A/N: Greetings everyone. This is the eleventh chapter of Naze? and, being the first of the next "decade" of chapters, it will act as a bridge to a new part of my story. Many of you will define it as a filler chapter (which it is), but I feel it will mark the true beginning of my story. There have been some among who've complained about how overdue the true action of the story is and I agree with you. As a result, I will be posting this chapter and Chapter Twelve, titled "Sekkaku Sentou", at the same time. To be honest, one could probably skip over this chapter and be fine with the rest of the story. However, I personally feel that it would help you to understand the characters better if you read this section of the story. You'd also miss out on Naruto's interactions with certain characters that will play a major role later on.
I've rambled long enough. So, without further ado, I present to you Chapter Eleven of Naze?, titled "Anshin no Hitotoki."
Anshin no Hitotoki
Naruto threw his body across the bed and sank into its downy depths with pleasure aching gloriously throughout the entirety of his being.
"Uhhhhh," he groaned loudly, desperate to soak in every ounce of satisfaction from the mattress.
As his mind drifted off into blissful darkness, Naruto felt a weight push down on the end of his bed.
A soft, guttural growl escaped his throat.
"Pipe down midget," Anko replied, dismissing Naruto's warning easily.
"Go away," he moaned.
He suddenly felt a sharp pinch on his right heel, prompting him to moan once more.
"You are such a girl," Anko muttered in disgust. "You slept just a little bit ago! Why do you need—wait a minute. Why are you even awake at all? You were supposed to take that pill, idiot!"
Anko punched him hard in the thigh, sending waves of soreness throughout the immediate vicinity of Anko's hit.
"Why do you torment me woman?" he demanded of her desperately, burying his face further into covers and sheets as he did so.
"Because I'm restless from doin' nothing for a whole damned day! I want to do something."
Naruto sighed resignedly and then flipped over onto his back. He was greeted with the sight of a very bloody and bruised Anko grinning foxily at him.
Smirking, he remarked, "You're smilin' kinda like I used to."
Anko's grin vanished and was instantly replaced with feline curiosity.
"Whaddya mean?" she asked.
Naruto thought back to the last time he had been so incredibly ecstatic that he'd given in to his demonic companion's animalistic characteristics.
Guess it was back when I was with Team 7, he thought somberly. Funny how you can't remember something as happy as grinning.
"Well?"
His eyes abruptly focused back on Anko and they found her looking quite impatient. Her pupil-less eyes, beautiful as they were exotic, were narrowed in a glare and her bottom lip stuck out ever so slightly in as petulant a pout as Naruto had ever seen.
"You look cute when you're angry," he commented suddenly.
For a moment, Naruto thought Anko was blushing. Her body froze in a manner similar to that of a certain girl. She hadn't had pupils either, but Naruto couldn't remember her name for the life of him.
In an instant, however, Anko was smirking with a mock sultriness that suited her perfectly.
"Does Naruto find his lil' Anko-chan pretty?" she teased in a fake lovey-dovey voice.
"Shut up," he replied with a chuckle.
She laughed in return and turned to look out the window. Naruto's eyes roamed over in that moment, searching for some factor that was off about her appearance. What was it—right!
"Go wash your blood off," he ordered suddenly, nudging her with his bare foot as he did so.
Anko blinked and then sniffed herself. Turning back to him, she reported mechanically, "I don't smell."
"If someone sees you laughing and giggling and—scratch the giggling part and replace it with 'laughing maniacally'—look, the point is that your covered in blood and wounds that should be hindering you a tad bit more than they appear to be doing. So, go take a shower and wash up. We have some reconnaissance to do and I'd like be able to capture Gaara before the Finals."
Anko cocked an eyebrow skeptically.
"You think we'll be able to get 'em before the Finals?"
Naruto frowned, but made no response.
"That's what I thought," she replied with a sigh. "If we can't do it by the Finals, should we try on the way back? Ya know, like ambush them?"
"They're the children of the Kazekage," he retorted flatly. "Do you really think they'll travel by themselves?"
"Huh," Anko responded despondently. "Then…what the hell do we do?"
Naruto's scowl deepened as he analyzed their predicament. What could they do? Gaara would blow up the place with his abilities and by the time they could contain him, Konoha authorities would already be on the scene. They needed some kind of distraction. Something bigger than even a crazed Jinchuriki…
First thing's first, he thought calmly. I need to get us off the suspect list if and when we take down Gaara. The Hokage pretty much told me he knew I was holding back, but I have to make sure he thinks I did so only for the Chuunin Exams. That means…
"Hey Anko-chan," Naruto said abruptly, "who're ya facing in the Finals?"
Her gaze still looking outside, Anko replied, "Umm, some Sound chick I think. Real snotty little bitch if I remember correctly and she took forever to beat that Iwa nin. Why?"
"How would you like express your 'discontent' to your fullest abilities?" he inquired coyly.
Anko glanced at him, confusion laced across her brow, and asked curiously, "What do you mean?"
"You think Shinja needs a little exercise?"
Anko's eyes widened magnificently and her mouth fell open in beautiful shock.
In a voice brimming with hope, she asked, "Do…do you mean…?"
Naruto, a grin spreading across face, nodded.
"FINALLY!"
Anko leapt into the air victoriously, landed, and then sprinted to her pack. She began pulling out different items from it, each one holding a certain feature that made it excruciatingly deadly to look upon, let alone consider facing in combat.
Just as Anko unloaded a three-pronged hook that looked designed to wrap around one's thighs and impale certain biologically necessary devices, she suddenly glanced up at Naruto and asked worriedly, "But, won't going all out draw attention to ourselves?"
"I know what you mean," he replied, "but while I was talking to the Third Hokage—"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," she interrupted instantly, "why the hell were you talking to the Hokage?"
"He visits participants wounded in the Exams," Naruto answered hurriedly, "but that's irrelevant. The thing is, the Hokage gave me the impression that he knew I was faking. It's safest to assume the worst and act as if he does know we were faking. Going by that logic leads us to a problem: if Gaara is successfully kidnapped, we're going to be on the suspect list. In order to combat that, we have to make Konoha think we were holding back in order to fool our opponents in the Finals, which means—"
"—we get to go all out in the Finals!"
Naruto grinned at Anko's exuberance and nodded approvingly.
"Another benefit to the plan," he continued excitedly, "is that it helps with the problem of actually capturing Gaara. Here's my thinking: Gaara seemed really attracted to Sasuke and that was probably because of Sasuke's reputation as one of the strongest Genin in the Exam. The unique chakra signature of his Sharingan might also have something to with it. This fits in with the data Zetsu-san gathered on Gaara. However, would it not be feasible to assume that Gaara would go after someone with chakra as unique and potent as Sasuke's?"
Anko grinned maliciously.
"Would that person happen to be you, my dear Naruto-kun?"
"You've read my mind dearest Anko-chan."
Hatake Kakashi was one many would consider a "genius". Some felt that that was made him such a legendarily powerful shinobi. Anyone who could achieve the rank of Jounin by age twelve surely deserved the praise of all who knew him. However, the behavior of said legendary shinobi and former ANBU was…eccentric in comparison to many of those who had received the title of genius before him.
In short, Kakashi was what one would describe as the complete antithesis of the expected personality of a person who had received the status and renown he had during his still relatively short lifetime. Lazy, chronically late, infuriatingly cheerful in dire situations, and arguably one of the most notorious "closet perverts" in Konoha, Kakashi was certainly not someone one wanted their children to look up to.
After Naruto's death, however, Kakashi had changed, growing even more somber and withdrawn than he had before. The death of a student was, the Jounin had found, just as horrible as the loss of a teammate. He could attest to this given that he had experienced both.
This time however, Kakashi had felt more hatred and fury towards himself for Naruto's death than he had for Obito's. He'd thought he'd already learned this lesson…but apparently he still had a long way to go.
