Chapter 14: Eloping, an heir decision and a chance of a new sister part 4
Before I start, a reader by the name nomad(),left me review that said how I didn't acknowledge the fact that Naruto knew about his parents before my story.. Well I've read the manga and seen the anime, and I know he knew a small bit about his parents after he met his dad during the Pain battle and his mother later on, that's in my story but that reader seemed to have skipped over the parts where I put those in, he said he's going to stop reading because of this. The amount of info Naruto learns about his parents seems different in the anime and manga.. Shame to lose a reader who just didn't read the story carefully and blamed me instead.. Oh well ,his loss. Anyways , for those still reading, on with the story..
Naruto and Temari quickly made their way out of the Sand village and headed towards the Leaf. All the while, they were on the look out for the Black skull and his female companion to come after them again. After a day's travel they seemed to luck out ,though neither was willing to lower their guard.
"Maybe they won't come after us after all" Naruto said as they stopped to take a rest and get something to eat on their second day of travel.
"Well, well.. We finally found you, Naruto Uzumaki…" Said the black skull, after he and Anju appeared near them.
"Way to go, Naruto!" Temari said ,smacking him in the back of the head hard enough to knock him to the ground.
"What was that for?" Naruto ask standing up and rubbing his sore head. "That wasn't cool Temari"
"Neither is jinxing us" She said, summoning her battle fan. "There are rules about situations like this. Never say " This or that hasn't happened" because Murphy's law dictate's if it can happen, it will"
"I wanna find that Murphy guy and beat the crap out of him" Naruto said, getting into a fighting stance.
"Should we be fighting them while their talking or let them go for a while longer?" Anju whispered to Kenji.
"Not sure….I say attack them now" Kenji said, pulling out a sword. "As amusing as this is, we really need to get this over with so we can collect the bounty for this"
"That's assuming your actually going to win this fight" Temari said, sending a blast of sharp air at him with her fan.
"I admit you injured me and did fairly well last time, but that was then this is now" Kenji said, smirking as he and Anju dodged the wind attacks. "Now that I've analyzed your abilities we will have no problems in taking you down and collecting our bounty for the Jinchuriki"
"Jinchuriki? What's a Jinchuriki?" Anju asked raising an eyebrow at him. "I thought we were after the blond boy"
"It doesn't really matter, we are after the boy, so just worry about capturing him with as little injuries as possible" Kenji said, darting towards Temari.
"Fine…" Anju commented before pulling out her katana and going after Naruto.
After separating Naruto from Temari Anju began slashing away with her sword. Naruto dodged almost of the strikes and used a Kunai to block those he couldn't.
"Hey, kid" Anju asked, she swung her sword horizontally. " Kenji called you a "Jinchuriki".. what's that mean?"
"Does it matter, you psycho?" Naruto asked, ducking and slashing a Kunai diagonally in return.
"In a way, yes. He said we were after a Jinchuriki, but I've never heard of that term" She replied, kicking him back and taking several swipes at him with her sword. "So is it a clan name or something? Or maybe a special ninja name?"
"You really wanna know?.. Fine .." Naruto said narrowing his eyes and lowering his kunai as she did the same with her sword. " The word "Jinchuriki" means human sacrifice. I am a human jailor for a tailed beast, and more specifically, the Nine tailed fox. It's been sealed inside of since at birth.. Happy?"
"Human jailor for the nine tailed fox?…that's… insane" She remarked wide-eyed. "How the hell haven't you gone nuts from having it sealed inside you?"
"I'll admit, I was almost lost in the darkness .. Until I made friends and they saved me from my loneliness" Naruto said, before creating a Rasengan in one hand. "Regardless, you're here to catch me for a bounty, and I'll be damned if I'm going to let you get me. So don't worry too much about what I am, and worry about me kicking your scrawny little ass!"
