Nineteen minutes later they were deep inside another mountain, wondering why the signal was coming from the other side of a wall.
"Guys look at this" Asuma called. They reached his side and found a thin trail of light blood from the entrance of the tunnel leading to the back of the cave. Hizashi knelt beside Asuma and after removing a glove he dipped his fingers into the blood, raising them to his face so he could sniff it "Naruto's blood. We're on the right track and close too."
"How can you tell?" Suigetsu asked him. "Because it's the right colour to be and it's still warm. At the temperature this place is it would take only less than a minute to cool down."
"Look" Asuma spoke "here's where it stops." The group came over to find Asuma working at a hole in the cave wall covered in a layer of ice. "There's a tunnel behind here large enough to get through if you put your arms by your sides and use your feet to push you through. By the thickness of the ice cover it couldn't have been there longer than ten or fifteen minutes."
"It must have been Naruto" Minato said softly "he's hiding on the other side. He must have been able to escape that guy and is trying to hide from him."
"Move away" Itachi pushed forward, his eyes went vacant for a few seconds then he nodded and said quietly "he is." There was something else in his eyes though and Minato frowned in worry "what is it Itachi?"
"You shall see" he said gravely "There IS a cave on the other side, small but useful so prepare. I shall teleport us inside." The group immediately moved closer to the man, Hizashi yanking Asuma to their side just as the blinding light flashed. When it cleared they found themselves in a dark cave.
"I can't see" Asuma complained, aware he was the only one without enhanced sight or implants. "Pull up the hood on your suit over your eyes" Minato said and there was something in his voice that made Asuma hurry to do so. At first there was black and then everything cleared, he could see as clear as day.
See the figure of an white haired man about forty or forty-five that had Naruto trapped in his arms and teeth locked to the boys throat. One hand was gripping long chains bound to the boy's wrists and the other had his head forcibly to the side. They were about to move forward when Minato stopped them with "that's not him."
"What do you mean Minato?"
"That's not the guy who attacked Naruto and then tried to kill me. He was younger, half as young as him and had red hair." Minato spoke with a frown they could all see. Kisame spoke out though "Who cares Minato, he's hurting him now. As far as we know he could be one of that guys friends or other slaves."
Minato frowned but didn't seem to believe him.
Kisame growled something obscene and Minato suddenly rushed forward and tried to pull the two apart before the others could remind him of what had happened to Hizashi after he had tried that with the other earlier. The figure's hand moved in a flash, knocking Minato away and straight into the nearby wall. They heard a dull snap, the man grunted in pain and slid down, unconscious.
Asuma rushed to his side and examined him, not noticing Naruto's face turning to look and the pain and panic in his face overridden by blinding concern and fear. He tried to struggle free and help his father, but the figure only clutched him tighter and dug his teeth deeper into the wound on his neck. And Naruto seemed too weak to struggle much longer.
"His wrist is broken and he has a concussion" Asuma called out to them "he'll live, but help Naruto before he looses what little he has left." Kisame moved to separate the two when there was a dull explosion and the wall behind them blew apart, showering them with debris. When the dust and dirt cleared seven humanoid figures stood there, hissing and snarling. "Great, now what" Suigetsu growled and Itachi spoke out "that figure in front, I have sensed him before."
"Who?" They asked him softly. "Before I was knocked out and inside Narutos' mind twice. He is the one who attacked him." The figure stepped into the cave room, six other figures following and he looked at them in contempt "so it is you again, and companions. I should have known. You caused my new puppet to rebel against me and defy me. He ran here because of you and forced me to chase him" he sounded disgusted "I hate games. Give him to me now and your death will be swift."
"If we could we would not but it seems HE has got him and he does not seem to want to let him go" Rin motioned behind her at the older figure with Naruto. "Jirayia" the figure's top lip peeled back from fanged teeth in a sign of contempt "weak souled asshole who couldn't kill if his unlife depended on it."
This made them curious "he's not one of your men?"
"Of course not!" the figure snarled at him "he has all that power, perhaps the most powerful being in the entire world and he whiles away in here, sleeping! His power is more than any of you weaklings could imagine" he looked at them with malevolence "He could rule the world by now with his abilities. Instead he contents himself with family." A sudden grin came onto the face "that was until I killed them for him." They were horrified "if he's so powerful why hasn't he killed you for what you did?"