When a student fails, the teacher is supposed to take the blame and do everything in their power to help them achieve their goal. That's a principle Kakashi had tried to take to heart…and Naruto had provided ample practice for it. It was almost humorous to think how many times the boy had failed and forced Kakashi to examine in what ungodly manner he'd screwed up.
Yet Naruto had, without a doubt, been the life of the team. He had been annoying, loud, obnoxious, and gave the silver-haired Jounin some of the worst headaches the man had ever been forced to endure; but, Kakashi could honestly say that he had looked forward to meeting and performing missions with his team. One never knew what Naruto would attempt to do next and it had always been entertaining to see the crazy fool challenge Sasuke to a "duel to the death for the honor of the beautiful Sakura-chan". Watching Sakura put him into a headlock and strangle him after such incidents had always given the Jounin a certain amount of pride. Not every kunoichi could pummel her male counterpart in such a gloriously comical manner and Kakashi liked to think that he'd given her the skills to do that.
Perhaps what had really made Naruto such a joy to be around, however, was the sheer amount of energy and zeal he put into everything he did. True, Kakashi had considered making Naruto a Hannin and the boy had exhibited a severe lack of self-confidence beneath a hollow mask of boisterousness for much of his time as a Genin. But in the last few months before his death, Naruto had really started coming into his own. Something had happened between Naruto and Sasuke that had spurned on the blonde-haired boy's drive. Within that last, final time together as Team 7, there were some of the most pleasant memories Kakashi had. The joy of one's students improving together at such an astonishing pace was incredible. He wondered if Minato-sensei had felt such joy…
It was the time after Naruto's death, however—after he had failed to curb the unquenchable rage within Sasuke's heart that had driven him to act so recklessly—that the darkness of failure had descended upon Kakashi once more. He had failed his teammates and now his students. For many days, Kakashi had wondered if he was doomed to fail everyone he cared about.
Sasuke, however, had provided a way out of that destructive and ultimately futile way of thinking. The raven-haired prodigy had taken complete responsibility for Naruto's death and was much the worse for bearing that terrible burden. Within his charge's eyes, however, Kakashi could see a desire akin to that which had burned deep within him after Obito had died. Sakura too held that same nameless want.
Without even realizing it, Kakashi dedicated himself to making sure his students never had to experience the pain of loss again. He would give his life to ensure that they would not fail like he had.
And so, Team 7 had remained on inactive duty for the remainder of the war. After the war's end, however, the Hokage had been forced to add a replacement to Team 7 to make a full Genin squad. While choosing someone with a personality similar to what Naruto's had been seemed like a good idea, it had actually been the worst possible decision the Hokage could have made in the short term.
Kakashi hadn't blamed the Hokage for placing Tadashii on their team. Recently promoted from Hannin and possessing a natural outgoing attitude that bore remarkable similarities to Naruto, he had seemed like a perfect fit into Team 7. That had been very, very wrong.
The moment Sakura and Sasuke had learned they would receive a new member, they had instantly refused, Sakura a little less angrily than Sasuke. Outwardly, Kakashi had ignored this and had proceeded to arrange a meeting with Tadashii. Inwardly, he had been a nervous wreck. His worst fears had conveniently turned out to be true.
As soon as Tadashii had walked around the building towards the meeting spot (Kakashi had done all in his power to avoid places where Team 7 used to hang out), Sasuke and Sakura had shot him with the deadliest glares one could imagine on the face of two nine-year-olds. Not even Tadashii's boisterousness could quell the awkward silence that had ensued for the remainder of the "get-together".
Nevertheless, the following three years had been kind to the fragile relationship between the members of Team 7. While neither Sasuke nor Sakura would probably ever consider Tadashii anything more than a companion in battle, they had come to view him as a symbol of their progress towards their goal. During missions that had the slight possibility of being life-threatening, Tadashii's survival was vital to them. The fact that he survived meant that they were getting stronger. Tadashii's survival during missions was also affected by his level of skill. Sasuke and Sakura practiced endlessly with him to ensure he didn't make a fatal mistake during the line of duty. In all honesty, it was a sensei's dream.
The only thing that tinged that dream red was Sasuke's insatiable desire to kill Itachi. While Sasuke fully admitted to being the cause of Naruto's death, it was Itachi's massacre of his Clan that had prompted him to engage in such foolhardy behavior. For Sasuke, Itachi was responsible for the destruction of all that he had held dear. That kind of rage didn't fade away easily, but Kakashi was confident he could help his student overcome it.
Now, Kakashi sat leisurely against a post atop a roof of a building reading one of his favorite volumes of Icha Icha Paradise. The beauty and majesty of Jiraiya-sama's writing made his heart - and other things - sing with delight.
Without warning an alarmingly malicious chakra signature burst into his sensory range. His one eye immediately followed the direction of the signature and eventually rested Sabaku no Gaara as the boy silently sifted through the throng of people.
Seeing the red-headed youth brought back potent images of the recording the Hokage had shown all of the Jounin on the first day of Second Exam. It was basically Gaara wrapping his around three helpless Ame nin and crushing them into bloody pieces despite their cries for mercy.
It made Kakashi wonder what the boy did during the war. Suna had done well during several major battles of the conflict. Did this kid have something to do with it?
For another time perhaps, he thought warily as he carefully placed his beloved book back within its pouch. Sasuke and Sakura are probably getting restless. Don't know why, though. We've still got time to visit Tadashii and start our basic warm-ups. I'm only around two hours late after all. Still, their reactions should be interesting…and quite entertaining.
Eye smiling cheerfully, Kakashi prepared to make his leave, but stopped when he noticed a plump villager boy watching Gaara a tad bit too intently. Normally, he would have dismissed it as a child being in awe of the legendary shinobi warriors, but the kid's chakra signature stuck out like a sore thumb in his senses. It was disturbingly odd. By odd, of course, he meant nonexistent. Even the weakest non-shinobi human had some kind of chakra signature, but this kid had none whatsoever.
It's definitely a Henge, Kakashi thought analytically, but I have no idea how he—or she—is concealing their chakra so thoroughly. Wait, could it be…?
He began scrutinizing the boy's body very intensely, until his senses suddenly picked a small point of chakra on the kid's left cheek.
Eye now steely with seriousness, Kakashi disappeared in a swirl of leaves and wind. His destination, however, was now the Hokage Tower. His team would have to wait a little while longer, but he figured they were used to that by now.
Naruto resisted the urge to poke the fat bulge that was his stomach. It just looked so weird and…plushy.
Snap out of it Naruto, he reprimanded. Keep your eye on the red-headed psychopath. Actually, he corrected mentally, the term "psychopath" has been discarded by many psychologists due to its negative connotation amongst the public. A more accurate description of our mass-murdering friend here would be that he has "Anti-Social Personality Disorder", among other things. Whoa, I gotta stop reading Pain's books on psychology. I might accidentally find out that I'm crazy. How ridiculous is that…right?
Scowling at this, Naruto forced his gaze back onto the massive gourd of his once fellow Jinchuriki and continued following him through the crowd. Naruto wanted to observe Gaara's interactions with other people in order to validate his theory. If he was wrong, then coming to Konoha was a complete waste of time and Gaara would have to be captured at a later date. Possibly a much later date.
The gourd-bearing lad led him through the pristine and stone-paved streets of Konoha for quite a while, yet did not interact at all with the people around him. In fact, he acted as if no else existed around him. People who walked past him were like ghosts compared to his menacing presence and Gaara treated them as such. They were insignificant, inconsequential creatures worthy of nothing.
So far, Naruto's theory was confirmed. Gaara seemed to have eyes only for those who held considerable power. Now he just needed to see this type of behavior in action—
Gaara suddenly turned left down an alleyway, a major contradiction to his earlier path, which had actually seemed quite aimless. Eyes widening in alarm, the pudgy boy Naruto had Yuutai Henged* into frantically waddled after his target. By the time he veered around the corner, the only sign of Gaara that he could see was the massive gourd adorning his back.
