of footsteps behind him, he turned to see Tsunade standing in the door, uncaring that she was dripping everywhere. He needed to find the heat and turn it on.
"I expected that key to open a safe, not a house. That solves one problem, then."
"Somehow I feel like I don't belong here. It smells, and there aren't any pictures to tell me who lived here before. It's like I'm stealing, almost." Finding a thermostat he switched on the heat, becoming intimately aware of how thoroughly soaked both he and Tsunade were. The application of lights, and a quick foray into the closets turned up some cotton robes, at least, and as the house warmed up the two changed into them, hanging the formal kimonos in the bathroom to dry.
"The smell is from the residual chakra. It isn't meant to last forever and eventually time catches up to the contents."
"Like the expiration date on a can of tuna."
"Close enough. Even at its weakest, though, a seal of this type offers some level of protection. You'd have to ask someone else who knows them better, though."
"How do we do it, Tsunade? How do we go from bawling our guts out to talking about seals and old houses that by rights I shouldn't even be in? Where does it all add up?"
"Sometimes it doesn't, Naruto. Sometimes there are no answers. This is one of those times when we just have to keep moving forward, however painful it is."
"It sucks. It fucking sucks!" Angrily, Naruto kicked a chair over, wincing as it clattered aside. Frowning he picked the chair up and set it on its legs again. "And now I'm assaulting furniture. How mature of me." Sitting in the seat he'd knocked over his head slumped into his arms, folded on the table. "This place is too big for me."
"Loan out the rooms. Your team could stay here if you wanted. Everything that happens now is your decision. Like it or not, Naruto, you change lives. It's your choice whether the changes are good or bad."
"I just don't know. I need time to think, okay?"
"Don't take too long. But don't rush into anything, either."
From: Shade
To: Crow
Re: Monkey
As of this writing the operative code-named Monkey is no longer in service. The deliberation process is still ongoing to choose his replacement, until then report to me. I'll inform you as soon as I can. If necessary send updates to Frog and he will relay them to us.
From: Crow
To: Shade
Re: Monkey
It grieves me to hear that this has happened. I have news for you. 'Our' latest research indicates that the targets may be enacting some sort of plan. What this plan is we can but guess at as nobody but the carriers can actually talk to the objectives. If you've noticed anything strange about people lately I need to know so I can make sense of this.
I recommend against having Frog impose a wide-area seal, however; if my suspicions are correct this may only aggravate the situation and the last thing we want is a full-scale war on our hands. Unfortunately the plan has me returning home soon. If effective resistance to our presence is not staged I will be forced to enact the contingency and eliminate the target rather than capturing.
From: Shade
To: Crow
Re: Homecoming
This is unfortunate timing. We recently suffered an attack and our forces are considerably reduced. In light of this I cannot believe that the assault was a mere coincidence. Snake may have seceded from your group but he is apparently still working with them to satisfy his own ends. The steady stream of workers to aid in rebuilding would give us plenty of cover to infiltrate.
Arrange to have two of your top instructors intercept us. The setback should force a delay in the Rainmaker's designs.
What do you plan on doing now? It did not last, but while it did we were of one mind, one body. Shared purpose.
I don't ever want to have to do that again. The old—the Hokage would hate me forever if I let you bend me towards destructive ends. I'm not saying I regret what I did. Just that I never want to do it again.
I can help you protect your precious people like you keep mouthing off about. In fact, I already am. Let me free, and I can do far more.
No. I still can't do that. I know what you're up to now, fox; promise me this. Give me your word that you won't make them into things that they aren't, and I won't try to stop you.
Change is inescapable, boy. Very well, you have my solemn oath. Unsealed as they are they will endure some alteration, some in mind, some in body. Most will not and I swear on my soul that I will not attempt to force it upon them.
And no killing. If death can be avoided, take every measure.
Death is part of life. Let it be so, sentimental monkey.
"Can't I have more time with him at least?"
"Do you want Akatsuki to kill him? They're going to come for him first since he's the most dangerous to capture and we're at our most vulnerable."
"You don't know when or if they'll make a move. And if they do he has people here to help him. Taking him away from all that…"
"Alright, fine. It's at least beneficial that all missions are on hold until the reconstruction is complete. That should take several more months, but if I hear even one peep that Akatsuki members have been sighted in Konoha—"
"Fair enough. How's that new house treating you?"
"He's still uncomfortable there. Coming around to being content with it, though. Recovering the calligraphy the Third gave him helped. Can't do anything about the ripped borders, though."
"Ripped borders seems about appropriate given the current situation. You know you're on the list of candidates, right?"
"I'd rather not be, but if it's a choice between myself or Danzo…he means well, I suppose, but if we let him into power it will just result in another war."
"So you'll take the position, then?"
"Only if they vote for me. Otherwise I'm content for a life of quiet obscurity."
"If you do take the job you'll be expected to take on at least one apprentice, maybe more."
"After what's happened lately it was my intention anyway. And I have a few people in mind for that already so I can reject whatever idiots they try to hand me."
"Pink hair and blonde hair?"
"Maybe. If I give away my choices now they'll veto them before I can sign the order."
"You always were the best thinker."
To Shikamaru Nara, from the Council of Twelve and the Ninja Regulatory Commission:
In light of your performance during the exams and the ensuing battle, this committee finds in you the qualities and skills necessary to warrant advancement through the ranks. This notice certifies that you have been promoted to the rank of chuunin, with all the rights and responsibilities thereof, in hopes that you will continue to carry the Will of Fire and light the path you travel for all who follow.
He left early in the morning, before first light so as to not disturb the other residents of the home that had been bequeathed to him by names withheld. It felt like only yesterday, but in truth a whole year had passed since his graduation from the academy. Much had happened in that time. Friends made, enemies beaten, challenges overcome.
Circumstances required his departure, and it gripped his heart with ice to think that simply by being there he was endangering all he cared for, everyone he loved. The silly promise was still on his lips, unsure why he'd made it to begin with. Gripping the necklace she'd given him, concealing the green crystal in his palm, he gave one last look to the city of Konoha. Keeping the chair warm for him, she'd said, until he could come and claim it for himself, so get strong and wise and hurry back home.
Rebuilding was almost complete, and though those "Akatsuki" were forcing him to flee, he'd left the foundations of a legacy in his home. Names and faces flashed through his mind as he met the stern visage of the hermit he called "master", inscrutable in the pre-dawn twilight. Everyone had been left with a gift, some a gift of material goods, some a gift of techniques that he hoped to pass on someday, all with the memory of his friendship to them.
With one last glance over his shoulder, Naruto left Konoha behind.