"Foolish mortals, no one can kill me. Besides, I was his last and his only heir. He can't kill me or no one could replace him should something... unexpected happen to him" he grinned toothily.
"You're his son?"
"Stupid mortals!" the creature snarled angrily "I just told you I killed his family! He made me as I made your friend!"
"You're his slave?"
"I'm his heir!" The contempt came back "Jinchuuriki don't believe in slaves, only fledglings."
"Jinchuuriki?" Itachi asked him softly. "Do you think your pathetic attempt to distract me will work? Foolish mortals" he turned to look at the others behind him "I want my new puppet back. If you have to go through the mortals then kill them for standing in my way. Jirayia must not have the time to finish or he will belong to him. He is not to be taken from me or you all will suffer for it."
"Yes master" one hissed and one or two others shuddered and the six moved forward together. "Number sixteen" Kisame said and the group nodded, moving out into an open semi-circle around the older creature and Naruto. The circle was open enough to allow them room to kick or swing weapons but not enough to let anyone past them.
Kisame looked startled as a sword suddenly appeared in his hand as the suit sensed his requirement and the others also found similar weapons in theirs, Itachi and Rin with chakra and Suigetsu and Karin also with smaller and lighter swords. Hizashi and Hinata, those who fought without weapons felt their strength and speed being boosted and all realised why the suits had been specially designed for each of them separately.
Itachi quickly recovered his shock and looked down at his son, speaking softly and gently to him "you know what to do."
"Yes father" and the boy lead Obito out to join Asuma around Minato protectively. The six snarling figures moved towards the group, breaking up and suddenly running for one of the Akatsuki. Each member fought in such union and as a unit that Asuma could only watch in awe, each utilizing their abilities and the suit to keep the figures on the outside of the semi circle, the wall behind them and blocking that way. Yet any injury they inflicted healed almost instantly and any blood-loss made them meaner, making them a lot tougher than they seemed.
They fought for at least ten long minutes, not knowing how to truly stop them yet. That was until something that happened five minutes later. One of the six broke off fighting with Hinata and Suigetsu and headed for Asuma, Minato and the boys. When the creature in the entrance growled at him "where do you think you're going slave?" he answered with "children Master Nagato. It's virgin blood."
"All right but they are mine" even though he still didn't move. "Yes master" the figure nodded in acceptance. On hearing this Asuma rose and moved to protect the boys, saying softly "stay with Minato."
"We can protect ourselves," Sasuke said, raising his hands for a jutsu. "Protect Minato" Asuma said to them "He's defenseless."
"He doesn't want uncle Minato" Obito pointed out.
"What if he tries for him?" Asuma said reasonably "I'll be defending you both and you'll be defending yourselves. Who'll defend Minato?" Sasuke hesitated then nodded and lowered his hands slowly, moving with Obito to the unconscious man's side, which left Asuma to face the approaching creature by himself.
He felt the suit working on him, preparing him for the fight and he was surprised by how deep his concentration was, as if the suit knew how hard it was for Asuma to utilize his nin ability and was making it easier for him. The figure stopped in front of him and grinned at him "you look like another useless mortal, human. You and your friends have no idea how to stop us. We are only playing with you all right now."
"Really?" Asuma sounded uninterested, like he had just said the dullest thing he had ever heard "I think appearances are as they seem. You guys don't know who and what you're dealing with. Some of us are more than human and it is US who are playing with you."
"You mean because the boy you want to rescue from us is a nin?" and when Asuma jerked in shock he grinned "oh yes, we know. It's in his blood" and the figure licked his lips at the memory "tasty. Nin blood always is. And the added fact he is almost a virgin helps."
"Almost?" Asuma cocked his head at the figure "you can't almost be one. You either are one or not." Suddenly his eyes widened nearly all the way and he looked at the boy in shock and sudden realization. His fear of being touched... Of course! Why hadn't he realized it before!
"You didn't know!" the figure laughed. "How did YOU know?" Asuma growled at him angrily "you don't know him."