Quickly scanning the area for any signs of ninja, Naruto took off after him. As he passed several alleyways branching off from the one he was currently running in, Naruto noticed Gaara step out and make a sharp, rather excited turn to the left. Brows furrowed in confusion, Naruto continued after him.
He turned the corner of the alleyway onto the street and found himself staring at the bathhouses.
Wait, Naruto thought in bewilderment, why did Gaara come here? Is he merely wandering around? No, he actually seemed excited to get to this place. Why then?
He gazed over the area until he spotted Gaara's gourd…and Gaara was sprinting with it towards the bathhouses. The female bathhouses.
No, Naruto thought in disbelief, he can't be. It's…it's just wrong!
Naruto's amazement was answered abruptly and cruelly when the gourd Gaara was carrying was hastily set to the side, revealing…an old man.
Naruto blinked and then promptly slammed his hand into his forehead.
"Just kill me now," he muttered sadly.
The gourd the man had been carrying was massive and easily large enough to cover the long white ponytail that ran down his back. From such a long distance away, Naruto would have needed his eyes activated to notice the size difference.
Oh well, he thought in an obvious attempt to console himself over his failure, at least I kinda confirmed my hypothesis. Gaara's probably long gone and I really don't feel like following him again. What to do then? That guy looks interesting. Maybe I could mess with him a little. Just to work off this repressed anger, of course.
A wickedly mischievous smile adorning his still Henged face, Naruto merrily skipped towards the section of the bathhouses the pervert was spying on and stopped just inches behind him. He examined him closely and had to admit how eccentric the man's appearance was. Dressed in red and grey attire, with a mane of hair whiter than the moon, one would have to be a fool not to notice this guy.
This only made Naruto even angrier and his thoughts all the more malevolent.
Cupping his hands around his mouth, Naruto screamed in the loudest voice he could manage, "HEY OJISAN! WHY'RE YA STARING INTO THE LADIES' BATHHOUSE? THE MEN'S ARE OVER THERE!"
The events that transpired afterwards were some of the most hilarious Naruto had seen in his entire life.
The old man, upon enduring the ear-blistering effects of his yelling, swerved around and gave Naruto the deadliest glare imaginable. With his wild appearance and furious expression, Naruto might have been cowed into retreating. The effect was ruined, however, by the arrival of a mob of very angry women.
"You'll pay for this you little brat! Mark my words, you'll pay!"
Naruto howled in laughter as the old fart frantically scrambled to escape his pursuers, who were apparently so focused on capturing their prey that they forgot their very revealing attire. Unfortunately, the perverted bastard wouldn't have a chance to see such a magnificent sight. He was too busy zipping around street corners and hollering vague obscenities whenever the women happened to corner him.
"Ah," Naruto finally declared with a pleasant sigh, "I needed that."
"Have a good time did ya?"
"Oh yeah. I mean did you see that old guy ru—"
Naruto froze mid-sentence, suddenly very aware of the shadow descending upon his fat form.
A large and worn hand collapsed upon his shoulder, nearly sending him to his knees.
"Why'd ya stop?" the voice asked wickedly. "I really wanted to hear about how the old man lost his chance at some of the most beautiful girls this side of Fire Country!"
Naruto creaked his head behind him and gaped horrifically at his captor. It was the old man…and he looked very, very pissed.
"M-maybe it wasn't that funny," Naruto offered desperately.
"Oh but it was, it was," the man insisted, a smile now growing terribly across his face. "But I can think of something a mite funnier. Do you know what that is?"
Naruto blanched.
"T-taking a s-small and d-d-defenseless little boy out for ramen and l-laughing about it?" he answered hopefully.
The man's face became gravely serious.
"Not even close," he uttered ominously. "But first, let's get you in your true form."
Naruto could only widen his eyes in shock as the man pinched his left cheek and gave it a hard tug.
"Sakura! Sasuke! Good of you guys to make it to see your poor, wounded teammate. It's only been, oh, a few hours since I nearly died from chakra poisoning!"
Tadashii scowled at them beneath his pearly white hospital sheets, indignation simmering deep within his brown eyes. The effect of this glare was accented by the cleanliness of the entire room. Sunlight streamed gently through the windows, accenting the white chairs and table positioned within Tadashii's quarters. Even the IV tube and the packet it was connected to it shimmered in the rays of the sun. Truly, one felt rested just laying eyes upon the place.
This did not stop Sakura from cringing.
"Sorry Tadashii," she muttered apologetically, "we were kind of tired from our matches, so we figured—"
"Hey, cut that out," Tadashii interjected suddenly, a worried look adorning his face. "I was only joking. I'm not that obnoxious, sheesh."
Sakura glared at him playfully, to which he gave a cheeky grin.
Tadashii's eyes suddenly widened in revelation of some wonderful fact and he abruptly asked them, "How'd your guys' matches go? I mean, Kakashi told me you won and all, but I wanna hear how you kicked their asses!"
Even Sasuke smirked at this, though he might have done more had the majority of his body not been covered in bandages.
"It wasn't really that amazing," Sakura replied with dismissive wave of her hand, though inwardly she was pretty pleased with her performance. The genjutsu that Kurenai-sensei had shown her months ago, Magen: Kibaku Gotai no Jutsu*, had played a major role in her victory. Of course, by 'shown her', Sakura meant 'memorize it after accidentally spying on Kurenai-sensei teaching it to Hinata'.
A rosy tint to her cheeks, Sakura continued, "I just used a few tricks I picked up a while ago."
"Still," Tadashii continued stubbornly, "the technique Kakashi said you used sounded pretty cool. If you weren't careful, you coulda, y'know, killed him."
Sakura blanched, as did Tadashii upon realizing what he'd just said.
"I didn't know you had it in you to be morbid, Tadashii."
Tadashii nearly fell out of his bed in fright as Kakashi-sensei popped into existence at the foot of his bed.
"Sorry I'm late," Kakashi retorted with a good-natured smile on his face. "I got lost in my quest for the meaning in our lives."
The three Genin stared at him.
"That's new," Sakura declared bluntly.
"Yeah," Kakashi replied as he scratched the back of his head sheepishly, "it just sorta came to me."
"Kakashi-sensei," Tadashii suddenly whined angrily, now cognizant of the shock Kakashi's abrupt image had brought upon him, "you coulda worsened my condition! Don't you have any respect for the infirm?"
"What are you getting at Tadashii?" Kakashi asked with a good-natured crinkle of the eye. "Did that kid beat you up that bad? I mean, you made Ame shinobi sound really weak awhile ago. Does that mean—"
"Shut it sensei!"
Tadashii fixed a murderous glare on Kakashi, though its effect was mitigated by Sakura's giggling.
"Sakura," her wounded teammate exclaimed, aghast at her mockery of his plight, "don't laugh! I may look like a hypocrite or whatever, but I mean…y'know, I was wounded and stuff and…quit it!"
Sakura couldn't stop laughing at him and it was only worsened when he crossed his arms and began pouting childishly.
"You suck," he stated despondently.
The rest of the time passed in similar fashion, with Tadashii listening attentively to Sakura and Sasuke's tales of victory and Kakashi providing succinct comments on their decisions. Tadashii especially seemed to like Sasuke's description of how he'd defeated Gouzen, though Sasuke did little to encourage to this. He spoke as little as possible during the entire time and Tadashii's jubilant exclamations every time Sasuke spoke of blow he made against the Ame nin caused the pale boy to wince in annoyance. Nevertheless, Sakura could tell that her friend was happy to see their teammate healthy and well. Overall, Sakura had enjoyed the visit.
That is, until Tadashii, as the three of them were exiting the room, suddenly demanded, "Sakura, Sasuke…if that little punk ever manages to meet you in the Finals…"
The vicious grin that adorned Tadashii's normally cheerful face made a cold pit form in Sakura's stomach, for it spoke the words that her teammate need not have said.
"They'll do their best," Kakashi responded cheerfully, saving them from the darker parts of Tadashii's 'ninja way'.