"Fine, though for what it's worth, I'm sorry you had to become a Jinchuriki. It was one of the main reason I hate ninja villages." She said, sympathetically, before getting serious. "No matter how much I may feel sorry about what's happened to you in the past, that wont stop me from collection the bounty placed on you though"
"Good enough for me,… Rasengan!" He yelled, dashing forward at her with the swirling ball of energy.
She widened her eyes for a moment, and moved to one side as fast as possible. He grazed her shoulder with the energy ball, slashing into it, as he ran past her. He skidded to a stop with the Rasengan dispelled and quickly turned around.
Her shoulder was bleeding quite a bit, and she cringed at the pain. She quickly threw down several smoke pellets, and used the smoke to disappear from sight. As soon as she was far enough away, she tore off part of her pant leg, and tied it tightly around her arm to stop the bleeding. Having sharp reflexes and hearing however, she immediately jumped off of the tree she had landed on, and as she did it exploded at the middle. She saw Naruto came to a stop as the tree exploded from the power of another Rasengan he held in his hand.
Anju threw down a wave of shurikens at him with her good arm as she jumped off and away. Naruto jumped back, and threw several of his own in her direction, which she avoided due to her distance from him.
"This guy is a pain in my ass" Anju said, unsheathing her sword again. "Though if not for the fact that he was one of my bounties, I think he'd be a great sparing partner "
"Just give up girl" Kenji said as he and Temari fought some distance away. "The sooner you do ,the less painful it will be for you and your fellow blond"
"And the sooner you shut up, the sooner I can skin you alive" Temari snarled, send wave after wave of sharp air at him. "Your not getting you hands on my Naruto, no matter how hard you try!"
"You seem to think you were stronger then me the last time we fought. Truth is, I was figuring out your strengths and weaknesses" Kenji said, surrounding her with iron sand. "Seriously, turning iron sand into glass? You must be stupid or something"
"Shut up, jackass! You had your little tramp of a partner use a powerful Genjutsu on us!" Temari argues back. " Now enough talking, Wind style, Piercing Air Net! ( a.k.a. wind release Cast Net)"
Large blasts of air shot off her fan as she swung it, forming a large net of wind. The sharp wind net slammed into a wall of iron sand Kenji created in front of him. It cut into it quite a ways before the air dispelled, making him ever so slightly nervous.
"Tell me girl, why does this boy matter so much to you? If you would simply give up, and let us take him in for his bounty ,you'd be fine" Kenji asked as he pulled out his sword, and slashed at Temari, leaving a trail of iron sand in the air as it moved through it.
"That's none of your business, jackass" Temari growled, throwing more waves of sharp air at him.
"Very well, if that's your final answer" Kenji said, putting his hands together as if he was praying . "Iron Sand unleashed!"
He slammed his hands to the ground and iron sand exploded everywhere, leaving a thick layer of it on the ground that slowed Temari's foot speed.
Meanwhile Naruto was trying to find a way to deal with Anju and had a explosive idea. He traded places with a shadow clone and appeared near Temari making her jump.
"Don't do that, asshole!" Temari yelled pounding his on the top of his head. "Announce yourself before appearing next time!"
"Sorry babe… anyways, I gotta explosive idea" Naruto said ,grinning despite the throbbing pain in his head from being hit so hard.
"Somehow I'm not surprised… what is it?" Temari asked in a whisper, while watching Kenji. "…seriously? Ok,… what do you want me to do here?"
"Just by me a few minutes to gather my natural energy with me a few shadow clones, can you do that?" Naruto asked, getting pumped.
"This is me were talking about.. The mistress of the wind .." Temari replied, with a smirk. "You better hurry up though"
"You rock babe! I'll be ready real quick, believe it!" Naruto said, giving her a kiss on her cheek before moving a small distance from her.
Naruto sumomend a large number of clones around him, all of them there to guard him except one of them to join him as he meditated to gather the natural energy he needed to go into sage mode.