"As I said it's in his blood. When we feed we don't just taste blood, we taste their mind and soul as well."
"You don't know Naruto's soul or mind or you won't be doing this to him or trying to. What is it that you have to try to hurt him?"
"He's food, just like you" the figure grinned toothily "and the master wishes another toy to play with."
Asuma was angry at this "food?! I'll show you what food can do." He raised both hands and motioned at the figure "come on, try me. I'll show you what food will do to protect it's own. Your master should get used to disappointment, he's not getting Naruto back."
The creature snarled and rushed for Asuma, clawed hands out and ready to slash him. When he was close enough Asuma grabbed the arm closest to him and in a classic karate move flipped the guy over his shoulder, only purposely swinging him at the last minute so he slammed into a wall.
With a short cry of pain the figure twisted and launched himself back at the man again. Only this time the man disappeared at the last minute, gone into thin air. Stopping short the figure snarled, spinning around and attempting to find him, thinking he had only moved away so fast he hadn't seen it.
But he truly was gone. The creature in the entrance's eyes started to glow red and he suddenly snarled, "behind you puppet!" A blow brought the creature to the ground from an invisible source and Asuma appeared in front of the boys again, grinning "so I'm just food am I."
The figure snarled and struggled to his feet, the blow to his back having damaged his spine. However Asuma didn't show his shock at this, he had seen worse blows to the others from Kisame's sword and they also had got up and fought on as if nothing was wrong.
The creature snarled angrily, showing teeth and claws as he rushed for the man again. "Idiot" Asuma shook his head as he moved aside from the blow and let him hit a wall "during any fight letting you're anger control you only makes you slip up all the time and makes it easier for the enemy to over power and knock you out. Fool."
The creature twisted against the wall and snarled "but you can't hurt me. I can fight forever and you'll tire. When you do then I'll get you."
"With these suits, who says I'll tire?" The creature snarled again "then we'll have to get rid of it then" and with a lightning movement he swiped a clawed hand at it, trying to cut it open. Instead he only cried out in pain and pulled back his hand as his claw skidded down a hard surface, breaking it off. "That's gotta hurt" Asuma said smugly.
The creature lost control and snarled loudly, rushing forward again. Only this time when the man went to disappear again the figures eyes flashed red and he snarled "I'll not fall for that again!" and this time his eyes locked to the man and his clawed hands locked around his wrists. "Damn!" Asuma swore softly "you can see in infra-red can't you. You see my body heat when your eyes glow."
"Yes!" the figure hissed triumphantly. "Thank you" Asuma said and this time he vanished out of the others grip "for you see invisibility isn't my only ability."
This time he appeared behind the creature again and hit him in the same spot as before, causing him to yelp loudly in pain. What followed next were very short disappearances by Asuma, kind of like short hops here and then suddenly gone and back again. He choose blows around the creatures body while it attempted to figure out what was going on and where he was going to appear next and the boys knew Asuma was purposely keeping him confused.
And it was working too, that was until the one in the entrance decided he had had enough of watching and interfered. He rushed forward and grabbed both the figure and Asuma, throwing them in opposite directions and towards a wall each at extremely high speed. And the boys knew if Asuma hit it would kill him.
That's when it happened. There was a flash of white from the centre of the semi-circle and someone launched themselves out over Suigetsu's head, heading for the nin man. Like a pro-catcher he stopped Asuma seconds before the wall, twisted around so he was protected from the contact with his own body, dropped him gently and then with a burst of speed was heading for the other figure.
As the five slaves and Akatsuki watched in awe, Asuma sitting on the ground and stunned as he scratched his head in confusion the new figure ceased the slave in mid air and threw him back with the same force straight at the figure of Naruto's attacker who was slowly approaching the boys and Minato.
The figure collided with him, knocking him away from the boys and into another wall. With a snarl the figure threw the other off him and rose. And was faced by the growling older figure, eyes glowing with power and claws ready for a fight with him.
"So" the attacker snarled around his own blood "your distraction worked. Well all you've done is changed masters of him. He wouldn't be different than me" he laughed darkly "Jirayia is older and more powerful than me. If you even had a slim chance to kill me you have zero of destroying him. Your friend will never be free now" and he laughed again loudly.