As they closed the door behind them and began exiting the building, Sakura couldn't help thinking how Naruto would have reacted if he could see his replacement act in such a manner. Her Naruto would never have held such anger and hatred within him. While Tadashii was one of the least likely of the Rookie Twelve to be the first to kill, Sakura was terribly afraid of what he would do to Jinkoumaru if he ever faced him in battle again.
POP
Naruto gaped in horror as his Yuutai Henge vanished with a puff of smoke.
"H-how…?"
"Who d'ya think invented that little trick?" the old man replied with thinly veiled smugness.
This did not help Naruto's amazement. In fact, it only made it grow.
Peering up and behind him at the old man, Naruto had to admit that he was one of the most exotic-looking guys he'd ever seen, save for Pain of course.
Complimenting his wild white hair were two red lines that ran from the bottom of his eyelids to the edge of his lower cheekbones. A metal horned plate with the kanji for "oil" upon it adorned his forehead and served to hold back his untamed mane. Black eyes glared menacingly down at him, but the crinkles around their edges indicated something akin to mirth.
Despite his chaotic attire and appearance, Naruto couldn't for the life of him remember who he was. He knew who the creator of the Yuutai Henge was, but that couldn't be this buffoon. Such a jutsu was far too refined for this oaf to have created.
The Yuutai Henge that Naruto was capable of producing was the ultimate disguise when invading civilian quarters, for it could interact with the physical world and still retain its form. It did have one fatal flaw, however—or rather, two.
The first was that one's chakra was completely sealed behind the fleshy mass of the Henge, thus restricting one from using chakra and preventing one from giving off a chakra signature. While this last effect would be extremely useful for sneaking up on a shinobi, it also made one stand out when walking in a crowd. In a field of lights, the one that doesn't shine is the first noticed.
This effect also made it blatantly apparent to the enemy what jutsu you were using, provided that they were aware of the jutsu's existence in the first place. If they did know, then they could utilize the jutsu's second weakness: the dispelling point. All Yuutai Henge's could be dispelled by a sharp tug or poke to a certain point on the body. The point's size depended on how skilled you were with the jutsu. Naruto's was a quarter-sized point on his left cheek. The creator of the jutsu, Jiraiya of the Sannin, was reputed to have a dispelling point too small to sense—
Suddenly, the painting of Jiraiya that had been placed next to the definition of the Yuutai Henge popped into his head.
Naruto's now revealed face paled considerably.
"D-did you s-say," he stuttered out fearfully, "t-that you c-created the jutsu?"
The old man nodded as his grin turned predatory.
"Oh dear," he managed to peep out before Jiraiya the legendary Toad Sage slammed a fist into Naruto's silver-haired head, knocking him unconscious.
Jiraiya stared intently down at the limp form next to him, fuming over the weirdness of the situation.
The Third Hokage had contacted him about some kid who may have had a connection to Minato's son. Jiraiya had been initially skeptical, especially since Minato's son was dead. The pain and sense of failure that the news of young Naruto's death had brought upon Jiraiya four years ago had all coming rushing back upon reading the Hokage's letter. Angry with his old sensei for following a fool's hope, Jiraiya had curtly, yet respectfully replied that he was too busy working on finding the numbers of the missing-nin forces mobilizing near Konoha's border to bother with a wild goose chase.
His sensei had responded with a slightly firmer message, accompanied by a squadron of ANBU. While the ANBU hadn't dared to presume they were forcibly escorting him back, their presence had symbolized the Hokage's seriousness about the matter and Jiraiya had reluctantly returned to his old village.
When he had arrived in Konoha, the Second Exam had already commenced and the boy who was the subject of interest had entered the Forest of Death. Needing to know the boy in question's name anyway, Jiraiya had met with the Third Hokage within the venerable leader's ornate office as soon as he could.
After an initially terse conversation (Jiraiya had still been stunned over his peace-loving sensei's use of force to get him to return), the Hokage had revealed the identity of the Genin in question:
"Jiraiya," the Hokage stated, his weathered face suddenly losing the coldness that had greeted his old student, "I feel I must apologize for forcing you to come back to Konoha. Normally, I would not have paid any special attention to a child such as this, but the similarities between him and Naruto—"
"Sarutobi-sensei," Jiraiya interrupted softly, "Minato's son is dead. His teammates witnessed him ignite his own clone to save them…and kill himself in the process. Not even the Kyuubi could heal that much damage. Wallowing in the past will only—"
"Do you think I am unaware of that?" the Hokage demanded with a slight inflection of anger in his tone. "I've had more years than I care to remember to practice desensitizing myself to the loss of those I loved. Naruto's death was no different. As Hokage, I had to be the one to help console his teammates as they wept in agony before me! I've had to do that for every team for as long as I have been Hokage!"
Jiraiya remained silent as he waited for his old mentor to calm down. It pained him to see his teacher so emotional. Then again, how could he not be? The son of his successor, the man who had sacrificed his life to save Konoha, was dead. Among the many failures in Jiraiya and the Third Hokage's lifetime, that certainly topped the list.
"Jiraiya," the Hokage began again, his voice calm once more, "the only reason I would have called you away from your duties would be if I had convincing evidence to support my hypothesis. Team 7 never actually witnessed Naruto's death."
"Like it matters," Jiraiya retorted bluntly. "The report says the kid ignited a clone that was a foot awa—"
"I did not allow your perusal of that document so that you could recount its details in such a cavalier manner," the Hokage interrupted darkly. "What I was going to say before your outburst was that we did manage to fortify the area near the Ame border long enough to examine the spot where the battle took place."
His curiosity slightly piqued, Jiraiya asked, "How long after the battle?"
"Three days," he replied seriously.
"What did you find?"
The Hokage smiled a sad smile and answered, "The bodies of ten Kumo nin. Nothing more."
Jiraiya's eyes widened noticeably.
The Hokage, his smile now closer to a frown, continued, "Naturally, I made every possible effort to uncover the truth behind the matter, but I obtained little useful information due to Ame's strict security measures. As a result, I was left with only two conclusions."
"The Kyuubi used its power to save Naruto or Ame forces found the site just in time to kill the Kumo and bring Naruto back to Amegakure," Jiraiya stated instantly.
The Hokage nodded.
"Yes," he replied gravely, "and I can already eliminate the first possibility."
Jiraiya only had to consider his sensei's words for a moment before realization dawned upon him.
"The wounds on the Kumo nin," the Hokage continued, "were not as…gory as one might expect from a jinchuriki of the Kyuubi. In fact, the slashes across their necks were far too precise and exact for one as unrefined as Naruto, even in a human state."
The Hokage's smile suddenly contained a touch of genuine mirth, doubtless due to a certain memory of his adopted grandson.
"So you're convinced Ame has Naruto," Jiraiya muttered resignedly.
The Hokage nodded.
"And you think he's here at the Chuunin Exams," Jiraiya continued even more glumly.
The Hokage nodded once more, a mischievous smirk adorning his old face.
"Why in hell would Ame send the jinchuriki that practically dropped into their lap back here?" Jiraiya queried in disbelief.
"An excellent question," the Hokage responded mirthfully, "and one of the reasons I discounted the idea completely when the Chuunin Exams were announced. However, recent information has led me to believe that Naruto is here in disguise. For what purpose, I cannot tell."
The Toad Sennin leveled a stare at his old mentor.
"What 'evidence' has led you to such a wonderful conclusion, sensei?" Jiraiya asked with grim suspiciousness.
"The boy who has warranted my attention," the Hokage began, blatantly ignoring Jiraiya's question, "is named Hisomuikou Jinkoumaru. His physical description, as well as the hotel where he is staying, is located in the file. I would like for you to find young Jinkoumaru and talk with him."
Giving the plain-looking file laying upon the Hokage's desk a cursory glance, Jiraiya asked, "You want me to ask him about Naruto? Or rather, if he is Naruto?"
"If you so choose," the Hokage replied cheerfully.
Jiraiya groaned and then responded grumpily, "Fine, fine. I'll look into this for ya, but when I find out he's got nothing to do with anything you're talking about—and I say 'when' because there's no way in hell you're right—I expect ample payment."