Temari did her best to keep Kenji's attention on her while Anju chased around a shadow clone she assumed was the real Naruto. After only a little while Naruto was ready, and the familiar markings around his and his clone's eyes appeared. He had his clone hide on stand by in case he needed them and dismissed the others away.
He dashed out of the cloud of smoke created by his dispelled clones making Temari jumped back from Kenji who looked some what confused by the markings around his eyes.
"This time when we get you there wont be anyway for you to escape, black skull guy!" Naruto shouted as he summoned a clone that helped him start spinning visible chakra in his hand.
"You really think a Rasengan will be able to defeat me?" Kenji asked smirking.
"No.. but this will!" Naruto shouted, as the energy formed a spinning ninja star . "Temari get as far away as you can!"
Though she didn't like leaving him she nodded and leapt away, decided to go and grab the shadow clone and lead Anju with them, who was incredibly irritated with chasing a laughing Naruto.
"Well, I wish I could say this has been fun, but I'd be lying… so, see ya" Naruto said pulling back the massive bluish white Rasenshuriken in his hand. "Wind stlye! Rasenshuriken!"
Kenji saw the massive star shaped energy that spung being throw nat hi mand put up a shield of iron sand that was several layers deep. The Rasenshuriken hit the shield and tore through it like it was nothing, and Kenji could help but think how about how unlucky he was and hwo badly he had underestmated the Jinjuriki as the Rasenshuriken hit him dead center and exploded.
Temari, the Naruto clone and Anju all heard and saw the enormous explosion that occurred , leaving them all wide-eyed at the large area the blast wave encompassed. After the blast subsided, Naruto, who had leeped away to avoid the blast, jumped back n to the area, to see if he got Kenji.
Temari destroyed the shadow clone and left a confused Anju there as she left to check out the situation. She came upon a heavily breathing Naruto who was outside the crater where the forest had just been, and she quickly hugged him tightly, making his face turn blue from how hard she was squeezing him.
After she let go she looked at the center of the crater.. And what was left of the black skull. He was mangled almost beyond recognition and Temari wasa bit of shock having never seen the devastation caused by this attack before, only hearing about it from Shikamaru a while back.
"What the hell ..happened… here.?" Anju asked her voice getting lower as she saw Kenji laying dead. "Ke…KENJI!"
She walked down into the crater while Naruto and Temari watched, unsure of what to do. When she reached the mangled body she did the complete oposite of what they expected however. She got a very mad look on her face and reared back her leg, before kicking his dead body in his side as hard as she could. She proceded to kick him several more times , spewing various swear words at him as she did while a deeply confused Temari and Naruto stared on.
After she back away from the corpse, Anju turned and looked in our directions for the first time.
"Part of me want to kill you for what you did to him…" Anju said with a sour look on her face. "..But part of me is glad he's gone… I bet you find that strange.. And to be honest.. So do I "
"What do you mean?" Temari asked, furrowing her eyebrows slightly.
"Kenji here has taken care of me like a daughter for as long as I can remember… but at the same time, when he should discouraged my need for revenge, he helped get stronger so one day I could have my swift satisfying revenge wanted and need.."
"I guess he was as much a hindrance to me as he was a father figure…." Anju said, glancing back at him. "…. I guess I need to decide what to do now. Should I fight you two and try to collect the reward.. Or just leave.. And then what? Continue on my journey to find and kil my father? Or just live my life? Too many choices.. And no idea where to begin"
"Why don't you come back to the leaf village with us?" Naruto suggested out of nowhere. " Why waste your talents on exacting revenge? You can fight along side me, and Temari here. And the rest of the village too"
"Naruto, you can't be serious.. Your offering a woman, who tried to capture you for a bounty, a place to live?" Temari exclaimed, holding his shoulders and staring him in the eyes only a few inches from his face.
"Well why not? She's doesn't have any place else to go. Besides, just because she was after me for a mount y doesn't make her a bad person" Naruto said crossing his arms. "I'm sure to some people us Leaf Ninja are villans, just like we still kind of think of the other villages as enemies. It was just her job,so why not… if she wants to that is… do you want to?"
