CHAPTER 13: The Mercenary

Kinjo emerged from the stair, eyes bright. He was obviously in a good mood. Zuko was sweeping the front of the temple.

"Kinjo-san, good morning," Zuko greeted.

"Hello there, monk."

"Geez, have you still a grudge against me? Call me Zuko."

"Right. Sorry."

"By the way, Hashirama-sama wanted a word with you. He's at the prayer room"

"Okay." Kinjo started to trot towards the temple.

"Where's your companion?"

"He's returned to our village. Said he was losing vitality." Kinjo padded into the temple. He smelled garlic in the air, trailed it, and ended in the kitchen. Saki was frying the garlic. Hiromi was watching over the rice pot.

Saki noticed his presence. "Good morning, Kinjo."

"Kinjo!" Hiromi blurted out. She hurriedly ran to Kinjo and hugged his neck.

"Kinjo-san for you, young lady. Where is everyone?"

"Midori is training in the dojo with Tsuneo. Setsuko is with them," Saki said.

"I see."

"Let's play, Kinjo-ojisan!"

Hiromi's endearment caught him off-guard. "I'm sorry, Hiromi. I have something to do."

"Aw. How about later?"

"I can't promise you."

"Kinjo is so mean! Hmph!" Hiromi ran back in front of the rice pot.

Kinjo chuckled as he went on to the prayer room. Hashirama was kneeling in front of the Dragon God. "Zuko said there was something important that you wanted to tell me."

Hashirama made a bow in front of the Dragon God engraved in wood and turned to Kinjo. "Naruto-kun has already woken up. Talk with him about Setsuko's training in the Village of Dogs." Kinjo didn't make a reply. "Well?"

"Why don't we just train Setsuko here, together with Naruto-sama?"

"Naruto-kun's training will be of a different level, and her progress will be slow if she will train here. Besides, there's no way you can make her a Sage in here. She needs to be in the beasts' world to do that." He paused. "Kinjo, don't hold back on her. I know that this is difficult for you as a father, but Setsuko is an important person not only to me but to Tsuneo's family as well. She is already involved whether you like it or not. You need to tell her the truth about herself. Don't keep her from her true identity."

Kinjo sighed. "Okay."

…

Kinjo went to Naruto's room. Reiko was there and unwrapping the bandage around Naruto. Kinjo waited until Reiko told him that it was okay to come in. Reiko went back to her duty as patrol guard.

"Hi, there, Kinjo-san. Where's Cujo-san?"

"He's returned to our village, Naruto-sama. How are you feeling?"

Naruto made a show of punching with his left arm. "Good as new. Reiko-san is an excellent surgeon. So, why are you here?"

Kinjo was hesitating.

"Kinjo-san?"

"It's about Setsuko's training in our village, Naruto-sama."

"Well, could she withstand your village?"

"Yes, but for a limited amount of time. I can only allow her to stay there for ten hours a day. That's the safest."

"Then it's fine. I once trained in Myobukuzan. The place was virtually the same as here."

"Setsuko is different from you, Naruto-sama. She hasn't had any formal shinobi training, yet."

"Are you worried that she can't do it?"

Kinjo looked away for a moment, and then back at Naruto again. "I know she can, but..."

"That settles it, then."

"Naruto-sama…"

"She can do it with your guidance. I believe in you." Naruto grinned.

Saki called out to everyone. Breakfast was ready.

…

Reiko, Zuko, and Tsuneo opted to eat second batch to take charge of the temple's security. So the first batch only consisted of Midori, Setsuko, Hashirama, Saki, Hiromi, Chiasa, Naruto, and Kinjo, who was only there to introduce Setsuko to Naruto. He said that he had already eaten with his pack. Hiromi made much of Naruto, calling him "Prince-chan!" and hugging him as if they had been siblings ever since. Midori was blushing all the time, avoiding from looking at Naruto. Chiasa ate quietly away from everyone. Hashirama was himself, teasing Saki and joking about her breasts, which made Saki furious of him. When Hashirama asked for seconds, she refused. Hashirama was forced to apologize, and the way he did it compelled laughs from interested parties. When they were done, Kinjo formally introduced Setsuko. Naruto pleasantly accepted her acquaintance. But, Setsuko was a little disappointed.

"He is your new master?" she asked Kinjo.

"What's wrong?"

Setsuko stared at Naruto. "I can't believe it."

Naruto could feel a vein in his temple.

"Shssh," Kinjo reprimanded. "It's not the way to talk to the person who saved me."