The Hokage's face suddenly became grim.
"Same as always then," he asked apprehensively.
Eyes suddenly gleaming with excitement, Jiraiya replied happily, "Yep!"
The Hokage sighed wearily and muttered, "I better give the guards to the bathhouses your description so they'll let you in. Hopefully none of the kunoichi hear of this…or I'll have to name a successor as soon as possible."
Thus, Jiraiya had spent the next week snooping around Konoha in search of clues about his target. By 'snooping around Konoha', he meant 'take a glance or two at the boy's apartment and then go to the bathhouses to scope out a spot to peep on women'. Kakashi had found him some time later and informed him of a boy using a Yuutai Henge. Interested, Jiraiya began searching the streets of Konoha for the boy...until he stopped for a break.
And that was how Jiraiya had actually run into Jinkoumaru. Right as the brat had given him away to the women in the bathhouses (and how marvelous they had been) and when Jiraiya had swerved around to confront him, the boy's distinct lack of chakra signature had given his jutsu away. After having dispelled the Yuutai Henge and seeing the boy's true form, Jiraiya had knocked him out (with no small amount of joy) and whisked him away to an alley in one of the poorer districts of Konoha.
Currently, he stared down at the boy's slumbering form in complete confusion. The boy's appearance—silver hair and pale skin—had been a sharp contrast to Uzumaki Naruto's and Jiraiya had assumed, in the case that Jinkoumaru was actually Naruto, that it was a simple Henge. However, when he punched the lad in the head, his appearance had remained the same.
Clucking his tongue, Jiraiya extended a calloused thumb to the kid's right eyelid and cautiously lifted it up. He was met with a bright blue iris that reflected even the dim light of the dank area like a star.
Blue? Jiraiya wondered confusedly. I thought the kid's eyes were red.
He removed his thumb and let the eyelid fall over its charge once more.
Naruto's eyes were blue, Jiraiya mused thoughtfully, but that's about it. There's only one person I know of who has a Henge technique capable of holding under force and she'd never show it to anybody. Then again, this kid did figure out the Yuutai…does he have another Yuutai on?
Jiraiya reached out with his senses in an attempt to find another dispelling point, but his hopes were dashed when he felt the boy's chakra signature meet him in an exuberant rush.
Nope, he thought with a smidgeon of disappointment, not a Yuutai. Either this kid has figured out my colleague's one of a kind jutsu which takes a shitload more chakra control than anything I could ever come up with or he actually looks like this. But what about his eyes? Sarutobi-sensei said Naruto had the same eyes as Minato and that hue of blue was unmistakable…just like this kid's.
"You're givin' me a headache ya brat," he muttered begrudgingly as he easily hoisted the slight boy onto his shoulders, "but my geezer of a sensei thinks you know something about a kid who means a lot to him…and me. So, what do we do now? I obviously can't talk to you like this and I need to report these findings to the Hokage before I make my next move. What to do, what to do…"
Jiraiya had to think for only a moment before a very wicked smile graced his boisterous features.
A massive toad squatted above, bulging eyes gazing down upon him indifferently. The sky was cloudy and the area muddy. Rain poured down upon the entirety of the bleak landscape, drowning everything in magnificent thunder. But he only felt this, for all he could see was the great toad in front of him. They looked into each other's eyes for eternity…endlessly they stared until all they knew were themselves. Suddenly the toad opened its mouth and unleashed a terrifyingly long tongue. He was being dragged toward the toad's mouth, a chasm of endless darkness that promised only the frightening unknown. Naruto's fear grew and grew and grew…he wouldn't—no, he couldn't fall into that great hole, but he couldn't stop either. Nothing kept him safe. He was all alone, doomed to continue falling…falling…falling…MINE!
Naruto jerked up with a start, his mouth agape in a soundless scream.
"Agh…" he finally gasped out, before falling back against that which he rested upon.
He lay there panting for several moments, mind frantically racing with fearful thoughts and irrational terrors.
Eventually, he gathered the courage to open his eyes and confront the outside world. For one horrifying moment, he feared the toad would be there to greet him and drag him into its awful gullet.
His fears were unfounded it seemed, for all that greeted him was the beautifully blue sky of Konoha. Wisps of clouds leisurely floated through its azure depths, dispelling his fears with a calm and beautiful stroke.
Naruto sighed in relief and made to stand up. He could not.
Stunned, he glanced around him in a desperate attempt to ascertain his current predicament. He could only gape when found himself wrapped from neck to toe in tape. The tape extended farther behind him and wrapped around some circular object that was possibly a chimney.
Naruto blinked and then looked at the area surrounding him.
"Ah hell," he muttered despondently.
He was on the roof of a building in the middle of Konoha that was overshadowed by a rather large sign bearing the words "BEWARE YE PERVERTS FOR THIS IS THINE FATE".
It hung precariously above him on a rope that was connected to the chimney he was tied to. Its bold red letters seemed to have attracted the attention of quite a large flock of villagers, many of whom seemed very perturbed by the sight.
Naruto didn't even have to wonder over who'd done this to him.
That guy's dead, he thought murderously as he reveled in the all of the glorious methods of torture he had in mind.
It was at that point, however, that he remembered his tormentor's identity.
Jiraiya of the Sannin, he mused to himself, his rage temporarily forgotten. Could that really have been him? But none of my books mentioned anything about such perversion and lechery. Then again, he did know about the Yuutai Henge and its dispelling point. He looked old enough as well, so maybe it really was him. But then again, wouldn't he have done more to me if he knew that I could use one of his jutsu? I mean, the Yuutai Henge isn't the most common of ninja arts. I'll have to be even more careful then. Still, I can work around it…or I will once I get out of these damnable knots.
Naruto prepared to summon a clone to break him out, but realized with a shock that he couldn't see any issui.
"Oops," he muttered sheepishly.
His eyes were bloody crimson within moments and the wisps of light reappeared once again, dancing for him beautifully as they always did. The distinct lack of an abundance of issui around his skin, however, set his senses on alert.
Naruto deactivated his eyes and looked at first his skin, then his hair. The first was gradually becoming tanner, while the second was regaining its radiant blonde sheen. It wasn't noticeable at a distance, but the light blonde flecks starring to appear throughout his hair would soon become too blatant to ignore.
Reactivating his eyes, Naruto muttered, "Henge no Jutsu!"
His body once again resumed its disguise without even the slightest hint of smoke (extra care was needed given the sizeable number of witnesses below him) and the issui wrapped him like a protective, radiant shield.
His worries assuaged and his dampened spirits raised a bit by the sight of the issui, Naruto casually formed a clone, let it cut the tape off of him with a kunai, dispelled it, and then disappeared in a whirl of wind. The crowd below could only stare on in wonder.
One Week Later
"Keep your eyes down!"
Yugito quickly bowed her head down in apology, her young face a piteous contortion of shame and fear.
"My deepest apologies sempai," she muttered hurriedly, careful to keep her head at the waist level of her Jounin squad leader. Her odd-colored eyes, one golden and one green, she kept hidden from curious onlookers like a bashful child.
It took several moments for the pain to fade from her eyes and their color return to normal. She sighed in relief, but did not raise herself to a standing position for fear that it would start acting up again.
"Aw come on sensei," her fair-skinned teammate demanded loudly, "why ya gotta be so mean all the time?"
"You know exactly why, Ikazuchi," her sensei responded furiously. "If anybody found out about her condition—"
"So?"
Yugito smirked beneath the elegant strands of the beautiful blond hair that cascaded gently over her face. Leave it to Kaida to question their sensei.
"What do you mean 'so'?"
"I mean," Kaida uttered angrily, "why do we care if they know? They'll just fear us all the more…and I'd like to see those Suna punks quiver a bit."
Yugito saw a wicked gleam come to Kaida's jade green gaze out of the corner of her own eyes and it sent shivers down her spine.