"You are the strangest ninja I've ever met, Naruto Uzumaki.." Anju said, with a slight smirk. "Offering a place to stay to person who was just your enemy… giving up my revenge I've long sought after for a life as a ninja.. I'm not sure I can after so long.."
"Well if you can't decide now.. The offer is always open, Anju" Naruto said, smiling. "Either way though, me and Temari here need to get back home… so are you joining us now or will you think about it for a while first?"
"As much I kind of like the idea of settling down I none village..I'm going to have to decline your generous offer.. At least for now" Anju said, hands on hips. " Maybe I'lll drop in to the leaf village someday… but not just yet. For what it's worth… it was nice to meet you.. Both of you. Sorry it had to be a meeting of us clashing like this. See you around"
That kid…. He's certainly strange…. I hope I see him again some day.. Anju thought as she jumped to the trees and darted off. But for now…I have things to do… and things to think about.
Naruto and Temari soonmade there way back to the Leaf Village, which took several days and nights. Finally though, they reached the gates of the village, and came to a stop, to give the ninja guarding the gates the passes to reenter the village. Not that it was necessary since the guards knew the two war heroes, but duty was duty.
After bidding the guards farewell, Temari and Naruto strolled into the village to check in with Tsunade at the Hokage tower. They had nearly reached the village when a trench coat wearing woman appeared next to them ,and put her arm around Naruto with a grin on her face.
"Welcome back, Naruto, Temari" Anko said, grinning like an idiot. "How 'bout we go get plastered at a bar, now that your back?"
"Kindly take your hands off my husband …" Temari started narrwoing her eyes, even thoguh she was smirking a bit. " …. before I have to get physical with you.."
"Mmmm is that a promise?… maybe I can join you two on your honeymoon? a threesome might be fun.." Anko said with a shit face grin. "I'm game if you two are.."
"Not in a million years… Anko" Temair said, grabbing the hand of the blushing Naruto and pulling him towards the tower. "If you wanna drink though, we'll think about it…. as long as you stop flirting with him that is"
"No promises!.." Anko replied to the retreating couple, in a sing song voice.
They left Anko there, and made there way up the steps of the tower and down the hall to Tsunade's office, entering without knocking.
"Your lucky , my Anbu alerted me to coming, or I'd be kind of pisssed about you entering with out permission" Tsunade said, behind a mountain of untouched paperwork. "Now then.. are you two alright?"
She quickly jumped over her desk and pulled Naruto and Temari into a bear hug, that had them both gasping for air.
""Garra sent me a letter with a messenger bird, telling me about bounty hunters after you!" Tsunade exclaimed., letting go of them. "You have no idea how happy I am that you two are safe!"
"Thanks grandma" Naruto said, catching his breath again. "So… are you going to congratulate the newly married couple?"
"That's right… I should say something.." Tsunade said, hand on chin, thinking. "Yeah that's it, I know.."
"Temari.. You hace my condolences… promise you won't hold is denceness against him" Tsunade said, patting the girl on her shoulders.
"Hey!.. Grandma!" Naruto protested shouting at her.
"I know.. But I'll try to look past it…" Temari said, playing along and wiping a fake tear from her eye. "At least he has his looks"
"As limited as they are" Tsunade said trying not to laugh.
"I hate both of you" Naruto said grumpily. "I'm gong to get some ramen.. If my cruel wife wants to join me ,then meet me there ,… after your done picking on me"
He lept out the window, leaving the two laughing women there in Tsunade's office. He beelined for Ichiraku's ramen, unable to wait for his delicious ramen. Back at the Hokage's office. Tsunade and Temari stopped laughing and sat down at her desk.
"In all seriousness, congratulations Temari… just remember to keep it a secret until the real wedding…" Tsunade said with a smile. "…Which will be happening in only a few day's time, by the way. We gotta get you a dress, and flowers and cake.. Lot of other things to do too… SHIZUNE! GET IN HERE!"