"Yes, but I can't believe it."

Naruto forced a smile. It trembled on the corner of his mouth. "Kinjo-san, I think this girl is a little rude."

Setsuko crossed her arms. "I'm frank, not rude. I hate lying."

"Setsuko!" Kinjo barked. "I'm sorry, Naruto-sama. She has not been around humans for a long time."

"Father, I know a wimp when I see one."

Naruto stood up. "It's getting hot here. I think I'll go get some air outside."

Kinjo hit Setsuko with his paw. "Naruto-sama, I apologize in her behalf."

"Hey, what's wrong with expressing my opinion?" Setsuko said.

In a fast manner, Kinjo explained about Setsuko's training and Naruto's upcoming role in it. He needed to do it before Naruto walked out on them. Upon hearing it, Setsuko's disposition changed.

"Is that really true?" she asked. "Then, I'm sorry."

It didn't help. Naruto began to walk away. Kinjo blocked his way and pleaded with his eyes. Naruto glanced at Setsuko. Setsuko was making puppy eyes, too, but behind them was hope that he would help her with her training, something like greed, even.

"Huh? What?" Setsuko said. Kinjo nodded at her. "Okay. I take back my words."

Naruto sighed. A selfish person was sitting before him, but he couldn't do anything. Anyway, he agreed. Naruto explained to them that Setsuko needed to sign the Summoning Contract, too. Kinjo said that he would be taking Setsuko that day, so that he could acquaint her with his world. After finishing the ritual, Naruto summoned Kinjo back together with Setsuko. As for him, he felt a slight headache and went back to bed.

…

That afternoon, after lunch, Midori asked permission from Tsuneo to take a short break. Tsuneo permitted it. Midori went to Naruto's room. She wanted to apologize for the way she had been when they first met and to thank him for protecting Hiromi. She had had the chance this morning, but she didn't know why she couldn't even look at him. In front of his room's door, she breathed a lungful and knocked. Naruto called her in. He was wet with sweat and a little out of breath.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"I'm sorry if you arrived on me like this. I've been exercising my left arm a little with pushups." He clenched and opened his left hand to show her.

"Oh."

"You, too, are a little out of breath."

"I've been training, too."

"I see. So, why are you here?"

Now she was out of words again. She crumpled her hakama. "A-ano…"

"Yes?"

In a rush of embarrassment, she blurted out, "You're annoying!"

"Ehhh?"

Midori was horrified with what she had said. But, she knew that she couldn't take it back. "I said you were annoying."

"Wha-wha-what? I didn't do anything to you. Where is this coming from?"

She stood up. "Hmph! I thought that you were really strong. If that was real, Hiromi could have died."

"I see. Maybe Setsuko was really telling the truth earlier."

Midori marched up to the door and slid it open. She glanced at Naruto and blanched when she saw Naruto doing a dogeza, the traditional prostration of one so guilty of his doing.

"I'm sorry," he said.

She panicked. "It's okay. Don't do that! Hiromi is safe! No one was hurt!"

"But I promised you that everything would be all right. I apologize for being conceited."

"No! It's okay…Will you stand up?"

Naruto looked up, frowning.

"It's okay. You don't need to prostrate. Past is past."

Naruto said thanks, his tone that of confusion, and she hurriedly went out of the room, cursing under her breath for her folly. Now she felt guilty because of her cowardice.

…

Because of what had happened, Naruto became more determined to try harder. He had now plenty of inspiration: Chiasa's challenge, Setsuko's disappointment, and Midori's anger. Not to mention the future enemies that he might be facing: Shitto, the Left Wing. The truth finally began to sink in him. He began to realize that where he was was another world. Unfamiliar people, unfamiliar territory. It had only been three days, but there were so many things that had already happened, many revelations that he had been fed with. He had to adapt. He knew he was good at it. He would adapt and learn as much as he could, so that when he finally reached Konoha, he would be a changed man, a better person. His friends would be there to congratulate him, to praise him, and to love him even more. He thought, wherever they might be, that they were missing him right now. They must have already started to search for him, but because he was too far away, it was all up to him to find his way back. He would find his way back even if it took him years. He would meet the faces that haunt him in his reminiscing and understand who he really was.

…

The evening came and, while he was watching the sunset, Hashirama came in his room. He started from the sound. Hashirama smiled at him.

"Doing fine?" Hashirama asked.

Naruto went down from the railing of the porch and sat across Hashirama. "Yeah. My left arm feels like I hadn't cut it. Reiko-san is really a good surgeon."