"You're a fool Kaida," her sensei exclaimed disdainfully. "Why would we risk our only—you can stop bowing now Yugito, for Heaven's sake—our only weapon by letting our former sworn enemies know she's here? If anyone who knows of the Nibi's last recorded position—which happened to be Kumogakure in case you'd forgotten—and sees Yugito's eyes are the same odd colors as its own, they'll report it to their leaders."
"Why'd she come then Kizoku-sensei," Ikazuchi asked in genuine curiosity, all the while sending sympathetic glances Yugito's way.
For once, their erudite sensei had no immediate response. This caused his charges to immediately question the logic behind his argument.
Before they could configure the thoughts within their minds, however, Kizoku-sensei answered somberly, "Raikage-sama probably wishes to use the Exams as a way to test Yugito-san's power without using…you know."
The Genin immediately fell silent, their thoughts now a melancholy pond amidst the dark cavern of their minds.
Yugito's teammates and sensei knew all too well of her burden, as did almost every shinobi and adult citizen in Kumo. They had seen the way people treated her and had become her staunchest allies when she was faced with the stigma that had weighed her down for the entirety of her young life. The love for them that was aroused within Yugito because of their kindness was too strong to describe. It was why she wasn't saddened by Kizoku-sensei's harsh words. He was terrified that Konoha would found out about her and seek to kidnap her for their own nefarious gains.
Kizoku-sensei's expression softened noticeably and he abruptly announced, "Perhaps a treat's in order. After all, two of my Genin did make it to the first Chuunin Exam finals since the Great War's beginning in enemy territory!"
The eyes of the Genin in question bulged magnificently as they pictured the sumptuous feast that awaited them.
"All right," Ikazuchi exclaimed happily, "food!"
Kaida smirked at him smugly and interjected, "I don't think you get any Ikazuchi. You didn't even win your match."
"B-but—"
"Kaida's right Ika," Kizoku-sensei agreed with a playful wink, "you haven't really done anything to deserve a reward."
Ikazuchi stared at them desperately, his big brown eyes glowing with frantic hope. This expression quickly changed to indignant fury when his three comrades burst into uproarious laughter.
"You guys are terrible," he exclaimed with a huff. "I was really believin' ya there."
"You don't think we'd actually let you starve," Kizoku-sensei asked mirthfully as his and Kaida's laughter gradually died away into small chuckles.
Ikazuchi averted his eyes sheepishly and replied, "Nah. I guess I'm just kinda embarrassed that I was the only one to lose. My mom's gonna kill me when she finds out."
He shook involuntarily, as if some terrifying force stood before him.
"Don't fret Ika," Kaida said reassuringly, "you'll get there one day…or months since the Exams aren't held for another half-year. And then ya have to get past hundreds of contestants who'll make your death their top priority and then—"
"Thanks Kaidy," Ikazuchi interrupted sourly, "you're a peach."
"But seriously Ikazuchi," Yugito asked worriedly, "are you sure you're okay with a celebration? I mean, you got pretty banged up in your match and your arm still isn't functioning at full capacity, so you might want to—"
Ikazuchi dismissed her with a casual and cheerful wave of his hand and replied, "I'll be fine Yugito. It's not that big a deal. I mean, I can just do it again later. Besides, I'm really hungry, so let's eat!"
Yugito and Kaida, seeing their friend was okay with the celebration, heartily agreed, while Kizoku-sensei merely smirked and shook his head hopelessly.
"All right," their leader consented, "we'll all go out. There's this really nice steak shop on street outside our hotel. You guy's wanna go there?"
The trio nodded emphatically and prepared to head off.
Suddenly, her eyes burst into fiery, pulsating pain. Yugito, long practiced in enduring the malicious tendencies of her jailed demon, merely shut her eyes and waited for the throbbing to cease.
She was fully prepared for the sight that greeted her when she opened her eyes anew. Everything was now as vibrant as the radiant sun which hung overhead. Colors and people all glowed with life, illuminating the world around them magnificently.
Yugito sighed and began turning her eyes to the ground. If anybody saw the eyes—especially someone from Konoha or Suna—when it was apparent that she had once had a different and normal iris color, she had little doubt that a great deal of trouble would arise.
Why did the Nibi put her through such humiliation? Did it somehow know of the shame she felt as she was forced to bow her hand like some worthless slave?
Just as her eyes began to close, a light, more glorious and powerful than any she'd ever seen before, burst into view. There was nothing in heaven or hell that could prevent Yugito's eyes from snapping onto the source of that incredible radiance. When they did, all that she could do was gape in awe.
A boy with long and silky golden hair, his build slight and his skin pale, leaned gracefully against a wall. His eyes were closed, signifying that he was deep in thought. Yet it was not his appearance that captivated Yugito. It was the heavenly aura that spread about and around him like the sun, dwarfing all other lights in its presence.
Among all the thoughts that swarmed Yugito's mind in that instant, there was one that stood out among all the rest: He's…he's beautiful…
The boy's eyes abruptly snapped open, revealing two crimson orbs whose depth was so great that they seemed like twin pools of blood. They immediately locked onto her. To Yugito, it appeared as if the boy was surprised by her scrutiny and somehow…grateful for it. He raised his hand and gave her a small, pleasant wave.
If she hadn't been so enraptured by his appearance, Yugito might've laughed at such a human and emotional gesture coming from someone as divine-looking as him. Nevertheless, she quickly returned it so as not to offend this heavenly being.
As if in response to her thought that the boy was 'divine' and 'heavenly', the pressure in Yugito's eyes abruptly vanished and with it went the radiance of the lights, including those of the boy. Yugito nearly cried out in anguish as the boy's beauty disappeared in one horrible moment.
But, her grief was replaced by surprise when she found him to be just as ethereal as before. His hair was now a silver mane that fell roughly onto his shoulders. His skin and body remained the same and his eyes still burned bloody red, yet the absence of the light surrounding the boy gave him a more approachable—a more human—feel.
The boy's stare suddenly became very intense and he stood up sharply as if something had struck him. Before Yugito could do anything more than to begin to gape, the boy was gone, vanished into the wind.
With both the power of the boy's light and the abruptness of his departure still heavy in her mind, Yugito reluctantly headed off after her teammates. She completely forgot that the Nibi's eyes had been exposed for all to see.
Anko tapped her foot impatiently as she leaned against the window frame, her face set into a frustrated scowl. She hated it when Naruto kept her waiting.
Idiot, Anko thought scornfully, making me worry like a fool.
In her opinion, Anko had every reason to feel anxious about her beloved companion. It had been a week since he'd stormed through the window and under his bed sheets to pout about some 'old pervert'. It was only later that Naruto revealed the identity of the peeping tom in question: Jiraiya, legendary Toad Sage and member of the Sannin.
To learn that Naruto had pissed off a Kage-class shinobi was not what Anko had wanted to hear and she let the poor boy know it…violently.
Despite the very real temptation to continue her torture ceremony by sticking her knives in a very particular spot on Naruto's body, Anko had resisted and forced herself to be comfortable with the idea of Naruto continuing his daily scouting trips. While what the Sannin could have done (and might still do) to the kid was cause for great worry, Anko understood better than anyone Naruto's perfectionism when it came to a mission. He would have memorized the entirety of Gaara's hideout even if she told him he couldn't. Why deny the reality of situation by resisting it?
Despite Naruto's zeal for the task, the data he had collected on Gaara had been boring, to say the least. 'Standing on a rooftop and gazing down into crowds like they were very scrumptious mice' had been the psychotic boy's most popular activity, right ahead of 'glaring murderously at anyone who happened to glance his way'.
It's not that Anko didn't respect the Jinchuriki's talent for intimidation. He'd made her as terrified as a kitten during the first few moments she'd seen him in action. After the dehumanizing effects of her memories of Orochimaru had kicked in, however, the effect had faded rather quickly.
We've got three weeks of this same shit left, she thought with a bored sigh, and it's driving me crazy.
Out of nowhere, a loud whooshing sound burst into Anko's ear, alerting her to an incredibly small vortex of wind.