"Yes lady Tsunade? You bellowed?" Shizune asked, carrying a stack of paperwork in her hands. "Oh , and welcome back, Temari.. Congratulations… Where's Naruto?"
"The human ramen advertisement is on route to, or already at, Ichiraku ramen" Temari said, in a deadpan voice. " I don't care if he burns a lot of calories with training, or that the nine tailed fox heals all illnesses for him. Eating as much ramen as he does can't be healthy… Then again, I suppose I have cut him back on it quite a bit ,and considering what we went through on our way to the Sand village and back.. Maybe a few bowls is ok"
"Regardless of his extreme ramen intake we have more important things to deal with as I said" Tsunade said, smiling. "Shizune , we need to get Temari here fitted for a dress.. And the same for her bridesmaids, who we haven't even picked yet"
"Oh, no no no no no! I am not…wearing… a dress" Temari said ,holding her hands up in front of her while backing up towards the door. "You try to put me in a dress, and expect a lot of nose bleeds and pissed off wives, and girlfriends, when I walk out naked, with out the dress on. I don't do frilly dresses, never have , never will"
"Sorry Temari, but this time it's non-negotiable. The fire Daimyo is coming to this to announce his ruling on the clan restoration act" Tsunade said, sighing. "Even though it's no longer a problem with your quick marrige in Suna, it's stil serving as a way of bringing the Sand and Leaf villages together in a even stronger way with you and Naruto's marriage."
"We should make sure Naruto doesn't pick out a kimono with any orange on it as well" Shizune said, smiling lightly. "Just think how many people woule be angry about him showing up to a political marriage in orange"
"I say we let him wear the brightest orange kimono he can find" Temari said, grinning evilly. "In fact lets make the color orange the main theme for our wedding and really piss those snotty officials off"
"Please tell me your joking about…Lady Tsunade tell her .. Why are you grinning lady Tsunade? Don't tell me your for this?.."Shizune said, in a jumble of unfinished sentences as she looked back and for the between the Hokage and Temari. "I..I …I give up here"
"I like your thinking Temari, orange themed everything" Tsunade said, still grinning. "And black, Naruto wears black as well as orange… a black and orange themed wedding…. No one's going to forget this shindig for a long time"
"That's what's I'm afraid of…" Shizune said softly to herself, while sighing.
After extensively talking about the wedding plans, Temari decided to see if Naruto was still eating Ramen at Ichiraku's or not. In fact he wasn't and after scarfing down ten bowls at a pace that would make Choji go wideeyed, he made his way through town to find something to do,when he bumped into Ino as she was carrying plants in several wide holders.
"Hey!, Watch where your…. Oh Naruto! Hey there, didn't know it was you" Ino said, going from irritated to nice in a near instant. "I haven't see you in days, heard you were on some mission. Did everything go well?"
"Oh, hey there Ino, yeah it went great" Naruto said with a friendly smile. "..You need some help with those crates of flowers your carrying?"
"Yeah sure, if you don't mind.I have more over there to carry back to the shop in fact" Ino said turning her head and using it to point to several more crates of flowers that were lined up by the wall. " These are my families flower shipment of imported flora. I'm taking these to our flower shop right now"
"Why don't you have anyone helping you?" Naruto said, summoning several shadow clones to take it all back in one trip.
"Shikmaru and Choji were suppose to but Choji got called for a mission at the last minute… and lazy bones Shikmaru probably fell asleep somewhere, lazy ass, good for nothing ninja" Ino said, frowning. "But at least you're gentlemen enough to help me, unlike the rest of my friends"
"Hehehe, that's Shikamaru for you.." Naruto said, as he, his clones, and Ino made their way to her flower shop. "So besides dealing with lazy and busy teammates, how are things going?"