"She is. She's in my team because she is." Hashirama paused. "I want to apologize to you, Naruto-kun, for what I did."

Naruto grinned. "Don't worry about it. No one's got hurt. Besides, that fight with Zuko-san showed me how weak I was."

"That's the spirit. Anyway, I'm here to ask you about something. Do you feel something peculiar about your body?"

"No. Why?"

"It seems that you have the Demon Fox's chakra in you."

Something came in him when he heard it. The Demon Fox. He thought hard about it and remembered. Of course! He was the Jinchuriki of the Demon Fox!

"I see that you've remembered. I think you already sealed the evil away from the chakra, but it's still floating inside of you."

"I don't understand."

"People who become containers of world anomalies like the Demon Fox are called Jinchuriki."

"Yes, I know that."

"The seal used to imprison the Demon Fox in your body allows you to take control of it eventually. It's called Hakke Fuin. The Sealing Technique used to perform the sealing is called Shiki Fuujin—that's in your case, anyway. Now, there are five stages of taming a Biju sealed by Hakke Fuin. First is Saikyoiku. Here, you make use of the chakra leaking from the Dokubo where the Biju is imprisoned. Second is Kumiawase. Here, you mix your chakra with the Biju's. This part is dangerous, since the Biju has still its own will. There is the risk that the Biju might take control of you in the process. Third is Shiriai. Here, you seal the will of the Biju, so that you are no longer at risk when doing Kumiawase. This is where the Biju floats inside you. The fourth is Shihai. This is making the chakra of the Biju your own. Then, the final stage is Yuujo. This is when you can call up the Biju outside your body, its will intact, and use it to fight for you. This is when you finally prove that your will is greater that the Biju's. In this stage the Biju submits to you completely, not with force, but with the acknowledgement that you've proven your worth as its master. Presently, you're in the third stage, Shiriai. To be able to survive our enemies, you have to be in the fourth stage. Originally, I was planning to train you for only two months, but since our enemies are not ordinary, you have to go through at least three months of training."

"Will you teach me how to attain Shihai?"

"There is no specific method in doing it. Sometimes Jinchurikis choose to stay in Shiriai, where they can talk with their Bijus. But Bijus in Shiriai doesn't have any will anymore. When they talk with their Bijus, they actually talk with themselves." He looked at Naruto. "I can only give you a tip. The chakra of a Biju is massive. Making it your own means that you need to have tough chakra channels and a strong will. Zuko will help you attain that."

"How will I know that I've already attained Shihai?"

"Some of the characteristics intrinsic to a host of a certain Biju will disappear. In your case, it's your whiskers."

"I see." Silence came between them until Naruto said, "Why do you know so much about Bijus and Jinchurikis?"

Hashirama stood up. "I will tell you when you remembered everything. For now, do your best and attain Shihai. I talked with Chiasa, and I permit your match. If she kills you, then that's it. I'm telling you this because I don't want you to die."

…

The next morning Yuudai flew down from the sky. After several minutes, four three-man team shinobis arrived. Hashirama introduced them to everyone. He instructed one team to go with Reiko and begin their hunt for Shitto. Another team went with Saki to their house to get their things. When that was done, Hashirama assembled them again in the evening. He allocated two teams to go and escort Tsuneo and his family to Hibarashi's estate, him and Chiasa included. The remaining team would stay at the temple to oversee Setsuko, Zuko, and Naruto. With that said, Hashirama talked with Naruto for the last time before they left. He had a bottle of tablets in his hand.

"Take this," he said.

Naruto accepted the bottle. "What is this?"

"Listen, Sanmyaku is a closed country. There are no blond men in here. It will be dangerous if you keep being blond. You will attract suspicion, and that's the last thing that we want to have."

"So, these tablets are to change the color of my hair?"

"Yes."

"But how will my friends recognize me? First, my whiskers will disappear if I attain Shihai. Then, you want to change the color of my hair. Hashirama-san, I will be a different person if I do this."

"The effect will wear out in time."

"For how long? A year? Five years? Ten? How long?"

"I'm not sure how long. In my estimate, at least, five years."

Naruto stared at the bottle. "F-five years…"

"You need to do this, Naruto-kun."

"Shit. If someone from Konoha saw me, he would surely ignore me. My chance of someone accidentally finding me here has become slim."

Hashirama bent at his waist to be as tall as Naruto. "Don't worry about it. If everything turns out fine, I'll take you to Konoha myself."

"You know where Konoha is?"