"Took you long enough," she muttered angrily, hiding her shock well as Naruto swirled into existence beside her, his hair elegantly swaying across his face with the last remaining vestiges of the vortex.
"Sorry," he muttered hurriedly, his eyes glazed over in distracted thought. "I stopped for a bit while scoping out the district where Gaara lives. But that doesn't matter right now."
At this last statement, Naruto waved his hand flippantly, as if dismissing Anko's anger completely. Had Anko not understood Naruto's disregard for others whenever he happened upon an intriguing concept, she would have found the gesture extremely arrogant.
"I think I've found something big," he continued excitedly, now fixing his eyes upon her. "There was this girl in the street who had these weird eyes—"
"Wait," Anko interrupted abruptly, her thoughts suddenly consumed with suspicion and anger, "what girl?"
Naruto barely spared her a glance.
"I don't know," he muttered distractedly as he began struggling with the buttons on his coat. "I just happened to see her looking at me a couple yards away."
When Naruto's efforts started to appear futile, Anko kindly slapped his hand away and began doing it for him. Naruto glared at her, but did not stop her.
"As I was saying," he continued in a slightly disgruntled voice, "she was staring at me with the weirdest expression on her face."
"What kind of an expression?" Anko asked curiously, her hands nimbly sliding the buttons through the holes and out into the open.
"I don't know how to describe it," Naruto replied in a distant tone of voice. "Stunned? Awed, maybe?"
Anko snorted.
"Awed," she asked in disbelief, "by you?"
"Shut up," Naruto responded indignantly. "She was staring at me for some reason. Whatever it was doesn't matter. What does matter is what she was looking at me with."
"Her eyes?" Anko suggested innocently.
"Exactly!"
"What about 'em?" she asked in a bored sort of way as she slipped the last button of Naruto's coat out of its hole.
As Naruto began to clumsily shed his coat, he continued, "Her eyes were two different colors! One was green and the other was—"
"Amber?"
Naruto nodded happily, though his expression turned to one of mild annoyance when his arms became stuck in the one sleeve of his coat.
"How the hell did you get your arms stuck in a sleeveless jacket," Anko asked incredulously, temporarily forgetting the revelation of the nameless girl's eye color.
"Not sleeveless," Naruto corrected cheerfully. "There's a half-sleeve on the left si—oh dear."
Naruto's right foot became entangled with his left and, with a rather acrobatic twist, he collapsed onto the ground.
Anko shook her head in mock exasperation as a chuckle escaped from her mouth.
"I don't find this humorous," Naruto remarked quietly as he fidgeted beneath his coat.
Smirking, she extended a hand to her downed partner and heaved him into the air. She then proceeded to remove the coat for him, which only served to elicit a glare similar to the one he had sent her when she'd undone his buttons.
When Naruto's skinny chest was exposed to the air and his coat lay in a heap on at the foot of his bed, he renewed his report by saying, "She had heterochromia and she had a Kumo hitai-ate. What else had two different colored eyes and was last reported to be in Kumo?"
Anko's eyes widened dramatically.
"The Nibi no Bakeneko," she stated, stunned at the prospect of their being two Jinchuriki in Konoha.
Naruto nodded, a smirk decorating his face as he noticed her amazement. The smirk, however, quickly turned into a frown.
"Yep," he replied, his voice surprisingly glum, "and we can't do a damn thing."
"What the hell do you mean?" Anko demanded of him angrily. "We have two freakin' Jinchuriki right here and we can get 'em in one fell swoop!"
Anko nearly flinched when Naruto stared at her as if she'd said something stupid.
"Do you really want to take on two Jinchuriki?" he asked her incredulously.
"Why not?" Anko countered, determined to defend her argument. "You had the Kyuubi, so couldn't you—"
"The operative word," Naruto interrupted in an annoyed voice, "is 'had'. I'm not a Jinchuriki anymore Anko, which means no demonic 'gifts'. The only things I got from the Kyuubi were these."
He pointed to his eyes and flashed them between their actual azure hue and the crimson taint of his Kekkei Genkai in rapid succession.
"That may be enough to take down one of them—and I stress 'may'—," he continued, "but definitely not two. Besides, Zetsu-san said that the Hachibi Jinchuriki—Kirabi, I think his name was—received special training on learning how to control his Bijuu. I doubt this girl hasn't received the same. That, coupled with the fact that the Nibi is one tail greater than the Ichibi, makes her far more dangerous to confront."
Anko opened her mouth to retort, but could think of nothing to say. Naruto was right. They simply didn't have the power to take on multiple Jinchuriki and escape back to Ame in one piece. In fact, they wouldn't even make it back to Ame. The Five Nations would be on them within seconds and that was obviously a no-no.
"Fine," she finally conceded with a sigh, "but I don't like the idea of just ignoring such a golden opportunity. When will we ever get a chance to capture her again?"
With surprising quickness, Naruto replied, "Don't worry about that. We'll get another chance at her soon enough. Yugito isn't the child of a Kage and she isn't the only Jinchuriki Kumo has."
"Don't the reports say that Suna's populace hates Gaara?" Anko asked, suddenly finding another ray of light for her argument. She really wanted to attack this Yugito character. The idea of her staring at Naruto made Anko feel…weird.
"It can't be bad enough that they'd want to get rid of their only Bijuu," Naruto countered easily as he began to look around the room for a shirt.
"He's psychotic," she contradicted bluntly. "You saw the way he was looking at the Uchiha. It was almost as if he…I don't know, needed to kill him."
She forced herself to ignore the momentary flinch that froze Naruto's frame and quickly glanced out the window.
"First off," he replied lightheartedly, obviously determined to rid the atmosphere of negativity, "terms such as 'psychotic' and 'psychopath' are psychologically outdated. Haven't I said that before—never mind. Gaara's psychosis is a result of having a foreign entity—a Demonic Lord, to be precise—shoved into his body as an infant with a very poor seal to hold it in. The seal that was used on me was much stronger and kept the Kyuubi's dark whisperings out of my head."
"Actually," he suddenly corrected, a thoughtful look coming to his face, "after talking with the old fox, I wouldn't have minded him being in my head. He suggested some fascinating things and all this nonsense about the Bijuu being 'evil' or whatnot is really quite false. Did I tell you about—"
"Naruto," Anko cut in sharply, a very familiar sort of headache beginning to blossom within her skull, "stay on track."
"Sorry," he responded quickly, an apologetic look washing over his face abashedly. "I guess what I was trying to get at is that Gaara's apparent insanity isn't really that bad and the villager's reactions to him are like those of any other village when reacting to a Jinchuriki. They'll hate him, fear him, and possibly even wish him dead, but they would never allow another shinobi country to claim them. However ignorant Suna's populace might seem when they react in such a bigoted manner, the citizens of said ninja village are well aware of the power Gaara holds within him. When added to Suna's recent economic troubles, they'll protect their little sand demon for as long as they can. And in return, he may not kill as many of them when he defends the village from attacks. That's his purpose after all…to them at least."
Anko did not miss the bitterness that flashed through Naruto's eyes at the end of his explanation, but she dismissed it when he began speaking once more.
"On the other hand," he continued, "the Nibi Jinchuriki is from a village that already has a powerful demon host under their relative control. This makes her all the more expendable in their eyes. Why waste precious resources on a weaker version of the weapon you already have? I'm sure Kumo will attempt to keep this girl safe, of course, but they won't try nearly as hard as the desperate shinobi of Suna. This means that capturing the girl in the future will be much easier than capturing Gaara later on would be. Because of this, we'll continue as we have been. That doesn't mean, however, that we can't spy on the poor lass. It'll pay to know as much about her as possible. Is that all right with you?"
She grinned and nodded in response. Leave it to Naruto to iron out every little detail to perfection...when he put his mind to it, that is.
"Good," Naruto replied happily, "then we'll start sending Karasuhebi—hah!"