"I thought you said this guy believes in a 'fledgling' not a slave like you do" Asuma said from his spot "I guess that means they care about those they change, unlike you." The figure snarled and made a slashing gesture and an invisible force knocked Asuma into the wall behind him, knocking him out.
The older figure growled louder at this. The figure he had thrown at the attacker rose from his spot and with an unintelligible word he ran for the older creature, claws ready to tear him apart.
The older one stood up straight and calmly set eyes on him, freezing him dead on his spot with the force of his will. As they all watched in shock and horror the figure floated towards him until he was close enough, trapped and not to be able to move so the other could reach out. With a growl the figure punched his fist through the others chest, pulling out his heart.
With horror they watched the organ pound away in his hand, as if unaware they had been separated and the wide terrified eyes of the figure showed he had never expected it, suddenly starting to struggle when he felt the heat growing around him and the older figure.
The Akatsuki were shocked, how could they hope to beat something that could survive without a heart inside its body?
Suddenly as they watched the heart went up in black flames in the older creatures hand, the owner of the burning organ screaming in terror as he watched. When it was but ashes the flames disappeared as quickly as they had appeared and the figure opened his hand, letting the grey flakes fall forlornly onto the floor.
And the owner of the destroyed organ managed one last scream before he too was crumbling to dust in the force, released only when there was only a pile of dust left of it. "The heart" Hizashi suddenly said "destroy the heart and you destroy them." The older figure grinned toothily at the attacker and raised one hand, blowing the dust into his face as if to say "this will be you soon."
The attacker backed up a few steps from him, eyes wide and said something they couldn't understand in a language they didn't older figure growled something back in the same language and laughed at him. The younger one spoke again. The figure laughed again and he motioned briefly at Naruto who lay curled in a corner, eyes half-open and shaking in what seemed like a fever.
The younger ones eyes set on Naruto and said with an angry snarl "puppets kill the boy. He stands between me and what is mine rightly."
The Akatsuki wondered what the older had told the other to warrant his sudden change of heart and when one figure moved to attack the barely comprehending boy the older suddenly disappeared and appeared by it's side, grasping it's claws hands and swinging it around to face him, snarling.
The slave cried out in fear after witnessing the earlier act and sobbed, "forgive me master of my master! I am only obeying the one who allows me to live!"
"Coward!" the younger figure snarled and raising a hand. The figure burst into flames and the younger avoided the blow when the older one threw the burning slave at him, hitting the wall near the boys and exploding to dust. "Get him!" the younger figure snarled at the other slaves but the remaining four slaves only cringed and whimpered in terror, obviously more afraid of the older figure than their master. "Get him or your death at his hands will seem like a pin pricks next to what I'll do to you!"
The older figure said something in a mocking voice, the younger figure growling in rage at whatever the figure had said to him, launching himself at him, the two becoming a mass of claws and fangs as they growled in unison and rolled around together, fighting to overpower the other.
They realized it wasn't even a fair fight when they heard the older laughed loudly again, and they realized the figure was so powerful he was merely playing games with him. That was until the younger figure untangled himself and made a move towards Naruto.
The laugh instantly dissolved into a loud angry snarl and the older figure hit the younger one, throwing him to the floor opposite the boys and Minato and the fight becoming for real with the older one snarling that line he had before when the slave had tried for the boy. They could only attempt to follow the fight, which was too fast for them, only knowing what was going on by the level of the snarls and cries of pain. And it seemed the younger one was receiving the brunt of the injuries. The younger one cried out as they fought the same line and added another.
The younger laughed, to be cut off by a snarl of rage and the younger's own scream of agony as the older demolished his left arm, crushing every single bone inside it and tearing it almost free of the shoulder.
"Puppets too me!" the younger screamed and the four came to surround him protectively, backing towards the entrance. The youngers parting shot was "I'm not the traitor, Father, you are. Your love told you from the start she knew I was bad through and through but you let your desire for an heir get in the way, let you blind you to your loves truth. In the end it was you who was responsible for her destruction, not me." The word father was said sarcastically, causing the other to growl louder.