'"Oh you know, same old ,same old" Ino said, giggling at the people in the village starting at her and her small harem of Naruto's. "What about you and Temari though? Give something juicy here. Have you two done the horizontal tango yet? Was it good, did she moan out your name all night?'
Naruto and his clones simply turned dark red and ignored her, while carrying the flowers for her. Ino laughed and said she was just kidding, but did ask about the upcoming wedding.
"Yeah, only a couple of days now Ino… your going to be a bridesmaid right?" Naruto asked ,as they reached her shop and set the flowers down inside. "I assume your going to right?"
Ino squeeled so loud he had to plug his ears up and his clones all huridly dismissed themselves to avoid her banshee cry of happiness.
"Sheesh Ino… calm down.. I'm glad your happy, but come on, I still need functioning ear drums you know" Naruto said, still holding his ears.
"Hehe…sorry.. But I've always wanted to be a bridesmaid…. Until I get to be a bride myself someday that is" Ino said, folding her hands together and holding a dreamy look on her face. "Oh I gotta get a dress! And meet with Temari …and gather the other girls… any chance you can lend me a few shadow clones to cover my shift today? I have a lot to do.."
"Um…..I suppose..as long as you stop squealing that is" Naruto said, shaking his head.
"Oh yeah I almost forgot… you should speak to Sakura" Ino said, putting the last of the flowers away. "I talked to her after the incident, and she had gotten depressed and drunk before crashing your dinner. She seeemed genuinely upset and sorry about what she had done.. I think you and Temari should talk to her before the wedding"
"…maybe… I don't know… she was ..is my friend, and someone I had a crush on for years… maybe I should give her another chance..but what about before when Temari first joined squad 7? …" Naruto asked, looking over at Ino. "She was being a major pain, trying to ruin things for me and Temari"
"I know, she mentioned that and that was one of the things shes sorry about, Naruto" Ino replied, sighing. "Look, just give her a chance to talk and explain things alright? Please?"
"Alright fine Ino, I'll give her a chance…ok?" Naruto finally said, with his eyes closed and a half smile. "Weren't you going to go find Temari?"
"Crap, I almost forgot… Where is she?" Ino asked stopping at the door and looking over at him.
"She was with Grandma Tsunade, but if she's done there then she'll go to Ichiraku's to look for me, try there" Naruto said walking out the door behind her. "I'm going to go get a bit of training done before I go h-"
"No, your coming with me, since she'll eventually go looking for you. If I stick with you, we'll run into her soon enough..besides…" Ino said giving him a pouty face. "Don't you wanna spend time with one of your friends?"
"Using a pouty face was completely unfair, Ino" Naruto said, folding his arms, a short later when they were standing near Ichiraku's ramen stand.
"As long as it worked, it's fair" Ino said simply. "Now then, Mr. Teuchi said, she hadn't been by yet, so she should be here any.. there she is! Temari!"
Temari spotted Naruto and Ino, and Temari agreed to talk about dresses the next day, since she had already spent some time with thte Hokage talking about the wedding and wanted to go home and rest. Ino agreed to meet with Temari while Naruto was back teaching his genin squad the next day, and Naruto and Temari headed for home, his solo training forgotten. After dinner, and relaxing they decided to sleep in the same bed and move Naruto's things into her room which was huge, the next day sometime. Given that they were both tired it wasn't long before they were both in sleep land, snoring away the day's weird events.
End of Chapter 14: Eloping, an heir decision and a chance of a new sister part 4
To be continued in Chapter 15: Eloping, an heir decision and a chance of a new sister part 5
Hey it's me ,the great procrastinator here. Apologizing for a long time between updates at this point seems pointless, so, I won't. Basically, I weas loding interest in the story.. It was becoming stale. I still love the Naruto manga and anime and still watch it as much as I can, but anything can become stale if you do it too much. I've come out of my rut now though, and I'll try to get the next chapter done sooner. Don't worry, I will continue this story and see it through to the end. As usual please read, review, and most importantly, enjoy.