He didn't want to tell he knew. "We can ask around." He straightened. "So, let me tell you what those tablets do. One tablet is filled with protein-substituting agent that saturates your hair with melanin. Take one tablet everyday for thirty days to completely alter the color of your hair to black. The hair in your head will experience a faster rate of hair growth, too. It's up to you to do the styling."

"Do I really have to do this? Why don't I just wear a bandana or a hood?"

"You know, too, that that won't work."

"Man, I feel like Konoha is getting farther and farther away."

Hashirama smiled. "If you think like that, then, eventually, you'll think that it's impossible for you to get home. One negative thought is like one thousand bacteria added in a decaying plum. Stay positive and don't lose hope."

Naruto glanced up at Hashirama, but couldn't keep it and looked back at the floor. "I'll try."

"What's that? That's lame. Say something with conviction."

Naruto had to smile. "Okay. I'll do my best."

"That's it. You had the guts to cut your arm for people you just met, but here you are cowering because you hair is about to change its color to black? No one will think that you are that same person. So, feel better now? Because if you don't want to, you can back out, anytime."

"I'll do it."

"Good. And one more thing. You'll be Asahi to people outside our circle."

"Asahi? Why do I have to change my name, too?"

"Naruto is an uncommon name here. We need to blend in. I'm just getting rid of anything risky for our cause. I fancy Asahi so I chose that. It means 'Morning Sun.' Quite suitable for your personality."

Naruto was unsure, but since it had gotten that far, why not. "Okay."

"Another thing. Someone asks you your job, you answer mercenary. Am I clear? You'll be Asahi the Mercenary from now on."

"Cool. Asahi the Mercenary."

Hashirama turned to leave. "Rest well. Tomorrow, your training will start."

…

Midori had just finished brushing her teeth when she met Hashirama in the hallway. She had put an extra hour to her training. A glint of mischief showed in Hashirama's eyes. Midori sped up her stride.

"I just talked with Naruto, and we talked about you," Hashirama said.

Midori whirled to face him. "What?"

"He said that you were beautiful but had an attitude he couldn't place."

"He got the nerve to say that?"

"Is it true that you haven't thanked him, yet?"

"What if it is? Do I have an obligation to thank him? He did it on his own."

He shrugged. "I don't know." And he walked away.

Midori watched him as he left. She was in deep thoughts. Hashirama was right. This afternoon she had intended to thank him, but instead, she said that he was annoying. Naruto must have been hurt. "Geez," she muttered. "What is happening to me?" She walked slowly to her room, promising herself that before they left tomorrow, she would talk with him.

So, the next morning, she spared some time to talk with Naruto. While Hashirama and her family were waiting at the stairs, carrying bags and all, she pulled Naruto aside, to somewhere Setsuko and Zuko would not hear.

"What's the matter?" Naruto asked. The sun was rising, and its glow cast a peach on Midori's face. Midori was holding the sleeve of his kimono. "Midori-san?"

She willed herself to look at him. "Thank you for protecting Hiromi."

"Oh, that? It was nothing. I should be the one apologizing. You were right. If Zuko-san was an enemy, Hiromi could have died for real."

She shook her head, pleased at Naruto's humility. "No. What you did was enough. I appreciate it, really. Thanks."

"Give him a kiss!" Hashirama called out.

"Shut up!" Midori yelled back. She stared at Naruto, her hand still grabbing his sleeve. "Show me your cheek."

Naruto frowned. "Why?"

"Just do it!"

Naruto reluctantly turned his head. Midori breathed in and gulped. She tiptoed to kiss him. Naruto suddenly jerked his head, curious and anxious of what she was going to do. Their lips accidentally met. They both gaped at each other. Midori slapped him, tears in her eyes.

"Pervert," she muttered. She turned and ran away, him watching her back.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean it!" Naruto called out.

Hashirama and Hiromi were smiling, Saki a bit sad, and Tsuneo obviously angry.

"Good move, kid!" Hashirama said. He waved and the party descended the stairs.

Naruto looked into the distance.

"I saw it, lover boy," Setsuko said.

He whirled to her. "It was—"

"I know. Heard everything, too. But, it won't happen to me. Because the day you kiss me will be the day you die. Understand?"

"I'm happy someone understands me."

"So, what are you waiting for? Summon me back."

With a flurry of hand seals, he did what was asked of him. Setsuko disappeared into smoke, and Naruto was alone again. He looked up at the sky, a tinge of indigo at the edges of blue, feather-like clouds strewn around.