He grinned and licked his lips in what they realized-like the one who had faced Asuma, meant he had taken her blood as the younger had earlier taken Naruto's in front of Minato. Then they turned and were gone. Kisame rose and moved to the entrance to make sure he was gone before he looked back, suddenly startled and asked softly "are you all right Asuma?"
They all looked around to find the man standing, rubbing the back of his head in pain. He managed to grunt out "a little shaky but fine. The suit took the brunt of the blow, I was faking it in the hope I could find a chance to do something."
"What about Minato? He didn't hit as hard as you and he's out."
"Probably because of the hood" Asuma said "it's part of the suit over my head and protecting it where Minato isn't wearing one."
"Then maybe we should all wear the hoods from now on" Rin said softly "in case something such as this was to happen again." They all nodded and Hizashi called out from Naruto's side, a frown in his voice "Asuma come and look at this."
The man stumbled shakily to his side, grunting in pain when he stumbled and almost fell and soon crouched by the boy's side and examined him as well. "Do you see what I see?" Hizashi asked as he did. "I do" Asuma's voice frowned also "this is amazing."
"What is it?" the gathered around the two in curiosity, Kisame coming over to their side with Minato over one shoulder and the two boys following him.
"Not only is his condition stabilizing but look at the wounds" and he peeled off what was left of the patches for them to see. As they watched the wounds were folding together and healing in front of them, fading away without scars-except for the two small fang marks inside the wounds from the older creature which left only two tiny pin-prick marks on his throat surrounded by two long thin scars from the tears the younger creature had obviously inflicted. Everything else-the claw wounds on his chest and the deep punctures from them on his wrists were gone without a scar.
Not just that but Naruto appeared to be sleeping deeply, breathing evenly and regularly. He seemed to be recovering quiet well and except for the scars, claws, wings and fangs he looked almost normal. His deathly pale skin seemed to be darkening slightly to a shade they hadn't seen on him before but guessed was because for a change he looked one hundred percent healthy instead of what it had been lately with all the blood loss and beatings and lack of much sun.
In fact the shade of his skin reminded them more of Kushina then Minato as he was suppose to look, as if more of what he had inherited from Kushina was showing now. He looked a little less the cursed blonde and blue and pale than before, as if this guy had somehow brought out Kushina's inherited side where the curse would have stopped that.
"What did you do to him?" Suigetsu looked at the older one in amazement who was crouched next to them with a powerfully protective look in his eyes, as if there to make sure one of them didn't hurt the boy. "Che" the figure said, licking his right inner-wrist, followed by something they couldn't understand.
"I'm sorry but we don't understand you" Asuma said.
The older creature hesitated then reached out and took Asuma's hand. As they watched he pulled off the glove carefully and turned it around, stroking the veins in the surface then shaking his head. He let the man go and gave him back his glove and reached out his own right hand, showing them the healing wound there. He ran his claws over the surface veins and this time nodded.
Asuma understood "he was unstable before because when that guy attacked and bit him he only passed a fraction of this disease to Naruto. He was clouded and weak because it wasn't properly in his system, as we saw before it was fighting Naruto's immunity for control and making him like he was. He needed a transfusion of this guys' sort of blood to stabilize it so the disease could overpower the immunity and take over."
"But doesn't that make him like those other guys?" Suigetsu asked in concern. The older spoke "iie" and reached out again, touching the nin man on the chest over his heart and then touching the sleeping boy on the chest as well. When he saw they didn't understand he pointed to Suigetsu and then Asuma and the boy again.
They still didn't understand and the older figure frowned, trying to think of a way to explain it to them since they couldn't understand his language. His eyes lit up in sudden thought and he spoke one word "Nin" imitating the voice of the one Asuma had fought, pointed to Suigetsu and said "mortal" and then the sleeping boy, repeating the words and gestures until Asuma finally said in understanding slowly "you're saying Naruto's still a nin and like Suigetsu and us even though he's now changed?"
The older figure nodded a few times with a smile.
"How's he different now than before?" Asuma asked him.