Naruto suddenly pointed an accusatory finger at an amorphous mass of clothes lying at the foot of his bed. A faded black shirt poking out of the pile seemed to be the object of Naruto's attention, for he shouted victoriously, "There you are nefarious shirt, which hides from mine view so deviously! Thou thinkest itself clever, but I have triu—oomphed."
A pillow sailing through the air courtesy of Anko collided into Naruto's face, effectively ending his diatribe.
"Put the damn shirt on so we can go visit that idiot in the hospital," Anko said in an annoyed tone of voice.
In a quieter, more respectful manner, she added, "I hope he's doin' okay."
Naruto did not miss this and was annoyingly quick to remark, "Does Anko-chan miss her beloved Gouzen-kun?"
Anko, her mouth twitching upwards ever so slightly, replied dreamily, "Why yes, I think I do. His presence…it lingers in my heart like…like—"
"The last petals of a sakura tree upon the freezing ground before the cold touches of winter," Naruto suggested helpfully.
She nodded and, in unison, they both declared happily, "Ah…the beauty of love."
They both chuckled and set about getting ready to leave for the hospital. They'd only visited Gouzen once during the week and Anko felt their teammate deserved some of their attention. He was, after all, embarking upon one of the greatest missions that he'd ever take on in his life.
Three Weeks Later
Their visit to see Gouzen had been very enjoyable for Naruto. He had actually been quite cheerful about his loss, even going so far as to claim that he'd use it to spur himself to train harder. Naruto's opinion of Gouzen had gone up quite a bit upon hearing this and he had told Gouzen that he would be more than happy to help him in his training.
After around another hour of chatting, Anko and Naruto had left and returned to their room. They had then spent the rest of the night reviewing the information they had on Gaara. Naruto had also created a schedule for both him and Anko to follow for the remaining three weeks before the Finals. Basically, the plan had involved several of Anko's scout snakes searching for the residency of the Nibi Jinchuriki while both Anko and Naruto would take turns spying on Gaara for any possible chances to capture him.
Surprisingly, the plan had worked quite well. The snakes had found the Nibi Jinchuriki's place of residence, which allowed them to learn her name: Nii Yugito. Upon learning this, Naruto had had Anko dispel five of the ten snakes she had summoned in order to lessen the likelihood that one of them was discovered. The remaining five had kept watch on the Kumo squad in case they revealed further information and so far, the reptiles had done their job admirably.
Tracking and spying on Gaara had also been relatively easy. The Konoha Chuunin that patrolled the area seemed wary of the boy, so Naruto and Anko had had little trouble in following him as he skulked his way around Konoha. It had paid off too.
Tailing Gaara had shown both Naruto and Anko a solitary spot where they could capture Gaara and take him back to Ame with little fuss. The deranged lad had inadvertently led them to an area on the outskirts of Konoha where only the poor and unwanted lived. The perfection of the spot had convinced Naruto to form his plan around it. Since Gaara came here every day, why wouldn't Naruto use it to its full potential?
Despite how conducive the area was to completing Naruto's plan, however, it sent chills down his spine just thinking about how similar the denizens of that wretched place were to him when he was growing up in the "legendary" Hidden Leaf Village.
For that reason, Naruto had thought Gaara's reasons for coming to this place were possibly…benign. After all, Gaara's childhood had probably born striking similarities to Naruto's. Perhaps, like Naruto, Gaara had recognized to the pain that oozed out of the bleak and watery eyes of these destitute citizens and had come to this place to reflect.
As Naruto had soon discovered, however, Gaara's motives were far more sinister.
Apparently, Gaara had a craving for killing. The reason Gaara came to this dejected area of Konoha was to wrap his blood-stained sand around some hapless beggar's body and crush it into a dripping pulp. Who would have noticed the disappearance of someone as ignoble as that in a city as large as Konoha?
Naruto had refused to equate such sadistic desires with his own "habits", but found that it was nearly impossible. The resemblance was too vivid to ignore. Nevertheless, Naruto had forced himself to ignore such thoughts and had continued his daily routine of spying.
Anko had also seemed to be affected by Gaara's little ritual, though Naruto suspected it had not been the sight of Gaara mercilessly killing civilians. Instead, she had most likely been thinking of Naruto and how what he did was nearly the exact same thing: an addiction.
Suddenly, pain blossomed within Naruto's skull like a fiery explosion. His hand snapped to his head and clawed at it relentlessly.
The explosion became an ocean, beating against the sides of his head with the same eternal power and ruthlessness as the sea.
Thrum…thrum…thrum…
"Please stop," he whispered to himself, his voice nothing more than the pleading tone of a child.
The headache was as merciless as a hurricane, for it continued to beat against his skull with the same horrible thoroughness as it had always done.
The book he'd been reading fell out of his hand and clattered to the floor, leaving Naruto's other hand to mirror its twin and clamp down on his head.
"W-why," he gasped out, oblivious to the desperate tears beginning to fall out of his eyes, "w-why don't I stop?"
Because I want blood…
Naruto's entire body—his entire essence—froze like a hammer in mid swing.
Helplessly, hopelessly, Naruto called out, "W-who's there?"
There was no answer. The entire room seemed to have gone silent, as if in sad respect of his horrible plight.
In this terrible silence Naruto's mind floated, like a boat in the eye of hurricane. Thoughts gruesome and horrific ran through his mind like a carnival slide show.
Was he going insane? Was the voice some other personality borne out of his own fragile mind?
The hammer that had been Naruto's being suddenly crashed to the ground and realization dawned upon him in the most dreadful manner imaginable.
"It wasn't another voice," he murmured softly to himself. "It was me…answering my own question."
The light of Naruto's azure eyes became dimmed with the color of crimson and his head gently slumped forward in blissful sleep.
Why don't I stop?
Because I want blood…
Hokage Tower: Midnight
"When will you do it," the Hokage asked in a voice as serious as death.
Jiraiya sighed and replied somberly, "After the Finals. I want to be sure before…"
He let his voice trail off, but the Hokage knew what he was referring to.
"So be it," the wizened leader proclaimed in a cold and distant voice ill-suited to his personality.
In a quieter and warmer voice, the Hokage added, "Please be ready for him Jiraiya. I have already failed him once. I cannot bear to do it again."
"We all failed him," Jiraiya replied sadly, "and so it's our duty to ensure that failure doesn't destroy the future of Konoha."
Jiraiya glanced at his old sensei and, with a smirk adorning his face that elicited ancient memories of a boisterous and energetic young child, said, "Wish me luck…Sarutobi-sensei."
The Toad Sennin disappeared in a whirl, leaving the Hokage alone in the dark.
A/N: I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter. Please review and comment as much as you can. I am eager to hear your opinions on my story.
Oramo
Yuutai Henge: "Corporeal Apparition"—Explanation later on in the story. A more advanced form has been suggested, but Naruto has only found hints of it in his readings.
Magen: Kibaku Gotai no Jutsu: "Demonic Illusion: Exploding Limbs Jutsu"—This is basically a homage to how Zaku got defeated in canon. For those who don't know, Zaku faced Shino in combat and tried to use his ability to blast waves of sound out of tubes implanted into his arms. In response, Shino secretly put his kikai bugs into the tubes and attempted to block them. Zaku used his ability, the bugs blocked the passage, and Zaku's arms…exploded. Yeah, that kinda put a damper on his ninja career. Fortunately for our tough as nails Sound nin, Sakura's genjutsu merely simulates the act of someone's limbs exploding, so he merely went unconscious, albeit in shock. Unfortunately, Zaku is about to be a very integral part in Orochimaru's plans. I don't want to ruin it for those of you who don't know what part Zaku actually plays, but I'm pretty sure all of you remember. Can't hurt to be cautious, though. As for the translation, I'm not really sure if "Magen" means "Demonic Illusion", but I've seen it used in stories before and I'm going to assume it's correct. Feel free to critique me on the translation if you know it's wrong. Now I bet you're wondering why you read an entire paragraph about a jutsu that'll probably never be in the story again. So am I.