The figure reached out and cut Naruto's cheek with a claw, letting them see him heal. He then whipped the blood off his cheek and onto his fingers before placing them inside the boy's mouth, whipping them on his lips before sucking the remainder off himself. He then made a motion to make them realise he was referring to the way he had destroyed the other earlier and shook his head, pointing to the boy and made various other motions.
Again Asuma spoke slowly "Naruto can die just like any of us could unlike the others and if he's injured and has blood straight afterwards he'll heal quickly like you."
The figure smiled and nodded again. "What about blood loss again? How will that affect him? The same as it did before?" The figure hesitated, thinking about it and then shrugged. HE didn't know either. "It must be different for each person" Asuma said thoughtfully "what about death? What would happen to him then?"
The older figure frowned as if not liking the idea. "He'd become like those others?" Asuma asked in concern and apprehension of it. The figure nodded and then shrugged. "We have to go now" Kisame interrupted, looking around "or that guy and his pals might come back."
"Iie" the older figure shook his head and grinned, swinging his left arm limply and then looking mock angry and pretending to kick something. Asuma grinned also, somehow feeling as if he was developing a link with this guy, as if they had something in common "I think he's saying that guys arm will prevent that. He'll be off taking his temper out on the slaves in whatever rat hole they call a home."
"Still let's get home," Kisame said, "Naruto will wake up soon and it may soften the blow of what he's become if he wakes up in his own bed." They realized he had a point and stood, Hizashi gently lifting the sleeping boy into his arms, careful of the wings wrapped around him. The older figure hesitated in his half-risen position, eyes locked on Hizashi as if only just seeing him, an unreadable expression in his eyes and face.
"What is it?" Asuma asked but the other didn't move and he seemed a little confused. "What is wrong?" Asuma asked but when the figure didn't answer or move he tried to think of how to get through. Remembering what the younger one had called him Asuma spoke softly "Jirayia what is it?"
The older's head snapped to him at the mention of his name, frowned and made a motion they didn't understand. When they told him so he just made a dismissive gesture and rose properly, following them out of the cave and away. He didn't seemed at all surprised or confused or even shocked about the jet and sat down in his seat and allowed them to buckle him in and only watched them buckle Naruto in another seat, in fact it seemed he was unwilling to allow the boy out of his sight for even a second.
And his face when watching the boy was always protective and possessive.
They got back to center and while Hizashi took the boy to his room and Kisame took Minato to his Asuma lead the older creature to the computer room, to get him identified into C.C. s' systems so the computer would accept his movements around the center without becoming alert. While the others may have any last doubts about this guy's good soul Asuma was utterly convinced, not just because the creature had saved his life by catching him before but also many other things. Helping Naruto for one, hurting the younger for another and other things that had been said and seen and known.
Asuma had realized before that the older one had disowned the younger as his heir and placed Naruto in that place instead, which was why the younger had told the slaves to kill him. And when the one he had been fighting had mentioned they could pick up things from a persons soul and mind when they tasted their blood.
When the older creature had tasted Naruto's blood he had also tasted the familiar taints of nin blood and that had allowed him to easily take the boy as his heir when he probably usually only had taken him as a normal boy. And before when the boy's skin darkened Asuma knew it wasn't because of Kushina's side coming out. It was the ancestry blood in him strengthened by the olders' transfusion.
Naruto's heritage was coming out and Asuma had no doubt now that he was to inherit the power from his ancestors. But since Asuma could sense incredible power inside this older figure he hoped when it showed the man would immediately be able to help, that's why he brought him with them to C.C.
To his surprise he saw understanding in the older figures eyes when he looked at him. He knew what he was doing and because he was powerfully protective of the boy, because he had made him his heir he would do all in power and strength to make sure the boy survived a long long time. Asuma nodded at the mutual understanding between them and lead the man away to a room of his own.
The man looked around and then shook his head at the nin man. At first he thought the man was not happy with the room but then he saw the reason in his eyes. 'I have slept for long enough. I do not need any more.' Asuma shrugged and said "keep it anyway" and lead the man away to show him around the centre and all the other rooms-except the other member's rooms that was.
After a while he noticed something was distracting the older creature, frowning thoughtfully and looking behind him-over his shoulder at Naruto's room. "What is it Jirayia?" Asuma asked him softly, aware that Kurenai was in the room beside Naruto's and a little worried by the older man's reaction. The older creature frowned and looked back again, speaking one word he didn't understand.
"I don't understand Jirayia." The creature reached out to wrap long and slim clawed fingers carefully around his wrist and gently tug him behind him as he moved down the hallway. They reached the two doors of Naruto's room and the one he had moved Kurenai too next door. The older creature frowned thoughtfully at Naruto's door and Asuma knew he wanted to go and check on him, but he trusted in the groups ability to now care for him and instead pulled the nin man into Kurenai's room.
He pulled Asuma to Kurenai's bedside and crouched beside her, eyes glowing as he looked her up and down. And Asuma realised he was examining her by her body heat and however other way he could see. The creature finally frowned deeply and looked up at him.
"She's been unconscious since Naruto was attacked by that guy" Asuma told him "she hadn't came out once and it's been at least half a day. He bit her too" he motioned at the patch on his finance's throat.
The creature pulled back the patch to examine the wounds closely before Asuma could protest. He then looked up at the man nin and growled softly "Nagato." And when Asuma nodded the creature's expression showed him he regretted not killing the younger one when he had had the chance.
"It's not your fault, Jirayia. You killed those other ones to protect Naruto and even though you know that guy betrayed your trust and love for him you still have feelings for him. That's why you couldn't kill him like he tried to kill Naruto and Kurenai and then me. I understand. Kurenai and I have never been able to have children even though we've tried extremely hard. In your position I probably would have done the same."
'That's no excuse' the others eyes said in self-anger 'I should have done it long ago.'
"Don't worry about it" Asuma placed a hand gently on the creatures shoulder "I'm sure you'll do it later when you have to. Naruto's your heir now and I can tell you from experience that he'll prove to you he's worthy of the faith you place in him. He's been through too much to be corrupted by power and everything you've given him." Jirayia nodded without looking at him and winced suddenly at the touch, moving away from his hand. Asuma frowned-just like Naruto. Could it mean he also...
No, Jirayia's desire to move away from him was not to be comforted for what he sees as a worthy worry and absolved of a wrong act as letting the other live to endanger others, not fear as Naruto's was and would be. Of course now that he knew the reason for Naruto's fear of touch he couldn't blame him.
And by humouring Naruto so long with that fear and 'walking on egg shells' as Kurenai would say with him Kushina and Minato had unknowingly made it all that much worse. After the event they should have slowly got Naruto used to touch again and showed him it all wasn't bad. But the two had probably thought to do so would make him worse-instead by NOT doing it they had done the complete opposite of what they attempted to do. And in doing so they had ruined his chance of leading a normal teenaged or even male sexual life.
The fact that he had no sex life-especially with Hinata when they both obviously wanted each other was proof of that. Thinking of Kurenai brought Asuma's head back down to his fiancée sleeping face. Even in her face he could see that something was wrong, her face spasming in pain even though he had given her a painkiller earlier.
He suddenly realized something and looked at the older creature in shock and surprise "you know what's wrong with Kurenai?" The figure nodded and motioned to the wounds then pulled back his top lip, pointing to his fanged teeth and then the wounds again. When Asuma grunted to show he didn't understand the figure placed a finger in his mouth and whipped at the base of the fanged incisors, showing him a finger when he drew it out.
Something clear shone on the tip of a clawed nail, which Asuma first thought was saliva. But then he noticed just how thick it was, sitting on the man's nail as it was slightly slanted instead sliding down like it should.
Asuma frowned and murmured thoughtfully "could there be some sort of infection in the actual teeth? Something that sedated her or is doing something to her I can't see?" At a spur of the minute decision he raised his head and said gently "come with me please Jirayia."
The man nodded and rose, following him to the lab where he got the man creature to sit down and use a cotton ball to soak up some of his saliva and the strange gel from his teeth while he returned to his fiancée's side to get some blood samples, followed by some of Naruto's on a sudden whim and thought, marvelling as the tiny pin-prick disappeared instantly after he removed the needle point from his arm.
He then got down to examining them while the man creature sat by his side and waited patiently, somehow knowing that the end result to this would allow Asuma to understand something that was happening.
